B+ for "Best Served Cold" by Joe Abercrombie

This is typical fare for Joe Abercrombie fans. You can pretty much guess the end result of the novel (people will be brutally killed, people will be betrayed, etc.) but it was a fun ride while it lasted. For some reason, this novel seemed even more cold and depressing than the first law series. Perhaps it was the unerring cynicism of some of the characters, but I was left with a hollow, empty feeling after reading this novel. That is not to day that I didn't enjoy it, but you may well finish this book feeling more depressed than usual. The combat is, as always, fantastic and the characters are as interesting as ever. I enjoyed the use of secondary characters from his First Law series being reused here, and am looking forward to his upcoming novel, "The Heroes."

B+ for "Summer Knight" by Jim Butcher

Another highly entertaining read from Jim Butcher in his Dresden Files series. This book, while good, was less entertaining for me because more time was spent on unraveling the mystery and escaping baddies than on interacting with other characters. Murphy isn't in this book as much as some previous books, Michael is totally absent, and Susan is gone to South American (for spoilerish reasons). He brought a character from a previous novel into things a bit more, but I found that there wasn't enough character interaction between Dresden and friends. I'd still recommend this book as I've heard from other sources that the books really start to get good around book four. This is still a quick and entertaining read for fans of the series with a few surprises that I didn't expect (and a couple that I could see coming). Check it out, if only to see Dresden come through again after being hit with another impossibly dangerous mission.

C+ for "Better Days" by Joss Whedon

I can recommend this for hardcore fans of Firefly only. The characters are still their lovable selves, but this book is much, much, too short for the amount of money you're paying. If money isn't an issue, then by all means buy this graphic novel as I enjoyed it as much as any other Firefly story out there. It seemed like at times they could have developed scenes a bit further or added dialogue or expanded the plot, but just wanted to get it over with. Still fun, but if money is tight I'd skip it

B+ for "Goblin Quest" by Jim C. Hines

B+ for "Goblin Quest" by Jim C. Hines

This book was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Sometimes you have to take a break from the bleak desolation and horrific betrayal common in most fantasy stories (which I tend to enjoy) these days. If you've ever played dungeons and dragons, or even have an idea what that is, you'll find this book to be quite funny. Although There were a couple times where I stopped to ask myself, "Would that really have happened? Is that possible?" I kept going anyways. The main character, a near-sighted goblin constantly at-odds with his clumsiness, is a wonderfully realized character and his questioning of human motivations was always entertaining.
Be aware that this novel isn't in the same vein as what I usually read and review, but it was an enjoyable departure nonetheless.

A for "Grave Peril" by Jim Butcher

A for "Grave Peril" by Jim Butcher

This was another thoroughly entertaining story in the life of Harry Dresden, wizard. Butcher tends to start all of his Dresden novels with an immediate hook and then expands things as he goes. What I found to be remarkably well done is the fact that he alludes to previous events in other novels in a way that new readers will appreciate and isn't overdone for readers who have read previous books. Dresden is a fantastic character, and there are some new additions to the novel that lead me to believe that future novels will be even better. I look forward to reading them. Definitely a must-read if you're a Jim Butcher fan (or Dresden fan, or a fan of being entertained). 

A- for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson

A- for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson

The book hooked me pretty early on with, basically, a riddle. As the mystery it unfolds and expands into something much more interesting, but I won't ruin anything by saying more. The main characters are interesting (especially Lisbeth) and the writing is well done. He often understates things, and this makes certain scenes much more powerful than they might have been if the melodrama had been poured on. The novel is basically a slow burn up until the end where everything becomes a little more frantic and is quickly resolved. Still very enjoyable, and I was hooked, but be aware that this isn't a fast paced thriller from page 1.
This book has received positive reviews for good reason, and is a must read for anyone who likes mystery novels. I tend towards reading SF/Fantasy but this was a pleasant surprise and I'll be sure to check out later novels in the series.

B- for "The Warded Man" by Peter V Brett

B- for "The Warded Man" by Peter V Brett

This book was an entertaining read for the most part. It starts off with a couple characters who all lose something to the corelings in the course of the novel. The premise is interesting, although I'm looking forward to future novels where the reasons the corelings can't be out in the sun are revealed. The concept of the warded man is interesting, although I'm not sure why no one thought of it before him... For me there were some issues with pacing and the plot arc, but in the end it is a decent start to a fantasy series with some original concepts.

Still, don't read this until after you've read "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss. I also still think that "Empire in Black and Gold" is a stronger opening to an alternate fantasy series. Read samples chapters online first.

On another note, I read an interview with the author with Joe Abercrombie, and he seems like a super cool guy, which is definitely a bonus. 

B+ for "Storm Front" by Jim Butcher

B+ for "Storm Front" by Jim Butcher

The first two books (the first being Storm Front by Jim Butcher) are great urban fantasy mystery novels sprinkled with bits of humour (of both dark and light varieties) and they come highly recommended for anyone who likes either fantasy, mystery, or urban fantasy novels.
Characters: 9/10 (while some of the secondary characters are left undeveloped, Dresden himself and his self deprecating humour is a pleasure to read)
Pacing: 8.5/10 (The story keeps up at a good pace, although I didn't feel it was as tight as the first novel)
Plot: 7.5/10 (While events tied together nicely in the end, I sometimes find it difficult to question to motives behind actions that drive the plot as they are often hidden and/or explained sometime after they've occurred)
Worldbuilding: 6/10 (The White Council is there, Harry's shop, the police station, but I've yet to see much in the way of long-term forecasting. Still, I've heard later books get better, so don't miss out based on this!)
Style: 8/10 (Harry Dresden's style of narrating is great fun. He is a character used to getting into the worst possible situations and then squirming and kicking and blasting his way through to success, or at least some measure of non-failure. I enjoy Butcher's style).
Total: 38/50 (Don't be fooled though, this is a fantastic read that will have you devouring the pages and having a great time of it as you go), mainly on the strength of the protagonist of the series...

A- for "The Last Knight" by Hilari Bell

A- for "The Last Knight" by Hilari Bell


The Last Knight was a fun read that I breezed through on the train to Ottawa. It was a fast read, with two interesting protagonists that were well suited to each other (despite the fact that they are nearly opposite in many ways). Here is the synopsis from the Harper-Collins website.

Although there hasn't been a knight errant in over two hundred years, this young noble has decided to revive
the trade. He's found himself a reluctant partner in Fisk, a clever rogue who has been given the choice of
serving as Michael's squire or going to jail for a very long time. Now Michael and Fisk are on a quest to right
wrongs, protect the innocent, and make the world a happier place.
It's not going to be easy. On their first attempt at rescuing a damsel in distress, they break a lady out of a
tower, only to discover she was there for good reason: awaiting trial for poisoning her husband. Now the
would-be heroes must find Lady Ceciel and return her to justice or be condemned themselves.

Characters: 8.5/10 You couldn't find a better suited mismatch of characters in the opening novel of this series. Fisk and Michael's (mis)adventures remain interesting based almost solely on the fact that they are so different and they are plunged into such terrible circumstances.
Pacing: 9/10 The novel moves along at a brisk pace with lots of slippery situations that the characters need to get out of. Enjoyable from start to finish.
Plot: 8/10 Although parts of the plot are fairly predictable, I couldn't help but laugh at some of the things that happened. There is a bit more melodrama (but remains minimal, in this novel at least) than I'm used to, but this is a concern of mine with regards to most of the YA genre). I definitely laughed and there were indeed a few plot twists that I quite enjoyed.
Worldbuilding: 6/10 Although I'm not really sure that this is a fair grade for this portion of my rubric. I'm not certain that it should even be included in any of my reviews. However, I feel that having a sense of the world around the characters helps with regards to suspense and conflict, and keeps me hooked. The worldbuilding isn't the novel's greatest strength, but luckily the rest of the novel succeeds well enough that this isn't really an issue.
Style: 8/10 Simple enough that readers of a wide range of abilities should be able to read it, but intricate and witty enough that it got some good laughs out of me.
Total: 39.5 Definitely a solid YA novel, and I'm sure that the author will continue to deliver using the great mismatch of these two characters. The Last Knight is a solid read for kids and teens, and, as this is her target market, this book should be a resounding success with children of those age groups (although be aware, there are no vampires involved). I enjoyed this book, as it made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion.

B- for "Graceling" by Kristin Cashore

 B- for "Graceling" by Kristin Cashore

Graceling was an interesting novel set in a fantasy world where people are born with "graces" which are basically great aptitudes in a certain area. No one is shooting lasers from their eyes or controlling the weather, but you could be graced with fighting, for example. The main character is a standard "tough chick" who is being controlled but trying to make a positive difference in the world. The second main character is someone with a secret to hide, but I won't give away any spoilers. It was a quick read, and was fairly enjoyable, but I'm going to have to recommend this to a younger audience only. It's too much of a stock "finding your inner strength and finding love" story for my liking.

Characters: 6/10. They seem a bit too much like "stock" characters to me, although with some modifications.
Pacing: 7/10 Pacing was fairly good. Always some kind of mystery/conflict to keep you reading.
Plot: 7/10 A bit simplistic for my tastes, but still very well done and I'm sure it'll keep the YA audience reading
Worldbuliding: 6/10 I look for greater depth in worldbuilding. Some of the secondary characters are decently done, and the "magic" system is explained, I still wish I knew more about how the graces worked. I assume this will be coming down the pipes in later novels, but I still feel like the world was a playground for the plot to occur in, rather than a real, living, breathing, world.
Style: 7 Very simple style, easy to read. Good at avoiding violence, sex, swearing to keep it tailored to the YA audience and younger. Not as much conflict as I would come to expect from characters in their circumstances, but well-suited to its target market.
Total: 33/50 A fun read with some interesting, if not incredibly 3d, characters. Sure to please younger female readers with the tough little heroine, and a younger audience in general. On the other hand, it seems that many other people LOVED this book, so I'd recommend reading a few sample chapters first.

A- For "Empire in Black and Gold" by Adrian Tchaikovsky

A- For "Empire in Black and Gold" by Adrian Tchaikovsky

I'm not sure where I was recommended these books, but they are good. I think that I am interested more because of the idea of the "kinden" than anything else (which are basically various races of humans that, basically, take on some of the characteristics of insects), but that's good enough for me. It's a great concept and it helps make some of the lines an author needs to navigate a bit easier, and that makes for a better novel in this case.

I'd rate these almost on par with Joe Abercrombie's "First Law" series, but I'd recommend everyone to read GRRM first, as I always do. This isn't a bad place to look if you want some interesting fantasy though!  I'm currently finished up to the fourth book.

A+ for "The Sworn Sword" by George RR Martin

A+ for "The Sworn Sword" by George RR Martin

Although I wish I could get this in the written format, it does still succeed as a graphic novel. GRRM's strength is his characters and his dialogue, but as I've seen from this and the first Dunk and Egg novella, his plotting is also masterful.

There are a few surprises in this book, some great worldbuilding, and as always the conflict is potent. A highly recommended read. The information we learn about the Blackfyre Rebellion is worth the price on its own, but I'm quite happy to say a fantastic story is there to be enjoyed as well.

B+ For "Dragonfly Falling" by Adrian Tchaikovsky

B+ For "Dragonfly Falling" by Adrian Tchaikovsky

This novel, like the first, has a strong cast of interesting characters and some well-crafted plotting. It isn't on the same level as GRRM, but then, nothing else really is.

I'd put it almost on par with Joe Abercrombie's First Law series, although both are strong in their own way. Point of view issues and a few other niggling problems could have been fixed, but still a tremendous novel. Occasionally I think there were extra scenes added from characters that are not exactly of the greatest importance, and thus I feel they could have been cut. From the looks of the page count in the third book, it looks like the tendency to add extra scenes has been curtailed, so I expect a tighter story in the next installment.

As mentioned, there are a few POV issues still, in that sometimes the author will switch between characters without warning. Still, a well crafted universe, interesting characters, and a dynamic plot are enough to keep me reading. Well done.

C+ for "The Way of Shadows" by Brent Weeks

C+ for "The Way of Shadows" by Brent Weeks
A decent start, but nowhere near as high as GRRM, Rothfuss, or Abercrombie. Here are a few of the issues:

POV: some pov characters come in and then never have another one. It seems they are added just to beef up the story. They add little to the plot, and frankly I don't care about most of them. having a tighter story based on fewer central characters would have worked better, and random scenes from other povs could have been eliminated.

swearing: as another reviewer has pointed out, the swearing is at times a bit bizarre. The times it is used I'm often surprised, and other times when I could see someone swearing, they don't.

Plot: the plot seems to zig-zag and not in the way it should. There a bunch of small conflicts leading up to the end that don't seem to really do much for me. There are lots of mini climaxes and the story keeps on rolling. THere needed to much more foreshadowing of the main crux of the novel, and more dealing with it in the early chapters. Frankly by the time it comes around I was only reading to finish the book rather than out of interest.

Brent Weeks is a nice guy, and I was impressed by his online battle with Joe Abercrombie, but I'd recommend GRRM, Rothfuss, or Abercrombie first. Maybe the series improves after this, but this novel could have used another draft with more feedback from an editor.

C+ for "A Darkness Forged in Fire" by Chris Evans

C+ for "A Darkness Forged in Fire" by Chris Evans

It felt like it dragged for a while, and by the end I was only reading to finish it. There were some problems in understanding the universe these characters live in and some more background information or world building would have been nice. Some interesting characters, and a plot that keeps moving. I feel like some greater foreshadowing of the monumental events going on behind the scenes and greater clarity would have helped.

Make no mistake though, this is not a five star book. This is not GRRM or Rothfuss, but it is still a good story and later volumes may improve upon this novel.

A for "Job: A comedy of justice" by Robert Heinlein

A for "Job: A comedy of justice" by Robert Heinlein

A bit weird, but his rich characters and their plight makes for a humour-filled ride. I enjoyed it as the funny novel that it is, but I think "Starship Troopers", "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress", and "Stranger in a Strange Land" still stand as better examples of his work. This is a fun romp, with some interesting philosophical implications, but it is not his greatest work.
Still highly recommended.

B- for "A Shadow In Summer" by Daniel Abraham

B- for "A Shadow In Summer" by Daniel Abraham

As my title suggests, this is the beginning of a solid start to a fantasy series. Mainly my problems with the book are nitpicky. They concern the use of the phrase "took a pose" that negates the need to accurately describe what the poses actually are, although I'm sure he remedied this in future volumes. Similar sounding character names or names that begin with the same letter had me confused more often than should be expected even in a fantasy novel. The story is strong, and the prose is done well. I would recommend this book, but not before reading GRRM's song of ice and fire, or Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind.

Still, if you want to take a look at how good Daniel Abraham is as an author, google: "The Cambist and Lord Iron: A Fairy Tale of Economics By Daniel Abraham." Fantastic short story.  He has what it takes, so later novels might be stronger, although I haven't read them.

A for "Acacia" by David Anthony Durham

A for "Acacia" by David Anthony Durham

The pacing of the novel is fantastic; there is little wasted space, all most of the plot points interesting. Durham makes good use of events happening off-scene for dramatic effect, and fills in the blanks that he skipped over extremely well. The world building is where this novel shines. You learn it bit by bit and you always get the feeling there is some other mystery still be to be revealed.

A definite recommendation in the epic fantasy genre. If you have problems with swearing, sex, and violence, get this instead of GRRM's A Game of Thrones (although I would still point out that Martin's novels are some of the best fiction out there).

A+ for "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss.

A+ for "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss.

The author comes in as a relative unknown in the fantasy genre with this stunning debut. I was browsing message boards on the best (recent) fantasy novels and this was recommended to me. One of the best parts about the book is the ease of the reading. I couldn't book this book down. The prose was tight, and I think every chapter adds something to greater understanding of one of the main characters, or the interesting but still relatively unexplored setting. Despite its length, you will devour this novel if you like fantasy and character driven action.

A few other reviews point out that this book is LONG. That is most certainly the case, but I absolutely believe that the book is still well-paced and eminently readable. Full of love and loss and music, this book should not be missed by anyone who calls themselves a fan of fantasy.

D+ for "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

D+ for "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

I started reading it, then I started enjoying it, and then stuff happened, the story jumped around, and then more stuff happened. Then I started to get bored. Some of the jokes were good and all, but it was a bit too jumpy for me. In the end, I finished it only because I'd gone so far and the weight of positive reviews that had been posted urged me onwards.

Hal Spacejock is funnier, as is Heinlein's "Job: A comedy of justice" (among others)