Fantasy

A different take on dragons, plus political intrigue and bloody assassinations amongst aristocratic houses make this an interesting first novel.

The pace is fast and the writing easy to read with some strong characters and a well described landscape. However I missed having any sympathetic central characters - just as you think that one is all right, he/she goes and does something horrible! The whole lot are all apparently viscous, sly and completely without conscience.

After the events of the Brightonomnicon, the teenage Jim O'Malley/Rizla is back in his native Brentford. But all is not well: it seems that Germany won the 2nd world war and now his favourite café serves Bratwurst rather than ‘a full English' for breakfast. Hugo Rune reappears to take Rizla back in time to the ‘40s to help restore history and again defeat Count Otto Black. Again a series of mysteries and who-dunnits need to be solved, this time following the theme of a pack of Tarot cards. ..read more

A hapless teenager is rescued from drowning, but loses his memory. His rescuer is Hugo Rune the self-styled Perfect Master, Guru's Guru, etc, etc. Together they solve 12 mysteries and thwart rune's dark nemesis Count Otto Black.

This is quite an extraordinary companion book that breaks down everything to do with the Lord of the Rings. It is very long at nearly 900 pages - but is worth reading slowly just to absorb the incredible amount of information in it.

I highly recommend this for any Lord of the Rings fan.

Initially when I first saw this book, I was put off by the fact that it was a trilogy, it seemed rather heavy and voluminous, despite that it had essentially ticked all the right boxes. I needn't have worried. Celia Friedman is a master at weaving great plot lines, building nicely rounded out characters and creating a well padded out backdrop, with only sometimes being stuck in the details. She paces the story well, taking her time in places to build upon angst and tensions, then rushing you into the thick of action and adventure.

Much the same as the previous offering from this trilogy, Black Sun Rising, part two greatly expands upon the plot line, builds a deeper emotional attachment or hatred for Celia Friedman' main antagonists and keeps her style of writing fairly well balanced. When True Night Falls also builds upon the religious fervency, bringing an interesting but important view to humanity upon Friedman' world.

Hopefully this will not disappoint the senses and will keep you hooked for her final volume in this trilogy, Crown Of Shadows.

The final instalment of this trilogy comes to an end, and what a climax. Celia Friedman has managed to skilfully entwine religion, sci fi and the land of the Fae into an exhilarating ride for all partaking of this adventure. The group of antagonists mature and you find yourself emotionally invested in their well being and willing them to succeed in their quest to save the human race.

Oh dear - I think that this is a book that you'll either love or hate. I personally found it an enjoyable read, that to me kept on the same level with no major highs or lows on the excitement factor. However I did like the premise of the action taking place on Mars between the two cities(why are there never any towns - only cities!) - but I do like my action to be faster to keep me reading to the end.

Not a bad book - just slow.

The Fionavar trilogy is one of my favourite fantasy trilogies, so I am not surprised that this stand-alone tale from the same author is so good.

Although not a fantasy in the usual sense, set as it is in a facsimile of 8th century China, there are touches of the supernatural, vital to the plot, which give it a frosting of magic.

The first book in a trilogy about the Valisan family. This story is about the young prince Leo and his friend Garviel, who are on the run from Loether, the barbarian who has taken over the kingdom of Penraven.

This is an exciting story, with a plot that gallops along at a cracking pace. Well plotted with believable characters but with so many loose ends that I cannot wait for the next book.!