Book Review: The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett

Pros: characters continue to grow, several people get much needed dressing downs, lots of romance (and sex), more background on the dama'ting

Cons: several characters in Everam's Bounty have similar names, which got confusing at times, cliffhanger ending

The Daylight War picks up directly where Brett's previous book, The Desert Spear, left off.  The third in the Demon Cycle, I can't give much of a synopsis without seriously spoiling the previous books.  So all I will say is that you learn more about the dama'ting, from Inevera's POV as she grows to womanhood within the organization and both Arlen and Leesha return to the Hollow, much changed by recent events.

The characters continue to grow, with - and I loved this - several of them growing backbones and telling the interfering people in their lives to butt out while they make life changing decisions.  It was great seeing Rojer come into his own and Gared getting some much deserved recognition for his contributions.  I'm still not sure how I felt about some of Leesha's decisions but I loved seeing Arlen's relationship.

One of the most interesting parts of the book was Inevera's upbringing and her reasoning behind certain decisions.  You also learn a lot about pillow dancing, as most of the characters in the book indulge in it, multiple times.

This only happened a few times, but there are several characters in Jardir's court at Everam's Bounty whose names start with 'A' and who all appear in the same scenes, specifically Ashia, Asome, Ashan and Asukaji.  There's a glossary of certain characters and terms at the back of the book (called the Krasian Dictionary), but I've found using those with ebooks (the form of my review copy) more hindrance than help.  Context usually helped with who was whom, and the author tried to remind the reader of everyone's connections, but there were a lot of similar names in this book.

The ending is shocking, with a sudden cliffhanger that will have your cursing the fact that the next book isn't out yet.

If you've liked Brett's previous books, this is a superb follow-up.  If you haven't read Peter Brett and like well written fantasy, I urge you to give him a try.

New Author Spotlight: Mark Lawrence

New Author Spotlight is a series designed to introduce authors with 3 books or less in the different SF/F subgenres.

Today's spotlight shines on Mark Lawrence!

Mark's debut novel is Prince of Thorns published by Ace.

Here's the cover copy...

When he was nine, he watched his mother and brother killed before him. By the time he was thirteen, he was the leader of a band of bloodthirsty thugs. By fifteen, he intends to be king...

It''s time for Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath to return to the castle he turned his back on, to take what's rightfully his. Since the day he was hung on the thorns of a briar patch and forced to watch Count Renar's men slaughter his mother and young brother, Jorg has been driven to vent his rage. Life and death are no more than a game to him - and he has nothing left to lose. 

But treachery awaits him in his father's castle. Treachery and dark magic. No matter how fierce, can the will of one young man conquer enemies with power beyond his imagining?

Check out these other books if you like gritty fantasy:

• Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie (Orbit)
• The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas (Roc)
• Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson (Del Rey)

Book Review: Ashes of a Black Frost by Chris Evans

Please note, as the third book in the Iron Elves trilogy this review contains potential spoilers for the previous books.

Pros: lots of action, character development, dry humour, satisfying series conclusion

Cons: Konowa recovers from serious injuries remarkably fast, there is little downtime in the middle third of the book causing reader exhaustion, Konowa and Visyna's romance isn't very convincing

A second star has returned but not without cost.  As a poisoned metallic snow begins to fall in the desert, heralding more of the Shadow Monarch's nightmares, the Iron Elves must decide their route.  With Yimt's company missing, including Visyna and Konowa's parents, the Iron Elves head for the coast by way of Suhundam's Hill, last outpost of the original Iron Elves.  There they face new dangers that make wiping out the Shadow Monarch more important than ever.

This book introduces new monsters again, including evolved sarka har, a once more transformed Emissary and the Shadow Monarch herself.  It also explains the fate of the original Iron Elves Konowa is so eager to find.

There is a lot of character development, both with established characters and newly introduced soldiers.  Often fantasy books dealing with the military or feudal hierarchies will constrain themselves to a small group of people, eventually causing a gap in characters as previous ones die or retire.  So it was nice to see Evans bring forth a new batch of soldiers in this book and continue promoting them within the military ranks.  It gave the series a realistic feel that the world continues, even as characters move on.

The action is fast and furious, with occasional downtime when the characters laugh and learn, though there was a section in the middle where it seemed everyone should have been collapsing from exhaustion.  Konowa himself managed to recover remarkably fast from several serious accidents throughout the book.  Readers may find themselves requiring a short break from the relentless action. 

The romance between Konowa and Visyna seemed a little forced.  Though it was hinted at through all three books there was little time for the characters to really get to know each other after the first book.  It was nice seeing Visyna come to understand Konowa better in this installment, but there was no scene where she conveyed her new understanding to him.

The series came to a highly satisfying conclusion.  If you like elves but want something different, give this series a try.

New Author Spotlight: Mazarkis Williams

New Author Spotlight is a series designed to introduce authors with 3 books or less in the different SF/F subgenres.

Today's spotlight shines on Mazarkis Williams!

His debut novel is:
The Emperor's Knife (Night Shade Books).
 

Here's the cover copy...

There is a cancer at the heart of the mighty Cerani Empire: a plague that attacks young and old, rich and poor alike. Geometric patterns spread across the skin, until you die in agony, or become a Carrier, doing the bidding of an evil intelligence, the Pattern Master. Anyone showing the tell-tale marks is put to death; that is Emperor Beyon's law...but now the pattern is running over the Emperor's own arms.

His body servants have been executed, he ignores his wives, but he is doomed, for soon the pattern will reach his face. While Beyon's agents scour the land for a cure, Sarmin, the Emperor's only surviving brother, awaits his bride, Mesema, a windreader from the northern plains. Unused to the Imperial Court's stifling protocols and deadly intrigues, Mesema has no one to turn to but an ageing imperial assassin, the Emperor's Knife.

As long-planned conspiracies boil over into open violence, the invincible Pattern Master appears from the deep desert. Now only three people stand in his way: a lost prince, a world-weary killer, and a young girl from the steppes who saw a path in a pattern once, among the waving grasses - a path that just might save them all.

Check out his book if you enjoyed any of the following:

• The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham (Orbit)
• The Braided Path by Chris Wooding (Gollancz)
• Transformation by Carol Berg (Roc)