Book Review - Vellum By Hal Duncan

In the name of reviewing books, I am often forced to read things I would have never otherwise picked up. Not being a huge science fiction fan, Hal Duncan’s Vellum was something I bought from a charity shop for £2 and never got around to reading, precisely because it looked about as sci-fi as any book I’ve ever purchased.

However, finding myself with a lack of decent material for review, I decided to take the hit and read Vellum for the good of the online community..to be honest, I’m still reeling. On the one hand, I found Vellum to be something of an aesthetic joy; stylistically stunning and packed to the brim with glorious descriptions and references to mythologies even I hadn’t heard of, it was a tour de force of alternative literature! However, after couple of hundred pages, I felt my mind wandering as I slowly lost any real concept of what was happening. Although I’ll admit the variety of interwoven plotlines wasn’t helping matters, it was less the complexity of the plot that was derailing me as how self-aware the book seemed. Vellum was literary form of the woman at the party you can’t stop staring at, not because she’s exceptionally attractive, but because she is going out of her way to act as if she is. By the final chapters, the book seemed more aware of itself and what it was trying to do than I was, which is never really how I like things to end.

I’m not somebody prone to criticising a book because it lacks the typical style of modern literature. In fact, I love quirky and unconventional books – anything that challenges me, or makes me read in a different way to usual is something I’m likely to enjoy. However, it wasn’t the complexity and obscurity that put me off Vellum– it was the pretentiousness that permeated every level of the book that made me want to stop reading. Somewhere amidst the chain-smoking, leather-clad characters, different fonts used for different storylines and perpetual references to just how much mythology Duncan had researched, I lost all sense of why any of this was actually interesting. The more I read, the less intrigued I found myself until, by the end, the only thing left in my mind’s eye was an image of Hal Duncan, hunched over a desk lit only by candlelight, desperately trying to create something cool. In fact, from this day forth, I declare the word ‘Vellumesque’ to be an appropriate way to describe trendy East Londoners.

To summarise Vellum for fans of popular literature, I would compare it the attention-seeking middle child of His Dark Materials and The Da Vinci Code; without Pullman’s mighty narrative or Brown’s ability to merge reality, mythology and fiction, Duncan’s creation simply screams “Look at me! See how different I am!” before denying that it even values your opinion. Without a doubt it’s an impressive read but, at the heart of it, it’s snobbery in book form.

– Reviewed by Ed

Book Review - White Wolf By David Gemmell

David Gemmell was, in my humble opinion, one of the masters of the fantasy genre. Although the last series he wrote before he died, Troy, is probably his most famous, the Drenai series is certainly his most acclaimed with true fans of the genre. It is a joy then that White Wolf was written as a return to the Drenai, featuring Gemmell’s most renowned character, Druss the Legend, along with a new addition – the mighty Olek Skilgannon.

As a general and master swordsman in the Queen’s army, Skilgannon was ordered to slay the entire population of a city – men, women and children all, earning him the moniker ‘The Damned’. Sickened by such duties under the Queen, he chooses to leave his violent past behind him and join the men of the cloth. However, when an angry mob attacks his monastery, Skilgannon finds himself unable to control his bloodlust and, as a result, is cast away from the monastery and back into the world he has shunned. In a final attempt to create a normal life for himself, Skilgannon decides to travel to the fabled Temple of the Resurrection, in a bid to bring his deceased wife back to life.

Of course, things aren’t even that simple. Skilgannon was the love of Queen Jianna’s life and, when he deserted her and her empire, she swore to have him killed! So begins an epic journey in which Skilgannon and Druss’ paths cross on their own paths to their own concepts of justice and happiness.

Book Review - The Eye of the World By Robert Jordon

As the first book of Robert Jordan’s massive and bestselling fantasy epic The Wheel of Time, the Eye of the World sets the precedent for the entire series. However, whether or not this is a good thing is definitely more debatable than the sales may have you think.

As much as I enjoyed the book, I cannot deny the Eye of the World is nothing spectacular. In fact, I would say I probably enjoyed it because of the feeling of familiarity it gives as a run-of-the -mill fantasy tale, rather than because it introduced anything new to the genre. The plot is typical, the characters fill standard roles and the ‘twists’ are evident far in advance – nothing is fresh or surprising. In fact, at points the story becomes tedious in its monotony; good guys run, bad guys catch up, there’s a near escape and it’s back to the running away again. This isn’t done in a novel way either; Jordon essentially takes Tolkien and renames the characters! Frodo’s character is diluted to become the dreary Rand al’Thor who, along with his country-bumpkin friends, is chased across the world by ‘The Dark One’ (urg) and his army of bestial warriors, led by riders dressed in black cloaks, riding black steeds…sound familiar?

I can’t deny I enjoyed reading the Eye of the World; the number of times I missed my stop on the train because I was engrossed would have cost me a fortune if it weren’t for my Oyster card! However, there is almost certainly nothing in this book that hasn’t been done before and been done better. Jordon has written a great book and a wonderful series, but he certainly does not come to dominate the world Tolkien created, as the reviewers claim.

Book Review - Bleeding Violet By Dia Reeves

AshBooks Review for Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves:

The tagline “Crazy never looked so beautiful” summarises Hanna’s personality completely. A recluse with a list of emotional disorders long enough to scare anyone, Hanna eventually runs away to find the mother she never knew. On arrival in Portero, where her mother is living, her challenge is to fit in in the town, or leave after two weeks. Thus begins Hanna’s journey into the paranormal and mysterious world of Portero.

User Submitted Reviews:

This whole book was funny. Though parts of it were strange and morbid, a lot of it was moderately confusing in an understandable way … I laughed almost the whole way through. It’s light and heavy, witty and serious, all mixed with the color purple.

Bleeding Violet has a good mix of reality and paranormal. It’s mixed well enough that you can relate to it and it feels like our present day, age, and atmosphere, but the paranormal aspects are still strong and don’t feel out of place.

Book Review - Night Watch By Terry Pratchett

After the popularity of my post on Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, I thought I’d face a fear of mine and write a post reviewing one of the mighty man’s novels. With thirty-six books in the Discworld series, I was slightly spoiled for choice, so I decided on arguably the best of them all – Night Watch.

In Night Watch, Watch Commander Sir Samuel Vimes is busy chasing criminal Carcer Dun, when he suddenly himself flung backwards in time by a magical storm. Realising he’s in a tricky situation, Vimes attempts to reach help with the wizards of Unseen University, but is unfortunately arrested on his way or breaking curfew. The worst part? He’s been arrested…by himself! Ironically winding up in a cell next to Carcer, Vimes is later taken for interrogation, when time gets frozen by Lu-Tze. The sweeper informs Vimes that Sergeant-At-Arms John Keel was meant to arrive at the Watch that day, but was murdered by Carcer! Vimes must now fool his younger self and assume the identity of John Keel, in order to teach himself the ways of the Watch.

Pratchett’s characters are always superb, but Night Watch stands apart from the others as a masterpiece of interplay and storytelling. Equally intelligent but separated by years of training and knowledge of the streets, the interaction between old Vimes and young Vimes is nothing short of masterful. For fans that already know the characters, seeing them in their young forms adds another level of humour to what is already a melting pot of conviviality.

Book Review - Better Part of Darkness

AshBooks Review for The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay:

Set in the not so distant future, where aliens live together with people who sometimes have supernatural power has been discovered that a drug that has been leaving everyone in comas and it is now up to two cops, Charlie and her partner, to get on the case. A sci-fi storyline meets detective thriller. Lots of sexual tension.

User Submitted Reviews:

Charlie was my kind of girl—totally kick-butt in every way, shape, and form. She was tough as nails, rock-hard, dedicated to her job, but she had her soft spots for those that she held closest to her.

Book Review - Discworld By Terry Pratchett

Since this is a website about books, I have thus far assumed all readers understand the concept of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. However, for those who (for some unfathomable reason) are unfamiliar with one of the greatest literary creations of all time, here’s an introduction.

The Discworld is a slightly convex disc-shaped world that sits on top of four huge elephants, which stand on the back of a Giant Star Turtle called The Great A’Tuin. In this world, which is quite similar to ours at very first appearance, things are entirely as they should be – which is a source of constant strife for everybody. The way things work out in the Discworld is best described as a kind of narrative destiny; things exist in accordance with pre-ordained stories, hence much of life is spent following or seeking to avoid your ‘written’ fate. The power of these stories should never be underestimated either; so strong is the power of believe in the Discworld that, if a legend is retold enough times, it actually becomes true!

What this means for the reader is that every novel based in the Discworld is subject to infinite possibilities, with each tale unwinding through a series of hilarious events as the characters attempt to evade or further their narrative destinies.

Book Review - Assassin's Apprentice By Robin Hobb

Assassin’s Apprentice is the first book of one of the first fantasy series I can remember reading; the Farseer Triology, by Robin Hobb. It is a first-person narrative following the young life of Fitz – the bastard child of a prince who is raised by Burrich, master of animals. As he grows and lives amongst the animals, Fitz discovers he possesses a special talent for communicating with creates – the Wit (something that disgusts Burrich and ruins the relationship between the two). When the Kingdom comes under threat, Fitz moves away from Burrich into the caste and takes an oath to serve his King.

Before long Fitz finds himself under the command of Chade, the Master Assassin, who teaches Fitz the ways of his trade and allows the young man to undertake the Kingdom’s dirty work. Fitz is also made part of a group who are being taught the magical Skill – an ability that is similar to the wit, but allows the users to share thoughts and strength. As the story progresses, Fitz learns to balance his special abilities and training with his duties to the King and constant battle against enemies both outside and inside the castle walls.

As an introduction to the genre, Assassin’s Apprentice is a wonderful book and leads on very nicely to second and third books in the series. Engaging enough for younger readers, yet interesting enough for older fans of the genre, the series does nevertheless suffer for an element of repetition, as Fitz does seem to be forever recovering from some form of attack!

Having been writing this blog for a quite a while now, I think it’s about time I mentioned one of my favourite authors. Being that my favourite genre is fantasy (yes, I’m still a child at heart), many might assume J.R.R Tolkien features at the top of my list. However, much as I enjoy Tolkien’s work, no author can quite compare to the might of David Gemmell – not in my eyes.

Working as a labourer, a bouncer and freelance journalist, Gemmell wrote his first novel – Legend – in 1984, at the age of 36. Despite the massive success of this book, it wasn’t until he released his third – Waylander – in 1986 that he could afford to work as a full-time writer. Although I still wasn’t born by this point, the story of Gemmell’s rise to success has always been an inspiration to me – only slightly less so than his works themselves.

Although his first three books were of the Drenai Series, which grew to be nearly a dozen books long, Gemmell’s Fantasy Fictions works include the Jon Shannow Series, the Stones of Power Series, the Hawk Queen Series and the Rigante Series, as well as both the Troy and Greek series of Historical Fiction and a over half a dozen individual titles. My personal favourites are White Wolf and The Swords of Night and Day (from the end of the Drenai Series), as well as the Troy Series as a trilogy. It is worth pointing out, however, that David Gemmell died before the third of the Troy Series (Lord of the Silver Bow) was finished and his wife, Stella, completed the work for him.

If ever there was a way to fall in love the fantasy genre, reading David Gemmell’s masterpieces is the best and easiest.

Buy Books by David Gemmell

And here it is: the top 25 must have books by Chrismas this year! We cover everything from paperbacks to hardbacks, fantasy stories, biographies, suspense, thrillers, fiction, non-fiction, chicklit: you name it and its here.

	The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown’The Lost Symbol’ is the follow-up to Dan Brown’s bestselling ‘The Da Vinci Code’. Once again Robert Langdon finds himself in mysterious chambers, tunnels, temples and Masonic secrets. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest by Steig LarssonSalander is plotting her revenge against the man who tried to kill her and against the government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. After taking a bullet to the head, Salander is under close supervision in intensive care and is set to face trial for three murders. Can she prove her innocence? (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	Grow Your Own Drugs by James WongYou’ve got Boots the chemist growing in your back garden but you just don’t know it yet. This book features fantastically easy recipes for natural remedies and beauty treats. (image courtesy of Priceminister)(image courtesy of Priceminister)
	Assegai by Wilbur Smith1913. Leon Courtney is in British East Africa guiding rich and powerful men from America and Europe on safaris in the Masai tribe territories. One of his clients has a company which builds aircraft and vehicles for the Kaiser’s army. He hadn’t bargained on falling in love with Eva, the Count’s mistress.(image courtesy of Priceminister)
	D-Day by Antony BeevorMaking use of overlooked and new material from over 30 archives in half a dozen countries, ‘D-Day’ is a vivid and well-researched account yet of the battle of Normandy. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	The Greatest Show on Earth by Rciahrd DawkinIn ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ Richard Dawkins takes on creationists, including followers of Intelligent Design and all those who question the fact of evolution through natural selection. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	Audacity of Hope by Barack ObamaSenator Obama has written a book of transforming power. Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to the Constitution, he says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	Pride And Prejudice And Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane AustinFeatures the text of Jane Austen’s novel, “Pride and Prejudice” with scenes of bone crunching zombie action (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	Jade: Forever in My Heart by Jade GoodyCovering the final heart-breaking months in the life of TV celebrity Jade Goody, this book describes her brave fight against a terminal disease, her determination to provide for her sons and her desire to leave a legacy which might prevent other young women being torn from their families in the prime of life. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	Twenties Girl by Sophie KinsellaLara has always had an overactive imagination. Now she wonders if she is losing her mind. Normal twenty-something girls just don’t get visited by ghosts! But inexplicably, the spirit of Lara’s great aunt Sadie in the form of a bold, demanding Charleston-dancing girl has appeared to make one last request. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	True Blood Omnibus by Charlaine HarrisSookie is an unassuming cocktail waitress in an (outwardly) unremarkable town. Attractive as she is, her hidden ‘talents’ send men running – her mindreading skills are just a bit threatening. When the unreadable Bill appears, he seems to be the man of her dreams. Except he’s not technically human. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	4 Ingredients by Kim McCoskerThis cookbook features over 340 quick, easy and very delicious recipes you can easily whip up to wow your friends and family, and all fith only four or fewer ingredients. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	Tea Time For The Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall SmithMma Ramotswe is widely known for many things. Everybody knows about her kindness&her taste for redbush tea&cake. Everybody is familiar, too, with her tiny white van, which is beginning to feel its age. Are its difficulties to be terminal, or will Charlie, the feckless garage apprentice, be able to save the day? (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	Rumour Has It by Jill Mansell(image courtesy of Priceminister)
	The Hairy Bikers’ Food Tour of Britain by Si King and Dave MyersBetter known as The Hairy Bikers – travel the length and breadth of Britain to discover our finest traditional foods. Touring the country on their trusty Harleys, Si and Dave celebrate local recipes and chefs from the villages and towns they explore (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	206 Bones by Kathy ReichsA routine case turns sinister when Dr Temperance Brennan is accused of mishandling the autopsy of a missing heiress. Someone has made an incriminating accusation and before Tempe can get to the one man with information he turns up dead. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly(image courtesy of Priceminister)
	Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey NiffeneggerThis is a 21st century ghost story about Niffenegger’s familiar themes of love, loss and identity. It is certain to cement her standing as one of the most singular and remarkable novelists of our time. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	Time of My Life by Patrick SwayzeIn the public eye for much of the 1980s, Patrick Swayze made his name in movies such as Dirty Dancing and Ghost. This book chronicles Patrick’s career, as well as dealing with his fight against pancreatic cancer. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	Caribbean Food Made Easy with Levi Roots by Levi RootsIn the BBC2 programme, ‘Caribbean Food Made Easy’, Levi Roots travels around the UK and the Caribbean and reveals how delicious Caribbean food can be prepared at home with easy-to-prepare, mouth-watering recipes using fresh, healthy and readily-available ingredients. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	Saturday Night Peter by Peter Kay’Saturday Night Peter’ charts the hilarious journey as Peter Kay developed and honed his comedy skills by taking to the road and trying out his stand up material in pubs and clubs across the country. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	High Voltage Tattoo by Kate Von DKat Von D is an up and coming name in the world of tattooing and popular culture in general. Star of LA Ink and Miami Ink she has quickly made a name and style for herself. The book will include her story, what inspires her, information about her show and her shop, her sketches, and her personal tattoos (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	A Vintage Affair by Isobel WolffPhoebe Sanders runs her own vintage dress shop. But while she stitches and repairs couture suits and glorious dresses, there is something in Phoebe’s own past that she cannot restore, and which is stopping her searching for love. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	The Cloud Collectors’ Handbook by Gavin Pretor-PinneyThis handbook fits into the pocket, allowing cloudspotters to identify cloud formations anytime and anywhere. All the common cloud types are represented, as are many of the rare ones, each are fully described and illustrated with a range of photographs. (image courtesy of Priceminister)
	Crystal by Katie PriceCrystal is beautiful, talented and ambitious. All her life she has dreamed of making it as a singer and her chance finally comes when her girl band enters a TV reality show contest. But Crystal has a secret; she’s fallen for the wrong man and this one mistake could cost her everything. (image courtesy of Priceminister)