Lord Yamas Fantasy Book Review

The Princess Bride is known to many people through the film. It was based on a book of the same name by William Goldman, who also wrote the screenplay. It is a cult classic, a delightful fantasy, and although written in modern times, it matches the best in traditional fairy tales. Wonderful stuff. ----more---- And while you are here. Please have a look at one of my own books about the legends and...

While I prefer Fantasy to Science fiction, a long-forgotten series about a space surgeon by James White has recently been republished which remind me how good stories set in the future can be.  The novels he wrote epitomise everything I love about science fiction. They are based on original quirky ideas, they are thought-provoking and linger in the mind long after you finish reading them. Things t...

One of the most underrated and perhaps overlooked fantasy trilogies of recent times is The Cemeteries of Amalo by Katherine Addison. Best known for her standalone novel, The Goblin Emperor, her three books based on the doings of a humble priest who can speak to the dead are just as good, if not better. Gentle and whimsical on the one hand, while at the same time set in a world believable enough to...

Roger Zelazny is quite rightly acclaimed as one of the all time greats of Science Fiction and Fantasy. He is my favourite author of fantasy and one of the biggest influences on my own writing.  He is best remembered for his Amber series and for the marvellous Lord of Light. But for me, his best book is This Immortal.  ----more---- And while you are here. Please have a look at one of my own books....

For this episode I am going to recommend a novel I haven’t read because it hasn't been published yet. It is called A Trade of Blood, the third in a the Shadow of the Leviathan trilogy, by Robert Jackson Bennett.  Books one and two were so excellent I am confident that part three will match my expectations.----more---- And while you are here. Please have a look at one of my own books. A Jade Treasu...

Michael Moorcock is best known for his stories about the albino prince, Elric and his magic sword, Stormbringer.  Perhaps rightly so, but for me his finest work is his Dancers at the End of Time trilogy. Far ahead of its time and thought provoking. Written by a story teller at the top of his game. 

One of the most charming books written in the fantasy genre has to be Princess Bride by William Goldman.  Both the book and the film that was made from it are cult classics. As fresh today as the day it was first published.  A tale of true love and swashbuckling adventure. 

It is difficult to put your finger on which sub genre of fantasy the Goblin Emperor fits into.  Most of the elements that most people associate with good fantasy, like sorcerers, dragons, enchanted blades, and mighty heroes are missing. And the hero is an ordinary man, or half elf half goblin in this case, with no special powers who just has to muddle through when plonked on the throne and told he...

In this week's podcast I give you my take on A Song of :Ice and Fire by the hugely popular fantasy author, George R R Martin. ----more---- And while you are here. Please have a look at one of my own books. A Jade Treasury, about the legends and myths surrounding Jade, the Stone of Heaven. To ancient cultures all over the world, it was sacred. In China, Confucius raved about it; wars were fought ov...

Ann McCaffrey might be best known for Dragonsong and other stories set on the world of Pern but I prefer her Crystal Singer Trilogy. Perhaps this is because the woman at the centre is a deeply flawed character who should be difficult to like - but isn't.  Wonderful stuff.  

One of the best debut novels in the world of fantasy has to be King Rat by China Mieville. He is better known for his later works, such as Perdido Street Station, but my heart belongs to his first novel, King Rat, which updates one of the best-known fairy tales by placing it in the London of the 1990s.----more---- And while you are here. Please have a look at one of my own books. A Jade Treasury....

The modern fantasy genre has its roots in myths and fairy tales. One persistent theme in the English language has been the tale of King Arthur, his sword Excalibur and the Knights of the Round Table. It has been told again and again in different ways for centuries. It is a central myth of English folklore. Many of the giants of the fantasy genre have reimagined it. But none have matched what is kn...

The legacy of Mary Renault cannot be underestimated. Her marvellous historical fantasy trilogy about Alexander the Great was one of the first in any genre to break the mould and include homosexual love in a popular literature. Writing more than half a century ago,  she dared to break the rules not only with her Alexander series but with many of her other published works. ----more---- And while you...

The most successful author in the world of fantasy has to be J K Rowling. Her Harry Potter series and the films they spawned have been enjoyed by hundreds of millions of adults and children alike. We can thank this very gifted writer for making so many people fall in love with fantasy. Many of them have gone on to buy books by other authors in the genre. I would say she is as influential as J R R...

The Little Prince is a magical book, a modern fairy tale, written more than eighty years ago, and it still enchants adults and children alike. Undoubtedly one of the best introductions to the world of fantasy that has ever been written

Fantasy comes in many different guises. It ranges from Romantasy to Grimdark and from Sword and Sorcery to Magical Realism. One of my favourite books which doesn’t quite fit into any of the sub genres that I generally read is Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. While there are many who scoff at fantasy as not really literature, I offer this novel as a prime example of great writing. ----more---- And just...

One of the most outstanding Grimdark fantasy trilogies ever written has to be A Land Fit for Heroes by Richard Morgan. Ahead of its time when it was written. As fresh today as when it was first published. I cannot recommend it highly enough.  https://amzn.to/4sBpDIk ----more----

One of the best storytellers to emerge in the last two decades has to be Patrick Rothfuss, the author of the Kingkiller Chronicles. He's only written the first two books in the trilogy and is taking his time with the final instalment. His fans including myself have been waiting for fifteen years to see how the story ends.  ----more----And just to let you know that the first in my new fantasy trilo...

A grimdark fantasy novel for grown ups with a thirteen year old psychopathic anti hero at its centre. Not for the faint hearted but a fabulous read. This week we delve into the world of the prolific writer, Mark Lawrence and his trilogy which begins with Prince of Thorns.----more---- And just to let you know that the first in my new fantasy trilogy, Renn, is due for release in a couple of months....

In a departure from my usual weekly review of a book in the fantasy genre I am going to talk about my favourite wizard. Magic is firmly entwined in nearly every story in the genre and wizards, witches and warlocks abound. And once you've had a listen, let me know whether you agree with my choice. And if not, tell me who you prefer. ----more---- And while you are here, have a look at A Jade Treasur...

M L Wang is a leading light in the world of fantasy and not just because of her excellent writing. She started by penning novels in the genre for Young Adults but has since written two books for a more mature readership that explore complex issues that resonate with the world we live in. The first to be published was Sword of Kaigen but I much prefer her later work, Blood Over Brighthaven.----more...

One of the most underrated writers in fantasy has to be Justina Robson. Her Quantum Gravity series is better written and more absorbing than a lot of books in the genre that have sold more copies. Definitely worth a look.----more---- And while you are here, have a look at A Jade Treasury. One of my own books about the legends and myths surrounding Jade, the Stone of Heaven. To ancient cultures all...

While Robert Heinlein is considered one of the 'big three' of Science Fiction, he also wrote a couple of excellent fantasy novels, mixing  wry humour with first class story telling. Glory Road is a classic that has aged well and is just as enjoyable today as it was when it was first published more than sixty years ago. A must for all lovers of Fantasy.  And while you are here, have a look at A Jad...

One of the most delightful trilogies to hit the bookshops in the last few years has been the Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne. Grim, dark, and bloody, it borrows from Norse mythology and the author  adds his own brand of magic and mystery to create an unforgettable series, The Shadow of the Gods, The Hunger of the Gods and The Fury of the Gods. ----more---- Click on the link to buy the first in the...

In this weeks episode we look at Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay. It is probably the best fantasy novel inspired by Chinese history and mythology that has been written by a writer from the West. And while you are here, have a look at A Jade Treasury. One of my own books about the legends and myths surrounding Jade, the Stone of Heaven. To ancient cultures all over the world it was sacred. In China...