The A-Z Blog Challenge, Letter K

Letter K of My Favourite Books by title

A series of three fantasy books.

This series is by American fantasy author, Raymond E. Fiest. 

The books are: Krondor: The Riftwar Legacy Books

These books are actually more like spin offs from another series - The Riftwar Saga, which is actually part of what is called The Riftwar Universe and consists of ten series of books, starting with The Magician. I haven't yet read them all - I've read six of the series, and don't own them all yet, but I'm working my way there.

Wiki explains them quite simply: 

They feature the worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan. Human magicians and other creatures on the two planets are able to create rifts through dimensionless space that can connect planets in different solar systems. The novels and short stories of The Riftwar Universe record the adventures of various people on these worlds.

I call them kingdom fantasies, based around kingdoms that oppose each other and have wars, and then Fiest mixes in other things, like a time rift, and another nation from another world comes through this rift and a war starts. In different series you get to explore the different worlds and their culture - one reflects what we know as the Far Eastern culture. There are also elves and other types of life forms besides human, as well as lots of magic. He combines it all in a way that works for me personally.

Fiest writes well and is not over descriptive or under descriptive, he creates a good balance, where the scene is set and the action keeps it moving forward. He also has maps at the beginning of each book so you can track where you are. I enjoy the escapism his writing affords.

These particular books can be read as standalones, but you get more depth if you have read the other series. I particularly liked the off shoots of characters that I got to know from the original series - like Squire James in 'Tears of the Gods' who used to be Jimmy The Hand, a thoroughly likeable roughian and originally a thief.

Although you might find a dark edge here and there, these are not horror novels. So if you prefer a good fantasy series, these are worth considering. 


It is nine years on from the aftermath of Sethanon. There has been peace awhile and it’s been needed. But news is feeding through to the people of the Kingdom of the Isles that deadly forces are stirring on the horizon. The bringer of the latest tidings is Gorath, a moredhel (dark elf).

The bloodletting has started. Nighthawks are murdering again. Politics is a dangerous, cut-throat game once more. At the root of all this unrest lie the mysterious machinations of a group of magicians known as The Six.

Meanwhile, renegade Tsurani gem smugglers, a rival criminal gang to the Mockers led by someone known only as The Crawler, and traitors to the crown are all conspiring to bring the Kingdom of the Isles to its knees.

***

 
Fresh back from the front, another foe defeated, Prince Arutha arrives to find all is not well in Krondor. A series of apparently random murders has brought an eerie quiet to the city. Where normally the streets are bustling with merchants and tricksters, good life and night life, now there seems to be a self-imposed curfew at sundown.

Mutilated bodies have been turning up in the sewers, the Mockers’ demense. The Thieves’ Guild has been decimated – men, women, children, it matters not. The head of the Mockers is missing, presumed dead. Those few who survived the terrible attacks are lying low. Very low.

The Crawler, it seems, is back in town. And he’s being helped by others, more ruthless than he. Can it be the Nighthawks again? The Prince enlists his loyal Squire James to find out. If anyone can unravel what’s happening in the bowels of Krondor, he can. He knows the sewers like the back of his hand. Afterall, as Jimmy the Hand, he grew up there.

Meanwhile, the retinue of the Duke of Olasko has arrived suddenly at the palace, a week ahead of schedule but with no apologies and many demands. They say they are here to hunt. But to hunt what. Pug’s son William, on his first posting as a knight-lieutenant, must escort them into the wilds. It should have been a straightforward mission …

***

A DROP IN THE OCEAN?

A raid upon the high seas signals an attack of unprecedented magnitude by the forces of darkness.

But the daring assault upon the Temple of Ishap goes dramatically wrong and the prize, the Tear of the Gods, sinks beneath the waves of the Bitter Sea. The most powerful artifact known to the Temples of Midkemia, this colossal gem allows the priests to speak with their gods. Without it they are lost for a decade, until another is formed in the distant mountains.

Squire James, William, and Jazhara must seek out the location of the gem, with Brother Solon, a warrior priest of Ishap, and Kendaric, the sole member of the Wreckers' Guild with the power to raise the ship. But they are opposed by the minions of the Dark God, who seeks to possess the Tear for his own ends.

A breathless race for a priceless treasure, against time, myriad sinister and competing evil forces, and ultimately against the fundamentals of nature, which in Midkemia can be as formidable as the Gods themselves ... 

 

The A-Z Blog Challenge, Letter J

Letter J of My Favourite Books by title

Two books - same author

Different Genres

Yep, another double Stephen King post, but they're the only J titled books I have in my collection that rank. But this will be the last time he features for several letters, so bear with me.  

The first is Joyland. Here's the blurb:

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. 


This was a different style for Mr King, and the second attempt at these 'Hard Crime' books - the first, Colarado Kid was a bit lacking  but with Joyland it was more complete.

The story covers just a summer for college student Devin and his experiences at the fairground where he works for the first time. 

There is plenty of suspense and a few chills to boot. I got a real sense of the fairground and of a 'carny'. He creates characters you care about and feel like you are stepping into their lives.

***

The second is The Jaunt. Here's the blurb:

The story takes place early in the 24th century, when the technology for teleportation, referred to as "Jaunting", is commonplace, allowing for instantaneous transportation across enormous distances, even to other planets in the solar system.

I'm cheating a bit here, as this is a short story that appears in his collection Skeleton Crew - that was initially published in the Twilight Magazine. And this is a fake book cover mocked up by someone on Deviant Art as an example of what they could do. Looks pretty good.

This is another story that blew my mind. While they are waiting to teleport - which is a bit like in an airport but someone comes round to inject you and put you under to go through the teleportation process - the father of the family of four relates the history of how teleportation came into being and why they have to be put under to go, and it is the outcome of that that is the kicker - I can't tell you, it would ruin the story - suffice to say that it's a terrifying concept!

I love the idea of something like teleportation being possible, and I remember discussing it with a friend that was doing a masters in Astrophysics. He was actually able to theoretically transport us from one room to another, but sadly the technology doesn't yet exist. Mind you, if it's anything like in Stephen King's tale, you might not want it to!

More tidbits about Stephen King: When filming his series Creepshow, in 1982, Stephen played the main character in one of the stories (The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill), where a meteorite lands and he touches it and sort of turns into this grassman - so they had to cover him completely in a green suit, and at one point he had to show his tongue, so they made a green latex tongue cover. He said, after filming he had to go to the shopping mall, but he left the tongue cover on. When he went into one shop, an assistant asked him if he needed any help, and he stuck his green covered tongue out at her and she ran out of the store screaming! He thought it was hilarious - he definitely likes to scare people! 😂

Mid-Week Flash Challenge - Week 102

This week's photo prompt is of a sculpture taken at a specific angle. This was created by Zenos Frudakis, an American sculptor and this is called the Freedom sculpture and can be found at 16th and Vine Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He does interesting work.

As I always do, I tried to make this one original and create something more than the picture initially portrays. I think it worked. I like how it turned out - my kind of horror.

The General Guidelines can be found here.

How to create a clickable link in Blogger comments can be found on lasts week's post here.

There is also a Facebook group for Mid-Week Flash, if you fancy getting the prompt there.

Gallery of Encasement

It was busy; I had to squeeze my way through to the front side so I could get a good view. I hadn’t imagined so many would turn out – although I knew I hadn’t been the only one. 

They were still setting up; preparing the three moulds. The hum of the cement mixer could be heard just above the noise of the crowd. I was excited although I wasn’t sure it was appropriate to be. I wondered if this was how it felt centuries ago, when others had witnessed such events.

People called it the completion of a cycle – the fact that it had come back round again. I just thought no other deterrent worked as well for these kinds of finite crimes. People still opposed it, but it had brought about positive changes in society, which had really needed to change.

The Crimes Against Humanity bill had made human lives valuable again, over money, over power. And people had begun to feel safe again, and come together as a community. Like today, with these people coming together to see justice being served.

These three had been caught red-handed – literally with the blood of their victims on their hands. They’d killed in haste, trying to cover what they’d done, but it hadn’t worked – luckily for me, otherwise I wouldn’t be here today to bear witness.

I glanced round the crowd and saw two other girls I recognised. One glanced up at me and gave me a tight smile, I returned it. She pushed through the crowds towards me and I made room for her, pushing some people back so she could stand next to me. She sought my hand, and I grasped hers, giving it a squeeze. We didn’t need to speak – in fact we couldn’t, thanks to their fear of us ever getting loose – this was our day of retribution.

We’d spent years in that hell hole being their ‘play things’. We’d never get that time back, or our tongues, and although the trauma we went through would permeate every aspect of the rest of our lives, this day would help us recover our sense of justice and safety.

They brought the three men out, shackled, their eyes wide and unbelieving, stumbling across the makeshift podium. My mouth twitched at the edges. It was their turn to experience humiliation and horror.

They poured cement into the bottom of each mould, just enough to attach the men to it, and pushed each one in, fixing them with a special scaffold that would hold them in place while it set. I had read the literature on the process: the type of cement they used on the first part was a special mixture that dried superfast; within half an hour they would be held fast.

Then the moulds were hoisted upright, so we could see them lying in them, stuck to their casings, alive and aware of everyone around them.

Someone threw an egg and it smashed on the face of the middle one. He could do nothing to wipe it away with his hands already fixed in the hardening mixture. Then there was a volley of people throwing anything they could find, and I laughed.

It was hearty and I felt it deep in my core, but my eyes ran with tears and I found myself struggling to breathe as I fought between the ecstasy of release and the pain of my emotional wounds. The girl next to me held me upright, and made cooing sounds to comfort me and eventually I was able to return her embrace and we let the tears fall unhindered.

Only when one of the larger items opened a gaping facial wound on the man on the left did the barrage stop, the audience showing more concern for their victims than the men ever had.

After an hour the crowd started to thin, but I remained, as did the girl next to me. I had thought I’d never be able to watch such suffering, but with these men I had no compunction – they deserved every second of it.

When dusk fell, the features of the captive men were no longer visible so I decided to leave. I considered returning in the morning to see the final encasing, but by the time I reached home I knew I didn’t need to see or experience any more suffering. Today was enough. Maybe next month I’d return to the gallery to see how they’d been placed among the other sculptures of encased murderers and rapists.

The A-Z Blog Challenge, Letter I

Letter I of My Favourite Books by title

Two authors - same genre

The first is Imajica by British author Clive Barker. Here's the blurb:

The Imajica - five Dominions, four reconciled. The fifth is Earth, cut off, living ignorant on the edge of a sea of possibilities, mystery and magic. Only a few know of the Imajica, and of the approaching moment when the Earth will be reunited with the other Dimensions. And they are both terrified and in awe of the prospect.

Racing to capture that moment are Gentle, a master forger; Judith, a beautiful independent woman; and Pie'oh'Pah, an assassin who deals love and death. Together they must embark on the greatest journey of all - through each of the five Dominions to the ultimate mystery - the First Dominion - where, in the City of the Unbeheld, their highest hopes, or deepest fears, will be realised.

How to describe Clive Barker books? It's always tricky. He is very much a horror writer, but it is also fantasy, but such extreme fantasy I usually say he writes about 'the fantastic', it's so beyond what is normally perceived as fantasy. He thus falls into exactly what I like in a book, horror and something beyond fantasy. He completes that for me.

There are actually a couple of his books I have yet to read, but I do own them - I have this idea that in just having them means they will magically soak into my brain and the story would be there! LOL Sadly this is not the case.

Imajica is one of two novels set in a 'dominion' which is like another dimension. Barker has created a whole other world, and people, and way of viewing our world. It is completely immersive (a common theme for me it seems). There is something about his way of creating worlds and stories that gives you the sense that it is not just fiction, that there might be a grain of truth in it - fed by such things as the rumours that Clive Barker says he's been to Midian (a place in his book The Cabal - later to become the film Nightbreed), that it exists as a place.

True or not, Barker is the master of weaving tales of intricate design, with something dark and light combined. He uses brutal, harsh words when writing the darker sides, which gives it a bluntness and shock value that other horror writers don't match. His writing is not for the light-hearted - especially such books as Hellbound Heart (later to become the film Hellraiser), but if you aren't afraid to be afraid and you can handle it, Clive Barker literally offers other worlds. And Imajica is exactly that.

***

The second book is Insomnia, by Stephen King. Here's the blurb: 

You'll lose a lot of sleep.

Ralph does. At first he starts waking up earlier. And earlier. Then the hallucinations start - the colours, shapes and strange auras. Not to mention the bald doctors who always turn up at the scene of death.

That’s when Ralph begins to lose a lot more than sleep. When he begins to understand why his hitherto mild-mannered friend, Ed, is getting out of control - dangerously so. And why his home town is about to become the new Armageddon.

An evil of unimaginable proportions has found a way in and Ralph has only one chance to beat it. The stakes are high - they always are when you’re playing for human souls. With a Joker in the pack … a bald one with a rusty scalpel.

Yes, another Stephen King book - they just keep coming, don't they? I know, but at least I'm consistent! 😉

This one stands out because now only does it talk about seeing auras - which I found fascinating - but it talks about these two little men called 'The Random and The Purpose', who run about killing off people! 

The main character, an elderly man, starts to see people's auras, and that they have these little sort of strings above their heads, which denote their life expectancy (which of course only he can see). Some are really short and so this little guy comes up and sort of cuts them to end their lives, (sort of like a grim reaper) but then there is another little guy that runs about cutting off people's strings that aren't due to die - like when a child gets hit by a car. I always imagined this little manic dwarf running about doing it! The story unfolds around this. 

It's a standard quirky Stephen King novel which I like the most from his collection. He dabbles in areas that others don't, playing with ideas and running with them.

Did you know that Stephen King didn't get published until he had written his seventh novel? That was Carrie. When he took the call from his agent, his agent told him to sit down, he didn't, so when he heard they were offering an advance of $400,000+ he slid down the wall onto the floor. At that time he was working two jobs, as was his wife, and they were trying to make ends meet.

Sadly gone are the days of these types of advances for debut authors. You have to be a celebrity or already established to get anything close.




 

The A-Z Blog Challenge, Letter H

Letter H of My Favourite Books by title

Two authors - same genre

The first, Hell Cat of the Holt, is a horror novella by indie author Mark Cassell. Here's the blurb:


Shy accountant Anne returns to the village of Mabley Holt to piece together her life after a family tragedy. When her cat vanishes, and a neighbour claims to speak with his dead wife, she soon learns there’s more to the village than any resident dares admit. In search of her beloved pet, she discovers not only family secrets but also revelations of a local legend.

As she treads an unsteady path between folklore and fact, her confidence in where she grew up begins to crumble ... Into hell.

Set in the bestselling Shadow Fabric mythos, Hell Cat of the Holt is not just a ghost story, and is much more than a black cat sighting.  

This novella is actually part of a much bigger 'mythos' - the Shadow Fabric mythos which Mark Cassell has created. The initial and main novel in this series of books and short stories is The Shadow Fabric, and I have to say it was an excellent read and I loved it. It has the perfect combination of horror and darkness.

I've read everything from Mark, but I particularly enjoyed this novella. It works as a standalone and as part of the great story. It's a good introduction to those new to the stories, and more for those already immersed. This one instills an atmosphere from the very beginning and you are kept in it until the closing which raised the hairs on my skin.

Mark's writing is dark and creepy and he is able to spin a darkness a lot like James Herbert. I was completely drawn in and immersed. Mark has also written sci-fi and steampunk - also exceptionally well. If you are looking for a new author, don't hesitate to check out his work.

***

The second we are returning to James Herbert, this time for Haunted. Here's the blurb.


Three nights of terror at the house called Edbrook. Three nights in which David Ash, there to investigate a haunting, will be victim of horrifying and maleficent games. Three nights in which he will face the blood-chilling enigma of his own past. Three hideous nights before Edbrook's dreadful secret will be revealed... and the true nightmare will begin.


This is the first novel where the character of David Ash appears - I started the A-Z Challenge with the last one, Ash. His character is established and his mettle is tested as a paranormal investigated in this brilliantly plotted novel. It has a unique storyline, and one you can't say too much about otherwise you will give it all way! It's a truly chilling ghost story - and clearly so good they even made a movie out of it!

Here's another titbit about James Herbert: In 2010, he was honored with the Grand Master Award of the World Horror Convention, which was presented to him by the popular author, Stephen King. And in the same year, he was also awarded with the OBE. It was presented to him by Prince Charles at the Birthday Honors in 2010.

Review of Why Didn't They Ask Evans, by Agatha Christie

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's been a while since I've read any Agatha Christie books - well apart from her autobiography - and although I read this one as a teen, I had no recollection of it, and it gripped me completely.

Despite originally being published in 1934 and some of the language and culture having changed considerably, making it a bit dated, the plot and storyline, along with the level of suspense, was not. I had no idea who Evans was right up until the end. I had suspected who had done it, although I had no clue how, and Christie writes it in such a way that keeps you turning the pages.

Agatha doesn't waste time on superfluous description or what I call linking scenes (getting characters from a-b), she keeps tight to the plot and keeps it moving forward, running circles round her reader as they try and work it out along with the main characters. If there was any example of how to keep a story moving forward, this is it. I am always left wondering how on earth she ever plotted these before she wrote them. Sadly her autobiography gives us no clue to that - in fact for her writing seemed to just be a small part of her life.

The main characters, Frankie and Bobby, were a great combination. Even though she might not have realised it at the time, or done it deliberately, Agatha Christie wrote a strong female lead here, who is admired for that strength and respected for it by the other male characters, which even today is something that is still considered unique.

Like many of Christie's books, it's about people with money and from the upper classes, and there may be terms or conversations that might not be considered politically correct anymore, but it is very much a piece of its time and has the decadent even art-deco feel of its era.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and look forward to reading more.

View all my reviews

The A-Z Blog Challenge, Letter G

Letter G of My Favourite Books by title

One series - Three brilliant books
One Genre

This series of books - Gaea's Chosen, by American indie author, Cara Michaels - might be bite size novellas, but each one offers a complete, fast moving, action packed story. 

If you like sci-fi - you will love these! And if you like paranormal romance, this fits into that genre too, cuz there is romance too. Cara is especially good at creating sexual tension in her stories, and these have it in spades!

The main character Gemma Bryant is a strong female character and the fast paced, continuous action is enough to keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. A group of people have been selected to go into space and find a planet to settle on, and they are woken up to find they have gone off course.

I can't choose between them; they are a continuation of the same story, the third being slightly further into the future. I am hoping that soon there will be a fourth.

Each one is written from another character point of view, but within the same story, and in the final one (Heavenly Bodies), each chapter hops between two characters experiencing the same event. Masterfully done.

These books are a must have for any science fiction lover. See the books and their blurb below.

Mayday Directive 
Commander Gemma Bryant left Earth knowing full well the man selected to be her mate couldn't stand the sight of her…

Chosen to lead Gaea's Ark, humanity's first deep space settlement ship, Gemma is awakened from 19K years in stasis to find her mission gone horribly wrong. They're off course and missing crew, and for the remaining Chosen, the world they've landed on is far from uninhabited.

Supplies are short and cabin fever is growing. As if she doesn’t have enough to manage, a humanoid species is unexpectedly claiming her crew's attention. They're unbelievably fast and beautiful, but are they friend or enemy?

Gaea's Chosen: Ten men and ten women traveling 20 light years across the galaxy to settle a new world. The chance of disaster far outweighs the chance of success.

*** 

Event Horizon
Dr. Marcus Gilpin left Earth with the woman he loved, but the very science he put his faith in promised her to another man…

Six months after waking in unknown parts of the galaxy, Marcus Gilpin is still recovering from a mauling that nearly killed him. His love gone, his ship lost—a crew of twenty now numbers only five, and he should have been among the dead.

He’s not entirely certain death wouldn’t be a relief—until he learns Gaea’s Ark isn’t alone, and a distress call reveals an unbelievable truth: The love he’d thought lost forever is still very much alive, and she’ll need his help to stay that way.

Gaea’s Chosen: Selected to settle a new world twenty light years from home…only things didn’t quite go as planned.

***

Heavenly Bodies

You are cordially invited to the wedding of Francesca Tomei and Jackson Danes…

After an unexpected awakening in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way, the crew of Gaea’s Shadow is ready for a celebration. Of twenty original crew members, Jack and Frannie are the only paired couple still alive and their wedding is certain to be the talk of quadrant.

But an unexpected enemy has plans for the systems engineer and the operations manager. Kidnapped and cut off from their crew, they must use their wits to thwart a deadly plan to steal Jack’s life, and with it one of the galaxy’s most valuable companies.

Gaea’s Chosen: It’s the 224th century, the galaxy is far from friendly, and waking up thousands of light years off course is the easy part. Fortunately, heroes come in all sizes.