Reviews by Steven

I’ve loved Sarah Pinborough’s writing since I first opened the cover on A MATTER OF BLOOD (EBR Review). And since reading Robert McCammon and Jasper Kent, I’ve been rather obsessed with Historical Horror. So when I received a copy of Sarah’s newest Historical Horror novel… well, I’d died and gone to heaven.
Read the rest of this review »

I think it’s pretty rare for an author to end a series in a strong and convincing manner. Be it ten novels or two, it just seems like I’m nearly always let down once I get to the end. When I first read Mark Lawrence’s PRINCE OF THORNS (EBR Review), you’ll remember that I was completely blown away. In terms of dark and gritty fantasy, it was pretty close to the top of the list. I was worried when KING OF THORNS (EBR Review) arrived in my mailbox. It couldn’t possibly live up to the first book. Except it did. Then I received the final book in the series, EMPEROR OF THORNS. I didn’t even start reading it right away (hence the delay in this review), because, stupidly, I didn’t want to be let down. Again, how often does an author blow it? Pretty frequently.
Read the rest of this review »

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? If you are like me, you’ve read Scott Lynch’s first two novels several times while eagerly awaiting his THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES (Amazon). There have been very few novels that I, personally, had anticipated as much as this one. I guess the real question is whether or not the wait was worth it?
Read the rest of this review »

When I first read Robert McCammon’s THE WOLF’S HOUR (EBR Review), I was blown away. It was a Horror novel mixed with a Spy Thriller, and all I wanted was to read more about McCammon’s signature character, Michael Gallatin. In THE WOLF’S HOUR, we learned about his mission into Germany during the height of WWII, while at the same time learning how Gallatin became a werewolf. It was all fascinating stuff, but I knew there had to be more. It wasn’t unlike reading THE BOURNE IDENTITY (Amazon) and knowing that there were countless stories untold.
Read the rest of this review »

When you first novel is THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA (EBR Review), you’ve made things very difficult on yourself. Scott Lynch’s first novel was incredible. So incredible that it set the expectations for RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES (Amazon) incredibly high. I remember reading RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES and feeling a bit disappointed. Why? Because it wasn’t the best novel ever, of course. How could I expect anything less after reading the first novel? It wasn’t fair, and now that I’ve finished a re-read, I have a much better point of view on the novel than I did originally.
Read the rest of this review »

I love Horror novels. I absolutely love them. I love when an author can terrify me with things that prey on the most basic fears we feel as humans. A great story teller can spin a tale in which I’m scared to look at the next page, and yet I’m equally thrilled to do just that. I also love the unexplained, and it is in short fiction that the unexplained aspect of Horror really shines. If you want great Horror short fiction, the place to look right now, in my opinion, is either with Subterranean Press or with Tachyon Publications. For this review, I want to draw the attention of every reader to IMPOSSIBLE MONSTERS (Amazon), which is edited by Kasey Lansdale.
Read the rest of this review »

I know, I know. The book is old. You already know I love it. But here’s the thing, THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES (Amazon) is finally about to be released. Before I jumped into Scott Lynch’s newest, I needed to go back and revisit both THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA (Amazon) and RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES (Amazon). So I’m taking the opportunity to share my thoughts with all of you discerning readers. Think of this as a re-read review.
Read the rest of this review »

Have you ever wondered what a fantasy version of DOWNTON ABBEY would be like? I’m not gonna lie, I’ve watched every episode of the show. I like it quite bit. And yet every time I watch an episode I can’t help but wonder what it would be like in a fantasy setting. It wouldn’t be too different, which would allow it to retain the charm while still imparting that fantastical sense of wonder.
Read the rest of this review »

I recently received the latest Vampire Earth novel in the mail and realized I hadn’t yet reviewed MARCH IN COUNTRY (Amazon). It’s been a while since the novel came out–honestly the wait from that book to the newest edition, APPALACHIAN OVERTHROW (Amazon), has been a tough one to endure–but I thought it was important to get this out there for you.
Read the rest of this review »

While I will admit that I am not a huge fan of Tad Williams’ work, I have always respected his writing ability. It’s just that his stories never really pulled me in (with the exception of THE WAR OF THE FLOWERS Amazon, which I quite liked). That said, a few years ago I read an Urban Fantasy/Horror short story of his in the anthology THE NEW DEAD (EBR Review). I was completely blown away by the awesomeness of it and thought, “Geez… I really hope we get some Urban Fantasy novels from Tad Williams…”

My wish was granted.
Read the rest of this review »