L5R: Imperial Histories 2
Here at EBR we love our RPGs, but we’ve yet to really review any of them. We’ve decided to rectify this with a review of the latest book from Legend of the Five Rings (L5R), Imperial Histories 2.
So, enjoy this review by Alan Bahr – screenplay writer, Warmachine aficionado, and L5R (both RPG and CCG) genius.
Read the rest of this review »
Cold Fire
After a daring escape from the mage house in COLD MAGIC (Amazon), Cat Barahal and her cousin Bee think they have found a sanctuary until a more permanent plan is made. Unfortunately for them, the general who has spent years in prison for trying to conqueror Europa is now free to try it again and plans to use Cat and Bee for his own purposes; Cat’s estranged husband’s mage house is hunting them down; and to top it all off Cat’s mysterious biological father shows up to throw a wrench into everything.
Read the rest of this review »
March In Country
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 »
The Dirty Streets of Heaven
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 »
Random Updates
First, we have the results of the Esslemont contest to win a copy of BLOOD AND BONE. We had a number of great responses, but this is the one that won it (chosen at random, by the way):
Read the rest of this post »
Frost Burned
I love this series. I will not apologize for the gushing. You male types are probably rolling your eyes. Well your loss then.
In the seventh installment of the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, FROST BURNED (Amazon), we start out with Mercy and newly minted step-daughter Jesse out for some early morning Black Friday shopping. It should have been an ordinary day, the kind of normal day Mercy has been craving since she moved to the Tri-Cities and met the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, Adam Hauptman.
Read the rest of this review »
Ian C Esslemont – Guest Post
As part of his blog tour promoting the recently released BLOOD AND BONE (Amazon), Ian C Esslemont dropped by Elitist Book Reviews to share his thoughts. His blog prompt was about the benefits and drawbacks of writing in a shared world, and how he differentiates himself from his Malazan co-creator, Steven Erikson. Enjoy!
Necessary Evil
Wow. Just… wow.
One of my biggest disappointments when the 2013 Hugo Award nominations were announced was the absence of Ian Tregillis’ THE COLDEST WAR (EBR Review) from the ballot. Don’t get me wrong, I was absolutely thrilled that EBR was nominated, but not seeing Tregillis’ name on the list for Best Novel was a huge bummer. His Milkweed Triptych is one of the most enjoyable and clever series on the market right now, and a Hugo Nomination would have made a huge and well-deserved impact on his exposure. Why am I bringing this up? Not out of bitterness, I assure you. I want all you readers to understand just how much I and everyone at EBR loved THE COLDEST WAR.
Read the rest of this review »
Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance
While the majority of the books in the Vorkosigan Saga are from Miles’ PoV, there are other characters who are just as loved. One of them is Ivan Vorpatril. And after years of fans clamoring for his story, Lois McMaster Bujold delivers. But do you have to be a fan of the series to enjoy this book? Nope.
Read the rest of this review »
The Tangled Bridge
Madeline LeBlanc comes from a long line of magic–they call it pigeon–where they can see the briar and the river devils who live there. All of us have our own devils who whisper in our ears, trying to get us to do wicked things. For the most part the devils are an unorganized lot, except that Madeline’s great-grandmother Choloe and half-brother Zenon want to use the briar’s power to change humanity itself. And the only people standing in their way are Madeline and the six-year-old boy Bo Racer who was born a being of light.
Read the rest of this review »
