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The Upstream Independent Fiction Review: September 2011

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The Upstream Independent Fiction Review. The whiskey tells me what to write. Thursday, September 22, 2011. The Weight of Blood (The Half-Orcs, Book 1) by David Dalglish. Many years ago, Mr Upstream was driving through Indiana on his way to a Labradoodle convention in Columbus, and was listening to the radio. A DJ was interviewing John Cougar Mellencamp, and giving him hell about the awfulness of his very first album (as an aside, what the hell happened to you, Johnnie? Bad - but then, what is? All of whi...

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LEC Book Reviews: Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce

http://www.lecbookreviews.com/2012/08/some-kind-of-fairy-tale-by-graham-joyce.html

Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce. Some Kind of Fairy Tale. Drawing heavily on traditional folklore, and a strong sense of setting, Joyce builds an entrancing tale of family, life and contradicting realities. It is Christmas afternoon and Peter Martin gets an unexpected phone call from his parents. It pulls him into a bewildering mystery. And as the months go by Peter begins to suspect that the woods around their homes are not finished with Tara and his family. To delve into Some Kind of Fairy Tale.

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LEC Book Reviews: King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

http://www.lecbookreviews.com/2012/09/mark-lawrence-dropped-onto-fantasy.html

King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. Mark Lawrence dropped onto the fantasy scene with a splash in the summer of 2011 with his brutal debut, Prince of Thorns. The eponymous cruel brat, Jorg, returns - in form - with the second novel of Lawrence’s Broken Empire series, King of Thorns. Expands the world of the Broken Empire without sacrificing any of the lurid storytelling or sublime characterization. Were I a betting man, I would venture to say Mark Lawrence is not a huge fan of linear storytelling. Havin...

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LEC Book Reviews: The Broken Isles by Mark Charan Newton

http://www.lecbookreviews.com/2012/09/the-broken-isles-by-mark-charan-newton.html

The Broken Isles by Mark Charan Newton. Up to now, reading Mark Charan Newton’s Legends of the Red Sun series has very much been a look into his evolution as a writer. From his debut, Nights of Villjamur. And continuing through the next two volumes his growth was easily observable, with the third book in the series, The Book of Transformations. Being in this reviewer’s mind, the jewel in the crown. With The Broken Isles. Can be said to return to a familiar setting, but seen in a different light – V...

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LEC Book Reviews: April 2012

http://www.lecbookreviews.com/2012_04_01_archive.html

The Pack by Jason Starr. Is a werewolf thriller imported from US writer Jason Starr, better known for his crime fiction. I feel it will be difficult to say anything very conclusive about The Pack. Mostly because I realize about half way through that it really wasn’t my cup of tea. Now, I’ve not shied away from reading outside my comfort zone in the past, in fact I’ve often enjoyed exploring new literary venues, but still The Pack. Exogene by T.C. McCarthy. Is the sequel which had to fill those big shoes ...

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LEC Book Reviews: September 2012

http://www.lecbookreviews.com/2012_09_01_archive.html

King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. Mark Lawrence dropped onto the fantasy scene with a splash in the summer of 2011 with his brutal debut, Prince of Thorns. The eponymous cruel brat, Jorg, returns - in form - with the second novel of Lawrence’s Broken Empire series, King of Thorns. Expands the world of the Broken Empire without sacrificing any of the lurid storytelling or sublime characterization. The Broken Isles by Mark Charan Newton. Is still a fine showing of what epic can be when done well. Stirri...

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LEC Book Reviews: The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks

http://www.lecbookreviews.com/2012/10/the-blinding-knife-by-brent-weeks.html

The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks. Is the second entry in Brent Weeks’ Lightbringer series which began with The Black Prism. Gavin Guile is dying. The only salvation may be the brother whose freedom and life Gavin stole sixteen years ago. Picks mere instants after the conclusion of The Black Prism. And many of the scenes which pit Kip against his fellow students, or his navigation of the difficult school politics, eventually stood out as some of the finest in the novel. The chapters featuring Gavin, ...

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LEC Book Reviews: March 2012

http://www.lecbookreviews.com/2012_03_01_archive.html

The Troupe by Robert Jackson Bennett. Usually, after having read three books from any one author (in this case, all the books he’s published) I feel I can safely say that I’m starting to get an idea of what he or she is all about. With Robert Jackson Bennett, this is far from being the case. His first two offerings, Mr. Shivers. And The Company Man. Setting-wise of course, but more notably, thematically. At times dazzling, eerie, touching, but always captivating, The Troupe. Subscribe to: Posts (Atom).

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LEC Book Reviews: The Hollow City by Dan Wells

http://www.lecbookreviews.com/2012/08/the-hollow-city-by-dan-wells.html

The Hollow City by Dan Wells. Dan Wells instantly became one of my favorite authors with his quirky debut novel I Am Not A Serial Killer. And further established himself as a writer to respect with its sequels. After indulging a side-jaunt into post-apocalyptic territory with his Partials. Novel, Wells returns with The Hollow City. After the psychopathy of John Cleaver (of I Am Not A Serial Killer. Emerges as a stand-out novel. Soon the authorities are linking him to a string of gruesome serial killings,...