Fantasy Book News

A fairly tranquil week in the fantasy blogosphere, but we were still able to dig up a nice mix of a review, an interview, a cover release and a bit of news. Midwinter by Matthew Sturges is reviewed at A Fantasy Writer, the great Lawrence Watt-Evans is interviewed by Michael A. Ventrella, Guy Gavriel Kay’s Sarantine Mosiac series releases the beautiful new US covers, and in comedy news, the great Patton Oswalt is set to write for the Firefly comic book.

• Review: Midwinter by Matthew Sturges @ A Fantasy Writer
• Interview: Lawrence Watt-Evans @ Michael A. Ventrella’s Blog
• Covers: The Sarantine Mosiac by Guy Gavriel Kay @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
• News: Patton Oswalt to write Firefly comic book @ The Hollywood Reporter

Four reviews kick off our fantasy blogosphere roundup this week, with reviews of books by Tad Williams, Joe Abercrombie, Ian C. Esslemont and Seressia Glass.  Following this is the fantastic news that HBO has approved A Game of Thrones, so we’ll be seeing something more than a static image soon. A few covers were released this week, for Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings, and Brent Weeks’ The Black Prism. Check out the interview with Brandon for his comments on his new series. I’m not sure I’m into the new photo realistic cover as exhibited on Weeks’ novel; we’ll have to keep an eye on this and see if it becomes a trend. And last but not least, some sort of explanation as to why Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter made the Amazon top 5 yesterday.

• Review: Shadowrise by Tad Williams @ BookGeeks
• Review: The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie @Peter V Brett
• Review: Night of Knives by Ian C. Esslemont @ BSC Review
• Review: Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass @ SciFi & Fantasy Lovin’ News & Reviews
• News: BO greenlights A Game of Thrones @ Airlock Alpha
• News: Terry Brooks sells three more Shannara books @ GalleyCat
• Interview: Brandon Sanderson discusses The Way of Kings @ Suvudu
• Covers: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson @ Tor
• Covers: The Black Prism by Brent Weeks @ Orbit
• Background: Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter @ Thaindian News

A relatively quiet week in the fantasy blogosphere, but we’ve still found a few quality reviews, and some great interviews around the web. Not to mention that I keep getting signals that playing Dungeons & Dragons as a kid probably helped me develop a lot of the skills I use in my professional life today. Check out the post on how playing D&D can help prep you for med school. Great stuff.

• Review: World’s End by Mark Chadbourn @ SF Signal
• Review: Empire by Adrian Tchaikovsky @ Fantasy Book News & Reviews
• Interview: L.E. Modesitt, Jr. @ The Dragon Page
• Interview: Ursula K. Le Guin on the Google controversy @ PBS
• Interview: James Cameron interviewed by Charlie Rose @ Charlie Rose’s blog
• News: Playing Dungeons & Dragons will prepare you for…medical school? @ Blake Charlton’s Blog

Winter is almost here. George R.R. Martin announced that he’s 1,261 pages into A Dance with Dragons, supporting my prediction the novel would be released in 2010, and in general giving me a good feeling all over. Jim Cameron plans to release an Avatar prequel novel in 2010, which he has not begun writing yet. Ambitious, but what do you expect from one of the most ambitious filmmakers in history. Perhaps the the interview of the decade, with R.A. Salvatore interviewing Margaret Weis on her new novel with Tracy Hickman and writing in a world based on role-playing games in general. We cap this week where I turn back my clock an hour here in Brazil by turning back the clock and remembering countless hours spent with the red box, the first in the old Dungeons & Dragons boxed set.

• News: George R.R. Martin 1,261 pages into A Dance with Dragons @ The Guardian
• News: James Cameron to write Avatar novel @ The Celebrity Cafe
• Review: Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie @ A Dribble of Ink
• Review: The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks @ A Fantasy Reader
• Interview: R.A. Salvatore interviews Margaret Weis @ Tor/Forge’s Blog
• Interview: Terry Pratchett @ The Sunday Morning Herald
• Reminisce: Dungeons & Dragons @ Suvudu

We kick off this week with a review of A Feast for Crows over at The Wertzone, and follow it up with reviews of books by Daniel Abraham, Mark Chadbourn, R.A. MacAvoy, and Robin Hobb.

We’ve also got some great interviews this week, featuring Robin Hobb, David Drake, and the first sci-fi author interview we’ve ever highlighted with Daniel Suarez. I heard the interview with Daniel Suarez on The Dragon Page podcast this week, and even though we cover mainly fantasy topics, this interview is just too good to miss. I love the idea of an author knowing more about internet security than the federal government, and will likely check out Daemon.

And finally, the e-book market is getting a bit rowdy, with Amazon and Macmillan doing a bit of bickering over prices this week.

• Review: A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin @ The Wertzone
• Review: A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham @ Only the Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy
• Review: The Silver Skull: Swords of Albion by Mark Chadbourn @ Fantasy Book Critic
• Review: The Book of Kells by R.A. MacAvoy @ ScienceFictionFantasy.blogspot.com
• Review: Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb @ MercuryNews.com
• Interview: Robin Hobb @ SciFiChick.com
• Interview: Daniel Suarez @ The Dragon Page
• Interview: David Drake @ Bookotron
• News: Amazon and Macmillan throw elbows over e-book prices @ The Boston Phoenix

We’ve got a boatload of reviews this week, covering everything from more recent titles like The Gathering Storm and Dragon Keeper to young classics such as A Storm of Swords, The Hero of Ages and The Lies of Locke Lamora. The Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd also looks promising, having potentially been looked over in a year when other authors like Scott Lynch were making their big debuts. The Dragon Page recently intervieweed Gail Z. Martin, and Ursula K. Le Guin continues to fight for her rights against Google. We cap off a stellar week with news of an inmate in Wisconsin being prohibited from playing D&D in prison. What will inmates want next, a renaissance festival on prison grounds?

• Review: The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham @ Fantasy Book News & Reviews
• Review: A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin @ The Wertzone
• Review: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson @ Unbound
• Review: Arms-Commander by L.E. Modesitt Jr. @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
• Review: The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson @ A Fantasy Reader
• Review: The Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd @ Only the Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy
• Review: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch @ Intelli-Gent Reviews
• Review: Nightchild by James Barclay @ Fantasy Book News & Reviews
• Review: City of Torment by Bruce R. Cordell @ Fantasy Book Critic
• Review: Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb @ SuperFastReader
• Interview: George R.R. Martin @ Suvudu
• Interview: Gail Z. Martin @ The Dragon Page
• News: Ursula K. Le Guin vs Google @ CBC News
• News: Inmate loses appeal to play Dungeons & Dragons @ NYDailyNews.com

If our last Fantasy Blogosphere post was the most eclectic yet, then this is the most abundant. Chock full of review goodness, this post features reviews of books by Robin Hobb, David Anthony Durham, Ken Scholes, George R.R. Martin, Guy Gavriel Kay, Daniel Abraham, James Barclay and Terry Pratchett, and a triage of Jim Butcher reviews from NextRead. Pat’s got a fresh interview with Joe Abercrombie, and there’s exciting news all around; its looking like we’re really going to see A Game of Thrones as an HBO series, R.A. Salvatore signs for 6 additional Forgotten Realms books, and the movie rights for Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy have been optioned. What a great time to be a fantasy fan!

• Review: The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb @ Fantasy Book Critic
• Review: First Lord’s Fury by Jim Butcher @ Fantasy Book Critic
• Review: Acacia by David Anthony Durham @ A Fantasy Reader
• Review: Canticle by Ken Scholes @ Adventures in Reading
• Review: A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin @ The Wertzone
• Review: White Night by Jim Butcher @ NextRead
• Review: Small Favour by Jim Butcher @ NextRead
• Review: Turn Coat by Jim Butcher @ NextRead
• Review: Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay @ The James Review
• Review: A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham @ The Stamp
• Review: Dawnthief by James Barclay @ Ty’s Book Review
• Review: Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett @ SF Signal
• Interview: Joe Abercrombie @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
• News: GRRM A Game of Thrones HBO series looking more likely @ Geeks of Doom
• News: R.A. Salvatore signs new book deal with WotC @ The Wertzone
• News: Movie rights optioned for Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy @ BSC Review

I don’t think we’ve ever had a more eclectic brew on the Fantasy Blogosphere. We start this week off with a pair of reviews at Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist and Grasping for the Wind, and balance those out nicely with three interviews, including the second we’ve spotlighted in the “Patrick Rothfuss interviews other fantasy authors” series. He’s following up his interview with Joe Abercrombie with a conversation with Brent Weeks. We touch on a new novella by Steven Erikson, give Brandon Sanderson the nod for his work on The Gathering Storm, and round out the week with a lesson on writing from George R.R. Martin, and the icing on the cake: a cage match between Steven Erikson and R. Scott Bakker. Mmm, Tasty.

• Review: Horus Rising by Dan Abnett @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
• Review: Shadow Prowler by Alexy Pehov @ Grasping for the Wind
• Interview: Patrick Rothfuss interviews Brent Weeks @ Patrick Rothfuss’ site
• Interview: Guy Gavriel Kay @ Book Banter
• Interview: Peter S. Beagle @ Alethea Kontis
• News: Steven Erikson novella Crack’d Pot Trail @ Fantasy Book Review
• News: Brandon Sanderson’s work on The Gathering Storm not too shabby @ The Gateway
• Education: Learn to Write Good by George R.R. Martin @ GRRM’s blog
• Cage Match: Steven Erikson vs R. Scott Bakker @ The League of Ordinary Gentlemen

Happy New Year! With everyone either on vacation or still in hangover mode, the fantasy book blogosphere is expectantly slower than usual. Still, we’ve got a few reviews including books by Scott Lynch and Steven Erikson, along with a review of the classic first novel in George R.R. Martin’s ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series, A Game of Thrones. Cheers!

• Review: Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch @ Fantasy Book Review
• Review: Dust of Dreams by Steven Erikson @ Fantasy Book Review
• Review: Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
• Review: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin @ The Wertzone
• Interview: Steven Erikson @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist

Reviews of Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson’s latest continue to pop up across the blogosphere, and we feature a few additional reviews this holiday weekend, covering the latest by R.A. Salvatore and Scott Westerfield. Ursula K. Le Guin makes some headlines by denouncing Google’s quest to digitize everything in print, and a couple of promising big budget fantasy films are in store for us in 2010. I get excited for anything from Tim Burton, and his adaptation of Alice in Wonderland looks very promising.

• Review: The Ghost King: Transitions, Book III by R.A. Salvatore @ California Literary Review
• Review: The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson @ Realms & Galaxies
• Review: The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson audiobook @ Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review
• Review: Leviathan by Scott Westerfield @ Elitist Book Review
• News: Ursula K. Le Guin accuses Authors Guild of ‘deal with the devil @ Guardian.co.uk
• Film: New big budget Robin Hood movie @ Fanboy.com
• Film: Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton, with Johnny Depp @ YouTube