Fantasy Book News

Great reviews of Dragon Keeper and Tongues of Serpents this week, followed by interviews with Brent Weeks, Peter V. Brett, Neil Gaiman, Tracy Hickman, and more. A few interesting moves in the eBook industry this week as well. Finally, I can’t believe Neil Gaiman is about to start receiving royalty checks for my favorite comic book hero.

• Review: Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb @ Fantasy Book Review
• Review: Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik @ Fantasy Book Critic
• Interview: Brent Weeks @ Grasping for the Wind
• Interview: Peter V. Brett @ The Functional Nerds
• Interview: Neil Gaiman @ The Sydney Morning Herald
• Interview: Tracy Hickman and Scott Sigler @ I Should be Writing
• Interview: Karen Miller @ Star Wars Action News
• Covers: The Inheritance by Robin Hobb @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
• Book Tech: Free eBook of S.L. Farrell’s Dark Water’s Embrace @ Grasping for the Wind
• Book Tech: eBook critique @ Grasping for the Wind
• Book Tech: Amazon and Apple under investigation for eBook pricing @ TheBookSeller.com
• Comics: Judge rules that Todd McFarlane owes Neil Gaiman for Spawn @ io9.com

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

The fantasy book world is all a buzz with Joe Abercrombie’s latest novel, Best Served Cold.  Abercrombie even grabbed commentary from the great one, George R.R. Martin, which is like giving your book’s marketing campaign a shot of nitrous.  Vroom vroom!

Before you read the review of Robin Hobb’s most recent publication, Dragon Keeper, beware: it contains spoilers for the previous nine books.  I found out the hard way, and let the author know how I felt in the comments section.

• Review: Dragon Keeper @ Keeping the Door
• Interview: Joe Abercrombie @ GeekDad
• Review: Best Served Cold @ Best Fantasy Books
• Review: Best Served Cold @ BSC Review
• Review: Best Served Cold @ Fantasy Book Reviewer
• Comment: GRRM on Best Served Cold @ Orbitbooks.net
• Review: The Book of Three @ Sean J Jordan
• News: Game of Thrones HBO Series @ SFF Media
• News: Patrick Rothfuss @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist

What are your feelings on reviews that give away plot details?  Do you prefer reviews with plot summaries, or would you rather have a review detail all the aspects possible about the book without giving away any of the story?  Let me know!