Amazon’s top 5 fantasy bestsellers, August 28, 2010: The Return of the Awesome? For the first time in recent memory, the top 5 fantasy bestsellers on amazon.com are not dominated by vampire/teen novels! And it only took the king, the Elvis of fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien to dethrone the fad. Not a bad trio to round out the top three really, with Towers of Midnight holding strong, and Terry Brooks’ latest Shannara novel (Kindle version) rounding out the top 3. I’m so happy I’m not sure what to do with myself now.
Towers of Midnight vaults into first place this week. Woot! Other notables in the top 25 include Bearers of the Black Staff by Terry Brooks at number 21, The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson at number 22, and amazingly A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin comes in at 24, after being published in 1996!
In a week where Charlaine Harris owns three of the top five slots, Towers of Midnight makes a grand entrance in the number three spot. Other notables in the top 25 this week are Bearers of the Black Staff by Terry Brooks coming in at number 20, and Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson barely making the cut at number 25.
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?
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.
Everything holds strong from last week, giving Breaking Dawn six weeks straight in the top five, two of those spent in the number one slot. This marks the book’s return to the top 5, due to the popularity of New Moon, the new Twilight movie being released about six weeks ago.
Breaking Dawn stays strong and moves into the number one slot this week, knocking Wit’ch Fire into the second spot. The Gathering Storm powers its way into 10 weeks straight in the top five. The Time Traveler’s Wife remains strong, and An Echo in the Bone makes a return to the top 5; its first appearance since early October.
We’ve got a great mix of reviews this week, from George R.R. Martin’s work on Suicide Kings, to books by David Anthony Durham, Lev Grossman, and another review of The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. Top it all off with the season finale of The Guild. Tis’ the season for MMORPG sitcom finales.
Wit’ch Fire by James Clemens debuts at the number one spot, while Breaking Dawn reaches five weeks in the top five surrounding the release of the new Twilight movie, New Moon. The Gathering Storm enjoys its ninth week straight in the top five, while The Time Traveler’s Wife and Dead and Gone round out the top five.
We start this week with a review of Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erickson, which I just picked up to read myself recently. The reviews for The Gathering Storm continue to pile in, and a review from Jim Butcher’s fantasy series makes our cut this week. Throw in an interview with Joe Abercrombie and that’s a healthy full course of holiday fantasy. With arguably the funniest episode of The Guild yet this season, you can keep yourself busy while helping yourself to some turkey day leftovers.
by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien
by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
by Terry Brooks
by Charlaine Harris
by Stephanie Meyer
by Charlaine Harris
by Charlaine Harris
by James Clemens
by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
by Audrey Niffenegger
by Diana Gabaldon
by Charlaine Harris