Simon is a kitchen boy in Osten Ard, home to Prester John, the high king. An orphan, Simon has been raised since birth by Rachel, who runs the kitchen. Very tall and absentminded, Simon is clumsy and not very good at much of anything. Nevertheless, he catches the eyes of Morgenes, Prester John’s doctor and biographer, and becomes his apprentice. ( Read more... )

Basically what the title says.  Subgenre doesn't matter(well, no erotic fantasy or scifi, please.)  Most know my wants and dislikes, but for a partial list:

(more fantasy centric here)

1. Strong characterization.  Male and female.  I generally need good representation of both in my fiction.

2.  Strong plot.  Is there isn't a solid, interesting plot, ( Read more... )

 Tedric, the king of Hawk Haven, has a bit of a problem.  His two children, and heirs, are dead, leaving every relative he has clamouring to be named heir.  While the king busies himself with the greedy mob, one member of the mob, Earl Kestrel, has a bright idea.  You see, Tedric had a third child, a son named Barden who he had disinherited years ( Read more... )

The Green Man was the first book  in Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling's mythic anthology series(which, naturally, means it the one I read last.)  The Green Man is the traditional lord of the forest in myth, though he wasn't given that name until recently(I always forget and the book says when but I'm too lazy to look) and Jack in Ridley Scott's ( Read more... )

 Fire and Sword is the second book in Brown's Keys of Power trilogy.  Like most fantasy trilogies, the middle book is largely maneuvering the characters into place for the main action of of the last books: start the war, forge alliances, establish any relationships that still need establishing, etc.  As a result, though still very solid and a good ( Read more... )

Empire of Ivory is the fourth book in Naomi Novik's Temeraire series.  Featuring an alternate history set during the Napoleonic Wars, the series makes a single nod to fantasy-what if dragons really did exist and worked in society with humans-and approaches the series as historical fiction with that addition.  The series focuses on Will Lawrence, a ( Read more... )

Dragon Sword and Wind Child is a romantic fantasy based heavily(though according to the author's afterword, not always intentionally) on Japanese mythology, specifically, the earlier stories pf the gods.   The Goddess of Darkness and the God of Light have waged war for centuries, dividing all of the land intotheir two sides.  The Children of Light ( Read more... )

This is one of those fantasies from the 90s that looks at all the rules and tosses them out the window.  Set in a land called Argylle, the book focuses on Gwydion, the current head of a family of flighty, brilliant, and possibly hedonistic immortals who rulethe city, and have for ages and ages.  Gwydion has been in the position of family head for a ( Read more... )

Here's something I've never eally been able to figure out:  I know a LOT of people who dislike fantasy, but live for scifi and will sing the praises of things like Farscape and Star Wars  for as long as anyone will listen, and yet, most outer space scifi is almost literally just high fantasy in space.

Star Wars, of course, is very blatant about it ( Read more... )

So, in case it wasn't made clear throughout the evening, I love Simon R. Green's books.  He's marvelously funny in a completely straightforward, deadpan  and darkly humorous way, he pulls no punches and most of his books contain a number of twists, both brilliant and nasty, big and small(I related one twist in this book to  ( Read more... )