Eight foot tall fucking stone man appears in Coventry and starts walking, utterly f Luke Smitherd is one of the boldest, most imaginative authors working today. THE STONE MAN is my second foray into his work, and I can tell you there will be a third. Luke Smitherd is one of the boldest, most imaginative authors working today. Richard Swan has now written two fantasy books that I’m shelving with my favorites of the genre. Heinrich the Sovan war shepherd is a nice touch for those of us who enjoy the company of canines, as well. We also go further afield in Tyranny, exploring both the Imperial capital, Sova, and the southern frontiers where battered castles cast their shadows on flowered plains while this world’s Templars attempt to colonize the locals. And narrator Helena’s evolving feelings toward her employer/savior/mentor/crush Vonvalt as he impresses her with his gravitas or disappoints her with his all-too-human moral lapses ring very true. Sir Radovan Dragić, the crusty old alcoholic sheriff from Galen’s Vale, has joined Vonvalt’s retinue, and I could listen to him spar with fellow taskman Bressinger all day, in between telling deserving criminals to fuck off (these are his favorite two words). In fact, an argument could be made that The Tyranny of Faith is a full-on Fantasy/horror hybrid, what with its resurrected dead being piloted by far away magickers, its unfathomable gods, and a persistent extradimensional soul-sucker with a moth’s head but a sharp-toothed human mouth.Īs in book one, Swan’s characters are the real stars, and are never eclipsed by the fantastical.
Richard Swan’s villains get even nastier and stronger in this brilliantly-paced follow-up, and we dive much further into magic and the occult. Richard Swan’s villains get even nastier and stronger in thi Rarely do I enjoy the second book in a series more than the first, and never before have I enjoyed one so much that I immediately revisited book one AND took a second lap around the sequel. Rarely do I enjoy the second book in a series more than the first, and never before have I enjoyed one so much that I immediately revisited book one AND took a second lap around the sequel. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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