The Ember Blade: A breathtaking fantasy adventure (The Darkwater Legacy)

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Chekhov's Skill: Cade's ability to impersonate the prison guards enables him to persuade those on watch that nothing is wrong. It's like David Eddings, Margaret Weis, Tracey Hickman and Terry Brooks had a brainstorming session over a power lunch. After all, the struggling classes have a much greater distance from Krodan influence, it’s much more important to indoctrinate those in society who are powerful or useful.

No doubt there will be some disappointed readers out there unhappy at the news, but with books this size – for me, at least – this was always going to be a marathon, not a sprint. Aren is raised as a Krodan and constantly dismisses his Ossian background, unlike his closest friend the low-born Cade, who constantly pokes fun at Aren’s posturing while also reminding him that he is essentially a white raven i. It seems to be determined to be more like older style Fantasy books – more Raymond Feist’s Magician, than say, Joe Abercrombie’s The Blade itself, although The Ember Blade is quite messy in places.

I’ve actually been working on a lot of my own writing, been a tad inspired lately, which is phenomenal, oot oot!

Implacable Man: Once a dreadknight has caught your scent, it will pursue you to the ends of the world without rest or mercy. Case in point, since he once swore to protect Aren's father's family, he goes to rescue him from the prison camp, even though he later came to hate Aren's father fiercely. Because they are recognisable, there is little time needed getting the reader to work out who they are, what is going on and where.

This is only the first volume of a planned trilogy, but it also functions as an incredible standalone work of fantasy. He has travelled extensively, plays bass and guitar (and has recorded several albums) and his novels have been published all over the world. The interactions between the characters are extremely engaging, with each of them possessed of credible personal sufferings, troubles, strengths and aspirations. He has penned the Braided Path trilogy, a standalone novel ( The Fade) and the Tales of the Ketty Jay series for Gollancz, all of which were critical and commercial successes. The Grimdark element is present throughout, with real consequences for each of the characters’ actions and there being no convenient quick fixes or sudden deus ex machina moments to dilute the suspense which is ratcheted up further with each page turned.

Then some creepy dark characters come into the scene and show us something fantastical, and we’re off and running. I have not found much in my life that is that focused, so I do not expect it in all of my reads, etc. It takes a while for the details to come to light, but once they do it becomes immediately apparently that this is the case when one of the new adult POV characters is directly connected to… wait for it… the land of Darkwater.Recipient of a few international literary awards and nominations, he enjoys reading gritty thrillers filled with moral dilemmas and a real sense of danger. We welcome respectful dialogue related to speculative fiction in literature, games, film, and the wider world.

Also I use conventions as an opportunity to hunt down potential rivals and assassinate them, so if they’ve written a good book in the last year or so and they’re at Nine Worlds, they’re probably on my list. Yet there’s no sagging, irrelevant, mind-numbingly boring scenes like hobbits bagging gas with Farmer Maggot or being sung to sleep by Goldberry in the house of Tom Bombadil.

The Nicknamer: Grub comes up with nicknames for everyone else in the party, ranging from the mere descriptive (the Bittenbracker for Keel, Painted Lady for Vika, Freckles for Fen) to the offensive (Mudslug for Aren, Dumbface for Cade). If the fight truly cannot be won, is it moral to continue fighting even though it will kill untold thousands of your own people?