winters-coming Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Ive started reading the above. Bought it second hand, not having heard of it before. I'm enjoying it so far, 3D characters, rich well paced plot, though the writing is not so slick in places. People have tried to compare it to ASOIAF, and while Gwynne has obviously been influenced by GRRM, it don't think these comparisons are fair. Its written in the POV style, Corban reminds me a lot of Arya, and the "horse lord" people are a complete rip off to be honest. This book in style and content reminds me much more of the warlord chronicles by Cornwell, with the bridge of swords, otherworld, war of treasures and couldron etc. Also the inhabitants of the banished lands mostly shun the ancient giant stone built strong holds for their own timber and thatched bildings, much like some of the brittons in the warlord chronicles did of the old stone roman buildings...I won't give a full review until I've finished the book, but wondered if anyone else has been reading it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spockydog Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Yup. Two books in, this is shaping up to be one of my favourite ever series. Book two, Valour, is even better than the first, and book three is due in a couple of months. Can't fucking wait. ETA: Just look at this dude. How can he not be the greatest ever writer of epic fantasy? In case you're wondering, Gwynne is the guy with the huge fucking axe. Chilling like a boss. ETA2: Damn. I appear to have jumped the gun on the release of book three. No publication date so far, and seeing as Valour was only released this year, I guess we'll have to wait at least another year or so. Though, it'll still be out before The Winds of Winter. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red snow Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 picked up the first one as it is less than £2 on amazon uk. Not sure where it'll place in my reading list though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winters-coming Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 picked up the first one as it is less than £2 on amazon uk. Not sure where it'll place in my reading list thoughI'd say it should be quite high on your to read list, for a debut novel its excellent, and as I've said above I'm enjoying reading it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red snow Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 I'd say it should be quite high on your to read list, for a debut novel its excellent, and as I've said above I'm enjoying reading it! If it's relatively short I may give it a stab next time I'm on a long journey. It's a long reading list though but I do enjoy getting into series while they are still fresh eg Mark Lawrence, Luke Scull and the like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winters-coming Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 If it's relatively short I may give it a stab next time I'm on a long journey. It's a long reading list though but I do enjoy getting into series while they are still fresh eg Mark Lawrence, Luke Scull and the like.Its about 600 pages or so... not big but not small either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Ive started reading the above. Bought it second hand, not having heard of it before. I'm enjoying it so far, 3D characters, rich well paced plot, though the writing is not so slick in places. People have tried to compare it to ASOIAF, and while Gwynne has obviously been influenced by GRRM, it don't think these comparisons are fair. Its written in the POV style, Corban reminds me a lot of Arya, and the "horse lord" people are a complete rip off to be honest. This book in style and content reminds me much more of the warlord chronicles by Cornwell, with the bridge of swords, otherworld, war of treasures and couldron etc. Also the inhabitants of the banished lands mostly shun the ancient giant stone built strong holds for their own timber and thatched bildings, much like some of the brittons in the warlord chronicles did of the old stone roman buildings...I won't give a full review until I've finished the book, but wondered if anyone else has been reading it? There are a variety of point of view narrations -- first, second, third, omniscient,limited, objective, subjective, etc., but what in heck is "a pov style"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I thought the first book was decent, but not as great as people are making it out to be. I think I've said before that it reads like a weird mashup of a modern, Bakker/GRRM-type ambitions with Eddings/early Feist-era sensibilities and therefore the tone is all over the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkynJay Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I agree with PG. I read it and enjoyed it, even plan on reading the next. But it was generic, very transperent in what direction it was heading, and fairly bloated. Worth reading if you don't mind an old take with a new face though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winters-coming Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 There are a variety of point of view narrations -- first, second, third, omniscient,limited, objective, subjective, etc., but what in heck is "a pov style"?What an absolute prick... Did you manage understand that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 What an absolute prick...Did you manage understand that?Boy, that's not a needlessly aggressive overreaction at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winters-coming Posted April 26, 2014 Author Share Posted April 26, 2014 Boy, that's not a needlessly aggressive overreaction at all.And never was there a truer statement... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 What an absolute prick...Did you manage understand that? Foul abuse of novelists, speech writers and anyone else who writes for living! :) :cool4: :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jussi Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Third book Ruin will be published in March 2015. Here is the blurb: The Banished Lands are engulfed in war and chaos. The cunning Queen Rhin has conquered the west and High King Nathair has the cauldron, most powerful of the seven treasures. At his back stands the scheming Calidus and a warband of the Kadoshim, dread demons of the Otherworld. They plan to bring Asroth and his host of the Fallen into the world of flesh, but to do so they need the seven treasures. Nathair has been deceived but now he knows the truth. He has choices to make, choices that will determine the fate of the Banished Lands. Elsewhere the flame of resistance is growing - Queen Edana finds allies in the swamps of Ardan. Maquin is loose in Tenebral, hunted by Lykos and his corsairs. Here he will witness the birth of a rebellion in Nathair's own realm. Corban has been swept along by the tide of war. He has suffered, lost loved ones, sought only safety from the darkness. But he will run no more. He has seen the face of evil and he has set his will to fight it. The question is, how? With a disparate band gathered about him - his family, friends, giants, fanatical warriors, an angel and a talking crow he begins the journey to Drassil, the fabled fortress hidden deep in the heart of Forn Forest. For in Drassil lies the spear of Skald, one of the seven treasures, and here it is prophesied that the Bright Star will stand against the Black Sun. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ruin-John-Gwynne/dp/1447259629/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WrathOfTinyKittens Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Is Valor not available on ebook? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljkeane Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 It is on Amazon.co.uk, I don't know about in the US. I wasn't a massive fan of Valour though after thinking Malice was ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcadius Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 I was hoping someone here could direct me to a decent summary of Malice. I picked up Valor, but I am struggling with recalling all the characters and their plot lines. I am at page 50 or so and it's starting to take away from my enjoyment of the book. Is there somewhere I can find something that might help? Not necessarily a chapter by chapter summary, but something more than just the personae dramatis that you get with Valor. thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homedawg Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I was searching a new series to pick up, and Malice caught my eye. I haven't found anything definitive anywhere, does anyone know if the series is going to be a trilogy, or is it open ended? Also, I've seen some label it as YA. Is that accurate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkynJay Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Its not YA, though it had that seemingly requisite young man training sequence that feels geered to a younger audience. It is perfectly serviceable but fairly generic epic fantasy. It was fun, but completely failed to hide its intent and failed to make me care enough to pick up the second book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spockydog Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Its not YA, though it had that seemingly requisite young man training sequence that feels geered to a younger audience. It is perfectly serviceable but fairly generic epic fantasy. It was fun, but completely failed to hide its intent and failed to make me care enough to pick up the second book. I can totally see why people have problems with this series, but I am absolutely loving it. The young fella in question - Corbin? - does have his plot pretty much telegraphed in the first book, but that's not an issue in book two, which is definitely better than the first. The battle sequences are stirring and very well described, and I really dig the Celtic-esque setting. Really looking forward to the third book, which is due out in June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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