Calibandar Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Winterbirth-Brian-...TF8&s=books http://www.brianruckley.com/ I just picked up Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley. It's a brand new epic Fantasy debut in the UK which Orbit is very keen to market as one of the most promising new works in this field, and they are comparing it Martin, Erikson and Gemmell. I have to say I really flew through this book. I was eager for it come out to see if this could be yet another worthwhile new debut ( after "Lies of Locke Lamora" and "The Blade itself") and IMO this is as good as any debut I've read this year. It's a good read, realistic, has a low magic setting, has some intriguing characters ( and some less so), definitly good worldbuilding and it can be very gritty. I would actually say that from my reading experience, I would compare this mostly to David Gemmell's Rigante series, and to JV Jones's fine "Sword of Shadows" trilogy. It's clearly set in a northern country, with different clans duking it out with each other, but there are slightly supernatural elements as well ( similar to ASOIAf). The comparison with ASOIAF is not bad, but Ruckley doesn't have Martin's skill at characterization. He uses different POV's but not so many as Martin or for instance Erikson. Gemmell and Jones are better indicators of how good this is, while Erikson fans who are not into Malazan purely because of the high magic might also really like this. I do think it will lack the broad appeal of a series like The Gentleman bastards because this really is straight up epic Fantasy. The characters are not witty, this is a serious drama that is unfolding. One of the most interesting things Ruckley has done is two have a "villain" with a character arc. This man, Aeglyss, is born of the union between man and Kyrinin and has the potential for power that hasn't been seen in hundreds of years. However in this first book he is mostly an insecure character with a pathological need to ingratiate himself and be accepted, having been outcast wherever he went ever since he was a small child. He has great potential ( those more wise but less gifted sense him as a "Black-hearted beast") but lacks the key to unlock his abilities. His is one of the two main character arcs of that trilogy, the other being the son of a brutally slain Clanlord. You've also got factions like the Inkallim ( Hunters and warriors deeply devoted to their Black Road religion), human clan rulers who wish to use the war to advance their own position of power in as many ways as possible, when in fact they should be standing shoulder to shoulder ( very much ASOIAF that), and the Kyrinin, an Elflike race, except the Kyrinin have no magic and are not considered to be superior to men. They are simply very different, and the insight Ruckley shows into their culture was a strength of this story. I rate the book 8 out of 10. I thought his writing was a lot more coherent than for instance Steven Erikson, but his characterization is not on a Hobb/Martin/Kay level at this point. I mentioned parallels to Gemmell but would point out that Ruckley's world has more depth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yrael Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 Damn! Yet another good book to add to my reading list. I'm afraid my grades are going to suffer a great deal this fall...But well, a man gotta do what a man gotta do! I'll check it out of my library as soon as they get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multaniette Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 Added to the reading list. Which other (new) epic fantasies have you liked recently? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aergern Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I just ordered this .. I really did so on a whim because I'd only read two reviews. I just had this odd feeling that it might be a good book to get. Glad you liked and from the sound of it .. I think I'll quite enjoy it when it arrives. I've read the Malazan books all in a row and I think I'll be glad to read something non-Erikson. Don't get me wrong. I like the Malazan series .. but six at 2" (5.1 cm) a piece can make one quite weary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Lady Ashalind Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Any idea as to when to expect the US release? I read your review as well as the one within Amazon. This has peeked my interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aergern Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Any idea as to when to expect the US release? I read your review as well as the one within Amazon. This has peeked my interest. You can go to one of these sites and pick it up from a U.S. retailer. www.alibris.com www.abebooks.com I find lots of U.S. retailers order from U.K. distributors this way and they aren't outragous in their pricing. I think I paid $12.95 USD for this book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammerOfGod Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I don't like Gemmell and I don't like Kay...I think I will give this one a pass...I will wait and see... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Lady Ashalind Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 You can go to one of these sites and pick it up from a U.S. retailer. www.alibris.com www.abebooks.com I find lots of U.S. retailers order from U.K. distributors this way and they aren't outragous in their pricing. I think I paid $12.95 USD for this book. Nice. Thank you Aergern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calibandar Posted October 25, 2006 Author Share Posted October 25, 2006 Which other (new) epic fantasies have you liked recently? Lies of Locke Lamora and The Blade itself, both of which I liked. In the Eye of Heaven by David Keck, which I thought was very poor. I was reading the Charnel Prince by Keyes when Winterbirth dropped in my mailbox and dropped it. When I finished with Winterbirth I went back to Charnel Prince and now see clearly what it is that I find so uninteresting about Keyes' Kingdom of Thorne and Bone series: It's all dialogue. Keyes fills 90% of his pages with people talking to each other. The difference is huge. I prefer for a narrator mixed with dialogue, the way Ruckley does it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werthead Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I was looking at this, but the unrelentingly corny cover (featuring what I think is the same shot of adventurers on horseback riding as on the cover of Kirkpatrick's Across the Face of the World) and 'same-old' blurb didn't really generate much interest. The SFX review was pretty scathing, although they admitted the ending did give much higher hopes of a more original story in the second volume. Hmmm. Library or paperback job, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stego Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I ordered it. It better be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calibandar Posted October 26, 2006 Author Share Posted October 26, 2006 Wert: What can I say, I think it's a fine cover and not corny in the slightest. Looks great on my shelf. As for the book, as I say I really like it, but I think that some readers who look for their Fantasy books to be really innovative and stylish, will be disappointed. This is more of the same, but in a good way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werthead Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 Additional research does suggest that a lot more reviews are positive about the book (SFX has a very snobbish attitude to 'standard' fantasy books, even good ones, and famously gave AGoT a bad review on release, so I take their reviews with a pinch of salt), so I'll probably give it a try when it comes out in paperback. That does remind me that I need to pick up The Blade Itself though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrddin Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 Is the writing sample on Ruckley's site (the prologue) representative of the rest of the book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calibandar Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 I'd say so yes. plus you get to see the descendants of these warriors ( The Children of the Hundred_ throughout the book, which is set 150 years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhaco Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Seems like something I'd love. Thanks for posting about it, Calibandar. Another book to add to my 'Why the hell isn't this published in the US?' list. I think I'll just break down and order this, The Blade Itself and Stormcaller all at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rakov Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 I think I'll just break down and order this, The Blade Itself and Stormcaller all at once. This is no help to you, Rhaco, I know, but if you live in the UK and you are a member of the Fantasy and SF Book Club you can get all these five: The Stormcaller/The Blade Itself/The Lies of Locke Lamora/Scar Night/Winterbirth for £24.95 at the moment!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pat5150 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 I'll have to check this one out! Thanks for the tip! Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gildor Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 This is no help to you, Rhaco, I know, but if you live in the UK and you are a member of the Fantasy and SF Book Club you can get all these five: The Stormcaller/The Blade Itself/The Lies of Locke Lamora/Scar Night/Winterbirth for £24.95 at the moment!!!! I hate that book club, they send me things then expect me to pay them to send them back .. wankers! But that is a good deal, if I didn't have half of them already. I'll probabaly buy Winterbirth, looks a good one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aergern Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 This is no help to you, Rhaco, I know, but if you live in the UK and you are a member of the Fantasy and SF Book Club you can get all these five: The Stormcaller/The Blade Itself/The Lies of Locke Lamora/Scar Night/Winterbirth for £24.95 at the moment!!!! I went to their site and looked to see if those of us in the U.S. could join this book club .. they have absolutely no information about it being for UK residents only. The only way one can email their support is to join the club, but if people outside the UK can't join then we can't email their support. Seems to be a chicken and the egg thing. :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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