(Check out this awesome review by LifesFineWhine!!!) -Sav
About Rebecca Crunden Rebecca Crunden is a writer and fellow blogger. She has written multiple books over the years all of which you can check out by…
Haze By Rebecca Crunden (Book Review)
As you all have already figured out I’m pretty obsessed with books, but I promise I have other hobbies. Here are a few.
I love gardening! I don’t have a huge space to grow plants right now so it’s limited to a few cacti and a small succulent garden.
Succulents are my favorite type of plant to grow. They take a little while to warm up to but once you get the hang of it they’re easy. I love that I don’t have to constantly water them and they stay beautiful all year. I’ve also grown flowers and I tried to grow cucumbers once but they died. Once I have a bigger space I want to grow my own herbs and try a few more vegetables.
I’ve been around gardeners all my life. My grandma has a beautiful yard with rhododendrons and a huge lilac tree, and she used to grow snow peas when I was little. My dad is also a gardener, he plants everything from potatoes to blueberries. His yard is awesome, he’s always working on it to make it better. He has a horseshoe pit, a huge deck, and a patio to grill on. My mom is also a green thumb, she’s working on growing an avocado tree and she has plants all over her dining room.
There is something so soothing about being surrounded by plants, plus they make your living space feel brighter and more natural.
I picked up crocheting a few years ago and I haven’t stopped since.
I make everything from blankets to baby outfits. It’s a really nice hobby to have when all your friends start having babies, because I love being able to give them a handmade gift that’s going to last and be really cute.
I started this hobby because I wanted to make myself hats and scarves, well as it turns out you end making a lot of things for others and end up with very little for yourself. I’m not complaining though, because I love being able to give my family homemade slippers and I get to make stuffed animals for my son. It’s a really rewarding hobby.
I paint in all mediums. My favorite is oil painting but it is SOOOOO expensive, so recently I’ve been experimenting with watercolor and acrylic.
There is something freeing about paint. I can create whatever I want and if I mess up I can typically paint over it or just throw it away and start over. I love painting the ocean or trees. Most of my paintings are of nature or animals, they’re just the most beautiful to transfer from real world to paper. Lately I’ve been experimenting with watercolor and koi fish. The paintings aren’t very good yet but I’m having fun.
Hopefully when I have a bigger space and a better job I can hop back into oil painting, but until then I’m content with my watercolors and acrylics.
What hobbies do you enjoy? Do we have any in common? Let me know in the comments.
Based off the thrilling podcast, The Long Night comic adaptation is just as chilling.
Following a string of mysterious deaths in Burns, Alaska, Special Agents Sally Pierce and Tad Marshall arrive to investigate. They soon find there’s more going on than meets the eye… Marvel’s hit scripted podcast, “Wolverine: The Dark Night,” comes to life on the page! Chilling twists and turns, brought to you by the original author of the podcast, Benjamin Percy, and the art talents of Marcio Takara!
(Description from Amazon)
I listened to the podcast a few years ago and fell in love. The backdrop of Alaska is the perfect setting for a Wolverine comic. It’s dark and dangerous, Alaska is the perfect place for Wolverine to start over again.
There is something about the amount of murder in Alaska that seems like it would call out to Wolverine, and it does. It creates this air of mystery that Wolverine shrouds himself in and it works so well for his character.
I believe that the authors who write Wolverine comics must be passionate about him because it’s rare to find one that’s not enjoyable. But, The Long Night stands out to me because the approach is different. You aren’t following Wolverine, you’re following Weapon-X agents as they trail him. This both works and doesn’t work. I liked the unique approach and how we get to see Wolverine from an outside perspective, but it makes a lot of the action feel secondhand. I want to be there and sometimes it doesn’t feel that way. Part of why I enjoy Wolverine is because he gets into a lot of action and it makes him the ultimate anti-hero, and that’s not something you want to experience secondhand.
I will say that I love the style the comics are drawn in. Let me pull up an example from the book.
Look at the detail in that mans face! I also love how they use black space to fill in the picture. It gives it a sinister edge that you need for a graphic novel with this tone. The mixture of purples, reds, and blacks look amazing on Wolverine. His eyes are like black voids, just how I would imagine his would look after all the destruction he’s witnessed and caused. I think the artists nailed Wolverine and even the beautiful scenery of Alaska. But, what I love most is that the artist didn’t just capture Alaska, they captured the dark pits of Alaska, they made me afraid of what could be hiding beneath the surface.
I’ve seen some cheesy lookking Wolverine comics but not this one. It gave me the dark and gloomy feeling you’d expect from a Batman comic, which is not something that Marvel always pursues.
The plot to this graphic novel has a lot of moving pieces that fit together like a puzzle. I like how it wraps itself in a neat little bow but also leaves room for more comics. It’s hard to come up with a plot that you can fit into a graphic novel, especially when it’s adapted from a podcast, and make it feel whole. But, that was definitely achieved. I also feel like they picked the perfect amount of content from the podcast to fit into this graphic novel. They didn’t leave stuff out, and they didn’t add anything new. It was a pretty faithful adaptation.
I give The Long Night 4/5 stars!
Also, I’d like to add that the podcast has done a season 2 and I’m going to go listen to it right now!
Have you heard of The Long Night before? Do you prefer podcasts or comics? Let me know in the comments.
If you’d like to purchase a copy of The Long Night follow this link, and I will get a portion of the earnings at no extra cost to you!
You’ve probably heard of the movie Train To Busan, but have you heard of the animated sequel Seoul Station? It’s just as good and deserves far more recognition.
Taking place in and around Seoul station, a young runaway woman must try to survive in a world that sees her as disposable. The story revolves around two main characters: Suk-gyu, a father who searches for his runaway daughter (Hye-sun), who he finds is alive and currently a prostitute. Just as he is about to be reunited with her, a zombie epidemic breaks out in Seoul.
(Description from Wikipedia)
I watched this movie because I loved Train To Busan, you can read what that’s about here, and because I thought the idea of an animated prequel for a live action movie was an interesting idea.
I was skeptical that an animated prequel could bring the same punch that the live action did, but I was unnecessarily worried.
I loved that they were able to hold onto that scariness. It kept me in the edge of my seat and oftentimes scenes were hard to watch but impossible to look away from. They kept that momentum from Train To Busan and it made the perfect connection between the two. One thing that this series of movies is doing well is making nightmare inducing zombies. They are freaking scary!
I wasn’t sure if Seoul Station was a full length movie, it definitely is and it deserves its runtime. A lot of American adults shy away from animated films, especially animated films with subtitles, but this one deserves an audience. It’s not kiddish, AT ALL, and it feels just as believable as a live action film. I watched it yesterday and I’ve already recommended it to multiple people, because it deserves it.
One thing I didn’t enjoy was the characters. It’s weird to say that I loved a movie so much even though the characters were weaker in some ways than I like. Pretty much all of the characters are horrible people or have zero survival instinct. As a zombie fan that was so irritating. It’s hard to root for people when they are so terrible, but it works in favor for some characters and it doesn’t for others. It was weird to hope that some of the characters I didn’t like survived. It made me angry but was also interesting because it was different. There’s no real hero in this story.
I will say that the ending is so satisfying. It takes a turn then ends in a spectacular fashion. I was a little blown away, not because it’s entirely unique, but because it was so well done. You expect these kinds of movies to end a certain way and when they don’t it’s like a punch in the gut. In this case the gut punch is a good one.
I give Seoul Station 4/5 stars. It’s a great movie and I definitely recommend.
You can purchase a copy at this link and I will get a portion of the proceeds at no extra cost to you.
Have you seen Seoul Station? Or Train To Busan? Let me know what you think in the comments!
I was skeptical, very skeptical, about a prequel through the eyes of President Snow. But, I was so wrong. I don’t think this prequel could have been told any other way.
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low.
Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute . . . and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
(Description from Amazon)
Suzanne Collins masterfully creates a timeline where we see Snow’s descent into ruthlessness. The boy we meet in the beginning of this novel is not the man we know from The Hunger Games, but he will show up very soon.
You almost feel bad for Snow, I started to and I had to remind myself that he will be a tyrannical dictator in a few decades. I love how well this is done. Collins makes you want to like Snow so bad, but she always slides in a piece of vileness or selfishness that reminds you of who you’re dealing with. The one thing he says that turns my stomach the most is when he calls his tribute this:
“His filly in a race, his dog in a fight. The more he had treated her as something special, the more she’d become human.”
How awful do you have to be to picture a person as your work animal? This stuck with me as a reminder of who Snow is. This character development was well executed.
Collins also references the past novels and I love it. There’s a reference about the rebellion catching fire and a reference to katniss plants in District 12. When it comes to prequels authors tend to lean hard into the nostalgia factor of the original books, but Collins doesn’t lay it on too thick, it is a subtle jab here and there. She also includes familiar names like the Cranes and the Heavensbees. I like how details are slipped in for the original fans, it’s a nice touch.
I saw a lot of people wondering if a prequel was necessary, and I think it was a necessity that we didn’t know we needed. This novel humanizes the citizens of The Capitol, but much like Snow, it doesn’t do it too much. The Capitol is still the bad guy, but it shows that The Capitol went through hardships and you can see how a group of people who think they’re superior could jump to something as vicious as the Hunger Games. This book creates history that gives Panem a complete start to finish. We get to see how we got to where Katniss is.
We also get to see an earlier version of District 12. The version we get to see hasn’t slipped into the same darkness that Katniss grows up in. District 12 isn’t an oasis by any means, but it is in better condition than the original trilogy. We can watch as District 12 begins to eat itself, the rebels are actively being executed, The Games are intensifying, and freedoms are being taken away even more. It’s the perfect lead up to what happens next.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes earns an easy 5/5 stars.
Have you read it yet? Are you going to? Let me know in the comments!
Wanting to purchase a copy of your own? Follow this link to purchase and I will get a portion of the proceeds at no extra cost to you.
Yay! We did it everyone. The blog made it to 3,000 total followers and I beat my most important goal for June! Thank you to my followers new and old!
I have a serious soft spot for graphic novels. I love how comics follow different rules than books, and that it takes more of a team to craft a good graphic novel. Whether it’s a memoir or superheroes, I love them all.
These casually drawn, perfectly on-point comics by the hugely popular young Brooklyn-based artist Sarah Andersen are for the rest of us. They document the wasting of entire beautiful weekends on the internet, the unbearable agony of holding hands on the street with a gorgeous guy, and dreaming all day of getting home and back into pajamas. In other words, the horrors and awkwardnesses of young modern life. Oh and they are totally not autobiographical. At all.
(Description from Amazon)
I adore the Sarah’s Scribbles series, but Adulthood is a Myth is the best. It’s like they were written for me! I love how it’s a collection of funny relatable everyday scenarios. I found this series when I was working at The Book Bin and they cracked me up. If you need a good laugh this graphic novel will provide.
Maus is a haunting tale within a tale. Vladek’s harrowing story of survival is woven into the author’s account of his tortured relationship with his aging father. Against the backdrop of guilt brought by survival, they stage a normal life of small arguments and unhappy visits. This astonishing retelling of our century’s grisliest news is a story of survival, not only of Vladek but of the children who survive even the survivors.
Maus studies the bloody pawprints of history and tracks its meaning for all of us.
(Description from Amazon)
I read Maus for a class and I have mentioned it before, but Maus deserves all the attention I can give it. To take something so horrible and so powerful and to execute it expertly in graphic novel form is impressive. I will also go out on a limb and make the claim that Maus has inspired many graphic novels of this nature such as Persepolis. I view Art Spiegelman as a pioneer for the graphic memoir genre.
Rick Grimes is not prepared for this. A couple months ago he was a small town cop who had never fired a shot and only ever saw one dead body. Separated from his family he must now sort through the death and confusion to try and find his wife and son.
(Description from Amazon)
We have also talked about The Walking Dead comics before, but to leave them out of my top 5 would be a shame and a farce. I fell in love with the TV show first and then picked up the first omnibus. I have a serious love for zombies and The Walking Dead is exactly what you’d expect from a zombie story with a few unexpected twists and turns.
I’m yet to finish the it but I LOVE this series. You should pick this one up if you love zombies.
SAGA is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.
(Description from Amazon)
I’m going to warn you now that Saga is not for the faint of heart. It contains graphic sex, violence, and it can be gross. But, it’s worth it. Saga is unique and I love how it melds sci-fi and fantasy together to create something new. I originally wasn’t going to read Saga because the first page of vol. 1 made me go ew, gross. But, I got over it and I’m glad I did. If you like sci-fi/fantasy and you don’t mind explicit content, Saga is for you.
Wolverine (birth name; James Howlett;[1] alias; Logan and Weapon X) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, mostly in association with the X-Men. He is a mutant who possesses animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, a powerful regenerative ability known as a healing factor, and three retractable claws in each hand. Wolverine has been depicted variously as a member of the X-Men, Alpha Flight, and the Avengers.
(Description from Wikipedia)
Wolverine is my favorite superhero! I have taken in so much Wolverine information the past few years and I haven’t focused on any other superheroes. His story is so much different and he’s rough around the edges. He doesn’t take any crap from anyone and he’s just as capable on his own as he is with the X-Men. I love the Origins comic run of Wolverine. It was fun to read and learn about Wolverine’s background, because he’s been alive for so long and he knows people from everywhere. I was listening to a scripted Wolverine podcast called The Long Night, and it’s been turned into a comic. I just purchased it and I can’t wait to read it. I have a sweet spot for Wolverine and he will never be replaced.
What are your favorite graphic novels? Let me know in the comments!
Hello everyone! I am back from my brief hiatus! I chose not to post about books for a couple of weeks on my social media platforms to step back and …
10 June 2020 Book Releases by Black Authors
Check out this awesome post! – Sav
Have you ever sat down to read, then had to readjust, and then again. It’s like a never ending cycle of I’m comfy, wait no I’m not. I’ll be nice and happy reading, then my arm falls asleep, my leg falls asleep, or I fall asleep…
I’ll try and read in every place in my house. I’ll be on my bed, then the computer chair, the couch, and even the floor. But, there is always something that makes me uncomfortable. I’m like a fish out of water flopping all over the place, it makes it really hard to read if I’m the only one awake, because I like to read in my room. Have you ever tried to flop around for comfort and also had to try to be quiet? It’s not easy.
If someone knows the secret to reading comfort let me know.
If there’s one sentence I hate saying it’s where’s my bookmark? I can never keep track of my bookmarks. I’ll end up finding them in strange places like under the bed or behind my desk. I hate when I get a cute or special bookmark and it’s gone the same day. I feel like my ability to lose bookmarks ties in with my discomfort we talked about a second ago. I’m constantly moving and leaving my bookmarks behind, plus I have a one year old and I’m sure he’s hoarding bookmarks somewhere.
It’s a good thing anything can be used as a bookmark. My last makeshift bookmark was my debit card 😅
I love going to bookstores and browsing, but you know what I don’t love? Movie Tie In book covers. There is nothing worse than hearing yeah, we have one copy left, then when they bring it, it has the horrible movie cover on the front. I know this is a total bratty first world problem but it’s so annoying that they’d ruin a good book with an ugly cover. I have such a hard time adhering to “don’t judge a book by its cover” when it actually comes to books. If I’m desperate I’ll totally buy a movie tie in, but it’ll be an eye sore on my bookshelf, and I will spend the money to buy a better looking copy just for the shelf.
What #ReaderProblems do you have? Do we have some in common? Let me know in the comments!
Water. Earth. Fire. Air. I’ve heard stories about the old days, a time of peace when the Avatar Blogger kept balance between the Water Critics, Earth Reviewers, Fire Writers, and Air Readers. But that all changed when the Fire Writers attacked.
Only the Avatar Blogger, master of all four blogging elements could stop the ruthless Fire Writers. But when the world needed them the most, they vanished. A hundred years have passed and the Fire Writers are nearing victory in the war.
Some people believe that the Avatar Blogger was never reborn into the Air Readers, and that the cycle is broken. But I haven’t lost hope. I still believe that somehow, the Avatar Blogger will return to save the book world!
I’d be going to Santorini, Greece. I would be bringing as many of my books from my June Book Haul as I could fit into my suitcase.
Easy, Harry Potter. I was made fun of so much as a child for reading these books. People thought I was a nerd, but I don’t care I love them and will defend them with my dying breath.
I would have to say The Book Thief had a huge impact on me. It’s a powerful book and it really made me think about life, and how things could always be worse, but it’s important to keep my head up.
My book light! I am a night owl so I do most of my reading late at night, and I wouldn’t survive without have a few book lights around.
Yes! It’s been mentioned and I’m sure people are tired of me mentioning it but The Only Good Indians is one of my most highly anticipated books of the year and it comes out next month!
It would be an epic high fantasy that feels heartwarming.
If you have made it this far, you have mastered the element of Fire, bringing you one step closer to becoming the Avatar Blogger. Good luck to you in your training.
Thank you to @ImAllBookedUp for the tag!
Hey everyone,
I could not sleep for the life of me last night so I’m going to lay back down and try and catch a little more sleep. Movie Review Monday will be back next week 🎥 🍿 I’ll find something extra fun to watch and have a review ready for ya!
I devoured this book much like a zombie would.Wranglestone is just what I needed. It’s a fresh take on zombies with one of the sweetest romances I’ve ever read.
Winter was the only season every Lake-Lander feared…
In a post-apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there’s nothing to stop them from crossing the ice.
Then homebody Peter puts the camp in danger by naively allowing a stranger to come ashore and he’s forced to leave the community of Wranglestone. Now he must help rancher Cooper, the boy he’s always watched from afar, herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over.
But as love blossoms, a dark discovery reveals the sanctuary’s secret past. One that forces the pair to question everything they’ve ever known.
(Description from Goodreads)
The plot in Wranglestone is well done and completely unique. The author takes zombies and flips everything you know on its head. The plot has so many twists and turns that you will not see coming, and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I love how this book opens up and seems like it’s going to be your typical run of the mill zombie novel, but as the plot thickens and the mystery grows, the zombie narrative changes into something different. I loved it.
I also found this novel to be just the right amount of spooky that the plot called for. It’s freaky and throws in those pieces of foreshadowing that creates a well paced novel. my favorite spooky scene happens in the beginning of the novel, here it is
“The thing’s head turned to gaze in Darlene’s direction. Its dark eyes were lifeless but something inside it was able to process the new stimulus Darlene’s wave had provided. Peter stepped away from the railing and the thing waved back.”
Have you ever read a novel where zombies can wave back? I haven’t. It was so scary, when I read it I stopped reading so that I could reread the paragraph to my boyfriend. He also thought it was chilling.
When I first started reading I thought that the romance aspect felt rushed, but when I reflected on it after having finished the book I understood why the pacing had to be so fast. This is not a slow burning romance for my dear followers who love that kind of stuff. This romance is quick but it will make sense when all is said and done.
The main character is, in my eyes, a unique character for a zombie novel. Peter is a “homemaker”, he cleans, crochets, and mends clothing, while the other guys go out to hunt and wrangle zombies. But, I loved Peter. I’m also a crocheter and to have something so out of the blue to relate to made me excited. He isn’t a zombie slaying extraordinaire nor does he really become one in this book. I like how he is able to keep his softer edges it’s a great contrast from other zombie novel characters. Don’t let this be discouraging either, because Peter may not be a slayer, but he is still a badass who can deal with what the world throws at him.
I’ve just noticed that Goodreads lists Wranglestone as a #1 in a series and I need that to be true. This book ends like it could be a standalone but I want more! I give Wranglestone a 5/5 stars!
Go buy a copy now! Like seriously right now. But really, if you do want a copy follow this link to purchase and I’ll get a portion of the profit for my blog expenses at no extra cost to you.
Hey everyone!
A lot has happened today and I’ve only been up for 20 minutes. I’ll be posting my weekend review tomorrow, and I’ll be spending today processing things and celebrating my sisters quarantine birthday.
Happy Saturday.
I absolutely love the world of Harry Potter, books, movies, everything. But, there are definitely pieces missing from the movies that I think should have been included. Here are my top five.
Peeves the poltergeist is one of the funniest characters in the Harry Potter movies, but he is missing from the movies. He gets the golden trio into a lot of trouble during their time at Hogwarts. He also helps the Weasley twins create a huge show of mayhem, and he helps during the battle of Hogwarts. I loved him and I miss him, he’s like the Tom Bombadil of Harry Potter.
When they kick Trelawney to the curb in The Order of The Phoenix they bring in Firenze the centaur. His classroom is modeled after the forbidden forest and they study divination from an expert. I hate that they left out the Firenze storyline because it shows the disdain a lot of the other races have for wizards, and their reasoning makes sense. This storyline also shows how brutal centaurs are, they kick Firenze out of their group permanently because he decides to teach wizard children. Hogwarts ends up keeping Firenze as a teacher when Trelawney returns and they have two divination classes.
Nick throws a party for the 500th anniversary of his death, and he invited Harry, who drags Ron and Hermione along. I think this scene is important because it gives the ghosts of Hogwarts depth. Nick has desires and fears, but in the movie he only seems to flit around in the background. I want to see Nick arguing with the Headless Hunt, whom he can’t join because he’s only nearly headless. I want better for the Hogwarts Ghosts.
When Fred and George make their grand exit in The Order of The Phoenix they leave behind a portable swamp that Professor Umbridge is unable to fix. Harry is sure that the other professors could fix it, but they take great joy in Umbridge’s suffering and leave it. At the end of the year they decide to leave a patch of the swamp because professor Flitwick claims it’s a good bit of magic. But, it also serves as a tribute to the twins. I love the mayhem they already portray in the movies, but I wish they had given it the same longevity it has in the books. The swamp would’ve been the perfect way to illustrate that.
The funeral is the perfect way to show just what kind of impact Dumbledore had on the world. Countless people show up, the mermaids are there, and even the centaurs show up. Dumbledore becomes a martyr and the scene is so heartbreaking it makes me cry every single time. But it also creates doubt in Harry because he realizes that he didn’t know Dumbledore as well as he thought he did. Everything about this scene is perfect, and it’s a great jumping off point for The Deathly Hollows. That somber tone carries on and sets the tone for the final novel.
Instead, we get the students and professors raising their wands in a group Lumos. While the scene is touching it doesn’t have the same impact.
There are many more missing scenes, are there any that you wish were in the movies? Do we have any in common? Let me know in the comments!
Remember how we just talked about my June goals? Well unfortunately I’m going to have to mess one up this month. I received multiple review requests that are insanely long, so I’ll be dropping back down to 2 reviews a week, but still posting awesome content 6 days a week!
Curious about these long books? I’ll post them below.
A feudalistic world, embedded for centuries within the continent of Mystos is falling apart. Peasant uprisings, political and religious scheming from the academia, and the highborn’s lust for power are the causes for this political downfall in Mystos. A DEATH AT DAWN is the first book of an epic fantasy series that follows various characters, each going through their own journey during a time of civil turmoil.
In the middle of the chaos is the ruling family of the Mountain Realm, House Wayward; a racially mixed family, dealing with their own inner conflicts. However, when tragedy strikes House Wayward, instead of rallying together, the members split apart and strategize for their own advantage, even if that means taking each other down.
This story gives the perspective of the people directly affected by these events. As some begin to experience adolescence, other older characters experience a taste of power, misery, deception, and insanity. Within the series, each character has to make decisions that not only affect their lives, but the lives around them, making many question if they are the true hero of this series. Book one sets up the journey that these characters will experience during the series.
I’ve actually already started this one and so far it’s awesome. It’s very reminiscent of A Game Of Thrones.
What if the gods themselves wanted you dead?
A young boy lies on a beach on a warm summer’s day. While trying to block the sun from his eyes Arpherius makes a shocking discovery; he has no shadow. Confused and bewildered he asks his uncle why he is shadowless. What he learns is a terrifying secret that will change his life forever.
Set in the Northern Realms, Shadowless is a fantasy novel about individuals born without a shadow. Spawned by the malevolent deities of this world these children of the gods are persecuted at every turn. Hunted by the high priests who carry out the wishes of their gods, hunted by the Shadow Watchers; armed soldiers who are assigned to each temple, and hunted by the gods themselves.
Part-mortal and part-god, the Shadowless live for centuries and face a battle for survival, constantly on the run or hiding in far-flung corners of the Northern Realms.
Soon their lives and fates become intertwined, expedited by the mysterious monk Amrodan. Driven by a series of visions Amrodan travels through the Northern Realms, seeking out the Shadowless and trying to enlist their help to take a stand and fight back against the gods.
I’m really excited to read Shadowless because it sounds like a really epic fantasy.
A simple shepherd who can see all things invisible, a dwarf who risks his honour to strike the deal of his lifetime, and a clandestine necromancer who manages to do good despite his worst intentions. This unusual fantasy epic shows how petty shortcomings like jealousy, suspicion and greed can throw up challenges just as dangerous as revealed destiny or the unfolding of evil plans. Set in the deep forests of medieval Svitjod, at the shift between the worship of the old gods and the coming of Christianity, it stands firmly rooted in the mud and dirt of everyday life while revealing a fantastical world of trolls, alfs and magic.
When Stig accepts to guide some dwarven miners through the hexed forest only he knows how to navigate, he already has a bad feeling. The payment is far too generous for something supposed to be so simple. With a hungry family at home and still a few weeks before summer will end their hardship, he cannot afford to say no. As they set out on a journey fraught with troubles, not only do Stig realise he has gotten himself tangled up into something far greater than he could ever have imagined, the dwarves also slowly learn that Stig is not just your average shepherd.
The Singing Gold is the first part of a series which follows a poor woodsman and his family through a number of escalating dangers and misadventures, casting them out of the life they knew and finally threatening their very existence. It is a fairy tale and an epic adventure, but with a distinctly real medieval feel to it, and told from the perspective of poor people.
In Svitjod, the law was still made by free men meeting at the Ting to discuss and voice their opinions, the king had to constantly travel the country to make his will felt, and the weight of a man’s kin, friends and neighbours were still more important than his class. Yet, at the same time, ideas, trade, and beliefs moved fast and far. The Church had recently managed to form an organised network spanning from Lisbon to Trondheim to Acre in the far east, even if Jerusalem was again lost to them. Adventurous young men could seek their fortune in war or wager all over the continent. For Stig and his family though, the next few dozen leagues of dense pine forest, huddling villages and dearly conquered fields and pastures was the whole extent of their world.
I think this one was the most recent of the longer review requests I received, and I’m really hoping they all turn out great because they are long reads. Wish me luck, and hopefully I’ll have these awesome books reviewed for you soon!
Sav’s Review 