Tag Archives: War

Oath of Fealty by Elizabeth Moon

American Literature March 10, 2010 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: As former military hero Duke Kieri Phelan ascends the throne in half-elven Lyonya, the neighboring realm of Tsaia faces a threat from the long-forgotten blood magery of the Verrakai family. Review: Oath of Fealty follows directly after the events that concluded Elizabeth Moon‘s Deed of Paksennarion trilogy, and as such is a bit tricky to synopsize, particularly in only one sentence. And it’s clearly the first book of a series, so it’s mostly set up. That’s not to say that the book lacks action–hardly!…

Lost to the West by Lars Brownworth

American Literature January 26, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Subtitled: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire that Rescued Western Civilization. Review: I was first introduced to Lars Brownworth’s Lost to the West thanks to his outstanding podcast 12 Byzantine Rulers. He presented tangled, complicated history so compellingly that I just had to read the book. The book is a fantastic read. The history is clearly presented with an eye to both the big picture and the little details that bring it all to life. The way he tells it, Byzantine history casts new light on…

Sheepfarmer’s Daughter by Elizabeth Moon (The Deed of Paksenarrion)

American Literature October 1, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: A country girl enlists as a recruit in a band of mercenary soldiers, where she excels–and may be receiving supernatural aid from a saint she doesn’t know about or believe in. Review: Oddly enough, Sheepfarmer’s Daughter reminded me a lot of Battlestar Galactica, with its preoccupations over military honor and what makes for goodness in wartime. And anyone who knows me will let you know that this is a compliment of the highest order. There are no starships or robots in the first book…

The Crow by Alison Croggon (The Third Book of Pellinor)

Australian Literature September 25, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Young Bard-in-training Hem finds himself in the midst of a war, recruited into a vicious army of children enslaved by evil magic. Review: The Crow got off to a very slow start, but once it got going I was enthralled by the uniqueness of the world and the beauty of the writing. I fell in love with Hem, a deep thinker whose life has been marred by tragedy, and his friend Zelika, an impetuous girl who is the last of her family. The war…

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

American Literature August 18, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: A 6-year-old wunderkind enters Battle School to train to defeat the aggressive, invading Buggers. Review: This was actually my first foray into audiobooks on the iPod. I am a huge fan of podcasts, but had yet to tackle a book during the time I spend pushing my stroller and nursing Superfast Toddler to sleep. I figured Ender’s Game was a good entrÃ©e, since I have read it before and it wasn’t terribly long, only 11 hours. Since it only took me 2 or 3…

Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

American Literature August 10, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Given the power to summon fire, a young girl finds herself torn between duty to her country and her fears that she will be consumed by magic. Review: Enna Burning is a sequel of sorts to The Goose Girl, but as far as I know it is not based on a fairy tale. Enna is goose girl Isi’s confidante, and her adventure begins when her brother Leifert shows up with a mysterious vellum that has granted him the ability to summon fire. But his…

The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick

American Literature August 3, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: A tarboy on a magnificent sailing vessel finds himself at the center of a conspiracy to start a war by magical means, and his friendship with a betrothed young Lady might be the beginnings of a plot to defeat an evil mage. Review: I’ve mentioned a million times how much I hate summarizing epic fantasy in one sentence. You need a little more backstory to really get what a story is about. But rules is rules, sez I, and one sentence synopses is my…

Rivers of Fire (Atherton, Book 2) by Patrick Carman

American Literature May 18, 2009 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: With Atherton inverting, a young boy with a penchant for climbing and his friends go on a journey of a lifetime through the hidden corridors of the only world they’ve ever known. Review: Rivers of Fire, being the middle book in a trilogy, concerns itself with questions of war and evolution. Everything on Atherton is in flux, from society to the ecosystem to geology itself. I don’t want to give too many spoilers for book 1; suffice it to say that our heroes remain…

Present Tense by Dave Duncan (The Great Game)

Canadian Literature May 6, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Book two in this trilogy has our unjustly accused hero crossing back to WWII-era England, hoping to escape from the law so he can enlist on the front lines and narrating the story of his time as a battle commander Nextdoor to his cohort of rescuers. Review: I was not quite as enthralled with Present Tense as I’d hope to be, but I still enjoyed it. I get frustrated when fantasy stories rely too heavily on the notion of prophecy, because then the story…

Past Imperative by Dave Duncan (The Great Game)

Canadian Literature May 1, 2009 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

Synopsis: An upper class young man on trial for murder in WWI England finds his destiny entwined with a girl on the road with a traveling troupe of actors in an alternate vaguely medieval world ruled by capricious and contentious gods. Review: I really enjoy Dave Duncan’s writing–he’s imaginative and not afraid of getting a little literary, and always comes up with great characters. Past Imperative (Round One of the Great Game) was a welcome departure from the usual epic fantasy in that half of…

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