My father and I just finished The Book Smugglers, Book Four of Anna James' Pages & Co. series

My father and I just finished The Book Smugglers, Book Four of Anna James' Pages & Co. series.

The British Underlibrary may be saved, but there are other plots (so to speak), and other evils in the bookwandering world that were but hinted at before and now come by postage in the form of a poisoned copy of the The Wizard of Oz. But now it is Milo Bolt who drives both story and the magical train Sesquipedalian alongside his friend Tilly in a hunt to find the poisoner and save their families, questing from the Emerald City to the canals of Venice. Along the way unraveling and finding mysteries not written in any book as the circumstances around Milo's life and family are revealed to be bound like book a power struggle between one who takes the phrase "knowledge is power" to obscene lengths and another whom might just be trustworthy. We will found out soon enough, for it is Milo and Alessia's story now. All aboard the Quip!

I have started Kingdom Society: The Black Hood by Nathan Helm.

I have at the author's request started Kingdom Society: The Black Hood by Nathan Helm.

Unique Fantasies are absolutely what I seek, and while two orphans rising to meet their destiny against an ancient evil may hardly be called unique, add time-travel, Gods who fight wars against regular humans and Warlocks, and a returned foe who – unless I miss my guess – is the escaped disciple of a strangely defeated Dragon God, then we have all the makings for a most original Epic Fantasy indeed. Oh, and the phrase "Sometimes the only way to conquer darkness is to embrace it." Goodness knows I hope not, but I also know that Alyeth and Cindrel Zane look like they have their work cut out for them saving Dun’Nahar from the Black Hood. Particularly when visions of the future already show terrible bloodshed and tragedy.

(Naturally the Official Book Review will come after I finish the book.)

Official Book Review: I have finished The Lumen Caligo: Fallen by Lawrence C. Cobb

I have finished The Lumen Caligo: Fallen by Lawrence C. Cobb and, as the author requested, now give it an Official Book Review.

A short, stellar, and utterly unique Fantasy, I am almost at a loss for words for fear of giving out spoilers, for Lawrence C. Cobb does not waste a syllable in this tale that flies fast, sharp, and elegantly as a Angel – or rather, a Lumen or Caligo – soaring off to battle. A contemporary Fantasy drawing off a classic story element from Avatar: The Last Airbender in addition to the legends and myths of our own world, it was a deep pleasure watching Cyrus get thrown into his destiny, identity, and the Bermuda Triangle with surprises around every corner. Luckily he had Auli'i, Kimo and Martian– pardon me, Martin with him to an end, a climax, which was as unexpected as I ever read. 

Point of order, I am also not surprised in the slightest that Lawrence C. Cobb is, like me, a diehard fan of Nintendo's Golden Sun gameboy game series (a fact he told me). Indeed, ere the end I could all but see Sol Sanctum, Lemuria, and Anemos.

May your light illuminate the darkness before you. May your darkness keep the light from blinding you.

(P.S. If you, dear reader, are an author/publisher and reading this review makes you want to ask me for a review too then PLEASE read my Contact Me? page.)

To the Professor!

Today is J.R.R. Tolkien's 133rd birthday! As Frodo did for Bilbo, the Tolkien Society continues to celebrate Tolkien's birthday in his absence. Their tradition: at 9pm your time raise a glass and toast "The Professor!"

New Year's Eve

As 2024 rolls away I think it is only fitting to look back on this year's accomplishments:

• The Fury, Book Two of David Doersch's Chronicles of the Raven
• The Rhapsody Trilogy by Elizabeth Haydon (the original trilogy of her Symphony of Ages)
• All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O'Donoghue
• Sorcery of Thorns and its sequel-novella Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson
• Wish by Victoria Harris
• The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat
• Reread In the Forests of Serre by Patricia A. McKillip
• Murtagh by Christopher Paolini
• Reread The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Dragonriders of Pern (Original trilogy) by Anne McCaffrey
• Echoes of Ghostwood, the fourth and (so-called) final book of J.V. Hilliard's Warminster Series
  
• Books 1-3 of The Pages & Co. series by Anna James
• The Mage Wars Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey
  

Also, on a writing note, I finished the very rough draft my latest book, a 1000+ page monstrosity titled The Sisters of the Desert that will probably be divided into a duology and has been my secret labor for literally years.

"When you find the one thing in your life you believe in above anything else, you owe it to yourself to stand by it—it will never come again, child. And if you believe in it unwaveringly, the world has no other choice but to see it as you do, eventually. For who knows it better than you? Don’t be afraid to take a difficult stand, darling. Find the one thing that matters—everything else will resolve itself." – Elizabeth Haydon

I have started The Lumen Caligo: Fallen by Lawrence C. Cobb

You know what they say, books about feathers are read together. Or at least they are in this case since, having just been up to my ears in Gryphon feathers, I have at the author's request started The Lumen Caligo: Fallen by Lawrence C. Cobb.

"There are three types of people in the world. Those with white wings. Those with black wings. And those with none. Every 350 years a 4th is born called the Lumen Caligo. One side of his wings there is white. On the other side, there is black." Then of course the last Lumen Caligo disappears mysteriously, and centuries – three and a half of them perhaps? – later a mysterious message and a somewhat charred baby is delivered to a man in California running away from goodness knows what. I LOVE unique fantasies, which is one reason I agreed to review this, and I certainly cannot remember ever reading anything like this before. I will, however, stake my soul that Cyrus' wheelchair will be obsolete when he sprouts feathers, and that surviving school, bullies, and adolesant hormones will soon be the least, or at least the least deadly, of his problems. His and Auli'i's both, I hope.

(Naturally the Official Book Review will come after I finish the book.)

Jólabókaflóð