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michaeljohnhalseartistry's reviews
111 reviews
Orc Stain, Vol. 1 by James Stokoe
5.0
If you've been following along with my book reviews this year, so far I've read a number of comic volumes - The Autumnlands, Rat Queens, From Under Mountains, and more recently Pretty Deadly, and while I enjoyed some more than others, one defining feature seems to have a profound correlation with how much I enjoy the book - the artwork. As I've said before, I'm not a comic-guru, I haven't read much outside of Star Wars comics, and I don't have a preference for style when it comes to comic book or graphic novels, I just know that when I like something, for whatever reason, I really like it. For example, the reason I loved The Autumnlands so much was because of the realistic, detail-oriented artwork of Benjamin Dewey. The one thing I loved about From Under Mountains was the whispy, painterly artwork of Sloane Leong.
Before diving into Orc Stain I flipped through the book, just to glimpse some of the images and get accustomed to writer and artist James Stokoe's style, and was immediately hit with a cerulean and emerald aesthetic explosion where every little corner of the page is utilized to animate this fantasy-themed world with as many bizarre and mind-bending creations as possible. It took me so long to get through this comic, because half of the time I was just sitting there staring at the page, taking in every little detail drawn in an over-the-top cartoon style that's unlike anything I've ever seen before.
Orc Stain tells the story of One-Eye, a thieving, hammer-wielding orc, one of a million nameless orcs just trying to get through life. Meanwhile the powerful Orc Tzar leads a war band north to an ancient god in order to harvest it's organ for some unknown reason. When it's prophesied that a one-eyed orc will stand in his way and bring his warmongering days to an end, he has every one-eyed orc rounded up and send to the god-beast to be fed to the formidable creature.
This comic was released by Image Comics and was the sole creation of veteran comic writer and artist James Stokoe. It was released back in 2010... 7 years ago! And I can't image how painful the wait for the second volume has been for fans of this comic. I just read it and I'm already craving for more.
It's such a fun, light-hearted comic that's brilliantly drawn and told... if not a little weird at times... for example, orc-culture is centred around the gronch, which is... well... orc penis. Even their money is made out of sliced up and coated gronch. It's got some WEIRD concepts, but it all makes for a whimsical, incredibly weird, twisted, and incredibly humorous comic (which is something I tend to stay away from!) I'll definitely be continuing this series... if it ever gets a second volume. FINGER'S CROSSED.
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FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, PHOTOS, AND MY OWN NOVELS, CHECK OUT:
www.michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
Before diving into Orc Stain I flipped through the book, just to glimpse some of the images and get accustomed to writer and artist James Stokoe's style, and was immediately hit with a cerulean and emerald aesthetic explosion where every little corner of the page is utilized to animate this fantasy-themed world with as many bizarre and mind-bending creations as possible. It took me so long to get through this comic, because half of the time I was just sitting there staring at the page, taking in every little detail drawn in an over-the-top cartoon style that's unlike anything I've ever seen before.
Orc Stain tells the story of One-Eye, a thieving, hammer-wielding orc, one of a million nameless orcs just trying to get through life. Meanwhile the powerful Orc Tzar leads a war band north to an ancient god in order to harvest it's organ for some unknown reason. When it's prophesied that a one-eyed orc will stand in his way and bring his warmongering days to an end, he has every one-eyed orc rounded up and send to the god-beast to be fed to the formidable creature.
This comic was released by Image Comics and was the sole creation of veteran comic writer and artist James Stokoe. It was released back in 2010... 7 years ago! And I can't image how painful the wait for the second volume has been for fans of this comic. I just read it and I'm already craving for more.
It's such a fun, light-hearted comic that's brilliantly drawn and told... if not a little weird at times... for example, orc-culture is centred around the gronch, which is... well... orc penis. Even their money is made out of sliced up and coated gronch. It's got some WEIRD concepts, but it all makes for a whimsical, incredibly weird, twisted, and incredibly humorous comic (which is something I tend to stay away from!) I'll definitely be continuing this series... if it ever gets a second volume. FINGER'S CROSSED.
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FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, PHOTOS, AND MY OWN NOVELS, CHECK OUT:
www.michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb
5.0
The last three months I've been engrossed in The Farseer Trilogy, a fantasy series written by famed fantasy author Robin Hobb. I had never read anything of Hobb's before January, but after jumping in to Assassin's Apprentice, the first book in the trilogy and the first book set in Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings, well, I became a quick fan. I've read a lot of fantasy, especially in the last few years. Growing up I seemed to re-read fantasy classics like, The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia, and to be honest, for the last few years I've been very disappointed with modern fantasy works I've read... Game of Thrones included. The written in these more modern-written fantasies were dull, the characters were bland, the description was uninspired, and from the handful of books I started, I only enjoyed two or three. I was about to give up on fantasy, but someone compared my own work to the writing of Robin Hobb so I thought I'd give her a try... and my writing is no where NEAR to hers. As biased as I am about my writing, I do have the author's tendency to both love and loathe what I write, but I can't imagine the same goes for Hobb. Her writing style is akin to Tolkien, that's how exceptional it is; picturesque description, dark, multi-faceted characters, and a plot that's both heavily weighted and realistically created. I had a hard time putting this book down and closing off this trilogy. I already miss the characters, FitzChivalry, the protagonist, a bastard prince with an animalistic connection to a wolf, Nighteyes. The Fool, a charismatic prophet and Fitz's closest friend and confidante (who SHOULD also be his lover, because they're perfect together). I miss Queen Kettricken's strength, Starling Birdsong's sharp tongue, and especially Kettle's secretive and wise character. These are characters who I'm sure will stay with me for a long time, just as Gandalf, Galadriel, Legolas and Aragorn have, just as Peter Pan has, or even Hermoine Granger and Albus Dumbledore (let's not talk about Harry... I'm not a Harry Potter, the character, fan). But you know it's good storytelling, good writing, when the characters stay with you, when you feel sad to see them go.
You can read my reviews of Assassin's Apprentice and the sequel, Royal Assassin, in my blog. While I had completely enjoyed Assassin's Apprentice, I mentioned some problems I had with Royal Assassin, the biggest of which was the feeling that an epic story was happening outside of the FitzChivalry's perception. In that second novel, the character of Verity, King-in-Waiting to the Six Duchies, heads off on an epic quest to find the Elderlings, an ancient race of dragon-like creatures to help save the Duchies from an external threat of raiders who were plaguing their coast. Fitz didn't accompany Verity on this quest, and instead wallowed around the capital of Buckkeep and watched as Regal, Verity's conniving half-brother, took control of the Duchies and led it to ruin. At the end of Royal Assassin, without giving away too many spoilers, Regal wins at incredible cost. The damage done would have never of happened if Fitz had of gone off with Verity, and that damage needed to be done and witnessed first hand, even if I was a little upset that we didn't get the epic journey I was hoping for.
But Assassin's Quest, the final book in the trilogy, gave me that journey I had longed for. And it was incredible. Nearly the entire novel is a journey. It takes Fitz from near-death, to rediscovering what it means to be a man, to seeking out revenge, and when that fails, seeking out Verity, meeting a rag-tag of characters along the way, including some who stick around to the end, like Starling and Kettle. This novel sets aside the raiding on the Duchies, and the rather stationary setting that we see in the first two novels, and thrusts Fitz into a long and arduous journey where things don't always go his way. And that's one of the beautiful things about Hobb's writing– that's thing's don't always turn out great. It's very different from the writing of George R.R. Martin, where you automatically expect an upsetting outcome, and really... having read A Game of Thrones, I hardly felt for any of the characters. It's written so informally. But Hobb's empathic writing, focused on character development rather than plot advancement, makes you root for Fitz, makes you want to see him win and care about the things he's put through.
I will say though... I still did not care for Molly. Molly is Fitz's romantic interest throughout the entire series. And in the second book, Royal Assassin, I could NOT stand her. She's selfish, argumentative, and most importantly, stands in the way of Fitz and the Fool. Who I will always ship. Hands down. In this novel, Molly is never seen directly. She appears numerous times in fever dreams that Fitz has, but we never physically see her. And I was alright with that. I'm normally a sucker for romance... but usually when it's between two characters I WANT in a romance!
Nevertheless, this trilogy was phenomenal. And luckily it's not the end of FitzChivalry and the Fool. Hobb has four other series written in this Realm of the Elderlings, and I have all the books currently out set in that realm. I contemplated making this year a Year of Robin Hobb, and spending the entirety of it in the Realm of the Elderlings, but I thought it might get a little tiresome for you all to hear me ramble on about how great Hobb's writing style is. But don't just take my work for it. Go out and read Assassin's Apprentice and see for yourself! If you're a fan of fantasy novels, and have been looking for a new, astonishingly written novel, start here, you won't be disappointed, I can guarantee.
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FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, PHOTOS, AND MY OWN NOVELS, CHECK OUT:
www.michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
You can read my reviews of Assassin's Apprentice and the sequel, Royal Assassin, in my blog. While I had completely enjoyed Assassin's Apprentice, I mentioned some problems I had with Royal Assassin, the biggest of which was the feeling that an epic story was happening outside of the FitzChivalry's perception. In that second novel, the character of Verity, King-in-Waiting to the Six Duchies, heads off on an epic quest to find the Elderlings, an ancient race of dragon-like creatures to help save the Duchies from an external threat of raiders who were plaguing their coast. Fitz didn't accompany Verity on this quest, and instead wallowed around the capital of Buckkeep and watched as Regal, Verity's conniving half-brother, took control of the Duchies and led it to ruin. At the end of Royal Assassin, without giving away too many spoilers, Regal wins at incredible cost. The damage done would have never of happened if Fitz had of gone off with Verity, and that damage needed to be done and witnessed first hand, even if I was a little upset that we didn't get the epic journey I was hoping for.
But Assassin's Quest, the final book in the trilogy, gave me that journey I had longed for. And it was incredible. Nearly the entire novel is a journey. It takes Fitz from near-death, to rediscovering what it means to be a man, to seeking out revenge, and when that fails, seeking out Verity, meeting a rag-tag of characters along the way, including some who stick around to the end, like Starling and Kettle. This novel sets aside the raiding on the Duchies, and the rather stationary setting that we see in the first two novels, and thrusts Fitz into a long and arduous journey where things don't always go his way. And that's one of the beautiful things about Hobb's writing– that's thing's don't always turn out great. It's very different from the writing of George R.R. Martin, where you automatically expect an upsetting outcome, and really... having read A Game of Thrones, I hardly felt for any of the characters. It's written so informally. But Hobb's empathic writing, focused on character development rather than plot advancement, makes you root for Fitz, makes you want to see him win and care about the things he's put through.
I will say though... I still did not care for Molly. Molly is Fitz's romantic interest throughout the entire series. And in the second book, Royal Assassin, I could NOT stand her. She's selfish, argumentative, and most importantly, stands in the way of Fitz and the Fool. Who I will always ship. Hands down. In this novel, Molly is never seen directly. She appears numerous times in fever dreams that Fitz has, but we never physically see her. And I was alright with that. I'm normally a sucker for romance... but usually when it's between two characters I WANT in a romance!
Nevertheless, this trilogy was phenomenal. And luckily it's not the end of FitzChivalry and the Fool. Hobb has four other series written in this Realm of the Elderlings, and I have all the books currently out set in that realm. I contemplated making this year a Year of Robin Hobb, and spending the entirety of it in the Realm of the Elderlings, but I thought it might get a little tiresome for you all to hear me ramble on about how great Hobb's writing style is. But don't just take my work for it. Go out and read Assassin's Apprentice and see for yourself! If you're a fan of fantasy novels, and have been looking for a new, astonishingly written novel, start here, you won't be disappointed, I can guarantee.
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FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, PHOTOS, AND MY OWN NOVELS, CHECK OUT:
www.michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
The Autumnlands, Volume 2: Woodland Creatures by Kurt Busiek
4.0
This volume was actually just released in February and continues the adventures of the Great Champion and the dog-wizard Dusty. Separated from the other wizards, Dusty and the champion make their way through the wilderness and come upon an ancient temple that's been inadvertently poisoning the land with dangerous magic. At this temple, they discover a number of robot-like constructs designed to look like human females who have kept the temple for generations. This, compounded with the arrival of a curious human deity only raises more questions for Dusty and the Great Champion as they search to re-spark the dying magic that has become crucial to the survival of the anthropomorphic creatures of the Autumnlands.
I read through this so fast! I fell in love with the first volume back in January, everything about the series is so beautifully done, the world building (which is set in a far off future where animals have become civilized and able to control magic, albeit a dwindling magic), the artwork, beautifully rendered by Ben Dewey and Jordie Bellaire, the story, written by comic veteran Kurt Busiek, the characters! There's just so much goodness packed into this comic. I've said in previous blogs that I was never really a big comic book fan. As a kid I read a lot of Star Wars comics, but I never really got into any others– mostly because of my dislike of superheroes. I'm also a huge fan of fantasy. Fantasy books, films, television shows, comics, and I never thought I'd find a fantasy comic that was well fleshed out and that did the genre justice. But The Autumnlands has definitely proven that the weight that comes with fantasy stories can definitely be tackled with comics.
Though for as much as I've praised The Autumnlands, I didn't like this second volume as much as the first. I was kind of confused about the plot, it left more questions than answers, and I realize the series is ongoing, but literally nothing was tied up... I was left so confused as to what happened, what was going on, and who these new human characters were. While it was nice to see more of the world of the Autumnlands, including a sheep town in the mountains, which was SO well-done, I missed all the different anthropomorphized animals of the previous volume. There was one little scene that addressed some of the characters from the first volume; a warthog wizard and her giraffe lover, and an owl wizard who served as the main antagonist of the first volume, but that was it. And I missed them! For all the characters in this series, the Great Champion is probably my least favourite. He's the human that's meant to open the well of magic to resupply the dwindling stores of magic. He's just... well, he's not an animal. And in a world populated by anthropomorphized animals, I want to know more about the different animals than a human plunked in the midst.
Still though, this series is definitely one I'll be keeping my eye on and will continue to read as they put out compiled volumes. I definitely recommend checking this one out, especially if you love fantasy and want a rich, detailed story with some of the best artwork I've seen.
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FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, PHOTOS, AND MY OWN NOVEL SERIES, CHECK OUT:
www.michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
I read through this so fast! I fell in love with the first volume back in January, everything about the series is so beautifully done, the world building (which is set in a far off future where animals have become civilized and able to control magic, albeit a dwindling magic), the artwork, beautifully rendered by Ben Dewey and Jordie Bellaire, the story, written by comic veteran Kurt Busiek, the characters! There's just so much goodness packed into this comic. I've said in previous blogs that I was never really a big comic book fan. As a kid I read a lot of Star Wars comics, but I never really got into any others– mostly because of my dislike of superheroes. I'm also a huge fan of fantasy. Fantasy books, films, television shows, comics, and I never thought I'd find a fantasy comic that was well fleshed out and that did the genre justice. But The Autumnlands has definitely proven that the weight that comes with fantasy stories can definitely be tackled with comics.
Though for as much as I've praised The Autumnlands, I didn't like this second volume as much as the first. I was kind of confused about the plot, it left more questions than answers, and I realize the series is ongoing, but literally nothing was tied up... I was left so confused as to what happened, what was going on, and who these new human characters were. While it was nice to see more of the world of the Autumnlands, including a sheep town in the mountains, which was SO well-done, I missed all the different anthropomorphized animals of the previous volume. There was one little scene that addressed some of the characters from the first volume; a warthog wizard and her giraffe lover, and an owl wizard who served as the main antagonist of the first volume, but that was it. And I missed them! For all the characters in this series, the Great Champion is probably my least favourite. He's the human that's meant to open the well of magic to resupply the dwindling stores of magic. He's just... well, he's not an animal. And in a world populated by anthropomorphized animals, I want to know more about the different animals than a human plunked in the midst.
Still though, this series is definitely one I'll be keeping my eye on and will continue to read as they put out compiled volumes. I definitely recommend checking this one out, especially if you love fantasy and want a rich, detailed story with some of the best artwork I've seen.
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FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, PHOTOS, AND MY OWN NOVEL SERIES, CHECK OUT:
www.michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
From Under Mountains by Marian Churchland, Claire Gibson, Sloane Leong
3.0
A few weeks ago I finished From Under Mountains, a middle-eastern themed fantasy comic written by Claire Gibson and Marian Churchland and drawn by Sloane Leung. It tells the story the ruling family of Karsgate Keep, a mountainous fortress on the edge of the kingdom of Akhara. In the aftermath Lady Elena defies her grieving father to assume his role in an ancient trading tradition between the people of Akhara and the goblins that live in the mountains beyond, in order to keep Akhara safe.
This comic book, published by Image Comics, has received rave reviews since it's release in 2016. And I can understand why. The artwork is incredibly beautiful and the story was thoughtful and whimsical. It was unlike any other comic I've read, and almost felt like a progression of movie stills, or a storyboard, with it's simplistic artwork and detail to environment. For example the story ambles forward overtop a number of panels depicting a bird flying over the landscape, or the wind brushing past grass. Instead of concentrating on characters and moving from scene to scene with their dialogue, it dances between scenes with beautiful artwork and delicate scenery.
Despite the incredible artwork, beautiful colouring, and delicate story, something about this story was lacking - the characters. In the dull, slow moving pace of the comic and limited dialogue, the character development and interactions with one another definitely suffer. I never once felt connected to any of the characters and to be honest they all sort of faded into the background beneath the beautiful artworks and barren world. The slow burning story also seemed to ditch any world-building. I want to know more about Akhara, I want to meet the goblins, I just want more. And that could stem from my love for high fantasy. One of my favourite aspects about fantasy is the world in which the story is set, and if it's not fully fleshed out, or if it feels lacking... it hinders my overall experience with the book or comic. I know it shouldn't, but it does. I just like my world-building!
Will I continue on with this series? Yes, I think I will... not out of any loyalty to the characters, or a desire to see where the story goes, I'm really just interested in diving back into this artwork. It was so beautiful, I definitely recommend checking it out just for the artwork alone!
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FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, MY NOVELS, AND PHOTOS HEAD TO:
www.michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
This comic book, published by Image Comics, has received rave reviews since it's release in 2016. And I can understand why. The artwork is incredibly beautiful and the story was thoughtful and whimsical. It was unlike any other comic I've read, and almost felt like a progression of movie stills, or a storyboard, with it's simplistic artwork and detail to environment. For example the story ambles forward overtop a number of panels depicting a bird flying over the landscape, or the wind brushing past grass. Instead of concentrating on characters and moving from scene to scene with their dialogue, it dances between scenes with beautiful artwork and delicate scenery.
Despite the incredible artwork, beautiful colouring, and delicate story, something about this story was lacking - the characters. In the dull, slow moving pace of the comic and limited dialogue, the character development and interactions with one another definitely suffer. I never once felt connected to any of the characters and to be honest they all sort of faded into the background beneath the beautiful artworks and barren world. The slow burning story also seemed to ditch any world-building. I want to know more about Akhara, I want to meet the goblins, I just want more. And that could stem from my love for high fantasy. One of my favourite aspects about fantasy is the world in which the story is set, and if it's not fully fleshed out, or if it feels lacking... it hinders my overall experience with the book or comic. I know it shouldn't, but it does. I just like my world-building!
Will I continue on with this series? Yes, I think I will... not out of any loyalty to the characters, or a desire to see where the story goes, I'm really just interested in diving back into this artwork. It was so beautiful, I definitely recommend checking it out just for the artwork alone!
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FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, MY NOVELS, AND PHOTOS HEAD TO:
www.michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
4.0
Back in January I flew through my first novel of the year, Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice, the first novel in the authors Farseer Trilogy, originally published in 1995. It told the story of a young bastard's schooling to become, among other things, a secret assassin for his grandfather, the king. It's a fantasy novel, and one that completely blew me away, which was a nice surprise! Before reading Assassin's Apprentice, I had begun and put down numerous fantasy novels, books published within the last 10 years, that were TERRIBLY written, with dull characterization, mentions to modern technology or items that didn't exist within those worlds, and just terrible world building. I had been very discouraged after starting and stopping these novels – something I almost never do as a reader! If a book is terrible, I try my best to see it out to the end and take away what I can from it, but they were just... so mind numbing. And then came along Assassin's Apprentice. I won't recap how much I loved the first book in the Farseer Trilogy. You can read my little review of it here. But I will say that I loved it so much that I immediately jumped into the second book of the trilogy.
Royal Assassin begins right where Assassin's Apprentice leaves off, it follows FitzChivarly as he continues in his training to becoming an assassin, and grows from a teenager into a young man. It explores issues of love and delves more into the Skill and the Wit, two magics of the world that are mentioned in book one, but not as fleshed out as they become in book two. Now there's going to be some spoilers here, so if you plan on reading the book, don't continue, there's nothing major, but still... some people I know are super sensitive about spoilers.
Compared with the first book, I didn't enjoy this second one as much, and there are three reasons for that. The first is a character named Regal. Regal comes onto the scene relatively early in book one, and right away he's painted as the villain. There is never a doubt that he isn't the villain and is in some way manipulating events to his liking. At the end of book one, his treachery is all but revealed, to everyone. Like, EVERYONE knows you're a whiney little douche who just tried to take your brother's throne. At the end of book one, you want revenge on him, and you never get it. So I went into Royal Assassin thinking, okay great, first we're going to deal with Regal and then get on to other things. But NOPE. Everyone knows Regal's trouble, but they're like, "Oh Regal, you did wrong, but whatchagonnado?" And as the plot continues to spiral out of control for our characters, there's this angry twinge that seems to get poked repeatedly, because we the reader know Regal's involved. And the characters know Regal's involved, but no one does ANYTHING ABOUT IT. Every time Fitz stands up to him, the other characters say, "Hey, sit down, don't do that, he's the prince, you can't do that." So Fitz backs off, and by the end everything goes off the rails, the whole kingdom burns and everyone stands around going... "Wow... I guess we should've done something about Regal earlier."
Look I get emotionally invested in novels. As an author, and a human with a big imagination, it just happens. I get attached, I get happy, I get angry, I live the lives of the characters. But only twice in my reading hobby have I ever been livid because of a character. The first was while reading Harry Potter... and I think you know who the character was that made me so mad: Umbridge. Everyone LOVES to hate on Umbridge, because she's pure evil. Well, so far the Farseer Trilogy is like if Umbridge just kept popping up, and getting away with things, and everyone else was just one step behind, because they're too dumb to think that the threat is actually a real threat. Can you tell how angry I'm getting just from writing this? Regal man. He's the Trump of the Six Duchies.
The second reason I wasn't as into this novel as the first is because of another character named Molly. Molly is Fitz's love interest. And that right there probably tells you why I didn't like her. Look, I get that romance plays an integral part in the lives of characters. There's a lot of romance in my own fantasy series. But... I just have never liked Molly. She's self-entitled, incredibly vain, and thinks the world revolves around her. Yes, Fitz does wrong by her on numerous occasions, but she expects him to drop all of his responsibilities and cater to her own wants first, which are selfish and needy. Girl, just go away. I was so happy to see you leave in book one, I had hoped you and your cousin had been married and I'd never have to hear about you again... but here we are.
The third reason I didn't enjoy Royal Assassin as much as Assassin's Apprentice, is because, truthfully not much happened. It's almost twice the size of Royal Assassin, but about just as much happens. And when it seems like it's about to pick up – when Verity, Fitz's uncle, Regal's brother, takes up a daring quest to find an ancient race to aid the Six Duchies in their war with offshore raiders. It had me excited, we were finally going somewhere other than this drab keep, we were going to have an adventure, it was going to be grand. But nope, Fitz gets left behind, and seeing as the books are from his perspective only, we never really get the whole adventure Verity had on his quest. Truthfully, this wasn't such a bad thing. Because Fitz stayed behind, we got to see first hand how everything spiralled out of control, and into Regal's hand. And the last quarter of the novel was one tumble down a steep cliff that had me glued to the pages. And being about a fifth through the third novel in the trilogy, I'm finally getting that "quest" story I had been craving so much, so, all-in-all, I'm pretty happy.
Despite my complaints, I still really enjoyed this book. There's something very absorbing about Hobb's writing style. It's beautiful, picturesque, and draws you right in. It's heavy on the description, there isn't a lot of dialogue, and that might be what draws me in most. I've been told I excel when it comes to dialogue, and I would concur that is comes easier for me than the long Tolkien-esque descriptions... But I do love those long proses, the endless paragraphs describing the rolling hills, the forests, the sea. Hobb's writing style has bewitched me, and I have a feeling I'll be reading her books for years to come.
It's definitely a fantasy series worth reading if you enjoy fantasy, or are an author of fantasy. It's so inspiring to read someone who can paint a scene so masterfully. I've already picked up a few tips for my own, formal writing just from what I've read. So if you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for! Go get Umbridge-level angry, at how well Hobb has written her villain!
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FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, PHOTOS, AND MY OWN NOVEL SERIES, CHECK OUT MY BLOG:
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Royal Assassin begins right where Assassin's Apprentice leaves off, it follows FitzChivarly as he continues in his training to becoming an assassin, and grows from a teenager into a young man. It explores issues of love and delves more into the Skill and the Wit, two magics of the world that are mentioned in book one, but not as fleshed out as they become in book two. Now there's going to be some spoilers here, so if you plan on reading the book, don't continue, there's nothing major, but still... some people I know are super sensitive about spoilers.
Compared with the first book, I didn't enjoy this second one as much, and there are three reasons for that. The first is a character named Regal. Regal comes onto the scene relatively early in book one, and right away he's painted as the villain. There is never a doubt that he isn't the villain and is in some way manipulating events to his liking. At the end of book one, his treachery is all but revealed, to everyone. Like, EVERYONE knows you're a whiney little douche who just tried to take your brother's throne. At the end of book one, you want revenge on him, and you never get it. So I went into Royal Assassin thinking, okay great, first we're going to deal with Regal and then get on to other things. But NOPE. Everyone knows Regal's trouble, but they're like, "Oh Regal, you did wrong, but whatchagonnado?" And as the plot continues to spiral out of control for our characters, there's this angry twinge that seems to get poked repeatedly, because we the reader know Regal's involved. And the characters know Regal's involved, but no one does ANYTHING ABOUT IT. Every time Fitz stands up to him, the other characters say, "Hey, sit down, don't do that, he's the prince, you can't do that." So Fitz backs off, and by the end everything goes off the rails, the whole kingdom burns and everyone stands around going... "Wow... I guess we should've done something about Regal earlier."
Look I get emotionally invested in novels. As an author, and a human with a big imagination, it just happens. I get attached, I get happy, I get angry, I live the lives of the characters. But only twice in my reading hobby have I ever been livid because of a character. The first was while reading Harry Potter... and I think you know who the character was that made me so mad: Umbridge. Everyone LOVES to hate on Umbridge, because she's pure evil. Well, so far the Farseer Trilogy is like if Umbridge just kept popping up, and getting away with things, and everyone else was just one step behind, because they're too dumb to think that the threat is actually a real threat. Can you tell how angry I'm getting just from writing this? Regal man. He's the Trump of the Six Duchies.
The second reason I wasn't as into this novel as the first is because of another character named Molly. Molly is Fitz's love interest. And that right there probably tells you why I didn't like her. Look, I get that romance plays an integral part in the lives of characters. There's a lot of romance in my own fantasy series. But... I just have never liked Molly. She's self-entitled, incredibly vain, and thinks the world revolves around her. Yes, Fitz does wrong by her on numerous occasions, but she expects him to drop all of his responsibilities and cater to her own wants first, which are selfish and needy. Girl, just go away. I was so happy to see you leave in book one, I had hoped you and your cousin had been married and I'd never have to hear about you again... but here we are.
The third reason I didn't enjoy Royal Assassin as much as Assassin's Apprentice, is because, truthfully not much happened. It's almost twice the size of Royal Assassin, but about just as much happens. And when it seems like it's about to pick up – when Verity, Fitz's uncle, Regal's brother, takes up a daring quest to find an ancient race to aid the Six Duchies in their war with offshore raiders. It had me excited, we were finally going somewhere other than this drab keep, we were going to have an adventure, it was going to be grand. But nope, Fitz gets left behind, and seeing as the books are from his perspective only, we never really get the whole adventure Verity had on his quest. Truthfully, this wasn't such a bad thing. Because Fitz stayed behind, we got to see first hand how everything spiralled out of control, and into Regal's hand. And the last quarter of the novel was one tumble down a steep cliff that had me glued to the pages. And being about a fifth through the third novel in the trilogy, I'm finally getting that "quest" story I had been craving so much, so, all-in-all, I'm pretty happy.
Despite my complaints, I still really enjoyed this book. There's something very absorbing about Hobb's writing style. It's beautiful, picturesque, and draws you right in. It's heavy on the description, there isn't a lot of dialogue, and that might be what draws me in most. I've been told I excel when it comes to dialogue, and I would concur that is comes easier for me than the long Tolkien-esque descriptions... But I do love those long proses, the endless paragraphs describing the rolling hills, the forests, the sea. Hobb's writing style has bewitched me, and I have a feeling I'll be reading her books for years to come.
It's definitely a fantasy series worth reading if you enjoy fantasy, or are an author of fantasy. It's so inspiring to read someone who can paint a scene so masterfully. I've already picked up a few tips for my own, formal writing just from what I've read. So if you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for! Go get Umbridge-level angry, at how well Hobb has written her villain!
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FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, PHOTOS, AND MY OWN NOVEL SERIES, CHECK OUT MY BLOG:
www.michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
The Autumnlands, Volume 1: Tooth and Claw by Kurt Busiek
5.0
I know quite a few people who read comics, their tastes vary, some like Marvel others like DC, but there's always a commonality between them, and that's that they like comics about superheroes. Superheroes... Don't get my wrong, I do like the X-Men... though I've never read any of the comics, and don't pretend to know anything about the X-Men's universe or their stories, but when it comes to superheroes, I never really got into them. Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, all the others... I've seen the Marvel movies, the Batman movies, and for me, seeing them once was enough. I just don't like them, I just can't connect to any of the characters. Even when they're darker and fleshed out with human flaws and secrets, I still just don't care. And for years I've been baffled as to why people flock to the theatres to see the newest Avenger's movie, or the newest Marvel movie, because... yeah they're flashy, and they have big-name Hollywood actors, but for the most part... the movies are dull, the characters are dull, the script's are poor, and you know the superheroes are always going to win, so... why. WHY.
All of that is not to say I didn't read comics growing up, I actually did... but, and if you know me well you wouldn't be surprised, they were all Star Wars comics. I ESPECIALLY enjoyed the Republic series that took place during the Clone Wars and highlighted the various battles and missions that took place during that time line. All the stories about Quinlan Vos, K'Kruhk, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the ROMANCES between Kit Fisto and Aayla Secura, and especially between Tholme and T'ra Saa... awww, the good old days before Disney came along and decided to fuck over the Star Wars canon and erase so much that we fans held dear.
But growing up, those were the comics I loved, those were the comics I was into. And for years I thought, that when it came to comics, there was Marvel superheroes, DC superheroes, and Star Wars.
It wasn't until a few years ago that I wanted to get more into comics and graphic novels, but didn't (and still really don't) know where to start. I knew I wasn't into superheroes, and hoped that I could find some fantasy-themed comics. Basically I was looking for something with a Lord of the Rings feel, but as a comic... and that was harder to find than I expected. I did some research, but my EXCELLENT googling skills (sarcasm) led me no where. I asked people at Chapters, workers, regulars who were just hanging out in front of the comics, and still no one could point me to a high fantasy comic series aside from Elf Quest, whose art I wasn't really keen on. I'M PICKY, OKAY?
Back in December, when I won some money from Chapters, I decided one day to sit myself down in front of the comics and graphic novel section, and NOT LEAVE until I had found a comic with art I liked, and a story that had fantasy elements to it. And I actually ended up buying a few books! One of them was The Autumnlands.
Written by Kurt Busiek, and illustrated by Benjamin Dewey, The Autumnlands tells the story of anthropomorphized magical beings from all different types of animals and creatures we know on earth. They are divided into the magical wizards and civilians who live in floating cities, and the savage beings who live on the ground. After realizing that their supply of magic is dwindling, a wizard known as Gharta, (who is a warthog) attempts to bring an enigmatic figure from the past known as the Great Champion, into the future with a powerful spell. This champion first opened the wells of magic in the world a millennia ago, and they hope that by bringing him back, he'll be able to restore magic to the world in the same way he brought it forth in the past. But after bringing the champion out of the past, the group of wizards, who all claim the champion to hail from their individual animalistic tribes, are shocked by what the champion actually is.
This comic was SO good, the storyline was well thought out, and while the character of the Champion left something to be desired, all the other characters were so well done with hidden motives and very human desires and characterization. The art is also phenomenal. Dewey's work on this comic is beautiful! I was a little concerned that it'd be... sort of childish or middle-grade, it is a story about anthropomorphized creatures after all, but it's got a very dark and real feel to it... not to mention the Champion runs around naked for a few pages... and there's definitely nudity involved, haha. But I would definitely recommend this comic to anyone looking for a fantasy comic series. The second volume of The Autumnlands will be released this coming February, and you can bet I'll be in line to pick it up the moment it comes out!
If you've read The Autumnlands, tell me what you think about it! And if you have any other fantasy comic or graphic novel suggestions, please let me know! Even if they're webcomics, or more obscure ones. I'm definitely looking to broaden my comic/graphic novel collection!
---
FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, PHOTOS, AND MY OWN NOVEL SERIES, CHECK OUT MY BLOG:
www.michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
All of that is not to say I didn't read comics growing up, I actually did... but, and if you know me well you wouldn't be surprised, they were all Star Wars comics. I ESPECIALLY enjoyed the Republic series that took place during the Clone Wars and highlighted the various battles and missions that took place during that time line. All the stories about Quinlan Vos, K'Kruhk, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the ROMANCES between Kit Fisto and Aayla Secura, and especially between Tholme and T'ra Saa... awww, the good old days before Disney came along and decided to fuck over the Star Wars canon and erase so much that we fans held dear.
But growing up, those were the comics I loved, those were the comics I was into. And for years I thought, that when it came to comics, there was Marvel superheroes, DC superheroes, and Star Wars.
It wasn't until a few years ago that I wanted to get more into comics and graphic novels, but didn't (and still really don't) know where to start. I knew I wasn't into superheroes, and hoped that I could find some fantasy-themed comics. Basically I was looking for something with a Lord of the Rings feel, but as a comic... and that was harder to find than I expected. I did some research, but my EXCELLENT googling skills (sarcasm) led me no where. I asked people at Chapters, workers, regulars who were just hanging out in front of the comics, and still no one could point me to a high fantasy comic series aside from Elf Quest, whose art I wasn't really keen on. I'M PICKY, OKAY?
Back in December, when I won some money from Chapters, I decided one day to sit myself down in front of the comics and graphic novel section, and NOT LEAVE until I had found a comic with art I liked, and a story that had fantasy elements to it. And I actually ended up buying a few books! One of them was The Autumnlands.
Written by Kurt Busiek, and illustrated by Benjamin Dewey, The Autumnlands tells the story of anthropomorphized magical beings from all different types of animals and creatures we know on earth. They are divided into the magical wizards and civilians who live in floating cities, and the savage beings who live on the ground. After realizing that their supply of magic is dwindling, a wizard known as Gharta, (who is a warthog) attempts to bring an enigmatic figure from the past known as the Great Champion, into the future with a powerful spell. This champion first opened the wells of magic in the world a millennia ago, and they hope that by bringing him back, he'll be able to restore magic to the world in the same way he brought it forth in the past. But after bringing the champion out of the past, the group of wizards, who all claim the champion to hail from their individual animalistic tribes, are shocked by what the champion actually is.
This comic was SO good, the storyline was well thought out, and while the character of the Champion left something to be desired, all the other characters were so well done with hidden motives and very human desires and characterization. The art is also phenomenal. Dewey's work on this comic is beautiful! I was a little concerned that it'd be... sort of childish or middle-grade, it is a story about anthropomorphized creatures after all, but it's got a very dark and real feel to it... not to mention the Champion runs around naked for a few pages... and there's definitely nudity involved, haha. But I would definitely recommend this comic to anyone looking for a fantasy comic series. The second volume of The Autumnlands will be released this coming February, and you can bet I'll be in line to pick it up the moment it comes out!
If you've read The Autumnlands, tell me what you think about it! And if you have any other fantasy comic or graphic novel suggestions, please let me know! Even if they're webcomics, or more obscure ones. I'm definitely looking to broaden my comic/graphic novel collection!
---
FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, PHOTOS, AND MY OWN NOVEL SERIES, CHECK OUT MY BLOG:
www.michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
5.0
This past weekend I finished reading my first book of 2017, and man was it a good one! A few weeks ago I mentioned that I had won some money to spend at Chapters, some being a modest $5,000. This was a dream come true for me. I'm such a book worm, I love to read, to write, and I've spent countless hours in Chapters just perusing the aisles in search of more books to add to my ever-growing list of must reads. Over the years I had amassed quite a large list of books, there were classics, modern fiction, poetry books, photo books, fantasy, graphic novels, everything, and after winning all that money, I may have splurged a bit and ticked off my list, book by book. There were a number of books that I couldn't find, or that weren't for sale in-store, but I managed to get about three-fourths of my wish-list. Which is not to shabby!
One of the books I bought in my first haul was Assassin's Apprentice by fantasy author Robin Hobb (one of the pen names of Margaret Ogden). Now I have to admit something, and it's a little embarrassing, but I haven't read a tremendous amount of fantasy. I know! That's ridiculous for a fantasy author to admit. I've read the classics and many popular series, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, but for the most part, I've read more fiction and classic lit than fantasy. Last year I tried to rectify that. I started off with Elizabeth Bear's Eternal Sky Trilogy which I really enjoyed for the most part. I wasn't too connected to the characters, but her world-building was impressive enough to capture my imagination. It all came to a stall with George R.R. Martin. In my year end review of the books I read in 2016 I mention how miserable A Game of Thrones was. It took me months to get through it, it was terribly written, exceptionally boring, with characterization that's worse than the show. I honestly think it's one of those rare occasions where the show is better than the book. But after I trudged my way through that, I picked up some more modern fantasy books, books written by younger authors with a few books under their belt, just to see what else was out there in terms of fantasy (and what my competition might look like). And once again, I was disappointed. I think I started and put down three or four separate fantasy books between November and the New Year. There was just a lot of dry characters, stereotypical plot, and, to be honest, terrible world-building and writing. I was just a little disappointed to say the least.
Then I saw Assassin's Apprentice recommended to me on Goodreads. I'd heard the name Robin Hobb before, I've seen her books in Chapters, heard her name thrown around when it comes to fantasy authors, but I never gave her a serious thought. After winning all that money at Chapters, however, I thought, "What the hell, let's give it a try," and bought Assassin's Apprentice. I was a little turned off by the cover, only because there's a quote from Martin that says, "Fantasy as it ought to be written." And I thought, well if it's anything like A Game of Thrones, I'm going to hate it. But it wasn't, and I loved it!
This book is one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read. One of the best novels, period! It tells the story of Fitz, a bastard prince, who's raised by numerous tutors in the capital of the Six Duchies. He learns about tending and caring for animals, how to hone and use an ability called the Skill, almost like a telepathic and emotional bond between others with the Skill, and (as the title would suggest) how to be an assassin for his grandfather, the king. While the story itself is really good, and Fitz's character is one that the reader feels sympathy and connection with almost immediately, it's Hobb's writing style that really drew me in. She has a very detailed, yet delicate writing style that paints these characters and settings for us in a thorough, but not overbearing way. It's not like Tolkien's endless meandering about Fangorn Forest, or Martin's emotionless description of plot, she expresses everything through Fitz's eyes, and the result is a very personal read. It's definitely a book that I'd recommend, and I can be pretty picky about my books.
But I liked this book so much I went out and bought every other Hobb book out there set in this world. I've already started the sequel to Assassin's Apprentice; Royal Assassin, and plan on finishing the trilogy before moving on to another book or series.
So if you're looking for something new to read, and want to sink your teeth into a beautiful fantasy series, I'd definitely check this one out if you haven't already. There's a reason Hobb is named one of the best modern fantasy authors!
---
FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, PHOTOS, AND MY OWN NOVEL SERIES, CHECK OUT MY BLOG:
www.michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse
One of the books I bought in my first haul was Assassin's Apprentice by fantasy author Robin Hobb (one of the pen names of Margaret Ogden). Now I have to admit something, and it's a little embarrassing, but I haven't read a tremendous amount of fantasy. I know! That's ridiculous for a fantasy author to admit. I've read the classics and many popular series, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, but for the most part, I've read more fiction and classic lit than fantasy. Last year I tried to rectify that. I started off with Elizabeth Bear's Eternal Sky Trilogy which I really enjoyed for the most part. I wasn't too connected to the characters, but her world-building was impressive enough to capture my imagination. It all came to a stall with George R.R. Martin. In my year end review of the books I read in 2016 I mention how miserable A Game of Thrones was. It took me months to get through it, it was terribly written, exceptionally boring, with characterization that's worse than the show. I honestly think it's one of those rare occasions where the show is better than the book. But after I trudged my way through that, I picked up some more modern fantasy books, books written by younger authors with a few books under their belt, just to see what else was out there in terms of fantasy (and what my competition might look like). And once again, I was disappointed. I think I started and put down three or four separate fantasy books between November and the New Year. There was just a lot of dry characters, stereotypical plot, and, to be honest, terrible world-building and writing. I was just a little disappointed to say the least.
Then I saw Assassin's Apprentice recommended to me on Goodreads. I'd heard the name Robin Hobb before, I've seen her books in Chapters, heard her name thrown around when it comes to fantasy authors, but I never gave her a serious thought. After winning all that money at Chapters, however, I thought, "What the hell, let's give it a try," and bought Assassin's Apprentice. I was a little turned off by the cover, only because there's a quote from Martin that says, "Fantasy as it ought to be written." And I thought, well if it's anything like A Game of Thrones, I'm going to hate it. But it wasn't, and I loved it!
This book is one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read. One of the best novels, period! It tells the story of Fitz, a bastard prince, who's raised by numerous tutors in the capital of the Six Duchies. He learns about tending and caring for animals, how to hone and use an ability called the Skill, almost like a telepathic and emotional bond between others with the Skill, and (as the title would suggest) how to be an assassin for his grandfather, the king. While the story itself is really good, and Fitz's character is one that the reader feels sympathy and connection with almost immediately, it's Hobb's writing style that really drew me in. She has a very detailed, yet delicate writing style that paints these characters and settings for us in a thorough, but not overbearing way. It's not like Tolkien's endless meandering about Fangorn Forest, or Martin's emotionless description of plot, she expresses everything through Fitz's eyes, and the result is a very personal read. It's definitely a book that I'd recommend, and I can be pretty picky about my books.
But I liked this book so much I went out and bought every other Hobb book out there set in this world. I've already started the sequel to Assassin's Apprentice; Royal Assassin, and plan on finishing the trilogy before moving on to another book or series.
So if you're looking for something new to read, and want to sink your teeth into a beautiful fantasy series, I'd definitely check this one out if you haven't already. There's a reason Hobb is named one of the best modern fantasy authors!
---
FOR MORE BOOK REVIEWS, PHOTOS, AND MY OWN NOVEL SERIES, CHECK OUT MY BLOG:
www.michaeljohnhalse.wix.com/michaeljohnhalse