http://www.imperialpurple.net A modest book review site Sun, 05 Apr 2009 07:37:43 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Dan Simmons Drood Quercus 2009 Drood is somewhere in the region of Dan Simmons' 25th novel and it shows. The writing is excellent and gripping; the characters deep and entertaining and handling of the supernatural elements very well done. I enjoyed it nearly all the way through. The narrator is the author Wilkie Collins ... http://www.imperialpurple.net/2009/04/05/drood/ Marie Brennan Midnight Never Come Orbit 2008 As with many works of fantasy, I find myself in two minds about Midnight Never Come. I like the conceit - that beneath Elizabethan London is another court, that of the Fae. It too is ruled by a queen, this one going by the slightly odd ... http://www.imperialpurple.net/2009/02/27/midnight-never-come/ Merrill R. (Rick) Chapman In Search of Stupidity Apress 2nd Edition 2006 I'm a long way off base with this one - not only is it three years old (in the second edition) but it has nothing to do with Fantasy/SF. I'm adding it anyway because a) a lot of SpecFic readers are ... http://www.imperialpurple.net/2009/02/07/in-search-of-stupidity/ K.J. Parker Colours in the Steel The Fencer Trilogy Vol. 1 Orbit 1998 Sometimes it takes me a little while to catch up on my reading. Colours in the Steel is ten years old now but still worth a review for those, like me, who weren't aware of it. Orbit have been reprinting it ... http://www.imperialpurple.net/2009/01/01/colours-in-the-steel/ J.J.R. Tolkien Edited by Christopher Tolkien Illustrated by Alan Lee The Children of Húrin HarperCollins 2008 I have literally (and I mean 'literally' literally) lost track of the number of times I have read The Lord of the Rings. It is a towering work of fiction. On the other hand, I have never been a ... http://www.imperialpurple.net/2008/11/30/the-children-of-hrin/ Terry Pratchett Nation Doubleday 2008 Terry Pratchett has achieved such a reputation now that his latest book - Nation - does not even have any blurb. It is assumed that you will buy it just because it is by Pratchett, never mind what it is about. Well, it worked for me. I bought it ... http://www.imperialpurple.net/2008/11/17/nation/ Robin McKinley Chalice Putnam 2008 I have been a great fan of Robin McKinley since discovering the Damar books (The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown) more than twenty years ago. A new book by her is always a reason for celebration. McKinley has two levels of writing - slightly fey fantasy ... http://www.imperialpurple.net/2008/10/14/chalice/ Garth Nix Illustrated by Sholto Walker One Beastly Beast Allen and Unwin 2008 One Beastly Beast is a collection of four children's stories by Australian author Garth Nix. Only one (The Princess and the Beastly Beast) is actually new, the others being first published in 1998 to 2000 but since I have never read ... http://www.imperialpurple.net/2008/09/21/one-beastly-beast/ Naomi Novik Empire of Ivory Harper Voyager 2007 Earlier this year, I reviewed Black Powder War - the book before this one in the Temeraire series. I had reservations about it and gave it three stars. This one is better although not perfect. Temeraire and Laurence have returned to England with the precious fire-breathing ... http://www.imperialpurple.net/2008/09/19/empire-of-ivory/ Lilith Saintcrow Night Shift Orbit. 2008 Earlier this year I reviewed Saintcrow's Working for the Devil. For me, Night Shift is a slightly better book although there are aspects which are not to my personal taste. It is the story of Jill Kismet, the resident demon hunter in the city of Santa something-or-other. I ... http://www.imperialpurple.net/2008/08/28/night-shift/