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The Gentleman Bastard Sequence - The Lies of Locke Lamora Review

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Many claim that this book is one of the best books they have ever read and it deserves this praise in most cases. To begin with, the book revolves around the exploits of a group of thieves known as The Gentleman Bastards and its leader, Locke Lamora. The Gentleman Bastards specialize in cons – not small ones, think Ocean’s Eleven – and they are the best at what they do. All the success revolves around the intelligence of Locke Lamora and his daring schemes. The plot begins with a light tone but takes a turn for the dark and the reader is plunged into a breathless ride of wild schemes and wilder schemers. Scott Lynch weaves the plot with a skilful hand and the final conclusion is truly a work of art when the reader finally sees the threads of the plot come together to culminate in a satisfying conclusion. The book is not all about the plot; Lynch truly creates a living, breathing world with a rich history and background and he truly brings his characters to life. Lynch’s abilities

Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones Review

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To put it simply, A Game of Thrones is possibly one of the best fantasy books to have ever been written. Not only does it stack up to the heavyweights, it demolishes most of them. George R.R. Martin’s main focus, however, is not the plot but the characters in his book. Martin successfully brings the characters in his book to life unlike any other author, and the cast is no small one with its size rivaling that of Steven Erikson’s. Martin’s characters have their own ambitions and motives, and they are so life-like that you will begin to believe in the characters and you may find yourself liking the wrong character several times. Along with their life-like ambitions, Martin’s characters represent shades of gray that I didn’t even know existed. Martin uses his characterization to drive the plot forward, with the differing motives and ambitions of the characters driving the plot forward. Make no mistake, the plot is no slouch as it could be a superstar on its own, but coupled with

The Belgariad Review

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The Belgariad is easily David Eddings' best work and the reason is the series' simplicity. It does not make any excuses for what it is: a straightforward coming-of-age story. There are no smokescreens that trick the reader into thinking The Belgariad is any more than that. The plot of the series revolves around a boy Garion, who is the long lost heir to the Rivan Throne, his quest for the Orb of Aldur, and his subsequent conflict with the evil god Torak. That is about the extent of the plot and you can see the end result from the beginning of The Pawn of Prophecy . This could have been a problem with many other books but why is it not a problem with The Belgariad? The answer is the execution. The world David Eddings creates in his books is rich with detail and filled with several races including gods, dragons, and even thinking rocks. The characters, even though they are very one-dimensional, are strong with each representing a different aspect of humanity (Algars – rac

Malazan Book of the Fallen - Gardens of the Moon Review

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Ever heard of the Malazan Book of the Fallen or Gardens of the Moon ?  If you live in the United States, you probably have no clue what I am talking about.  There is a very good reason for your lack of knowledge: Steven Erikson’s wildly successful Malazan series just never caught on in America but it is one of the most popular fantasy series outside of the United States.  Click here to read the rest of this review.

The Inheritance Cycle - Brisingr Review

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Brisingr marks the third installment in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle (initially Inheritance Trilogy).  Paolini's fame began with his first book, Eragon , and continued with his second, Eldest .  Critics praised Paolini's writing potential and claimed he would one day rise to the upper echelons of fantasy writing.  Two books later and what do I see?  Click here to read the rest of this review.

The Inheritance Cycle - Eragon Review

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Every year we see books such as Terry Goodkind's Confessor make the top of bestsellers' lists. Despite containing few literary merits, these books make millions of dollars and garner fame and recognition for their authors. I expected Eragon to be much of the same with the added bonus of a teenager writing the book. Imagine my surprise when Eragon turned out to be decent.  Click here to read the rest of this review.

Welcome

Welcome everyone to the Fantasy Books Review Blog. From now on I will be posting reviews for every book that I read.  I will try to post at least one review a week.  Feel free to leave comments with tips and suggestions that will help me improve this website.  Remember I do this for fun and for the benefit of people who want to read good fantasy books.  This blog will improve as time passes and I learn more about what the community wants.  Once again I welcome and thank all of you for visiting my blog.