Behind Blue Eyes

The Part About the Dragon was (Mostly) True by Sean Gibson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Review now live at Grimdark Magazine A bard’s job is to tell a story. Beyond that, whether the story is true or not is relative. While most good bards will want some element of truth in the tales to give them legitimacy and garner respect, a learned tale spinner also understands that a little bit of spice will sometimes make the difference between a story and a tale to be remembered. The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True is such a tale, and we can tell immediately from the title that our narrator will be using a bit of embellishment. “(Mostly) True” gives that away and is a subtle admission that there will be some flavoring to make the story more enjoyable. With that in mind, our narrator wants her story to be believed as well as enjoyed. Or at least, mostly believed. “I’m all in favor of using the people’s vernacular, but sometimes the people should get a bi...

Pawn's Gambit by Rob J. Hayes My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this book from the author. This book is (not) a sequel to Never Die , but was set in the same world and continues with the awesomeness that started in the (not) first book in the (not) series. See my review of the (not) first book. Whether its a sequel or not, this book had just as many stars for me as the (maybe) first. We do see some of the names pop up from the earlier book, including the main character of this one, the Art of War. Yuu is, or was, the Art of War, but avoids wearing her trademark mask in order to conceal her identity. She's wanted for the murder of the Steel Prince. She didn't murder him but feels responsible for his death, but at any rate she is trying to exist outside of the shadow of her fame by low stakes gambling. Low stakes in comparison to the level she'd played at before, as the chief war advisor to the Steel Prince. Seems that th...

The Sandman by Dirk Maggs My rating: 5 of 5 stars Review now live at Grimdark Magazine Neil Gaiman is one of today’s most beloved and well-known fantasy authors, with good reason. Dirk Maggs is a force in the industry too, having developed many popular properties from comics and prose and movie universe tie-ins into successful audiobooks. Bring these two creators together for The Sandman , and you’ve got a recipe for a successful and entertaining few hours of listening. The Sandman audiobook is the first in a developing series of adaptations of the famous Sandman DC comic series, as written by Neil Gaiman. It’s one of the most successful “graphic novel” series out there, serving as a benchmark for dark fantasy comics ever since. It was also the series that launched Gaiman into a highly prolific career as an author in multiple formats. The series is currently in development over at Netflix, so this audio serves as a wonderful bridge between comics a...

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman My rating: 4 of 5 stars It seems only fitting that I closed out 2020 by listening to an account of Ragnarok... View all my reviews

The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids by Michael McClung My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was a fun read. It was quick and full of twists. With the first person narration, this read much like a noir detective type book, only set in a fantasy world. Lots of fun and great potential to set up the series... View all my reviews

Widdershins by Alex Alexander My rating: 4 of 5 stars Review now live at Grimdark Magazine Widdershins begins in the slums, where we meet our protagonist Niclas. It’s difficult to call him hero, as he’s a pretty simple lad and if we’re being honest, he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. He means well and tries to do the right thing, but he’s just not cut out for great heroics. What’s unfortunate for Niclas is that he’s thrust into a series of situations where if he can’t be heroic, at least he is around others that can. The first thing he does is bungle a pickpocket assignment he’s given as a rite of passage into the top slum gang, the Crimson Men. But after he lands in prison, he’s rescued by a talking cat named Balthazar. “It was the first time Niclas had seen a cat smile. The majority of it is in their eyes – their narrow, mischievous eyes.” The city of Laburnum is ruled by a monarchy, but the real power is the Academy, whose laws are ...

Plight of Madness by Jesse Teller My rating: 4 of 5 stars Review now live at Grimdark Magazine Plight of Madness is Book Three of The Madness Wars , the penultimate volume of this epic sprawl covering a massive military conquest of the warrior nation Drine over its refined and cultured neighbor, Tienne. Continuing on the previous reviews of Onslaught of Madness , and Wrath of Madness , I found myself immersed in the struggle not only between these two nations, but a resulting series of conflict within each. War is Hell, and takes its toll on everyone involved, whether they’re winning or not. As with the previous volumes, Plight of Madness is split up into chapters with shifting point-of-view from a variety of characters. Continuing from Wrath of Madness are the chapters told from the perspective of Rextur and Aaron the Marked, who have been with us since the first book. Also continuing from the previous entry are Tarana and Saykobar, and we’re giv...