Monthly Archives: August 2021

Book: The Silmarillion Author: JRR Tolkien Publisher: George Allen & Unwin Published: 1977 Part history, part Bible for Tolkien’s mythos, the Silmarillion was published after his death after being edited by his son and a young Guy Gavriel Kay. It’s quite hard to describe what the Silmarillion is in terms of other books in theContinue reading “The Silmarilion v Dagmal”

Book: Traitor’s Blade Author: Sebastien de Castell Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books Published: 2014 Let’s get the obvious and overdone comparison out of the way first. This book very much feels like a fantasy take on Dumas’ Three Musketeers, which for me is a ok because that sounds awesome. Tongue-in-cheek, swashbuckling adventure mixed with a trioContinue reading “Traitor’s Blade v House of Pale”

Book: Leviathan WakesAuthor: James S.A. CoreyPublisher: OrbitPublished: 2011 I watched the first couple of seasons of the TV show before reading this and really liked it. When I read the books I found the show had followed it quite closely, which isn’t necessarily a surprise as the authors were involved in writing the show asContinue reading “Leviathan Wakes v Karaoke Tears”

Book: King of ThornsAuthor: Mark LawrencePublisher: HarperVoyagerPublished: 2013 This is book two in the Broken Empire series. It is a much less… visceral read than the first, at least in the beginning. Jorg has matured from roaming n’er do well to the ruler of a minor fiefdom. One that allows him to position himself asContinue reading “King of Thorns v Coffee Friends”

Beer: Zeitgeist Brewery: Paradigm Brewery Style: Vienna Craft Ale Strength: 4.5% This tastes and smells of something I can’t quite put my finger on. Something sweet and baked, but not cake. It’s got a rich, caramel flavour cut across by a sharp bitterness. But it is that smell that’s freaking unbelievable. Book: 16 Ways toContinue reading “Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City v Zeitgeist”

Book: The Blade Itself Author: Joe Abercrombie Publisher: Gollancz Published: 2007 It has been great seeing a resurgence of interest in Abercrombie’s books on bookstagram and Booktube recently. TBI along with The Name of the Wind and Lies of Locke Lamora all came out around the time my reading habits were becoming solidified. Getting toContinue reading “The Blade Itself v Constant Variables”

Beer: Underland Brewery: Pope’s Yard| Experimental Style: Unknown Strengths: 8.2% Off the bat this is going to be a hard one to review. What is it? Is it even a beer? (Yes it definitely is). It’s dark but doesn’t really taste like any dark beer I’ve ever had. It’s fruity like an IPA or APAContinue reading “Temeraire v Underland”

Book: The Gospel of Loki Author: Joanne Harris Publisher: Gollancz Published: 2015 You may know some of the stories from Norse Myth – how Thor dressed as a bride in order to recover Mjolnir from the giants – or you may only know the versions of it’s characters from the MCU. Either way I thinkContinue reading “The Gospel of Loki v Cloudburst”

Book: The Fellowship of the Ring Author: JRR Tolkien Published: George Allen & Unwin (this edition) HarperCollins (currently) Published: 1954 QOTD: What does The Lord of the Rings mean to you? Not going to bother with a summary or recommendation. If you’re a fantasy fan then you will have either read it or already madeContinue reading “The Fellowship of the Ring v Raven King”

Book: Prince of Thorns Author: Mark Lawrence Publisher: HarperVoyage Published: 2011 It is 10 years to the day since Mark Lawrence burst onto the Fantasy scene with Prince of Thorns. Since then he has gone on to become a Titan within the genre. Prince of Thorns introduces us to Jorg Ancrath – a ruthless, charmingContinue reading “Prince of Thorns v Pure UBU”