Monthly Archives: August 2021

Book: The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn Author: Tyler Whitesides Publisher: Orbit Published: 2018 There are a lot of differences when you start to get into this book, but on the surface of it, I can almost guarantee that if you are a fan of The Gentleman Bastards series by Scott Lynch then you willContinue reading “The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn v Heart & Soul”

Beer: Futurist Brewery: Siren Craft Brew Style: Session IPA Strength: 4.8% Mwah.*Chef’s kiss* It tastes good. Nice bitter hit in the face first followed by a burst of a light sweet essence in the back of the throat. If you hold it in the mouth a bit you get a hint of vanilla in thereContinue reading “The Slow Regard of Silent Things v Futurist”

Beer: Sumo Brewery: Mad Squirrel Style: American Pale Ale Strength: 4.7% Hops: SUmmit & MOsaic I may be biased because the brewery is just down the road from me but this is one of the best APA’s I’ve ever had. Heavy and strong like its namesake, the bitterness slams into the tastebuds and rolls aroundContinue reading “Godblind v Sumo”

Book: The Lies of Locke Lamora Author: Scott Lynch Publisher: Gollancz Published: 2006 One of my top five books of all time, this is the first in the Gentleman Bastards series. It follows the eponymous Locke Lamora a professional thief in the great city of Camorr. He is the Garrista (leader) of one of theContinue reading “The Lies of Locke Lamora v New World Lager”

Book: Eye of the World Author: Robert Jordan Publisher: Orbit Published: 1990 It is clear that Jordan was very much of the generation of epic fantasy writers still struggling to break away from the structures and tropes Tolkien had stamped upon the genre. There already appear to be enough threads set up within this bookContinue reading “The Eye of the World v Galactic Pale Ale”

Book: The Last Wish Author: Andrzej Sapkowski Publisher: Gollancz Published: 1993 (English translation 2007) With the trailer for season 2 of the tv show dropping this week I thought it was time to post this one. The Last Wish is the first book in the Witcher series. It is not really a novel, although thereContinue reading “The Last Wish v Dexter”

Book: Blood Song Author: Anthony Ryan Publisher: Orbit Published: 2013 Blood Song is the first book in the Raven’s Shadow trilogy. It’s told from the perspective of Vaelin Al Sorna – a Brother of the Sixth Order – as he is taken towards a duel he is expected to lose. The story starts with VaelinContinue reading “Blood Song v The Gathering”

Book: Prince of Fools Author: Mark Lawrence Publisher: HarperVoyager Published: 2014 This book marks the beginning of Lawrence’s second trilogy set in the same world as his debut Broken Empire trilogy. It is not a sequel though some of the same characters do crop up. It actually follows a concurrent timeline to the first trilogy.Continue reading “Prince of Fools v Sputnik”

Book: The City and The City Author: China Mieville Publisher: Pan Published: 2009 The City and The City is low fantasy if it can even be called fantasy at all. It definitely fits into the ‘Weird Fiction’ niche Mieville is most comfortable in, but there is no magic involved per se. That said it isContinue reading “The City & The City v Raspberry and Quince Berliner Weisse”

Beer: Amber Ale Brewery: Harper’s Brewing Co. Style: Amber Ale Strength: 5.0% Pretty standard fare. Nice but not exceptional. Quite similar in taste to Old Speckled Hen but maybe a little lighter mouthfeel. Not one I’d buy myself necessarily but if a non-beer drinker had stocked up on it for a party then I’d happilyContinue reading “The Night Watch v Amber Ale”