A Pearl Of Wisdom

"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away and you have their shoes"

Elves: Once Walked With Gods

Wow! I just heard that James Barclay has been working on a new trilogy called ELVES (or Elves: The Trial Of Calaius). This got me pretty excited because I usually love stories revolving around Elves.

The first book is called Elves: Once Walked With Gods and according to Amazon it is coming out on the 21st of January 2010. I'd love to get my hands on a review copy :).

About The Book

The elves have fled to Calius, seeking to escape the overwhelming power of the demonic Garonin. A desperate last stand in their own dimension saved the race, at the cost of 100,000 elves lost to the Garonin. The elf who led that fight, Takaar, is blamed for the losses and has gone into hiding. Now the weakened elf race is tearing itself apart in civil war, human mercenaries have arrived in Calius and are ripping the continent apart. Only one elf can unite the elves. And only one elf believes in him. A young warrior named Auum sets out to bring back the shamed hero and save the elven race.

Free e-Book: Crescent by Phil Rossi

Crescent is Phil Rossi's recently published sci-fi horror book, which, by the way, looks like a great one. I read a few dozen pages and I'm totally hooked. I've been looking for a good sci-fi horror for a while and I hope I've found what I'd been looking for.

A big thanks to Dragon Moon Press for giving away a free e-book version (PDF). If you like the book, please buy a copy to support the author.

About the Book

Darkness has inspired fear since mankind first watched the sun go down. Bad things hide in the dark feral beasts with mouths full of razors waiting for a taste of flesh.

But now, the darkness is stirring with a life of its own. Crescent Station is the last bastion of civilization, floating in the cold, outer systems where colonized space gives way to the sparser settlements of the Frontier. Like the boom towns of distant Earth's Old American West, Crescent Station is a gateway to power, wealth, and opportunity for anyone who isn't afraid to get his or her hands dirty.

Deep within the station's bowels, in Crescent s darkest and most secret places, an ancient evil is awakening and hungry, and it threatens the very fabric of space and time. Will the residents of Crescent Station find a way to stop it before the terror drives them insane?

Or is it already too late?

Free e-Book: 2 More Free E-Books From Suvudu

New titles of this month in Suvudu's free e-book library are:

Darkfever written by Karen Marie Moning and Manifold: Time written by Stephen Baxter.

As usual, the e-books are available in various formats.

Book Review: Legend by David Gemmell

Title: Legend
Author: David Gemmell
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit
Publishing Date: 21 Aug 1986
Paperback: 432 pages
Standalone/Series: First novel of the Drenai Saga

Summary

Abalayn, the leader of the Drenai Empire is a weak leader. However, on the north, Ulric, one of the best leaders the world has seen, is building a massive army and he has his eyes set on the Drenai Empire. The only place that can hold Ulric’s tribal Nadir people is the fortress of Dros Delnoch. But can Dros Delnoch be manned on time? And who would stand on its walls and fight to death to give Drenai Empire a chance?

Don’t Judge A Book By It But...

The axe-wielding warrior, broken spears, bloody swords, spiky helmets and shiny armors promise heroic battles throughout this book. The cover reminded me of the old Conan comics of my childhood. It may well be one of the reasons why I decided to read this book in the first place...

Review

Legend is probably David Gemmell’s most popular novel and I would qualify it as a heroic fantasy where the story revolves around a few well constructed characters. The plot is built in a European-like medieval setting where a Mongol-like invasion is imminent and an inconceivably large tribal army marching to the gates of the empire. The Gengis Khan-like tribal leader, Ulric, has achieved what had looked impossible before: Rallying the tribes under his banner.

Legend is a fast-paced and gripping book, full of epic battles, highly motivational speeches, hidden-heroes ready to be discovered in the heat of the war, men and women who can enjoy life while looking in the eyes of the angel of death. I truly enjoyed even the earlier character-building chapters. With the start of the book, I thought I knew very well where the story was going. But fortunately Legend is not a hack-and-slash book. There are subplots and enough turns and twists to make you want to read more. Its characters were very enjoyable too, even though some of them are stereotypical. I guess I was expecting a bit of that in a heroic fantasy novel written early in the 80s, so I found it was well attuned to the spirit of the book. I also enjoyed Gemmell’s heroes of epic stature with pretty cool names such as Druss The Legend and The Earl Of Bronze. However, Gemmell reminds us that those heroes are all human with their imperfections. They all fight their personal battles and struggle to face their personal demons.

One may find deeper meanings in the behavior and circumstances surrounding the protagonists. A hero, by definition, is a man or woman distinguished by exceptional courage and strength, celebrated for bold exploits. But Gemmell depicts ordinary people who accomplish extraordinary feats, some of them discovering their worth thanks to the circumstances that they find themselves into. The author paints a very human picture of men and women who, without a doubt, become some of the biggest heroes the Drenai have known throughout the story.

The story was not perfect either. The one thing that I disliked in the book was the sudden love story that developed between two of the protagonists. I thought it was very rushed. However, this is probably just a detail among many great qualities.

Rating: (8/10)

Noticeable Quote

- "Remember this: To have may be taken from you, to have had never." – Druss The Legend

Free e-Novella: Bone Shop

Bone Shop is a prequel novella about the early adventures of Marla Manson, the heroine of an urban fantasy series by T. A. Pratt. It is supported by donations from readers, so you're invited to pay whatever you like.

Free e-Book: 3 More Free E-Books From Suvudu

This month, Suvudu Free Library is giving away 3 more e-books: Star Wars: Lost Tribe Of The Sith: Precipice by John Jackson Miller Magic Kingdom For Sale... Sold! by Terry Brooks For Love Of Mother - Not by Alan Dean Foster You can download these e-books on Suvudu Free Book Library.