REVIEW: The Thief Who Spat in Luck's Good Eye by Michael McClung

The Thief who Spat in Luck's Good Eye by Michael McClung

Publishing information: 14, 647 words (apporximate) Free at Smashmouth

Publisher: Smashmouth

ISBN 10: N/A

ISBN 13: N/A

Standalone

Copy: Given by Author: free copy at Smashmouth

Reviewer: Tyson

Synopsis: "The Thief Who Spat In Luck's Good Eye is a free, stand-alone novella that introduces readers to the characters and the world of THAGOTH, the Del Rey Digital first novel competition winner published by Random House:

In the proud tradition of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser comes a new team of daring, quick-witted heroes in a swashbuckling sword and sorcery adventure. . . .

Amra is a thief with morals—she won’t steal from anyone poorer than she is. Fortunately, anybody that poor generally doesn’t have much worth stealing! Holgren is a mage with a distaste for magic and a soul bartered away to dark powers who will transport him to an eternity of torment on the instant of his death. Together they embark on a quest for the fabled city of Thagoth, where the secret of immortality is rumored to be hidden.

But Amra and Holgren aren’t the only ones after the secret. Many others seek to utilize the hidden magic for their own twisted ends. And waiting in the ruined city with dark plans for the world are the twin gods Tha-Agoth and Athagos, a brother and sister whose illicit passion is as destructive and vengeful as they are.

Now, as potent sorceries clash in a violent struggle for dominion over all that lives, Amra and Holgren face a choice between the unthinkable and the unbearable—with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. . . ."

A little while ago I read and reviewed the anthology Flesh and Bone: Rise of the Necromancers and one short story that stood out from all the rest was Michael McClung's All the World's a Grave. So, when the author had another short story coming out he asked me to take a look at it. I am glad he did. The Thief Who Spat in Good Luck's Eye has a classical fantasy feel to it. A female thief and a quirky but powerful sorcerer teaming up to grab the ultimate prize. Everyone in the story is well written and seem real.

While the story is fairly quick to read it leaves you wanting more. McClung has an impressive ability to write compelling characters and a fast paced and action packed plot that never seems to let up. The only problem with this story is that it is far too short. Just when you find yourself hooked in to the world and the players it all comes to an end. While there may be more to come you just never know.

McClung has the ability to write a compelling story, it is just far too short for my liking. He needs to start writing full novels. When he does, there is no doubt that he will find himself on the bestsellers list. Highly recommended and since The Thief Who Spat in Luck's Good Eye is free, there is no reason not to download it and take a peek. To download click here.

Plot  9/10

Characters 9/10

Style 9/10

Overall 9/10

REVIEW: Tales from the Edge of Forever by Alexander Hammond

Tales from the Edge of Forever by Alexander Hammond
Publishing information: Paperback; 174 pages
Publisher: Nazca Plains; 16 December 2010
ISBN 10: 1610981715
ISBN 13: 978-1610981712
Anthology/Short Story Collection
Copy: Provided by Author
Reviewer: Tyson

Synopsis: "An anthology of mind bending imagination, Tales from the Edge of Forever offers a delicious collection of wildly original vignettes mixing fantasy, speculation, spirituality and science invention. Hammond has created stories with a depth and thoughtfulness that transcend their brevity. Whether on the streets of Manhattan or at the very edge of time and space itself the authors’ scenarios tease and intrigue in this stunningly unique collection. A total of twenty three creatively brilliant stories to captivate even the most jaded fantasy enthusiast, this book both challenges and enchants."

Tales From the Edge of Forever is a short story collection from Alexander Hammond and he does a fairly good job of delivering a wide gambit of genres. He tackles suicide in the story The Hotel at the Edge of Forever. Nuclear war and politics in the story The Button and UFO conspiracies in Top Secret. Every story contained in the collection reads as if it was written from a different author as Hammond finds a new voice for each story. There is at least one story for everyone regardless of your tastes.

The three stories that I enjoyed the most were The End of the World, My Special Guest Tonight, and Deity. The End of the World had a surprise ending. So did My Special Guest Tonight which takes a interesting look at violence in the media. The main character has a striking quality similar to Quentin Tarantino. Finally, in Deity we find a young man who must come to terms with his god-like powers.

There are a lot of stories contained in this collection and they read really quickly. I found myself continuing to read long after I should have taken a break. Tales from the Edge of Forever is quite an eclectic collection and I found that it was a lot of fun to read.

Plot 8
Characters 8
Style 8

Overall 8/10

REVIEW: Flesh and Bone: Rise of the Necromancers anthology

Flesh and Bone: Rise of the Necromancers edited by Jessy Marie Roberts
Publishing information: Kindle
Publisher: Pine Hill Press; 16 August 2010
ISBN 10: 1617060011
ISBN 13: 978-1617060014
ASIN: B004C05DR4
Anthology
Copy: Provided by publisher
Reviewer: Tyson

Synopsis: "Twenty-one dark short stories about the undead, and the persons who raise them... Featuring: The Blade of Tears by Lydia Sharp, No Man's Land by K.G. McAbee, Wrists by Shennandoah Diaz, All the World a Grave by Michael McClung, Blood on the Beach by Anne Michaud, The Scarlet Cat by Rebecca Lloyd, The Mortician's Secret by Kelley Frank, The King's Accord by Alan Baxter, Necrodance by Darin Kennedy, The Ghost Walk by Marianne Halbert, Blood Brothers by J. Matthew Saunders, Bequest by Greg Mellor, 9 Mystery Rose by Eden Royce, In the Dark Kingdom by Brandon Berntson, Jenna's Awakening by TW Brown, Queen of Bones by Aubrie Dionne, Small Matters of Immortality by Michael R. Colangelo, The Stoner Bride by Matthew Fryer, Sedenberry's Pest by Jon C. Forisha, A History of the Wraith King by Chris Poling & And the Greatest of these is Love by David McDonald."

While reading Flesh and Bone I was struck with the thought that this entire collection has the feel of a Creep Show or Tales From the Darkside feel to them. The collection contained in the anthology varies considerably. There are tales that are in the modern age as well as from times past. There is also a lot of fantasy elements aside from the obvious dealing with necromancy. While I found the nearly all the stories contained in the collection to be great there were a few that stood out.

The Blade of Tears by Lydia Sharp and All the World a Grave by Michael McClung were very impressive in that they should have been full blown novels. There were a lot of great ideas and characters presented in both of the stories. The Blade of Tears dealt with the undead attacking a woman bent on revenge as she attempts to recover a family heirloom. All the World a Grave had a fascinating assassin. The background for the character was impressive and the ending was something that I did not see coming. The Scarlet Cat by Rebecca Lloyd was a cross between classic Stephen King and Raimi's Drag Me to Hell. After reading the story I thought she outdid King in many respects and would love to see more work from the author.

The one stand out story that I enjoyed was Blood on the Beach by Anne Michaud. It was a short story told from the zombie's prospective as the zombie is semi-aware and not as brain dead was we are led to believe. When Michaud has the zombie looking for a hiding spot to avoid the soldiers had me chuckling.

Flesh and Bone: Rise of the Necromancers is not a collection that I would pick up on my own as it is not something that I tend to go after when I look for a new book, but I am glad that the publisher sent me the collection as it was a lot of fun to read and gave me a chance to read several talented authors that I had never encountered before. If you love the undead and those that raise them from their eternal rest then this the perfect collection for you. I wish that I had received this anthology around Halloween because it is a great collection for that time of year.

Plot 8
Characters 7
Style 7

Overall 8/10

REVIEW: The Temple of the Dead by Tim Marquitz

The Temple of the Dead by Tim Marquitz
Publishing information: Kindle Edition
Publisher: Damnation Books 1 March 2010
ISBN 10: 1615722718
ISBN 13: 978-1615722716
ASIN: B004E3XTR0
Series: Part II of the Sepulchral Earth
Copy: Provided by Author
Reviewer: Tyson

Synopsis: "Two years after the furious dead rose up to murder the living, the remnants of mankind face a brutal extinction. Wretched and broken, trading humanity for life, the survivors suffer under the inevitable shadow of death.

Aided by friendly spirits, the necromancer Harlan Cole wages war against the merciless forces of the undead. Driven to bring peace to the souls of his wife and daughter, Harlan vows to return the dead to their graves, or join them trying."

Last year I reviewed an very impressive debut, Armageddon Bound, after my review the author contacted me to read a short story that he was working on, Sepulchral Earth. I was blown away and begging for more. A few months ago, Tim Marquitz contacted me again to see if I would be interested in reading the sequel to his first short story. I jumped at the chance.

The Temple of the Dead was a lot of fun to read and provided a lot of insight into just how things on earth got as bad as they have. When we left our hero, Cole, he was saving a family from the undead. In this latest installment he is dealing with his past. The reason part one of the Sepulchral Earth was so mind boggling was the hero and his mysterious ghostly sidekick, is the mystery that surrounds him and his past. Temple of the Dead was kind of a let down as you learn how things came to be and to learn what drives Harlan to be the man he is. While I like to learn more about him and his sidekick. This sequel hits you over the head with how things came to be and I would have liked a slow reveal. With that said I still enjoyed this chapter in the series. There is plenty of zombie goodness and lots of action for Cole.

Marquitz does a great job of showing the despair that human-kind has sunk to with legions of undead "dying" to get a piece of them. There is a fascinating new villain that Cole must come to terms with and he has a new friend along for the journey. While the story is rather short Marquitz does an excellent job of throwing in some stylized action within the pages. The Temple of the Dead is a welcome addition to the Sepulchral Earth series.

As I said before I was a bit disappointed with the unveiling of Cole's past but that aside it was great to get back into the series and I look forward to seeing more of his adventures.

Plot 7
Characters 9
Style 7

Overall 7.5/10

REVIEW: Animythical Tales by Sarah Totton

Animythical Tales by Sarah Totton
Publishing Information: Paperback; 126 pages
Publisher: Fantastic Books (27 February 2010)
ISBN 10: 1604599324
ISBN 13: 978-1604599329
Standalone
Copies: Provided by author
Reviewers: Yagiz and Tyson

"In this elegant volume, award-winning author Sarah Totton takes her readers on speculative journeys of the heart and mind that will both challenge and engage you. Within these tales, readers will learn the meaning of darkness and pain and fear. Yet they will also learn about love and happiness and laughter. Sarah Totton explores the full kaleidoscope of the human heart and peels it back, one layer at a time. She offers her readers a full palette of emotions and stories to sift through, never settling, never holding back, and never flinching. Whether she is writing about the loss of innocence through dark revelations, the point to which a human mind can be stretched before succumbing to the magic of faerie, or something as preposterous as cloud-fishing in a world with pink yaks, the stories in Animythical Tales are always told with an eye toward revealing something important about the human condition. If you have ever yearned to fall into fabulous adventures in unforgettable worlds, Animythical Tales is the collection for you."

Tyson

Sarah Totton's Animythical Tales is a collection of 10 short stories from various speculative fiction magazines and collections. Many of which are award winning stories or at the very least runners-up. Every story in the collection is terrific and nearly every one of them has a twist.

I like the cover to the collection. The Entry of the Animals into Noah's Ark by Jan Brueghel is not the usual fare and in a strange way seems to work with the stories contained within.

My two favorite short stories in the collection are A Sip From the Cup of Enlightenment and Flatrock Sunners. In A Sip From Cup of Enlightenment, Totton tackles the subject of organised religion and the myth of the Holy Grail. I loved the intrigue and the characters in the book as we are slowly edging towards the truth and the unexpected twist at the end was great.

The story Flatrock Sunners, was just odd and completely different from what I had expected. The background story was interesting and the creatures that are featured in the story where just different from what I had encountered before. The premise of the story was also very enjoyable. Again, the story had a satisfying ending.

While this is not a collection that I would have picked out by myself, I can say that I really enjoyed the short stories contained within Animythical Tales. It is a break way from the norm and I am happy that I decided to read it.

Plot 7
Characters 7
Style 7

Overall 7/10

Yagiz

In an e-mail conversation, the author used the following statement to describe Animythical Tales: "The collection comprises ten animal-themed fantasy stories with a surreal, dark or absurd twist (imagine Salvador Dalí's artwork as stories)".

I love Salvador Dalí's paintings. There's something captivating and fascinating in their surrealist themes. And to my delight, I found similar traits in most of Sarah Totton's stories.

The first story called A Fish Story brought me back to my teenage years. I was unsure about what to think of this opening story when I got hit by The Man with the Seahorse Head. I usually don't like present tense narrative too much but I loved this very-short story, which mixed sadness and happiness. I felt the impossibility of stopping time, the unavoidable surrendering to what time does to our loved ones, the happiness found in good things in life.

The third story, Flatrock Sunners was a pretty disturbing one, but a very good one nonetheless. I really enjoyed it. Was it about making bad choices or about choosing people who love us over people who want something from us? Does good really prevail over evil?

Pelly Medley was another very interesting one. The protagonist, Geoffrey, is a scientist living alone on an island as part of an expedition where he studies birds. Then one day, his life changes after a strange incident. Throughout the story, the reader can find various reasons explaining the events. I'd love to share my theories but there's no room for spoilers in the reviews, is there?

The following story, Bluecoat Jack is another very well written dark story. I was still thinking about it when I surrendered to another great story called A Sip From the Cup of Enlightenment. The question that got stuck in my head after reading this one was: Is the pursuit of knowledge essentially the pursuit of truth?.

In Choke Point, the reader has the impression that she knows where the story is going but the author very cleverly applies a twist that surprises the reader. The Bone Fisher's Apprentice is followed by A Little Tea and Personal Magnetism, which is written in a different style. The frequent quotes create a humourous setting which reminds me of those movies where suddenly everything stops to have a guru-style personality to talk a few seconds about deeply meaningful things. And the closing story, The Teasewater Five is a surreal and sad one.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by Sarah Totton's Animythical Tales. I really enjoyed most of her stories. They are surreal and dark, and some of them stay in a corner of your mind for quite some time.

Plot 8
Characters 7
Style 8

Overall 8/10

Free David Gemmell from FBC

The great folks over at FBC are commemorating the death of one of Fantasy's greatest minds. As you head over to check out the latest reviews you have the opportunity to read a previously unreleased short story from a master of story telling, David Gemmell.

From FBC:

At Fantasy Book Critic, we love to commemorate our favorite authors. Today is the 4th anniversary of the death of one of Fantasy’s brightest stars. David Gemmell left this world in 2006 and left a huge gap in the world of heroic fantasy. Our team of reviewers are huge fans of Gemmell's books.

Fantasy Book Critic has recently been given the opportunity to post this extremely rare excerpt. Originally this excerpt was first mentioned in this interview here (reference to the excerpt is in the last 2 paragraphs).

The Games Master issue has finally been located and Fantasy Book Critic has received all the required permission to be able to post it here for the enjoyment of everyone.

We would like to pronounce our heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. Stella Gemmell, Mr. Howard Morhaim [David’s Literary Agent] and Gareth Wilson[DG fan] for their help in making this excerpt available to all Gemmell fans.

This excerpt can be read as a preface to chapter 1 in The first Chronicles of Druss the legend. As it the first three pages detail Druss’s wedding day[which has not been seen in any of Druss’s books] pages 4 and 5 deal with the first true fight Druss faces[parts of this are already found in the book. Think of this excerpt as a first draft of that scene].

So go ahead and enjoy this small tale which was almost lost and then hopefully you will go on to read the rest of David’s work as well.

Ian Tregillis Short Story

Ian Tregillis, author of Bitter Seeds has a great short story up on Tor's website right now. Stay tuned for a Bitter Seeds review later in the year but, if you want a taste of Tregillis to see if it is your cup of tea, or coffee. Take a look at the short story entitled "What Doctor Gottlieb Saw."  If you haven't picked up Bitter Seeds yet, I recommend you give it a shot as I was very impressed with what I read.

A teaser from the short story:

“Do you suppose it’s possible to murder God?”

Gretel was Gottlieb’s most troubling patient. She was clairvoyant. She was also, he feared, quite mad.

He paused in the midst of jotting a note in her file. Capping his fountain pen and setting it on the desk, alongside the blotter, gained his scattered thoughts a few seconds to catch up with her. “I beg your pardon?”

REVIEW: Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #1 Precipice by John Jackson Miller

Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #1 Precipice by John Jackson Miller
Publisher: Lucasbooks 26 May 2009
File Size: 142 KB
ASIN: B002B9MGIM
Free download
Copy: Free from Amazon.com


Product Description: "SURVIVAL—NOT SURRENDER For the ruthless Sith Order, failure is not an option. It is an offense punishable by death—and a fate to which Commander Yaru Korsin will not succumb. But on a crucial run to deliver troops and precious crystals to a combat hotspot in the Sith’s war against the Republic, Korsin and the crew of the mining ship Omen are ambushed by a Jedi starfighter. And when the Sith craft crash-lands, torn and crippled, on a desolate alien planet, the hard-bitten captain finds himself at odds with desperate survivors on the brink of mutiny—and his own vengeful half brother, who’s bent on seizing command. No matter the cost, Korsin vows that it will not be his blood and bones left behind on this unknown world. For the way of the Sith leaves little room for compromise—and none for mercy."


I have had this free short story on my Kindle for a long time and finally got around to reading it when I was between books. The story is the precursor to a new series in the Star Wars saga Fate of the Jedi. While a quick blurb is available at the end of the first story, I did not bother to read it.


Precipice starts out with a Sith vessal smuggling goods (crystals) that are badly needed by the Sith in order to continue their war with the Jedi. When a jump goes bad, they find themselves stranded on what appears to be a fragile planet. It quickly turns into a "Alive" situation ala Sith style when resources quickly become depleted. 


The characters are very one dimensional and that may be due to the fact that it is a short story and that it continues in two more installments, which they may build upon what is here in part one. However, I was not all that intrigued with what I read. I will more than likely delete the other two sequels that are in my Kindle as Precipice left a bad taste in my mouth and did little to advance the myth of the Sith.


I would have loved to have seen more of the backstabbing and underhandedness that we would expect a group of Sith to behave. Instead we get a story with a good premise but finds itself failing to deliver.


Precipice is exactly what it appears to be. A backstory that prepares the reader for what is to come in the next Star Wars series. As a free story you are not out anything for reading it but time. Precipice and the three other sequels are free from Amazon and can be read on iPhone, PC, and blackberry.


Plot:  4
Characters:  4
Style: 2


Overall: 3