As I’m reading Priest of Lies by Peter McLean currently, and one of my favorite characters happen to be Billy the Boy, a 14 year old lad, I started to think about books where children were not only side characters but had an important role. As I’m mostly reading adult fiction I went and looked at those books to pick 10 – which, let me tell you is a challenge.
I really wished I could like Melokai given some of my friends did, but I just couldn’t. I gave it a fair chance, but at the end of the day, I just had to give up forcing myself to go on.Â
This book made it to the semi-finals in this year’s SPFBO and with good reason. It had to be one of the more interesting takes on the undead that I have read in a while.
The Eighteenth issue of Grimdark Magazine (GDM) features a nice selection of authors with stories or various articles. You can read a short stories from Peter McLean, Cameron Johnston and Andy Remic, an interview with Devin Madson and Cameron Jonhston, two book reviews about The Igenious by Darius Hinks, plus two articles from Alan Baxter about his experience with publishing, and Mike Myers giving some useful tips.
The Seventeenth issue of Grimdark Magazine (GDM) features a nice selection of authors with stories or various articles. It features short stories from Devin Madson, Amanda J. Spedding and Brian Staveley, two interviews with Sebastian de Castell and Jen Williams, two book reviews about City of Kings by Rob J. Hayes and Chasing Graves by Ben Galley, plus an article from Anna Stephens which makes this magazine a complete and highly enjoyable brief read. Don’t be surprised when you find yourself adding a few more books to your to-be-read mountain. Oops.
In Darkness Forged you might find everything you’ve been looking for: heroic fights, vengeance, violence (in many form), enveloped in norse mythology. This book has an oddly satisfying ending on the bittersweet side. If you are into grimdark, norse mythology, have a few hours to spare and don’t mind having a dark twist in your read, I definitely recommend this book!
If you love grimdark, you look for a book with self-absorbed pirates, plenty of action, blood and adventure, then Where Loyalties Lie is for you. It’s witty, it’s brutal, it’s bloody, it’s dark and it’s impossible to put down. There is plenty of rum, fight, plotting against each other, secrets well-kept, magic and interesting enough characters.
Song is an action driven dark fantasy with a medieval like setting, mages fighting for revenge, for the nation, for everything worth figthing for.
An anthology which is hard to put down and a must read for grimdark lovers. But be warned: it will leave you with a feeling of uncleannes and questions you don’t want to answer.
“This story is like a great song which makes you feel calm, angry, happy, sad, surprised with its melodies and lyrics.”