Short Book Reviews // The Broken Tower by Kelly Braffet

It's been a week (? Or more-time runs so fast, I seem unable to keep up with it.) since I finished reading The Broken Tower (The Barrier Lands 2) by Kelly Braffet. I read it as an eBook and was annoyed many times because I had to put the tablet down and do something else. If it were possible, I'd have devoured the book in one go as I did with books I loved when I was a kid/teenager. But I'm an adult (What does that even mean?) and have responsibilities that I must prioritise over pleasures.  

The Broken Tower continues the story started in The Unwilling (the first book of The Barrier Lands) of three young people, Judah the Foundling, Lord Gavin of Highfall, and Lady Eleanor, who is Gavin's betrothed, bound to each other by the ties of love, friendship, and magic. I'm under the impression that The Broken Tower is supposed to be young adult fantasy, but I wouldn't recommend it for readers under 18. The book contains scenes that are brutally violent and, to be honest, quite disturbing. No sex, though, so if you're okay with gore but not with erotic scenes, go for it. 

You'll find a short description of the book here. I googled for the author's website or something else a tad more extensive, but this Risingshadow page was the only non-commercial site I could find. (The reason why I try to avoid sharing commercial links is that I don't want to direct you to purchase the books on a specific platform. Most books are available on various platforms in multiple formats, and I believe in giving people the full freedom of choice instead of nudging them in one direction or another.)

But to the review now. It's no surprise to anyone at this point that I loved the book at least as much as the first book in the series. If things went bad for the characters in The Unwilling, in The Broken Tower, they go even worse. That's not why I enjoyed The Broken Tower so much -I'm not a sadist, after all- but there is a beauty to a story that keeps taking a turn after another towards more misery. We are used to stories developing towards the better, aren't we? Most books have a happy ending, or at least things don't go to the dogs for all the main characters. So far, The Barrier Lands seems to be an exception on that account. There are moments that cheat the reader into imagining, the sun is finally starting to shine upon the MCs, yet, in the next chapter, they find themselves even more screwed than they were before. 

I've been complaining that I can no longer relate to the book characters. However, I can still emphatise with Judah's defiance and dedication to her loved ones. She ends up doing some pretty gruesome things to protect her friends and dodge the fate that other people are trying to force upon her. Some might think she's going too far, even mark her as one of the least likable characters in the story, but I understand her choices because I'd act the same if I were in her place. Afterwards, I'd be horrified for what I've done, just like Judah is, but the outcome would be the same.

I don't want to spoil it for you by revealing too much of the plot, so let's stick to more general notions. The story is written in the third person from the points of view of various characters, some of whom had only a minor role in The Unwilling. I like this type of structure a lot (and use it in my own books, as well). I think it gives the story more depth and keeps it more interesting. 

When it comes to language, The Broken Tower isn't the easiest book to read. In many places, the phrase structure is confusing and complicated. I had to read several sentences twice or thrice to figure out their meaning, but largely, the language is eloquent without getting overly embellished. 

To wrap it up, The Broken Tower isn't a light read, but it's definitely worth the time and concentration it requires. The plot is rather straightforward, save for a couple of twists, but because of the number of characters and events, the reader needs to focus fully on the story to keep up with it.

Short Book Reviews // Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

What a captivating work of epic fantasy this is! It's been a while since I've struggled to put a book down, but Theft of Swords (Books 1 and 2 of Riyria Revelations) by Michael J. Sullivan gripped me from page one and kept me intrigued and entertained until the end.

(Because I'm not going to write a summary of the book, you may want to visit this page for a broad description.)

Theft of Swords has pretty much everything I require of a good fantasy book. If it offered a splash of romance in the bargain, I would give it five stars. As it has everything else that one would expect of a work of high fantasy, likable heroes, battles, conspiracies, it earns four stars from me. 

I have a soft spot for roguish heroes, so the main characters, Hadrian Blacwater and Royce Melborn, a duo of thieves who grow into Robin Hood-like characters as the story progresses, stole my heart at first sight. There are many other good characters in Theft of Swords besides them, but unfortunately, I found none of them too relatable. That's the other flaw the book has; it fails to arouse emotions. It's one of those stories that I liked a lot while reading, but that will slip off my mind in a span of days, leaving no trace. Regardless, it's a solid work of fantasy with a set of well-written characters, a complicated enough plot to keep you interested, an elusive wizard, and an almost invincible monster. 

Language-wise, Theft of Swords is easy to read (except for a few sentences I read half a dozen times, and still, they made no sense to me) with little embellishment. Yet, the author manages to picture elaborate scenes with only a few words -a skill I both admire and envy.

I also appreciate Sullivan's way of world-building. Instead of a massive info-dump that would just overwhelm the reader, he expands the world along with the story, sharing a new piece of information when required. I would also give the author credit for adding a glossary of names and places at the end of the book (I'm thinking I should steal the idea for my own books.).

All in all, a go-to if you're looking for a finished epic fantasy series that'll keep you entertained without mentally draining you. 

My One Fantasy Book // Fantasiakirjojen Valtasormus

If I were told I'd have to pick one epic fantasy book series to read for the rest of my life, I wouldn't face much difficulty choosing it. You may think I'm boring and stuck in the past, and perhaps you are right, but my choice would be The Lord of the Rings trilogy. 

LotR was one of the first high fantasy books I read in my youth, but I still remember the magic that grabbed me while reading it. I sucked in every word as if I was dying of thirst, devoured the book like a hobbit would wolf down the second breakfast after a week of starvation, and treasured it like Gollum treasures the Ring of Power. After all these years, and so many books I've read since, it remains my One Fantasy Book, the most beloved, the most precious, the one to which I cannot help comparing all other works of epic fantasy. 

It is also the one book I'm not ever going to review. Saying that a book is perfect isn't reviewing, and I don't consider myself worthy of criticising the Mother of All Fantasy Books. I am sharing my thoughts on The Lord of the Rings because it is the book that made me decide, I want to write fantasy. I had written a couple of "books" before reading LotR for the first time, but this is the story that made me choose fantasy over other genres. 

Although I don't try to write like Tolkien, I believe his influence shows in my storytelling to some extent. My language is archaic, and I sometimes get quite copious with my descriptions of nature. I try not to do the latter, but, in my opinion, obsolescent expressions work well in the type of epic fantasy I write. I call my style classic or traditional high fantasy though I don't cling to the "rules" of the traditional, "Tolkien-style" fantasy too tightly. Rules are made to be broken, after all, and I like to do things my way.

I'd love to know what's your One Fantasy Book! Comment below. If I haven't read your favourite yet, I'll put it in my TBR list!

This is my copy of The Lord of the Rings, the 30th edition of the Finnish translation (by Kersti Juva and Eila Pennanen).

Minun hyllystäni löytyy tämä vuonna 2002 julkaistu suomenkielisen laitoksen 30. painos.

Jos joutuisin luopumaan kaikista paitsi yhdestä fantasiakirjasarjasta, päätös olisi helppo. Valintani saattaa olla monen mielestä tylsä, ja ehkä onkin, mutta päätyisin silti Taruun Sormusten Herrasta. 

TSH on ensimmäisiä lapsena/nuorena lukemiani fantasiakirjoja, mutten ole unohtanut, miten se lumosi minut. Imin joka sanan kuin janoon kuoleva, ahmin teoksen kuin viikon nälkää nähnyt hobitti ahmisi toisen aamiaisen ja palvoin sitä kuin Klonkku Valtasormusta. Niin kauan kuin ensilukemisesta onkin, niin monia muita kirjoja kuin olenkin kahlannut läpi tässä matkan varrella, Taru Sormusten Herrasta on minulle edelleen fantasiakirjojen Valtasormus. Teos, jota rakastan ja arvostan enemmän kuin mitään ja johon en voi olla vertaamatta kaikkia sen jälkeen julkaistuja fantasiakirjoja. 

Se on myös teos, josta en tule koskaan julkaisemaan arvostelua. Ylistyslaulu kun ei ole arvostelu, enkä koe, että minulla olisi rahkeita kritisoida kaikkien fantasiakirjojen äitiä. Puhun TSH:sta siksi, että se on kirja, joka sai minut päättämään, että haluan kirjoittaa fantasiaa. Ennen kuin luin Sormusten Herran ensimmäistä kertaa, olin kirjoittanut pari "kirjaa", mutta tämä tarina sai minut valitsemaan fantasian kaikkien tyylilajien joukosta. 

Vaikken tietoisesti yritä kirjoittaa kuin Tolkien, hänen vaikutuksensa näkyy tekstissäni väkisinkin. Käytän melko vanhahtavaa kieltä ja minulla on tapana kuvailla luontoa ja sen ilmiöitä ajoittain varsin monisanaisesti. Jälkimmäistä yritän välttää parhaani mukaan, mutta vanhanaikainen kieli sopii minusta hyvin korkeaan fantasiaan. Kutsun omaa tyyliäni klassiseksi/perinteiseksi korkeaksi fantasiaksi siitä huolimatta, etten mitenkään orjallisesti noudata perinteisen, Tolkien-tyylisen fantasian "sääntöjä". Säännöt kun on tehty rikottaviksi ja tykkään tehdä asiat omalla tyylilläni. 

Mikä on sinulle se fantasiakirja, josta et suostuisi luopumaan? Kommentoi vastauksesi alle ja lisään suosikkisi lukulistalleni, jollen ole sitä vielä lukenut!

Welcome // Tervetuloa

Welcome, wanderer, to Aspenn Fantasy, a new blog about reading and writing (epic) fantasy books. On this blog, I'll share book reviews, opinions (most of which are unpopular), writing tips, and stuff about my epic adventure fantasy series. If you love books, follow and consider subscribing for special offers on my books!

Tervetuloa uuteen blogiini! Täältä löydät juttua fantasiakirjoista niin lukijan kuin kirjoittajankin näkökulmasta, kirja-arvosteluja ja mielipiteitä, joista suurin osa lienee sieltä epäsuositummasta päästä, ehkä jopa vinkkejä kirjoittamiseen sekä taustatietoa työnalla olevasta fantasiakirjasarjastani (korkea/seikkailufantasia). Jos olet kirjaihminen, seuraa ja liity tilaajaksi! Tilaajille luvassa erikoistarjouksia kirjoistani.