Currently Reading: The Broken Tower by Kelly Braffet...

...and a few words about me as a reader

I've been complaining in my recent reviews that the characters feel non-relatable. Once I finished Nyphron Rising (Riyria Revelations Book Three), I wondered whether the problem is in me rather than the books. To find that out, I picked The Broken Tower (The Barrier Lands 2) by Kelly Braffet as my next read, and now that I'm halfway through the story, I can safely say it's definitely me. 

I remember listening to the first book of The Barrier Lands, The Unwilling, as if it were yesterday, because it aroused such potent emotions in me -abhorrence and grief, mainly. I felt the characters' pain and desperation as if they were my own. The Broken Tower does not have the same effect on me, but the book isn't to blame. I've been binge-reading it, enjoying every word, but I feel nothing. The characters are as fantastic as in The Unwilling, the plot as gripping and haunting, but I could as well be reading the day's weather forecast for what emotions any of it arouses in me. 

As a child and teenager, I was so sensitive that I was afraid of the Orcs for years after I saw the Lord of the Rings movies. When I had to go out after dark, I was terrified because I was convinced there was a patrol of orcs hiding in the hayloft of our barn. Even as an adult, I have pinched my eyes shut if a scene in a movie or an episode has started to seem too suspenseful or violent. I've never been a keen reader of detective stories, let alone horror novels, because the thrill's been too much for me.  

It seems I'm not that person anymore, and the change saddens me. Even though life isn't easy for a susceptible and empathetic person, I'd rather have remained that way than become this calloused shell of a human I am today. It is what it is, however, and what changed me cannot be undone. 

Let's return to the book I'm currently reading for a bit, though. I haven't finished it yet, but I can already recommend it as a magnificent work of fantasy. The Broken Tower is categorized as young adult fantasy, but it's definitely a go-to for adults, too. I'm halfway through the book, would've finished it by now had I not returned to working on my own series, and I can scarcely wait to find out how it ends.

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. 

Devouring Words

I've been reading like crazy lately. Since I purchased the tablet, I've used every spare moment to devour books. I'm currently reading Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan, and so far, The Riyria Revelations seems just my kind of series. I won't reveal more about my thoughts on the story until I've finished books one and two, though.

There are a couple of reasons why I haven't read much in years. For starters, I've been busy renovating our house, and working on Braenduir Chronicles has occupied most of my spare time. Also, my budget for buying books is extremely limited, leaving the local library practically my only source of new reads. Not too many fantasy books are translated into my mother language, basically only the best-selling among the bestsellers, so I rarely find anything on the library shelves that piques my interest.  

At one point, I listened to a lot of audiobooks because I could do that while doing something else, like household chores, or gardening, etc., but listening to a book isn't quite the same as reading it. If the story isn't highly intriguing, my mind starts to wander, and at some point, I perk up to realise that an hour or two has passed without my paying any attention to the book. That can happen while I read as well, for a part of my brain is constantly working on my own series, but I usually can resume my focus when it's time to turn the page. 

But let's return to the original subject. Now that I have a proper device for reading eBooks, I read while having coffee or a meal, in the evenings when I've finished whatever tasks I have for the day, and even when I stand in front of the stove stirring a pot of sauce or something. I generally tend to think that the development of technology isn't entirely a positive thing, but thank gods for the internet and eBooks! Not only are there billions of books within my grasp, but most of them are also affordable, even free (like my book The Heirs of Duty), allowing us who live on the fringes of the civilised world access to a much vaster selection of stories than we would have otherwise. 

So, plunge into the sea of stories and pick up your next read, for there's no excuse to not spend time with books. There's also no reason not to give a chance to something else than the most popular and best-selling works, because there are countless eBooks available for FREE on various platforms, including the first book of Braenduir Chronicles, The Heirs of Duty, which you can now download for $0.00 on Barnes&Noble, Rakuten Kobo, Smashwords and many other platforms via this link.

A Writer's Birthday Present

This year, I was a tad selfish and bought a birthday present for myself instead of spending the money on daily necessities. And what else would a writer want for their birthday except words? 

If I want to read in English, eBooks are practically my only option. I'd rather buy physical books, but with the shipping costs, they just are too expensive for me atm. So, thank gods for eBooks and the devices for reading them!

An actual eBook reader would've been a dream, but as a practical person, I decided on a tablet. I can use it to keep in touch with my family in case my (ancient) phone stops working. 

Now that I have a proper device, I've been able to read chapters instead of paragraphs at a time and am close to finishing Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson. I started the book last year, but as I've been reading it on my phone, the progress has been painfully slow. 

I can scarcely wait to read more books, only I am a bit overwhelmed by the number of stories I haven't read, making it difficult for me to pick up my next read. If I assumed, someone was reading this blog, I'd ask for recommendations, but as I still suppose I'm lecturing an empty auditorium, I'll settle for wishing a wonderful week (or what's left of it) to everyone and no one.

Giving a Much-Hyped Book a Go

Everyone was rambling about ACOTAR, so I decided to determine whether it's worth the fuss.  Turned out, it isn't. Had I chosen to read the book instead of listening to it, I would've given up on it after the first couple of chapters. Even listening to it until the end was a challenge.

Why? Because the plot is tedious and predictable. And that's all I've got to say about it.

The development of the main character made me want to tear my hair off. In the first chapters, she seems like my type of female character, strong, independent... All in all a girl who goes her own way. Soon enough she shrinks into a typical female lead of a romantic story, becoming but a groupie for the male lead. The book doesn't offer an explanation for why she loses herself like that. Is it because of sheer love, or does Tamlin put her under a spell? If it's the latter, her trajectory would be acceptable.

I could rant on and on about how disappointed I was in this book, but I believe, I've made my point already. It's not for me, and wasting time reading the sequels hasn't even crossed my mind. However, this is only my personal opinion, and I do encourage everyone to form their own by reading the book themselves, instead of taking my word for that one could figure out many a less frustrating way to spend their time.

Short Book Reviews: The Slow Regard of Silent Things

I listened to this little book by Patrick Rothfuss as an audiobook (read by the author) a couple of years ago and was blown away by its loveliness. Even though the book has no plot in the traditional sense of the word, it's definitely worth your time.

The Slow Regard of Silent Things is about Auri, one of the characters in The Kingkiller Chronicle. She lives below the University, in a world no one else knows about, dedicating her time to taking care of abandoned things.

The book is sort of sad, yet I smiled all the while listening to it. It is beautifully written, heartfelt, an all-around comforting story. A perfect book to read/listen to in bed before going to sleep.

A word of warning is required here though: if you've read The Kingkiller Chronicle and expect The Slow Regard of Silent Things to be something similar, you'll be disappointed. This book is as different from the series as a nightingale from an oriole. However, if you're looking for something simply sweet and undemanding, The Slow Regard of Silent Things should be your next read.

A Short Book Review: The Unwilling by Kelly Braffet

This book has haunted me since I listened to it as an audiobook a couple of years ago. The Unwilling (The Barrier Lands #1) is a disturbing and awesome description of desperation and powerlessness.

The story gripped me from the first words and held me captive until the end which I both waited for and feared the more the further the story progressed. The characters are masterly written, even a tad frightening in their realness. The impossible situation of the main characters, their pain, their fears, and their hopes that get crushed as soon as they've sprouted made me wish I could enter the book's world and do something to help the poor guys. I don't remember having felt quite so strongly about any other book I've read/listened to. I went through a range of emotions from powerless fury to heartrending desperation while listening to The Unwilling. It is one of those books that are so good that starting another book straight after finishing them is impossible because any other book feels lame compared to them.

A ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ book without question, and I recommend it to everyone who enjoys well-written, character-based fantasy that gives the reader something to chew on and leaves a (permanent) mark. 

I regret that I haven't yet found time to read/listen to the second book in the series, The Broken Tower, but it is on top of my TBR list.

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.