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><channel><title>Fantasy &#8211; Rich Maloy</title> <atom:link href="http://richmaloy.com/genre/fantasy/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /><link>http://richmaloy.com</link> <description>Life, The Universe, and Everything</description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 20 May 2019 05:08:37 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4</generator><image> <url>https://i0.wp.com/richmaloy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/cropped-richmaloy-vert.png?fit=32%2C32</url><title>Fantasy &#8211; Rich Maloy</title><link>http://richmaloy.com</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <site
xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">124687649</site> <item><title>The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson</title><link>http://richmaloy.com/book-review/the-way-of-kings/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rich]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2019 05:08:37 +0000</pubDate> <guid
isPermaLink="false">http://richmaloy.com/?post_type=book-review&#038;p=2275</guid><description><![CDATA[Kudos to Brandon Sanderson for writing a stellar fantasy novel without relying on the Tolkien fantasy tropes. This world is vast and varied. The races are unique, and the characters are complex. The first novel serves the dual-purpose of both building the world and moving the action along sufficiently. After I finished the book, I immediately bought the second one. I'm invested in the characters, and already coming up with my own theories about how some of the stories play out. Even for some of the more predictable plot lines, I still enjoyed the suspense and the drama involved in drawing out what seemed inevitable. But still, many things caught me by surprise and made for a great plot twist. It's an excellent start to the series. <div
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class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
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class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=stormlight-archive">Stormlight Archive</a> &#124; </span></div>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Kudos to Brandon Sanderson for writing a stellar fantasy novel without relying on the Tolkien fantasy tropes. This world is vast and varied. The races are unique, and the characters are complex. The first novel serves the dual-purpose of both building the world and moving the action along sufficiently. After I finished the book, I immediately bought the second one. I&#8217;m invested in the characters, and already coming up with my own theories about how some of the stories play out. Even for some of the more predictable plot lines, I still enjoyed the suspense and the drama involved in drawing out what seemed inevitable. But still, many things caught me by surprise and made for a great plot twist. It&#8217;s an excellent start to the series.</p><h2>Publisher&#8217;s Summary</h2><blockquote><p>Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.</p><p>It has been centuries since the fall of the 10 consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Wars were fought for them, and won by them. One such war rages on the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where 10 armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.</p><p>Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.</p><p>Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar’s niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan’s motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.</p></blockquote><div
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class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
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class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=stormlight-archive">Stormlight Archive</a> | </span></div>]]></content:encoded> <post-id
xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2275</post-id> </item> <item><title>Wise Man&#8217;s Fear, The by Patrick Rothfuss</title><link>http://richmaloy.com/book-review/wise-mans-fear/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rich]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 21 Oct 2014 05:35:31 +0000</pubDate> <guid
isPermaLink="false">http://richmaloy.com/?post_type=book-review&#038;p=2247</guid><description><![CDATA[As I said with "Name of the Wind" you have to treat this book, that clocks in at over 42 hours as separate books combined into one. In this case, it's three distinct stories that could have been three separate books. Keep that in mind. My best analogy for the protagonist, Kvothe, is this: the timing of Forrest Gump, the wisdom of Ender, and the wit of Bean. This time the setting is at first the Hogwarts-esque school but soon ventures far afield. And now Kvothe adds to his skills by becoming the fantasy equivalent of Jason Bourne. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the elf sex scenes. There's always that as an incentive to read this three-books-combined-into-one fantasy novel. <div
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class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
/><span
class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=kingkiller-chronicle">Kingkiller Chronicle</a> &#124; </span><span
class="subjects"><strong>Subjects:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?subject=richs-recos">Rich's Reco's</a></span><br
/></div>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As I said with &#8220;Name of the Wind&#8221; you have to treat this book, that clocks in at over 42 hours as separate books combined into one. In this case, it&#8217;s three distinct stories that could have been three separate books. Keep that in mind.</p><p>My best analogy for the protagonist, Kvothe, is this: the timing of Forrest Gump, the wisdom of Ender, and the wit of Bean. This time the setting is at first the Hogwarts-esque school but soon ventures far afield. And now Kvothe adds to his skills by becoming the fantasy equivalent of Jason Bourne.</p><p>And I would be remiss if I didn&#8217;t mention the elf sex scenes. There&#8217;s always that as an incentive to read this three-books-combined-into-one fantasy novel.</p><h3 class="bc-heading
bc-color-basebc-spacing-smallbc-size-mediumbc-text-bold">Publisher&#8217;s Summary</h3><div
class="bc-boxbc-box-padding-nonebc-spacing-small"></p><blockquote><p>&#8220;My name is Kvothe. I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me.&#8221;</p><p>So begins the tale of a hero told from his own point of view — a story unequaled in fantasy literature. Now in <i>The Wise Man&#8217;s Fear</i>, Day Two of The Kingkiller Chronicle, an escalating rivalry with a powerful member of the nobility forces Kvothe to leave the University and seek his fortune abroad. Adrift, penniless, and alone, he travels to Vintas, where he quickly becomes entangled in the politics of courtly society.</p><p>While attempting to curry favor with a powerful noble, Kvothe uncovers an assassination attempt, comes into conflict with a rival arcanist, and leads a group of mercenaries into the wild, in an attempt to solve the mystery of who (or what) is waylaying travelers on the King&#8217;s Road. All the while, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents.</p><p>Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, is forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived&#8230; until Kvothe.</p><p>In <i>The Wise Man&#8217;s Fear</i>, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.</p></blockquote></div><div
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class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
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class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=kingkiller-chronicle">Kingkiller Chronicle</a> | </span><span
class="subjects"><strong>Subjects:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?subject=richs-recos">Rich's Reco's</a></span><br
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xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2247</post-id> </item> <item><title>Name of the Wind, The by Patrick Rothfuss</title><link>http://richmaloy.com/book-review/name-of-the-wind-the/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rich]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2014 05:23:28 +0000</pubDate> <guid
isPermaLink="false">http://richmaloy.com/?post_type=book-review&#038;p=2244</guid><description><![CDATA[I love this series so much I don't even know where to begin. Let's get one thing out of the way, the books are very long. This one clocks in at over 27 hours, however, it's more like two distinct books than just one. But let's talk about Kvothe, the protagonist. Take the best aspects of Ender (a child far smarter than his age), add in the orphan story of Bean (see Ender's Shadow), then mix in the luck of Forrest Gump (always in the right place at the right time—or wrong place at the wrong time) but obviously with wit of Ender or Bean, then add in the wizarding school aspects of Harry Potter (including the rivalries) and that's book one. In a fantasy world, of course. And that doesn't really do it justice. This series will be the best fantasy series you've read in a long time.<div
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class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
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class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=kingkiller-chronicle">Kingkiller Chronicle</a> &#124; </span><span
class="subjects"><strong>Subjects:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?subject=richs-recos">Rich's Reco's</a></span><br
/></div>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I love this series so much I don&#8217;t even know where to begin. Let&#8217;s get one thing out of the way, the books are very long. This one clocks in at over 27 hours, however, it&#8217;s more like two distinct books than just one.</p><p>But let&#8217;s talk about Kvothe, the protagonist. Take the best aspects of Ender (a child far smarter than his age), add in the orphan story of Bean (see <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/book-review/enders-shadow/">Ender&#8217;s Shadow</a>), then mix in the luck of Forrest Gump (always in the right place at the right time—or wrong place at the wrong time) but obviously with wit of Ender or Bean, then add in the wizarding school aspects of Harry Potter (including the rivalries) and that&#8217;s book one. In a fantasy world, of course. And that doesn&#8217;t really do it justice.</p><p>This series will be the best fantasy series you&#8217;ve read in a long time.</p><h3 class="bc-heading
bc-color-basebc-spacing-smallbc-size-mediumbc-text-bold">Publisher&#8217;s Summary</h3><div
class="bc-boxbc-box-padding-nonebc-spacing-small"></p><blockquote><p><b>Discover #1 </b><b><i>New York Times </i></b><b>bestselling Patrick Rothfuss’ epic fantasy series, The Kingkiller Chronicle.</b></p><p>“I just love the world of Patrick Rothfuss.” (Lin-Manuel Miranda)</p><p>“He’s bloody good, this Rothfuss guy.” (George R. R. Martin)</p><p>“Rothfuss has real talent.” (Terry Brooks)</p><p>OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD!</p><p><b>DAY ONE: THE NAME OF THE WIND</b></p><p><i>My name is Kvothe.</i></p><p><i>I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.</i></p><p><i>You may have heard of me.</i></p><p>So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature &#8211; the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.</p></blockquote></div><div
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class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
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class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=kingkiller-chronicle">Kingkiller Chronicle</a> | </span><span
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href="http://richmaloy.com/?subject=richs-recos">Rich's Reco's</a></span><br
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xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2244</post-id> </item> <item><title>Off to Be the Wizard by Scott Meyer</title><link>http://richmaloy.com/book-review/off-to-be-the-wizard/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rich]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 17 Aug 2014 03:14:09 +0000</pubDate> <guid
isPermaLink="false">http://richmaloy.com/?post_type=book-review&#038;p=2235</guid><description><![CDATA[Laugh out loud funny. There are multiple parts of "Off to Be the Wizard" where I was literally laughing out loud. I distinctly remember being at the gym and having to stop to get through a particularly funny section. If you want some lighthearted, fun and funny fantasy, then make this your next read. <div
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class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
/></div>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Laugh out loud funny. There are multiple parts of &#8220;Off to Be the Wizard&#8221; where I was literally laughing out loud. I distinctly remember being at the gym and having to stop to get through a particularly funny section. If you want some lighthearted, fun and funny fantasy, then make this your next read.</p><h3 class="bc-heading
bc-color-basebc-spacing-smallbc-size-mediumbc-text-bold">Publisher&#8217;s Summary</h3><div
class="bc-boxbc-box-padding-nonebc-spacing-small"></p><blockquote><p>Martin Banks is just a normal guy who has made an abnormal discovery: he can manipulate reality, thanks to reality being nothing more than a computer program. With every use of this ability, though, Martin finds his little “tweaks” have not escaped notice. Rather than face prosecution, he decides instead to travel back in time to the Middle Ages and pose as a wizard.</p><p>What could possibly go wrong?</p><p>An American hacker in King Arthur’s court, Martin must now train to become a full-fledged master of his powers, discover the truth behind the ancient wizard Merlin…and not, y’know, die or anything.</p></blockquote></div><div
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xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2235</post-id> </item> <item><title>Ruins by Orson Scott Card</title><link>http://richmaloy.com/book-review/ruins/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rich]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 26 Nov 2012 20:19:54 +0000</pubDate> <guid
isPermaLink="false">http://richmaloy.com/?post_type=book-review&#038;p=1941</guid><description><![CDATA[Book one was interesting enough for me to continue with the series. And the cliffhanger at the end of this book should have been interesting enough for me to finish it out with the third book, but I never got around to it. I just really wasn't that invested in the characters to care to finish. <div
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class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
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class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=pathfinder">Pathfinder</a> &#124; </span></div>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Book one was interesting enough for me to continue with the series. And the cliffhanger at the end of this book should have been interesting enough for me to finish it out with the third book, but I never got around to it. I just really wasn&#8217;t that invested in the characters to care to finish.</p><h3 class="bc-heading
bc-color-basebc-spacing-smallbc-size-mediumbc-text-bold">Publisher&#8217;s Summary</h3><div
class="bc-boxbc-box-padding-nonebc-spacing-small"></p><blockquote><p>When Rigg and his friends crossed the Wall between the only world they knew and a world they could not imagine, he hoped he was leading them to safety. But the dangers in this new wallfold are more difficult to see. Rigg, Umbo, and Param know that they cannot trust the expendable, Vadesh &#8211; a machine shaped like a human, created to deceive &#8211; but they are no longer certain that they can even trust one another.</p><p>But they will have little choice. Because although Rigg can decipher the paths of the past, he can’t yet see the horror that lies ahead: A destructive force with deadly intentions is hurtling toward Garden. If Rigg, Umbo, and Param can’t work together to alter the past, there will be no future.</p></blockquote></div><div
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xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1941</post-id> </item> <item><title>Series: Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card</title><link>http://richmaloy.com/book-review/series-pathfinder/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rich]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 24 Nov 2012 20:26:05 +0000</pubDate> <guid
isPermaLink="false">http://richmaloy.com/?post_type=book-review&#038;p=1944</guid><description><![CDATA[Though Orson Scott Card's big hit, Ender's Game, has a child main character, and is one of my all-time favorite books because Ender's character is so compelling, you'd think that would be a specialty for Card. He's certainly written a lot of books with child protagonists, including more in the Enderverse. However, the child main characters in this series fell flat for me. I didn't event continue on after the second book. I also thought the fantasy/sci-fi crossover was interesting, but still, I didn't carry on after the first book. We'll see, maybe I'll get back and finish it. This is not a flat-out "don't read" it's just a three-star series that will neither waste your time nor change your life. <div
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class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a>, <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=sci-fi">Sci-Fi</a></span><br
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class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=pathfinder">Pathfinder</a> &#124; </span></div>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Though Orson Scott Card&#8217;s big hit, <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/book-review/enders-game/">Ender&#8217;s Game</a>, has a child main character, and is one of my all-time favorite books because Ender&#8217;s character is so compelling, you&#8217;d think that would be a specialty for Card. He&#8217;s certainly written a lot of books with child protagonists, including more in the Enderverse. However, the child main characters in this series fell flat for me. I didn&#8217;t event continue on after the second book. I also thought the fantasy/sci-fi crossover was interesting, but still, I didn&#8217;t carry on after the first book. We&#8217;ll see, maybe I&#8217;ll get back and finish it. This is not a flat-out &#8220;don&#8217;t read&#8221; it&#8217;s just a three-star series that will neither waste your time nor change your life.</p><h3>Series Reviews</h3><ol><li><a
href="http://richmaloy.com/book-review/pathfinder/">Pathfinder</a></li><li><a
href="http://richmaloy.com/book-review/ruins/">Ruins</a></li><li>Visitors</li></ol><div
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class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a>, <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=sci-fi">Sci-Fi</a></span><br
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xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1944</post-id> </item> <item><title>Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card</title><link>http://richmaloy.com/book-review/pathfinder/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rich]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 17 Nov 2012 03:14:36 +0000</pubDate> <guid
isPermaLink="false">http://richmaloy.com/?post_type=book-review&#038;p=1935</guid><description><![CDATA[Orson Scott Card must have something with child protagonists. I guess with "Ender's Game" being his most famous and popular piece he decided to stick with what works? I'm just speculating. The Pathfinder series is an interesting fantasy/sci-fi crossover. I'll classify this book as fantasy based on my own arbitrary designation. Whatever. On to the review. It's a decent enough book, and while not quite in the young adult section, it's not quite at the depth of other fantasy or sci-fi novels. The premise is interesting, and the pacing well enough to keep me interested enough to grab the second book.<div
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class="post-data"><span
class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
/><span
class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=pathfinder">Pathfinder</a> &#124; </span></div>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Orson Scott Card must have something with child protagonists. I guess with &#8220;Ender&#8217;s Game&#8221; being his most famous and popular piece he decided to stick with what works? I&#8217;m just speculating. The Pathfinder series is an interesting fantasy/sci-fi crossover. I&#8217;ll classify this book as fantasy based on my own arbitrary designation. Whatever. On to the review. It&#8217;s a decent enough book, and while not quite in the young adult section, it&#8217;s not quite at the depth of other fantasy or sci-fi novels. The premise is interesting, and the pacing well enough to keep me interested enough to grab the second book.</p><h3 class="bc-heading
bc-color-basebc-spacing-smallbc-size-mediumbc-text-bold">Publisher&#8217;s Summary</h3><div
class="bc-boxbc-box-padding-nonebc-spacing-small"></p><p>Rigg is well trained at keeping secrets. Only his father knows the truth about Rigg’s strange talent for seeing the paths of people’s pasts. But when his father dies, Rigg is stunned to learn just how many secrets Father had kept from him &#8211; secrets about Rigg’s own past, his identity, and his destiny. And when Rigg discovers that he has the power not only to see the past, but also to change it, his future suddenly becomes anything but certain.</p><p>Rigg’s birthright sets him on a path that leaves him caught between two factions, one that wants him crowned and one that wants him dead. He will be forced to question everything he thinks he knows, choose who to trust, and push the limits of his talent&#8230; or forfeit control of his destiny.</p></div><div
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class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
/><span
class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=pathfinder">Pathfinder</a> | </span></div>]]></content:encoded> <post-id
xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1935</post-id> </item> <item><title>Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger by Stephen King</title><link>http://richmaloy.com/book-review/dark-tower-i-the-gunslinger/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rich]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 07 Sep 2012 05:04:13 +0000</pubDate> <guid
isPermaLink="false">http://richmaloy.com/?post_type=book-review&#038;p=1924</guid><description><![CDATA[I hated this book. I can't believe it's being made into a movie, oh excuse me, a "major motion picture." The only reason I finished this was because it came highly recommended by one of my best friends, who raved about the series. Maybe the problem is that the only other Stephen King book I've read is The Stand, and this series is supposedly rife with King references. Or maybe the book just fucking sucked. I'm going with that. Sorry Ted.<div
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class="post-data"><span
class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
/></div>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I hated this book. I can&#8217;t believe it&#8217;s being made into a movie, oh excuse me, a &#8220;major motion picture.&#8221; The only reason I finished this was because it came highly recommended by one of my best friends, who raved about the series. Maybe the problem is that the only other Stephen King book I&#8217;ve read is The Stand, and this series is supposedly rife with King references. Or maybe the book just fucking sucked. I&#8217;m going with that. Sorry Ted.</p><h3 class="bc-col-responsivebc-col-12">The Dark Tower I Publisher&#8217;s Summary</h3><div
class="bc-col-responsivebc-col-12"></p><div
class="bc-expander bc-expander-partial-collapse" data-bc-expander-height="60"><div
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class="bc-boxbc-box-padding-nonebc-spacing-small"></p><blockquote><p>Soon to be a major motion picture starring Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba!</p><p>In the first book of this brilliant series, Stephen King introduces listeners to one of his most powerful creations: Roland of Gilead, The Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland tracks The Man in Black, encounters an enticing woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the boy from New York named Jake.</p><p>Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, <i>The Gunslinger</i> leaves listeners eagerly awaiting the next chapter.</p></blockquote></div></div></div></div><div
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href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
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xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1924</post-id> </item> <item><title>Series: Codex Alera by Jim Butcher</title><link>http://richmaloy.com/book-review/series-codex-alera/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rich]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 12 May 2010 21:46:58 +0000</pubDate> <guid
isPermaLink="false">http://richmaloy.com/?post_type=book-review&#038;p=1749</guid><description><![CDATA[I cannot recommend this series. The plot lines of books two through six are so similar that I burnt out on it and even after the final book came out, I debated whether or not to buy it for six months. There are things about the series that are good—the magic system is very interesting and unique. The world is large enough to provide new settings in each book. And the main characters are well-written. The the author's credit, he really makes his main character struggle and earn it in every book. But the rest was too repetitive for me to rightfully recommend. <div
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class="post-data"><span
class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
/><span
class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=codex-alera">Codex Alera</a> &#124; </span><span
class="subjects"><strong>Subjects:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?subject=series-review">Series Review</a></span><br
/></div>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I cannot recommend this series. The plot lines of books two through six are so similar that I burnt out on it and even after the final book came out, I debated whether or not to buy it for six months. There are things about the series that are good—the magic system is very interesting and unique. The world is large enough to provide new settings in each book. And the main characters are well-written. The the author&#8217;s credit, he really makes his main character struggle and earn it in every book. But the rest was too repetitive for me to rightfully recommend.</p><h3>Series Reviews</h3><ol><li><a
href="http://richmaloy.com/book-review/furies-of-calderon/">Furies of Calderon</a></li><li><a
href="http://richmaloy.com/book-review/academs-fury/">Academ&#8217;s Fury</a></li><li><a
href="http://richmaloy.com/book-review/cursors-fury/">Cursor&#8217;s Fury</a></li><li><a
href="http://richmaloy.com/book-review/captains-fury/">Captain&#8217;s Fury</a></li><li><a
href="http://richmaloy.com/book-review/princeps-fury/">Princep&#8217;s Fury</a></li><li><a
href="http://richmaloy.com/book-review/first-lords-fury/">First Lord&#8217;s Fury</a></li></ol><h3>Publisher&#8217;s Summary</h3><div
class="bc-box bc-box-padding-none bc-spacing-small"><blockquote><p>In the realm of Alera, where people bond with the furies &#8211; elementals of earth, air, fire, water, and metal &#8211; 15-year-old Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. But when his homeland erupts in chaos &#8211; when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies &#8211; Tavi&#8217;s simple courage will turn the tides of war.</p></blockquote></div><div
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class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
/><span
class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=codex-alera">Codex Alera</a> | </span><span
class="subjects"><strong>Subjects:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?subject=series-review">Series Review</a></span><br
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xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1749</post-id> </item> <item><title>First Lord&#8217;s Fury by Jim Butcher</title><link>http://richmaloy.com/book-review/first-lords-fury/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Rich]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 10 May 2010 21:41:31 +0000</pubDate> <guid
isPermaLink="false">http://richmaloy.com/?post_type=book-review&#038;p=1746</guid><description><![CDATA[I mean, at this point, I'm five books into the six-part series—might as well finish it, even if the plot follows the same damn outline. Again. And again. I was so burnt out on the series that I waited a year to pick up this one. <div
class="post-meta"><span
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class="post-data"><span
class="genre"><strong>Genre:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?genre=fantasy">Fantasy</a></span><br
/><span
class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=codex-alera">Codex Alera</a> &#124; </span></div>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I mean, at this point, I&#8217;m five books into the six-part series—might as well finish it, even if the plot follows the same damn outline. Again. And again. I was so burnt out on the series that I waited a year to pick up this one.</p><h3>Publisher&#8217;s Summary</h3><blockquote><p>For years he has endured the endless trials and triumphs of a man whose skill and power could not be restrained. Battling ancient enemies, forging new alliances, and confronting the corruption within his own land, Gaius Octavian became a legendary man of war &#8211; and the rightful First Lord of Alera.</p><p>But now, the savage Vord are on the march, and Gaius must lead his legions to the Calderon Valley to stand against them &#8211; using all of his intelligence, ingenuity, and furycraft to save their world from eternal darkness.</p></blockquote><div
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class="series"><strong>Series:</strong> <a
href="http://richmaloy.com/?series=codex-alera">Codex Alera</a> | </span></div>]]></content:encoded> <post-id
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