Smorgasbord Fantasia

 On Waiting on Wednesday, we feature some of the most anticipated new releases in SFF coming out this year. So this week, we shine the spotlight on the upcoming novel, part two in the new series Quest for Heroes by Stephen Aryan , The Warrior.  I truly enjoyed the first book, The Coward and didn't honestly think there was going to be a book-II (They are calling this a Duology!) so colour me pleasantly surprised. Eagerly looking forward this one!  Kell, two time saviour of the Five Kingdoms, is now the King of Algany. He has fame, power, respect, and has never been more miserable… Bound, by duty and responsibility, Kell is king only in name. Trapped in a loveless marriage, he leaves affairs of state to his wife, Sigrid. When his old friend, Willow, turns up asking him to go on a journey to her homeland he can’t wait to leave. The Malice, a malevolent poison that alters everything it infects, runs rampant across Willow’s homeland. Desperate to find a cure her cousin, Ravvi, is willi

 In the follow-up to the stunning Black Sun , Fevered Star set in a fantastically re-constructed Meso-American inspired world, Rebecca Roanhorse takes us back to the politically charged cities of the Meridian.  Perhaps a tad bit slower than its predecessor, Fevered Star works chiefly because of the phenomenal worldbuilding that Rebecca excels in and continues to add on, with this Book-Two in the trilogy. True enough, it is a middle-book and right after that cataclysmic events of Book One, things take on a distinctly slower pace. We are being set up for a show-down in the last book of the trilogy but there are enough flash-points, peppered with brilliance, for us to sink our teeth into this bridge book.  As in Book One, the story unfolds through the POV of three main protagonists. Serapio, the blind young man, who is to be the vessel of vengeance, as planned by the Sky Clan Carrion Crow. The events pick up directly after the Serapio has channeled the Crow God and eclipsed the sun in th

  Red Wolf, Black Leopard was one of my favorite books of 2019. The favorite book, actually.  The first book in the proposed Dark Star trilogy was a psychedelic mad fantastical dream set in a pre-colonial Africa, teeming with magic, witches and mad kings, a Marlon James's version of traditional sword-and-sorcery. This was a gore splatter-fest, teeming with lurid sex all in the name of a quest to find a boy, who is central to the overall plot (if there ever was one!). So in Moon Witch, Spider King, the second novel in this trilogy, Marlon James reins himself in, just a touch . This book is more a companion novel rather than a sequel - giving us a roshomonesque view of the same quest, that our beloved Tracker had set out for, with his group of friends.  Except this time, it's the story of the Moon Witch, also known as Sogolon. Her name, actually doesn't matter as we realize over the course of her story that extends one hundred seventy seven years and counting. It's a h

On this Waiting on Wednesday meme, we feature some of the most anticipated titles in SFF releasing this year. This week, we turn the spotlight on the upcoming epic fantasy debut, The First Binding by RR Virdi . Having gotten an early copy of this door-stopper mammoth, I am super excited about the references to the mythos of South Asia, having shaped this twisty, epic narrative. Lots of noted authors have poured in their love and appreciation for Virdi's work ( 'Crafted with patience, passion and, most importantly, tremendous love. Read R.R. Virdi'   Jim Butcher) - and I cannot wait to find out for myself!  Here's the blurb:  " All legends are born of truths. And just as much lies. These are mine. Judge me for what you will. But you will hear my story first. I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow. Then I killed their god. I've stolen old magics and been cursed for it. I started a war with those that walked before mankind and lost the pri

Marvel 's latest phase of movies and tie-in television series on Disney+ has been a mixed bag of experiments. A few hits, lot more misses. But have to give it to Kevin Fiege and his team, they are definitely not afraid to experiment. Take their latest Moonknight series. Brilliant, definitely un-marvel like and totally kickass! (More on this to come!)   Dr. Strange's new solo outing as well, the psychedelic trip into the Multiverse, aptly named Dr. Strange and The Madness of the Multiverse is something that seems experimental. But in reality, is more couched within the frameworks of familiar tropes of the Marvel Universe. And so, the question is: Does this succeed?  Well, not for most parts, am afraid. It is at the end of the day a forgetful trip into a maddening and colourfully rended (Absolutely GOD level CGI!) multi-verse with an endearing version of Benedict Cumberbatch ( A national treasure for sure, one heck of a talent!) along with some of his cronies ( Wong as Supreme

 So The Girl and the Moon by Mark Lawrence ( Book of the Ice #3 ) marks the end of this trilogy and his thirteenth book that I have finished. (His sci-fi series, I am yet to wrap up Books, 2 and 3!) Again, hats off to one of the most hard-working writers in this genre today, one who has consistently managed to up his game, his quality of writing and give us some fascinating stories that entertain, educate and make us ponder. Even this series, Mark expands that interesting universe of his, bringing in that curious mix of science-fantasy that is trademark Mark, along with with some fabulous main characters, whom you would follow to the end of the world and back.  Like literally, in this series - Yaz of the Ictha tribe of the Ice. Book-2 The Girl and the Mountain , we followed Yaz and her rag-tag crew of 'rebellers' who set out to defy mother nature, in a quest to find the promised land, that "Green Land" a thin strip of green corridor in this world of Abeth, fast losi