Story Fragment : Avatars of Vulpran, part 6

Go back to to Part 4

Other Media Reviews: Webcomic Run-down 2

I haven’t had much time to seek out and read new books for Down the Stacks lately, but I have managed to discover a small set of new webcomics that deserve a little bit more attention.  As before, I’ll provide a link to each comic along with a synopsis and what I enjoy about the comic.

Down the Stacks #44: Mistborn

A belated Happy 2017 to you.  We’re going to kick this year of Down the Stacks off with, big surprise, a Brandon Sanderson book.  Specifically, I’m going to be reviewing a trilogy I should have done much sooner than this: the original Mistborn trilogy, also known as the The Final Empire or Mistborn era one.  Mistborn was Sanderson’s second published novel, following the stand-alone Elantris (that’s also on my to-do list), and the one that helped make the whole Cosmere a viable publishing project.

Story Fragment: Avatars of Vulpran, part 5

Read part 4 (and find links to previous parts) here

Down the Stacks #43: Arcanum Unbounded

It is Brandon Sanderson time once more here on Down the Stacks.  This week’s selection is from the Cosmere, but in a much more general sense than any other book.  Arcanum Unbounded is a new anthology collection that brings together a number of short Cosmere tales that have been previously published in many disparate places.  It’s more than just a simple anthology though: this new Arcanum provides never before seen glimpses into the works of a significant player in the Cosmere’s background narrative.

Story Fragment: Avatars of Vulpran, part 4

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Down the Stacks #42: The Aeronaut's Windlass

This week on Down the Stacks, we return to a favorite author of mine: Jim Butcher.  This masterful and entertaining writer of the Dresden Files and the Codex Alera has recently launched a new series called the Cinder Spires.  The Aeronaut's Windlass is the first entry, and it has all the hallmarks of Butcher’s style: smart and snarky characters, a solid and fascinating world, and the promise of deep and complex plots.

Read on for more details.

Down the Stacks #41: Emerald Sea

This week on Down the Stacks, I owe John Ringo a bit of an apology.  After slogging through There Will be Dragons, I was dubious about the rest of the series.  When the I went to the library to pick out my next set of books, however, I decided to give “Council Wars”another go and checked out Emerald Sea.  It is a vast improvement.

Down the Stacks #40: Promise of the Wolves

This week on Down the Stacks, we have a selection that’s a bit lighter than recent fare:  Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst.

Down the Stacks #39: Daughter of the Forest

This week on Down the Stacks, we’re slipping into the realm of fairy tales while keeping one foot solidly in reality.  In ancient Ireland, near but not quite part of the clash between Christianity and Druidism, is The Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier.

Down the Stacks #38: There Will Be Dragons

This week on Down the Stacks, We’ll be looking at an interesting spin on science fiction and fantasy with There Will Be Dragons by John Ringo.

Short story: Lilianne and the Dragon

Based on an idea brainstorming post I saw on Tumblr once.

Story Fragment: Avatars of Vulpran part 3

Part one.

Part two.

Read part 3 below the break.

Down the Stacks #37: A Study in Sable

Normally, I try not to spotlight the same author multiple times in a row on Down the Stacks, but when I went to return Home from the Sea to the library I saw this week’s book, A Study in Sable, by Mercedes Lackey, on the New Books display and I couldn’t resist.

Down the Stacks #36: Home from the Sea

It’s time for a Mercedes Lackey book again here on Down the Stacks.  Unlike my previous reviews of Lackey novels, I’ll be focusing on one particular book rather than just providing an overview of an entire series.  This week’s selection, Home from the Sea comes from the “Elemental Masters” series, which is set in the early 20th century, primarily in England, and contains loosely connected tales of mages hidden among every level of society and can command one of the four classical elements - Fire, Water, Earth, and Air - along with a host of hidden Elemental and airy creatures.  Each Elemental Masters book can stand alone, but a couple of sub-series involving recurring characters have emerged, and Home from the Sea belong to one of those.

Down the stacks #35: The Arrivals

This week on Down the Stacks, we’re looking at a fantasy-Western that doesn’t take many risks: The Arrivals, by Melissa Marr.

Story Fragment: Avatars of Vulpran, part 2

Read part one of this story here.

Down the Stacks #34: Shadow's Son

This week on Down the Stacks, we have a classic mix of Fantasy elements in Jon Sprunk’s Shadow’s Son.  

Story fragment: Avatars of Vulpran

This piece is long, so I'm putting it under a page break

Down the Stacks #33: White Sand

Normally, I draw material for Down the Stacks from my local library, and I have yet to review a graphic novel.  This week, things are different.  I was at Barnes & Noble and noticed something on one of the “special feature” tables: the name Brandon Sanderson printed across the top of a graphic novel called White Sand.  Considering my moderate obsession with Brandon Sanderson and his Cosmere, it should come as no surprise that I picked that book up without a second thought, nor that I’m about to gush about it for this week’s Down the Stacks.