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Author David Wiley

~ Author of science fiction and fantasy stories, choosing to write the stories that he would love to read.

Author David Wiley

Tag Archives: Brandon Sanderson

Ten Books I’m Excited About in 2017

30 Friday Dec 2016

Posted by David Wiley in Book Release, Books and Reading, Top Ten List

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

A.L. Mabry, Books in 2017, Brandon Sanderson, david wiley, Elin Pettersson, George R.R. Martin, John Ryers, Joshua Robertson, Lilian Oake, Neil Gaiman, Sarah J. Maas

In no particular order, here are ten books that I am fairly certain are coming in 2017 that I am excited to get my hands on and read:

**I’m holding out hope that George R.R. Martin will release The Winds of Winter this year, but since it isn’t confirmed it will not make the list.

10. Beren and Lúthien by J.R.R. Tolkien – Seriously. Tolkien = Satisfaction

9. Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson – I haven’t started his Stormlight Archive series yet, but listening to A Wheel of Time right now has me already earmarking this as the next epic fantasy series to dive into.

8. Throne of Glass Book#6 by Sarah J. Maas – The final book in her series, I’ve finally started in on book 5 and cannot wait to see how it all unfolds.

7. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman – Do I even need to explain myself on this one?

6. Soul Purge: Book One of the Chthonian Guardian Trilogy by A.L. Mabry – One of the talented co-founders of OWS Ink. This one sounds promising!

5. The Glass Thief by John Ryers, Jan. 1 2017 – Start the new year right and grab a copy of this gem of a book.

4. Dark Grasp by Elin V. Pettersson – Zombie unicorns? What an imagination this talented author has!

3. Voices of Jaydur Series Book #1 by Lilian Oake (yet to be named officially), Fall 2017 – I loved her short book, An Ogre’s Tale, and I am excited to read anything she writes.

2. Maharia (Kaelandur Series, Book #3) by Joshua Robertson, April 2017 – I haven’t started on his Kaelandur series yet, but once the third and final book is out I am certain to binge read them all.

1. A Merchant in Oria by David Wiley – Yes, this will be my first non-anthology publication. The wonderful people at OWS Ink are projecting this to be among their Spring 2017 releases, and more details will certainly be following as I get them!

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Best Books I’ve Read in 2016

23 Friday Dec 2016

Posted by David Wiley in Books and Reading, Top Ten List

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Allison D. Reid, Angela B. Chrysler, Best Books 2016, Book Review, Brandon Sanderson, Elise Kova, George R.R. Martin, Gina Detwiler, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mary Weber, Priscilla Shirer, Scott Westerfeld

**Note: In the interest of consistency, I’m sticking solely to books written after 1900. So while some of my other reads, like Les Mis or Count of Monte Cristo would certainly make the cut I want to make sure to give the spotlight to more recent authors.

10: Dolor and Shadow by Angela B. Chrysler

I was immediately entranced with the premise of the book, since it envisions Viking/Norse mythology from the perspective of the elves. I knew, going in, that there would be a lot to love about the world being built and, in that aspect, I was not disappointed in the least. The worldbuilding here is magnificent and, once you get used to the onslaught of names and places, you can really begin to feel immersed in the world. Things are just so well-developed in this book that it feels reminiscent of the wholeness that Tolkien brought together with Middle-Earth in his books. This is one of the greatest strengths a book can have, that synergy with the wholeness of the world that allows for complete immersion, and is one of the things I love the most about reading fantasy novels. Continue Reading

9: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin

The trio of stories in this collection are absolutely fantastic in every way. In spite of the stories taking place nearly a century before A Game of Thrones, there are many familiar house names and sigils to remind you that you are immersed in the same bloody, conflict-driven world of Westeros that the other books inhabit. Martin is a master at weaving in realistic details of the Medieval world and culture, ranging from the depictions of tourneys to the clothing and armor to the food they ate at the table. Continue Reading

8: King of Ages: A King Arthur Anthology

This is an excellent collection of stories that re-imagine King Arthur through various time periods and acting in various situations. Some of the tales take on a traditional feel, while others are extremely innovative in their approach. Arthur and Merlin are the constants in every tale, although not always with those exact names, and many other gems of Arthurian legend are scattered throughout the thirteen stories in this anthology. It was almost as much fun picking out those references as it was reading the stories themselves, but that is my own love of Arthurian legend talking. Continue Reading

7: Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova

I love books with dragons in them, and I love it even more when an author does something nontraditional with them. It was why Rachel Hartman’s Seraphina struck a chord with me, and why this book does the same thing. It has dragons, but not in the way you would ever expect. It is interesting how separate the dragon society is from those operating on Loom, yet how critical they are to the magic and technology on Loom. Two thumbs up based solely on the usage of dragons in this book. Continue Reading

6: Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld

Short version: I loved this book. It is exactly the series I needed to read before getting to finish reading Brandon Sanderson’s Reckoners series because I realize now I need a steady flow of new YA superhero novels to keep coming. Because they are awesome and exciting and full of fun in a way that is completely different from watching the latest Marvel movie or binge watching their latest TV show. If this isn’t a thriving subgenre already, Sanderson and Westerfeld will have breathed life into that subgenre. Continue Reading

5: Siren’s Song by Mary Weber

I was so torn for half of this book. I wanted to read this book, because I loved the characters and the world and wanted to know what would happen. Yet part of me wished to delay reading this book even longer in order to prevent my time with Nym and Eogan and Myles and Rasha and the rest to come to an end. This book has seriously sat on my shelf since March, ignored because I didn’t want to conclude this trilogy. Yet, as with all good things, it eventually had to come to an end. And now, looking back, I am so glad I finally got around to reading this book.

I absolutely love Mary Weber’s writing and her fun, engaging characters. The imaginative world. The overwhelming sense of impending doom and dread that casts an overtone upon everything going on. Those things carried through in all three books, each in its own unique way. Yet the sense of despair is at its peak in this book. They even have a timeline, given early on, about when they can expect Draewulf to make his appearance for, what will amount to, their final battle to destroy him and, should they fail, the world will be subjected to his evil plots and armies of wraiths for who in hulls knows how long. Litches, this book still has me hooked. Continue Reading

4: The Prince Warriors/The Prince Warriors and the Unseen Invasion by Priscilla Shirer and Gina Detwiler (Yes, this is two books)

Do not let the ages of the protagonists of this book fool you, this is not just a book for kids. While it is certainly a Middle Grade fantasy fiction book, it excels at being something that people of all ages should be able to read and enjoy. This book’s premise is centered firmly around Ephesians 6:10-18, the Armor of God, but it contains so much spiritual and scriptural depth within these pages that even an experienced Christian could absorb some great insight and practical application from this book.

I absolutely love a good Middle Grade book, and this one rates right up among the highest. The group of protagonists are all easy to identify with, and all of them have both their flaws and their strengths. Not only will a reader be able to identify with at least one of these main characters in the book, it is geared as well to allow an inward reflection and invites you to personally consider yourself within the scope of the world as a Prince Warrior or a Princess Warrior. Continue Reading and don’t miss my review of Book Two as well.

3: The Wind Rider Chronicles by Allison D. Reid (Yes, this is three books! Review snippet from Journey to Aviad, the first book)

The writing in this book is beautiful, elegant, and masterful. It was enchanting and kept me riveted to the tale. The story came alive as I was reading the words, filling my mind and my soul with the poetical prose laced with Christian themes. This is everything I have always sought for in a Christian fantasy book, and something I have rarely seen pulled off with such excellence.

The main character, a young girl name Elowyn, is one of the best young female protagonists that I have read in quite some time, and I thoroughly enjoyed following her on these early adventures in the book. She is at home among the beauty of nature, marveling at the hand of Aviad in shaping all of the things around her and blessing her with beautiful scenes. She has an awe and reverence that is both child-like and mature, something that places well with the Christian themes. Her inner struggles with not being worthy of being in Aviad’s presence is something we all, as Christians, can relate to. Continue Reading, and don’t miss my review of the sequel, Ancient Voices, as well as her companion novella, Into the Shadow Wood.

2: Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

I wanted to read this book like a kid wants to eat a giant lollipop. I was excited to read the book just like the kid gets excited about lollipops, but I didn’t want it to end too soon just like the kid who gets the giant lollipop so they can savor the experience a little longer. Yes, this series will be full of  intentionally bad metaphors, and Calamity certainly had some memorable ones in there. The humor that Sanderson laced into this book, as well as the previous books, makes this a fun read while the action and intrigue makes it an entertaining romp through a world where superpowers don’t go to the good guys. Or, rather, it seems that everyone who gets superpowers turns bad, and they are known as Epics.

It is difficult to write a spoiler-free review of the final book in a trilogy like this, but I want this to be a comprehensive review for more than just this one book. I want someone to read this and go pick up the entire trilogy (Steelheart, Firefight, Calamity) plus the short between the first two (Mitosis). The Reckoners are back in action in this finale that certainly lives up to every expectation that it promised. The showdown that has been coming is epic. And Epic. Continue Reading

1: Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle Earth by J.R.R. Tolkien

A man who is as thorough in his revisions as Tolkien was will inevitably leave behind tales that never quite reach that state of completion. It is no surprise that there are many stories from The Silmarillion that Tolkien attempted to expand upon and never quite reached the end. After all, he was notorious for not only going through a manuscript thoroughly to revise it if there was any indication of interest in publishing it, but he also would start at the beginning of a tale every time he picked it back up to work on it. This habit led to many great beginnings to work that never quite reached that status of being complete. And thus they find life in this publication, alongside various essays on topics such as the Istari and Palantiri, and that is a great thing for fans of Tolkien and of fantasy.

The collection in here ranges from fascinating narratives to a genealogical listing of the kings written in a style that you would expect to find within a history book. There are some items that will interest certain readers more than others, and the impulse of the reader may be to skip ahead to the things of interest and leave the others unread. Which, in many cases, would be to skip over all of the First Age and most of the Second Age stuff. That, I believe, would be a tragic mistake. The best of the tales appear in those two ages, being longer narratives that, while incomplete, give a flavor of the epic nature of the characters rooted in Middle-Earth history. Fans who have read The Silmarillion will certainly enjoy getting a deeper dive into the adventures of some of these familiar figures, such as Túrin Turambar, and even a reader who has not enjoyed The Silmarillion will still find much to enjoy in some of those tales. I’d argue that they are presented in a far more compelling manner than The Silmarillion, having more development and storytelling than appears in the other work. Continue Reading
So there you have it, my ten favorite books from 2016. What are some of your favorites? Have you read any of the books that appeared on my list?

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Would You Rather… Author Tag

10 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by David Wiley in Books and Reading

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Author Tag, Brandon Sanderson, Fantasy, TOR, Would you rather, writer

Joshua Robertson once again posted a video covering a fun little set of questions for authors. Like I did with the previous one, I will be answering these with no added explanation (but feel free to ask in the comments or via Facebook/Twitter if you want to). Also, if you wish to do a video or post answering these, post a link in the comments and I will check your answers out!

Keep in mind, these all begin with “Would you rather”

1)…have a Male main character or a Female main character? Female main character.
2)…wake up before dawn every day to write or stay up into the early morning hours to write? Wake up before dawn
3)…write a book that is torturous to write but which is very popular or write a book that is fun to write but which is only known by a small audience? Fun to write, always. Even for an audience of one.
4)…write a SciFi story or a Fantasy story? Fantasy story, although I dabble in Sci-Fi.
5)…use first person or third person? Third person.
6)…meet any character of any book/short-story in real life for one day or personally know any author you wish? I would go with knowing any author I wish (Tolkien), although I’d be very happy to also know Brandon Sanderson.
7)…only be able to write your book in scenes from end to beginning or only be able to write it in scenes that jump around in the timeline randomly? Jump around randomly on the timeline.
8)…only be able to write dialog if you act out the voices out loud or only be able to write action if you act it out in real life? Write the action!
9)…publish with the most successful publishing house in your genre but have to wait 2 years to see your book in print or self publish with no expense or marketing assistance but see your book in print within 3 months? I’d choose to wait 2 years to land a contract with TOR…
10)…write a goofy story or write a serious story? Serious story
11)…have an authorial “voice” that always sounds like the narrator from Planet Earth or have an authorial “voice” that always sounds like Captain Kirk? Captain Kirk
12)…write a story knowing that you will have to kill off the main character eventually or write a story knowing that everyone the main character is close to you will eventually have to kill off? Wow…let’s go with everyone close to the main character will end up dying.
13)…leave your ending somewhat open and bittersweet or leave your ending on a cliffhanger? Cliffhanger to build anticipation for the next book
14)…have your cover art designed by Tim Burton or have your cover designed by Stan Lee? Stan Lee!!!
15)…write in many different genres or write only in one genre? One genre, as there are really only two I might write in.
16)…have all of your characters have some physical deformity or have all of your characters have some internal twisted nature?  Physical deformity would be interesting
17)…have an orphaned main character with good friends or a main character with a good-sized family and family problems? Orphaned with good friends
18)…write the sex scene or not write the sex scene? Not write the sex scene.
19)…write about uncertain dangers and intrigue or write about direct confrontation and violence? Both are fun, but let’s take direct confrontation and violence
20)…have to answer any question put to you by your fans or have no fans asking you questions? I’ll answer any question. Bring them all on!

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Book Review: Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

01 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by David Wiley in Book Review, Fantasy

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bad Metaphors, Book Review, Brandon Sanderson, Calamity, Epics, Reckoners, Superheroes

If there ever was a review I didn’t want to write, a book I didn’t want to finish, it would be this one. Because I don’t want to end my experiences with the Reckoners trilogy…

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Title: Calamity by Brandon Sanderson, Book 3 of the Reckoners Trilogy

Published by Delacorte Press on February 16, 2016

432 Pages (Hardcover)

Blurb and Praise:

From the bestselling author of the Mistborn series and Words of Radiance comes Calamity, the final book in the New York Times bestselling Reckoners series. What started in the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Steelheart and continued in the instant #1 New York Times bestseller Firefight now concludes in Calamity.

When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born. David’s fate has been tied to their villainy ever since that historic night. Steelheart killed his father. Firefight stole his heart. And now Regalia has turned his closest ally into a dangerous enemy.

David knew Prof’s secret, and kept it even when Prof struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers. But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much. Once the Reckoners’ leader, Prof has now embraced his Epic destiny. He’s disappeared into those murky shadows of menace Epics are infamous for the world over, and everyone knows there’s no turning back. . . .

But everyone is wrong. Redemption is possible for Epics—Megan proved it. They’re not lost. Not completely. And David is just about crazy enough to face down the most powerful High Epic of all to get his friend back. Or die trying.

Praise for the Reckoners Series:

“The suspense is relentless and the climax explosive.”—James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Maze Runner series

“Another win for Sanderson . . . he’s simply a brilliant writer. Period.” —Patrick Rothfuss, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Name of the Wind

[STAR] “Snappy dialogue, bizarre plot twists, high-intensity action, and a touch of mystery and romance . . . leaves [readers] panting for the sequel.” —Booklist, Starred

“Action-packed.“—EW.com

“Compelling. . . . Sanderson uses plot twists that he teases enough for readers to pick up on to distract from the more dramatic reveals he has in store.” —The A.V. Club

“An absolute page-turner.“”—Publishers Weekly

“A straight-up Marvel Comics-style action drama.”—Kirkus Reviews

And if all those reviews don’t get you excited to read this trilogy, maybe this non-spoiler review of this book will:

My Take: I wanted to read this book like a kid wants to eat a giant lollipop. I was excited to read the book just like the kid gets excited about lollipops, but I didn’t want it to end too soon just like the kid who gets the giant lollipop so they can savor the experience a little longer. Yes, this series will be full of  intentionally bad metaphors, and Calamity certainly had some memorable ones in there. The humor that Sanderson laced into this book, as well as the previous books, makes this a fun read while the action and intrigue makes it an entertaining romp through a world where superpowers don’t go to the good guys. Or, rather, it seems that everyone who gets superpowers turns bad, and they are known as Epics.

It is difficult to write a spoiler-free review of the final book in a trilogy like this, but I want this to be a comprehensive review for more than just this one book. I want someone to read this and go pick up the entire trilogy (Steelheart, Firefight, Calamity) plus the short between the first two (Mitosis). The Reckoners are back in action in this finale that certainly lives up to every expectation that it promised. The showdown that has been coming is epic. And Epic.

But that isn’t even the main target for the book. The one complaint that could be voiced is that once this big showdown is over, there isn’t enough time to properly build up for the other final showdown. But the plans of the Reckoners, especially those made by the main character, David, never work out like they should anyway so extra time to plan and scheme would have been prolonging a story longer than it needed to.

More information is learned about the powers that the Epics possess and how they came to get those, and some of those Epics seen in previous books take their powers to the next level in this one. Seriously, it is amazing what Sanderson had them doing with these powers.

One sign of a great trilogy is being able to reflect back, at the end, and see how things not only progressed from Book One to the ending but also to see how things in the early chapters allude to later events or become significant later on down the line. In that respect, Calamity delivers. I will always look back upon the Reckoners trilogy as a fantastic series. Steelheart was the first Sanderson book I ever picked up and I’ve been waiting anxiously ever since Firefight was announced shortly after I finished that book. I could herald this series for being about superpowers, which it certainly has plenty of that, but this series is so much more than a mere superhero series. It is action and excitement, mystery and intrigue, bad kissing and bad metaphors, exaggerated stories and mysterious backgrounds, and just plain fun.

I cannot recommend this book, and this trilogy, enough. Put it on your TBR list right now and you won’t regret it. Allow Steelheart to rope you in and you’ll thank me when you finish Calamity.

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