Reviews by John

What an excellent book! I've waited awhile for something that could take hold of you and bring you off to another place. And something as simple as Kings and Knights and love and honour I would previously have scorned and thought cheesy. But throw in a big helping of betrayal and greed and lust and madness and incest and blood and brutality and death, and I'm very interested. Martins descriptions are rich and vivid and the plot never goes where you expect it. It's an epic so the start can feel slow and ponderous. But it's like a old steam train that takes a moment to find grip on the smooth rails but builds to an irresistible momentum. Be good to yourself and get this.

Just finished the 3rd in the First Law Trilogy. Where do i go now? Dammit but that was good. Didn't Adams have 5 books in his Hitch Hickers trilogy? Had a listen to Heroes but you'd miss the magic and skill of Pacey. I might just have to read that one. Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he's a damn fine writer.

You become absorbed very quickly, setting you up with a sense of intrigue. Doesn't rely on endless charactors and at no time does it seem to drag. Imaginative, compelling, dark and even a little shocking in places. An effortless read or listen.

Got this book not realising it was aimed at a younger audience but was on holiday at the time so gave it a chance and finished it. Wasn't nearly as meaty or SF as books i would usually include in my diet, but was initially intrigued by the concept of the Nine. Thats what its all about I suppose. Fuelling the imagination. Wont be going back but because of my age and the age of the reader it's aimed at, I can't NOT recommend it. If I was 12 or 13, I probably would have liked it very much.