#brian mclellan

[starling-dust]

i have rot in my brain and it is @astepinsilence's fault

Olem didn’t have to lean over so very far to kiss him.

[foreverlostinliterature]

10/7 Book Deals

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well and staying healthy and all that. :) It’s been a hectic time, but I’m happy to be back sharing some books on sale today because there seem to be a quite a few on sale today. How’s everyone been doing? Hope you’re all hanging in there! Time has been going so fast and it’s crazy, but I’m also trying to just enjoy the spooky month and get some scary reading in. (I’m currently reading Dan Simmons’ The Terror--any of you read it??)

Okay, so as I said, there's a lot of seriously great books on sale today. I highly recommend The Poppy War (the final book in the trilogy is coming out this November!), The Shadow of What Was Lost (one of my absolute favorite fantasy trilogies!), The Witch's Kind, Marie Benedict's books, and honestly I’ve been hoping to read quite a few of these as well! There’s a nice mix of genres also, so it seems like a little something for everyone, be sure to have a look if you need some reading material. :) 

Here is the link to find resources on how you can help out with the BLM movement! Keep the momentum going!

Today’s Deals:

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang - https://amzn.to/36NN5eq

The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington - https://amzn.to/2GxUHHq

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood - https://amzn.to/36GCfXV

The Witch's Kind by Louisa Morgan - https://amzn.to/3iL4gA0

Kingsbane by Claire Legrand - https://amzn.to/3nodDsF

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth - https://amzn.to/2GC3Ej1

Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict - https://amzn.to/36HfWB6

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict - https://amzn.to/34wNkIm

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Marie Simple - https://amzn.to/2SzaBnd

Sins of Empire by Brian McClellan - https://amzn.to/2Swmsma

Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth by J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien - https://amzn.to/3jJq1Bm

Cursed (Fairy Tale Reform School) by Jen Calonita - https://amzn.to/33AQ5cm

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane - https://amzn.to/33EP96J

Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin - https://amzn.to/34ALuWD

Fool by Christopher Moore - https://amzn.to/2SyEzbd

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf - https://amzn.to/3iBUobp

Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier - https://amzn.to/3iFIIoj

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco - https://amzn.to/3iFOSVe

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue - https://amzn.to/2SBw2nC

Afterland by Lauren Beukes - https://amzn.to/34t9kUo

Little Creeping Things by Chelsea Ichaso - https://amzn.to/30GUh8u

NOTE:  I am categorizing these book deals posts under the tag #bookdeals, so if you don’t want to see them then just block that tag and you should be good. I am an Amazon affiliate in addition to a Book Depository affiliate and will receive a small (but very much needed!)  commission on any purchase made through these links.

[starling-dust]

olem // powder mage trilogy sketches

sees one (1) person talking about olem, goes feral, starts sketching

[phsolomon]

How a Recent Read Affects My Writing Plans

How a Recent Read Affects My Writing Plans #Fantasy #epicfantasy #CMCF #TBoHS @BrianTMcClellan

Hi everybody, With a bit of time on leave, I’ve been catching up on my reading at night. One of the books I finished was by Brian McClellan, entitled Wrath of Empire which rounded out his second powder mage series. Over the last several years, I’ve enjoyed reading a number of different fantasy books. One of those authors is Brian McClellan’s books about powder mages, including this one: All of…

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[wordsfromastone]

Crimson Campaign & The Autumn Republic

The Kez army is advancing towards the heart of Adro. Field Marshal Tamas readies his men for a flanking maneuver, all the while wracked with worry over his son Taniel, comatose since the events on Mt. Pike. More concerning are the rumors that Kresimir is alive, in the Kez camp.... and going mad. I read both of these back to back, finishing out the Powder Mage Trilogy in one stroke, and I'm rather glad I didn't space them out more. Crimson Campaign ends on a very tense cliffhanger, and I simply couldn't wait to see the resolution. That, alone, should be a fairly strong endorsement. McLellan occupies a strange spot among the authors I enjoy reading. He does solid world building, writes dialogue very well, and creates tense action scenes. In spite of that, he doesn't rank among my favorites. Part of the problem lies in the way he structures the magic in his world. It's all very straightforward with little nuance for the reader to appreciate. In Promise of Blood, Taniel has to make a shot from miles away, and the only trick to making his magic help with that is 'concentrate really hard.' This is in stark contrast to the battle between Vin and Shan near the end of Mistborn: The Final Empire. Vin manages her magic precisely to overcome her foe's advantages. Still, I have grown to love the characters. Taniel and Ka-Pol are easily my favorite pair to follow through the story. His cavalier, cowboy attitude and her fiery, expressive personality combine to keep everyone around them either off guard or absolutely infuriated. Lots of great popcorn moments, romantically tense moments, and moments to cheer over. As a last word of caution, the tone of the series stays grim through the last two books. There are few, if any, breather moments as characters pass from trial to trial. The time they are given to rest is usually skipped in the text and, as a result, we readers lose out on a some moments for potential growth and insight. The Powder Mage Trilogy is a strong offering in a non-standard fantasy setting. It doesn't clear my personal threshold of awesome, but it comes very close while daring greatly. Fans of historical fiction centered around the time of the American Civil War or perhaps the Napoleanic Wars might acratch their fantasy itch here.

[openingfiction]

Field Marshal Tamas stood in the ruins of Kresim Cathedral in Adopest.

Brian McClellan, Powder Mage III: The Autumn Republic

[myimmortalseries]

[myimmortalseries]