Review: The Warden by Daniel M. Ford
… So, once things do kick off, we get a lot of fun action sequences, a main character learning to do better and learning to adapt her city and courtly ways to the wild frontier, to tackle a problem far bigger and dangerous than she imagined, and torn between wanting to stick it out and wanting to decamp for other climes. …
770. Kevin Hearne (a.k.a. Bard Supreme) — A Curse of Krakens
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/sand-f-770-kevin-hearne/SandF_770_KevinHearne.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSTree magic, complicated wars, and bard-acity, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by Kevin Hearne to talk about his latest novel, A Curse of Krakens, the thrilling conclusion to The Seven Kennings series. Together, they discuss Hearne’s approach to storytelling in an epic fantasy setting, weaving complicated kingdom politics and unique magic systems into the world, the wonders of worldbuilding shenanigans, and so much more. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!
425. Acacia by David Anthony Durham w/ Brent Lambert — Reading Rangers
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/sand-f-425-acacia/SandF_425_Acacia.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSTwisted quotas, questionable empires, and ancient mysteries, oh my! Shaun Duke is joined by special guest Brent Lambert for a neck deep discussion of Acacia by David Anthony Durham! Together, they discuss the influence of the book on Brent’s life, the role of ancestry and legacy in empire, Durham’s treatment of trauma and the fantasy genre, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!
Book Review: THE RAGE OF DRAGONS by Evan Winter
Evan Winter self-published The Rage of Dragons in 2017. It soon received notice from an editor at Orbit, and in 2019 the publisher gave a freshly edited version of the novel a release, along with a deal for three further novels in its series entitled The Burning. The second novel of the series, The Fires of Vengeance, has recently been released, and a copy I picked up of that from my local bookshop (for this purchase, the aptly named Burning Books) now sits on my massive TBR stack. If you’re a regular follower of Skiffy & Fanty, you probably have already at least heard of The Rage of Dragons and its author. We featured Winter in episode #53 of the Signal Boost series (found here), and my fellow reviewer Paul Weimer praised the novel on Goodreads and Twitter. Paul even included it among books recommended to his followers at the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, right as we all began self-isolating and looking for worlds to escape into within pages. (Also: see Paul’s review on Barnes & Noble here).
392. Andrea Hairston (a.k.a. the Polyrhythmic Professor)
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/sand-f-392-andrea-hairston/SandF_392_AndreaHairston.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSPoison sands, narrative maps, and powerful conjure, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink return to their interviewing duties with an incredible discussion with Andrea Hairston, author of Master of Poisons from Tor Books! They discuss the book’s deep roots in African folklore and history, the wondrous influence of music and polyrhythms on the narration, Hairston’s unique take on magic and kingdom politics, pirates, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!
Book Review: We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson
We Ride the Storm has author Devin Madson introduce us to the start of a fantasy epic where a tottering Empire’s spin toward disaster is seen through the eyes of a Princess, a warrior, and an assassin with a most unusual gift. Princess Miko of the Kisian Empire is an untenable position. Descended from the Otako family, she has an uneasy relationship with Emperor Kin Ts’ai, who usurped the throne and is attempting to cement his power. Formally she and her brother are of the Emperor’s family, but the Emperor is surely aware that there are many, even years later, who would flock to an Otako banner. Keeping her autonomy, keeping the chances for her brother alive, and avoiding a purge runs through Miko’s days. When a promise of marriage to try and cement a peace with the dangerous Chiltaens to the north might end Miko’s freedom forever, Or help destroy the empire should the marriage contract fail. In the meantime, Rah e’Torin, a Levanti exile from the steppe and grasslands his horse riders are from, has a problem, too. His exile, with a group of loyal men and women, have led them into a desolate land to the south, with few signs of Chiltae, their destination. There are stories of former Swords of the steppe coming south to act as mercenaries and riders for the Chiltae, but as the food and water dwindles, Rah and his followers might think they are making a mistake. And when they do meet the Chiltae, their status and role, and the fate of those who migrated before them becomes dangerously, painfully clear.
