Elijah David

Back in January I listed the books in my TBR pile/shelf that I was most looking forward to reading. This month, I'm going to update that list because a) I have read a few from that list and b) my reading desires change with the hour. Cold Days by Jim Butcher Now that I've read Changes and Ghost Story (and have given myself some time to recuperate), I'm ready to dive into the next Dresden Files book. I'm really interested to see where the series goes after the stunning duo that was books 12 and 13. A Report from Group 17 by Robert C. O'Brien This is the last book in the O'Brien read/watch series, and I've partly been holding off on it because after this, there will be no more new-to-me O'Brien books. Yes, there are the NIMH sequels written by his daughter, but still. I'm going to read it because I need to finish the series, but please don't be upset if it takes me a little longer. The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams I t...

Well, I finally finished it; the Osten Ard reread is complete. To Green Angel Tower only took me 5 months (which is longer than reading the two paperback volumes took me in high school; but then again, that was high school -- an age when reading time was far more abundant). (By the way, TGAT -- book 3 of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn  -- is actually longer in word count than the entirety of  The Lord of the Rings , so don't let's have any of that nonsense about Tolkien being longwinded, yeah?) And yes, there are SPOILERS ahead because I need to rant and rave about things. You have been warned. Cover art by Michael Whelan To Green Angel Tower  picks up in the weeks following the climax of Stone of Farewell . Josua's rebel forces are largely sequestered on the stronghold of Sesu'adra. Pryrates' and Elias' plans seem to cement more each day. Miriamele and her companions are still trying to reach Josua, with an addled Sir Camaris in tow. Things are not yet at t...

Since I love to read, my Christmas wish lists usually involve at least a few books. This year, I received 6 books for Christmas, with a few extras thrown in due to gift cards and post-Christmas shopping. Most of those are on this list, and a few more are just books on my shelves I want to dive into soon. Changes by Jim Butcher I finished Turn Coat  and wanted to dive into this book immediately, but held back because I felt I should finish one of the other books I was reading first, and because I didn't want to finish it before I received Ghost Story  for Christmas. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher Yeah, I basically want to binge read the rest of the current books in the Dresden Files series because I love these books so much. No, I don't think the title bodes well for anyone involved. Cold Days by Jim Butcher Without letting myself get spoiled too  badly on what comes, there's no way this doesn't involve Mab and the Winter Court. Skin Game by Jim B...

I'm not 2/3 of the way through Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn and I've just accepted the fact I won't finish until after The Witchwood Crown  releases. That said, I'm still loving coming back to this world after so many years away. On to the review! Michael Whelan's cover art astounds as always. Check him out here . Stone of Farewell  is the shortest book in the trilogy, which may account for why I remembered so precious little of it. The fact that I originally read the third book, To Green Angel Tower , in its two-volume paperback edition likely did not help, as I kept expecting to see things which happened in that book happen here. We begin shortly after the previous book ends, with Simon and his company held captive or hosted as warriors (depending on the individual) in the ice-bound land of the trolls. Simon continues to be baffled by the Sithi, especially his friend Jiriki, and by the world at large. He mercifully grows more mature in this book, but many of ...

When I listed my top 10 most anticipated books for 2017 , I included a couple of books from Tad Williams, an author known for his "doorstop" fantasy and sci-fi novels. He tends to write four-book trilogies*, with the occasional standalone novel**. This year he has already released The Heart of What Was Lost (a short novel -- especially for Williams -- set shortly after his original Osten Ard trilogy Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn) and in June the first volume of a new trilogy set in Osten Ard is coming to my doorstep bookstores. In the spirit of getting ready for the new trilogy (which only has three books announced so far, but really five if you count THoWWL and another ancillary novel set to come out between the main novels of the trilogy), I'm rereading the originals. (Also, it's been approximately 12 years since I reread the second and third volumes and something like 3-5 years since I last read The Dragonbone Chair  in an attempt to reread the series that was ulti...