The Queen of Death (Eberron: The Lost Mark Book 3) by Matt Forbeck

Kandler and co have decided to end the hunt forEspre by taking the fight o the dragons of Argonnessen the most powerful of he hunters. It's not much of a plan and almost certain death but no one has a better idea.

This book was a pleasant read but nothing special. The characters are complete idiots slightly less in this book then the previous ones. I know most character tend to need to do stupid things otherwise there would be no adventure but this lot are a bit too stupid. Still I enjoyed to book and would read the series again.

Orcslayer (Warhammer: A Gotrek & Felix Novel) by Nathan Long

Gotrek & Felix since we last read about them have been travelling he lands outside the Old World but are now on their way back. They break through an Orc blockade of a dwarf hold where they find out the empire is at war with the forces of chaos. Before they can set out to join the war Gotrek is forced by an old vow to help retake a recently conquered dwarf hold. The hold is held by very strange orc’s what is the deeper mystery behind these orc's and can Gotrek & Felix retake the hold and get rid of this mysterious power.

Some of the humour that was in these books when William King wrote them is missing and there are parts like when a drop of Orc shit drops on Felix’s face that are not needed and spoil the book. I quite enjoyed the book but would much prefer it if William King still wrote them

Eastern Tide (The Aldabreshin Compass Book 4) by Juliet E McKenna

Chazen Kheda has returned to the Archipelago from the western Isle where his actions had freed the savages from the rule of the cruel wizards and dragons. Unfortunately the some of those dragons have fled to the Archipelago, as it was his actions that unleashed these dragons on the inhabitants Kheda decides to hunt them down and remove them. Aided by Risala, Velindra and a new wizard Sirince he must remove the dragons with out the Warlords finding out that he is using magic, which would mean instant death.

This was a fantastic book I could not put it down and was left desperate for more at the end. My one problem was that Kheda seemed to whinge a bit too much but it did not detract from the story at all.

Blackstaff (Forgotten Realms: Wizards Book 1) by Steven E. Schend

Khelben"Blackstaff" Arunsun is preparing for an endeavour unmatched in the history of the realms so this would be the worst time to be mind linked with his apprentice. Now he and Tsarra must complete his preparations with the limitations of being unable to go further apart then eight armspans and Tsarra begin overwhelmed with visions of Khelben's past.

This is the first realms book that I can remember actually featuring Khelben as the main character. This book gives us so much more information on the mysterious (and underused) Blackstaff. On the whole I loved the book and Schend seems to be a cut above most of the new batch of authors. The only problem is that the ending seems a bit cut off it could do with a bit more details on the aftermath.

All The Weyrs Of Pern (The Dragon Books) by Anne McCaffrey

AIVAS has been found and provides the people of Pern with access to their history and all the technological knowledge they had lost over the turns (years). AIVAS has also promised to rid Pern of thread but to do that they will have to relearn a lot of the scientific knowledge and advanced technologically they lost. But some of the Craftmasters and lord holders are not impressed with the changes to their society and oppose all the efforts going as far as sabotage.

This is one of my most read books there is not much action in it but I really like the interaction between the characters. I particularly like the interaction between the characters and AIVAS People of a low technological society trying to understand Artificial Intelligence and how to interact with it.

The Renagades Of Pern (The Dragon Books) by Anne McCaffrey

A young girl Aramina can hear dragons and Thella (Sister of lord holder Larad now leader of a band of renegades) thinks that this gift would be useful to her allowing her to know what the dragons are doing would help her raids. So Thella sets out to kidnap Aramina which she eventually succeeds in doing. Aramina is saved by Jayge a young trader who has fallen in love with her and the two of them disappear not wanting to be found by either the renegades or the dragonriders. The book also recaps parts of the stories of The White Dragon and Dragondrums from Toric's point of view and tells us more about Piemur's time in the southern continent especially the period between the end of Dragondrums and when he shows up at cove hold in The White Dragon. On his jorney Piemur comes across Jayge and Aramina and helps them gain holding for the land where they are living in the southern continent. Eventually this new filters back to Thella who goes to kill them. Her plans fail and the story moves on tho Piemur's involvement and how they discover the AIVAS.

I always seem to go to Anne McCaffrey books when I cannot decide what to read they are simple pleasant stories that entertain you the stories are move involved with the character interaction then any action. This is not one of my favourite books of the series because of its first half I am not really interested in the Thella story line and often just miss it out and read Piemur's story.

Eragon (Inheritance Book 1) by Christopher Paolini

One day Eragon is out hunting and just he is about to make his kill there is an explosion when the dust clears he finds a strange jewel in a crater. This is the start of his adventures as the Jewel turns out to be a dragon egg and when it hatches he becomes the first new dragon rider in hundreds of years. Eragon leaves his village with the mysterious Brom the storyteller hunting down creatures called the Ra'zac who had killed his uncle looking for him. While he hunts he is also hunted by the King and the monstrous Urgals and is trained in the ways of sword fighting and magic. Will he survive the hunt and what will he do when he has killed the Ra'zac.

I quite liked it and will read more of Paolini's books. I was a pleasant book to read and if found that there were some resemblance's to other books (i.e. Eragon's training while travelling seemed to be an awful lot like Belgarion's training in the Belgariad)

Darkvision (Forgotten Realms: Wizards Book 3) By Bruce R. Cordell

Iahn Qoyllor is a Vengeance taker from Deep Imaskar the home of the remnants of the Imaskari Empire he is charged with hunting down Ususi Manaallin. Ususi Manaallin is a wizard she had left Deep Imaskar against the law and is now hunting for a sit where she can enter the Celestial Nadir a Demiplane created by the Imaskari Empire following a clue of Celestial Nadir crystal being sold as Datharathi crystal. Warian Datharathi had exiled himself from his family because he disliked their business methods but now he must return to find out why his crystal prosthesis that replaced his arm is acting up and he wants to know how to control it. Thormud Horn is a Dwarf geomancer he learns from the earth of a great disturbance in it so with his bodyguard the troubled Kiril Duskmourn he sets out to find the disturbance and stop it. The merchant family Datharathi has gone to far in the pursuit of wealth and have released and weapon of the ancient Imaskari Empire can it be stooped before it destroys the city of Deep Imaskar and all its people.

I had trouble getting into this book because the start was a bit slow but as I got further into the book I quite enjoyed it. I has a good cast of characters all of whom are quite interesting and likable.