Fantasy Books > D Fantasy Books > Terry Pratchett

Advantages: challenges ways of thinking
Disadvantages: general relativity still has be stumped!

...very odd biography of Charles Darwin's life, and takes up at most a quarter of the book. On the other hand, if you're interested in the science the interludes do provide a short respite from thinking too hard! Back to the science. After that initial irritating waffle about the topic in hand, the authors detour through several other topics which may or may not be of interest - and which weren't always obviously connected. In hindsight, the breadth ...
...discussion on an infinite universe tying in with my point above on probability. However, there do seem to be more than a few tangents, which again may or may not really 'work'. One section I found it hard to get my head around was the discussions on Special and General Relativity, infinity and really really BIG numbers, and a Whole Lot of Stuff Like That. Heavy going at the best of times, and two chapters in a book like this have their work cut ... Read review

Advantages: A character so different from what you would expect, loads of laughs and witty comebacks, excellent stroylines.
Disadvantages: None, as far as I can see.

Terry Pratchett portrays Death (a.k.a The Grim Reaper), as a much maligned and misunderstood yet loveable skellington, deep down inside, and not as what is ultimately the most feared myth of our consciousness. As you can imagine, he is simply a skeleton in a long black cowl, but interestingly enough, his character is personified, mirrored off human beings: he has a house (albeit in the between dimension of life and death), with a bath that has four ...
...University who tried to cheat Death because he didn’t want to die), a daughter called Ysabel (who is fat and annoying and likes pink), and a horse called Binky (pardon me for saying that I find that the most mind-bending name for Death’s horse ever imaginable.) Our man Death has a penchant for take-away curry, tends to suffer a bit from pensive introspective analysis, depression, and should be the last ‘anomorphic personification’(i.e ... Read review

Advantages: Well written, based on legends and myths but also plausible.
Disadvantages: A bit slow-paced.

...is not in it - the novel ends with his conception. Stewart holds the focus squarely on Merlin and gives us a character that is more than just magical myth. Of course Stewart's character is based on conjecture and legend but it definitely gives a more grounded version of Merlin and also of him as more than King Arthur's magician. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel but it was a bit slow-paced and didn't always command attention. It did however hold my ... Read review

Advantages: Definitely one to keep a weekend free for!
Disadvantages: Might appeal more to female readers

A wonderful story about a spy-courtesan called Phedrem, set in an fantasy world called Terre d'Ange (based around France in the 15-16th Century). She becomes enbroilled in various adventures regarding the succession of the royal family and is assisted by her trainer and mentor (Delauney) and a beautiful but chaste bodygaurd. I think it's the characters in this book which make it truely magical but the plot and the attention to detail in creating ...
...read. As with the best fantasy, there is a strong connection to fact and a great deal of research has obviously been done on Europe at that time. They sequels to this trilogy don't disappoint, in fact i thing the second 'Kushiel's Justice' is my favourite. There is a second trilogy following on from this starting with 'Kushiel's Scion' and whilst it's also very good, i don't think it can really compare to the first. I would recommend this book to ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent debut fantasy - highly original.
Disadvantages: Perhaps too dark for some...?

...own... And what is Scar Night? Why are people confined to their homes after dark, unable to leave? There are rumours of an ancient, wild creature. An Angel they call Carnival... ** From the offset, 'Scar Night' is gripping. Its general premise - a city suspended by chains - is original enough to be immediately interesting. Campbell puts a whole new spin on the fantasy horror genre, using an underlying gothic tone that fits as a back-drop to the ...
...becoming more oppressive as the story continues. Frankly, with the author's adept handling of his narration, it's astonishing to think it's his debut novel. Interest lies with the mystery of Deepgate - Campbell effectively creates a complex world in the 500 pages he has to work with. On ending, you'll be surprised as to the extent of the knowledge you'll have picked up about the history of its world. Unlike many other fantasy novels, 'Scar Night' ... Read review