the year in books [X]

My exploration of fantasy in 2020 continues, and there have definitely been some winners. George R.R. Martin's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (4⭐️) is a great companion to his Song of Ice and Fire series, though it takes place well before the events of the infamous 'Game of Thrones.' Mark Lawrence's King of Thorns, second in his Broken Crown trilogy, was another good read but not as good as the first, Prince of Thorns; thus I'm giving it 4⭐️ instead of five. The creme of this gauntlet's crop was Paul Kearney's Hawkwood's Voyage (5⭐️), a spectacular tale that is like a retelling of late medieval Europe but with werewolves and warlocks. It's the first of a five-book series, and I've added the rest to my Reading Queue. George R.R. Martin's compendium of Wild Cards is actually a collection of short stories that take place in an alternate universe. Because the stories are written by a slew of authors, some are excellent while others are rather drab, which is why I'm giving it 3⭐️. The Blade Itself, though touted as one of the best fantasy books out there, was tough to get through; for me, it had to do with the writing style. Thus I'm giving it 3⭐️, but most other readers would probably give it 4-5. Undertow was a decent story, and the first of a trilogy, so I'm giving it 4⭐️.