the year in books [IV]

Part of this year's Reading Queue are twelve fantasy books. While nothing has been as spectacular as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings - which I've added to my 2022 Reading Queue - there are some noteworthies in this first batch of two batches. 

The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French is a solid 4⭐️ read. A self-published books that won several awards and launched French into the spotlight, this story reads like Sons of Anarchy meets Lord of the Rings. The raunchiness was a bit much at times, and the parallels made with motorcycle gangs seemed a bit contrived at points, but overall this was a great novel. It broke more than a few molds by making orcs (or, rather, half-orcs) the protagonists rather than humans, as is seen in most Tolkien-esque fantasy novels.

Half a War by Joe Abercrombie is the third book in his Shattered Sea Trilogy, and I'm only giving it 3⭐️. I'm usually a big fan of Abercrombie, but the Shattered Sea Trilogy is written more for young adults or junior high kids, and so it lacks some of the gritty realism for which he's known. 

The Bone Ships by R.J. Barker comes in at 5⭐️. Barker writes a high-seas fantasy replete with excellent world-building, mythical creatures, and all sorts of intense conflict. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in his series next year.

The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington only receives 2⭐️ from me, though most readers seemed to really enjoy it. This novel was more in the realm of 'High Fantasy' with lots of wizards and magic. I tend towards the grittier fantasy tropes. This novel suffers from the Tolkien Influence, in which fantasy readers tend to copy, whether they know it or not, that pattern laid down by Lord of the Rings, in which young-blood nobodies must overcome many obstacles to set the world to rights.

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter also receives a mere 2⭐️, because it suffers from the same Tolkien Influence as Islington's The Shadow of What Was Lost. To be honest I didn't completely finish this book; the writing was choppy, the tropes in your face, and I just couldn't handle it after reading The Shadow of What Was Lost. 

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames receives 5⭐️, because it's an all-around excellent book that doesn't suffer the Tolkien Influence. The story revolves around a 'band' of ex-monster-fighting warriors who band together once more to save one of their daughters. The sequel, Bloody Rose, is on my 2022 Reading Queue.