The Cobweb Bride by Vera Nazarian – Review
Book Reviews , eBook reviews / May 26, 2013

I received a free review copy of The Cobweb Bride via Netgalley. The Cobweb Bride by Vera Nazarian is a fantasy novel which tells the story of Death’s demand for his Cobweb Bride.  The premise of the book is that Death has refused to take any more dying people or animals until his Cobweb Bride presents herself to him at his hidden fortress.  It follows the journeys of several potential Cobweb Brides as well as those interested in aiding as well as thwarting them.

The Cobweb Bride by Vera Nazarian – Review
Book Reviews , eBook reviews / May 26, 2013

I received a free review copy of The Cobweb Bride via Netgalley. The Cobweb Bride by Vera Nazarian is a fantasy novel which tells the story of Death’s demand for his Cobweb Bride.  The premise of the book is that Death has refused to take any more dying people or animals until his Cobweb Bride presents herself to him at his hidden fortress.  It follows the journeys of several potential Cobweb Brides as well as those interested in aiding as well as thwarting them.

Amazon releases Kindle Fire in Canada
e-Reader Reviews / May 24, 2013

Today a friend alerted me (thanks Stèphane!) that Amazon has sneaked its 7inch Amazon Kindle Fire tablet into the Canadian store for pre-order.  I have put one on pre-order for your reviewing pleasure.  I may return it as I did the Kobo Aura, but I do want to check it out.

Amazon releases Kindle Fire in Canada
e-Reader Reviews / May 23, 2013

Today a friend alerted me (thanks Stèphane!) that Amazon has sneaked its 7inch Amazon Kindle Fire tablet into the Canadian store for pre-order.  I have put one on pre-order for your reviewing pleasure.  I may return it as I did the Kobo Aura, but I do want to check it out.

Where Madness Roosts by Darrell Drake – Review
Book Reviews , eBook reviews / May 22, 2013

Where Madness Roosts is a stand-alone novella in the Flameforged saga, of which I received a free review copy.  I have not read the other two novels in the series, Within Ruin and Everautumn, but that did not impact my reading of this novella. The story centres around two elven twins, Merrill and Almi, whose master/lover/husband Virgil is apparently murdered at a high-level diplomatic conference.  It follows their investigation into and attempts at revenge for, the killing. The twins are aided in in this by their psychic bond.   The world building is interesting with anthropomorphic furnishings and other creatures.  The characterisation of the twins is also nicely done.  They are clearly not  human, and do not think in human ways, but yet are generally relatable.  The description of the grief and depression into which the twins fall after Virgil’s murder is a highlight of the novel.    Mr Drake has a distinctive writing style that may not appeal to everyone.  He makes use of his extensive vocabulary which some may find distracting.  This for me did detract somewhat from the story and the characters and for me, personally, did impact my enjoyment of the story. For this reason I…

Where Madness Roosts by Darrell Drake – Review
Book Reviews , eBook reviews / May 22, 2013

Where Madness Roosts is a stand-alone novella in the Flameforged saga, of which I received a free review copy.  I have not read the other two novels in the series, Within Ruin and Everautumn, but that did not impact my reading of this novella. The story centres around two elven twins, Merrill and Almi, whose master/lover/husband Virgil is apparently murdered at a high-level diplomatic conference.  It follows their investigation into and attempts at revenge for, the killing. The twins are aided in in this by their psychic bond.   The world building is interesting with anthropomorphic furnishings and other creatures.  The characterisation of the twins is also nicely done.  They are clearly not  human, and do not think in human ways, but yet are generally relatable.  The description of the grief and depression into which the twins fall after Virgil’s murder is a highlight of the novel.    Mr Drake has a distinctive writing style that may not appeal to everyone.  He makes use of his extensive vocabulary which some may find distracting.  This for me did detract somewhat from the story and the characters and for me, personally, did impact my enjoyment of the story. For this reason I…

A Newbie’s Guide to eReading
e-Reader Reviews / May 20, 2013

Ereading still causes a lot of confusion.  I thought it might be useful to put together a post of some common questions regarding ereading and to do my best to answer them. What is eReading?Simply put, ereading is reading a book, comic, magazine or other similar content on an electronic device rather than in hard copy. Why should I give up my paperback and switch to ereading?Like many things, ereading is not an either/or activity.  There is no reason why you cannot read books in both hard copy and ebook formats.  It is very much a personal choice. Having said that, there are pros and cons to ereading.  I have listed some here to help you decide if ereading is right for you. Pros:Convenience.  With ereading you can carry your entire library around with you on your eReader, smartphone or tablet.   Can you imagine carrying around all 14 hardback books in the Wheel of Time series?  With ereading that is no issue. Likewise, if you’re living in a small space, an ereader takes up much less room than forty shelves of books. Accessibility.  Most ereaders and ereading applications allow you to adjust the font size to suit your eyesight.  This…

A Newbie’s Guide to eReading
e-Reader Reviews / May 20, 2013

Ereading still causes a lot of confusion.  I thought it might be useful to put together a post of some common questions regarding ereading and to do my best to answer them. What is eReading?Simply put, ereading is reading a book, comic, magazine or other similar content on an electronic device rather than in hard copy. Why should I give up my paperback and switch to ereading?Like many things, ereading is not an either/or activity.  There is no reason why you cannot read books in both hard copy and ebook formats.  It is very much a personal choice. Having said that, there are pros and cons to ereading.  I have listed some here to help you decide if ereading is right for you. Pros:Convenience.  With ereading you can carry your entire library around with you on your eReader, smartphone or tablet.   Can you imagine carrying around all 14 hardback books in the Wheel of Time series?  With ereading that is no issue. Likewise, if you’re living in a small space, an ereader takes up much less room than forty shelves of books. Accessibility.  Most ereaders and ereading applications allow you to adjust the font size to suit your eyesight.  This…