Welcome
Welcome to StephenBarkley.com. This is where I post all the stuff I've been thinking, praying, speaking, and writing about. Thanks for reading.
The Book of Lost Things © 2006 Washington Square Press: Simon & Schuster 469 pages Usually the expression, “coming-of-age” steers me away from a book. With the exception of King’s The Body (later: Stand By Me), coming-of-age stories smack of Hallmark made-for-tv-style drivel. So why did I buy this book from an author I had [...]
Elantris © 2006 Tor Fantasy 656 pages How does a world carry on when its gods die? How does the political machine grind on in an immediate catastrophic power vacuum? Can a dystopic future can be reversed? Sanderson tackles all these questions in the form of a mystery novel set in a fantastic setting. The [...]
Warbreaker © 2010 Tor 688 pages Warbreaker is a large stand-alone fantasy novel with sequel potential. In it, Brandon Sanderson did what he does best: created a magic system that provides mystery and depth to character interactions. Having read the Mistborn trilogy, it was nice to see some twists on the themes he developed. In [...]
The Hero of Ages: Book Three of Mistborn © 2009 Tor Fantasy 784 pages I think I’ve finally been able to put my finger on what’s so compelling about this trilogy. If you’ve ever read early Asimov novels, you’ll realize they’re essentially good mystery-adventure stories that happen to be set in space. Well, strip away [...]
The Well of Ascension © 2008 Tor Fantasy 816 Pages Middle volumes of a trilogy are supposed to be weak. They advance the plot to setup the finale without the same sort of world-altering excitement of volume one or climactic rage of the final installment. The Well of Ascension is not your typical middle book. [...]
Shadowheart: Volume Four of Shadowmarch © 2010 Daw 730 pages The end is near here. Once again, I received the fourth book of a Tad Williams trilogy with excitement. In one way this review is pointless. If you’ve read the first three volumes, you’ll read this one. If not, start at the beginning. Even so, [...]
Towers of Midnight (Wheel of Time) © 2010 Tor Fantasy 861 pages It’s difficult to be objective here. If you’ve read the first twelve books in the series, you’ll read this one. If you haven’t, then you won’t open this volume any time soon! Towers of Midnight is the penultimate book in a monster-sized series. [...]
A Song for Arbonne © 1992 Viking: Penguin 515 pages It’s difficult to introduce this book without giving the plot away, so here’s what I can say: A Song for Arbonne is filled with political intrigue, big battles, and heroes-for-hire. Kay’s style has matured quite a bit by this effort, exhibiting the traits that become [...]
The Lions of al-Rassan © 1995 Viking: Penguin 582 pages What do you get when you cram three religions into one peninsula? The Lions of Al-Rassan, of course. Guy Gavriel Kay has created three interesting religions based loosely on Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The book covers a number of decades as the land trades hands [...]
Under Heaven © 2010 Viking Canada (Penguin) 573 pages Reading Under Heaven is like taking a visit to 8th Century China. Kay’s scholarship on the period is so thorough it seemed like I could almost smell the air and hear the din of the Tang Dynasty. This book took my estimation of Kay’s historical prowess [...]
by rss
by email