Graham Diamond

Dire. I gave up in disgust for the following reasons:

The main female lead was called Princess Sharon. I kept expecting her to be wearing skin-tight jeans and white stilettos...
Male characters had more-or-less middle eastern names. Females, on the other hand - well, Princess Sharon, somebody's deceased sister called Iona, and I gave up when Carolyn put in an appearance...
Did Huns actually practice siege warfare? And did they actually meet a flourishing Islamic state at Samarkhand?
The Steppes show more appeared to be a mountainous region...
The Islamic priest character was alternately referred to as a mullah or a mad monk... (Rah, rah, Rasputin!)
The over-blown writing style. Tolerable in a Robert E Howard Conan short story, but unacceptable in a long novel.

I know it's meant to be a fantasy, but there were far too many breaks in immersion for me, so I gave up. show less

I first read this novel as a teenager, and my only recollection of it was that I enjoyed it a great deal. I’d only vaguely remembered some plot details—it’s set in an indeterminate medieval-ish time period somewhere in a forest featuring the titular fort-like structure, and it involves a conflict between men and dogs—but I was yearning to read it again. My second read reveals why some tales appeal to us more when we’re younger.

First, the positives. “The Haven” is a rollicking show more good adventure novel—a straightforward tale of war between men and anthropomorphic dogs (yes, all the animals in this novel—dogs, wolves, birds—can talk). Very subtle dashes of the Trojan War and “Planet of the Apes” season an otherwise standard story featuring light romance and heavily brutal battle scenes. With no abstract philosophical ideas or ponderous themes to consider, the characters are concerned only with survival, dominance, and power. Mourning the loss of fellow soldiers is about as profound as the emotion gets in this novel. Diamond’s tone is appropriately serious but not melodramatically so—he knows he’s telling a rather ordinary story (albeit with some extraordinary fantastical touches), and he chooses his words accordingly.

As for the drawbacks…well, there’s really very little beyond the surface of this tale. At a few points along the way, Diamond creates opportunities for himself to use one of his hero’s (Nigel) quest for the “New Lands” as a metaphor for the value of history; Nigel and his fellow explorers/soldiers discover ancient texts, and I was anticipating some thematic resonance between the past and the future, some “bigger meaning” for one of the major plot strands. But it turned out to be simply one more way for the humans to gain a tactical advantage in their war with the dogs—which, I suppose, could fall under the category of using-knowledge-from-the-past-to-make-the-future-better.

So, if it’s profound literature with complex themes that you seek, search elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you’re simply seeking a fun adventure—the literary equivalent of a popcorn movie—you’ll find it in the pages of “The Haven.” show less

"To the Golden Port of Rhonnda-by-the-Sea came the ships, scores at a time, all flying the many different banners of the empire".

Graham Diamond- Dungeons of Kuba (Adventures of the Empire Princess, #2)

This book was wonderful! And pure adventure. It is part of a series but it is possible to read this as a stand alone which is what I did.

It is about a fantasy world, ruled over by two women. This is an adventure between these women for the throne, one good (Stacy who rules the Empire ) one evil show more (Sigried who rules Kuba.) I loved this swashbuckling tale and read with an enthusiasm that even surprised me.

Occasionally there comes along a book that may not be along the lines of what you normally read but for whatever reason you are drawn to it and read it, finding it every bit as good as you had hoped.

Although I love Historical Fiction and love some adventure, the fantasy royalty genre is not one I read alot of and when I do, I often do not find those books very good. But there is always the exception.

Dungeons of Kuba is one of those books. It was my first book by this writer and oh how I loved this book.

I think part of why I loved it so much is because I love books with vivid imagery and books that have that Historical element and can bring the atmosphere to life. I also love books about Royals. So upon thinking about it I can see why this would be my type of book.

Stacy and Sigried are both magnificently drawn characters. I was drawn into their world so easily. There is alot of meat to this story as Sigried, consumed with jealousy for the Golden majestic Stacy, will do anything to deprive her of power.

I have since, looked through the other books in this series and did not see any involving BOTH these women again but if I have missed something and there is one, feel free to email me.

This was just a wonderful adventure. Highly recommended show less

This book is certainly one of the most unusual. From the opening pages you realize the world you have entered is familiar yet very strange indeed. These mad scientists, spies, revolutionaries, musicians, performers, astrologers, et al, are unlike any you've come across before.
Greatly original, Chocolate Lenin, in my view, cannot help but be a cult classic. It has charm and wit, and ver smart dialog. Graham Diamond is to be applauded.