Shawn Speakman

WOOF.

Ok, so, I read the original short "The King-Killing Queen" (which is part 1 of this novel) in an anthology that I Kickstarted and read last year. At that time, this was one of my favorite entries and I remember saying I wished it was a full novel. Lo and behold, shortly after that, a Kickstarter was announced for a novel-length version! I backed it, and with shipping from the UK, this book cost me about $65.

I say all this because the cost of the novel does play into my disappointment show more with it. It's probably one of, if not the most, expensive books I own and damnit, I'm MAD about it.

Almost as soon as I started reading this book, I wondered what I liked about it the first time. Suddenly, the writing felt overly simplistic and painfully repetitive. After I'd finished part 1, I grabbed my copy of the anthology to compare the two. I thought maybe the initial short story had been (poorly) reworked as part of the novelization. I was wrong. I spot-checked quite a bit of part 1 and the original short, and they appear to be, word-for-word, the same.

How could I have liked it so much 6 months ago, and now feel both bored and frustrated by it?! I don't know, but that's what happened.

I didn't like any of the characters, the dialogue is painful, the plot is slow-moving and predictable, and the writing is so frustrating! I felt like I was being talked down to, or that maybe this was written for children (in a way that didn't feel compelling, because actually I love a lot of children's books and this is not a diss on the genre), except that people sometimes say "fuck" or try to kill each other. Normally, I would have DNF'd this at the halfway point, but I'd spent too much money for that and plodded on.

ONLY TO FIND OUT IT'S THE FIRST IN A SERIES.

I should have known. But I was taken by surprise and didn't even get any closure in terms of the plot. I don't know if I'll read the rest of the books - I certainly won't be backing any more Kickstarters; if they're traditionally published and eventually make their way into my library system, maybe I'll give them a read...but maybe not.

I would still be annoyed with this book if it had cost me a more typical amount of money, so I realize that some of my anger is tied to how much I spent and that's 100% not on the author. But damn, I really wanted to love this and I really didn't. show less

This was one of the highest quality anthologies I've ever read. I bought it for some of the big name authors that I know well (Sanderson/Jordan, Rothfuss, Lev Grossman, Peter. V. Brett, etc.) but stayed for some of the other authors whose work I'd never read.

Most of these stories were based in the ongoing fantasy universes of these authors. What I discovered was that I could get a pretty good sense of whether I'd like to read more based on the selections in this collection. For example, I show more will be sure to pick up some Michael J. Sullivan in the near future.

Like any collection there were highs and lows, but the lows were higher than some other collections' highs. Recommended for any fans of modern fantasy interested in a tapas-bar reading experience. show less

One of the better Fantasy anthologies I have read in awhile, that included many of my personal favorite authors. I had lucked out and was able to get a special Phoenix ComiCon edition of this book that had like 5 of the stories by themselves, three authors of which had signed it. Overall, I enjoyed most of the stories within, though, like in all collections, there seem to be one or two that just don't agree with me. It is great when authors are able and willing to help put a collection show more together, as this one - which was to help raise funds for medical bills for Speakman. show less

The Dark Thorn is an urban fantasy story with a profound basis in Arthurian legend, Celtic mythology, and the Catholic church. While I had a few quibbles, it's a fine start to what I hope will be a series of the Yn Saith knights.
Richard McAllister is the knight guarding the Seattle portal to the land of Annwn, where the fairie world was forced by humans centuries ago. A wide variety of characters, both Seelie and Unseelie, live there. Philip Plantagenet, son of Henry II and Eleanor of show more Aquitaine is also there, sent by his father in a Crusade to conquer the land. However, he now has plans for further conquests aided by a vast army of halfbreeds and Templar knights. Bran is a young homeless man who crosses paths with Richard and accompanies him to Annwn to meet with the forces opposing Philip. Meanwhile, the Vatican is also making moves, wanting to keep Annwn secret from the rest of the world.
Mr. Speakman does a fine job interweaving Arthurian and Celtic tales, and I very much enjoyed those book sections. His history wasn't quite as successful; I'd argue that Henry II had a tempestuous relationship with the Church and only gave Crusader vows as reparation for the murder of Thomas Becket. And a son, Philip, comes from one doubtful source and probably died young if he existed. These are quibbles; this is a fantasy, after all.
Also, I wouldn't say I liked the character of Deidre. She seemed too modern for a woman in a fantasy/medieval-ish world, and the love triangle didn't work for me.
As I said previously, I'd like to see the series continued. Annwn is an exciting world, and I could see revisiting it. show less