Now that I'm working full-time as a young adult librarian I haven't been posting nearly as much, but I wanted to at least do my end of the year lists! 1) Ms. Marvel: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson I love this comic series overall, but this one so clearly nails a lot of the things I've heard from teens recently. Their annoyance at older generations misjudging and underestimating them, their ability to come together despite differences, and their genuine desire to make their worlds a better place. Kamala Khan is just a fabulous protagonist overall, relatably trying to juggle her friends, family, faith, education, and, oh yeah, newfound superpowers. Plus, the cameos. The cameos. So many familiar faces from the Marvel universe have appeared, which is especially fun because Kamala is such an unabashed fangirl. I really can't praise this series highly enough- just go check it out for yourself. 2) Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson Sensing a theme? 2015 was a huge year for ...
Bloodthirsty druids and battle-hardened Iron Age warriors collide in the biggest epic fantasy debut release of 2014.
LEGENDS AREN'T BORN. THEY'RE FORGED.
Dug Sealskinner is a down-on-his-luck mercenary travelling south to join up with King Zadar's army. But he keeps rescuing the wrong people.
First, Spring, a child he finds scavenging on the battlefield, and then Lowa, one of Zadar's most fearsome warriors, who's vowed revenge on the king for her sister's execution.
Now Dug's on the wrong side of that thousands-strong army he hoped to join - and worse, Zadar has bloodthirsty druid magic on his side. All Dug has is his war hammer, one rescued child and one unpredictable, highly-trained warrior with a lust for revenge that's going to get them all killed . . .
It's a glorious day to die.
Paperback, 560 pages
Age of Iron by Angus Watson (Orbit) is now available as a paperback and eBook.
My Review
Age of Iron is a truly unforgettable read that reeled me in and lead me on all sorts of bloody adventures. Angus Watson is an unapologetic writer, who gets right down to the dark and dirty in such a vivid way that you feel like your right there in the thick of the action! I loved so much about this that it's hard to put into words but I think the very best thing had to be the colourful collection of characters littered throughout these pages.
Our main character, Dug, is such a down-to-earth guy who had me laughing and cheering on the whole way through. He's just the sort of unlikely hero that I usually fall for and I most definitely have a real soft spot for him. His love affair with the intriguingly beautiful Lowa kept my attention held as the pages flew by, but I think his relationship with a little girl called Spring was much more interesting. Spring is an intelligent live wire that you won't be able to take your eyes off...
The storyline followed a few key players and it took quite some time for their stories to finally knit together. I did enjoy getting to delve into each of their back-stories and really there was never a dull moment with any of them. Even though this is a historical novel, the language used was quite modern in places which I enjoyed. Sometimes the pace was a tad on the slow side but when the players started to mesh things became much more pacy and action packed.
Watson writes an epic battle scene, I felt each big blow of a hammer or cut of a blade. There was blood, gore and I was ever so thankful that nothing was ever held back...I revelled in those delicious descriptors!
Women are big key players in this story. Most were just as if not more fearsome than some of the men. I loved how strong and very confident some were, Lowa especially. I can't wait for others to meet her and enjoy her easy confidence and kick-ass ways.
The ending was epic!! I didn't see any of it coming and I couldn't of been more pleased!
Age of Iron stands out from the crowd and quite rightly so. It's filled to the brim with action, adventure and intrigue. Did I mention the druids? (dark, dangerous and ever so interesting). I thoroughly enjoyed loosing myself to this gorgeously imagined world inhabited by the most wonderful cast of characters! Watch out for this series...it's explosive!! Bring on the next already!
4.5 / 5 stars
*Special thanks to Orbit for the review copy*
About the Author
Angus Watson is an author and journalist living in London. He’s written hundreds of features for many newspapers including The Times, Guardian, Financial Times and Telegraph, and the latter even sent him to look for Bigfoot. As a fan of both historical fiction and epic fantasy, Angus came up with the idea of writing a fantasy set in the Iron Age when exploring British hillforts for the Telegraph, and developed the story while walking Britain’s ancient paths for further articles. Follow him @GusWatson. www.guswatson.com
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