You might think that having all the time in the world to do your writing is a good thing. You have these images of people with unlimited time sitting there with a candle burning, a notebook and a pen on their desk, wistfully staring out of the window and contemplating existence. However, I don’t think … More Having all the time in the world isn’t always a good thing
There is a lot of good writing advice out in the internet ether that recommends reading a lot if you want to write a lot. This advice has a lot of truth in it, and it is important to read to help your writing craft. However, today I want to talk about the benefit you … More Consume stories, regardless of the medium
Having finished the Farseer Trilogy, I then had a decision whether I wanted to follow the rest of the Realm of the Elderlings storyline in chronological or published order. I decided to go with chronological, which then led me to the first of the Liveship Traders trilogy, the Ship of Magic. Part of my reading … More My thoughts on Ship of Magic – beginning the Liveship Traders Trilogy
Normally, I try and have my opinion pieces about books that I’ve read. However, this month, books have not been read. My lack of commuting over the summer has meant my progress with kindle reading on the train has somewhat reduced significantly. So instead, I’m turning to another medium to present some thoughts on, namely … More My Thoughts on “The Rings of Power”
The last book in the Farseer Trilogy we weave our way to the conclusion of Fitz’ quest to find Verity, who has been lost in the mountains since the end of book 1. I really enjoyed the start of the book, which followed Fitz’s reintegration with the human world. The gentle way that Hobb highlights … More Finishing the Farseer Trilogy – my thoughts on Assassin’s Quest
Second books in trilogies sometimes struggle to find their own rhythm. They tend to be a bridging story – taking the characters from the start of their story towards were the dramatic conclusion is. The second book of Robin Hobb’s trilogy Royal Assassin is anything but that. It’s one of the few times that I’ve … More Royal Assassin – Continuing my read through of the Farseer Trilogy
My introduction to the Realm of the Elderlings got off to a rocky start when I realised I started with the wrong book. Namely, the book that was the trilogy at the very end. I only realised this until I was almost a good 25% through (according to my kindle), which also meant I got … More Starting the Realm of the Elderlings – Assassin’s Apprentice review
The concluding entry to The Licanius Trilogy was as fast paced and page-turning as the previous two books, The Shadow of What was Lost and An Echo of Things to Come. If you’ve not read the previous two books, then please do read them before reading this blog, as this is not spoiler free! What … More The Light of all that Falls – a satifying end to the Licanius Triology
When I started An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington, I was certain of two things. Firstly, reading a huge fantasy story that I hadn’t read before on an e-book was considerably harder because I couldn’t have easy access to the map or the glossary, and secondly I knew for certain that this … More My Thoughts on An Echo of Things to Come
If you are active on any kind of social media, you are likely to see photos of beautiful writing setups, cosy desks, achievements of those who have written ten thousand words in a single day. Don’t get me wrong, that version of a “writing life” is quite valid, but I’m here to talk about why … More Why you need to go outside
Alex.J.Cobalt 