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Andrzej Sapkowski – Blood of Elves | Review

Title: Blood of Elves

Author: Andrzej Sapkowski

Type: Fiction

Page Count: 316

Rating: 3.5/5

The issue that I had with this book is exactly the issue that I was worried about. I think I just prefer Sapkowski as a short story writer than as a novelist, although I will admit that he’s pretty good either way and so it’s not as though I didn’t enjoy this book. It was still all right, it just wasn’t as good as the short story collections.

Other than that, though, there’s a lot here to enjoy. As always, Sapkowski does a great job of asking the reader complicated moral questions, and I like that there’s a bit of a grey area between some of the good guys and some of the bad guys that keeps you guessing about people’s intentions. It’s got a lot of great political intrigue in a similar vein to A Song of Ice and Fire, although it’s by no means a knock-off.

There was even some interesting stuff on gender, because the Witcher has an apprentice who he’s teaching, and she happens to be a girl. There’s a lot of stuff on ethics too, because Geralt faces some difficult decisions along the way. Oh, and a war with the Nilfgardians is beckoning, too.

So overall, I thought this book was just okay, and while I would recommend it, I think I’d suggest going with the short story collections first as a way to ease yourself into the world and its politics. I should also offset this review by pointing out that I felt kind of similar to this when I read the first book, and then it sat with me for a while and I realised, looking back on it, that it was fricken awesome. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing ends up happening here. So yeah, there’s that.

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Cory Doctorow and Karl Schroeder – The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Science Fiction | Review

Title: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Science Fiction

Author: Cory Doctorow and Karl Schroeder

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 360

Rating: 6/10

Cory Doctorow and Karl Schroeder – The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Science Fiction

I’m confused – I’ve always heard good things about Cory Doctorow’s writing, but this is the second of two books of his that I’ve read, and both of them have left me feeling disappointed. Here, he promises to “help you meld the creative with the practical and make some extra cash in the process.”

The problem is that it’s all a little too basic, and when you feel like further advice is required, you’re prompted to contact an organisation because it’s outside the scope of the book – it really does feel like an idiot’s guide, and it’s a little demeaning in places, even if it is accidental.

It also hasn’t aged well – most of the information that the book contains is just a Google search away, and half of the agents and publications that he suggests you contact are no longer in business, having failed to adapt to the digital age. It’s only fourteen years old, but fourteen years has made a hell of a difference.

Cory Doctorow

Besides, it just feels like a cheap knock-off of the ‘For Dummies‘ series – in fact, the Idiot’s Guide series has always paralleled the For Dummies series, and both of them were popularised by a book about MS-DOS. I don’t know which series launched first, but I know which one is better. I’ll give you a hint – it’s not this one.

I’m not saying that there isn’t any value to be gained from reading it, but take what you read with a pinch of salt and forge your own path through the murky world of writing and publishing – promoting your work is a skill, much like writing is, and you’ll have to develop your own techniques to suit your needs.

There’s only so much you can learn from a book, and I’m sure there are better, more up-to-date books out there for you to read. Pick this one above the others if you want to, but do so at your peril.