Richard Nell profile

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Richard Nell's 6 reviews

Liefdom by Jesse Teller (Perilisc)

OverallFirst I'll say I'm already a Jesse Teller fan, and Liefdom was the experience I've come to expect: raw, deeply creative, and dark. I really enjoyed it, and some of the more ambitious parts of the book blew me away. Largely what I enjoyed were the characters and the writing itself, so I'll focus...

7.9/10

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Drones by Rob J Hayes

OverallAll-around great, short sci-fi cyberpunk. Mr. Hayes took a little break from grimdark fantasy to satisfy his muse, and the result is a dark, intimate, and relevant story about a man who'd rather feel nothing than his own emotions. I really enjoyed it and tore through in a couple days.Setting/...

8.0/10

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Gedlund by William Ray (Tales of the Verin Empire)

Gedlund is a big, flintlock epic with guns and goblins, ancient empires, and cannons blasting the walking dead. In many ways I felt immersed in a world much like the Warhammer universe, with the (British) Empire of man battling vampire counts and greenskins. This is a good thing, and basically I just really enjoyed it.Setting/Worl...

7.8/10

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Darklands by ML Spencer (The Rhenwars Saga)

OverallAn unexpected, interesting read that I think should appeal to a cross-section of fantasy fans. It's dark, but not too bleak; philosophical, but not preachy; complex, but approachable. My only warning is to readers who want a break-neck plot pace, because this one moves fairly slowly and savors the details. On th...

8.0/10

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Priest of Bones by Peter McLean (War for the Rose Throne)

The war at Abingon is over, but the scars remain. Thomas Piety and his small band of war brutalised ex-soldiers have no more use to the Crown now the conflict has been won- they have been set adrift, one group among many let loose in a land already devastated by famine and plague. However, these may just be luckier than most, for Thomas Piety, l...

8.7/10

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Dune by Frank Herbert

To borrow a line from a film adaptation of this novel: “When politics and religion ride in the same cart, the whirlwind follows.” Frank Herbert’s Dune is easily one of the most layered works of fiction produced during the twentieth century. From examining Byzantine political gambits to the human penchant for hero worship, Herbe...

9.4/10

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