Book Series I want to read

 Hello everyone!!

Today we are going to talk about the book series that I want to read for a long time but I haven't yet managed to.

All of them are well-known and hyped series with excellent reviews so I am confident that I will like them too.

Without further ado let's start.

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

I believe that everyone knows these books and if you haven't read them you have probably watched the HBO TV series. They are 7 books in total but only the 5 of them have been published already. It is unknown when the rest will be published.

The books in the series are: 

1. A Game of Thrones

2. A Clash of Kings

3. A Storm of Swords

4. A Feast for Crows

5. A Dance with Dragons

6. The Winds of Winter (not published yet)

7. A Dream of Spring (not published yet)

The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski

This is another well-known series that became more famous after the Netflix adaptation. There are also video games inspired by them. It consists of 5 main books and 2 short story collection and I have only read the short story collections.

The best and most recommended reading order:

1. The Last Wish [short stories]

2. Sword of Destiny [short stories]

3. Blood of Elves

4. The Time of Contempt

5. Baptism of Fire

6. The Tower of the Swallow

8. Lady of the Lake

9. Season of Storms [prequel]

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I probably should have read these books earlier but you know what, never is too late with books. I have already read The Assassin's Blade which is a collection of five novellas.

The books in the series are:

1. The Assassin's Blade

2. Throne of Glass

3. Crown of Midnight

4. Heir of Fire

5. Queen of Shadows

6. Empire of Storms

7. Tower of Dawn

8. Kingdom of Ash

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Another famous series by the same author which is kind of a Beauty and the Beast retelling if I am not mistaken. 

The books in the series are:

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses

2. A Court of Mist and Fury

3. A Court of Wings and Ruin

4. A Court of Frost and Starlight

5. A Court of Silver Flames

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

I haven't read anything from Brandon Sanderson yet  and if I want to consider myself a fantasy reader I have to fix that asap.

Mistborn is an epic fantasy trilogy and a heist story of political intrigue, surprises and magical martial-arts action. The saga dares to turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails? What kind of world results when the Dark Lord is in charge?

This is a fantasy series, featuring one trilogy, a sequel quartet, several companion pieces of various lengths (from short stories to full novels), and future planned trilogies.

Books #1-3 are a trilogy to be read together.

Books #4-7 are sequels that take place 300 years later.

The books in the series are:

1. Mistborn: The Final Empire

2. The Well of Ascension

3. The Hero of Ages

4. The Alloy of Law

5. Shadows of Self

6. The Bands of Mourning

7. The Lost Metal (not yet published)

The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson's epic fantasy cycle tells the story of Roshar, a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain. It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. As brutal wars rage over the control of these magical weapons, an ancient text called The Way of Kings tells of ancient times, the Knights Radiant, and perhaps the true cause of the war. The Knights Radiant must stand again.

The books in the series are:

1. The Way of Kings

2. Words of Radiance

3. Edgedancer

4. Oathbringer

5. Dawnshard

6. Rhythm of War

If I keep searching I am sure I will find more series to add to my never-ending tbr but for now these ones will do.

However if you have anything to recommend I am all ears.

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!

Athina

Read More

Big Ideas for Little Philosophers... by Duane Armitage (Series Review)

Hello everyone!!

You will have probably figured out by now that I like to read children's books and especially picture books. They hold a special place in my heart and I see it also as a research for my little one. 

Browsing the catalogs of Edelweiss + for books I stumbled across this picture book series. It's a non-fiction series with the very interesting title Big Ideas for Little Philosophers. It is written by Duane Armitage and illustrated byMaureen McQuerry & Robin Rosenthal. It is published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and so far the series has four picture books. The books will release on July 7th 2020.

It's an exciting board book series that asks deep questions in a wonderfully accessible way. Even little children have big questions about life and these books try to answer them is a simple and understandable way. Also the illustrations accompanying the books are very beautiful.  

The four titles in the series are:

Truth with Socrates

Socrates believed being truthful and asking questions about the world can make us wise, and Truth with Socrates brings his philosophy to the youngest thinkers. From the importance of being honest even if it's hard or makes you scared to always asking questions to understand more about everything around you, this book will lead to inspiring conversations about human dynamics between people of all ages.

Equality with Simone de Beauvoir

Simone de Beauvoir focused much of her work on the concept of equality, insisting that girls and boys and women and men should have the same opportunities to be happy. Everyone should have the right to be themselves and be treated with respect no matter what. Kids will come away from this book encouraged to think about how the same things can make girls and boys happy or sad or excited, and everyone should listen to who they are on the inside and respect that in others. 

Happiness with Aristotle

Finding happiness is a lifelong goal and Aristotle thought deeply about it. Why are we here? What is the best way to live a happy life? Having friends who are fun and adventurous is important, but it's also important to have true friends who will help us be good people and tell us when we're straying from that. He also believed we have to love ourselves in order to love others and be happy. This book will prompt readers to concentrate on what makes them happy and how they can be a good friend to others and themselves.

Imagination with Rene Descartes

Imaginations are unique to every human on earth and Rene Descartes believed that is what makes every person their own true self. By thinking about what we imagine and how all people imagine differently, kids can work on understanding others' perspectives and points of view and become more empathetic. Imagination with Rene Descartes will help them see how using your imagination makes you "you" and understanding the same about friends and family is an important part of getting along in a community.

I highly recommend to check those picture books out. They are perfect for every little reader out there!

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!

Athina

Read More

Book Series: The ones I want to finish

Continuing from a previous post, today we are talking about the book series that I want to read and especially the ones that I already have on my selves. There are of course many more that are on my TBR but we will talk about them another time.

Let's start in no particular order

The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

This trilogy consists of three books:
1. The Bear and the nightingale, which I have read and really liked (review here)
2. The Girl in the tower
3. The Winter of the witch

The series is inspired by Russian folklore.

Here is the synopsis of the first book:
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.
After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.
And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.
As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales. 

Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco

This one consists of four books:
1. Stalking Jack the Ripper, which I am currently reading
2. Hunting Prince Dracula
3. Escaping from Houdini
4. Capturing the Devil

The books are for young adult readers and they are a blend of historical fiction and mystery as Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell investigate.

Here is the synopsis of the first book:
Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.
Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir

It consists of four books:
1. An Ember in the Ashes, which I am currently reading
2. A Torch Against the Night
3. A Reaper at the Gates
4. A Sky Beyond the Storm, which comes out on December 1st 2020

It's a young adult fantasy book about Elias and Laia.

Here is the synopsis of the first book:
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski

The series consists of eight books with the first one to be The Last Wish which is the one that the TV series follows. The books became famous with the video game and lately with the Netflix TV show.

Here is the synopsis of the first book:
Geralt of Rivia is a Witcher, a man whose magic powers and lifelong training have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin.
Yet he is no ordinary killer: he hunts the vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent.
But not everything monstrous-looking is evil; not everything fair is good . . . and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin

This is the famous book series that the famous HBO TV show is based on. It consists of five books so far and there are two more that we expect them to be published sometime in the future.

Here is the synopsis of the first book, A Game of Thrones:

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

Let's see how many of these books I will manage to read in 2020.

Any predictions?

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!

Athina

Read More

Book series : The ones I've finished

If you asked me what do you prefer, standalone books  or book series, I would probably say book series. As much as I enjoy reading a standalone and know how the story concludes, it is much better to know that there is more to this world, more stories and things to explore.

In the most recent years of my reading life, I managed to finish some series and among them are ones that have become my all time favorites. As you will probably know the majority of the books I read are fantasy and that is reflected on the list below.

Let's see them together (in no particular order)...

The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling

This is a no-brainer. Harry Potter is a series I have read and reread and I will probably read again multiple times in the future.

If you live under a rock and you do not know, this is about orphan Harry who learns he is a wizard on his 11th birthday when Hagrid escorts him to magic-teaching Hogwarts School. As a baby, his mother's love protected him and vanquished the villain Voldemort, leaving the child famous as "The Boy who Lived". With his friends Hermione and Ron, Harry has to defeat the returned "He Who Must Not Be Named".

It consists of seven books.

Shades of Magic Series by V. E. Schwab

This is one of my all time favorite series (along with the next one) and I am so happy that there will be more books in this world. 

If you do not know this is about Kell who is one of the last Antari―magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Officially he serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador. Unofficially he’s a smuggler, an occupation through which Kell is tricked into unleashing dark magic across the Londons. Can he prevent the same fate that befell Black London?

The series consists of three books and if you want to learn more you can check out my review here

Caraval Series by Stephanie Garber

This is the other all time favorite I was talking about.

It is about two sisters, Scarlett and Tella Dragna who have never left the tiny island where they live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic.

If you want to know more you can check out my reviews of Caraval and Legendary here and here.

The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

This is a very hyped sci-fi YA book series that I read and fortunately I really liked.

Each book in The Illuminae Files focuses on two new teens (a male/female) experiencing a different aspect of the same invasion. The trilogy is united by a report which documents the occurrences from each duo’s point of view.
This summary doesn't do justice to the books but you have to read them for yourselves.

If you want to know more you can check my review of the series here

Assassin's Creed Series by Oliver Bowden

For me this is an underrated series.  The books are based on the famous Ubisoft game and I really really like them. In my opinion you should read the first four books in order and the others in any order you like.

I have a full review for the eight books that are written by Oliver Bowden and you can check it here.

The Cemetery of Forgotten books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I haven't read anything like these books. They are historical fiction but there is something in the way Zafon writes that makes them magical.
The first book The Shadow of the Wind is about Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer's son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julian Carax. But when he sets out to find the author's other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written.

You can check out the full review I have for the series here.

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

I read these books as an adult but I still loved them. Philip Pullman is an amazing storyteller and everything he writes is beautiful.
His Dark Materials is an epic trilogy of fantasy novels  consisting of Northern Lights (published as The Golden Compass in North America), The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. It follows the coming of age of two children, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, as they wander through a series of parallel universes.

If you want to know more you can check my review of the series here.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

This is another series that I read as an adult and I liked them but I believe that I would liked them more as child.
The books are full of journeys to the end of the world, fantastic creatures, and epic battles between good and evil. What else would you need?

You can check out the full review I have for the series here.


These are all the series that I have finished until now but I hope I will add more to this list.
If you want to know which ones, I will have pretty soon another post about the series I want to read and I have on my selves.

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!

Athina

Read More

Harry Potter: A Journey through... series (Review)

"The history of magic is as long as time and as wide as the world. In every culture, in every age, in every place and, probably, in every heart, there is magic."

In the summer of 2019 Pottermore Publishing released four non-fiction short-form eBooks featuring content which is adapted from the audiobook Harry Potter: A History of Magic – inspired by the British Library exhibition of the same name.

The four ebooks explored the real History of Magic through the Hogwarts classes. They are done really well and it's a good source for someone to learn a little bit about the History of Magic. 

So, Harry Potter: A Journey through... series was created.

Harry Potter: A journey Through Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts (Book 1)

This one focuses on Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts and how they relate to  the colourful characters and curious incidents of the real History of Magic. Spells and charms have captured the imagination for hundreds of years. Warding off evil is also something that has concerned people throughout history. From werewolves to all manner of snakes in the wizarding world, you’d learn how to face a number of strange and frightening forces in Defence Against the Dark Arts classes. It has interesting information and some behind the scenes of the books. I liked it and I was glad there were more of it. 

Rating: 4 Stars

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Potions and Herbology (Book 2)

This one focuses on Potions and Herbology and it's full with interesting facts about them. Potions have been made for thousands of years – associated with bubbling pots and mysterious ingredients, they have been brewed to make medicines, drugs and poisons. Harry Potter became much better at Potions with a little help from the Half-Blood Prince. Plants have also been important components of medicines as much as myth-making and magic. A source of danger as well as a means of overcoming obstacles, Herbology was a subject which had a major bearing on Harry’s key decisions and mistakes in the Wizarding World.

Rating: 4 Stars

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy (Book 3)

As the title suggests this is about Divination  and Astronomy.  Prediction and fortune-telling make up the subject of Divination in the real and Wizarding World. From the use of bones and shells thousands of years ago, to peering into teacups in the parlours of Victorian England, for millennia people have strived to see what fate and fortune holds. Trying to read our destinies, the study of the night sky has fascinated people for centuries, from the star atlases of ancient China to the celestial globes of 17th-century Venice. Astronomy holds a special place in the Wizarding World as a source of inspiration and identity for Harry Potter’s life at Hogwarts, and beyond.

This one was the least favorite of mine.

Rating: 4 Stars

Harry Potter : A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures (Book 4)

This is the last one and focuses on the subject Care of Magical Creatures. It has a lot of information about our favorite magical creatures. Well-known folkloric creatures like giants, dragons and merpeople, and lesser-known beings such as Acromantula and Hippogriffs, all play a key role in Harry Potter’s journey. Nevertheless, it seems part of human nature to want to believe in the unbelievable: from the bestiaries and cabinets of curiosities of the medieval period onwards. We think that truth and myth are easily distinguished today, but magical creatures and the stories around them continue to fascinate us – and they are as central to the Harry Potter stories as Harry, Hermione and Ron.

Rating: 4 Stars

I think that all the ebooks are a very good dose of Harry Potter magic for everyone who misses the Wizarding World.

My favorites were the first two.

Do you know these books?

Have you read them?

If you are a Harry Potter fan (but even if you are not) , I think you should.

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!

Athina

Read More

Shades of Magic by V. E. Schwab - Series Review

Μια από τις πιο γνωστές σειρές βιβλίων φαντασίας είναι το Shades of Magic της V. E. Schwab. Πρόκειται για τριλογία και τα γεγονότα μας διαδραματίζονται σε ένα κόσμο όπου υπάρχουν τέσσερις διαφορετικές εκδοχές του Λονδίνου, το Άσπρο, το Κόκκινο, το Γκρι και το Μαύρο Λονδίνο. Το μόνο κοινό που έχουν είναι η μαγεία, αν και κάθε Λονδίνο έχει και διαφορετικό επίπεδο μαγείας. 

Ας δούμε όπως πιο αναλυτικά το κάθε βιβλίο.

A darker shade of magic (Book 1)

Πρόκειται γαι το πρώτο βιβλίο που διάβασα από τη Schwab και ομολογώ ότι το βρήκα εκπληκτικό. Μου αρέσει ο τρόπος που γράφει και ο τρόπος που μας περιγράφει τον κόσμο και τη μαγεία που τον περιβάλλει. Η σκέψη της να υπάρχουν τέσσερα διαφορετικά Λονδίνα είναι πολύ καλή και καταφέρνει πολύ καλά να τα δημιουργήσει και να ζωντανέψουν μέσα από τις σελίδες του βιβλίου. Επίσης μου άρεσε και η πλοκή του βιβλίου που όπως είναι αναμενόμενο έχει τα σκαμπανευάσματά της. 

Περιγραφή από Goodreads:

Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. 

Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

A gathering of shadows (Book 2)

Άλλο ένα βιβλίο της V. E. Schwab που μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ. Φυσικά δεν περίμενα κάτι λιγότερο. Επέστρεψα με μεγάλη χαρά στο Red London και στον αγαπημένο μου μαγικό κόσμο. 

Ο τρόπος που εξελισσόταν η πλοκή, οι χαρακτήρες, όλα ήταν υπέροχα. Υπήρχε η απαιτούμενη δράση στην πλοκή, η οποία γινόταν όλο και πιο έντονη καθώς πλησιάζαμε προς το τέλος. Το τέλος είναι περιττό να πω πως είναι ένα τρομερό cliffhanger. Αν δεν είχα το επόμενο βιβλίο δεν ξέρω πως θα άντεχα. Εννοείται πως το ξεκίνησα αμέσως. 

Τέλος να προσθέσω πως το Essen Tasch είναι απλά μαγικό! Και φυσικά Kell & Lila.

Περιγραφή από Goodreads:

It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift--back into Black London.

Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games--an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries--a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.

A conjuring of light (Book 3)

Δεν ξέρω τι να πω γι' αυτό το βιβλίο. Το σίγουρο είναι ότι το λάτρεψα και ότι θέλω κι άλλο! Όπως και τα προηγούμενα είναι και αυτό πολύ καλογραμμένο, με ωραία ανάπτυξη χαρακτήρων και πλοκής. Έχει αρκετές συγκινητικές στιγμές αλλά και στιγμές που σε νευριάζουν ή σε κάνουν και γελάς.
Αυτό το βιβλίο είναι γεμάτο δράση από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος και με αρκετά plot twists που το κάνουν ακόμα πιο συναραστικό. 

Περιγραφή από Goodreads:

THE BALANCE OF POWER HAS FINALLY TIPPED...

The precarious equilibrium among four Londons has reached its breaking point. Once brimming with the red vivacity of magic, darkness casts a shadow over the Maresh Empire, leaving a space for another London to rise.

WHO WILL CRUMBLE?

Kell - once assumed to be the last surviving Antari - begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. And in the wake of tragedy, can Arnes survive?

WHO WILL RISE?

Lila Bard, once a commonplace - but never common - thief, has survived and flourished through a series of magical trials. But now she must learn to control the magic, before it bleeds her dry. Meanwhile, the disgraced Captain Alucard Emery of the Night Spire collects his crew, attempting a race against time to acquire the impossible.

WHO WILL TAKE CONTROL?

And an ancient enemy returns to claim a crown while a fallen hero tries to save a world in decay

Τον Οκτώβριο θα κυκλοφορήσει και το πρώτο κόμικ από τη συγγραφέα που διαδραματίζεται στον κόσμο του Shades of Magic και που θα ασχολείται με το παρελθόν του πατέρα του Kell, πρίγκηπα Maxim Maresh πριν αυτός γίνει βασιλίας του Red London. Θα έχει τίτλο The Steel Prince.

Ανυπομονώ...

Αν δεν έχετε ακόμα διαβάσει τη σειρά Shades of Magic  σας τη συστήνω ανεπιφύλακτα. Διαβάστε τη και θα με θυμηθείτε...

Μπορείτε να αγοράσετε τα βιβλία από το Book Depository πατώντας εδώ (affiliate link) για το πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς.

Αθηνά

Read More

Assassin's Creed by Oliver Bowden - A Review of the series

Assassin's Creed

Πρόκειται για μια σειρά βιβλίων, τα γεγονότα των οποίων λαμβάνουν χωρα στον κόσμο του βιντεοπαιχνιδιού Assassin's Creed της Ubisoft. Τα βιβλία ακολουθούν δίαφορες χρονικές περιόδους και κινούνται γύρω από τη διαμάχη των Assassins και των Templars.

Η σειρά αποτελείται από 8 βιβλία και συγγραφέας τους είναι ο Oliver Bowden.

Από τα βιβλία έχω διαβάσει τα 5 πρώτα και νομίζω πως είναι εύλογο να τα δούμε ένα ένα, με την σειρά που κυκλοφόρησαν.

Assassin's Creed  - Renaissance

Το πρώτο βιβλίο της συλλογής κυκλοφόρησε το 2009.  Παρακολουθούμε την ιστορία του Ezio Auditore da Firenze,  ο οποίος προδομένος από τις προεξάρχουσες οικογένειες της Ιταλίας,  ξεκινά μια επική αποστολή εκδίκησης. Θέλοντας να ξεριζώσει τη διαφθορά και να αποκαταστήσει την τιμή της οικογένειάς του, θα χρειαστεί να μάθει την τέχνη του φόνου. Στην πορεία του, ο Ezio θα αναζητήσει τη σοφία σπουδαίων ανθρώπων όπως ο Leonardo DaVinci και ο Nicolo Machiaveli, γνωρίζοντας πως η επιβίωσή του εξαρτάται από τις δεξιότητες με τις οποίες καλείται να ζήσει. Για τους συμμάχους του, θα γίνει δύναμη αλλαγής, παλεύοντας για ελευθερία και δικαιοσύνη. Για τους εχθρούς του, θα γίνει απειλή ταγμένος στον αφανισμό των τυράννων που καταδυναστεύουν τους λαούς της Ιταλίας. 

 Assassin's Creed  - Brotherhood

Το βιβλίο κυκλοφόρησε το 2010. Η κάποτε πανίσχυρη Ρώμη είναι πια ένας σωρός ερειπίων. Η πόλη βυθισμένη στη δυστυχία και τον εκφυλισμό. Οι πολίτες της ζουν στη σκιά της αδίστακτης οικογένειας Βοργία. Μονάχα ένας άνθρωπος μπορεί να τους ελευθερώσει από την τυραννία της: ο Ezio Auditore, ο ικανότερος των Assassins. Αυτή η αποστολή θα ωθήσει τον Ezio στα όριά του. Ο Καίσαρας Βοργίας, ένας άντρας πιο σατανικός κι επικίνδυνος ακόμα και από τον πατέρα του, τον Πάπα, δεν θα ησυχάσει ποτέ αν δεν κατακτήσει ολόκληρη την Ιταλία. Σε τέτοιους πονηρούς καιρούς, όμως, συνωμοσίες εξυφαίνονται παντού, ακόμα και μέσα στις τάξεις της ίδιας της Αδελφότητας... 

Assassin's Creed  - The Secret Crusade

Το βιβλίο, που κυκλοφόρησε το 2011, ακολουθεί την ιστορία του Altair, όπως αυτή περιγράφεται από τον Niccolo Pollo. Ο Niccolo Polo, πατέρας του Marco Pollo αποκαλύπτει επιτέλους την ιστορία που είχε κρατήσει κρυφή μια ολόκληρη ζωή - την ιστορία του Altair, ενός από τους πιο δυναμικούς Assassins της αδελφότητας. Ο Altair ξεκινά για μια τρομερή αποστολή· μια αποστολή που θα τον οδηγήσει από τη μια άκρη των Αγίων Τόπων ως την άλλη και θα του αποκαλύψει το πραγματικό νόημα του Δόγματος των Assassins. Για να αποδείξει την αφοσίωσή του, ο Altair καλείται να αντιμετωπίσει θανάσιμους εχθρούς, μαζί και τον ηγέτη των Ναϊτών, Ρομπέρ ντε Σαμπλέ.

Στο βιβλίο εξιστορείται για πρώτη φορά η ζωή του Altair: ένα συναρπαστικό ταξίδι που αλλάζει το ρου της ιστορίας· η αέναη μάχη του ενάντια στη συνωμοσία των Ναϊτών· μια τραγική οικογενειακή ζωή που κόβει την ανάσα· και η απόλυτη προδοσία ενός παλιού φίλου.

Assassin's Creed - Revelations

Και αυτό το βιβλίο κυκλοφόρησε το 2011 και επιστρέφει πάλι σις περιπέτειες του Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Μεγαλύτερος σε ηλικία, σοφότερος και πιο επικίνδυνος από κάθε άλλη φορά, ο ηγέτης των Assassins, Ezio Auditore, ξεκινά ένα επικό ταξίδι για να βρει τη χαμένη βιβλιοθήκη του Atair μια βιβλιοθήκη που μπορεί να περιέχει την απάντηση για την οριστική εξάλειψη της απειλής των Ναϊτών. Ωστόσο, τον περιμένει μια συγκλονιστική ανακάλυψη. Η βιβλιοθήκη δεν περιέχει μονάχα κρυφή γνώση, αλλά και το πιο φοβερό μυστικό του κόσμου, ένα μυστικό με το οποίο οι Ναΐτες ελπίζουν να ελέγξουν το πεπρωμένο της ανθρωπότητας. Πέντε κλειδιά είναι απαραίτητα για να ανοίξει η βιβλιοθήκη και, για να τα βρει, ο Ezio θα χρειαστεί να ταξιδέψει στην ταραγμένη Κωνσταντινούπολη, εκεί όπου ο στρατός των Ναϊτών μεγαλώνει μέρα με τη μέρα και απειλεί να αποσταθεροποιήσει την Οθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία. Στα βήματα του προκατόχου του, του Altair, ο Ezio θα πρέπει να νικήσει για μια τελευταία φορά τους Ναΐτες. Διακυβεύονται περισσότερα από κάθε άλλη φορά και αυτό που ξεκίνησε ως προσκύνημα μετατράπηκε σε αγώνα ενάντια στο χρόνο…

Assassin's Creed - Forsaken

Το βιβλίο κυκλοφόρησε το 2012 και διαδραματίζεται το 1735, εξιστορώντας τα γεγονότα της ζωής του Haytham Kenway μέσα από το προσωπικό του ημερολόγιο περιγράφοντας την πορεία του από παιδί στην Αγγλία καθώς ανεβαίνει στην ιεραρχία των Ναϊτών. 

Από τη στιγμή που μπορεί να κρατήσει στα χέρια του ένα σπαθί, ο Haytham Kenway διδάσκεται πώς να το χρησιμοποιεί. Όταν το σπίτι της οικογένειάς του δέχεται επίθεση –ο πατέρας του δολοφονείται και η αδελφή του πέφτει θύμα απαγωγής από οπλισμένους άντρες– ο Haytham υπερασπίζεται το πατρικό του με τον μoναδικό τρόπο που μπορεί να το κάνει: σκοτώνει. Δίχως οικογένεια πια, τον παίρνει υπό την προστασία του ένας μυστηριώδης μέντορας που τον εκπαιδεύει ώστε να γίνει ένας θανάσιμος δολοφόνος. Με τη δίψα για εκδίκηση να τον κατατρώει, ο Haytham αρχίζει μια αποστολή τιμωρίας, δίχως να δείχνει εμπιστοσύνη σε κανέναν και αμφιβάλλοντας για όλα όσα διδάχτηκε. Η συνωμοσία και η προδοσία τον τυλίγουν καθώς βυθίζεται στην αιώνια μάχη ανάμεσα στους Assassins και τους Ναΐτες.

Τα υπόλοιπα τρία βιβλία της σειράς δεν τα έχω διαβάσει ακόμα αλλά πάμε να δούμε το θέμα τους.

Assassin's Creed - Black Flag

Κυκλοφόρησε το  2013 και ακολουθεί τον Edward Kenway, πατέρα του Haytham Kenway και παππού του Connor Kenway. Ο Edward Kenway είναι ένας νέος μισθοφόρος που καταφέρνει να γίνει ο πιο θανάσιμος πειρατής του κόσμου, χωρίς να καταφέρει να μην εμπλακεί στην αιώνια διαμάχη μεταξύ Assassins και Templars. 

Assassin's Creed - Unity

Το βιβλίο κυκλοφόρησε το 2014 και διαδραματίζεται κατά την περίοδο της Γαλλικής Επανάστασης (1789), ακολουθώντας την Elise και τον Arno καθώς καταλήγουν να εμπλακούν στην αιώνια διαμάχη μεταξύ Assassins και Templars. 

Assassin's Creed - Underworld

Το βιβλίο κυκλοφόρησε το 2015 και ακολουθεί τον Henry Green 6 χρόνια πριν από τα γεγονότα του παιχνιδιού Syndicate. Διαδραματίζεται το 1862, στο Λονδίνο κατά την περίοδο της Βιομηχανικής Επανάστασης. 

Στη σειρά Assassin's Creed προστίθενται συνεχώς νέα βιβλία είτε από τον συγγραφέα Oliver Bowden είτε από άλλους συγγραφείς (πχ. Matthew J. Kirby με το βιβλίο The Last Descendants). Αρχές Νοέμβρη κυκλοφορεί και ένα ακόμα βιβλίο του Oliver Bowden με τίτλο Assassin's Creed Origins - Desert Oath, το οποίο αποτελεί ένα prequel.

Συμπέρασμα:

Η σειρα βιβλίων Assassin's Creed με συνεπήρε από το πρώτο βιβλίο. Περιλαμβάνουν όλα τα στοιχεία που θέλω να βρω σε ένα τέτοιο βιβλίο. Δράση, ένταση αλλά και κάποια ιστορικά στοιχεία. Όλα τα βιβλία είναι γραμμένα πολύ όμορφα και περιέχουν σωστές περιγραφές των όσων διαδραματίζονται.  H πλοκή ρέει ανάλαφρη και οι σκηνές δράσεις που έχει είναι δοσμένες έτσι ώστε μόνο θαυμασμό για τον κεντρικό χαρακτήρα σου αφήνουν.

Το γεγονός ότι γνώριζα και τα παιχνίδια της σειράς έκανε τα βιβλία να μου αρέσουν περισσότερο καθώς μπορούσα διαβάζοντάς τα να αναπαριστώ τις σκηνές από το παιχνίδι. 

Από όλα όσα έχω διαβάσει μέχρι στιγμής, αγαπημένα μου είναι τα τρία που σχετίζονται με την ιστορία του Ezio Auditore (Renaissance, Brotherhood & Revelations) χωρίς βέβαια τα υπόλοιπα βιβλία να υστερούν. 

Πόκειται για μια σειρά βιβλίων την οποία συνιστώ σε όσους αρέσουν αυτού του είδους τα βιβλία. Δε θα το μετανιώσετε καθόλου και φυσικά δε χρειάζεται να ξέρετε τα παιχνίδια για την απολαύσετε.

Στα ελληνικά κυκλοφορούν από τις Εκδόσεις Διόπτρα.

Read More