Joust by Mercades Lackey
No it is not a Valdemer (sp?) novel but it still has bonded animals and dragons :)

It is about a young Serf by the name of Vetch who as fortune has it, a Tian Jouster named Ari finds him and takes him away to become his dragon boy. Despite being a serf and having very little friends, Vetch soon impresses everyone with his skill and dedication in looking after Ari and his dragon, Kashet.

But Ari is unique amongst the jousters having raised Kashet from an egg rather than capturing a wild dragonet and having to tame it constantly with tala. Which gives Vetch ideas.

The dragons are really neat and the characters very likeable (Ari is just the best) and it makes me want a dragon. It is a good light read that you don't have to think overly much in reading it (unlike Midnight Tides :) ).

What the hey I enjoyed it and if you like her other work - you will probably like this one too.

BTW the setting is 'Egyptian' inspired :P

Full Fathom Five (Kate Humphrey)
This is another book actually by Kate Forsyth who wrote Witch of Eliann and it is really good.

It is a contempory novel about a young agraphobic named Sara who has spent the apst 5 years stuck in her farmland home spending time only with her disjoint family. On Easter Friday her painter father doesn't come home adn she gets worried and sends her brothers out in the rain to find him. They do, he is dangling upside after falling off the headland and is quickly taken to hospital though was it truely and accident?

Moving and addictive - that and the fact that I have been close to where it was set and the date the book is set on is an important one to me. It struck a cord and I really enjoyed it - just going to show me that I don't JUST have to read fantasy :)

Fionavar Tapestry
Yep I finally finished reading the whole lot starting with The Summer Tree last month (which was a little odd but I liked it none the less - I really like Torc and Dave and Aileron for some reason)

The Wandering Fire got even weirder if that is possible and I was suprised to see Arthur in it - that was a little strange but nothing I coldn't handle - it also seemed to jump a little around the place and could've been a lot longer with all of the concurrent threads. And a word of warning someone dies and I wont say who and another person joins a group of 'Wild people'.

The Darkest Road I just finished yesterday and I did enjoy it but did ****** have to die? I mean really did they have to - well okay I guess they did but it was incrediably sad none the less. In fact a few characters die - I wont say which and spoil it though just be warned.

Truely I enjoyed the series and all, it was a little weird and could've been longer (I wouldn't have minded more on Torc and Levon :) ). Give it a go - the books together make up about the size of one WoT book! :P

1610: A Sundial on a Grave by Mary Gentle
Wow what a totally awesome book after ready Ash then White Crow which sucked 1610 is really really really good. Anyways Rochefort is very likeable and Dariole is a crack up. The story line is fun and exciting - the mystery is good and its the astrology that makes it even more intriguing

So much so I want to fint Sons of Sword and Hazard to see what it is like.

Definately a good read - I recommend it to all

About
Okay got this blog up and running - instead of just listing the books that I have read I'll place reviews and ideas into this blog - I'll try not to do any spoiling of the books (much like my reviews on my website anyways) and just say which ones I liked and why and which ones I wasn't impressed with and why.

Feel free to add comments and reviews of your own if you like