Vox Day of Vox Popoli reviews Hailstone Mountain, mostly positively. (I get the impression he’s a tough critic):
Creativity: 4 of 5. Based on it is on a history with which most readers are much less familiar than they tend to think, Hailstone Mountain is considerably more creative than the average fantasy novel. I liked how Walker mimicked the way in which saga plots tend to advance and turn abruptly, without much in the way of warning. It’s a fascinating blend of old and new, and will be a pleasure for anyone tired of the formulaic plots and predictable characters that presently infest so much of modern fantasy. Jonathan Moeller has remarked how epublishing has broadened the scope of fantasy fiction, and Hailstone Mountain is an excellent example of this phenomenon.
I read Wolf Time when Tor was offering the e-book free.
I was impressed; I read little fiction nowadays, but I may pick up Hailstone Mountaim on the strength of Vox’s review. The quoted passage was very good.
Yes. That’s a tough review. Maybe he knows his stuff–that is, I hope he does.
Is this related to Erlings’ Word?
Yes, after The Ghost of the God-Tree (The Year of the Warrior), and West Oversea. But they’re all stand-alones.