Twitter is something I've used myself for quite a while (check me out), but this weekend I started a separate Twitter account for The Accidental Bard and put up a (hopefully) snazzy little badge above the main blog.  My day job often makes it hard to post as much as I'd like here, so I'm hoping to use Twitter to keep the site update to date in between the larger entries.  This is something that other fantasy bloggers like Aidan Moher have done quite successfully.

You can follow the Bard on Twitter here: http://www.twitter.com/accidentalbard.

We're pretty busy at the Accidental Bard right now, not only with the unfortunate necessities of real life, but with an ever-expanding reading list. 

Right now, for instance, I'm in the middle of finishing Stephen Hunt's The Court of the Air and halfway through (at long last) the final book of Joe Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy, Last Argument of Kings.

CJ (being a faster reader than I am) has gone through a formidable number of books since last posting. 

Please continue to hold.  An operator (innkeeper?) will be with you shortly.

We've been a bit preoccupied for the past couple of weeks with annoying real life obligations, we admit.  But stay tuned for new reviews and news.  The past couple of weeks have been heavy with real life obligations and distractions, leaving little time to tend to the Bard. 

I've also been experiencing ongoing difficulties with our commenting system and with Movable Type in general.  Speaking of which, thank you to Mulluane Lonewolf for her persistence and help with beta testing the comments.  Reader feedback is invaluable.  If anyone has tried to comment on a post and encountered errors of some kind, please do not hesitate to e-mail us at theaccidentalbard@gmail.com and let us know.  I'm working on stabilizing the system.

In the meantime, take a look at Suvudu's report on the debut of Neal Stephenson's Anathem and The Clock of the Long Now.

I just realized that the server often returns a 500 Internal Server Error when one tries to post a comment.  I apologize to anyone who has experienced this problem; I know how discouraging it can be to type out a comment only to find that the website is malfunctioning. 

Comments do seem to post successfully despite the error, but aesthetically receiving an error upon posting a comment is far from ideal.  Receiving these errors seems to be a general problem with Movable Type 4.0 and above.  Rest assured that we're working on it, and in the meantime, don't be afraid to comment and please excuse our errors!

Here's what's coming up on The Accidental Bard:

The Bard's Pile O' Shame
The best books you only love in private.

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
Jim's review.

A Look Back at Narnia, and What Made It Great
In anticipation of the upcoming movie adaptation, 'Prince Caspian'

Stay tuned.

The fool nods in the corner, eyes grainy above his tankard, as the Bard finally comes to the long close of his latest tale.  The hearth has grown almost cold and the common room is near to empty, but the Bard plucks out the last few stanzas of his epic as if performing before a throng.  His voice is deep and is beginning to betray a slight rasp as he projects to his imaginary audience.  His robes are regal but threadbare, though his harp is perfect and shining.  The howling wind outside suddenly sweeps into the room as the front door bangs open and the last embers of the fire die out.  The Bard turns and fixes you with a haughty stare.

"You've missed it," he says.

The fool jerks awake and rolls his eyes nervously, for the Bard is prone to a vicious temper.

"But there's always tomorrow night," the Bard says, cracking a leering grin.  "Now let's drink."


The Accidental Bard is a blog about fantasy fiction.  While fantasy is the primary topic, news about related movie projects, science fiction, and anything else the resident minstrels might decide are relevant are also fair game.  The Bard is a gathering place for everyone out there who can't quite kick the habit.  So come on in.  The liquor's cheap.

If you want to know more about the Bard and its proprietors, hie to the About page.  If you are worried about learning too much too soon about the fantasy novels we discuss here, I suggest you read the Spoiler Policy. 

Otherwise, relax before the fire and wait: more is coming soon.