Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

Giveaway! 'By the Mountain Bound' (Elizabeth Bear)

2009-11-22T13:42:00.001Z

I ended up enjoying this one a lot more than I thought and wanted to spread the love a little. The nice people at Tor thought this was a great idea and, as a result, I have one copy of 'By the Mountain Bound' to give to one lucky reader (but only if they're living in the US or Canada I'm afraid, sorry everyone else...)Entering is really simple. Just drop me an email (address at the top right hand

Giveaway! 'The Cole Protocol' (Tobias Buckell)

2009-11-21T07:10:00.002Z

Thanks to Tor UK, I have five copies of Tobias Buckell's 'The Cole Protocol' to give away on the blog. I really enjoyed this book (have a scroll down and see what I thought) and I reckon that you might too. Here's the thing though, this competition is only open to people living in the UK (sorry everyone else...)Still with me? Brilliant! To enter, all you need to do is drop me an email (address at

‘Feeding Ground’ – Sarah Pinborough (Leisure Fiction)

2009-11-20T16:26:00.001Z

Things are always a lot worse when they happen on your doorstep... I love reading horror fiction and part of the appeal there is that the horror is always happening somewhere else. Stephen King’s ‘It’ takes place in a New England town, Brian Keene’s ‘Castaways’ takes place on a seemingly deserted island and there are other examples. I can get into books like these as they’re not based anywhere

Which Cover Would You Go For? 'My Dead Body' (Charlie Huston)

2009-11-20T01:07:00.000Z

Every now and then different publishers will send me the same book. I’m not going to read the same book twice (although I am reading ‘The Gathering Storm’ and listening to the audiobook right now…) but I do like to try and give both books a nod so… the US versus UK cover art posts were born!This time round it’s the turn of Charlie Huston’s ‘My Dead Body’, Del Rey published this back in September

‘By the Mountain Bound’ – Elizabeth Bear (Tor)

2009-11-19T15:57:00.002Z

This week seems to be the week for going back to books that I read a year ago by way of reading their follow ups... Last year, I came across Elizabeth Bear’s ‘All the Windwracked Stars’ after an abortive attempt at checking out L.E. Modesitt Jr for the first time (Note. I’m going for the ‘read Elizabeth Bear first, then L.E. Modesitt Jr’ approach this year and I think I’m going to get better

‘Halo: The Cole Protocol’ – Tobias S. Buckell (Tor UK)

2009-11-18T16:22:00.001Z

Long term readers of the blog will know that it doesn’t take a lot for me to get bored of a computer game and start trying to get it to do stupid things instead. I was playing ‘Grand Theft Auto’ the other day and didn’t even get as far as finding out what the missions were. Not after I’d found the petrol bombs... :o) It was the same kind of deal after I gave ‘Halo’ a go for the first time. It was

William Horwood's 'Hyddenworld'...

2009-11-18T09:45:00.002Z

I loved William Horwood's 'Duncton Wood' books, when I was younger, so the news that he is writing a new fantasy series was very much welcome around these parts! I'm not sure if it's YA or not (I think it is) but even so, I'll still be checking this one out. Here's what the email had to say...February 2010 sees the publication of Hyddenworld: Spring, the long-awaited return to fantasy by William

‘The Devil’s Alphabet’ – Daryl Gregory (Del Rey)

2009-11-17T15:56:00.002Z

Every so often a book will just come out of nowhere and blow you away. I’m not talking about books by your favourite author either (although they’re obviously very cool). I’m talking about a book that you wouldn’t normally consider picking up at all (by an author that you’ve never heard of). That’s what happened to me in June last year when I read Daryl Gregory’s ‘Pandemonium’. I could go on at

Michael Moorcock to write Doctor Who story for the BBC.

2009-11-16T16:46:00.002Z

After my posts about tie-in fiction last week, it turns out that Michael Moorcock will be writing a Doctor Who novel for the BBC. I'm a fan of Moorcock's fantasy/sci-fi as well as being a fan of Doctor Who as well, this could well be the ideal combination for me...

What I watched this weekend...

2009-11-16T16:27:00.003Z

For one reason and another, this weekend was more about watching films on DVD than it was about reading books (although books have been read and reviews will be going up later this week...) This weekend was also about surprises, particularly when my father-in-law asked me if I had any horror films worth watching. Talk about things you never expect to hear...Anyway, I had a couple of DVDs that I

The Monday Morning Competition Winners Post - The 'Slightly Hungover Edition'

2009-11-16T10:07:00.002Z

Morning folks. I'm keeping this post short and sweet while I wait for the Nurofen to kick in... Hopefully your Monday morning is treating you a bit more kindly! Monday morning is certainly being nice to the following people who won last weekends competitions...'Elric in the Dream Realms' (Michael Moorcock)Jaydee Dusenberry, Oregon, USA'The Gathering Storm' (Robert Jordan & Brandon

Giveaway! 'The Cardinal's Blades' (Pierre Pevel)

2009-11-15T09:19:00.002Z

You've read the review (scroll down a little bit if you haven't, it's still there), now you have the chance to win a copy of the book itself! Thanks to Gollancz, I have three copies of Pierre Pevel's 'The Cardinal's Blades' for three lucky readers to get their hands on (entries from the UK and Europe only though I'm afraid, I'm working on getting some competitions for the US/Canada next week...)

Giveaway! 'The Templar Magician' (Paul Doherty)

2009-11-14T07:27:00.002Z

The good people at Headline not only offered me a copy of 'The Templar Magician' but also wondered if I'd like some copies to give away. It looks like an interesting read so I said yes! :o) Here's the blurb...Murder and mayhem set at the time of the secretive Templar Order. The year is 1152, and Jerusalem is still in the hands of the Crusaders, although the lofty ideals of before have now been

‘The Cardinal’s Blades’ – Pierre Pevel (Gollancz)

2009-11-13T14:24:00.001Z

When you’re off for a weekend in Paris and a book arrives promising a mixture of Cardinal Richelieu. Musketeers and dragons... Well, there’s really no choice but to take it with you! As it turned out, ‘The Cardinal’s Blades’ ended up playing second fiddle to Jeff Vandermeer’s ‘Finch’ but I still managed to find the time to get stuck in (both in Paris and throughout the commute this week). Readers

‘Total Oblivion, More or Less’ – Alan DeNiro (Spectra)

2009-11-12T16:28:00.001Z

Hands up everyone who has ever sat at their desk (on a particularly dull school or work day) and thought, “what if...?” If you read a lot of speculative fiction then this is a common side affect and one that is somewhat of a mixed blessing. On the one hand, I feel adequately prepared for a zombie infestation or for a sea monster to rise from the Thames and start laying waste to the city. On the

Genre Fiction vs. The Tie-In: Two Discussions.

2009-11-12T00:18:00.005Z

This seems to be a debate that crops up every now and then. They've been chatting about it over at Westeros and now Mark Charan Newton and Dan Abnett have got together to chew the fat on this topic over at Ecstatic Days. Both discussions are well worth a look and browse.Do I stand anywhere on this? I'm probably preaching to the converted but running this blog has taught me not to turn my nose up

‘Finch’ – Jeff Vandermeer (Underland Press)

2009-11-11T16:28:00.001Z

How do you choose which book to pick up next? I generally go by a mix of genre choice and book cover but I’ve also been known to choose slim books over doorstop novels as well as closing my eyes and grabbing a random book from the pile. Sometimes though I really cannot decide what book to read and, in those times, I know that I should take my choices to a higher power and let them decide what I

The World of 'The Adamantine Palace' - Free Gazetteer available for download.

2009-11-11T10:49:00.003Z

If you enjoyed Stephen Deas' 'The Adamantine Palace' (I did!) and you're having trouble waiting for 'King of the Crags' (I am...) then this might just help you through...Stephen Deas has been working on a big ol' gazetteer detailing the world of 'The Adamantine Palace' and has made it available as a free download. If you fancy a read then click Here for the download...

‘Essential Tales of the Zombie, Volume One’ (Marvel Comics)

2009-11-10T16:22:00.001Z

When I picked up Mike Raicht’s ‘Zombie’, and later on Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell’s ‘The Zombie Simon Garth’, (a couple of years ago) I had no idea that Simon Garth was a reworking of a much older character of the same name. Google and Wikipedia set me straight on that score but I was left thinking that I would never be able to read the original comics. Marvel set me straight on that score! Little

The 'Early Morning Competition Winners Post' - French Edition!

2009-11-10T00:10:00.001Z

Just got back from a weekend in Paris (very nice it was too) and I'm really after just going to bed, stupid noisy neighbours in the hotel... Before I do that though, here are the winners from last week's competitions!'7th Son: Descent' - J.C. HutchinsBryce Lee, Wyoming, USARob Charron, Ontario, CanadaSheldon Florence, British Columbia, Canada'The Big Fat Horror Giveaway!'Lee Barker, Thurnscoe,

Giveaway! 'Elric in the Dream Realms' (Michael Moorcock)

2009-11-09T00:27:00.000Z

If you scroll down the page a little bit you'll see that I had a lot of time for this latest collection of Elric's adventures. I wanted to share the love a little bit and the good people at Del Rey were of a similar mind. As a result I have one copy of 'Elric in the Dream Realms' to give away to one lucky reader (only if they're living in the US or Canada though, sorry everyone else...) All you

Giveaway! 'Gardens of the Moon' - Steven Erikson (10th Anniversary Edition)

2009-11-08T00:07:00.001Z

Has it really been ten years since 'Gardens of the Moon' was released? Apparently so, I feel old now...No matter though, for those yet to start the series (or those who are looking to replace a well loved paperback) I've got the perfect competition! Thanks to Transworld Books, I have five copies of the 10th Anniversary Hardback Edition of 'Gardens of the Moon' (complete with a special foreword

Giveaway! 'The Gathering Storm' (Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson)

2009-11-07T09:35:00.002Z

Here's a book that a lot of people have been eagerly waiting for. If you haven't got yourself a copy already then here's a chance to pick one up for the princely sum of... nothing! :o) That's right, thanks to Orbit I have three copies of 'The Gathering Storm' to give away to three readers of the blog. Here's the thing though, this competition is only open to UK readers, I've been reliably

‘Iron Man: Femmes Fatales’ – Robert Greenberger (Del Rey)

2009-11-06T14:24:00.002Z

Well, the plan was to finish reading ‘Finch’ last night and post a review this morning; that didn’t happen! Not only didn’t I have much time for reading last night but ‘Finch’ is fast becoming one of those books that I really want to take my time over and not rush. It’s good, look out for a review hopefully sometime next week.In the meantime, I finished reading Robert Greenberger’s ‘Iron Man’

‘A Touch of Dead’ – Charlaine Harris (Gollancz)

2009-11-05T14:13:00.001Z

Apparently there’s a show on right now called ‘True Blood’ that’s about vampires in Louisiana. Sounds cool, if only I had a TV to watch it on (curse me for my irrational hatred of the TV licence etc)... In these situations, it’s always good to be able to fall back on TV tie-in fiction or, in Charlaine Harris’ case, the fiction that inspired the TV show that I’m unable to watch.I’ve actually