LEC Book Reviews

Heir of Novron by Michael J. Sullivan

2012-01-29T19:01:00.002+01:00

Though I gave the first of Michael J. Sullivan’s Riyria Revelations volumes - Theft of Swords - a review back in November, I never did get around to sharing my thoughts on the second installment, Rise of Empire. In fact, I haven’t really gotten around to review much in the past... two months. This changes today. Lucky you. As I was saying: I never got around to saying anything about Rise of Empire. For the purposes of discussing the final volume of Sullivan’s initially self-published, old-school fantasy epic, let me just say it was a solid follow up to its predecessor. With Heir of Novron, Sullivan brings the ever-enticing tale of Royce and Hadrian to an end with two final adventures that blow the four that came before out of the water. Everyone loves and epic ending to, well, and epic fantasy - Sullivan proves how well he can deliver just such an ending.

Blurb:

The New Empire intends to mark its victory over the Nationalists with a bloody celebration. On the high holiday of Wintertide, the Witch of Melangar will be burned and the Heir of Novron executed. One that same day the empress faces a forced marriage, with a fatal accident soon to follow. The New Empire is confident in the totality of its triumph but there’s just one problem - Royce and Hadrian have finally found the true Heir of Novron.

Sullivan has always been outspoken about having no greater intention than to write fantasy that fans of the genre would love to read. Not the most lyrical, unique brand of novels, but ones which would present the reader with heroes they could come to admire, and adventures to capture their imagination. Theft of Swords undeniably unfolded in this tone, and Rise of Empire similarly, but not until Heir of Novron is this sentiment better felt. As they head into the concluding events of their story, Royce and Hadrian are more endearing than ever, and there are yet many mysteries to uncover.

The first of the novels contained within Heir of Novron, Wintertide, is of the two the most similar to the four that came before. The endgame is yet only afoot, and some elements still need to be maneuvered into place before the reader can get the payoff. Sullivan capably makes this happen, but he is also careful not to dedicate the entirety of Wintertide to simply setting up the coming conclusion in Percepliquis - this novel has its own story to tell. And an entertaining story it is. Half of our favorite thieving outfit finds himself in a troublesome stiuation, while the other faces a continued battle with ghosts of his past. With several characters coming into their own in Wintertide, Sullivan continues to display a welcome attention for characterization.

As we move into the second part of this volume, Percepliquis, Sullivan ramps the action. Much like The Emerald Storm (second part of Rise of Empire), this is a quest story true to form. It’s hard to discuss here the exact circumstances that lead to Royce, Hadrian & Co. embarking on this journey, but since the title sort of gives it away let me just ask: what could be more epic than a bunch of merry heroes ranging underground to seek out the long lost capital of the greatest Empire ever known? Needless to say, Percepliquis is pure fantasy bliss. Sullivan marries together strong undertones of nostalgia, sacrifice, valor and companionship as our protagonists brave ever greater threats amongst the ruins of a crumbled society and attempt to decipher the mysteries surrounding its downfall.

And meanwhile, there’s still the fate of their entire world to be decided. In the very last stages of his epic, Sullivan goes from strength to strength with always another twist or revelation just around the corner. Sure, a few are predictable, but for the most part, he will likely keep you on the edge of your seat. A single day was too long a period for me to finish it - I was compelled to finish it in less time than that, in mere hours. Having so ably made us care for his characters, Sullivan delivers unto us the culmination of their tale with a sense of loss, certainly, but more than anything else with a sense of contentment

Fans of the first two volumes, then, will be comforted to know the Riyria Revelations come to a close in fine fashion. Sullivan will have kept a few twists up his sleeve to the very end, while we as readers will have been enthralled by the extraordinary deeds of Royce and Hadrian. I heartily recommend Heir of Novron and its predecessors to fans of classic epic fantasy tales. Proponents of the ‘dark & gritty’ school of fantasy, however, beware. As this volume is the last in the series, there are no plans to continue the story of Riyria beyond this point, though Sullivan reportedly has a prequel in the works. Heir of Novron was published by Orbit in both the UK and US this January.

Links:
Michael J. Sullivan's Website: http://www.riyria.blogspot.com/

Buy Heir of Novron:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

The Great LBR 2011 Retrospective, Part II

2011-12-24T18:26:00.003+01:00

In yesterday’s ‘The Great LBR 2011 Retrospective, Part 1’ I took a look at the ten best genre novels of the year. Today, it’s time to take a look at the best genre publisher or imprint for the year. I don’t want to take up too much of your time on this fine Christmas Eve, but before I get around to doing all the proclaiming winners and what not, I’d like to give a bit of an overview of the thought process I went through to select the winner. Then, we’ll see who won. Shall we begin?

First off, what defines - in this blogger’s opinion - the best publisher/imprint of the year? The answer, simply enough, is: the one who releases the largest amount of good books - or great books, of course. There are, however, a few complexities and limitations to this definition. In my mind, it isn’t just the numerical amount of good books released that counts, since this would unfairly advantage larger publishers. Sure, not all of the books they put out may be good, but it stands to reason that the more books you publish, the more likely I’ll find one I like.

That’s why there’s a consistency criteria. Not only must the publisher/imprint publish good books but do so consistently. That means if, despite however many good books they’ve released, the other half of their titles are try are mediocre, the publisher/imprint gets marked down.

Variety also, has it’s role to play. This one’s straightforward enough: does the publisher/imprint cover a wide variety of genres and sub-genres within the bounds of SFF? I have a tendency to read more fantasy than anything else, so clearly I might be slightly biased towards a publisher which releases more of that, but I’ve tried to look at the overall variety of the publisher, also counting those titles I’ve not read.

With those three criteria in mind - quality, consistency, and variety - and reminding you once more that this post is the representation of my sole opinion, let’s get to the award....

LBR’s Best SFF Publisher or Imprint 2011

If you’re a reader of the blog, this shouldn’t really be a surprise to you. Already last year Pyr Books had tied with TOR UK for this same position. Also, throughout the year, in almost every review of their titles I’ve written you’ll have noticed some mention of how great Pyr is. Under the deft editorial management of Lou Anders, this imprint of Prometheus Books continued to grow on the genre scene this year, even expanding to include a new YA-oriented line of books. But more importantly, Pyr continued to do what we love it for; publishing consistently first-rate genre novels, adorned with gorgeous artwork from their Art team.

Pyr doesn’t necessarily publish the most thought-provoking novels or those with great literary ambitions - they publish the devilishly creative, offbeat, and fun ones. Their books are often pulpy, hilarious, colorful, and brimful with fantastical goodness. Pyr knows how to pick them, and we’re glad they do.

Runner-up

Last year’s prize was a tie, but since this year there is a single winner, I’ve decided to announce a runner-up.

Orbit, both in the US in the UK, impressed me greatly this year. It’s a big publisher, so it’s got a bit of the unfair advantage we talked about earlier, but that doesn’t really matter here. More than in 2010, I feel like Orbit have stepped up their game, bringing us a staggering amount of quality genre reads. Some of my personal highlights (by which I judge it) are Parker’s The Hammer, Correy’s Leviathan Wakes, Abraham’s The Dragon’s Path, Sullivan’s ‘Riyria Revelations’, and Canavan’s The Rogue, to name but a few. What kept it from the top spot are the misses its had. I sincerely hope, however, that it will keep this up in the new year.

The Great LBR 2011 Retrospective, Part I

2011-12-23T17:09:00.003+01:00

It’s been quiet around here, don’t you think? With not a single review in a month, it’s fair to say I’ve been a bad, bad blogger. But hey, I’ve been busy. And for reasons unknown to me, I’ve been struggling to force myself to write reviews (which is why I haven’t written any). The holiday season, however, is much progressed and the end of the year is nearly upon us. Not to end the year on a bad note - and as a show of good faith for my dedication to reviewing - I give onto thee LBR’s 2011 retrospective. Rankings, awards, and reflections follow...

Last year’s equivalent of this post was entitled ‘2010 In Review & Anticipation for 2011’ but as you’ll have noticed, this year’s title doesn’t follow the same convention. Firstly, I’ve decided to split the ‘In Review’ and ‘Anticipation’ parts into two separate posts. Secondly, I felt ‘The Great LBR 2011 Retrospective’ sounded that bit grander, in a falsely arrogant way. Wouldn’t you agree?

Anyway, I took a look at 2010 from the perspective of a blogger/reviewer who hadn’t quite reached his first year of reviewing, and I must say that with another year on, I’m not looking at things from the same perspective at all. I feel like I was quite a bit more lenient with myself reviewing-wise this year, but also reading-wise. Last year, I managed to consistently post 7-10 reviews a month - and read that many novels - while this year I’ve averaged about 6ish for the first half of the year, at which point my consistency deteriorated until I was struggling to put up 2 reviews a month.

Needless to say, I hope this will change, but this trend clearly affects my judgement in rankings present below. In 2011 I didn’t read any (or much) less than I did in 2010, the difference is quite a few of these books were never reviewed. I also didn’t force myself to get around to reading all of the ‘big’ genre releases of the end of the year (like Morgan’s The Cold Commands which currently sits with a bookmark on page two on my bookshelf). I didn’t even keep up to date with certain series I enjoyed in the past (Wooding’s The Iron Jackal sits beside me, waiting patiently; or Mayer’s Heart of Smoke & Steam).

A rising trend however was my interest in graphic novels/comics.Though a big fan of french-language ‘bandes-dessinées’, in January 2011 I owned a grand total of zero english-language comics or graphic novels. Now, over thirty decorate my shelves, and I plan on arranging to have more join them soon. Most of these are volume editions of monthly comics, and so this year I have discovered the wonderful worlds of Chew, Fables, Locke & Key, Incognito, The Walking Dead, Sweet Tooth, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Swamp Thing, I Kill Giants, and Serenity, amongst others. Graphic novels have been a means for me to quench my desire for entertaining genre stories at a time when I’ve never been busier, and their shortness a blessing when I couldn’t dedicate time to a novel.

This is all to say that 2011 has been a very different ‘reading year’ to 2010, and so you should keep that in mind when reading the rankings I have prepare below. I read over one hundred books this year, of which more than ninety where either genre novels or graphic novels. The lists below are compilations of my favorite reads, publishers and authors.

I have no wish to bore you (yet), so without further ado, let’s get to it!

LBR’s Top Ten 2011 Novels

I started out the year keeping track of all the genre novels I read and constantly ranking them against each other. That didn’t last much past May, so I’ve had to revaluate quite a few novels and see where they place.

This top ten simply embodies, in my humblest of opinions, what genre literature was about in 2011. These may not be the most popular books published this year, but they are the ones I would most recommend to readers wishing to sample 2011’s vast publication output. This year, as opposed to last year, I’ve ranked the books from 10th to 1st (though I cheat a bit). Don’t take this too seriously, it’s just the representation of one man’s opinion.

10th - Among Thieves, Douglas Hulick

Were it not for the title that follows it on this list, Among Thieves would have surely been the standout fantasy debut of 2011. Douglas Hulick’s tale of the thief Drothe was a thrilling story, and perfectly set the scene - in a wonderfully dark and exciting fantasy world - for the next books in the ‘Tales of the Kin.’ This book single-handedly marked out Hulick as a talent to look out for in the future.

9th - Prince of Thorns, Mark Lawrence

Most probably the fantasy debut which received the most spotlight this year, Mark Lawrence’s debut deserved every bit of attention it got. It is not everyday a write gets called the ‘British George R.R. Martin’ (this in Martin’s own biggest year), but one can certainly see how Lawrence’s darkly twisted book would draw such comparisons. With Jorg, Lawrence has created one of the most cruel anti-heroes known to fantasy, and we just cannot wait to read what atrocities he commits next.

8th - Germline, T.C. McCarthy

Germline came out of no where. With very little publicity or hype to speak of to launch T.C. McCarthy’s science fiction debut, the was little to prepare us for what it would contain. In his tale of war-induced emotional and mental sorrow, McCarthy introduced us to some of the most authentic characters in the science fiction genre. The story in Germline is essentially secondary to the turmoil undergone by it’s disturbed, deeply flawed protagonist Oscar Wendell, yet the fictional events it depicts remain etched in my mind. This is one of the darkest books on this list, but also one of its most complex and fulfilling.

7th - Leviathan Wakes, James S. A. Correy

The tag-team of Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham writing under the monicker James S.A. Correy brought us a revitalization of the space opera genre with the explosively entertaining Leviathan Wakes. Abraham’s writerly skill was already known, but combined with the imaginative detail of Franck’s prediction for the future of our solar system, this novel really managed to stand out amongst its peers. Leviathan Wakes is strong prose, well-crafted characters, and thoroughly plotted story which blends elements of other genres into an exciting space opera.

6th - The Book of Transformations, Mark Charan Newton

It always feels cheap to put sequels into these lists, since I feel like readers should be able to pick any book on this list and go off and read it without having to catch up first. Mark Charan Newton’s third book in his ‘Legends of the Red Sun’ series, however, undoubtedly deserves a mention. Newton’s first two books were brilliant in their own way, but in my mind The Book of Transformations more than either of the others demonstrated the finesse of Newton’s subtle melding of genres and tropes. In this book superheroes meet noir, weird, and epic fantasy in a story executed with tact and increased evidence of Newton’s literary skill.

5th - Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon, Mark Hodder

In September 2010, Mark Hodder threw at us one of the most fantastic, mind-bendingly fun steampunk adventures ever created. It seemed he was able to take all of the best elements of this funky sub-genre and throw them into a rich tale, a mix of alternate history and time-travel. He came at us again with The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man in March of this year, and a week ago it would have been this title featured on this list. However I hadn’t, then, read the third ‘Burton & Swinburne’ adventure: Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon. This final novel in the first story-arc of the series showcased Hodder at his best. Though the steampunkery was tuned down, characterization and plotting where better than ever before, and Hodder still managed to give us a good dose of wild genre goodness to sate our thirst. Look for my full review of this soon.

4th - The Kings of Eternity, Eric Brown

Eric Brown has been an established mid-list author for quite some time, but never before The Kings of Eternity had I dipped into his work. The more fool me. This book took me entirely by surprise, in its shortness, simplicity and excellence. This is not in any way, shape or form a novel which bends any genre conventions, or attempts to be particularly original in any way. Brown just wants to tell a good story and does exactly that. This book is simply on this list (and so high up) because it thoroughly entertained me when I wasn’t at all expecting it to, and for that it deserves other readers’ attention.

3rd - The Dragon’s Path, Daniel Abraham

Daniel Abraham showed us his stuff, so to speak, with his ‘Long Price’ quartet in which he delivered an unconventional epic fantasy which featured ephemeral magics and deities, and a story irregularly grounded in its strongly characterized personages. With The Dragon’s Path, Abraham had the desire to bring this type of focused storytelling to a more classical epic fantasy tale. What came out of it is one of the best epic fantasies in years, both familiar in its bearing and fresh in its narration. Solid characters ventured out into a vast world in this first book of a new series, and we simply can’t wait to see where they go from here.

1st - Embassytown, China Miéville with I Don’t Want to Kill You, Dan Wells

Again, I always feel guilty putting a sequel in these lists. Were I not prone to this guilt, you would likely find China Miéville’s stunning Embassytown in second and the conclusion to Dan Well’s brilliant ‘John Cleaver’ books, I Don’t Want to Kill You, in first. But this would largely be due to an emotional decision more than anything else. This is why I chose instead to award a tie for first between these two excellent titles.

Miéville’s latest embodies everything that make his books and approach so wonderful. He took a new genre, space-based science fiction, and gave him his unique treatment of weird, noir and intellectual inquiry. No other book quite enthralled me like Embassytown this year, immersing me completely in the complex and linguistically-peculiar world of Embassytown.

I Don’t Want to Kill You inevitably gets lumped with its two predecessors in my mind. Walking the line between young adult and regular fiction, Dan Wells’ books are amongst my all-time favorites, and the thing is.... I don’t really know why. There’s something in Wells’ intimate retelling of the high school life of John Cleaver, diagnosed psychopath and budding serial killer, which gets to you. As the final volume in the series, I Don’t Want to Kill You was the most emotionally palpable of the lot, and therefore stands out, to me, as the top book published this year. If you’ve not read it, then I once more recommend you check out Wells’ first: I Am Not a Serial Killer.

Notable Mentions

There are a few other novels that stand out for 2011. A few are the ‘big ones’ which were omitted more because everyone knows their worth already than due to any real deficiency on their part. All of these came very close to being featured on the list above.

The Hammer, K.J. Parker

The Winds of Khalakovo, Bradley P. Beaulieu

The Rogue, Trudi Canavan

The Sea Watch + Heirs of the Blade (Shadows of the Apt), Adrian Tchaikovsky

The Ritual, Adam Nevill

The Order of the Scales, Stephen Deas

The Wise Man’s Fear, Patrick Rothfuss

The Alloy of Law, Brandon Sanderson

A Dance With Dragons, George R.R. Martin

Rivers of London + Moon Over Soho, Ben Aaronovitch

Tomorrow we’ll take a look at this year’s top genre publisher as well as having a bit of discussion about the Graphic Novels I discovered, and most enjoyed, this year.

Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

2011-11-21T12:07:00.001+01:00

Michael J. Sullivan’s road to publication is the dream of every self-published writer out there. After having released the first five books in his epic fantasy series the Riyria Revelations by his own means and seeing his books met with fulgurant enthusiasm (and sales figures), Orbit opted to pick up all six of the books in his series. Theft of Swords - the Orbit published omnibus version of the first two books - showcases Sullivan’s lean prose and fun, classically oriented storytelling style. Though overly simplistic in some regards, the first volume in Sullivan’s series is an enjoyable and well-crafted one.

Blurb:

They killed the king. They pinned it on two men. They chose poorly.

Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles - until they are hired to pilfer a famed sword. What appears to be just a simple job finds them framed for the murder of the kind and trapped in a conspiracy that uncovers a plot far greater than the mere overthrow of a tiny kingdom.

Can a self-serving thief and an idealistic swordsman survive long enough to unravel the first part of an ancient mystery that has toppled kings and destroyed empires?

And so begins a tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

Theft of Swords’ first part, The Crown Conspiracy - originally published as the first book in the Riyria Revelations - introduces readers to Sullivan’s style of storytelling, his world and its characters with great ease. Sullivan’s strong characterization means that only a few pages in the two ironically moral thieves that serve as protagonists, Royce and Hadrian, feel like old friends. It’s easy too to get a grasp for the world the novel is set in. Unlike many other epic fantasies, most readers should be quick to orientate themselves within Avryn.

Sullivan’s simple, effortless prose also translates to well-plotted but somewhat rudimentary tale. Hired to steel a famous sword by a mysterious stranger, Royce and Hadrian, unbeknownst to themselves, step into a far larger conspiracy. From this basic premise, Theft of Swords expands along the lines of many of fantasy that has come before it. Unashamedly so. And so ensue: a journey across the kingdom; an encounter with a very old, very powerful magician; knights in armor; and crumbling castles (with princess inside).

One of Sullivan’s stated intents with the Riyria Revelations is to go against the current ‘dark & gritty’ fantasy movement in search of the good, clean epics of decades past. This goal is certainly achieved, and undoubtedly in an entertaining manner, but there’s still the feeling that something’s missing when The Crown Conspiracy concludes. As this volume’s second tome, Avempartha, opens it’s not quite a reset, but it feels a lot like a new episode of a highly episodic television show rather than the second novel of a fantasy epic.

But soon enough, those characters and plot arcs that were introduced in The Crown Conspiracy resurface (other than Royce & Hadrian, who are present from the start) - if a bit conveniently - and the story picks up, highlight heavily for the first time that there is an overall arch to the Riyria Revelations which has yet to be fully revealed. Even more so than in the first part of Theft of Swords, excitement, mystery and heartfelt character moments abound. Avempartha also confirms that Sullivan’s greater strength, rather than plotting or worldbuilding, is characterization. Royce and Hadrian, of course, are the true stars but the strong, colorful cast of supporting characters aren’t to be undone either.

So verdict? How well do(es) Sullivan’s first (two) book(s) stack up? Remarkably well, I would say. Some will obviously point out its inherent lack of originality, its propensity for predictability or its rather simplistic outlook. That sounds bad, I know. But Theft of Swords, because of these faults, also happens to fall into one of the best categories of books - those that are unrestricted by any need to be anything more than fun-oriented, trope-embracing reads. Because of this, Sullivan’s first is a gripping page-turner with memorable characters, and serves as a solid opener to a new series. Theft of Swords was released by Orbit in both the US and the UK earlier this month.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Reading Age: 14 and up

Links:
Michael J. Sullivan's Website: http://www.riyria.blogspot.com/

Buy Theft of Swords:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

The Warlock's Shadow by Stephen Deas

2011-11-10T19:05:00.001+01:00

Stephen Deas - most-famously author of the Memory of Flames series that began with The Adamantine Palace - came at us last year with a fresh offering set in his established world and geared towards a slightly younger audience. The Thief-Taker’s Apprentice was a fine beginning to a new series. Though the core investigation featured was largely less enticing than it could have been, the novel’s setting and well-wrought characters presented much possibility for the future. Making away with distracting side-plots, Deas in this second Thief-Taker novel, The Warlock’s Shadow, tightens the plot, focusing it on Berren and he continues to haphazardly seek his place in the intrigue-tinged and vibrant city of Deephaven.

Blurb:

Berren is not enjoying himself. Trapped in a temple, forced to learn how to read, how to write and how to recall the histories of the Saints, all he wants is to be given a sword. As a thief-taker’s apprentice he imagined a world of daring night-time chases, glorious victories and a life of excitement. His dreams aren’t quite coming true.

So when a prince - the first and last prince he’ll ever see - hires the thief-taker as a bodyguard, Berren is thrilled. When he hears that a troupe of Dragon-Monks - exotic warriors and the best swordsmen in the world - are visiting, he sees an opportunity to learn how to fight. When one of the Monks turns out to be a girls of his own age, his future suddenly seems a lot brighter.

But when a shadowy figure launches an attack on the life of Prince Sharda, Berren finds himself plunged into a world of danger, intrigue and terror. He may discover that being trained with a sword isn’t enough - sometimes, you have to know who to fight...

I may not have realized it at the time, but The Thief-Taker’s Apprentice wasn’t the best book it could have been. In fact, I was relatively praiseful of it a year ago. Only reading The Warlock’s Shadow has enabled me to determine this. For whatever reason, Deas has come back to this series with a certain freshness and a keener sense for plotting. The Warlock’s Shadow gets off to a first start and never relents. Whereas the its predecessor tried to include a investigation into a pirate cartel, linked to protagonist Berren’s apprenticeship to a Thief-Taker - a glorified private detective/law-enforcer - The Warlock’s Shadow offers a much less convoluted story that brings in interesting elements from the characters’ pasts and sets things up nicely for future novels.

The Warlock’s Shadow is also helped by being a second novel. It does not have to go through the process of introducing all of the characters (and Deas does do much in the way of re-introducing them) and as the setting is virtually unchanged, most of the world-building was already over and done with in the first book. Instead Deas immediately builds up the intrigue with the arrival to Deephaven of a young and pompous Prince to which Berren and Master Sy are assigned as part of a security detail. Things quickly become interesting when an assassination attempt is stopped in its tracks by a surprised Berren.

In his choice of reward for his actions and in many other decisions taken in The Warlock’s Shadow, Berren demonstrates the earnest ambition - and inherent foolishness - of youth. Deas’ characterization of the driven apprentice thief-taker is particularly strong in this second novel. His personality is shaping up to be that of a strong determined hero, but Deas is careful in leaving him plenty of room for him to make mistakes - to our enjoyment, and appreciation of him as a character.

The Thief-Taker’s Apprentice was a book I thought would very much appeal to younger readers because Deas wrote what he thought they would enjoy rather than what he thought they should enjoy. It was a bit edgier than you would expect the typical YA fantasy to be. The Warlock’s Shadow continues in the same vein, blending gritty - even gory - action with themes of betrayal, death, blossoming youthful love, but also magic and adventure, of course. The book’s overall tone gives the sense of having matured at the same rate as Berren. He’s more mature now, so is the story.

Still not perhaps an extraordinary read, Deas’ latest thief-taker book is nevertheless a noticeable improvement on an already worthy volume. Berren shines in The Warlock’s Shadow as his mentor takes a bit of a back seat, and the scope of the story continues to grow. Dragon-monks, assassins, necromancy and enemies long-forgotten are all at the rendez-vous in this greatly entertaining novel. With this and Order of the Scales out this year, Stephen Deas really has shown much growth as a writer, and hopefully he will continue to do so with The Black Mausoleum (Memory of Flames 4) and The King’s Assassin (Thief-Taker 3) are released.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Reading Age: 13 and up

Links:
Stephen Deas' Website: http://www.stephendeas.com/

Buy The Warlock's Shadow:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

The Islanders by Christopher Priest

2011-11-04T12:03:00.001+01:00

Every once in a while there comes a book I feel absolutely unqualified to review. The latest of these is Christopher Priest’s (of The Prestige fame) newest book, The Islanders. Having not read anything from Priest in the past, I was both tentative and truly excited to dig in. What I was met with is a piece of fiction so vibrant, subtle, passionate and so damn clever it made me feel inadequate. But in a good way. The kind of way where I’m more than happy to reduced to a state of primal awe at an artist’s expression of his thoughts on themes and topics equally diverse and important, and do so intelligently, gracefully without sacrificing readability. For a first experience, Priest sure knows how to impress.

Blurb:

The Islanders is a tale of murder, artistic rivalry and literary trickery; a chinese puzzle of a novel where nothing is quite what it seems; a narrator whose agenda is artful and subtle; a narrative that pulls you in and plays an elegant game with you.

The Dream Archipelago is a vast network of islands. The names of the islands are different depending on who you talk to, their very locations seem to twist and shift. Some islands have been sculpted into vast musical instruments, others are home to lethal creatures, others the playground of high society. Hot winds blow across the archipelago and a war fought between distant continents is played out across its waters.

The Islanders serves as an untrustworthy but enticing guide to the islands, an intriguing, multi-layered tale of a murder and the suspect legacy of its appealing but definitely untrustworthy narrator.

If that blurb didn’t convince you to read this book than I don’t think anything I will add will change that. I’d be hard pressed to come up with a more apt description of my own. I will, however, give it a try. Priest’s latest is the kind of book most fans of literature hope to read when they crack open a new tome; an elaborate, multi-faceted piece of writing which both challenges the reader in its subtlety and rewards in its inventiveness. One read through of The Islanders - literary geniuses apart - will not be enough for most readers to fully grasp it in its entirety, and that’s part of what makes it so delightful.

Also, it would be difficult to safely classify The Islanders in any particular genre. The mystical, nebulous nature of the Dream Archipelago lends itself well to a genre comparison, but unlike the majority of the books reviewed here on LBR, the ‘genre element’ really isn’t at the core of Priest’s novels. Instead, this is a bizarre look at artistic passion, mixed in with an inkling of a mystery plot and, frankly, a lot of other things I’d be hard pressed to define.

One thing is clear, you shouldn’t go into The Islanders expecting anything resembling a normal novel. It doesn’t even respect any form of conventional format, alternating between a strictly gazetteer/almanac style reference guide and mysterious short stories that may or may not be linked to each other. Which means, there isn’t much in the way of a central plot either. Sure, there are overall themes which Priest keeps coming back to, but the only sort of narrative we are treated to is a fleeting one, told in bits and pieces, not chronologically and with the details - like much else in this book - never fully revealed.

This aura of mystery that surrounds the lives of the sparse cast of characters is as I mentioned one that is engrained in the very setting of the book. This, for me, was one of the most enjoyable elements of the novel. Priest kept me guessing, dropping hints before I even knew to look for them, and somehow assembling a complex story full of mystery which I was simply dying to unravel.

I could probably go on about this book - such is its power - but I already feel like I’ve started rambling. Long story short: read this book. Sure, it won’t be as mind-numbingly simple a read as some epic fantasies (or, dare I say it, paranormal romances) but this in itself is a promise of something much more carefully wrought and something much more rewarding. Priest is a clever man and he’s not afraid to show us how much control he holds over his art, but never does The Islanders become condescending or self-indulgent. Give it a try.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Reading Age: 16 and up

Links:
Christopher Priest's Website: http://www.christopher-priest.co.uk/

Buy The Islanders:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

Heirs of the Blade by Adrian Tchaikovsky

2011-10-11T09:42:00.002+02:00

If you’ve been reading LBR for a bit, you’ll know I’m an avid fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s momentous Shadows of the Apt series. Not only has Tchaikovsky managed to produce an doorstop-length novel bi-annually for the past three years, but the quality of his work has been on the rise nearly since book one. Heirs of the Blade is the seventh novel in the series, following on February’s The Sea Watch, and the third (and assumed final) volume of the series second arc. Much like the two last installments preceding it, Heirs of the Blade dually focuses on the continued exploration of the series’ landscape, and an in-depth look at a few select characters. Once again, Tchaikovsky has managed to take us in a somewhat unexpected direction, though this latest seems to unfortunately lost some of the excitement and drive of its direct predecessors.

Blurb:

Tynisa is running, but she cannot escape the demons of her own mind. Amidst the fragmenting provinces of the Dragonfly Commonwealth her past will at last catch up with her. Her father’s ghost is hunting her down.

At the same time, the Wasp Empress, Seda, is on the move,her eyes on the city of Khanaphes, the fallen jewel of the ancient world. Whilst her soldiers seek only conquest, she sees herself as the heir to all the old powers of history, and has her eyes on a far greater prize.

Seven books in, it becomes difficult to discuss any aspect of a book without simply considering it in the context of the series as a whole. There comes a point - and with the Shadows of the Apt I think this point has long been surpassed - where a novel is almost impossible to consider as anything other than a further chapter of a whole. Tchaikovsky’s decision to divide his series into a number of sub-arcs, the first of which was comprised of books one through four, the second books five through seven and presumably the final arc will be made up of books eight through ten. As the final novel in an arc, Heirs of the Blade feels very different to the Salute the Dark, the fourth novel of the series.

It appears the trend for this second arc is one which sees Tchaikovsky take somewhat of a break from telling the story we really want to know about: the clash between the Wasp Empire and the Lowlands under Collegium. Of course, the war has actually been suspended in the plot of the story, so Tchaikovsky makes use of this time to refine the world of the Shadows of the Apt by visiting new places, introducing all sorts of new Kinden and generally prepping things for what we can only assume will be the final confrontation.

However, Tchaikovsky has also taken the opportunity to use these three books to check in with a few of the main characters which may have been somewhat sidelined in the hectic, intense, large-cast act which were the first four books. This wasn’t exactly true of Che around which The Scarab Path focused, but it certainly is of Stenwold who we reconnected with in The Sea Watch, and now Tynisa in Heirs of the Blade. This seventh novel is an intimate observation of how she is dealing with the consequences of the first Wasp War, of her mistakes, and dealing with her losses.

That the intriguing, feudal and previously unexplored Commonweal happens to be an appropriate place for Tynisa to confront her past is convenient. While following her on a deeply traumatic and emotional journey, we’re also taken to a whole new land, and exposed to the original culture of the Dragonflies which have up to now heavily featured in the books, but are a kinden for which we got comparatively little insight. Tchaikovsky’s choice of setting, therefore, is a wise one - he also proves here that he’s still able to shows us fresh aspects of his world while encompassing the story and characters we are already familiar with.

Where this novel disappoints is in the lack of connections with the sixth book, The Sea Watch. A follow up of Che and her adventures from The Scarab Path is appreciated, but after the very overt build up in The Sea Watch, it’s a bit of a let down to discover that Heirs of the Blade doesn’t continue to ramp up that anticipation. Instead, when you consider the latest three books in the series, they’re almost standalones. At the end of the sixth, I was fairly excited for the widespread, epic action to resurface or at least being to resurface but it seems Tchaikovsky is saving this for the eighth novel. Only the very last chapters of this book make any acknowledgement of the brewing conflict in any tangible terms - thankfully, what is said appears to indicate that the next volume should bring us back to the scope of the first books.

In spite of this small shortcoming, the immersive nature of Tchaikovsky’s storytelling remains as entertaining and as welcomed as ever. Coming back to a world with such an extensive mythology and backstory, I always have the fear that my memory will fail me, but every time the power of Tchaikovsky’s prose and character’s make it a breeze to reintegrate this world. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the Shadows of the Apt series is simply one of the best epic fantasy series out there. It might not have as high a profile as some other lengthy series, but you should not be deceived by this, if anything its an under-appreciated gem. Heirs of the Blade is out from Tor UK now, and should eventually become available from Pyr in the US. The tentatively entitled eighth book, The Air War, is projected to hit stores next summer.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Reading Age: 14 and up

Links:
Adrian Tchaikovsky Website: http://www.shadowsoftheapt.com/

Buy Heirs of the Blade:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

Blackdog by K.V. Johansen

2011-09-26T13:46:00.001+02:00

Having previously dealt mostly in children and teenage fantasy fiction, Canadian writer K.V. Johansen makes her entrance on the adult epic fantasy scene with Blackdog, an ambitious standalone novel filled with gods, goddesses, entrancing magics and touching characters. Boasting a scope and depth easily the equal of any ten-volume epic, Blackdog mixes the scale and feel of the greatest fantasy sagas with a succinct, character-driven storytelling, blending the two into a (relatively) meager, highly enjoyable five hundred fifty pages.

Blurb:

In a land where gods walk on the hills and goddesses rise from river, lake, and spring, the caravan-guard Holla-Sayan, escaping the bloody conquest of a lakeside town, stops to help an abandoned child and a dying dog. The girl, though, is the incarnation of Attalissa, goddess of Lissavakail, and the dog a shape-changing guardian spirit whose origins have been forgotten. Possessed and nearly drive mad by the Blackdog, Holla-Sayan flees to the desert road, taking the powerless avatar with him. Necromancy, treachery, massacres, rebellions, and gods dead or lost or mad, follow hard on their heels. But it is Attalissa herself who may be the Blackdog’s - and Holla-Sayan’s - doom.

Beyond the obviously gorgeous and suitably epic artwork from Raymond Swanland, what drew me to Blackdog was the book’s blurb which suggested an earnest desire to tell an epic, slightly old-school story on Johansen’s part, all in one neat volume. From the way this tale began, with a relatively narrow focus, it wasn’t immediately obvious that we were dealing with a story and a setting that presented an amount of worldbuilding and scope worthy of the likes of Sanderson, Martin or Jordan. Unlike these writers, however, Johansen - even once we’ve followed the characters out into the world - never reveals too much about the world she’s built other than what is currently relevant.

Through the characters’ journey out of the mountains, into the desert and across hills, rivers and steppes, we catch a glimpse of the wider world this story subsists in. In the small part of this land we get the chance to explore we already encounter a diverse range of people and cultures. This is a world in touch with their spirituality, due to the accentuated presence of their deities, the gods and goddesses being of a very earthly nature and known to get involved and appear to their followers.

Into this vivid setting, Johansen, inserts a few key characters around which Blackdog’s story revolves. Holla-Sayan, the Blackdog, and Attalissa are, obviously, the chief protagonists and are fair ones at that. Johansen’s characterization is one of the notable aspects or her books to which she adds a touch of modernity in contrast to an otherwise fairly typical fantasy tale, building great depth into characters’ personalities and approaching the storytelling from a very intimate angle.

Attalissa exemplifies the complexity of character Johansen has built into her creations, as a goddess made flesh fighting internal battles with the all-too familiar strifes of adolescences and the difficulty and weight that anchor a deity to her people. This unique position is portrayed by Johansen in a deeply humane and appropriately inspiring way. Somehow, Johansen has managed to create a new type of epic fantasy hero, one that is both mortal and immortal, infinitely powerful yet limited by her perspective and troubles, and one which very few will have difficulty caring for.

The successful characterization applies also to Holla-Sayan, if to a lesser degree, as he is a character that more easily fits genre arch-types. His own internal struggle and emotional journey, like that of Attalissa, is well developed and serves as a solid secondary arc for the novel. Surrounding these two main characters are an equally entertaining and well-characterized bunch of people, from warrior-priestesses, to caravan-leaders, freedom-fighters and age-old entities, each adding his or her own flavor to the story.

Themes of mysticism abound in Blackdog, and as Johansen opts to leave her magic as undefined as possible, there is a strong aura of mystery and wonder to the story. And yet, the way in which the characters interact with magic and their acceptance of it a common occurrence adds to the worldbuilding’s credibility form a story telling point of view. Along with its thrilling skirmishes, rebellions and duels, this wispy embrace of the fantastic makes Blackdog a distinguished reading experience, setting itself apart from other novels yet suggesting familiarity all the while.

With little to nothing to hold to complain against it, Blackdog is an elaborate piece of fantasy storytelling that heralds the coming of a new talent in epic fantasy, should K.V. Johansen choose to return the adult fiction a second time. A mystifying, genuinely absorbing take on traditional high fantasy trappings with a keen eye to characters and their emotions, Blackdog deserves you give it a try. Highly recommended. Blackdog was published by Pyr in September in the US, and is available by import in the UK.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Reading Age: 15 and up

Links:
K.V. Johansen's Website: http://www.kvj.ca

Buy Blackdog:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

The Rift Walker by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith

2011-09-13T11:46:00.002+02:00

The husband and wife writing duo that makes up Clay and Susan Griffith made quite the rounds a year ago with their genre-bending debut garnering an attention in reviews greater than for any other Pyr release to date. Because of the generally highly-regarded quality of the first tome of the ‘Vampire Empire’ trilogy, expectations for the second volume, The Rift Walker, was equally high. For some reviewers having already given their verdict, this sequel is not as strong as its predecessor, yet I would maintain that this is a surprisingly strong second outing. All the juicy elements of the first book are there - vampires, magic, steampunk, romance, political scheming and war - and the Griffiths make do without the obtrusive ‘I’m an imprisoned princess’ passages that bogged down The Greyfriar. All in all, the Griffiths continue to show us the strengths and benefits of combining a variety of genre tropes into one, lean novel.

Blurb:

Princess Adele abandons duty and embarks on a desperate quest to keep her nation from genocide as the Equatorian Empire and American Republic allies strategize plans for victory against the vampire clans of the north. Reunited with her great love, the mysterious adventurer known as the Greyfriar, Adele is pursued by her own people and her vengeful husband, Senator Clark. With the human alliance in disarray, Prince Cesare, lord of the British vampire clan, strikes at the very heart of Equatoria.

As Adele fights to bring order to her world, she learns more about the strange power she exhibited in the north. If she could ever bring this power under her command, she could be death to vampires. But such a victory would also cost the life of Adele’s beloved Greyfriar.

First off, a minor caveat. As mentioned above, from what I can surmise, expectations for The Rift Walker were, generally speaking, quite high while I can only admit to feeling only modest excitement for the novel. With expectation lower than the norm, I would say, there’s a chance that to me, The Rift Walker did not disappoint - as other reviewers have claimed - simply because I wasn’t looking for it to do more than it did. Please bear that in mind as you read this review, especially if you’re one of those that were/are anxious to get your paws on this book (though I imagine, if you are, you’ve probably already done this). Now let’s get to the actual review, shall we?

The Rift Walker kicks off in a much less spectacular fashion than its predecessor - no surprise vampire attacks on flying steamships here, just Alexandria, twenty-first century capital of the still very Victorian Equatorian Empire. Arguably, the first hundred pages aren’t the best showing of the Griffiths’ work, a bit slow and plodding and with very little excitement to go around. Yet this is the second, middle volume in a trilogy, without the need to pull the reader in with the big flashy ‘bang’ of the start of a first novel or the palpable tension of a third volume. I myself cherished the opportunity to get properly reacquainted with the characters without having to keep track of a million events. And really, it’s not like nothing at all is happening.

From the moment the Greyfriar makes his appearance in Alexandria, the novel undergoes a pronounced shift into high gear. The Griffiths, after having dabbled for the first hundred pages in solid characterization, offer us what we came looking for: unrelenting action, adventure, romance and a fair bit of magic. There really is something for everyone here, and this, I think, really is the what makes the Griffiths’ writing so endearing. Some will mention the noticeable downgrade in emphasis on the steampunk elements of this world, but more worth a mention is the equally noticeable increase in magic. This is an element of the world’s mythology that was clearly hinted at - even outright displayed - in The Greyfriar, but it makes a grand appearance in The Rift Walker. This could yet become an epic fantasy too!

Adele and the Greyfriar continue to be captivating characters as individuals and in their unconventional love affair. Both are characters that have great depth and strong personalities but Adele in particular grows in these areas in the second book. Well plotted events advance her character-arc further than any other character in the novel, and perhaps even further than her character progressed in the first novel. We really are able to witness first-hand her evolution, and that’s a testament to the Griffiths’ strong characterization. The Greyfriar - out of his element in this book - takes a bit of a backseat, though any appearance en force by him shines.

At the end of the day though, what I keep reading ‘Vampire Empire’, and what I imagine a lot of other readers keep reading these books for, is the all out epic entertainment they provide. In this respect, The Rift Walker really outdoes the first book, providing us with devilish conspiracies, all-out war on a reclusive vampire clan, airship chases, betrayals, heroics and complicated affairs of the heart, all told from a massive, epic scope. This is some of the same stuff we saw in The Greyfriar, but it has gotten old enough yet that we don’t desire more and more every time Clay and Susan Griffith serves us a bit of genre goodness.

So fans, have no fears, unless your expectations were ridiculously high, I don’t think Clay and Susan Griffiths will let you down. Their continued mixing of tropes from steampunk, epic fantasy, urban fantasy and adventure is still refreshing and proof of how a bit of of innovation - even in a purely gratuitous entertainment sense - can bolster a novel’s quality. If you haven’t yet gotten in on the Griffiths’ highly enjoyable, highly diverting ‘Vampire Empire’ trilogy I suggest you do so now. No matter what genre background you have, I can almost guarantee you’ll find something to your liking here. The Rift Walker is available from Pyr books in the US now, and by import to the UK.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Reading Age: 14 and up

Links:
Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith's Website: http://clayandsusangriffith.blogspot.com/

Buy The Rift Walker:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

The Straight Razor Cure/Low Town by Daniel Polansky

2011-09-09T13:37:00.002+02:00

The Straight Razor Cure, also known to US readers as Low Town, is Daniel Polansky’s debut novel and a notable one at that. Polansky choses not to follow the beaten path, offering us a rich and unusual setting of drug and crime-ridden streets populated by characters that do not play by the book and can well and truly resonate with us readers. Amidst a supernatural serial killing case, dealing with corrupt police services and fighting his own personal battles, Warden’s tale is one worthy of readership.The Straight Razor Cure is by no means perfect, but it is a damn good offering on the part of a debut novelist.

Blurb:

Welcome to Low Town.

Here, the criminal is king. The streets are filled with the screeching of fish hags, the cries swindled merchants, the inviting murmurs of working girls. Here, people can disappear, and the lackluster efforts of the guard ensure they are never found.

Warden is an ex-soldier who has seen the worst men have to offer; now a narcotics dealer with a rich, bloody past and a way of inviting danger. You’d struggle to find someone with a soul as dark and troubled as his.

But then a missing child, murdered and horribly mutilated, is discovered in an alley.

And then another.

With a mind sharp as a blade and an old but powerful friend in the city, he’s the only man with a hope of finding the killer.

If the killer doesn’t find him first.

Praise must be given to Daniel Polansky for not following the most typical of routes in building his fantasy novel. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that The Straight Razor Cure is an out-of-this-world original novel, but it does have a certain uniqueness in feel and pace that make it standout from other similar fantasies. The setting plays a big part in this, Low Town being the slightly unsettling hybrid of your typical fantasy story and our own modern metropolises. With a fair number of would-be anachronisms - modern vernacular, contemporary police procedures, etc. - Polansky’s Low Town reminds me most of Mark Charan Newton’s Villjamur, also noted for it’s uncommon melange of mock-historic and modern.

This captivating setting has the effect of bringing us into the story. On that point, Polansky does a good job for the most part, constructing a puzzling trail of murders for us to elucidate alongside Warden, complete with a twist which in retrospect seemed somewhat obvious, but which I did not foresee while reading (which either says something about me, or Polansky’s skill - don’t know). Polansky’s control of plot as a debut writer is remarkable, but this doesn’t stop the it from having a tendency to wander and slow the pace of the novel down. Thankfully, the strong characterization makes up for this...

Through its first person narration, The Straight Razor Cure gives us the opportunity to get to intensely know the protagonist, Warden. He is without a doubt the heart of the story. On the exterior cold and calculating with all the appearance of a common criminal, Warden reveals himself to be much more than that. Plagued with a tumultuous past of long-fought wars and service in the special operations branch of the Low Town police, it’s fair to say that he’s been through a few things in his time. His position as a renowned drug dealer - albeit one with a hint of morals - puts him in an interesting position when he decides to do the semblance of a good thing: investigate the murder and butchering of a young girl.

Warden’s mind is perhaps the most intriguing element of the book to explore, despite the novel’s terrific setting and it’s well-wrought plot. At times dark, conflicted and desiring nothing but a fix, while at other times brilliantly fast-witted and investigative, or again pensive and philosophical, Warden’s mind is a place you can never get to know fully. It goes without saying that Polansky’s characterization is well beyond average, succeeding in making this past-his-prime vigilante junky an attractive - if deeply flawed - hero. More than anything else, it was he peculiarities and strength of character that kept me reading The Straight Razor Cure, especially in instances of meandering pace.

An occasionally slow and wandering plot apart, Daniel Polansky’s very first fantasy novel has much to acclaim. With some seriously good characterization, well thought out setting and a good supply of mystery, corruption, drugs and criminality, The Straight Razor Cure has much going for it. As good as it is, I don’t think it deserves to be an essential read, as some books are wont to be, but if the opportunity arises, or if it has already caught your eye, then I readily recommend you give a trip through Low Town a try. The Straight Razor Cure is already available from Hodder & Stroughton in the UK and as Low Town from Doubleday in the US.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Reading Age: 15 and up

Links:
Daniel Polansky's Website: http://www.danielpolansky.com/

Buy The Straight Razor Cure/Low Town:
Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

Cover Art | New Editions of Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky

2011-09-05T18:46:00.004+02:00

via Julie Crisp

Julie Crisp, Editorial Director at the Tor imprint of Pan Macmillan in the UK, had some weeks ago alluded to a re-edition of Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt series. One of the notable changes of these new editions will be a shift up from mass market to B-size novels but it was also revealed that the earlier novels in the series would also benefit an all new cover treatment. Today, on her Twitter account, Julie Crisp posted the new artwork for the first two books in the series, Empire in Black and Gold which you can see above, and Dragonfly Falling which you'll discover if you scroll down the page.

What hadn't been announced was that the art had been commissioned from Alan Brooks and not from Jon Sullivan who's art has graced the covers of both the UK (first novel apart) and US editions up until now. I can't say this decision is a bad one as the art above and below is certainly stunning. I like the softer tones of the art as well as the detail and color of the backgrounds, especially that of Empire in Black and Gold, but am unsure of the font used for the title. Though the lone-character covers of the originals were quite bare, I had no issue with the style of font used on the first editions of the novel, and see no reason why they could not have been used here too.

While the background is particularly beautiful for the new cover of the first volume, Brooks' depiction of Felise centerfold on the cover of the second novel is, I think, a much better rendition than that of the original. The hood has been done away with (for once) and reveals beyond doubt that the figure is female - something the original embarrassingly could not claim to achieve. Overall, these are some very strong covers. It'll be interesting to see how Brooks will choose to illustrate the covers of the third and fourth novels. There is no word on whether the fifth, sixth and seventh (which is only released in October) books will get a similar treatment, though it appears likely. Already, the seventh will be published in the larger b-format from the start. So much to look forward to content-wise with this series and almost just as much from the art-side of things...

The Third Section by Jasper Kent

2011-09-05T13:26:00.001+02:00

Ever since I first delved into Twelve, Jasper Kent’s Danilov Quintet has been a reference for me in terms of historical fantasy and vampires that don’t sparkle. Kent’s debut was both an entrancingly thematic exploration of Napoleonic Russia and a refreshing take on the most famous of bloodsucking beasts, and Thirteen Years Later was an even more thrilling tale of mysteries, conspiracies and vicious creatures of the night. The sequel, the aptly named The Third Section, marks a change in protagonist and a significant shift forward in time, telling a story just as colorful and historically rich as its predecessors yet is somewhat lacking in the narrative department.

Blurb:

1855. After forty years of peace in Europe, war rages. In the Crimea, the city of Sevastopol is under siege. To the north, Saint Petersburg is blockaded. But in Moscow there is one who sits and waits - for the death of a tsar, and for the curse upon his blood to be passed to a new generation.

As their country grows weaker, a man and a woman - unaware of the hidden ties that bind them - must come to terms with their shared legacy.

In Moscow, Tamara Valentinovna Komarova - and agent of the tsar - uncovers a brutal murder. It seems this is not the first death of its kind, but the most recent in a sequence of similar killings committed by one who has stalked the city since 1812.

And in the ruins of Sevastopol, Dmitry Alekseevich Danilov confronts not only the guns of the British and French but also another, unnatural enemy: the creatures his father had thought buried beneath the earth, thirty years before.

Where the first two installments of the Danilov Quintet centered around the tumultuous life of Aleksei Danilov - albeit with a thirteen year gap of uneventfulness between the two - this third entry in the series shifts its perspective to that of Aleksei’s son, Dmitry, and lovechild, Tamara. Still, even with their father out of the picture, Aleksei’s progeny still finds itself entangled in the stories of his past notably, of course, his encounters with the hated voordalak - vampires - including his old nemesis Iuda. The widening of the scope, after two books, is no bad thing and Dmitry and Tamara quickly emerge as captivating characters.

But at the same time, in many ways, their story pales compared to that of their father’s. Perhaps its the fact that in so many ways those stories are the same. Kent, for reasons known only to him, choses to have The Third Section - in part - be the account of Tamara’s uncovering of her father’s eclectic tale. The problem is, as well-told as Tamara’s discoveries are and though the novel’s Muscovite backdrop continues to be as sublime as ever, we already know this part of the story. That’s what the first two books were about. Thus, the story lacks any sort of tension (or a lot less than it should) and true mystery.

The Third Section must rely instead on Dmitry’s plot-arch for novelty. He is very much the bridge from Thirteen Years Later to its sequel, having played an integral part in the events told within that second volume, but his part in The Third Section is much weaker. First off, it takes much too long for his arc to find its stride, and then when it has finally found it, there’s a shift in storytelling and it appears everything has to start from the beginning again. As much as his story grows in this new direction, the end feeling I was left with was one of disappointment.

Meanwhile, The Third Section does maintain some of the strengths of the first two books. The background of the Crimean War brings is reminiscent of the perilous Napoleonic invasion of Twelve with numerous welcomed references to that war. Moscow continues to be the main setting, almost a character of its own, with the opportunity this time around for us to explore the Kremlin and revisit the small bordello who’s confines we first entered in Twelve. The treacherous, cunning Yudin (Iuda) is also back and, like before, is thoroughly delightful in his villainous role.

So at the end of the day, I don’t think any who read the first two books should be deterred from reading this third, only a slight dip in quality plot-wise should be expected. Despite the immersive setting and solid prose, there just doesn’t seem to be enough plot in The Third Section to fill a novel. A slight mark down for Kent, then, yet in the overall scheme of things, The Third Section does very little to abase the quality of this series. If anything, it just proves that even the best can’t get it right everytime. However, if things do pick up again in the penultimate volume, as I have hope they will, we should be in for yet another gratifying experience indeed. The Third Section is already out from Bantam Press in UK and is due to hit US store shelves through Pyr this October.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Reading Age: 16 and up

Links:
Jasper Kents' Website: http://www.jasperkent.com/

Buy The Third Section:
Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

Cover Art | Sworn in Steel by Douglas Hulick

2011-09-01T21:04:00.005+02:00

via Wyrdsmyths

This picture may not be of the best quality, but it does offer a look at the UK art for Douglas Hulick's sophomore effort, Sworn in Steel. Keeping much the same style (Drothe - the main character - centerfold in the shadows) as that for the cover of Among Thieves - the first 'Tale of the Kin,' Larry Rostant has however opted for a more colorful palette. Overall, when you account for the added dynamism, I would say that Tor has noticeably increased the quality of the art, and making it more attractive to potential readers. Also, based on the quality of its predecessor, this should be just be a damn good book. If it's the US cover art that interests you more, follow the source link underneath the image above which should take you to a page displaying both the American and British versions of the cover.

Vacation Reads | Reviews of Germline, A Princess of Mars and Stands a Shadow

2011-08-23T19:20:00.003+02:00

As you might have noticed if you’ve been checking on LBR (as I’m sure you have) you’ll have noticed that it’s been quiet for the past three weeks. Deadly quiet. There’s one reason for this, and that is I’ve been away from home for all of that time. A mixture of lack of time, unreliable connectivity to the internet by staying with various relatives as I traveled across most of the eastern half of Canada meant I had very few opportunities to write any reviews or post anything at all. I did, however, have the time to read quite a decent mixture of novels and graphic novels, which for lack of having much more time now that I’m back home, I will review in series of posts consisting of condensed reviews. Below are reviews of the first three of the eclectic bunch of novels I read. A second post concerning with novels read and another looking at graphic novels will follow shortly.

Germline by T.C. McCarthy

T.C. McCarthy’s debut science fiction novel is one I paid very little attention to until the opportunity arose for me to get my digital paws on an electronic advance reading copy of the novel. I went in as close to without expectations as I’m ever likely to and the reading experience close to blew me away. Literally. The dark, oppressive and uncomfortably personal story of journalist Oscar Wendell, I’ll admit, put me off a bit at first. Given the choice, I’ll more often choose a novel that concentrates on levity than one distinctively dark. But once past an initial discomfort - something which, in retrospect, amounted to a sort of acclimatization to the very particular nature of the novel - McCarthy’s stark prose and the brutal honesty of Wendell’s tale drew me in and dragged me along for an intense, but very rewarding read.

In a future where wars are not at all fought like they are now, Wendell, journalist for the Stars & Stripes, is given the opportunity of a lifetime to experience the ongoing resource war between the United States and Russia from the front line. McCarthy takes us deep into the trenches, tunnels, bunkers and command centers of that futuristic war-zone as well as deep into the character of Oscar Wendell. Life scarred even before putting on any battle suit, we watch Oscar battle through the actual fighting, but more interestingly through drug addiction, depression and all the other emotional torments brought on by war.

T.C. McCarthy calls on his own heart-wrenching life experiences to add life to Germline’s characters and attach an undeniable authenticity to the events depicted within. It would be difficult for me to recommend this novel to every and all science fiction fan, but those willing to dig a little deeper into Oscar’s immensely damaged personality and a little deeper into their own psyche will find this to be a hugely engaging and rewarding novel. But having created one of a the most veracious portrayal of warfare in any modern science fiction (or any fiction) I have read, it’s safe to say the McCarthy has won a hard-fought right to be on your bookshelves, so others should definitely also give him a try. I’ll certainly be back for more when the second volume in the ‘Subterrene War’ trilogy, Exogene, is released next year.

5 out of 5

A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

This is the classic I alluded to in my introduction (though I also did read Orwell’s Animal Farm for the first time during this vacation too). Edgar Rice Burroughs tale of a Civil War veteran inexplicably sent to Mars was not one, sadly, I was familiar with until recently. The name of the central character John Carter of Mars, was one I’d heard mentioned before, of course, but it was the upcoming filmic adoption of his adventures (simply titled John Carter) which led to my wanting to discover the original novel. Published for the first time in 1911, A Princess of Mars holds up surprisingly well to time as long as you’re willing to recognize its age and thereby acknowledge its propensity for stereotypes and clichés.

I won’t go into too much more depth other than to say that I enjoyed the novel. It’s short length lends itself perfectly to travel reading (which is what I did) allowing you to discover a worthwhile classic of the genre while fending off boredom. The story might appear wacky to a lot of modern readers, science fiction authors having moved away from writing tales about Martians in the past century, but again, in its context, A Princess of Mars can be a highly enjoyable read and one I would easily recommend.

4.5 out of 5

Stands a Shadow by Col Buchanan

Col Buchanan’s debut fantasy, Farlander, did not leave me entirely convinced I was a fan. The premise was there, but something appeared to be missing for it to be a fully enjoyable read. With Stands a Shadow Buchanan comes back with a stronger story and improved prose, but he has ways to go yet. A couple of the main issues:

Characters - Stand out characters are few and far between in Stands a Shadow. The pitched conflict between the Empire of Mann and the determined Free Ports continues to be motivation enough to keep on reading but it doesn’t seem sustainable for a series arc. Some will make a case for Ash being an interesting character, but like in Farlander I found nothing to make him more interesting than your average protagonist. Thankfully the departure of Nico’s viewpoint from the first book is filled with those of a set of characters that enliven and diversify the story.

Structure - Stands a Shadow still lacks much of a coherent story structure. But it’s getting there. Like Farlander, the plot has a strong tendency to be revealed in a clunky manner. Without making it entirely incomprehensible, this does affect the clarity - and by extension quality - of the book. Things appear to be more under control in the final act of the novel but this is not enough to compensate for the disjointed nature of the rest.

It’s a shame Buchanan cannot get these things right, because these issues apart, Stands a Shadow is a pretty solid fantasy. The battle scenes are gorgeous, the tension often palpable and the politics being played in the background are intriguing, which is why I still hold out hope for Buchanan and his series. The improvements over the first novel are strongly evident but I hope to see more with the next novel. Third time’s the charm.

3.5 out of 5

Buy Germline:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

Buy A Princess of Mars:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

Buy Stands a Shadow:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

2011-07-28T12:56:00.002+02:00

I went into Fuzzy Nation unsure of what to expect - I mean a novel reboot? - but I trusted in Scalzi. And he didn’t let me down. This is a smart, compelling science fiction novel with a bit of an offbeat nature. Far from the galaxy-wide military science fiction of Scalzi’s previous books, Fuzzy Nation concentrates on the fate of one small planet, on the fate of one small people, on the evaluation of what makes a species sentient or not. The varied, intelligent characters are effortlessly engaging carry us through this well executed story. It’s not perfect, but Scalzi’s latest comes close: diverse, thoughtful and just plain entertaining.

Blurb:

Jack Holloway works alone, for reasons he doesn’t care to talk about. One hundred seventy-eight light-years from ZaraCorp’s head office on Earth, hundreds of miles from their headquarters on-planet, Jack is content as an independent contractor, prospecting and surveying at his own pace.

Then, in the wake of an accidental cliff collapse, Jack discovers a seam of unimaginably valuable jewels, to which he manages to lay legal clam just as ZaraCorp cancels their contract with him. Briefly in the catbird seat, Jack pressures ZaraCorps into recognizing his claim, and cuts them in as partners to help extract the wealth.

But there’s another wrinkle in ZaraCorp’s relationship with the planet Zarathustra. Their entire legal right to exploit the verdant Earth-like planet is based on being able to certify to the authorities of Earth that Zarathustra is home to no sentient species.

Then a small furry biped - trusting, appealing, and ridiculously cute - shows up at Jack’s outback home, followed by its family. As it dawns on Jack that, despite their stature, these are people, he begins to suspect that ZaraCorp’s claim to a planet’s worth of wealth is flimsy indeed... and that ZaraCrop may stop at nothing to eliminate the “fuzzys” before their existence becomes more widely known.

Josh Holloway is a social outlier by choice - he doesn’t get along too well with people - yet he’s an appealing character from the start. Holloway carries Scalzi’s well-known humor and sarcastic dialogue, helping us overcome his unsocial ways and get closer to him through comic relief. How can you not like a character who in the first few pages of a book has his dog set off explosives for him? More than anything else, Holloway is entertaining. He might be a self-absorbed, anti-social man, but he’s a funny man and one that has the tendency to get confrontational with people in the most amusing manner.

Unlike Scalzi’s most famous work - his ‘Old Man’s War’ series - Fuzzy Nation is not military science fiction. That means no shoot-them-up action, space-side battles or planetary assaults, but rather an intimate look at the commercial and judicial turmoil that has arisen on an unexpectedly significant world. A surprising amount of the novel is dedicated to a court case, which is rather unusual for a science fiction novel. The trial in question, in fine Scalzi fashion, is riveting both inside of the court room where Holloway as an unconventional lawyer shines, and out with the intrigue surrounding the case.

One of the best parts of this book is that despite him being the main character, Scalzi doesn’t reveal all about Holloway’s motivations, leaving us to puzzle them out ourselves. It is clear that Scalzi was shooting for a level of ambiguity depicting him at times as self-centered and greedy, and on other occasions as uncommonly altruistic, but always with the chance of having ulterior motives. Not only does this make the outcome of the story less predictable, but when all is said and done, we can always have some doubts about Holloway’s integrity, which is not something that can be said of most protagonists. If nothing else it makes him intriguing and lends authenticity to his portrayal.

Fuzzy Nation moves at a hearty pace and, like all Scalzi novels, is a painless read, any flaws it might have quickly set aside in favor of the overall appeal. Some will wonder weather it lives up to Scalzi’s other novels, but such a comparison would ultimately be useless. Fuzzy Nation certainly has recognizable Sclazisms, but it’s a very different type of book from any of his others I’ve read. Fans aside, this fun, clever and absorbing novel should be a guaranteed read for any science fiction enthusiast with a mind to read a good novel. Fuzzy Nation was released in May by Tor Books in the US but is also available in the UK.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 4.5 out 5
Reading Age: 15 and up

Links:
John Scalzi's Website: http://www.scalzi.com/

Buy Fuzzy Nation:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

Ghosts of War by George Mann

2011-07-26T13:17:00.001+02:00

I usually make use of this paragraph to preface and somewhat summarize the review to follow, but I feel I’ve gone into enough details in by criticism below to warrant a shortened introduction. George Mann, most famous for his delightful victorian steampunk series of ‘Newbury & Hobbes Investigations’ comes back with the second volume of his New York based steampunk superhero saga, Ghosts of War. Though on the whole more enjoyable than not, this second volume suffers many of the same pitfalls as its predecessor though it does show hope for progress. Read on past the blurb for a more comprehensive explanation.

Blurb:

New York City is being plagued by a pack of ferocious brass raptors - strange skeletal creations with batlike wings that swoop out of the sky, attacking people and carrying them away into the night. The Ghost has been tracking these bizarre machines in an effort t locate their nest and discover the purpose of the abductions, but so far has found himself at every turn.

Meanwhile, Inspector Donovan of the NYPD thinks he may have stumbled upon a plot to escalate the cold war with the British Empire into a full-blown conflict, a war that would bring utter devastation, not just to Britain, but to the world.

Their efforts to put an end to this conspiracy bring the two men into an uneasy alliance with Peter Rutherford, a British spy who is loose in Manhattan, protecting the interests of his country. They also have the unlikely assistance of Ginny, the Ghost’s drunken ex-lover and sharpshooter, who walks back into his life having disappeared six years earlier under mysterious circumstances.

Suffering from increasingly lucid flashbacks to World War I and subjected to a rooftop chases, an encounter with a mechanized madman, and the constant threat of airborne predators, can the Ghost derail the conspiracy and prevent the war with the British from escalating out of control? The fate of the world is hanging in the balance.

Mann truly is at it’s best when things get fun. When he serves up the likes of the final confrontation/take down of the indiscriminate big baddy of this novel, there’s really no denying that he knows how to play to his strengths. Like with his previous books, at its best Ghosts of War plunges us into bouts of steampunk-tinged euphoria with wild action and adventure galore, all executed in brilliant fashion. It’s almost enough to make up for the barely more than mediocre plot that fills the rest of the novel. Ghosts of War definitely marks an improvement of the series over Ghosts of Manhattan, but it shamefully does not meet the standards of Mann’s ‘Newbury & Hobbes’ books.

I’m aware that the first ‘Ghost’ book got its fair share of praise - of criticism too, but more praise - and so I before launching into the writing of this review I decided to look at what the main arguments in favor of Ghosts of Manhattan were as I was not entirely convinced by it myself. Reading my largely positive review, you might be surprised at how critical I’m being now, but looking at it myself, I can’t help but read naivety in my review. With a year’s worth more of reviewing behind me (that’s about 100 more reviews, for those counting) I find myself a bit jaded about a few of my earlier reviews, that of Ghosts of Manhattan included and find myself unimpressed with that novel.

But let’s get back to major recurring argument made in its favor: it has no desire to be taken seriously, and any lack of depth or complexity is a direct result of a clear, modest pulp aspiration. I get that. I have no problem with fun for the sake of fun (as long as it’s appropriate). Read no further than my review of The Goblin Corps for that. Or even of Mann’s other novels. But I do have a problem with that fact that in spite of this, it still looks to me as if Mann wants his ‘Ghost’ books to be read as something more than a solid, entertaining pulp-like novel.

In Ghosts of Manhattan that manifested itself in the form of the borderline ridiculous attempt of portraying Gabriel/The Ghost as two separate characters (sorry, spoilers... except not really), one a rich, wasteful bachelor and the other a vigilante, without the reader realizing it until late in the novel. As if none of us had ever heard of Batman before. Thankfully Ghosts of War is beginning to lose the Batman vibe but still instead of the multiple personas, now Gabriel is plagued with traumatic World War I memories. As if it wasn’t bad enough that the personality troubles somewhat persist, now he’s got war stories to justify it.

This, again, would be fine if Mann was truly making a play to get away from the simple pulp/steampunk-superhero book, but his continued attempts at giving Gabriel depth are unconvincing and become plain useless as the flashbacks start breaking up the flow of the story. It’s an improvement on the intelligence-insulting structure of the first novel, so I still hold out hope for the third novel, but I’m starting to realize that I really wish Mann wouldn’t try so damn hard. We know what he’s good at, and I assume he does to from the continuously increasing quality of ‘Newbury & Hobbes’ but he seems to adamantly refuse to concentrate on his strengths in the ‘Ghost’ novels, other than, obviously, those bits that are good.

Part of the problem most likely lies with Gabriel himself. He’s a good character for the noir setting of the book, but because of his lack of human attachment to anyone else, it’s difficult to relate to him, even when he shares his horrifying war stories. The closest thing to love he has is for the city, Manhattan, but let’s face it, most of us don’t hold the kind of love for a city that would lead us to risk our lives for it. And I’ll admit it, the way it’s set up and the way his relationship with other characters develop in Ghosts of War not to mention his solving of a few personal issues means things are looking much better going forwards. For the moment it just doesn’t cut it.

I really don’t mean for this review to sound too harsh (though it does) so for those still reading, I’d like to say I did like this book. But it has so much potential, it angers me to see it wasted. The way I see it, the ‘Ghost’ series could head in two separate directions: Mann could continue to groom his characters into more realistic and more relatable beings, or the series could wholeheartedly embrace what it does best, the ‘fun factor,’ a.k.a. lot’s of exciting action in a clever steampunk world. Mann obviously looks to be taking the first option, and knowing what he was able to achieve on his third try with ‘Newbury & Hobbes’ I can’t blame him. I just hope he gets things in gear.

Since I’ve been so long-winded I’ll take the time to sum things up. At the end of the day, those of you who enjoyed Ghosts of Manhattan will not be disappointed by Ghosts of War. Those of you who harbored discontent at that first volume will not see those issues addressed, though there’s strong indication that we might be getting there. As for myself, I found myself tremendously entertained by Ghosts of War at its height and sorely disheartened in its lesser moments. But on the whole, I found myself taking pleasure in the story, which is why, in spite of all my ranting, I’m still looking forward Mann’s next ‘Ghost’ novel. Ghosts of War was published by Pyr on the 26th of July in the US and will be published in September in the UK.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Reading Age: 15 and up

Links:
George Mann's Website: http://georgemann.wordpress.com/

Buy Ghosts of War:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

Heaven's Shadow by David S. Goyer & Michael Cassutt

2011-07-25T12:40:00.001+02:00

Coming from renewed The Dark Knight writer and comic-book author David S. Goyer and television producer Michael Cassutt is Heaven’s Shadow, a blend of modern space exploration and alien contact, but neither quite like we would expect. No brilliantly innovative piece of science fiction, Heaven’s Shadow is nevertheless an entertaining read not unlike a Hollywood film, with noteworthy characters and its fair share of intrigue. We see characters pushed to the limits while attempting to survive in a unforgiving environment and intraterrestrial and extraterrestrial tensions mount - all in all a more than decent, heart-thumping space saga.

Blurb:

Heaven’s Shadow begins with the discovery of an object of unknown origin headed toward Earth. Speculation as to what it might be runs high, and leads to an international competition to be the first to land on it, to claim both the prestige and whatever other benefits there might be. Thus, two rival teams of astronauts begin a thrilling and dangerous race – but what they find when they reach their goal will turn out to be unlike anything they could have imagined . . .

What they have landed on is no asteroid but a spacecraft from a civilization that has travelled tens of thousands of years to reach earth. While the team try to work out what it is they are needed for, more sinister occurrences cause them to wonder if their involvement with this alien race will lead to anything but harm for humanity.

Heaven’s Shadow reads as a very ‘cinematic’ novel - which really doesn’t come as much of a surprise from two authors who are screenwriters in the main. The pace is quick, the scenes are short and the novel rotates through a series of viewpoints, altogether keeping things moving and varying often, much like a movie. There’s also lots of dialogue, lots of very good dialogue, in fact. Goyer and Cassutt have admitted elsewhere that they very much wanted this to be a novel before being a film (the rights were already sold pre-publication) but because of their professional backgrounds and that Heaven’s Shadow was originally pitched as a film, it was inevitable that it end up with a very blockbuster-like novel. And this is by no means a bad thing.

At the same time the writers us a very thoughtful science fiction thriller. Set in the very near future, Heaven’s Shadow starts off as a tale of modern space exploration with all the things we associate with it: Houston, NASA, mission protocols, broadcasts, political tension et al. Zach Stewart is the brilliant mission commander chosen to lead a very special space mission which unfortunately for him (but no so for us) doesn’t go according to plan. The writers supply a particularly welcome tweaking of certain tropes, notably vis à vis first contact, and the number of cultural references that make the novel both more accessible to non-diehard sci-fi fans and more authentic.

The sources of tension and excitement are many. Initially, Heaven’s Shadow pulls us in because of the danger inherent of any space mission as well as the anticipation of witnessing - if only in fiction - the first human landing on a ‘near-earth object. The things decidedly take a turn for the worst, and the weirder, as Stewart & Co. hit more than a few difficulties. From then on it’s the thrill of discovery, and the latent danger present throughout which keep us hooked. There are certainly ups and downs to the novel’s intensity, and occasionally it does stray into needless and therefore much less interesting detail, but for the most part the narrative remains dynamic and engaging.

The conclusion is somewhat unexpected. I say somewhat because some of the big reveals occur earlier on and so the general direction of the story is largely predictable, yet the exact nature of the conclusion is still a surprising one. It’s a bit rushed too, but ultimately it’s a very intriguing way to end this first volume in the Heaven’s Trilogy. The writers take our expectations surrounding this type of story – the like of which we’ve admittedly seen before – and without putting a completely original twist on it, they play or expectations against us. I’m genuinely curious to see where Goyer and Cassutt plan on taking us next.

Heaven’s Shadow is a very accessible novel. Goyer and Cassutt make a definite attempt at staying true to the science as much as possible – it’s mostly quite simple – but the casual cultural references outnumber by far the scientific explanations making this a novel that you can easily lend to friend without fearing they will be deterred. From the creative and marketing push behind the novel it would seem reaching out to a wide audience is very much intended. With a screenplay (adapted by Goyer himself) already in the works it is very likely that we will be hearing lots about Heaven’s Shadow for a while yet. It’s not an outstanding novel, but the speed of reading, accessibility and the entertainment value it offers means I have no trouble recommending it, but I wouldn’t go out of my way if I were you. Heaven’s Shadow was released on the 15th of July by Tor in the UK and on the 5th of July from Ace in the US.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Reading Age: 14 and up

Buy Heaven's Shadow:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

2011-07-22T12:44:00.001+02:00

Mark Lawrence is a new name in fantasy, yet his presence on the online scene and the amount of hype surrounding his debut, Prince of Thorns, would make you think otherwise. Even more so the quality of that first novel. An utterly ruthless read, in its relatively short length its ferocity will shock you, its characters will astound you and its tale will entrance you. Prince of Thorns is a vastly compelling, fast-pace read - once the end has come, Lawrence will leave you wishing for more.

Blurb:

Before the thorns taught me their sharp lessons and bled weakness from me I had but one brother, and I loved him well. But those days are gone and what is left of them lies in my mother's tomb. Now I have many brothers, quick with knife and sword, and as evil as you please. We ride this broken empire and loot its corpse. They say these are violent times, the end of days when the dead roam and monsters haunt the night. All that's true enough, but there's something worse out there, in the dark. Much worse."

Once a privileged royal child, raised by a loving mother, Jorg Ancrath has become the Prince of Thorns, a charming, immoral boy leading a grim band of outlaws in a series of raids and atrocities. The world is in chaos: violence is rife, nightmares everywhere. Jorg's bleak past has set him beyond fear of any man, living or dead, but there is still one thing that puts a chill in him. Returning to his father's castle Jorg must confront horrors from his childhood and carve himself a future with all hands turned against him.

For this type of fantasy, Prince of Thorns is remarkably short, but this doesn’t stop it from being dense. Like the story he tells, Lawrence is merciless when it comes to pacing - this is a novel that moves fast - and prose - he simple elegance of the prose suits Jorg’s cold, calculating nature well. The first-person narration adds immediacy to the storytelling and allows for much insight into Jorg’s twisted mind. And what a captivating mind it is to observe.

Old and wise (if you can call it that) beyond his years, Jorg has a dark heart, a cunning mind, and a past troubled enough to haunt him which is justification enough - in his own mind - to support the enraged quest for power and, more importantly, revenge he has embarked on. Lawrence does a wonderful job of building depth into Jorg’s character. There’s a reason why he is so interesting to read about, and that is because his is presented as realistically complex. He is not just a vicious boy, but he also has his emotional turmoil, and despite seeing his decisions as being the result of unquestionable logic, we see him struggle with their consequences.

The vast landscape of the Broken Empire is only partially uncovered in this first tome, yet Lawrence is able to pack in enough detail to make it brutally appealing. The chaotic political scene of ‘the Hundred’ (kings, counts, barons, lords) all vying for the the throne of the long-shattered Empire is felt through the barbaric, unruly feeling the places we visit give off. Then there is the hints dropped by Lawrence that this may be a world more familiar than we think, just far in the future. Mentions are made of Persia, the Hindus, Plato, Aristotle and the Christian faith (which is still active). Whether this is our world reverted to the middle ages or not, it’ll be interesting to see how Lawrence continues to expand this particular landscape.

There is also a strong emotional element to Prince of Thorns. After all, Lawrence is able to make us keenly interested in a boy which, by all accounts, we would usually shun for his lack of recognizable morality. The natural human curiosity for that which is different from us without a doubt plays a part in keeping us bound to Jorg and his story, but credit must be given to Lawrence’s world and its characters for keeping us riveted throughout. Perhaps one of the most fearsome aspects of this novel, beyond the violence and callousness described within, is its capacity to make us readers invest in it emotionally.

Certainly, Mark Lawrence’s debut is an unforgiving, bloody piece of fiction - fantasy with one hell of an edge - and this may indeed cause issue with some readers. Prince of Thorns goes beyond even the grittiest of recently popular fantasies in its stark depiction of unabashed cruelties. If you can, however, get past it you will discover one of the most thoroughly entertaining novels of the year. Don’t be one to miss Lawrence’s spectacular entrance onto the genre scene. Let’s hope the next tome in his ‘Broken Empire’ series is not too long in coming! Prince of Thorns will be published August 4th by Voyager in the UK and August 2nd by Ace in the US.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Reading Age: 15 and up

Links:
Mark Lawrence's Website: http://www.princeofthorns.com/

Buy Prince of Thorns:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

Dark Heart by Darren J. Guest

2011-07-21T15:44:00.006+02:00

Darren J. Guest’s debut horror novel, Dark Heart, is not quite what one might expect. Instead of telling one of the more violent, macabre horror stories, Guest opts for the more personal tale, one that is more emotionally terrifying than outright horrifying. Leo Stamp may be a disturbed individual, but Guest makes him, to our pleasure, an appealingly disturbed individual. A tale containing a mix of absolution and age-old strife with a slight bit of mystery, Dark Heart is touching book, and a very satisfying debut for Guest.

Blurb:

On Leo’s sixteenth birthday, something bad happened. Something so traumatic his mind fractured, and darkness filled the crack. Twenty years on and the crack is a canyon. The schizophrenic hallucination that once offered sympathy has taken to mocking him, and the memory of that long-ago birthday claws at his darkest fears, overshadowing even the murder of his younger brother Davey. But just when life can’t get any worse... Leo dies.

A demon returns after twenty years.

And angel follows close behind.

Leo is caught in an age-old conflict his past lying at the dark heart of it all.

Honestly, this didn’t have as much horror in it as I was expecting, but this was substituted with a dark, emotional and just as engrossing tale. Leo Stamp is a bizarre man, composed of much sadness and latent trauma, and when we meet him, he appears to be barely able to function in society anymore. Indeed, if his behavior with his best friend at the beginning of the book is anything to go by, Leo can’t be said to be much in control of his life anymore at all. Yet Guest makes it clear that there is definitely a reason why he is like this, and Dark Heart is essentially this explanation as well as, more importantly, the tale of Leo’s redemption - hence the subtitle of the book: The Purgatory of Leo Stamp.

Set in a small, quiet English village, Dark Heart transports you to a very eerie and private place inside of Leo’s world. His disquieting mental and emotional state builds on to this to create a very heavy atmosphere for the novel. This makes everyone of Leo’s emotions better felt by the reader meaning a wholly more personal tale than most. Dark Heart’s value lies less in the sophistication of its intrigue than in the rich characterization of Leo Stamp. Usually I’m more of a ‘balance between plot and characterization’ guy, but the way Guest told his story, I didn’t mind it.

Dark Heart does have it’s issue though, including being is a bit confusing at first. The nature of the mythology of the book (and I’m not really sure mythology is the best word in this case) makes it difficult to understand quite what’s going on at first. Guest, also, doesn’t seem too sure of where he wants to be taking the story, so in the first few pages he leads us in one direction before shifting the trajectory to a different, and final path. Thankfully, this shift occurs relatively early, and so the reading experience is unhindered.

However Guest makes up for this with strong, characteristic prose ideally suited to the type of story he tells. His writing approach allows us to get closer to Leo and engage with him through the difficulties he faces in the book. The very focused viewpoint is essentially a consequence of the limited scope, but it is perfect to give us the most intimate account of this tale as possible. Our restricted vision of things also helps keep us unaware of the true nature of some of the secondary characters, leading to an unexpected, but welcomed, reveal in the final act of the novel.

Dark Heart did not scare me or keep me on edge as much as, say, one of Adam Nevill’s books, but Guest proves himself an adept storyteller capable and Leo Stamp an engaging character. Even when I thought I had this story figured out, it managed to surprise me with one final twist - for that it deserves much congratulations. For a debut writer, Guest makes an excellent first impression - his plotting has its faults but Dark Heart gives no indication that experience with further novels won’t hone Guest into a more than fine horror writer. Let us hope he gets that chance. Dark Heart was published in the UK by Snowbooks in May.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Reading Age: 16 and up

Links:
Darren J. Guest's Website: http://www.darrenjguest.com/

Buy Dark Heart:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

Cover Art & Blurb | Exogene by T.C. McCarthy

2011-07-19T17:37:00.004+02:00

(Art by Steve Stone via Orbit )

I'm part way through T.C. McCarthy's first novel, Germline, right now and very much enjoying it. Though it's set for release in August, Orbit have already revealed the cover art for the second title in the series, Exogene. I'm not usually a big fan of these realistic covers, but knowing from the first book what the cover is meant to depict - both the character and the mood - I can say that it's a good fit. Head on over to Orbit's website to read their Creative, Lauren Panepinto's, thoughts on the artwork. Also, catch the blurb for Exogene after the jump.

Blurb:

Exogene (n.): factor or agent (as a disease-producing organism) from outside the organism or system. Also: classified Russian program to merge proto-humanoids with powered armor systems (slang).

Catherine is a soldier. Fast, strong, lethal, she is the ultimate in military technology. A monster in the body of an eighteen year old girl. Bred by scientists, grown in vats, indoctrinated by the government, she and her sisters will win this war, no matter the cost.

And the costs are high. Their life span is short; as they age they become unstable and they undergo a process called the spoiling. On their eighteenth birthday they are discharged—lined up and shot like cattle.

But the truth is, Catherine and her sisters may not be strictly human, but they’re not animals. They can twist their genomes and teach them to follow the principles of Faith and Death, but they can’t shut off the voice inside that wants more than war. Catherine may have only known death, but she dreams of life and she will get it at any cost.

The Goblin Corps by Ari Marmell

2011-07-19T12:33:00.003+02:00

Ari Marmell’s third original novel, the Pyr-published The Goblin Corps, is an unapologetic fantasy of the best kind. The Goblin Corps is a grand scale sword & sorcery adventure, the likes of which are rarely seen anymore. An Abercrombian take on well-worn fantasy tropes with more than a tad of humor, this is a novel singly meant to entertain. And it does just that. At times equally gruesome, humorous, outlandish and thrilling, The Goblin Corps can be summed up in a word: awesome. Or at least, that’s how I imagine most dedicated fantasy fans will see it.

Blurb:

Morthûl, the dreaded Charnel King, has failed.

Centuries of plotting from the heart of the Iron Keep, deep within the dark lands of Kirol Syrreth - all for naught. Foiled at the last by the bumbling efforts of a laughable band of so-called heroes, brainless and overmuscled cretins without sense enough to recognize a hopeless cause when they take it on. Machinations developed over generations, schemes intended to deliver the world into the Dark Lord’s hands, now are devastated beyond salvation. But the so-called forces of Ligth have paid for their meddling with the life of Princess Amalia, the only child of the royal family of Shauntille.

Now, as winter solidifies its icy grip on the passes of the Brimstone Mountains, disturbing news has reached the court of Morthûl. King Dororam, enraged by the murder of his only child - and accompanied by that same group of delusional upstart “heroes” - is assembling all the Allied Kingdoms, fielding an army unlike any seen before. The legions of Kirol Syrreth muster to meet the attack that is sure to come as soon as the snows have melted from the mountain paths, but their numbers are sorely depleted. Still, after uncounted centuries of survival, the Dark Lord isn’t about to go down without a fight, particularly in battle against a mortal! No, the Charnel King still has a few tricks up his putrid and tattered sleeves, and the only thing that can defeat him now may just be the inhuman soldiers on whom he’s pinned his last hopes.

Welcome to the Goblin Corps. May the best man lose.

This is a book that took me by surprise - I simply wasn’t expecting to be taken in this type of story and at first glance utterly unlikeable characters. My prejudice only helped Marmell show me how little I know myself. I loved it. Marmell takes the most blatant fantasy tropes, the stuff any fan dreads will be used as proof of how ‘lame’ or ‘childish’ fantasy is - you know the type: orcs, goblins, trolls, wizards and haughty Dark Lords - and reminds us how fun they can be.

The Goblin Corps’ premise bears much resemblance to that of, say, the The Lord of the Ring. But backwards. Instead of being viewed from the perspective of the questing heroes, this is the tale of the war against the Dark Lord from the view point of the least scrupulous of his minions. At the same time Marmell shows us how truly little difference there is between the ‘good’ guys and the ‘bad’ guys. At the end of the day, we as readers will go for whoever the writer incites us to go for (to a degree), and in this case it’s the no-good, despicable band of assorted goblins that make up the Demond Squad.

Like Abercrombie, Marmell puts his own twist on fantasy tropes, and like Martin he is unforgiving with the lives of his characters, but though his narrative decisions resemble these two’s somewhat, at the end of the day it’s difficult to peg his writing down as similar to either of them. More than anything, the underlaying sardonic tone of his writing is closer to Sam Sykes’ style as are the band of bickering characters. Craeosh, Katim, Gork, Gimmol, Feizill and Belrotha are a varied and hilarious bunch, and their chemistry is, I think, the main drive and base of the narrative.

To be clear, The Goblin Corps is no perfect book, but for the simple aims Marmell seems to have to set out for himself - namely revisiting familiar tropes with a grittier, modern outlook and a good dose of irony - he clearly achieves his goal. Sure, the plot meanders a bit at times and the book could have therefore done with a bit of condensing, but the stylistically effective prose, witty dialogue and vibrant action make, on the whole, for some highly pleasurable reading. Highly recommended, but with a slight caveat: this is a violent, gory and sarcastic novel, often for no particular reason. Take that as you will. The Goblin Corps is out now in the US with no foreseeable UK publication date.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Reading Age: 15 and up

Links:
Ari Marmell's Website:

Buy The Goblin Corps:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

The Immorality Engine by George Mann

2011-07-11T11:58:00.001+02:00

Steampunk has been know - and celebrated - for it’s fun-oriented nature. I’ve often seen it as nothing other than an excuse to tinker further with Jules Verne’s and H.G. Wells’ inventions, the chance to explore an alternate version of our past, and usually as a means of rekindling the great sense of wonder and adventure found in the tales of those previously mentioned masters. In his first two ‘Newbury & Hobbes Investigations’ Mann offered us ever so slightly shallow - if extremely pleasant - renderings of those ambitions, but with his latest, The Immorality Engine, he chooses to delve deeper into his characters, rendering a novel that retains all the fun of its predecessors while gaining unprecedented depth.

Blurb:

Sir Maurice Newbury and his feisty sidekick Veronica Hobbes are called on to investigate a wave of crimes identical to those commuted by a murderer who the police have just found dead. Their enquiries lead them to the Bastian Society, and personal physician to Queen Victoria, Dr. Lucius Fabian. Why is he so interested in Veronica’s sister Amelia, and can Newbury and Veronica help free her from a terrible fare as a slave to the Empire?

In this third installment, Mann teases us from the very first chapter with significant plot details to come sometime down the line before he jumps back seven days prior to those events to tell the ‘how’ of it all and, more importantly, to introduce the latest mystery facing Sir Maurice Newbury. For the next hundred pages we must unfortunately contend with a mild pace and plodding narrative. This being our third time joining up with Newbury, Hobbes & Co. you would expect things to move a bit quicker, we have after all met these people before yet things drag on a bit without much happening.

Around the one hundred page mark, things take a turn for the better and Mann throws at us fistfuls of danger and mystery just as the pace picks up and settles into that of yet another terrific steampunk romp. The first two books already demonstrated that Mann strong suit isn’t the complexity of his investigations, yet the one Newbury works his way through in The Immorality Engine is ever so slightly more fulfilling.

This, honestly, may be partly due to the fact that the investigation itself, despite this being a ‘Newbury & Hobbes Investigation’ gets moved to the side a bit. Much like in The Osiris Ritual, what begins as a genuinely baffling mystery quickly winds down to a predictable chain of events as too much condemning evidence is revealed too quickly. The investigation is still an integral part of the novel, but there’s an added political aspect - only superficially introduced in the previous book - which takes center change near the half-way mark.

One particularly noteworthy change in this third volume is the increased attention to characters and their emotional development, leading turn to a story with also greater depth. Gone is the fun yet ultimately meaningless tale of The Affinity Bridge - The Immorality Engine, as its title suggests, delves into questions of loyalty and love and looks at the difficulty of making decisions involving either (or conflicts between both, as is the case in this novel). Mann’s greater interest in his own characters means they are no longer rigid set pieces moved around for the sake of plot, they now form the true core of the story. After two - retrospectively - mediocre attempts, Mann hits his stride and shows us what he’s truly capable of.

Now, Newbury and Veronica operate in a Victorian England in which the events and decisions have a feasible chance of actually affecting them beyond the odd wound, quickly to be repaired by ‘the Fixer.’ Our two main characters’ evolving view of Queen Victoria force them to question the valor of duties they’re called to fulfill in her service. The fun factor is still very much present. We’re served a dish that contains copious amounts of steampunk goodness: steam-powered exoskeletons, clockwork horses and the steampunk equivalent of rocket launchers all play their part in some thoroughly thrilling action sequences. Worth a mention, also, is the continuing development of the romantic relationship between Newbury and Veronica. It’s been growing slowly but now it’s evolution is accelerating, and it’s a pure joy to see.

Going forwards, I can’t help but feel anything but excitement and great anticipation for the fourth ‘Newbury & Hobbes Investigation’ because it finally seems like this is a series we can grade highly while taking it seriously. It was too easy before to downplay the first two books’ faults because it was just a fun-oriented series that had no greater aims. For the most part, Mann is still writing that, but the apparent switch he’s made only that to writing that with an ounce of more thoughtful characterization has had a huge impact on my enjoyment of this novel. The Immorality Engine, therefore, is highly recommended. It was released in the UK in June, and will appear on American shelves, from Tor Books, in September.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Reading Age: 15 and up

Links:
George Mann's Website: http://georgemann.wordpress.com/

Buy The Immorality Engine:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk

Degrees of Freedom by Simon Morden

2011-07-08T12:15:00.001+02:00

Degrees of Freedom is the final volume of Simon Morden’s initial Petrovitch/Metrozone series. The first of these, Equations of Life, was an entertaining cyberpunk but the sequel, Theories of Flight, alright showed signs of repetitiveness and lack progression between the novels. Degrees of Freedom, sadly, confirms this trend. It is by no means a bad novel, but it’s resemblance to the first two in how its story is built and executed leaves too strong a sense of déja vu for it not to negatively impact my enjoyment of the novel. For this reason, this review will be kept a bit short since a few different plot points apart, Degrees of Freedom felt somewhat like a remake of the previous two and I feel no need of desire to reiterate some the points I made there.

Blurb:

The Six Degrees of Samuel Petrovitch:

Michael is an AI of incalculable complexity trapped under the remains of Oshicora Tower. Petrovitch will free him one day; he just has to trust Michael will still be sane by the time he does.

Maddy and Petrovitch have trust issues. But Petrovitch is pretty sure she loves him.

Sonja Oshicora loves Petrovitch too. But she’s playing a complicated game and it’s not clear that she means to save him from what’s coming.

The CIA wants to save the world. Well, just America, but they’ll call it what they like.

The New Machine Jihad is calling. But Petrovitch killed it. Didn’t he?

And the Armageddonists tried to kill pretty much everyone by blowing the world up. Now, they want to do it again.

Once again, all roads lead back to Petrovitch. Everyone wants something from him, but all he wants is to be free…

Apart from the jarring similarities with its predecessors, Degrees of Freedom does have a few tricks of its own. There is a definite sense that the story is winding down - at least for a bit - but it’s difficult for Morden to really concentrate on bringing the story of Petrovitch to an end while trying to maintain the credibility of events. Because really, a third major city-wide, even world-wide, crisis in so many years is starting to seriously push it. I wouldn’t at all have minded a more down-scaled story (though perhaps the second book in the series might have been better for this) that could rely more on Petrovitch’s characteristic intellect and propensity for sharp, well-placed sarcasm rather than on the ‘if I don’t do something crazy brilliant now, the world will relapse into another nuclear war’ premise. That was fine for book one, but by the time we hit book three, it’s getting old.

It was a pleasure though to see Morden address character issues in a more in-depth fashion than before, particularly the tortuous relationship between Petrovitch and Madeleine. But since that half-built in the first and second books, the resolution in the third lacks authenticity and has only marginal impact on the conclusion of the plot. There’s no denying it, Petrovitch runs a one-man show, and despite assurances from the character himself, he really doesn’t need anyone else, which really has been fine by me all along since he’s the most interesting of the bunch.

I made the recommendation at the end of my review of Theories of Flight to try and space out Simon Morden’s books for fear of falling prey to the repetitiveness of their nature and I think it’s necessary I issue that warning again. As you have probably understood from the rest of this review above, Degrees of Freedom was a let down for me after having enjoyed Equations of Life and its sequel, but I feel that I perhaps did not follow my own counsel. Degrees of Freedom is no worse a book than its predecessors, in fact it’s just too similar to them. If you were entertained by the first two Metrozone books I won’t turn you away from Degrees of Freedom, but I will say that you let it sit for a bit before picking it up. Degrees of Freedom was released in June by Orbit in both the US and the UK.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Reading Age: 15 and up

Links:
Simon Morden's Website: http://www.simonmorden.com/

Buy Degrees of Freedom:
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Bookdepository.co.uk

The Chosen Few | LBR's July Picks

2011-07-04T14:43:00.002+02:00

You may have noticed a lack of presence on my part over the past week and particularly this past weekend. That's entirely my fault, as I've had quite a planned out (music festivals and such) which took over a considerable amount of my time. Yes, that means I was absent on the 1st of July and missed posting LBR's Chosen Few for the coming month. Never fear, though late, my selection of SFF novels is all ready for your perusal. You'll notice this is quite a hefty selection, but I do plan on having more time to dedicate to reading, so hopefully I'll be getting through all of it. Before reviews of any new releases, you'll find some reviews that I originally intended for June - the books are already read, so you'll soon see reviews of Darren J. Guest's Dark Heart, Andrew Mayer's The Falling Machine and Simon Morden's Degrees of Freedom. I think everyone can guess which is the biggest title below, without a doubt George R.R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons, but the new M.D. Lachlan, Jon Sprunk and Col Buchanan - amongst others - will, I expect hold their own.

The Immorality Engine, George Mann (Snowbooks)

George Mann's 'Newbury & Hobbes Investigations' are one of the outstanding steampunk series of the past few years. Blending twisted investigations and vast amounts of steampunk technology, the first book in the series, The Affinity Bridge, introduced us to the brilliant Sir Maurice Newbury and his charming assistant Miss Veronica Hobbes and when it came the time to plunge into The Osiris Ritual, the second novel, I was glad to be back in their company. The second volume was a bit more uneven than the first, but I believe Mann has the capacity to pull off a third novel that betters its predecessor. I will be getting to this one very soon.

The Goblin Corps, Ari Marmell (Pyr)

Ari Marmell is not an author I've had the chance of reading yet. His The Conqueror's Shadow and The Warlord's Legacy tempted me, but I never bit. His arrival into the Pyr clan, however, made me a whole lot more interested. It's no secret by now that I think Pyr are a safe bet I you're looking for a good read - I've had a few disappointments with them, but one the whole, almost every single one of their titles tempt me. Beyond it's publisher, The Goblin Corps also has a pretty interesting premise to bolster it. The blurb reads to me a old school sword & sorcery with a promise of badassery - what more could we want?

Shadow's Lure, Jon Sprunk (Pyr)

Last year, I felt that Jon Sprunk's debut, Shadow's Son, was a well-written, fun-oriented novel about a fantasy assassin, but that unfortunately it wasn't much more than that. Perhaps it was too short, perhaps Sprunk didn't want to bog the story in details in the first novel of the trilogy, but nevertheless though I certainly enjoyed it, Shadow's Son could have been better. This is why I'm looking forward to see if any growth can be observed on Sprunk's part with this second novel, Shadow's Lure. One already promising sign: Shadow's Lure sits roughly twice as thick as it's predecessor.

Ghosts of War, George Mann (Pyr)

I guess I will be getting a lot of Mann this month as this is already his second appearance on this list, this time with a different series. Set in a noir steampunk-infused 1920s, Ghosts of Manhattan was a flawed read - I count it as one of the few disappointments I've had with a Pyr title. The tale of a rich man protecting the city as a masked vigilante (the 'Ghost') was too familiar and was told too shallowly. Since I hadn't read his Newbury & Hobbes stuff when the first 'Ghost' novel came out, and having now seen what Mann is capable of, I am increasingly excited for Ghosts of War, though I remain somewhat tentative. We'll see.

A Dance With Dragons, George R.R. Martin (Voyager)

Do I really need to say anything about this one? I haven't really talked much about my relationship with George R.R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series on the blog, but I should probably mention at this point that it is hands down one of my favorite series. Like for many other readers I'm sure, these are the books that introduced me to, and got me into, darker, grittier fantasies. I had the chance of coming to these books relatively late, and so have not had to suffer the wait between the previous installment, A Feast for Crows, and this one. Nevertheless, this is a title I'm really, really looking forward to. I'll be jumping right in the moment it lands in my hands.

Heaven's Shadow, David S. Goyer & Michael Cassutt (Tor UK)

I figure I need a bit of science fiction amidst all the epic fantasy, sword & sorcery and steampunk that make up the rest of this list, and what better choice than Heaven's Shadow? Written by none other than David S. Goyer, better known for his scriptwriting most notably as co-writer for Christopher Nolan's much loved Batman movies and the upcoming Man of Steel Superman reboot. This is essentially enough for me to be convinced to pick up the novel. I don't have too many expectations for this title other than having a good time.

Fenrir, M.D. Lachlan (Gollancz)

M.D. Lachlan's fantasy debut of a year ago, Wolfsangel, was a riveting tale deeply rooted in Norse mythology and set in those lands. I enjoyed that first novel and expect much the same from Fenrir. I'll be honest, I don't have much more to say about this one, let's just hope Lachlan does a good job once more.

Stands a Shadow, Col Buchanan (Tor UK)

Col Buchanan made his entrance onto the fantasy scene with last year's Farlander a very enjoyable novel, but one that could very easily be improved. Adorned with some truly gorgeous cover art, Stands a Shadow looks to be the perfect candidate for Buchanan to prove to us that his books really deserve a place on our bookshelves. Regardless, even if it is only as good as its predecessor, Stands a Shadow should be a fine read. We'll see what happens to Ash and his struggle against the Holy Empire of Mann in just a couple of weeks.

Den of Thieves, David Chandler (Voyager)

It seems that July is to be the month of the assassin fantasies - after Shadow's Lure and Stands a Shadow comes Den of Thieves, the fantasy debut of author David Chandler who has previously written horror as David Wellington. If you'd like to get to know him a bit better before trying his book I recommend you check out Civillian Reader's interview with him from not too long ago. Anyways, this new fantasy trilogy, to be published at one months intervals throughout the summer, looks very promising. Voyager is not putting a whole lot of publicity backing behind it, but it does look like the type of book that might please a lot of readers - not unlike Douglas Hulick's Among Thieves from earlier this year - so look out for it too.

Songs of the Earth by Elspeth Cooper

2011-06-30T12:22:00.002+02:00

With her debut novel Songs of the Earth, it would be difficult to say that Elspeth Cooper presents readers with a particularly innovative take on the typical epic fantasy tale. Instead Cooper, with promising dexterity, extends an exciting version of a familiar story. Songs of the Earth fully embraces genre tropes, is not ashamed of it, going for the most part from strength to strength, despite a few missteps and shortcomings. This may not quite be the outstanding fantasy debut it was touted as, but Cooper makes a commendable attempt at that title, resulting in a solid novel.

Blurb:

Gair is under a death sentence.

He can hear music - music with power - and in the Holy City that means only one thing: he’s a witch, an he’s going to be burnt at the stake. Even if he could escape, the Church Knights and their witchfinder would be hot on his heels while his burgeoning power threatens to tear him apart from within.

There is no hope...

...none, but a secretive order, themselves persecuted almost to destruction. If Gair can escape, if he can master his own growing dangerous abilities, if he can find the Guardians of the Veil, then maybe he will be safe.

Or maybe he’ll discover that his fight has only just begun.

Gair’s story is that of many a fantasy hero that we’ve observed over the years. Not appearing to be particularly bright or talented at he does, an unfortunate sequence of events leads to an aged foreigner revealing to him that he holds potential beyond that which we envisioned. Thankfully, Cooper has the tact to spare us the introduction of this story and starts her tale at the crucial moment (or near enough) where Gair is told by Ansel that he has powerful, and long-forgotten, capacities. From there, she launches into an elaborate recounting of Gair’s travels to, yes, a magical academy.

Please do not read my tone as ungrateful towards Songs of the Earth - I liked it. Quite a bit actually. This is a story I love, but I’ve seen it a few times before. Cooper makes up for it by displaying above par writerly skills, and a knack for fashioning absorbing characters, however small their role maybe. This is a talent she puts to particularly good use with Gair, who despite a few glaring inconsistencies in characterization, remains a thoroughly interesting character.

Because it is the nature of the tale she is telling, Cooper is not afraid of including ‘larger than life’ events, even by epic fantasy standards. Her approach to magic, the ‘Song’ heard by Gair and other ‘Guardians of the Veil,’ though still not very original, is intriguing, as are the passages dedicated to Gair’s apprenticeship in its usage. Certain high-profile fantasy novels who will remained unnamed have accustomed most of us to the customary ‘magic academy’ type of story, so it’s nice to see Cooper deliver that holds up to these without outright emulating them.

Songs of the Earth moves along at a brisk pace, and whereas the fast-forwarding of the inevitable travel bits is welcomed, the speed of the story is also occasionally detrimental to its own progression. There is one time-lapse section that spans no more than a month or two, in which he apparently makes improves his control of the Song enough to better an other practitioner. Now I know this is purely nitpicking to a lot of you, but to be honest, even I can get past small worldbuilding abnormalities and occasional deus ex machina, however I found it a shame that Cooper felt the need to rush through her own, hugely compelling, creation.

Songs of the Earth is not your average fantasy - Elspeth Cooper’s emerging talent as a writer make sure of that - yet it is not either anything that hasn’t been seen before. Originality is not everything, but at this point, it is all that Songs of the Earth, and the rest of the ‘Wild Hunt’ series is missing to bring it to the next level. Certainly, this first volume in the series is recommendable, but it will be necessary for Cooper to push the boundaries in the following novels for this series to become a staple of fantasy readers. Songs of the Earth was released in June by Gollancz in the UK, with no news on a US publication.

Summarizing Info:
My Rating: 4 out 5
Reading Age: 14 and up

Links:
Elspeth Cooper's Website: http://www.elspethcooper.com/

Buy Songs of the Earth:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Bookdepository.co.uk