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Emperor's Knife by Mazarkis Williams

2013-05-11T23:01:00.001-04:00

Emperor’s Knife by Mazarkis Williams is the first book of The Tower and Knife trilogy published by Night Shade Books in the US and Jo Fletcher in the UK. A synopsis can be found here. Knife is a complicated, ambitious, and ultimately successful stand alone novel in a planned trilogy from a first time author. Resonant in Williams' creation are themes of isolation, growth, and destiny with each of the main characters; Sarmin, Eyul, and Masema travel a fascinating path of discovery, both internal and external.

What I found particularly fascinating is how Williams' created three very different characters in Sarmin, Eyul, and Masema and yet links them together through their isolation, sacrifices, and origin stories. The three main characters are different in nearly every way: culture, gender, age, etc. However, each of them shares a crushing sense of isolation and imprisonment. Each share a sense of compassion. Each shares an origin story rooted in the selfishness of others. These common threads allow the reader to see the world from multiple viewpoints, shaded by age, experience, gender, etc. but still keep the reader well-grounded in the narrative. I feel that this structural choice is essential to anchoring the narrative and keeping the complexity of the story within the reader’s grasp.

The growth exhibited by each of the main characters is remarkable within the confines of a single book. While none are children, they are each naive and slaves to their roles. In the course of the narrative, they begin to question these assumptions. Eventually, they break free of their self-imposed shackles and begin to chart their own paths. This narrative arc provides a lot of the tension in the story. It gives Knife a vitality and imbues the characters with a relatable agency.

Another interesting element of the narrative is how Williams' toys with the idea of destiny via the Pattern and social roles. Eyul, Sarmin, and Masema all feel imprisoned by their destiny whether it be the result of tradition, expectations, or the Pattern Master’s machinations that lock them on their perceived pre-ordained path. Yet, it feels like Williams' is thumbing hens nose at common uses and perceptions of destiny-- especially during the sequence where the Pattern Master reveals the grandeur of his design to Sarim, demoralizing him completely. Ultimately, each character's eyes are opened, literally in Eyul’s case, to the fact that they control their own fate.

Lastly, I enjoyed Mazarkis Williams’ voice. Williams’ has a stately and dramatic voice that occasionally veers to the florid. It brings a heaviness to the text that complements the sense of isolation experienced by the main characters. Most impressive however, is how Williams’ is able to alter hens tone appropriately in the dialogue. Eyul’s common tongue isn’t burdened with the more stately voice of the narrator, for example. This contrast provides the text an added layer of texture that I found very pleasant.

I did have some misgivings with the book. Primarily I had issues with Williams’ treatment of women. Nearly every female character is a victim -- usually at the hands of man -- although some, such as Lapella, suffer at the hands of other women. As the text progresses, women becoming increasingly impotent. Amalya’s character arc was particularly irritating in that regard. Sarmin’s relationship with Greta is another sequence I wish had been handled differently. I often wondered while reading the text if that relationship would have worked if Greta had been a man rather than a woman.

While this makes sense culturally in Knife's world, I was frustrated that Williams didn’t provide an exception to create a sense of contrast or demonstrate female agency. This is keenly felt with Masema, who as an outsider, was a logical choice to create a strong, independent female lead. Yet for most of the book, Masema is handed off from one man to the next, intent on bearing this indignity nobly. Only at the end of the book does she begin to show some independence, but she is still bound by her unequal relationship with Sarmin. Hopefully, this changes during the course of the next entry in The Tower and Knife trilogy; I can see the groundwork Williams is laying to strengthen Masema’s character, and I hope this extends to other female characters. However, within the scope of Emperor’s Knife, I felt Williams’ treatment of women to be the novel’s biggest negative.

Emperor’s Knife as a whole is a great read; Mazarkis Williams is an exciting new voice in fantasy. The story is complex and ambitious, but Williams not only manages it -- she pushes it to excellence. Spicing things up is a refreshing, dynamic setting that sets it apart from most recent fantasy releases. At its heart however, Emperor’s Knife explores familiar themes of self worth, friendship, and change. I look forward to the rest of The Tower and Knife series.

Memorable Quotes:

“And Kashim fell silent,...”

“The Pattern Master had made his push, and the tiles were falling.”

“‘I am Carried.’”

Jo Fletcher: The Emperor’s Knife by Mazarkis Williams
Image Source: Jo Fletcher
Review Copy: Self Purchased
ISBN: 9781597803854

God's War by Kameron Hurley

2013-04-16T21:54:00.002-04:00

God’s War by Kameron Hurley is the first entry in the Bel Dame Apocrypha series published by Night Shade Books. A synopsis can be found here (non-affiliate link). God’s War is a singular and searing story told in an utterly unique voice. God’s War takes place on Umayma-- an inhospitable world inimical to human life. On this unwelcome rock, mankind has plunged itself into unremitting holy war. Using this crucible as her backdrop, Hurley slowly pulls her characters apart and presents them to the reader piece by piece. What is revealed under the nihilistic, cancerous surface is a careful study on the human condition. It is a wonderful, if disjointed, tale.

As God’s War is unremittingly brutal to its character, it is also unapologetically difficult to its readers. Hurley does not coddle the reader with background information or gentle introductions; rather, she opens with a brutal and memorable first line:

“Nyx sold her womb somewhere between Punjai and Faleen, on the edge of the desert.”

From there, it is up to the reader to keep up. Jargon and slang are thrown about by the narrative’s characters that will have no meaning to the reader; the details are only made clear later. While this may be off-putting to some, I found it incredibly refreshing. It makes the opening of the novel direct and straight-to-the-chase. It creates a sense of mystery and forces the reader to come to grips with the narrative on its own terms-- not the reader’s terms.

God’s War also peddles in a number of familiar themes: violence, religion, destiny. While the story is brutal and uncompromising, the influx of such titles in the genre has inured many readers to such things. Yet, Hurley finds a way to get under the reader’s skin, figuratively, by centering the ‘magic’ system on insects. So while readers may have become habituated to the horrors of war, many are still unsettled by bugs. In this way, Hurley gives her story an edge, a sense of otherness, that is increasingly difficult to find.

Hurley’s greatest achievement in her world-building is creating a believable means to deconstruct and tinker with gender roles and social structures. Central to the narrative is the centuries long holy war between Nasheen and Chenja. The societies of Nasheen and Chenja have adapted in face of the brutalities of war. Nasheen has pursued a path of eugenics and forced conscription of women; Chenja embraced polygamy. Each creates societal repercussions. In Nasheen, men become expendable commodities while women become priceless breeding machines and leaders. In Chenja nearly the reverse happens.

Why is this so important? It creates a cognitive dissonance in the reader. Within this mental gap, Hurley thrusts her character development, breaking past stereotypes and cultural norms, and letting the reader experience the heart of the characters. Without this, Nyx could easily have been dismissed as a woman playing the tough guy role. Yet, with the careful world building you have to acknowledge there is no ‘tough guy’. Nyx is something unique to the setting that must be experienced and appreciated on her own terms.

At the heart of God’s War is Nyx-- Hurley has crafted a simply amazing character in her. While the narrative may be disjointed in telling its story, it is perfect for the careful, steady reveal of Nyx’s character. The story of God’s War is distinctly secondary to the experience of discovering Nyx.

Much ink has been spilled in discussing strong characters. What is it that makes a character strong? Too often the response is male-centered due to cultural dictates, and those cultural contagions infect our stories. Hurley has inoculated her story and crafted a response to the question with Nyx. Nyx is a strong character, yet she isn’t physically strong, faster, of special birth, or any other traditional identifiers of “strength.”

Nyx is strong because of her unbending will and desire to control her own destiny. Nyx is a character who stared nihilism in the face and forced it to retreat. Her faith in everything has been broken, beaten, and betrayed. In the face of ultimate rejection, she refused to be a victim and declared ownership of herself. While she may wander, she is not lost.

Providing balance to Nyx, and preventing her from becoming a caricature of the hardboiled anti-hero, is her relationship with Rhys. Via this relationship Hurley humanizes Nyx. What is truly amazing is how Hurley manages this without turning Nyx and Rhys into a sexual relationship. Instead, their relationship is a delicate and ephemeral thing centered on Rhys calming voice, gentle hands, and mannerisms. Scenes where Nyx is paralyzed by fear and indecision, only to be soothed by Rhys reading her to sleep are heart touching.

The only real negative to God’s War is the actual story. It is disjointed at best, insensible at worst. So while there are hints of a larger meta-plot, none of them really make sense until the very end of the book when a few clearer hints are dropped. The narrative frequently jumps around both in time and physical location within the narrative accomplishing little beyond confusing the reader for a few paragraphs. Various side plots crop up concerning the various characters’ back stories but rarely lead anywhere. But, as the opening of God’s War was challenging to the reader, I am hoping the overall plot of the Bel Dame Apocrypha follows the same pattern and becomes clearer in the subsequent novels.

God’s War is amazing. It is a singular and unique read. Kameron Hurley’s voice throbs with a brutal honesty that rocks the reader from scenes of hyper violence, shotgun decapitation, to touching gentleness: Rhys taping Nyx’s hands. In amongst the violence, nihilism, and insanity of Umayma, Hurley skillfully guides the reader along a path to the center of her characters, forcing the reader to question the human condition. God’s War is a success on so many levels; I cannot recommend the book enough.

Memorable Quotes:

"Boys either came home at forty or came home in a bag. No exceptions.

"They were godless women who murdered men and bred like flies."

"He suddenly wanted this strong, capable woman to hold him, Nasheenian or not. He wanted her strength, her certainty."

"I judged myself."

"Nyx went on."

Kobo: God's War by Kameron Hurley (non-affiliate links)

Image Source: Kameron Hurley

Review Copy: Self Purchased

ISBN: 9781597803007

Goals for 2013

2013-04-10T16:46:00.002-04:00

To help motivate myself, I wanted to set a few modest goals for my blog in the coming year.

I want to post twenty-five reviews I have written.
I want to post five reviews of independent authors.
I want to consistently post two reviews a month.
I want to consistently post at least three articles per month.
I want to cross 450,000 pageviews.
I want to perform one author interview.

Out of all of these goals, I am most nervous about performing an author interview. Such a thing is a complete unknown to me so it will be a growth opportunity.

Image Source: WordTipping

eBook Publishing Part 2: Data, Discoverability, and Diversification

2013-03-30T14:10:00.001-04:00

When you look at ebook publishing long enough you realize something curious; Amazon is consistently swimming against the current. When publishers and all other retailers zig, Amazon zags. It is reminiscent of Warren Buffet’s investment moves. In my opinion, Amazon is consistently making the correct moves while publishers and other retailers are making the wrong moves.

Amazon keeps their focus on three core points: data, discoverability, and diversification. All other competitors are routinely missing these points or are simply unable to execute on them. Amazon has done a number of things very well in the ebook space, and I believe that drives not only their market dominance but also sustains it. Publishers in particular need to steal from Amazon’s playbook and not continue their current course of propping up old distribution models, e.g. Pearson’s investment in Barnes and Nobles, or focus on top down editorial curation, e.g. Bookish.

The single most valuable asset publishers possess is their catalog. While I am sure many would argue that their editorial staff is their best asset, it is neither scalable nor unique. What is unique is the publishers huge trove of publishing rights and data found in their catalog. Publishers need to leverage this-- turn it into a platform as Amazon has done with their Kindle platform--and make it an open platform rather than a closed one. In doing so, I think publishers can address, if not solve, the problems of data, discoverability, and diversification.

How would an open platform with a solid API aid the publishers? First, it lets you attack the issue of diversification. At present, ebooks are consolidated down to less than handful of retailers. Amazon is 50-70% of the market with Barnes and Nobles, Apple, Kobo, and Google Play Books divvying up the rest. This shifts all of the power to the retailer. Much ink has been spilled in bemoaning the loss of independent bookstores. An open platform providing access to the treasure trove of catalog data would allow every app developer, social network, etc turn into an independent bookstore on an agency model via in-app purchasing. Much as Amazon provides their Amazon Associates platform to allow everyone to become a reseller, so too can publishers.

By doing so, you provide the entire book ecosystem a solid alternative to Amazon. Publishers can also dictate the terms. The crown jewel would be data sharing. Amazon and others are notoriously picking about sharing data back to publishers. By providing a platform to developers, publishers can also demand access to more data. Better yet, they would have access to highly-specialized data. By allowing open access to a platform API, publishers encourage the organic growth of niche applications and communities and from them highly-detailed data sets. Amazon is currently destroying all competition when it comes to data collection. Amazon Associate links turn every blog into a data collection source. Amazon’s website and purchase history is a massive source of data. Finally, Amazon’s purchase of multiple social networks, including Goodreads, is another source of high-quality data. No one else is even close to Amazon when it comes to data collection. By providing an open platform API, publishers will nurture new sources of high quality data.

What good does all this data do? Data is the key to driving discoverability. Retail is still king when it comes to discoverability. Online retailers have not yet cracked the code to replicating the success of shelves filled with high quality cover art and potent back cover sales copy. Amazon is getting close and is much further ahead than their competition. But, by providing an open platform, publishers can harness the power of the book community. This gives access to data that helps to better market books, but it also harnesses the creativity of countless entrepreneurs as they seek to make money from selling books. So even if publishers don’t crack the code, someone utilizing their platform will. It also fosters a bottom-up editorial system by encouraging niche communities around apps, blogs, etc. These niche communities are the front lines of genre development and critical to understanding where consumers’ tastes are heading.

In my previous article in this series, I highlighted how publishers could embrace ebooks as a new medium not limited by the rules of traditional publishing. In this article, I am attempting to highlight how publishers and retailers need to adapt their business models in the face of the tidal wave of distribution disruption that is the internet. This is the more pressing issue of the two. Amazon has shown that they are the only competitor at present with both the means, desire, and skill to be the market leader. Amazon’s competitors lack the desire (Apple and Google), skill (Barnes and Nobles) and/or means (Kobo) to be a serious competitor. Publishers’ can fight back by taking control of their catalog, fostering a new wave of online independent bookstores, and capitalizing on the flow of data. I think having a strong, diverse marketplace will ultimately be more beneficial to readers than a benevolent dominance from Amazon.

Image Source: AllThingsD

Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed

2013-03-03T21:55:00.003-05:00

Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed is the first book in The Crescent Moon Kingdoms series published by DAW. A synopsis can be found here. Throne is a sword and sorcery tale centered on an unlikely hero-- a sextagenarian holy man in the twilight of his career as a ghul hunter-- Doctor Adoulla Makhslood. The good Doctor’s thoughts of retirement are rudely disrupted when a danger greater than anything he has ever faced threatens his beloved city of Dhamsawaat. Gathering his allies, Doctor Makhslood embarks on a quest to save his city and Kingdom that cradles it.

Throne may be a familiar tale, but Ahmed presents it in an unfamiliar way and with uncanny skill. Doctor Makhslood is a dynamic and endearing character, noble of heart and world weary under the burden of his calling. The Doctor is the engine that drives the narrative, and Ahmed brings him to life through a wonderful mix of dialogue and inner monologue. Yet, most important element of his character development is his interaction with the supporting cast.

Through the supporting cast, the Doctor is truly brought to life. Each of the characters complement the Doctor in some way. Raseed’s youth and naivety is a source of constant irritation to the experienced Doctor. Zamia’s nomadic roots contrasts sharply with Adoulla’s educated and urbane existence. Lastly, Dawood and Litaz’s marriage and companionship reveals a missing element of Doctor Makhslood otherwise full life; it reminds him of what he has sacrificed. Yet for all of their differences, the characters are bound by a desire to do God’s work. Out of this arrangement springs the novel’s wonderful dialogue.

The novel’s antagonists are also presented in a nuanced and complementary manner. Orshado is the primary villain, and he typifies his role beautifully. Orshado is a vile man in both mien and manner. Accentuating his aura of evil is the fact that he does not speak, instead leaving this to his supernatural minion Mouw Awa. Orshado is evil’s evil-- alien in motivation to the masses of humanity. Providing contrast to the simplicity of Orshado are the dueling characters of the Khalif and the Falcon Prince. The Khalif is amoral and selfish; his people suffer under his self-indulgent tyranny. Opposing him is the Falcon Prince. He is a man of the people who is filled with righteous fury-- willing to kill, murder and steal in the name of the greater good.

Ahmed’s world-building in Thone is equally fantastic. To simply call it Arabian would be dismissive and overly reductive. Ahmed has brought to bear a studied knowledge of peoples and cultures stretching from Cordoba to Mumbai. Drawing together these threads of inspiration, Ahmed has woven a tapestry whose milieu is both familiar and unique. The setting also integrates into the dialogue with atypical phraseology such as the useage of Auntie and Uncle. All in all, the world-building is well done and refreshing.

Lastly, you cannot ignore Ahmed’s skillful writing. Throne is impeccably crafted. You can feel the obsessive focus on the characters and the plot. There are few extraneous words and even fewer extraneous passages. The pacing is very uptempo and is never derailed by obnoxious info dumps or side stories. The novel isn’t simply all action either; Ahmed deftly layers questions of duty, honor, sacrifice, and faith within the narrative. Gluing everything together is the wonderful dialogue. Each character speaks with a unique voice-- which is a feat given the diverse cast.

There were a few things I disliked about Throne. My biggest complaint lies with the under-utilization of Zamia. I wish Ahmed would have given her more attention, especially after the attack by Mouw Awa. Instead, too much of her interaction seem to happen off scene. Whereas Raseed had his errand for the crimson quicksilver and his accompaniment of Litaz to Yaseer to add nuance to his character. Without a comparable narrative sequence, I feel that Zamia’s character remains underdeveloped. I am hoping this is fixed in the second novel in The Crescent Moon Kingdoms.

Throne of the Crescent Moon is a brilliant debut novel and a great novel by any standard. Above all, Throne is incredibly well written. Saladin Ahmed presents a familiar tale but makes it his own with an unfamiliar setting and protagonist. In addition, Ahmed elevates the traditional sword and sorcery format by weaving in social observations, moral quandaries and emotional costs to the story’s characters. Throne of the Crescent Moon is a great novel, and I highly recommend it.

Memorable Quotes:

"Instead of a blissful marriage, he had monstrosities on his mind and a pile of “should haves” pressing down upon his soul."

"No doubt the dervish was twisting himself in knots trying to square the circle of his pious oaths with a young man’s natural reactions, and only half aware he was doing so."

“'Patience, little moon, is a warrior’s virtue,' he would say. 'Your strength alone is not enough. You must have knowledge, too, little rose. And judgment. And, as I say, little emerald, patience.'”

"Matters of state were about hypocrisy as much as anything else."

"Then Doctor Adoulla Makhslood got down on his knees, touched his forehead to the ground, and wept before the woman he would wed."

Penguin: Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed

Image Source: Penguin

Review Copy: Self Purchased
ISBN: 9781101572405

Blood's Pride by Evie Manieri

2013-02-12T22:18:00.000-05:00

Blood’s Pride by Evie Manieri is the first book in The Shattered Kingdoms series published by Tor; a synopsis can be found here. Manieri is an exciting new voice in the fantasy genre-- unafraid to break free from the shackles of rational world building. Instead, Pride is a passionate allegorical tale of romance set against a bloody slave uprising. Pride’s characters must come to terms with their present, the hidden lies of their past and, most importantly, their future.

Eschewing the intensive rational world building that dominates modern fantasy, Manieri opts for a potent allegory to drive Pride’s setting and characters. Some aspects that make little logical sense (such as the Norlander’s chill, the transformative properties of Shadari breast milk, and so forth) are actually potent literary devices. Those expecting a clear and rational fantasy setting may be challenged by that.

Blood’s Pride is centered on the Shadar, a coastal, temperate equatorial region inhabited by the Shadari. The Shadari are enslaved by the Norlanders who come from the frozen North. The South is occupied by the Nomas, who are nomadic desert merchants. The allegory is found within this setting. The Norlanders are bound by tradition and prize purity and control. They are pallid and cold in appearance and mien. The Nomas are free spirited, traveling to and fro with little care to tradition or lineage. They are lively in appearance, ruddy and golden, and their behavior is ebullient and welcoming. The North and South occupy polar-opposite belief systems. Between them are the Shadar, caught between tradition and change just as they are caught between the land and the sea. Conflict is inevitable.

The Norlanders enslave the Shadari both in body and in spirit; they represent the chains of tradition and the past. In the South, a mercenary known as “the Mongrel” promises to deliver the Shadari from enslavement and give them freedom. The Mongrel represents freedom, change and the promise of the future. The Shadari embody the present, torn between the dueling forces of past and future.

Within this allegory, Manieri creates an arresting tale of romance, friendship and family. The Shadari rebellion, so heavy marketed by Tor, is little more than a catalyst for events and fades into the background. The relationships between the characters tell the true story. The three core romances are between Daryan (Shadari) and Isa (Norlander), Eofar (Norlander) and Harotha (Shadari), and Jachad (Nomas) and Meiran (Spoiler). Each relationship is a classic tale of star-crossed lovers, designed to maximize the effect of the allegory. As the story advances, each of the characters must face his or her past and overcome it. Each must navigate and survive the future while clinging to love. And finally, each must decide what future he or she wants. Will the character throw away her past and chart a new course; abandoning her people and responsibility? Or, will she honor her past and endanger their love, so hard won? The tension is captivating.

The most compelling aspect of this struggle are the secrets of the past. Each of the main characters is defined by a great lie that they have told themselves or the ones they love. Whereas the world is an external allegory, the lies are an internal allegory. Each lie is a keystone to the character. It is a secret of the past that defines the present and will determine the future. How the characters struggle and overcome these lies is at the center of the narrative.

A number of fascinating flourishes that hammer home the allegory; primary among them are the various languages. The Norlanders utilize a psychic language that conveys thoughts and emotions. Control over emotions is paramount. The Nomas use a traditional verbal language but can also learn the Norlander language. The Shadari use a verbal language but, for reasons unknown, cannot learn the Norlander language.

This creates a series of intriguing conflicts. The Norlanders hate sound due to their psychic means of speaking. Yet they are forced to speak to their slaves the Shadari, surrendering control and submitting to aural discomfort. The Norlanders are also un-used to expressing their emotions verbally. This creates some neat friction and interplay between the Norlander and Shadari couples.

The differences in body temperature are also fascinating. The Norlanders are cold to the touch while the Shadari and Nomas are hot. The Shadari and Nomas will physically burn and cause pain to the Norlanders if they touch. Yet, by some means, the romantic couples can touch each other. The burning pain becomes passion instead. It’s a neat flourish that really amps up the romantic interplay.

Lastly, it was deeply satisfying to see the realistic cost to relationships-- romantic, familial and fraternal. There are no truly happy endings. Every character pays a price, and Manieri uses the narrative to hammers home the reality and value of love. The small victories are hard won and ever the sweeter. The fleeting moments are treasured; the future is planned. It deepens the narrative in a way that saccharine wording could never attain.

There was not much I disliked about Blood’s Pride. I think the prose had a few uneven spots in wording and structure, but it rarely hurt the story. Given that I am reviewing and ARC, these issues may have already been addressed. My greatest concern is for the remaining installments of The Shattered Kingdoms. So much of my enjoyment depends on the allegorical setting; how will Manieri extend the world, but preserve this potent tool? I think the transition into book two could be difficult. However, that is not a qualified critique of Pride so much as a baseless critique of an unknown future.

Blood’s Pride is such a wonderful book. It is complex and rich and brings to the fantasy genre something sorely missed from a major release: romance and freedom from magical realism. I admire the trust Manieri and Tor must have in fantasy readers to publish such a book. I wish this were a more frequent occurrence. There is much to love about Pride, and I have left a lot undiscussed. I look forward to the remainder of The Shattered Kingdoms series. I highly recommend Blood’s Pride and I fully expect it to be in my best of 2013 list. Blood’s Pride burns with a passion fueled by bold prose and an evocative allegory. Read it.

Memorable Quotes:

"Dramash was waving goodbye."

"There was something on the other side of that burning pain, and she wanted it."

"She felt the screams in her sore and swollen heart and she squeezed that too, burying the treacherous organ under layers after layer of ice so strong that it choked off every pulse; she kept piling it on, letting all of her senses slide away so that nothing -- not the soldiers' embarrassment not Frea's disdain, not the sunlight's piercing rays, not the memory of her mother's screams, not the deadly pull of the city below -- could get near her."

"It wasn't enough that they belonged to each other: he was a king, whether she liked it or not -- and she was afraid she a was already loosing him."

"She opened her fist and let it go."

"<But the water's getting in,> Frea whimpered."

"<Maybe we were both tied to too many other things. Maybe neither of us could let go of the past.>"

"Lahlil looked over her should and into his sea-blue eyes. 'I think I'm happy.'"

Macillan: Blood's Pride by Evie Manieri
Image Source: Mcmillan
Review Copy: Netgalley Digital Galley
ISBN: 978-1-4299-5995-7

eBook Publishing Part 1: The Black Libary

2013-01-28T09:49:00.000-05:00

I have often shared my frustrations with the ebook marketplace. Many of them deal with the lack of innovation with the ebook format and the distribution of ebooks. Ebooks are simply shoehorned into traditional publishing models in order to protect the current model or to avoid investing into future models. I think publishers have a golden opportunity to capitalize on this moment of transition, and I am frustrated that they either squandering the opportunity or, in some cases, actively opposing it. In Part 1 of this opinion piece, I want to discuss The Black Library as an example of a publisher who understands the ebook market. In Part 2, I will discuss where I think the ebook market should be heading.

Ebooks provide number of key advantages that I believe are largely ignored. However, there are a few publishers who embrace them and none more so than The Black Library. While I do not think The Black Library is perfect, they are quickly innovating their business model and are moving in the right direction. I think they succeed in a few key areas: leveraging technology, monetizing their IP, and marketing.

The Black Library has clearly embraced technology and the internet. The clearest evidence is their shift to direct sales and the way they own the customer relationship. Not only do they engender loyalty, but they also gain access to customer data. Right now, Amazon and others are notoriously tight-fisted about this data to ensure that their customers are loyal to Amazon first and the publishers a distant second. The Black Library’s access to customer data, buying habits, credit card information, etc. is an invaluable tool for developing new marketing strategies. It also allows quicker access to performance data and helps them to adjust their strategies accordingly.

Technology has allowed the Black Library to become more flexible and experimental with their product offerings. Instead of being limited to standard novels, The Black Library now offers short stories, monthly magazines, audio dramas, and exclusive time-limited, print-on-demand titles. In addition, by shifting to a digital first outlook, their offerings can be quickly repackaged. Short stories that appear in their monthly Hammer and Bolter offering can be re-sold individually or bundled into a coherent collection at a later date.

Perhaps the most aggressive move to embrace technology is by The Black Library’s parent company, Games Workshop. Games Workshop now offers their core rulebooks in the iBook 3 format, creating an extremely convenient interactive and auto-updating product. They also regularly post rule clarifications and updates to their core rulebooks. Normally this would become cumbersome to the customer over time. By embracing technology, Games Workshop has created a better product and a satisfied customer base.

Technology has also provided The Black Library the means to more effectively monetize their intellectual property. After all, everyone wants to get paid for their work. The greatest sin of publishing are the hard price points of hardcovers, trade paperbacks, and mass market paperbacks. I feel that this leaves entirely too much money on the table, and it doesn’t even address the entire available market. Some fans are willing to spend much more money on their products (e.g. collector’s and limited editions) while some fans only have enough money to purchase products at an entry-level point.

The Black Library’s approach has been to create a wide spectrum of goods at multiple price points. At the low end, there are $2-$4 short stories and the monthly subscription to Hammer and Bolter that allows readers to sample new authors and new settings. It also gives collectors another place to spend their money. At the high end, there are The Black Library’s exclusive collector’s editions which sell for $50 or more. In between, there are novellas, ebooks and audio dramas. Even here, prices vary with products such as enhanced ebooks which may contain exclusive artwork or premium formating.

Extending this publishing model even further, The Black Library monetizes non-traditional offerings. For example, they offer fans a way to purchase the excellent cover art commissioned by The Black Library. Instead of giving it away as promotional material or not offering it for sale, The Black Library sells oversized poster formats in digital and physical forms. Another example of their non-traditional offerings are the scripts for their audio dramas. Rather than simply sell an audio product, The Black Library cleans up the scripts and sells them as premium hard cover collectibles.

The Black Library is also brilliant in their use of exclusive content. Most of their catalog is offered on their website several months in advance of other retail partners. These products are sold at full list price. Mixed in are niche products that might not be received well at retail but become exclusive offerings on The Black Library’s website.

All these examples simply highlight how The Black Library works to expand their market and give their biggest fans more ways to spend money by reusing and repackaging the content it has already produced. It creates additional revenue streams and higher profit margins while satisfying their best customers and attracting new ones.

The Black Library is also very savvy in their marketing. In particular, I feel they have avoided the biggest mistake publishers make-- creating a community portal. While the work produced by Tor.com and Suvudu is first class, it also directly competes with the publishers’ biggest fans. Now, fan-created sites such as Dragonmount and Westeros.org have to vie with the publishers for traffic. While the relationship between these sites and the publisher may be cordial, their visitors’ time isn’t infinite and the competition can negatively affect ad revenue.

Instead, The Black Library has made their website dedicated selling product rather than hosting a community. This enables The Black Library to focus more on their books, rather than creating editorial content or community features that might not translate into sales. The Black Library engages and encourages their fandom by promoting reviews and coverage that are already being produced by fans.

The Black Library has also been innovative in creating ways to entice customers to return to their website. One means of doing this is the top-notch newsletters they produce. Not content to send simple text-based missives, they instead sends a newsletter that is well-formatted, informative, and full of great artwork. The Black Library is also careful not to flood your mailbox by carefully coordinating their marketing campaigns. The campaigns are varied, but they have a few staples such as ebook Mondays when they release new short stories. More complex campaigns are carried out during the holidays. For example, during the Advent Calendar event, a new short story is released every day leading up to Christmas. All of these events help drive traffic to their site.

The Black Library is also successful with their targeted campaigns in preparation for big releases (e.g. a new Horus Heresy novel). But their best work is reserved for their exclusive collector’s editions. During the build up to a release date, The Black Library will preview new artwork, interviews, and video trailers. While none of this is particularly shocking or revolutionary, the overall quality of their marketing is so impressive that it is effective at generating interest.

The surprising aspect of this marketing is that it continues after the sale of the book. With the time-limited collectibles, there can be up to eight weeks between the order date and delivery date. The Black Library wisely finds a way to engage the customer in this window of time by sending out status updates on the production process, wallpapers, story excerpts, etc. All of these updates not only keep the customer excited while they wait for the arrival of their order, but they also keep the customer returning to the site and generating traffic.

The Black Library’s marketing success isn’t limited to great newsletters, smart marketing, or promoting web traffic either. They are great at branding their product lines. While there is a clear distinction between Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000, these two categories are still rather broad. The Black Library wisely breaks them down even further-- particularly with Warhammer 40,000K. In this universe, they have grouped titles under series titles such as The Horus Heresy, Space Marines Battles, and Lords of the Space Marines. Within each of these categories, The Black Library maintains a specific tone and subject matter. In this way, they provides a neat structure to their catalog, allowing their customers to more easily find what they want.

Wrapping everything up in a tidy bow is The Black Library’s website. It is easy to navigate, great to look at, and updated frequently. The Black Library doesn’t have much of an option in this regard; by engaging in direct sales with the customer, their website has to be top notch. Frustration would mean lost sales. It seems like common sense that locating a product and buying it should be a seamless process, but at many publishers’ websites, this simply isn’t so. The Black Library nails it.

The Black Library isn’t perfect but they are clearly working hard at it. They are leveraging technology to engage their audience with a variety of efficiently produced products. They find creative ways to monetize all aspects of their intellectual property, allowing them to be more creative and adventurous in their catalog. Finally, they engage in high-quality marketing by drawing their customers in and keeping them. The Black Library trusts their customers, providing DRM-free ebooks and a pragmatic, easy-to-read usage license.

Overall, The Black Library has been most successful at increasing the value of their product. While publishers routinely bemoan the devaluing of books due to self-publishing and ebooks, The Black Library has managed to not only hold the line, but to actually advance. They give nothing away. I think there is something that other publishers can learn from The Black Library and their methods. I am very excited to see how they continue to evolve in the coming years. In the meantime, I will continue to buy their books -- direct.

In Part 2 of this series, I will discuss what I envision as the future of selling ebooks.

Image Source: The Black Library

Thief's Covenant by Ari Marmell

2013-01-14T16:18:00.000-05:00

Thief’s Covenant by Ari Marmell is the first book in the Widdershins Adventure series published by Pyr. Covenant is presented in an interesting dual narrative with an irreverent tone that softens the darker elements of the story. Marmell’s character, Adrienne Satti (a.k.a. Widdershins), is an interesting and fun character with a love of snark and sarcasm. Marmell’s emphasis on humor occasionally threatens to derail the story but rarely crosses the line.

Covenant is the origin story of the novel’s protagonist, Adrienne Satti-- a young woman whose early life is very much a roller coaster. By the time of the story’s introduction, she has lost her parents, survived as a street urchin, adopted by a noble, framed for murder, and become a thief. When she becomes a thief, Adrienne adopts the name Widdershins to leave her past behind, or so she thinks. The murder is the central mystery of the story and her primary agency.

The narrative itself is composed of two linear storylines. The primary thread is set in the present, and the secondary thread starts in the past. The primary thread begins with the gruesome murder of a secret religious cult’s followers; Adrienne Satti is a member and the only survivor. The secondary thread begins with the death of Adrienne’s parents. It is interesting that Marmell chooses to begin both threads with murder because both tragedies cause Adrienne to be reborn from the destruction of her old life. This narrative element also foreshadows the novel’s end.

Marmell executes Covenant’s the novel’s structure with great success. The parallel nature of the story helps break up the narrative. By alternating between threads, Marmell creates a nice ebb and flow to the story and keeps the pacing brisk. It also provides a means to develop Widdershins’ character quickly. Widdershins is an assumed identity meant to hide her past and her life as Adrienne Satti. It also hides her from the reader. The second thread, set in Widdershins’ past, reveals the girl hiding behind the mask of Widdershins. In this way, Marmell is able to neatly reveal the whole character to the reader.

The most interesting aspect of the narrative is how it places the slaughter of the cult at the center of the story. Widdershins’ tried to flee and hide from these events, but her past will not stay hidden and catches up to her. In the present, Widdershins is drawn into a conspiracy-- one that she discovers is somehow linked to the opening massacre. During the flashback sequences, the links between the two are slowly revealed. By the novel's end, she solves the present day mystery and also comes to understand why her cult was murdered. In this way, Adrienne as a character is made whole again. Structurally, the novel resembles an Ouroboros.

Widdershins is a fun character, which is a good thing since the narrative revolves around her. Her life has been one of constant upheaval, and she has had to largely rely on her own skill and cunning. It also means she has been alone. As a result, Widdershins is a brilliant thief who has poor interpersonal skills and uses sarcasm to keep people at arm’s length. Widdershins is a wonderful and complex character who is easy to cheer.

Providing balance to Widdershins character is the god Olgun, who was the focus of her cult’s worship. When his followers were slaughtered, Olgun hid inside Widdershins. So, while Widdershins may be bereft of human companionship, she has a god hiding in her head. Olgun helps protect Widdershins and lends her a hand during her thieving activities. The most important function of Olgun is to be Widdershins’ friend and conversation partner.

The pairing of Widdershins and Olgun is important because it allows the narrative to have dialogue when it otherwise would not. When Widdershins is alone, she can maintain a running conversation with Olgun. This allows Marmell to explore the environment, crack jokes, and advance the narrative without a lot of awkward inner monologue from Widdershins. The humor would have been very difficult to pull off without making Widdershins appear as an unhinged sociopath constantly cracking jokes to herself.

The humor in Covenant is a two-edged sword and an area where Marmell occasionally stumbles. It functions best when it is irreverent and droll, helping to soften the dark imagery and topics. Covenant’s humor is at its weakest when it veers too sharply toward slapstick or the author’s voice intrudes too much with the sarcastic observations. When this happens, it threatens to trivialize the narrative and break the reader’s sense of immersion. The humor is generally spot on and is one of Covenant’s defining qualities, but the sarcasm may make it off-putting to some readers.

Widdershins was a wonderfully developed character, but some of the secondary characters were lacking. Most of this can be attributed to word count and a worldview where Widdershins dominates the story. As a result, the supporting cast was underdeveloped. Thief Henri Roubet and guardsman Julien Bouniard particularly suffered from underdevelopment. They were interesting and had potential but struggled to break away from basic stereotypes. I look forward to seeing how they develop throughout the series. Yet the character that frustrated me the most was Widdershins’ friend, Genevieve. Ultimately, she felt like little more than a plot device to help wrap up the novel’s ending.

The greatest weakness of Covenant was the beginning. Covenant is an origin story, and a lot of time was spent establishing the setting and characters. As a result, it was not until the middle part of the novel that the story starts to take off. That is not to say the first half is slow or boring; it just doesn't have an apparent direction. Things are happening but there doesn't seem to be a reason. Some readers may find this frustrating. By the second half of the novel, the narrative gained significant momentum and became especially gripping. I hope that this momentum continues into the subsequent Widdershins Adventure novels.

There is a lot to like about Thief’s Covenant. It is a great story that that is well told with a solid sense of humor. Widdershins is a wonderful character with a well- balanced blend of capability and vulnerability. The setting and supporting characters, while a bit flat, have great potential as the series progresses. If you don’t mind the humor and have the patience for the slow start, Thief’s Covenant is a great read that I can easily recommend to all fans of fantasy.

Memorable Quotes:

"'Oh, what?' 'Figs.' 'That's my girl.' The door clicked shut."

"Julien's frown grew even deeper, a feat of true muscle contortion that threatened to flip his entire face upside down on the front of his head."

"The sound of tiny splinters being gouged from the wood snuck through the chamber and went to go lurk in the corner, where it occasionally bounced back at them as an echo."

"'That doesn't remotely alter the fact that I think you're mad as a syphilitic hatter.'"

"'I intend to drug you, and force you to be my guide.'"

Pyr: Thief's Covenant by Ari Marmell
Image Source: Pyr
Review Copy: Self Purchased
ISBN: 978-1-61614-547-7

Favorite Reads of 2012

2013-01-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

I read thirty two novels in the fantasy and science fiction genres in 2012. It is not a huge pool to select from and not all of the novels were published in 2012, hence the "read in" and not "released in." That said, I did read a few novels that I feel stand out from the rest.

Top 3:

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence was my clear favorite for 2012. There was a lot of like about this book but eventually all discussion leads back to the polarizing central character, Jorg. Simply put, he makes or breaks the book for most readers. If you like Mark Lawrence’s vision for Jorg, then the rest of the book will fall into place, providing a gripping and entertaining read. Read my review here: Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence.

Scourge of the Betrayer by Jeff Salyards is the most unexpected entry on this list. His book came out of left field as I was neither familiar with Salyards nor his publisher Night Shade Books. To find such an unexpected gem is a real treat. Salyards presents a ribald tale of military fantasy with great dialog and smart characterization. Read my review here: Scourge of the Betrayer by Jeff Salyards.

Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan is a throwback to classic adventure fantasy; a vanishing genre often relegated to self published works. Sullivan’s novel follows the adventures of the odd couple duo, Royce and Hadrian, as they are drawn into a conspiracy of massive proportions. The plot is full of twists and turns. The dialog is engaging. Royce and Hadrian are memorable and fun. Read my review here: Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan.

Honorable Mention:

Fulgrim by Graham McNeill is an honorable mention as it is the best entry I have read thus far in the Horus Heresy series. McNeill presents the clearest and most compelling narrative yet on the fall of a Space Marine Legion. While Horus’ fall was largely driven by ego, Fulgrim was based on his insecurities which presented a much more personal story. Read my review here: Fulgrim by Graham McNeill.

Penguin: Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Image Source: Harper Collins
Review Copy: Self Purchased
ISBN-13: 978-0441020324

Night Shade Books: Scourge of the Betrayer by Jeff Salyards
Image Source: Night Shade Books
Review Copy: Self Purchased
ISBN: 9781597804073

Hachette: Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
Image Source: Hachette
Review Copy: Self Purchased
ISBN-13: 9780316200714

The Black Library: Fulgrim by Graham McNeill
Image Source: The Black Library
Review Copy: Self purchased mass market paperback
ISBN-13: 9781849703383

2012 in Review

2013-01-04T21:18:00.002-05:00

The year 2012 was a big year for my blog. I posted more consistently and saw a lot more traffic as a result. I was excited to pass 250,000 page views, and I narrowly missed hitting 300,000.

Yet there are other reasons why it was a big year for my blog. Early in 2012, I was in a funk, and I was not exactly sure what I wanted to do with my blog. It had been a bit of a hobby since 2008, but it lacked direction. I stopped posting for awhile so I could decide what to do.

After some time, I realized that I wanted to keep blogging but to narrow my focus. Part of my problem was that I was trying to do too many different things. Over the course of the year, I made a number of strategic changes to the blog.

First, I decided I wanted to focus solely on long-“ish” form articles. Specifically I wanted to write 1,000 word reviews and opinions. I felt that re-blogging had become a distraction and was cluttering my blog. Worse, re-blogging buried the most valuable content I produce: reviews. To facilitate this new focus, I deleted all of the short-form articles. I decided that Twitter and Google+ posts were better suited for any shorter form content.

Second, I wanted my blog to be more professional. I identified a few key areas of my blog to improve. I decided to remove all ads, “associate” links, properly source images and review copies. I also decided to provide credible links and develop a consistent style.

Over the course of approximately six months I have accomplished these goals. I went through each post and removed all ads and Amazon Associate links. This was the first task I approached, as I wanted to remove any potential conflict of interest. I also wanted to remove any desire to produce “link bait” traffic for monetary gain.

I thought it would be important to properly source images and review copies. As a result, I went through every post and added a link to the original image source. If I could not locate the original source, I removed the image and replaced it with one I could source. As much as possible, I have tried to use the art supplied by publishers via their websites. I have also identified in each of my reviews the source of my review copies. The majority are self-purchased, but I do have a few ARCs I have received from various sources.

If you follow my Twitter or Google+ accounts, you will be aware I have been critical of publishers. In order to bring my blog in line with my criticisms, I felt that I needed to provide credible links for each of my reviews. To meet this goal, I removed all links to Amazon. Instead, I have provided links to the appropriate product listing on the US publishers’ websites. I feel this satisfies two goals: it drives traffic to the publisher, and provides my readers multiple options for acquiring a copy of the book. In both cases, I receive no monetary compensation.

Lastly, I wanted to develop a more consistent style. To do this, I wrote out a “business” plan for my blog. I detailed out my tag structure, image editing style, where I post my reviews, my review format, and a few other details. Each time I post, I check against this plan and verify I am meeting it.

I am happy with the end result. I think my blog is better now that I have met my goals. It is more professional in appearance and, hopefully, useful to my readers.

Image Source: WordTipping

Scourge of the Betrayer by Jeff Salyards

2012-12-20T22:28:00.002-05:00

Scourge of the Betrayer by Jeff Salyards is the first book in the Bloodsounder’s Arc published by Night Shade Books. Betrayer follows the current trend of gritty fantasy. Yet where most novels might nervously toe the line, perhaps giving an apology or two, Betrayer crashes past bellowing curses and skids to a stop somewhere between gruesome and grotesque. While the tone may be crass-- and a frightening number of penis-related insults will be learned-- Betrayer is a wonderful and smartly written book.

Betrayer occupies a niche between military fiction and fantasy. The story is narrated by Arkamondos (Arki), a naive and provincial scribe. Arki is hired by a small company of elite mercenaries, the Syldoon, to chronicle their various shadowy undertakings. Chief among the Syldoon is Captain Braylar Killcoin, whose interaction with Arki forms the bulk of the narrative.

Perhaps the most successful aspect of Betrayer is Salyards’ decision to write the novel from Arki’s point of view. Arki’s naive and provincial personality acts as a buffer between the reader and the more caustic aspects of Braylar and his men. Arki is relatable to the reader whereas the Syldoon are likely, hopefully, not. In this way, Arki draws the reader into the story. Over time, Arki integrates into the Syldoon and pulls the reader in as well. This gradual shift, integrating the reader into such a harsh and foreign setting, is incredibly well done. If it had been poorly handled, it would likely have rendered the book unreadable to many.

Structurally, Betrayer is a very lean book. Salyards keeps a driving pace. The characters are always on the move. Exposition is nigh non-existent, and the focus is kept tightly on the characters. The story is revealed almost exclusively through dialogue and the larger plot unfolds almost grudgingly. World building is kept at a minimum with a few tantalizing hints thrown at the reader. Magic is hardly to be found. All of these elements were smart choices by Salyards and Night Shade Books. By minimizing the world building, Salyards has brought his voice and style to the forefront. The fast pace and short word count provide a dense and engaging read. The world building can wait for later books when the audience is captive to the story.

My favorite aspect of Betrayer is Salyards’ voice. In particular, his ability to develop narrative tension stands out. The Green Sea sequence is a perfect example of Salyards’ skill. The Green Sea is a vast grass prairie, sparsely populated and inhabited by incredibly dangerous fauna. While Arki, Braylar and Lloi transverse a portion of it, Salyards manages to make wide open space in the narrative seem nearly suffocating. While in the Green Sea, Arki’s world is reduced down to a covered wagon. Hidden beneath the waves of grass are dangerous natives and even more dangerous predators. Intermittently, one of these dangers will appear, attacking Braylar and Arki, confining them to their tiny life raft on the endless sea of grass. Arki’s world shrinks even further when Braylar becomes incapacitated during one of these attacks. Now, Arki is alone. He doesn’t know where to go. He is lost.

When Braylar and Ariki finally reach the edge of the Green Sea, to the safety of the forest, I felt unnoticed tension in my shoulders drain away. When that occurred, I laughed at the delicious irony and skill involved in creating that moment. Salyard had managed to invert the usual relationship between the prairie and forest. In Salyards’ world, the endless grass sea and boundless sky were a prison and the forest freedom.

A second notable way Salyards develops tension is through his frequent fight scenes. While such scenes are typically noisy, in Betrayer, they are remarkably silent. Salyards focuses on small sounds, rather than sweeping swords striking armor with a great cacophony. In Betrayer’s fight scenes, the shuffling of feet over dusty ground, the clinking links of a flail, and the gasping of breath predominate. As a result, the fights suddenly become more intimate, more personal, and more tense with this focus on the small sounds. The reader is pulled in close as the narrative frame shrinks. So when a combatant’s death arrives, often in gruesome fashion, it is shocking because it feels so close.

Salyards’ voice is engaging in other ways as well. The dialogue is concise, witty, and cutting. It has to be. The Syldoon are not simple goons. They are highly trained, educated and multi ethnic mercenaries--the pinnacle of the Slydoon Empire’s military. As such, Salyards not only had to find the right balance between the vulgar and cerebral but also account for the various ethnic backgrounds of Braylar’s troop. I think Salyards nails this complicated balance, as failure to do so would have severely crippled the book. The end result is this steady stream of varied and amazing banter between a diverse group of individuals.

There was little I disliked about Betrayer, but my chief complaint deals with the length of the novel. Yes, I know I praised this very fact earlier. However, the one casualty in this brevity that I did not like was the overall story plot. Not until very late in the narrative are a few hints dropped about larger schemes. I found this lack of information frustrating because it made it difficult to place the events of the novel in any sort of context. While this will likely be remedied as the Bloodsounder’s Arc progresses, it does little to help Betrayer.

Scourge of the Betrayer is a great read. But, I would have difficulty giving it a general recommendation. The general tone of Betrayer will be an insurmountable problem for some readers. For the rest, I can easily recommend Betrayer as a unique and enjoyable experience. It was one of my favorite reads of the year. If you do choose to read Scourge of the Betrayer, laugh at the crassness, grimace at the gruesome but don’t forget to appreciate the skill laying under it all.

Memorable Quotes:

"...that this would be unlike any other job I’d done."

"Every time I started to think I’d seen the oddest thing on this journey, I was proven wrong."

"'There are many who curse the plague, but women who survived aren’t among them. There are far more jobs than men can do."

"'Write. You were conscripted to script, yes? Your scriptorium is where you find it. Script.'"

"If this was how history was made, I was a fool to want to be part of it."

Night Shade Books: Scourge of the Betrayer by Jeff Salyards

Image Source: Night Shade Books

Review Copy: Self Purchased

ISBN: 9781597804073

The Emperor's Gift by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

2012-12-04T22:02:00.000-05:00

The Emperor’s Gift by Aaron Dembski-Bowden is a standalone Warhammer 40K novel published by The Black Library. The Emperor’s Gift does not exist in a vacuum as fellow Black Library writer, Ben Counter, has published more than six novels in a Grey Knight series, also published by The Black Library, which I have yet to read. Dembski-Bowden is a rising star at The Black Library who has made his mark with his unique take on the Ruinous Powers and Chaos Space Marines. Thus, The Emperor’s Gift provides a unique opportunity for fans of Warhammer 40K: a fresh take on the purest and most potent of the Space Marine Chapters, the Grey Knights, by the preeminent writer of the perverse and profane Chapters, the Traitor Legions.

The Emperor’s Gift is told from the point of view of Hyperion, a newly risen Brother of The Grey Knights Chapter. Raw, head-strong and with immense potential, Hyperion struggles to find his place in Squad Castian of the Third Brotherhood. The events of the novel are centered on the build up and aftermath of the First War for Armageddon. Given that this is such a pivotal event in the Warhammer 40K setting, the cast is nearly a who’s who of the 40K setting with Chapter Masters, Inquisition luminaries, Primarchs, Traitor Legions and the Mechanicum all making an appearance at one point or another.

The greatest strength of The Emperor’s Gift is the ease with which Dembski-Bowden humanizes the Grey Knights, the pre-eminent post-humans of the Imperium. Dembski-Bowden does not shy away from the task. Not only does the novel occur entirely from Hyperion’s point of view, it also reveals the inner thoughts of other Marines via the psychic link shared by all Grey Knights. This link is the manifestation of the Grey Knights Brotherhood-- by this means each squad operates as one. What is so great about this is how Dembski-Bowden weaves both the verbal and psychic communication into the dialog. It creates a rich and textured presentation that allows direct insight into the feelings and behaviors of Hyperion’s intimate fraternity.

Dembski-Bowden also humanizes the post-human through Hyperion’s personality quirks. Unlike most of his brothers, Hyperion is fascinated by humans. They represent a link to his past. They are also what reminds him of what he is defending, as the Imperium is a gift from the Emperor to mankind. Through this quirk, Dembski-Bowden is able to create a contrast between humans and Marines that, otherwise, would be cumbersome and intrusive to the narrative. Hyperion’s confusion and curiosity becomes an insight into his character.

Another element of The Emperor’s Gift that I enjoyed was Dembski-Bowden’s voice and vision for Warhammer 40K. I think he nails the sense of brotherhood and struggle that is at the heart of the setting. Pervading the narrative is a sense that the Imperium is beset on all sides-- that it could collapse at any moment. The odds are stacked against humankind. Yet, faith in the Emperor and the brotherhood of Space Marines hold the line. The Emperor’s Gift is peppered with scenes reinforcing this vision. One of my favorites is an exchange between Vasilla and Hyperion:

“‘We Live in the Last Age of Man,’ Vasilla said softly. ‘This millennium hasn’t yet reached half its span, and it’s already the darkest ever faced by humanity. It will be the last one, Hyperion. The last, before everything falls black.’
...‘Mankind will never fall,’ I said again.
She smiled with genuine affection, and touched her hand to my arm. ‘You truly believe that, don’t you?’”

Dembski-Bowden’s voice is refreshing. He successfully captures the baroque post-apocalyptic quality of Warhammer 40K but without the complexity of vocabulary. While there are pros and cons to this, it does provide for a more readable Warhammer 40K novel. It allows the book to gain a rhythm that would otherwise be interrupted by arcane word choices. While I enjoy thumbing a dictionary in search of a new word on occasion, I don’t like doing it constantly. I think Dembski-Bowden finds this balance-- or rather, a balance more in line with my personal preferences.

The weakest aspect of the book is its structure, specifically in the second half. The first half of the book was very successful. In the opening moiety, there is a tight focus on Hyperion and his relationship with Squad Castian and with Inquisitor Jarlsdottyr. However, after events on Armageddon, the narrative becomes muddled and confused. Perhaps this is reflective of Hyperion’s state of mind at the time, but regardless of artistic choice, it isn’t as successful or cohesive as the first half of the novel.

Central to this weakness is a sudden change in course. I would have rather seen the first and second halves of The Emperor’s Gift exist as separate novels. The first half is already an excellent novella, and the climax of the First War of Armageddon is unforgettable. The second half, while problematic, could be an exciting stand alone read with enough room to flesh out the characters and events.

Gone is the focus on the growth of Hyperion and the Grey Knights as a Chapter in the events after the First War of Armageddon. Instead the story becomes about a potential civil war between rival Imperial factions. On one side is an overly zealous Inquisitor, Ghesmei Kysnaros, and on the other is an idealistic Chapter Master of the Space Wolves, Logan Grimnar.

The abrupt introduction of Inquisitor Kysnaros is frustrating because it marginalizes the already interesting Inquisitor Jarlsdottyr. Beyond that, Inquisitor Kysnaros is inserted into the novel at such a late stage that he fails to develop beyond a stereotype. The addition of the Space Wolves to the story is also irritating. Much like my issue with the Inquisitors, it sidelines the earlier focus on the Grey Knights Chapter.

Exacerbating matters is the lack of narrative restraint. Too frequently, Dembski-Bowden introduces major characters and major reveals in the second half of the novel without advancing the story. Instead, the parade of cameos gives the story a flashy, hollow quality. Whether it is Inquisitor Ravenor, Bjorn the Fell-Handed, Logan Grimnar or whole new secret Space Marine chapters, it is simply too much, too fast. In this way I feel Dembski-Bowden is writing too much as a fan, letting his excitement roam too far.

The silver lining is that the events described in the second half of The Emperor’s Gift are pivotal to the Warhammer 40K setting. It is exciting to have this glimpse into the secrets of the Imperium. Within the jumble of the back half of The Emperor’s Gift are a number of memorable scenes, yet they are lacking was a strong thread to tie them together.

Overall, there is a lot to like about The Emperor’s Gift. Dembski-Bowden is exciting to read. I enjoy his take on the world of Warhammer 40K and look forward to reading his other contributions to The Black Library. The Emperor’s Gift is a novel full of big events and big people, and while it may break a little under that burden, it will satisfy fans of the setting. For newcomers, I would recommend starting elsewhere. While flawed in its overall execution, The Emperor’s Gift is successful in capturing the essence of the Grey Knights-- both that which binds them and that which separates them from Mankind. As the Emperor gifted of himself to his Knights, the Knights the Emperor’s gift to Humankind. With them...”’Mankind will never fall.’”

Memorable Quotes:

"I'd never seen her hesitate in doubt before, and I found it a strangely compelling sight."

"I was a weapon, not a man, but moments like this always reminded me that I was a weapon born with a soul. It made all the difference."

"'Hush,' she said. 'Have faith, Hyperion. You were made to win wars like this. All of you were'"

The Black Library: The Emperor's Gift by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

Image Source: The Black Library

Review Copy: Self Purchased

ISBN-13: 9781849701891

Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

2012-11-20T21:04:00.000-05:00

Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan is the first book of The Riyria Revelations published by Orbit. It is composed of two books, The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha, originally published by Ridan Publishing. Theft of Swords is a story of high adventure. For me, it evokes a sense of nostalgia for fantasy as a genre prior to the rise of epic and/or gritty fantasy-- a time when serials and pulps were predominant, and fantasy centered on interesting characters doing interesting things. So while Theft of Swords is a fun read and doesn't push genre boundaries, do not mistake it for a poorly written novel pandering to readers with rose-tinted glasses. Theft of Swords is a smartly-written, polished, well-paced story that is littered with interesting dialogue.

Theft of Swords is centered on the exploits of Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater, who are thieves. In the first half of Theft of Swords, The Crown Conspiracy, Royce and Hadrian are fulfilling a contract that, naturally, goes all wrong. They subsequently become implicated in a plot to kill a king and his immediate family. The only means to clear their name is to save the surviving prince and foil the conspiracy. Along the way they encounter an ancient wizard, find hints of a larger conspiracy, and meet new friends.

The second half of Theft of Swords, Avempartha, picks up not long after the events of The Crown Conspiracy. Fate pulls Royce and Hadrian back into exciting events. This time to a remote village on the border of human and elven lands. Once again, they foil a sinister plot, uncover more of the larger story arch, and reveal a bit more of themselves.

If all of this sounds straightforward, it is. There is no fancy magic system. There is no complicated world building. This is a story about two men: Royce and Hadrian. Everything else exists merely to showcase them. If Royce and Hadrian were boring, Theft of Swords would likely be unreadable.

Thankfully, Royce and Hadrian are immensely interesting. Both have secretive pasts that they keep even from each other. They are polar opposites in nearly every regard. The only thing they have in common is their deep friendship and respect for each other. Via this bi-polar tandem Michael J. Sullivan tells his story. Every event is seen through the lense of two distinct points of view; every new character found is scrutinized in this bi-fold manner. Likewise, a little more about Royce and Hadrian is teased out in each encounter as well. It is a lively read and the back and forth between the thieving duo helps keep the novel fresh.

Structurally, Theft of Swords is also to the point. There are very few breaks from Royce’s and Hadrian’s point of view-- maybe a brief jump to the ‘bad guy’ to help frame the next sequence. Yet, the novel is very well-paced and edited. There is very little down time and very little exposition. Most of the story and novel is revealed through the characters’ dialogue.

More than anything, I enjoyed the dialogue. Royce’s and Hadrian’s exchanges with each other and with others is always memorable. Theft of Swords is a steady stream of conversation, and the banter seldom stops. This fact contributes greatly to the ease of reading and the sense of pacing. Also a refreshing change of pace is the absence of the vulgarity that has found its way into modern, gritty fantasy. Michael J. Sullivan uses sarcasm, word play, and puns instead.

Another thing I enjoyed was the tone. The novel keeps to the more light-hearted side of the spectrum, again eschewing the dark and gory descriptions more common in newer fiction. While there are some truly dark moments, Michael J. Sullivan cloaks them in poignant dialogue and quiet introspection.

My only criticism is that Theft of Swords doesn’t feel ambitious enough. It is clearly well written but it lacks a certain spark that I think would elevate it to the next level. Instead, Theft of Swords seems quite content to simply be what it is: a fun story with fun characters. That said, it is also the first book in a trilogy, and very little of the overall story arch has been revealed. My opinion here could very well change while reading the next installment.

Overall, I enjoyed Theft of Swords. I loved the sense of nostalgia and a break from the gritty and the dark. I also appreciated the skill that went into this novel. Without that skill and the great dialogue, Theft of Swords could be entirely forgettable. I look forward to the rest of the books in The Riyria Revelations series. While I have no doubts they will be memorable reads, I hope they take the next step and become classic-- with or without the rose-tinted glasses.

Memorable Quotes:

"'Oh, so you’re saying that you’re going to hang on to this and throw it at me at some future, more personally beneficial moment?'"

“'Actually,' Myron said sheepishly, 'I was praying for the horses. But I will pray for you as well,' he added hastily."

"'This is the first time, I suspect, anyone has ever visited a whorehouse and brought his own woman.'"

Hachette: Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

Image Source: Hachette

Review Copy: Self Purchased

ISBN-13: 9780316200714

Legion by Dan Abnett

2012-11-04T20:44:00.000-05:00

Legion by Dan Abett is the seventh book in The Horus Heresy series published by The Black Library. Legion is ostensibly about the most secretive and least known of the Emperor’s Angels, the enigmatic Alpha Legion. In keeping with the theme of acting behind the scenes, the Alpha Legion is rather invisible for most of the book. Instead, the bulk of the book is taken up with a panoply of Imperial Guardsman characters as they deal with secretive plots, xenos agents and the Ruinous Powers. It is a heady mix indeed, but one that unfortunately is not greater than the sum of its parts.

Legion takes place largely on the world of Nurth, an ancient human homeworld cut off from Terra during the Long Night. The 670th Expeditionary Fleet has been mired in enforcing compliance. The Nurtheans have bloodied the Imperial Army heavily and compliance has taken far longer than expected through their use of unknown technology. Readers familiar with the Warhammer setting will recognize it as the chaos sorcery. Even with such foul aid, the Nurtheans are losing ground through attrition.

Behind the scenes numerous plots fester. The Alpha Legion is operating unknown. Agents from the Cabal, an ancient xenos organization, are attempt to contact the hidden Alpha Legion agents. Capping it off, The Lord Commander of the Imperial Army dreams of grandeur. At the height of fighting on Nurth, Chaos reveals its hand with disastrous effect to all involved. Afterward, the story shifts focus to the Alpha Legion and the Cabal, centered around a rendezvous on a forbidden alien world where dangerous truths are laid bare and the fate of the Imperium hangs in the balance.

Dan Abnett once again shows his fondness for the human side of the Imperium. In particular, he seems to enjoy the creative potential of the pre-Heresy Imperial Army. The Imperial Army, as usual, is composed of many smaller armies, each with their own martial traditions. What is thrilling is that this time, the units date to the time of the Unification Wars. These are the armies of ancient Terra during the Age of Strife. Dan Abnett fashions whole new histories, filling in the blanks of Terra’s history. The martial pageantry of each unit is carefully constructed. You learn of the Zanzibari Hort, Crescent-Sind Sixth Torrent, Outremars, Geno-Chiliad, Lucifer Blacks and Regnault Thorns. For fans of the Warhammer 40K, this world-building fluff is truly exciting.

The strength of Legion is found in its human characters. The interactions between Hurtado, Peto, Honen Mu, Rukhsana and John Grammaticus drive the novel. Their loyalties, honor and sense of self are all tested. Also, the characters from the Geno Chiliad stand out because their loyalties are suppose to lie with the Geno first, Imperium Second. This test of loyalties becomes central to Legion’s story and makes the ending heartbreaking.

The non-human characters stand out less. The Alpha Legion and Cabal exist as philosophical extremes, tugging at the human players. Each are devoted to long term monolithic causes with pragmatism dominating their decisions. Their knowledge is secret and dangerous, not to be shared. In one scene, such is the danger of this knowledge that its mere revelation kills one of the Alpha Legion’s psychic agents. In occupying such extremes, it is difficult to identify with either the Alpha Legion or the Cabal. The Cabal was intended to be this way as they are composed of incredibly ancient xenos. With the Legion, I think they were simply under-developed, especially when compared against earlier Horus Heresy novels. If not for the major revelatory moments concerning the Cabal and the Alpha Legion, they would have very little impact on the story as a whole.

My primary criticism with Legion is that it fails to form a cohesive whole. There are many excellent elements to the narrative and much to like about the book-- the splendor of the Imperial Army, the memorable characters, glimpses of the Alpha Legion, momentous secrets, etc. These are all things that are well done and exciting when examined individually. Yet when viewed as a whole, they feel as if they had been stitched together from a handful of short stories. Some elements seem to exist only to move the story to the next phase, such as the Black Cube. I think this weakness manifests itself most clearly in Legion’s anticlimactic ending. The most powerful moments center around the human characters. The moments featuring the Alpha Legion are lackluster as a result of their under development, and this unevenness robs the ending of its potential.

Overall, I enjoyed Legion. As a fan of the Warhammer 40K and Horus Heresy settings there is a lot to enjoy about the novel. The good points far outweigh the negatives. Yet when Legion is viewed independently of its setting, it isn't as successful and lacks a cohesive, driving narrative. This weakness was unexpected given the excellence of Dan Abnett’s previous entry in The Horus Heresy, Horus Rising. Legion is a solid if average entry to The Horus Heresy series. It helps drive the series forward but doesn’t raise the bar. Like the Alpha Legion itself, Legion is important due to its impact on the overall series story-line but will fade into the background letting other standout novels take the spotlight.

Memorable Quotes:

"'We are all Alpharius' said a third. 'We are all Alpha Legion, and we are all one.'"

"Overhead, the slow skies turned. The wind made a reptilian hiss, and the noise of the drums almost drowned out the sounds of screaming coming from the city ten kilometers away."

"He realised at length, that it was simply too big, too alien, too unparalleled, for his mind to accommodate without collapsing into madness. He looked away. He'd seen enough of the extraordinary for one lifetime."

"Honen Mu perceived that no one would be coming for them."

"It wouldn't be his first death, but he hoped it would be his last."

The Black Library: Legion by Dan Abnett
Image Source: The Black Library
Review Copy: Self Purchased
ISBN-13: 9781849703406

The Double-Edged Sword by Sarah Silverwood (Pinborough)

2012-10-14T22:47:00.001-04:00

The Double-Edged Sword by Sarah Silverwood is the first book in The Nowhere Chronicles. Sarah Silverwood is a pseudonym used by Sarah Pinborough for her young adult writing while publishing her adult writing, primarily horror, under the latter. The eerie and haunting elements of horror bleed over into The Doubled-Edged Sword, creating a mysterious and otherworldly work counter-balanced with humor and memorable characters.

The Double-Edged Sword is told primarily from the point of view of Finmere Tingewick Smith. Finmere has just turned sixteen and is quite uncertain of the world and his place in it. Before he realizes what is happening, he is drafted into a quest to prevent the end of not only his world, but numerous others. Along the way he makes a few new friends and becomes even more confused about his place in the world.

The Double-Edged Sword is a smartly written novel. The writing and its characters are exceptionally inclusive-- creating personas that draw the reader into the narrative. Finmere himself is vague, lacking hard lines. Fin has no clear background, no clear future, and no clear present. On this blank canvas, the reader can insert themselves. Finmere is more apt to be frustrated, confused, and/or lonely. These are elemental feelings that will connect to the reader, creating a window in the lovely, off-kilter London of The Nowhere Chronicles.

Surrounding Finmere is a motley cast of characters providing a nice cross section of a multi-cultural London. This diverse cast also provides the reader a side-kick. If the poor, rough around the edges Joe isn’t to your liking, then Sarah Pinborugh provides the blue-blooded Chris as well. Joe and Chris don’t exist solely as side-kicks, as they quickly develop into complex characters-- especially compared to Finmere-- with believable motivation. Benevolent, closed mouthed and mysterious Ted provides a stabilizing force.

The Double-Edged Sword revolves around an organization named The Knights of Nowhere. The Knights act as a policing force between The Somewhere and The Nowhere. The Somewhere is the world of the reader. The Nowhere is the closest parallel world. The Knights are able to travel back and forth between the worlds, keeping the peace and keeping The Nowhere a secret to folks in The Somewhere. In the events of the story, the Knights are suffering an internal schism precipitated by St. John Golden, the current leader of the Knights. St John Golden is attempting to manipulate the Magi’s Prophecy to transition the Knights from a policing force into a political force, granting Golden rulership over both worlds. In doing so, St John Golden sets events in motion that could unravel all known existence.

The Nowhere is what makes The Double-Edged Sword shine. It is here that you feel a more direct link with the creative spark within Sarah Pinborough. The Nowhere is a lush, haunting, and strange creation. Sarah’s penchant for horror leaks into The Nowhere, providing rivers of madness, misty borders of nothingness, and beguiling appearances. The Nowhere itself is a temporal patchwork of districts mirroring London as it existed in time-- past, present, and future. One district may be medieval, another modern, and another still the future. These districts also have an animus of sorts, resisting anachronistic changes (such as the installation of lights into the medieval district). The inhabitants of each district are tied to it, unable to travel easily to other districts without suffering debilitating effects. Inhabits of The Somewhere, such as the Knights, can travel anywhere, as they are not tied to any specific district.

Tying everything together is Sarah Pinborough’s understated prose. It is neither mawkish or condescending to the reader as can happen with young adult fiction. Instead it is subtle and supple, showcasing realistic and distinct dialog. With such a diverse cast of characters, their speech and mannerisms could easily have become muddled. Instead, Sarah ensures that each character has a unique identity-- not just through description but with how they speak. When not displaying linguistic gymnastics, Sarah Pinborough’s words drift towards the poetic. In particular, they reinforce the melancholic and mournful tones of the novel, yet are tinged with hope. Her writing strengthens good scenes into memorable scenes. The ending sequence in Postman’s Park is especially poignant. Once finished with the novel, I actually opened it again to re-read those passages.

The Double-Edged Sword is an excellent book. It is a young adult book that is both smart and mature, speaking up and not down to the reader. It substitutes gentle elements of horror for raw violence to provide a dark tone without gritty realism. It is possessed of haunting symbolism and real emotion, avoiding the trite and cliche. It is a memorable and refreshing book that I highly recommend to all readers of fantasy, not just young adult readers.

Memorable Quotes:

"‘No,’ she whispered, and even in her despair, there was such beauty and strength in her voice that it dispelled the darkness around her. ‘No, you will not have your answers.’"

"Surely a Nowhere nobody would never insult one of the Knights?"

"‘You put the stories into my blanket?’ he eventually breathed. ‘You brought me here in it? Wrapped in the Stories?’"

Orion Publishing Group: The Double-Edged Sword by Sarah Silverwood (Pinborough)

Image Source: Hachette

Review Copy: Self Purchased

ISBN-13: 9780575095311

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

2012-10-07T23:13:00.002-04:00

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence is the first book in the Broken Empire series published by Ace. Prince is a deceptively simple book, incorporating many familiar fantasy cliches. Lulled into bland familiarity, Mark Lawrence ambushes you with his decidedly un-simple writing-- incorporating memorable characters, setting, and voice.

Prince is told primary through the point of view of Jorg Ancrath, the titular Prince, with regular flashbacks to Jorg's youth. The flashbacks serve as preparatory moments, providing backstory and motivation for the next major plot push. Prince of Thorns is a tale of revenge. Jorg's mother and siblings were murdered in front of him during his youth while he watched impotently. As his father, King Olidan Ancrath, refused to seek revenge due to political expedience Jorg seeks it himself. By doing so, Jorg unknowingly launches himself into a larger plot, becoming as entangled as he was on the hook thorns as he watched his mother and siblings brutally butchered. Only this time, he is butchered by hands unseen; his childhood, his free will, and his memories are all mutilated.

It is this damaged boy that the reader follows. Without guidance he becomes cold, immoral, and impulsive. Combined with his raw intelligence, you are left with a dangerous and unpredictable character. Yet, Mark Lawrence couldn't leave well enough alone and throws more fuel onto the fire. The fuel is a band of degenerate outlaws that Jorg affectionately calls his Brothers. They are outcasts, adrift-- so they think-- seeking that which their desires drive them to seek.

What makes Prince of Thorns so engrossing is that Jorg isn't simply a cold-blooded killer. Mark Lawrence carefully lays down the motivation for the character. You get to see the events that build this broken creature. You experience a whirlwind mix of sympathy and revulsion. Jorg at his core is simply a child lashing out. He is a child who says "no" and simply refuses to obey.

What is particularly masterful is how Mark Lawrence tortures Jorg's character. In particular, the unseen players in a larger world-wide scheme-- the Broken Empire's resurrection-- have ensnared Jorg in their schemes. So even when Jorg thinks he is fighting back and denying someone else's desires, he finds instead that he helped them. Worse, Jorg finds that his own memories have been compromised, his own desires for revenge stolen. Every step of the story, Jorg reaches a goal, only to have it pulled out of his grasp. This drives Jorg to the point of insanity. His mind keeps folding in on itself, questioning who he is and what he wants. In Jorg's view, the entire world is his enemy that has taken from him everything, so he will take everything from the world.

Matching Jorg's unsettling character is Mark Lawrence's interesting take on a post-apocalyptic future. The world is green and beautiful but littered with the artifacts of a past age. Things familiar become twisted. Castles are in fact re-purposed concrete bunkers. 'Magical' swords are actually high technology relics. Christianity still thrives, if subtly changed. Yet, for all this quasi-realism, magic exists. It is a warning. For all the familiarity, the world is as broken as Jorg, and things are not as they should be. It is delightful and suspenseful.

Wrapping this whole beautifully damaged packaged is Mark Lawrence's voice. An author's voice is generally workmanlike, seeking to be unobtrusive, letting the plot, setting, etc. stand on its own. Occasionally, an author is gifted, such that his prose ascends functionality and becomes artistry-- a character unto itself. With such purple praise I declare Mark Lawrence an artist. Without his skill, I doubt Jorg would have been nearly as enjoyable a character.

The sarcasm, uncertainty, and pain within Jorg is found within the word choice and sentence structure of Prince of Thorns. Just as the characters love the ancient Classics, so too does Mark Lawrence. In particular, he uses the Latin-inspired device of delaying the main unifying clause to the end of the sentence. What opens as praise will quickly close as a barbed insult. This sharp poke jabs both the narrative's recipient and the reader.

I loved Prince of Thorns. It is simply a great novel. It is very well written, simple in structure and slavishly devoted to its characters. I also love it because it is a testament that cliches do not automatically make for a bad book. Mark Lawrence's writing elevates these cliches-- sometimes directly and sometimes with a nod and wink to the reader. It is gratifying to see an author breathe new life into the genre by showing what can be crafted from such mundane and familiar materials. Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence is worth a read for any fan of speculative fiction. It is one of the best books I have read in recent memory.

Memorable Quotes:

"The corpses posed as corpses do."

"Her voice flowed through the octaves, an echo of every kind word and every promise fulfilled."

"We paper over the voids in our comprehension with science or religion, and make believe that order has been imposed."

Penguin: Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Image Source: Harper Collins
Review Copy: Self Purchased
ISBN-13: 978-0441020324

Re-Review of Descent of Angels by Mitchel Scanlon

2012-09-13T10:56:00.005-04:00

As part of my ongoing re-read and review of the Horus Heresy series from The Black Library, I re-read the Descent of Angels, the six book in The Horus Heresy series. Descent by Mitchel Scanlon was the first book review I wrote on this blog. Part of what prompted me to write my first review was how completely let down I felt by this book. You can read my original review here. Nearly three years later, I feel that my original review is still accurate. I re-read the book for two reasons: to give it a second chance, and to place it in the series chronologically.

Finishing the book a second time really crystallizes how out of sync this book feels with the rest of the Heresy novels. What really stood out is how ludicrous the prelude is upon closer inspection-- a point I missed in my first review.

The prelude goes into great detail about how this is the story of Lion El'Jonson and Luther. It provides a concise summary of all the events leading up to the arrival of the Emperor. The whole prelude is also in italics so you know it is from an unknown narrator.

In an ironic twist, the narrative doesn't mention Luther or the Lion for nearly the entirety of the book. It also replays all of the events laid out in the prelude, just from a different perspective. Worse yet, the closing line of the prelude is: "Let us talk of the Dark Angels and the beginning of their fall." Yet, the fall of the Dark Angels is not readily apparent. It is a distinct subtext to the main text. Descent of Angels is perhaps the beginning of the beginning of the Fall of the Dark Angels Legion.

I just simply do not understand why this book was green-lit. There are structural issues with the novel. The prelude, first seventeen chapters and final five chapters feel like three disparate products and do not make a cohesive whole. I do not understand what it was trying to accomplish. It did not push the boundaries of the Heresy by any appreciable amount. It provided very little back-story that was directly pertinent to the Heresy. It had no tie in with any existing novels. All of these items were present in Heresy's previous installments. I do not see how Descent of Angels adds value to The Horus Heresy as a series.

What is really unfair in all of this criticism is that the writing itself isn't bad. If you stripped The Horus Heresy from the cover and replaced it with Warhammer 30,000 then I would probably enjoy the book much more. The first seventeen chapters would have fit this setting perfectly. The last five chapters actually feel like a Horus Heresy novel. I think the conflict with the Saroshi could have been expanded and made into a wonderful novella.

Descent of Angels is not a bad book. It is simply an unsuccessful Horus Heresy novel. In that light, I cannot recommend the book. For readers who simply love everything published by The Black Library and love the Dark Angels Legion, it is worth a read. I was left unsatisfied and wanting more.

The Black Library: Descent of Angels Mitchel Scanlon
Image Source: Scanned Cover
Review Copy: Self Purchased
ISBN-13: 978-1844165087

Fulgrim by Graham McNeill

2012-08-27T21:46:00.000-04:00

Fulgrim by Graham McNeil is the fifth book in The Horus Heresy series. It is the first truly stand-alone title in The Horus Heresy. Granted the creative freedom to strike off in a new direction, Graham presents the fall of Fulgrim and his Legion, the Emperor’s Children. It is especially poignant and ironic given the symbolism of the Legion and their Primarch.

The tagline for Fulgrim, “Visions of Treachery,” sets the tone for the novel. Chaos is never encountered directly. It is only through indirect contact that Chaos works its corruptions, through “Visions.” Through this, Graham crafts a tale of a Legion losing a battle for its soul without ever having seen or confronted its attacker.

Fulgrim is a whirlwind novel, rarely staying in one place for long. The novel begins with the assault on Laeran. The opening chapter introduces the principal actors, and the qualities of the Emperor’s Children are detailed. It is here that Fulgrim finds the demon possessed blade that will be his downfall.

The narrative dwells briefly on a joint operation with the Iron Hands Legion against the Diasporex, a nomadic fleet of humans and xenos, and then jumps to an exciting sequence involving the Eldar. The sequence is exciting both in that the Eldar are appearing in the Heresy for the first time, but also for the backstory presented on Eldrad Ulthran which becomes pivotal in the Warhammer 40K setting. Fulgrim wraps up with a small skirmish with the Orks before moving to the finale in the now familiar Istvaan system.

Structurally, Fulgrim is a very complex novel. The complexity lends to the greater length; it being nearly one hundred pages longer than previous novels. Graham puts those pages to good use, and the conflict between various factions within the Legion is critical to the novel’s structure. These struggles are crucial because it is through this battle that Graham showcases the creeping corruption of Chaos.

There are three central conflicts upon which the novel hinges. The conflict between the Captains of Emperor’s Children, the conflict amongst the Remembrancers and finally the conflict between Fulgrim and Ferrus. Of these, the strife between the Captains is the least successful, and Fulgrim and Ferrus’ the most.

The conflict starts with Fulgrim and his demon possessed blade. Unbeknownst to Fulgrim, the blade contains the soul of a Greater Demon of Slannesh--a deadly enemy. Slannesh’s principle domain is excess. Introducing such a fiend into the midst of a Legion who prides itself on Perfection, in all its forms, could not have created a more volatile situation.

It is via this classic Shakespearean setup that the novel gains its momentum. Fulgrim is plagued by the fear of failure. Therefore, he seeks to ward against failure through perfection since you cannot fail if you are perfect. In this tiny, well-meaning crack, Chaos gains it toehold. From Fulgrim, the infection spreads to the rest of the Legion.

All of the conflict in the novel follows the same basic premise; contrasting the points of view between the Chaos-corrupted actors and the Loyalist actors. The fued between Fulgrim and Ferrus captures this dynamic at its most simple and most potent. It is here that petty bickering of brothers metastasizes into something malevolent, purely through the instigation of Chaos.

The demon in Fulgrim’s blade is constantly whispering into Fulgrim’s mind; turning every kind gesture by Ferrus into a slight. When Ferrus saves Fulgrim’s life during the battle with the Diasporex, Ferrus was trying to steal Fulgrim’s glory. This resentment builds to hate, blinding Fulgrim to the true nature of Chaos, and allowing himself to be manipulated.

Graham also renews the focus on the Remembrancers, largely absent from the previous entry in The Horus Heresy: The Flight of the Eisenstein. I was pleased to see their return as I think they help bring a very human element to the story that is often missing when the Astartes are the sole focus. The conflict between the Remembrancers is interesting because it is so lurid compared to the rest of the novel. It brings a welcoming change of pace.

In particular I enjoyed Ostian Delafour and Serena D’Angelus story thread. While it was Fulgrim’s blade that whispered treachery into his ear, it is Ostian’s and Serena’s artistic talents that whisper to them. Ostian and Serena also create a neat mirror of Fulgrim and Ferrus. While the Primarch express a brotherly love, Ostian and Serena express a romantic love. Like Ferrus, it is Ostian’s humility that inoculates him to the lure of Slaanesh. Serena’s self doubt is what leaves her open to the sickly sweet seduction of Chaos, as with Fulgrim. Serena’s ultimate fate also parallels Fulgrim. I also find it interesting that Serena has the fortitude to kill herself but Fulgrim does not.

The conflict between the Captains of the Space Marines was less successful. I think this in a large part is due to the lack of word count. Most of the story is focused Eidolon, Julius, Lucius and Fabius. Much less time is given to Vespasian, Solomon and Saul. As a result you end up with an imbalance in points of view.

In particular, Solomon Demeter’s character is sorely lacking. Solomon’s character bears a lot in common with the character Garviel Loken from earlier Heresy novels. I think Graham was counting on that fact to help bolster Solomon’s character but it only serves to exacerbate the sketched in quality of Solomon. Vespasian is in some ways even worse; he basically doesn’t exist in the story except to be introduced and then killed later on.

Why this bothers me is that it weakens the scenes involving the death of Solomon and Vespasian. Without any substance, it is hard to generate the empathy needed to give those scenes the gravitas they deserve. These should be pivotal scenes, but they fall flat.

One grating annoyance I had with Fulgrim was the character Saul Tarvitz. In the previous four books, Saul’s character had been steadily built up. He felt like a pivotal character. I was really looking forward to Fulgrim in large part because I wanted to see more Saul Tarvitz. Instead, he is a bit player until the closing chapters. In fact, it appears he has been demoted. My greatest frustration is that Saul could have easily replaced Solomon Demeter’s character in the narrative. I think Saul’s character was more interesting and dynamic than Solomon’s and was a better fit to contrast against Eidolon. Especially due to the past confrontations between Eidolon and Saul. Yet, by dividing time between Solomon and Saul, both are weakened. I feel like something was missed here that could have elevated the book another notch.

Overall, I think Fulgrim represents the high point in The Horus Heresy series thus far. Graham McNeill delivers a book that is all his own, one that he didn’t have to share with his fellow Black Library authors. You can feel that excitement in the narrative. The book's structure is complex, beautiful and successful. Chaos is represented in a truly intriguing and suspenseful manner. You catch yourself yelling at the pages, trying to warn Fulgrim.

Fulgrim’s one downfall is that it is perhaps too ambitious. I think Fulgrim could easily have been two novels. As it is, everything is crammed into one book and a few characters do not get the attention they deserve, which weakens key scenes in the book. I am especially disappointed with Saul Tarvitz’s lack of growth and, in some ways, regression. But, do not let this criticism deter you. Fulgrim is an excellent book. I highly recommend it.

Memorable Quotes:

"Yes you did. With your own hands, you struck down your brother, he who had only thought well of you and fought faithfully with you through all the long years.
'He...he was my brother.'
He was, and all he ever did was honor you."

The Black Library: Fulgrim by Graham McNeill
Image Source: The Black Library
Review Copy: Self purchased mass market paperback
ISBN-13: 9781849703383

Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow

2012-07-23T15:00:00.000-04:00

Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow is the fourth book in The Horus Heresy series published by The Black Library. It is a book of transition-- from the opening acts of the Heresy to the middle acts, from Imperial Truth to Lectitio Divinitatus, and from the tightly scripted narrative of the starting trilogy to a more free-form exploration of the Heresy. It is a book of transition both literally and figuratively.

Flight opens with the assault on a Jorgall “bottle ship,” a giant, sub-light colony ship. The story quickly shifts to the events of Isstvan III. The narrative doesn’t dwell here long, as this is well worn story this point. Instead, Mr. Swallow quickly jumps into new territory with the flight proper of the Eisenstein. These subsequent events are primarily divided into three distinct phases. The first phase covers the trials endured while the ship was becalmed in the warp. The second phase details the rescue by the Iron Fists. The third phase wraps up events at Luna. It is a fast- paced narrative, rarely staying in one place long.

Flight does several things well, and there were several very smart choices in crafting the narrative. For one, it had to be a difficult story to stitch together. The opening of the book is a great example of these intelligent choices. The assault on the Jorgalli fleet is completely superfluous in terms of The Horus Heresy. Yet, it allowed Mr. Swallow to introduce nearly all of the characters and their motivations. It is in these events we see how Nathaniel Garro differs from his peers. More importantly, we see the seeds of his faith, a critical element in Garro’s future growth as a character.

Another element that I enjoyed were the brief scenes with Mortarion. The Death Guard is a very stern Legion, reflecting their Primarch, the Lord of Death. Yet, in several private scenes between Mortarion and Garro you see a very human side to Mortarion as he struggles with signing Garro’s death warrant. Ultimately, this very human sentimentality is what allows the Eisenstein, and Garro, to escape and thus alert the Emperor of Horus’ perfidy.

Flight at its core is really a story about Nathaniel Garro. The story focuses on him to such a degree that the other characters suffer as a result. Garro is defined by a few core traits: his loyalty to the Emperor, his loyalty to Terra and loyalty to his Legion. As these elements come into conflict via events in the story, there is a parallel conflict within Garro as he fights to maintain his sense of identity. The end result is that Garro is reforged into a weapon of the Emperor.

The supporting characters get much less attention and for the most part serve as little more than foils to Nathaniel. But, that is not to say they are not interesting. In particular I liked Kaleb Arin, Garro’s housecarl. Kaleb is pivotal in two important ways. Kaleb’s faith helps steer Garro down the path of the Lectitio Divinitatus, and Kaleb’s backstory as a failed aspirant helps bring a human touch to the story. Both side stories are written in a very organic manner that meshes well with the story.

I also liked the introduction of the Sisters of Silence-- in particular how Mr. Swallow opens and closes the book with them. It brings a certain elegance to the narrative. It is Garro’s interaction with the Jorgalli psyker that causes his first internal crisis, and it is at the Sisters’ citadel that he completes his journey both internally and externally. The Sisters themselves are interesting being null entities in regards to the Empyrean. One can’t help wonder what becomes of them in the Warhammer 40K setting.

Lastly, I thought Solun Decius was interesting, less as a character, but more as a plot tool. Solun mirrored Garro’s doubts. As Garro’s doubts grew, so did Solun deteriorate both initially through insubordinate behavior and later due to the effects of the warp pathogen. Solun figuratively becomes a boil on Garro’s soul, finally erupting as the Lord of Flies. Only when Garro lances this infection, killing the Lord of Flies, does he purge himself of doubt.

There were a few things that I think were less successful. First, I was disappointed in the cursory attention given to Euphrati Keeler and Kyril Sindermann. They did not grow as characters nor did they add much to the story, only appearing when Garro’s character development needed them.

The story sequence involving the Iron Fists was also disappointing, again because they seemed so very unimportant. Other than a key scene with Rogal Dorn, there was not much of note happening and bordered on boring. I wished this section had been fleshed out a bit more in some way. But, given the tenseness of the previous section in the narrative, being trapped in the warp, perhaps this slow pace was purposeful; giving the reader a rest before the climatic finish on Luna.

Flight of the Eisenstein is a strong entry into The Horus Heresy series. It was a book that could have failed in numerous ways. Yet it successfully transitioned from the scripted opening to a more open stage. It presented a character in Garro that represents the soul of the Imperium. In him you see the Imperium transition as well, from the ideals of the Great Crusade, to something new and not yet defined. Flight matches the bar set by previous novels and it is an easy recommendation.

Memorable Quotes:

“‘No’ he spat, ‘this is my vessel, and you have boarded it without my authority!’...’You will stand down, you will identify yourself, and you will answer to me!’” Garro page 320

“‘The Emperor protects,’ said the Sigillite slowly, as if he were reading the words from the page of a book. ‘He does indeed, Astartes, in ways that you cannot begin to comprehend.’” Lord Malcador the Sigillite page 402

“‘I am an Astartes, but now I am a brother without a Legion. Alone, I stand unbroken amid all the oaths that lie shattered around me. I am the Emperor’s will, but I am nothing if He will not task me!’” Garro page 404

The Black Library: Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow
Image Source: The Black Library

Review Copy: Self Purchased Paperback

ISBN-13: 978-1844164592

Galaxy in Flames by Ben Counter

2012-07-05T23:13:00.000-04:00

Galaxy in Flames by Ben Counter is the third novel in the Horus Heresy series published by The Black Library. Galaxy in Flames closes out the opening trilogy of the Horus Heresy. Ben Counter takes the series into a more passionate direction as the characters come to grip with Horus’ treachery.

The story arc of Galaxy in Flames is fairly compact. Most readers will already know how the books ends with the betrayal at Isstan III. The entirety of the novel is the build-up for that galaxy-shattering event. Though the reader may be aware of the future, the characters in the novel are not. So while the characters struggle to understand events, the reader is horrified as they see the underlying treachery unfold each step of the way.

A familiar cast of characters returns, and some of the smaller characters grow in importance as new ones arrive. I particularly enjoyed Titus Cassar, Primus of the Dies Irae. Although he might have been little more than a plot device, he was a very effective one. It is via Titus that you get a glimpse into the workings of the Collegia Titanica which is always interesting.

Perhaps most important is the interaction between Titus and Jonah Aruken. As events move along, Titus’ faith in the Emperor and the nascent Lectitio Divinitatus strengthen. Jonah however doubts. He has faith only in the Dies Irae, and his only desire is to one day be the princeps of such a machine. Ultimately, even in the face of proof of the Emperor’s divinity via Euphrati’s miracles, he rejects the Emperor and betrays his friend Titus. While Jonah was perhaps a good man, his desires prove to be his undoing. I thought this was a great way to showcase the insidiousness of Chaos.

Kyril, Mersaide and Euphrati’s story thread was perhaps the most interesting piece of the narrative as it was more of an unknown. The events of Isstvaan III are a known factor, but the rise of The Saint is an unexpected variable that is a pleasure to read. To see the beginnings of the Imperial Cult, its iconography and its sayings is very interesting. It was also fun to read how Mersaide’s character doubts the veracity of her friends’ new faith much like Jonah doubts Titus. Ultimately, Mersaide stays loyal to the Emperor. I thought that was a nice counterpoint point to Jonah.

The tagline for Galaxy in Flames is “The heresy revealed.” This manifests itself in the passion of the characters. While False Gods was more introspective as the characters sought to understand events, in Galaxy they rage against them. The character rage as they witness the ideals of the Great Crusade are perverted and stolen from them via base acts of treachery. The characters mourn as they see the potential for glory be lost.

All of this raw emotion is kept under tight control for the bulk of the novel. The characters seethe inside. They have no way to vent; Isstvan III serves as the pressure release. It is here that the full extent of Horus’ betrayal is laid bare, and there is no rationalizing it away. Watching Horus’ Chaos corrupted personality emerge during the slaughter of the remembrancers is tragic. You know there is no redemption for Horus. In the face of such repugnance, Iacton Qruze’s character is finally shocked out of complacency, honoring his brother Loken in protecting Kyril, Mersaide and Euphrati.

On the surface of Isstvan III, the loyalist Space Marines finally face the treachery of not only Horus, but their Primarchs and their battle brothers. There is no hope of victory; there are no reinforcements. Yet, in this crucible, they fight on. Their spirit is unbreakable. They fight to the last.

In this desperate milieu, two events are especially poignant: the battle between the Mournival brothers and Lucius’ betrayal of Tarvitz. Loken and Tarvitz have been built up as characters now for several novels. They have been developed as paragons of their Legions, ideals to which every Space Marine should aspire. Now they both die, betrayed and unwilling to break their oaths to the Emperor even for the love of their brothers. Lucius’ betrayal is especially foul as he succumbs to Chaos due to his pride and vanity.

The closing chapters of Galaxy in Flames are Ben Counter’s most successful. Whereas the bulk of the book can feel frustratingly slow at times, the final chapters explode in violence and emotion. Given that this gradual build up was likely intentional, the climactic end is highly effective.

What I didn’t like about the novel was Ben Counter’s rather loose grasp of facts at times. Saul Tarvitz’s character is incredibly promoted to First Captain, which is not really in line with the previous Horus Heresy entries. It is jarring because that is a fairly august position, yet he is not treated as such in the narrative. Ben Counter was also sloppy with the virus bombing of Istvaan III. Specifically, scenes of local citizenry dying both to the virus and later to the firestorm. They should not have been alive for the firestorm. I have a hard time describing these issues as anything else but sloppy writing and sloppy editing. They are minor, but they are also very annoying-- more so than grammar issues.

All in all, I enjoyed Galaxy in Flames. As a whole it isn’t as successful as the preceding two novels. But, its high points are very high, and Ben Counter creates some of the most memorable scenes of the Horus Heresy thus far while fashioning a fitting end to the opening trilogy. I think this is quite an accomplishment given the very strict framework within which he wrote this book. What I will remember the most is how Ben Counter was able to infuse the narrative with so much emotion. Galaxy in Flames is a must read for fans of Warhammer 40K and the Horus Heresy.

The Black Library: Galaxy in Flames by Ben Counter
Image Source: The Black Library
Review Copy: Self Purchased Paperback
ISBN-13: 978-1844163939

False Gods by Graham McNeill

2012-06-24T23:22:00.000-04:00

False Gods by Graham McNeill is the second book in the Horus Heresy series published by The Black Library, the publishing arm of Games Workshop. False Gods is a direct sequel to Horus Rising by Dan Abnett, picking up shortly after the events in that book. Read my review of Horus Rising. Graham picks up the same cast of characters, introduces a few more and in general, expands the universe and its characters. In doing so, False Gods takes on a decidedly more introspective tone than Horus Rising.

The tagline for Horus Rising is: “The seeds of heresy are sown.” As such, there is much innuendo and hints, but rarely anything direct. The result being that Horus Rising focused much more on the action of things and introduced the characters and generally sketched in the boundaries of the narrative. In particular, there is a lot more gun play, or “bolter porn” in Warhammer terms.

The tagline for False Gods is: “The heresy takes root.” The elements of heresy step more clearly into the open. The issues therein take center light in the narrative, not longer limited to innuendo and hints. The immediate impact is how scaled back the action is in this book. What action sequences that exist, although well done, are quickly resolved; shifting the spotlight back to the characters.

The story for False Gods opens at the close of the annihilation of the Interex. From here the narrative alters course, moving to the world of Davin a previously compliant world that has revolted. This is a shocking event, the very idea of revolt against the Emperor by once loyal subjects is anathema. It is here that the characters of the book have their first direct encounter with Chaos, although they do not understand it as such. It is also on Davin that the pivotal moment of the Horus Heresy takes place, Horus’ fall. After Davin, the book closes with the war on the Auretian Technocracy, revealing the opening moves of Horus’ rebellion.

The recurring them of False Gods is loyalty. Each of the characters, great and small, are tested. These tests are all in the context of the coming events, specifically Horus’ renunciation of his Father’s, the Emperor of Mankinds, legitimacy. The end result is a wonderfully layered book of parallel narratives. Whether it is Horus’ fall to Chaos, Ignace Karkasy's re-awakened muse or Horus Aximand’s doubt, every character is tested. Events conspire to force each character to make a choice between the Emperor or Horus. Within the struggle of this choice, the characters are explored.

Garviel Loken continues to be my favorite character, standing firm in the face of adversity. His loyalty to the Emperor standing above all else, including his Mournival oaths. His path is a purity of purpose, embodying the ideals of the Astartes. His path is guided and shaped by those he surrounds himself with, whether they be remembrancers or fellow Astartes. The schism of the Mournival presages coming Heresy. As the bonds of brotherhood shatter within the Mournival, so do the bounds of brotherhood shatter with in the Astartes. There are numerous poignant moments as you witness Loken attempts to rationalize what is happening to his Legion and in doing so, loses his innocence.

There were a few elements to False Gods that were not as successful as others. Horus himself was in the spotlight much more in this book. Yet, even with additional word count, he never really grows as a character, continuing to be rather flat. During one of his conversations with his documentarist, Petronella Vivar, he remarks that each of the Primarchs gained some element of their father, the Emperor. Horus was gifted with the Emperor’s ambition. In this way, Horus’ character suffers. Horus rarely grows beyond this single faceted ideal.

The second element that fell rather flat was Part Four of the novel encompassing the war on the Auretian Technocracy. This chapter seemed bolted on. Part Four picks up nearly a year later. Events have progressed that you as the reader are not privy to. You suddenly feel a bit lost in the narrative, struggling to quickly come to grasp with where things are.

This is not that it was written poorly, it contains some of the more important events in the book, rather the flow from Part Three to Part Four is jarring. Part Three culminated with the fall of Horus. The book could easily have ended there. But, as you continue to read, you realize that Part Four is simply a very long denouement. Ultimately closing with the fateful words: “‘A place not far from here,’ said Horus. ‘The Istvaan system.’”

I really enjoyed False Gods. I think it was a step up from the foundation laid by Dan Abnett in Horus Rising. I enjoyed the more introspective approach and the regression of action set pieces. The Heresy is more about the breaking of bonds and less about the breaking of bones. False Gods clearly steers the Horus Heresy series in this direction. I am excited to continue reading the Horus Heresy book and, in particular, the next book to see the opening trilogy brought to a close. I highly recommend this book.

The Black Library: False Gods by Graham McNeill
Image Source: Lexicanum
Review Copy: Self Purchased Paperback
ISBN-13: 978-1844163700

The Measure of Magic by Terry Brooks

2012-05-07T22:56:00.002-04:00

The Measure of Magic by Terry Brooks is the second book in the Legends of Shannara duology published by Del Rey. I recently finished reading Bearers of the Black Staff, the first book in the duology, and was pleased with the book. You can find my review here. I thought there was a lot of promise in the book. The Measure of Magic is a at a bit of a handicap as it cannot be full of promise, it must deliver on the promise being the concluding installment in the series.

I think that Terry largely delivers but misses the mark in a few areas that keep the book from being as good as it could. That being said, I enjoyed the book a lot. It is very well written and keeps intact the core themes of Shannara. Please be warned that there are some minor spoilers in this review if you have not yet read the first book.

The Measure of Magic continues the journey of the three main characters of the Legends of Shannara duology: Panterra Qu (Pan), Prue Liss and Phryne Amarantyne. The three continue to search for a way to prevent an army of Trolls from descending into their hidden valley and seizing it for themselves. Complicating matters, a demon, the Ragpicker, has appeared bent on seizing the Black Staff, an artefact of magic carried by Pan. The demon complicates matters because it decides the best way to go about seizing the Black Staff is to sow discord amongst the inhabitants of the hidden valley and aid the troll incursion. So, Panterra, Prue and Phryne must work to not only save their respective peoples from the trolls but also confront the demon. Generally speaking, fairly standard fantasy fare.

The biggest surprise with the book was how Prue Liss became my favorite character. I thought Terry Brooks did an excellent job developing her as a character and really filled the void caused by the death of Sider Ament. In the Bearers of the Black Staff she was a character full of promise but of little real impact. Her encounter with the King of the Silver river provides Terry a great means of exploring her character but also keeping in line with one of the core themes of Shannara, sacrifice.

A second surprise with The Measure of Magic was the increased narrative complexity in the last half of the book. I both praised and criticized the Bearers of the Black Staff for its excellent pacing but also feeling over edited resulting in a very linear and vanilla story. The Measure of Magic keeps with that style until the last half of the book. There, in an effort to wrap up each story line and unveil the climatic finish, each story thread ends in cliffhanger fashion with the big reveal saved for the final few chapters. I though this really elevated the tension of the book, making you want to read just one more chapter.

Lastly, I thought Terry did an excellent job keeping with the core themes of Shannara. Great sacrifice is required to preserve the world. Evil of the few is abetted by the inaction of the many. One of the bit criticisms leveled against the Legends of Shannara duology is how little it ties into the mythos, i.e. the lack of specific objects and people. While I can sympathize with this perspective, I think it is unimportant. First, because you do not want to alienate new readers. Second, it is the themes that are more important, not cameos of items and people. Terry’s ability to preserve those themes also preserves the “Shannara” feel to the books and helps make them distinct from his other writings.

Now, there were several things that I did not like as much. Upon reflection, I did not like them in the Bearers of the Black Staff either, but it was the first book in the series and not the last. So, I was willing to give the series the benefit of the doubt. My biggest issue is that the relationship between Pan and Phryne. I commented on my dislike in my review of the first book.

Things haven’t improved in The Measure of Magic. The relationship between Pan and Phryne still feels rather superficial. I think you could have removed it entirely from the series with minimal impact. I think the main reason it exists was to develop an additional connection between Sider & Pan’s character vis a vi Sider’s relationship with Aisilline. Thus you create a better metaphorical transferral of duties between Sider and Pan when Pan takes up the staff.

There is just zero depth to Pan & Phryne’s relationship. Worse, is the narrative continually reminds you that it is impossible. So why bother? The low point of this relationship was the sad “I need to be close to someone right now, lets have sex” scene. It was just very hollow. Conversely, Sider & Aisilline’s relationship had weight. Weight that was increased with Aisilline visiting Sider’s old homestead. Also worsening matters is the wonderful interplay between Pan and Prue over Prue’s sacrifice. The fact that Pan can have a complex relationship with Prue but have such a non-existent relationship with Phryne is frustrating.

Also disappointing were characters I found interesting but were never given an opportunity to grow into something great. Particularly painful was Aisilline. I thought she was interesting and really wanted to read more of her, but unfortunately the book ends just as she really hits her stride. This criticism is perhaps a bit unfair however, as it is more directly a criticism on the length of the books. None the less, in addition to Aisilline, I would have liked to seen more time spent on Tasha and Tenerife as well.

Another frustration that centers on the relatively short length of the series is how some characters are less characters and more plot devices, some are clearly deus ex machina. In the Bearers of the Black Staff, Deladion Inch was a the best example of this fact. Deladion was introduced to aid Sider, save Prue and set the stage for the introduction of the Ragpicker. Once this was accomplished, he was pruned, i.e. killed, from the story.

In The Measure of Magic, you have a few more of these characters. Xac Wen in particular seems to exist for little reason beyond conveying information between far flung characters. He runs fast and is of little import. I think Isoeld even fits into this category, being a fairly two dimensional antagonist for Phryne. The dragon at the end of Phryne’s story definitely fits and one of the more egregious deus ex machina moments. That said, dragons are like literary bacon. But, can these even be criticisms when ultimately, I am complaining that I simply wanted more?

So what is my verdict? If you are a fan of Shannara then read the books. It is really that simple. Terry is a terrific writer and his skill shows. The Measure of Magic is probably too vanilla for more adventurous speculative fiction readers, much as I said for Bearers of the Black Staff. But, I still have a soft spot for Shannara. I thought there were a few misses and the story didn’t finish nearly as strong as I would have liked, but that only means its a good book, not a great book. Lastly, I just wish there was more. I would have liked to seen Terry explore the people of the hidden valley and the outside world. But is that not itself an endorsement of the book? I want more? May you will as well.

Random House, Inc.: The Measure of Magic by Terry Brooks
Imagine Source: Scanned Cover
Review Copy: Amazon Vine provided Advanced Review Copy
ISBN: 0345484207

Ebook Pricing Lawsuit & Tor Announces DRM Free eboooks: Why they are related?

2012-04-24T22:29:00.001-04:00

I have avoided talking about the Department of Justice lawsuit against Apple and the Big Six publishers as I did not feel it was relevant to this blog. I view this blog as a "book" blog and not an "industry" blog as first and foremost I am a fan of books. But, today's announcement from Tor that their catalog is going DRM free by July 2012 is a watershed moment for fans and industry alike. I do not think it can be overstated how important this is. I think Tor will simply be the first of many publishers taking this path. I fully expect in the next few years that DRM free books will be as prevalent as DRM free music. Also, why are these two topics related?

I will not go into the backstory as it is well covered by outlets emminently more qualified to discuss this than I am. I would recommend you start with Charlie Stross' critique and then hop over to GigaOm and PandoDaily for other salient points of view. If you follow me on Google+ or Twitter, you will undoubtedly have read some of my opinions as I felt those forms more appropriate than this blog.

What I find relevant in all of this mess is how it has impacted the average reader. My frustration with publishers is simple, I think they squandered a golden opportunity with ebooks. One that they will have to fight to regain. I think when facing the classic "Innovator's Dilemma", the publishers lacked courage. Instead of risking their existing physical sales channel by pushing ebooks, the publishers doubled down on physical. So, when Amazon came knocking asking for rights to publish ebooks, publishers gave Amazon everything and the kitchen sink. Ebooks were unimportant, a non-existent revenue stream. Amazon was going to foot all of the risk in their wild goose chase. After all, Sony had been slogging away at ebooks for years without any success. It was a niche market. Readers wanted books. No one would ever want an ebook. Full Disclosure, I am an unabashed Amazon fan.

It is this event that frustrates me to no end with publishers. Publishers for the first time had a chance to connect more directly with their readers, to take control of the relationship. Up until this point, that relationship was controlled by bookstores and more recently by Amazon. Yet, with digital distribution, lets ignore the economics, publishers could sell direct to the consumer. They could have fostered a relationship that would help drive book sales. EBooks are tiny files, setting up a store front would have been trivial.

But, instead, publishers gave everything to Amazon. They let Amazon build an eco-system that flourished. More importantly, they gave Amazon complete control over the customer relationship. This control existed both up front and more importantly behind the scenes. Amazon had already become the go to place to purchase physical books. People equate books with Amazon. So now, a trusted source selling ebooks was a reasonable proposition. So between the trusted brand, the awesome Kindle eco-system and great pricing...readers bought in hook line and sinker. The ugly truth however is the Kindle DRM. This is why I resisted purchasing a Kindle for so long, I kept hoping that ebooks would go the way of mp3, meaning that they would be DRM free. But, it never happened and I ran out of patience.

Kindle's DRM is insidious. It prevents you from owning your books and it prevents you from moving to another service. So, even if for some reason, you decided you didn't like Amazon, their great pricing, their great website their great Kindle service, etc...how do you leave? You can't without breaking the law. But why would you want to leave anyways? The Kindle eco-system frankly gives you little reason to leave. In this way, Amazon OWNED, in all capitals, the customer relationship. Not only that, but Amazon sank the capital into the ebook market that no one else was willing to sink. Capital with with a Capital meaning both money, mind-share and technology. The Kindle as a product was a total company effort by Amazon. Its success is telling, a near monopoly. Not only was it a success for Amazon, it was a success for readers and publishers. Why? Books were easier to find and read than ever and people started buying MORE books and reading MORE. The problem was that Amazon was in the driver's seat and not the publishers.

Publishers realized this too late. Publishers honestly did have a lot of time to realize it either. Ebooks went from a non-existent market-share a few years ago to a project 40% of all book sales by the end 2012. If that is not pulling the rug out from under the publishers, I don't know what it. In the mean time, Google was proving a half-hearted attempt to compete w/ Google Books and its independent re-seller program. Barnes & Noble's was mounting a good effort with the Nook but was barely putting dent into Amazon's Kindle juggernaut. Worse, all of these options also had DRM that locked you into the respective eco-systems. The publisher's savior was Apple. A company with the resources and brand recognition to compete head to head with Apple. But Apple had one pesky problem, they had no interest in being a wholesaler and had zero interest to sell books at a loss like Amazon. Enter the "collusion" over the agency model.

It is at this point the story that I become completely exasperated with the publishers. They OWN the content. They could get out from Amazon's thumb by offering DRM free books direct to its readers or forcing its agents, Amazon et al., to do so. DRM-free books that would work with any device. Instead, they partner with Apple and yet again, force DRM onto the reader, locking the reader into Apple's eco-system. So instead, the publishers repeated the mistakes of the past and in the process, get themselves entangled into a nasty lawsuit that does little to help their public image. Worse, they make Amazon look like the readers best friend.

I do not like the current marketplace for books. Because of DRM it is basically three walled gardens: Amazon, B&N and Apple. I am pretty confident that this isn't the best for the industry or readers. It is also completely the fault of publishers. But, I do not want publishers to go away. I think that would honestly be terrible for the industry in general. While Amazon has many sterling qualities, I do not think they are "book" people. Publishers, at least the rank and file of people, are book people. Just follow them on Twitter and you will see their love of books. I think the worst they are guilty of is being snobby, hence their distaste for ebooks. But, it is their love of books and their dedication that is in the best long term interests of the industry. At the end of the day, publishers want to put the best book they can in front of you. That is their business.

That is precisely why the announcement by Tor is so important. Tor is a publisher of consequence. It can empower change. I hope this is a sign that publishing is waking up. But, it is the first of many steps that publishers will have to take. It is not good enough to simply sell DRM free books. You have to foster a relationship with you customers. You have to give them a reason to purchase your books. Publishers will largely have to start from square one as they have squandered away their advantages at every turn. They have given Amazon, Apple and Barnes and Noble's a colossal lead. Each has built impressive eco-systems around their respective devices. Readers have very little reason to look up from their Kindles, Nooks and iPads with their built in book stores.

But, I will buy DRM free books. If the publishers offer them direct, I will buy from them first. If the publishers let author's sell their books direct, I will buy them that way. If publishers empower local book stores to sell ebooks, I will buy them that way. The point is, I would prefer to buy books directly from publishers DRM free. As much as I love Amazon, I love books more. I am very excited about this news.

Image Source: Scanned Cover

Personal Peeves Part 01: Cover Art

2012-04-22T15:28:00.003-04:00

I have a love/hate relationship with cover art. As a general rule, I hate cover art. I rarely love cover art.

Why do I hate cover art? It is perhaps better to start elsewhere. I enjoy art in general. I really enjoy the art that appears on the cover of books. While some may be bad, and some good, it serves a purpose. It is a unique visual medium that is equal parts art and marketing rolled into one. I like that intersection of form and function. Each niche of books seems to have its own visual language. So you can pick out a history book, paranormal romance, science fiction and fantasy based on their respective covers. Cover represent an incredible focus of effort on the part of publishers. The cover is the "elevator" pitch to consumers. It has to be both unique and familiar. It has to be above all eye-catching.

It is also for this reason why I hate cover art. It is this success in creating a striking cover that fosters my dislike. It is for one very simple reason. Books are a written medium that lacks a visual component. It is up to the reader to develop that mental imagery based off the author's words. Each reader develops those cerebral landscapes differently, as reading a book is unique to each participant.

Cover art however...cover art interrupts that process. It is a third party injecting their opinion into your own private world. Worse, it is art that is suppose to be striking and memorable. It is art that helps drive book purchases. The end result is that cover art is very effective in interrupting the very personal experience of a reader developing their own visual opinion of the written content of the book. Even worse, it is a third party's opinion that may or may not be the opinion of the author!

This is what drives my dislike of cover art. It interjects an opinion that I would rather form myself. Worse, it injects an opinion that may just be flat out wrong. So, while I may love art on its own and the skill behind crafting the right cover, I find them intrusive in all but rare instances.

I can give no better example than covers for the Wheel of Time series. I have hated these covers for nearly two decades. I think they are really great examples of cover art gone wrong. They take enough key imagery from the books to be recognizable, and then its twisted into something else, something that fits Darrell K. Sweet's viewpoint. The worst part is that the art by itself, is very good. I really enjoy Mr. Sweet's artwork...just not his interpretation of the Wheel of Time.

The Eye of the World is especially bad as you can tell Tor's marketing department was trying to provide new readers with familiar visual cues. While I may dislike other covers more, this is the easiest example to provide. The Eye of the World starts off with a trio of riders leaving town at night, how mysterious. One looks to be the classic D&D ranger garbed in greens and browns. One a samurai with TWO swords with black swords, black armor and black horse...how threatening! Then you have the diminutive sorceress with comically large breasts and staff. All of it capped off with the flying bat thing...looming menace abounds. This must be the start of an epic quest full of danger and heroism!

But, everyone once and awhile, you do find a cover that is really perfect. One of my favorite covers of recent memory is the cover of Perfect Shadow by Brent Weeks courtesy of Raymond Swanland. I think this cover really nails all of the bases. It is impressive on its own but also captures the look and feel of the Night Angel world in a manner very similar to my own imaginings.

So, there you have it, my peevish opinion of book covers. I hate them, rarely love them but always appreciate them. I am hoping to turn this into a series of sorts. My next peeve will likely be "fandom".

Image Source for The Perfect Shadow: Scanned Cover
Image Source for The Eye of the World: From Heroes to Icons

Collectible and Limited

2012-03-21T22:50:00.000-04:00

Recently, I purchased a couple books inline with my new book buying philosophy I spoke about in a previous post. Specifically, that I would try to limit the purchasing of physical books to limited editions and collectibles and purchase everything else as an eBook. Well, here is the results of my new philosophy. A tantalizing trio of limited editions.

The book I am most excited about is the limited (1500 copies), numbered and signed copy of Perfect Shadow by Brent Weeks. This book was published by Subterranean Press, who I feel is a truly excellent company that specializes in limited run speculative fiction books. The quality of the book is outstanding whether it be the binding, the heavy parchment-ish paper or the beautiful typesetting. I particular I love the nice wide margins, perfect for jotting a note or two.

Physicality aside, Perfect Shadow is Brent Week's brief return to the world of the Night Angel trilogy to provide a bit more back story on fan favorite character, Durzo Blint. Durzo's character was many layered and always mysterious, if perhaps too much so at times, risking Deus Ex Machina type moments. I have been incredibly poor fan of the Night Angel series as I have yet to read this book, even though I also purchased the eBook months ago. I need to fix this issue soon!

The remaining two books are a pair of Black Library offerings. The first up is the Gold Edition of Aurelian by Aaron Dembski-Bowden and part of the The Horus Heresy series. Again this is a numbered and signed edition limited to 3000 copies. It is also a simply beautiful book, even more so than Perfect Shadow. It has a wonderfully illustrated dust jacket, the binding front and back is also illustrated and it contains full color illustrations in the interior. If that wasn't enough it also has a cloth bookmark.
Aurelian tells the tale of Lorgar's downfall, a pivotal moment in the history of Warhammer 40K. The fall of Lorgar provides the Gods of Chaos the leverage they need to stymie the Emperor of Mankind's Great Plan. It brings the Great Crusade to its knees and causes the Imperium to decend into civil war. A civil war that sees the near death of the Emperor and arrival of a Dark Age of War and Ignorance that lasts for tens of thousands of years with no end in sight. So yes, this is an important tome and I can't wait to read it.
Lastly, is the Black Library Live! 2012 chapbook. This is the first chapbook I have ever purchased and I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. What I received was a pair of short stories printed onto heavy card stock with a very crammed typeset. It seemed very in the spirit of a chapbook but with very high quality materials. The chapbook itself contains two short stories: Bellathonis and The Shadow King by Andy Chambers and Reaper by Sarah Cawkwell. Bellathonis is a Warhammer 40K story center on the Dark Elves and Reaper is a Warhammer Fantasy story about a Captain of the Empire. Both seem like tasty nuggets of Warhammer goodness.

Image Sources: Scanned Covers