The greatest shock for me reading this fictionalised retelling of history was understanding the meaning of the title. Not that the story itself wouldn’t be considered shocking in it’s day. And would probably be considered more than eyebrow raising now.

The Devil’s Paintbrush is the story of the meeting of Major-General Sir Hector MacDonald, one of the heroes of the British Empire, and the notorious occultist Aleister Crowley. Not a combination you’d expect to find. But meet they did and Jack Arnott breathes life into those events showing both compassion and frankness about his subjects.

It is a quite an extraordinary tale and from the list of acknowledgements I’m willing to consider that Arnott spend a lot of time on the reconstruction of events but at the same time he has to have injected some narrative compulsion to the proceedings.

MacDonald meets Crowley as a great scandal is unfolding around the Major-General and the Beast acts as his savour. Even though limited by the order of the events Arnott takes us and the characters on a journey that goes from Paris to battlefields of Sudan via the backstreets of Edinburgh.

And it’s the battlefields of Sudan that has some of the best moments. Not only do they contain the key to the title but the core of self-destruction of MacDonald. It also shows the dark nature of imperialism. As a solider MacDonald commits some brutal and offensive acts and in private his own sexual needs were at the time  offensive.

As I was reading the thing that hit me is what would and wouldn’t be accepted in the modern day and the acts that are so scandalous in MacDonald’s private life at the time wouldn’t be his downfall now. What would bring him down would the acts committed in the name of war.

Crowley’s role in this deconstruction of MacDonald is to help release him from the constraints of Army-life and the situation itself. This isn’t an entirely altruistic act.  He’s using MacDonald as a Knight in his own fight with his ex-mentor and to advance his own status through the acquisition of a manuscript and what it represents. He does release MacDonald in a way but it’s not a noble path he shows him.

Arnott has successfully re-imagined the events of those few days and expanded them into a comment on the past and how far we have come.

There are no longer people called ‘Fight Mac’ or ‘the Best’ and maybe they are creations of their own time. I have to praise Jack Arnott for his skill as a storyteller and thank him for shedding light on this forgotten but none the less important piece of history.

Highly Recommended

Out Now

Well starting off this weeks catch up with event on the blogosphere we have a wonderful event from Booksmugglers:

link: The Book Smugglers » Blog Archive » Young Adult Appreciation Month: An Open Invitation

Young Adult novels rule, and are currently experiencing something of a boom in the troubled publishing world. And, we Book Smugglers have totally jumped on the increasingly crowded YA bandwagon. It is a genre that we love, and because of that love we are organizing a celebration of the genre: our first ever YA Appreciation Month, from July 19th to August 16th.

And it’s thanks to looking at Garth Nix on Wiki that I spotted this:

link: Garth Nix’s Amazon Blog: Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen and two other books Permalink

Anyway, gather round folks! I have news. It’s been reported in various industry publications, so I might as well post it here too: I will be writing two more novels set in the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre. They will be published by Allen & Unwin in Australia and by HarperCollins US and HarperCollins UK.

You should read my tweets on Twitter about it! I’m so excited!!

link: Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review: Tim Powers – Where do I start reading?

Tim Powers – Where do I start reading?

Well thank god that’s not only me and strangely the consensus so far is The Annubis Gate. I’ve got that boxed up somewhere…. now I have excuse to pull down boxes for books and have a rummage.

link: Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist: Win a full set of Mark Chadbourn’s THE AGE OF MISRULE

I’m giving away a full set of the US edition of Mark Chadbourn’s The Age of Misrule.

Go enter!

link: Upcoming Interviews, Notes, & News ~ Mad Hatter’s Bookshelf & Book Review

The Subterranean Press signed-limited edition of The Blade Itself has been put up for pre-order. They also announced Peter V. Brett’s The Great Bazaar and Other Stories, which is supposed to expand the world of The Warded Man/The Painted Man with "outtakes from the first novel in the series — really, standalone short stories themselves — as well as additional material to flesh out Brett’s bravura storytelling."

hmmm I don’t know – on reflection I liked but really don’t love The Painted Man so buying a limited edition really isn’t an attractive option. I wonder if I should order the trade paperback? It’s either £45/20 so nothing really expensive either way.

My problem is that I liked the concept more than the story as it felt stretched out. Maybe I’ll change my mind after reading Desert Spear?

link: OF Blog of the Fallen: Personal top 10 lists

What are 10 speculative fiction (the definition of which is left up to you, of course) would you say are among the best ever?

"Best ever" – such a loaded term.

link: Speculative Horizons: Adrian Tchaikovsky book signings

Adrian Tchaikovsky has announced a series of book signings in support of the upcoming third novel in his Shadows of the Apt series, Blood of the Mantis.

And I’ve nicked the date from James’ blog:

Friday 7th August, 12-1 (probably), Forbidden Planet, Shaftesbury Avenue, London Saturday 15th August, 3-5. Waterstones, United Reform Church, 89a Broad Street, Reading Saturday 22nd August, 1-2 (probably) Travelling Man games shop, 32 Central Road, Leeds LS1 Satursday 29th August, tbc, Garforth Bookshop, 15 Main Street, Garforth LS25 1DS

It’s a series I’m going to have to try again on I think I found it hard to get into the opening of the first one but:

I’m hoping to receive a review copy of this one pretty soon, since the previous instalment – Dragonfly Falling – is one of the best books I’ve read this year.

So looks like it has promise.

link: The Book Smugglers » Blog Archive » Book Review: Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

At the centre of it all though rests Hallendren and as each of the characters reaches a resolution the Kingdom itself and its beliefs are put to test. I watched an interview with Brandon Sanderson in which he talks about a common trope in the Fantasy genre: the “Rebellion against the Empire” when all characters are fighting and going to war to defeat a common threat and how he tried to make just the opposite here: to make the established government work, to make it better. And I think he succeeds beautifully in what he set out to do.

We’re still waiting for the official UK release of Sanderson. I wonder if we’ll get this one in the future.

link: My Favourite Books: Twisted Metal by Tony Ballantyne (Guest Review)

Another reason I enjoyed this book so much was that Tony also makes robots a fresh and interesting concept – these robots are damn cool! They may not be able to stand up to a T800 (then again, they don’t have to) but they are a damn sight more interesting! Yet each robot is also unique, and the concept behind the creation of robots, how they are conceived, is utterly unique, cool and creepy at the same time. Oh, you will also wince in the battle scenes – Tony isn’t afraid to bring the pain!

Liz @ MFB is lining up some Guest Reviewers and Dave has done a great job of persuading me that this does robots like no one else!

ink: Jon’s Review: The Tenth Case, by Joseph Teller | Bookgeeks

there is a vast array of contemporary literature based around the legal wrangles of court cases, doubtless contributed to by public interest being aroused by television and film. In The Tenth Case Teller manages to combine these two concepts, albeit ones that naturally cross-pollinate, in a skillful and well informed manner. It would be of no surprise to a reader of this offering that his pre-writing experience involved both undercover work for the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and over three decades as a defense attorney.

I do like a good legal thriller though can’t remember reading one since A Time To Kill by John Grisham and that’s some time ago. Might be time to retry the genre?

link: Walker of Worlds: Review | Wrath of the Lemming Men by Toby Frost (Myrmidon)

From the depths of Space a new foe rises to do battle with mankind: the British Space Empire is threatened by the lemming-people of Yull, ruthless enemies who attack without mercy, fear or any concept of self preservation. At the call of their war god, the Yull have turned on the Empire, hell bent on conquest and destruction in their rush towards the cliffs of destiny.
When the Yullian army is forced to retreat at the battle of the River Tam, the disgraced Colonel Vock swears revenge on the clan of Suruk the Slayer, Isambard Smith’s homicidal alien friend. Now Smith and his crew must defend the Empire and civilise the stuffing out of a horde of bloodthirsty lemming-men- which would be easy were it not for a sinister robotics company, a Ghast general with a fondness for genetic engineering and an ancient brotherhood of Morris Dancers- who may yet hold the key to victory…

The problem with my fellow blogger is that do too good a job of brining books to my attention that I’ve already dismissed. I’m having to reconsider. I might actually read this one or at least the start of the series.

link: Speculative Horizons: Mark Chadbourn on researching his ‘Age of Misrule’ trilogy

Just a heads-up: UK author Mark Chadbourn has written a little piece over at amazon blog Omnivoracious, about his experience of writing his Age of Misrule trilogy.

I missed this! I met Mark on Thursday. He’s a lovely man with an amazing imagination. I really don’t want to read the last one. I don’t want to know how it ends! (That’s the end of the third trilogy, US readers have a few more books to go yet, lucky buggers!)

link: Walker of Worlds: 2009 Books I Need To Read

So, this post is a reminder for myself as much as you on what is out there from the first half of 2009. I’ve got a couple of these on the shelf at the moment and will definitely be keeping my eye out for more of them in the future

The highlight on this list is Jaine Fenn I really want to read Principles of Angels and Consorts of Heaven.

link: The Wertzone: God of Clocks by Alan Campbell

Twelve powerful arconites walk the earth, preparing to bring about the destruction of humanity and bringing its souls under the command of Menoa, Lord of Hell.

Good start to a novel and I wasn’t expecting that when I read Scar Night. I have Iron Angel down as a Summer Read 2009 which has already got me intrigued by it’s opening. So Adam was so so about it. Not stopping me though will just set the bar lower.

link: Newsflash – John Connolly opens The Gates – Highlander’s Book Reviews

…what I am really excited about is John’s latest project The Gates…why? well because when John Connolly turns his hand to Horror or Fantasy as he did in Nocturnes or The Book Of Lost Things then generally something very special happens. Judge for yourself by heading here and reading the first chapter of The Gates then hang around twiddling your thumbs until the book is published in October.

I’ve read the first two of John Connolly’s Charlie Parker series and have Nocturnes and The Book of Lost Things. I’m told that Killing Kind is where it really kicks off

link: Speculative Horizons: Book review: Jasmyn

I was disappointed to find that all of the problems and flaws that marred the first novel are all present and correct in Jasmyn. Worse, they’re even more prominent and intrusive than the first time around. The result is a book that becomes more infuriating and ridiculous with each chapter.

As much as I liked the first one I tried and passed on this one. I’d say James got it right. Sorry.

link: The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.: Wireless by Charles Stross

Hard Science Fiction used to be all about wonder and amazement, about pushing the limits of knowledge and expectation. But that’s been obsolete for some time; the rump Hard SF that we have these days has been formed by two generations of fannish nitpickers, the failure of the US space program, and an abiding sourness about mankind that has no single source I can detect.

This is an interesting take on Wireless I’m reading it at the minute so I wonder how my thoughts are going to compare?

link: Angry Robot Review: Moxyland by Lauren Beukes « Davebrendon’s Fantasy & Sci-Fi Weblog

It is my opinion that this book will end up being one of the greats of contemporary future-fiction, and it can stand proud among the legends that authors such as Philip K Kick and George Orwell have given us

This is a big claim for any novel. I’ve read the opening chapters of this one. Interesting premise. It’s on the Sony Reader, which is my work reading, might have to stop going to the shops at lunch and pick this up.

link: Reading matters: ‘Snuff’ by Chuck Palahniuk

Quite clearly this isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but having read pretty much all of Palahniuk’s previous work I wasn’t going to let this one slip by. I very much enjoyed it. And the ending is an absolute riotous cracker!

Wasn’t my cup of tea I must admit but only because I couldn’t get past the boredom of waiting in line. Chuck I think adds depth to his fiction as you peel away and go deeper in. I’m giving Pygmy a go though

ink: Walker of Worlds: Review | Storm Front by Jim Butcher (Orbit) See

I will quite happily recommend this book to anyone that enjoys urban fantasy (although I suspect I’m the last one joining this train) or to anyone that wants to try something a little different and wants a fun read with nothing too taxing. I’ve already got the sequel, Fool Moon, on the shelf and I’ll be slowly building up this collection with all the releases – it’s just so easy and enjoyable to read!

See it’s not just me!

link: The Book Smugglers » Blog Archive » Books You Really Should Be Reading…

Recently, author Diana Peterfreund had a post over at her blog, discussing books that seem to have gone for whatever reason unnoticed by blogland, or have slipped under the radar of readers

I’ve heard of and am interested in John C. Wright, Juliet Marillier and Heir to Sevenwaters, Fables by Bill Willingham- I have to get back into graphic novels/comics. Where is the time? But haven’t heard of the rest. Hmmm

link: REVIEW | Moxyland by Lauren Beukes (Angry Robot) ~ Mad Hatter’s Bookshelf & Book Review

Overall, I didn’t find Moxyland as thought provoking as the author intended. What could have been a decidedly discussion worthy book turned into more of mishmash of themes not explored well enough and kneecapped by characters you can’t identify with. I give Moxyland 5 out of 10 Hats.

Ok – so I wonder which way the consensus will go?

link: Mathew’s Review: The Lovers, by John Connolly | Bookgeeks

Never have I read a series of books that so depend on the past of one man to determine his future and that of those around him, both friend and foe. Parker has a fascinating and terrible history that I am confident will continue to unravel seamlessly, just as his unsettled present and unpredictable future will play out in one way or another. (The next Parker novel, The Whisperers is due next year). Readers new to John Connolly beware: before sitting down with The Lovers, you must go back into Parker’s past yourself, starting with Every Dead Thing.

Just as I thought I need to carry on reading. And it gets better!

link: The Edge Of The World by Kevin J. Anderson – Highlander’s Book Reviews

I enjoyed this book. The mixture of politics and adventure sustained interest right to the end. I am also sure that the world created here will serve as excellent background for future books in the series. Kevin J. Anderson has shown that his talents are extremely diverse and can now add successful Epic Fantasy to his burgeoning CV, what’s next? Horror, I hope so.

More good thoughts on this one. I love the cover so much!

link: Speculative Horizons: Book review: Retribution Falls

Drawbacks? Can’t think of any. Honestly. The only thought that nagged me was that Malvery needed a little more development, but that – pleasingly – was addressed right at the end of the book. My only complaint is that the book had to end. Wooding has already mentioned that a follow-up is due next year, and believe me – that will be one of the first books on my list for 2010.

I need to read this now!!
Ok and that concludes my catchup of the last couple of weeks.

I’ve organised them into batches and I have to complete each batch before I move on. At least that’s the plan right now.

Though saying that a couple of novels has to take priority namely Destroyer of Worlds and Lord of Silence as I’m off to see the author Mark Chadbourn on Thursday as he’s signing with James Lovegrove plus I’ve got a couple of books that I’ve been asked to guest review that I need to read as well.

But with all that said here is my selection of books that I really really want to read over the summer and the aim is to get half done by the end of August. It helps that I have two weeks holiday that month as well

 In Ashes Lie by Marie Brennan (Orbit)

September, 1666 – The mortal civil war is over. But the war among the fae is still raging, and London is its battleground. There are forces that despise the Onyx Court, and will do anything to destroy it. But now a greater threat has come, one that could destroy everything. In the house of a sleeping baker, a spark leaps free of the oven – and ignites a blaze that will burn London to the ground. For three harrowing days, the mortals and fae of the city will fight to save their home. While the humans struggle to halt the conflagration that is devouring London street by street, the fae pit themselves against a less tangible foe: the spirit of the fire itself, powerful enough to annihilate everything in its path. Neither side can win on its own – but can they find a way to fight together?

I read and loved Midnight Never Come, the first book in this series and I’ve read the first few chapters of this one. It’s a slightly different beast but none the less fascinating. I had a chance to to meet Marie when she was on a research trip for the third one and I’m hoping to get an interview sorted as soon as finished this one.

The Devil’s Paintbrush by Jake Arnott (Sceptre_

Paris, 1903. Major-General Sir Hector Macdonald, one of the greatest  heroes of the British Empire, is facing ruin in a shocking homosexual scandal when he meets the notorious occultist, Aleister Crowley. As they set out into the night on a wild journey through the sinful city, the story of Macdonald’s tragedy begins to unfold – with startling revelations both for the General and the aspiring magician.

I’m quite a good chuck into this one. I’m reading it because I have an interest in Crowley and Occult history. I’m not in black magic or anything though I have been known to whip out a set of Tarot Cards once in a while. It’s amazing how Arnott is leaving a tale around fixed points in history. I’m wondering how much artistic licence he’s using?

The Last Colony by John Scalzi (UK Tor)

John Perry has at last found peace in a violent universe, living quietly with  his family in one of humanity’s many colonies. It’s a good life, yet there’s something …missing. When John and his wife Jane are asked to lead a new colony world, he jumps at the chance to explore the universe once more. But they soon find out that nothing is what it seems, for his new colony is merely pawns in an interstellar game of war and diplomacy between humanity’s Colonial Union and a new, seemingly unstoppable alien alliance that is dedicated to ending all human colonization. As this contest rages above, Perry struggles to keep his terrified colonists alive in the face of threats both alien and familiar, on a planet yet to reveal its own fatal secrets.

I read The Ghost Brigades, which was a great emotionally as well as action packed SF story and The Last Colony is set in the same Universe. After I’ve read this one Zoe’s Tale is out this month, which tells the story of one the characters of the The Ghost Brigades. Heard nothing but good things about them all.

Wireless by Charles Stross (Orbit)

It has been said that the natural state of science fiction is the short story. If that is so, you won’t find a better exploration of that state than Charles Stross’s new collection. Centred around an original and previously unpublished novella, ‘Palimpsest’, WIRELESS is a showcase of some of the best short SF of the 21st century. With an introduction from the author and containing hitherto uncollected works such as ‘Missile Gap’, ‘Trunk and Disorderly’ and ‘Rogue Farm’, and some gems previously available only in small press publications…

I’ve only so far encountered Charles Stross fighting Lovecraftian Horrors with the two Laundry Service titles –  The Atrocity Archives and The Jennifer Morgue – so him doing Sci-Fi is a bit of a departure for me. I’’ll admit that I’m a little confused by the opening novella so far. Aliens seem to have peeled the earth and put it on a flat disc but I’m looking forward these different aspects of his imagination.

*

Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard (Headline)

Johannes Cabal has never pretended to be a hero of any kind.

There is, after all, little heroic about robbing graves, stealing occult volumes, and being on nodding terms with demons. His purpose, however, is noble. His researches are all directed to raising the dead. Not as monstrosities but as people, just as they were when they lived: physically, mentally, and spiritually. For such a prize, some sacrifices are necessary. One such sacrifice was his own soul, but he now sees that was a mistake – it’s not just that he needs it for his research to have validity, but now he realises he needs it to be himself. Unfortunately, his soul now rests within the festering bureaucracy of Hell. Satan may be cruel and capricious but, most dangerously, he is bored. It is Cabal’s unhappy lot to provide him with amusement.

In short, a wager: in return for his own soul, Cabal must gather one hundred others. Placed in control of a diabolical carnival – created to tempt to contentiousness, to blasphemy, argumentation and murder, but one may also win coconuts – and armed only with his intelligence, a very large handgun, and a total absence of whimsy, Cabal has one year.

One year to beat the Devil at his own game. And isn’t that perhaps just a little heroic?

How can you not like the sound of that?

The Hurricane Party by Klas Ostergren (Cannongate)

Hanck Orn’s son is dead. When they come to the door they tell him it was a heart attack, but he knows they are lying. So he travels to the outermost reaches of the land to find out what really happened. When he lands on the island he is met by a young woman, hair streaked with blood, raving like a lunatic. She is one of the sisters, who tell him the story of how his son died in the great hall of the Clan, the Norse gods, who were holding a party. But the festivities soon got out of hand, the guests began to argue with one another, and the mischievous shapeshifter Loki dealt a deadly blow.

Not out until August but I’ve got a copy to read early. Norse gods who can resist? Last time I read about them was American Gods by Neil Gaiman, which was an interesting twist on the whole ancient gods story.

The Good Plain Cook by Bethan Roberts (Serpent’s Tail)

It’s summer 1936, and the world is on the cusp of change, but there’s little sign of this in rural Sussex. So when Kitty Allen answers an advert looking for ‘a good plain cook’, she has no idea what she’s in for. For starters, her employer is an American called Ellen Steinberg who believes in having the staff call her by her first name and sunbathing in the nude. Then there’s Ellen’s eleven-year-old daughter, Geenie, a bright, unhappy little thing, and Mrs Steinberg’s gentleman friend, Mr Crane, who’s said to be a poet — even though he doesn’t have a beard and doesn’t actually write much poetry. Rich bohemians imagining themselves as communists, Steinberg and Crane see themselves as champions of ‘the people’ — not that they know the first thing about how the people actually live. Kitty is in no position to criticise — after all she claimed to be a good plain cook, despite hardly knowing how to boil an egg. Utterly out of her depth, she is relieved to have the gardener, Arthur, to talk to. Otherwise she’d never last a summer in this madhouse. Ellen Steinberg wants life to run as smoothly as the love story she imagines her lover George Crane to be writing. But as Kitty arrives, the dream is on the edge of falling apart.

This one is a curious choice I know, but I read The Pools, her debut and that showed an interesting understanding of the human condition.  Plus this is something different.

Reheated Cabbage by Irvine Welsh (Jonathan Cape)

In these pages you can enjoy Christmas dinner with Begbie, and see how warmly Franco greets his sister’s boyfriend and the news of their engagement. You will discover, in ‘The Rosewell Incident’, how aliens addicted to Embassy Regal have Midlothian under surveillance, and plan to install the local casuals as the new governors of Planet Earth. You will not be surprised to read that a televised Hibs v. Hearts game might matter more to one character than the life of his wife, or that two guys fighting over a beautiful girl might agree – on reflection, and after a few pills and many pints of lager – that their friendship is actually more important.And you will be delighted to welcome back ‘Juice’ Terry Lawson, and to watch what happens when he meets his old nemesis, retired schoolmaster Albert Black, under the strobe-lights of a Miami Beach nightclub. Most of the stories in "Reheated Cabbage" originally appeared in fugitive form in magazines and long-out-of-print anthologies in the 1990s. Finally collected together, they show all Irvine Welsh’s trademark skills – vaulting imagination, a brilliant vernacular ear, dark, scabrous humor and the ability to create some of the most memorable characters in contemporary fiction.

I’m trying to read more short fiction, an area I quite like but needs a certain shift in thinking and a certain dedication. I have a bit of a guilt thing for Irvine Welsh having been recommended The Acid House when I was in Uni and I never read it. If I had I wonder if I’d have got a first?

*

Echoes from the Dead by Johan Theorin (Black Swan)

Can you ever come to terms with a missing child? Julia Davidsson has not. Her five-year-old son disappeared twenty years previously on the Swedish island of Oland. No trace of him has ever been found. Until his shoe arrives in the post. It has been sent to Julia’s father, a retired sea-captain still living on the island. Soon he and Julia are piecing together fragments of the past: fragments that point inexorably to a local man called Nils Kant, known to delight in the pain of others. But Nils Kant died during the 1960s. So who is the stranger seen wandering across the fields as darkness falls? It soon becomes clear that someone wants to stop Julia’s search for the truth. And that he’s much, much closer than she thinks…

Continuing with my new found love of euro-crime in translation.  He got awarded The Glass Key for best Nordic / Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year for The Darkest Room, which is the book right after this one.

Lord of Silence by Mark Chadbourn (Solaris)

When the great hero of the city of Idriss is murdered, Vidar, the Lord of Silence, must take his place as chief defender against the mysterious terrors lurking in the dense forest beyond the city’s walls. But Vidar is a man tormented — by a lost memory and a vampiric jewel that demands the life energy of others. Now, with a killer loose within Idriss, and the threat from without mounting, Vidar must solve a three thousand year-old religious mystery to unlock the terrifying secrets of his own past.

A departure for my favourite every fantasy series writer. This is a must read for me.

Little Stranger by Sarah Walters (Little, Brown)

In a dusty post-war summer in rural Warwickshire, a doctor is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the Georgian house, once grand and handsome, is now in decline, its masonry crumbling, its gardens choked with weeds, the clock in its stable yard permanently fixed at twenty to nine. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Dr Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become entwined with his. Prepare yourself. From this wonderful writer who continues to astonish us, now comes a chilling ghost story.

I’ve read Sarah Walters before and failed to be captured though I think that’s more down to my expectations than the work itself – this though has a ghost story combined with Walters story telling style. I’m hoping I’m going to get chilled from this one.

Extraordinary Engines: The Definitive Steampunk Anthology Edited by Nick Gevers (Solaris)

Extraordinary Engines: The Definitive Steampunk Anthology assembles original stories by some of the genre’s foremost writers. Edited by Nick Gevers, this collection includes brand new stories by Stephen Baxter, Eric Brown, Paul Di Filippo, Hal Duncan, Jeffrey Ford, Jay Lake, Ian R. MacLeod, Michael Moorcock, Robert Reed, Lucius Shepard, Brian Stableford, Jeff VanderMeer and more.

More short stories. I’ve been holding on to this one for a while but after reading the delightful The Affinity Bridge by George Mann I’m keen for more Steampunk.

*

The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas (Gollancz)

The Adamantine Palace lies at the centre of an empire that grew out of ashes. Once dragons ruled the world and man was little more than prey. Then a way of subduing the dragons alchemicly was discovered and now the dragons are bred to be little more than mounts for knights and highly valued tokens in the diplomatic power-players that underpin the rule of the competing aristocratic houses. The Empire has grown fat. And now one man wants it for himself. A man prepared to poison the king just as he has poisoned his own father. A man prepared to murder his lover and bed her daughter. A man fit to be king? But uknown to him there are flames on the way. A single dragon has gone missing. And even one dragon on the loose, unsubdued, returned to its full intelligence, its full fury, could spell disaster for the Empire. But because of the actions of one unscrupulous mercenary the rivals for the throne could soon be facing hundreds of dragons . . . Stephen Deas has written a fast moving and action-fuelled fantasy laced with irony, a razor sharp way with characters, dialogue to die for and dragons to die by.

I think it was the description of the Dragons that captured me, not that I can remember what review it was. Basically they were saying that dragons were a bit more beastly than you might imagine!

Orbus by Neal Asher (UK Tor)

In charge of an old cargo spaceship, the Old Captain Orbus flees a violent and sadistic past, but he doesn’t know that the lethal war drone, Sniper, is a stowaway, and that the past is rapidly catching up with him. His old enemy the Prador Vrell, mutated by the Spatterjay virus into something powerful and dangerous, has seized control of a Prador dreadnought, murdering its crew, and is now seeking to exact vengeance on those who tried to have him killed. Their courses inexorably converge in the Graveyard, the border realm lying between the Polity and the Prador Kingdom, a place filled with the ruins left by past genocides and interplanetary war. But this is the home of the Golgoloth, monster to a race of monsters, the place where a centuries-long cold war is being fought. Meanwhile, the terrifying Prador King is coming, prepared to do anything to ensure Vrell’s death and keep certain deadly secrets buried …and somewhere out there something that has annihilated civilizations is stirring from a slumber of five million years. The cold war is heating up, fast.

Not out until September but I’m getting in there early. I’m a mega-Neal Asher fan  so this is a no brainer really. One of the best voices I’ve found in sci-fi!

Caligula by Douglas Jackson (Corgi Books)

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the third Roman Emperor, is better known by another name: Caligula, a name synonymous with decadence, cruelty and madness. His reign was marked by excess, huge building projects, the largest gladiatorial battles Rome was ever to see – men and animals killed in their hundreds – conspiracies, assassination attempts and sexual scandal. Rufus as a young slave grows up far from the corruption of the imperial court. His master is a trainer of animals for the gladiatorial arena.Rufus discovers that he has a natural ability with animals, a talent for controlling and schooling them. It is at the arenas that Rufus meets his great friend Cupido, one of Rome’s greatest gladiators. It is his growing reputation as an animal trainer and his friendship with Cupido that attracts the cruel gaze of the Emperor. Caligula wants a keeper for the imperial elephant and Rufus is bought from his master and taken to the imperial palace. Life here is dictated by Caligula’s ever shifting moods. Caligula is as generous as he is cruel, he is a megalomaniac who declares himself a living god and simultaneously lives in constant fear of the plots against his life. But his paranoia is not misplaced, intrigue permeates his court, and Rufus and Cupido find themselves unwittingly placed at the centre of a conspiracy to assassinate the Emperor.

I’ll admit this is a challenge from the publisher. I’m not really sure about historical fiction but I’ve been told this is an thriller with a historical setting so I’m going to give it a go!

Poe edited by Ellen Datlow (Solaris)

Compiled by multi-award winning editor, Ellen Datlow, this collection commemorates the second centenary of Edgar Allen Poe’s birth. It features Poe-inspired tales by some of the finest talents in the field, including Kim Newman, Pat Cadigan, Sharyn MCCrumb, Lucius Sheppard, Laird Barron, Suzy McKee Chamas and others. This all-star line-up has several Hugo, Edgar, Tipptree and British Fantasy Award winners.

More short fiction and this time with Poe inspired fiction. This is going to be interesting. I’ve been dipping into Poe so I’m looking forward to seeing what influence he’s had.

*

Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger (Serpent’s Tail)

Lady Duff Gordon is the toast of Victorian London. But when her debilitating tuberculosis means exile, she and her devoted lady’s maid, Sally, set sail for Egypt. It is Sally who describes, with a mixture of wonder and trepidation, the odd ménage marshalled by the resourceful Omar, which travels down the Nile to a new life in Luxor. When Lady Duff Gordon undoes her stays and takes to native dress, throwing herself into weekly salons; language lessons; excursions to the tombs; Sally too adapts to a new world, affording her heady and heartfelt freedoms never known before. But freedom is a luxury that a maid can ill-afford, and when Sally grasps more than her status entitles her to, she is brutally reminded that she is mistress of nothing.

More historical fiction  but I do have an love of things Egyptian and I love idea of this one.

Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk (Jonathan Cape)

‘Begins here first account of operative me, agent number 67 on arrival mid-western American airport greater _______ area. Flight ____. Date ______. Priority mission top success to complete. Code name. Operation Havoc. Fellow operatives already pass immigrant control, through secure doors and to embrace own other host family people. Operative Tibor, agent 23; operative Magda, agent 36; operative Ling, agent 19. All violate United States secure port of entry having success. Each now embedded among middle-income corrupt American family, all other homes, other schools, and neighbours of same city. By not after next today, strategy of web of operatives to be established’. Agent Number 67, nicknamed Pygmy for his diminutive size, arrives in the United States from his totalitarian homeland (a mash-up of North Korea, Cuba, Communist-era China, and Nazi-era Germany), as an ‘exchange student’ into the welcoming arms of his Simpsons-spinoff Midwestern host family. Host cow father (he works in the biological weapons complex outside of town), chicken neck mother, pig dog brother, and the disconcertingly self-possessed cat sister introduce Pygmy into the rituals of postmodern American life, which he views with utter contempt. Along with his fellow operatives, all indoctrinated into the mindset of the totalitarian state, he is planning something big, something truly, truly awful, that will bring this big dumb country and its fat, dumb inhabitants to their knees.

I was introduced to Chuck with Rant, a strange but touching tale. I didn’t get on with Porno but I’m up for giving him another go.

The Highwayman by R.A. Salvatore (UK Tor)

Long ago, in a distant land, a lonely young man struggles to discover who he is and where he belongs. He carries the blood and magic of two peoples, a sword of unimaginable power, and a staggering potential for great good …or greater evil. In the land of Corona, the roads are unsafe to travel, as goblins and bloodthirsty Powries seek out human prey; and, in this savage world, princes feast while peasants starve, and two religions battle for control. A monk, Bran Dynard, returns from his mission in a far-off land with two prizes: a book of mystical knowledge and a new wife, the beautiful and mystical Sen Wi. But the world he left behind has changed, and Bran must now decide who he can trust, and where he should place his faith.

I’m blaming Aiden of A Dribble of Ink if I don’t like this one.

*that ends my first selection of batches*

There are some books that I might swap or read instead and just because they aren’t in the list above makes them no less worthy. In the end I just had to choose!

Iron Angel (Deepgate Codex Trilogy 2) by Alan Campbell (UK Tor)

Order has collapsed in Deepgate. The chained city is now in ruins, and the Deadsands beyond are full of fleeing refugees. Meanwhile, the Spine militia is trying to halt the exodus of panicking citizens through brutal force. Rachel and the young angel Dill are dragged off to the Temple torture chambers …but strange things start to happen as a foul red mist rises from the abyss beneath the city. For the god Ulcis’ death has left the gates to Hell unguarded, and certain forces in the fathomless darkness beneath Deepgate have noticed an opportunity. Only the offspring of the dread goddess Ayen understand this new danger.Already, Cospinol, god of brine and fog, is coming to save his brother’s temple – and to hunt down Ulcis’ murderers. His foul, fog-wreathed skyship has already reached Sandport, bringing along its own version of hell. By now, Rachel just wants to keep her companion alive. Escaping their prison, and with enemies closing in on all sides, she is forced to undertake a perilous journey across the Deadsands towards the distant land of Pandemeria. But there the battlefield at Coreollis is fated to witness a clash of powers – a contest between men and gods and archons and slaves, all forced into desperate alliances.

I’ve read the opening chapter to Iron Angel, sequel to Scar Night and I got slightly hooked look for this one to appear sooner rather than later.

Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski (Gollancz)

For more than a hundred years humans, dwarves, gnomes and elves lived together in relative peace. But times have changed, the uneasy peace is over and now the races once again fight each other – and themselves: dwarves are killing their kinsmen, and elves are murdering humans and elves, at least those elves who are friendly to humans . . . Into this tumultuous time is born a child for whom the witchers of the world have been waiting. Ciri, the granddaughter of Queen Calanthe, the Lioness of Cintra, has strange powers and a stranger destiny, for prophecy names her the Flame, one with the power to change the world – for good, or for evil . . . Geralt, the witcher of Rivia, has taken Ciri to the relative safety of the Witchers’ Settlement, but it soon becomes clear that Ciri isn’t like the other witchers. As the political situation grows ever dimmer and the threat of war hangs almost palpably over the land, Geralt searches for someone to train Ciri’s unique powers. But someone else has an eye on the young girl, someone who understand exactly what the prophecy means – and exactly what Ciri’s power can do. This time Geralt may have met his match.

Speaking of books to read sooner. I choose most of this list before the Gemmell Awards were announced so it doesn’t get a higher ranking but again another book I’m keen to see what makes it a winner.

Missy by Chris Hannan (Vintage)

Dol McQueen, an irrepressible, opium-addicted ‘flash-girl’ from the Wild West is headed east for new adventures when she stops to save a man from killing himself, only to discover he is a murderous pimp who really didn’t want to be rescued. When the pimp then turns up at the saloon bar where she and her friends have found work – and plenty more – with a crate of stolen opium he wants her to hide, Dol sees a chance to change her life for good and goes on the run into the American wilderness. But the pimp is on her tail, along with a gang of mobsters and her crazy, self-obsessed mother; can Dol save her friends, her mother, and herself? Like her literary predecessors, Becky Sharpe and Moll Flanders, Dol is a flawed but irresistible anti-heroine, and "Missy" is an astounding debut.

A debut with a fun sense of play. Ok, will it a go.

Take Me to the Source: In Search of Water by Rupert Wright (Vintage)

Colourless, tasteless, odourless, and ageless: water is both the simplest thing on earth and the most complex. We cannot live without it yet it kills six thousand children a day. It is the ultimate renewable resource but we pollute it without thinking twice. Why, if water is so valuable does nobody want to pay for it unless it comes in a designer bottle? Is it really the oil of the twenty-first century? Will we all soon be fighting over it, or can it lead countries into co-operation rather than conflict? In this enthralling voyage of discovery, Rupert Wright sets out to discover exactly what water is and why it plays such an important role in history, culture, art and literature. Part reportage and part personal journey, "Take Me To the Source" is the fascinating story of the substance that makes life on earth possible.

I watched or was it read someone on the memory of water and how water is a stranger substance than it would first appear. This is the only non fiction on the list.

A Proper Education for Girls by Elaine Di Rollo (Vintage)

Set in 1857 between England and India, "A Proper Education for Girls" is a rollicking novel about feisty women, the devotion of sisters and the Victorian obsession with empire, experiments and photography. The peach growers of the title are 27 year-old twin sisters with a passion for botany. Lilian, in mysterious disgrace, has been married off to a dreary missionary. Alice is left at home, curator to her father’s monstrous collection of artifacts under the watchful eye of the malevolent Dr Cattermole. "A Proper Education for Girls" is a dazzling debut. Tongue-in-cheek and inventive, comic and horrifying, it illuminates the dark heart of Victorian hypocrisy and selfishness, yet at the same time is engaging and highly enjoyable. Readers will become completely involved with Alice and Lilian – and their hair-raising escapades.

Ok, last one for now. Again a fun read. Something I don’t do enough of.

Well that’s it. What do you think? Anything there for you? What are you going to be reading? Any bets on how many I’m actually going to be able to finish?

I’ve read and reviewed 27 books so far this year, which is one for every week more or less. I’m thinking that’s pretty good. I’ve made a list below with a few quotes and links if you’d like to see some of my thoughts on them.

The challenge comes from picking highlights as each is a singular creation and most of them I’ve enjoyed and felt are worth reading.

But if I’m going to have to choose some that I think you should read I’d say these:

Blood Ties –

It’s rare for me to like a traditional fantasy story and the end of this one made me tingle. A great start to a series.

The Gabble -

A short story collection that’s set in the same SF universe but taking different aspects of it. It’s rare for me to read the whole thing through but this was an amazing collection and one that got me hooked on Neal Asher.

This is Not a Game - 

Stories don’t usually invade my dreams or leave me with a lingering sense of paranoia but does Williams manage it.

The Chalk Circle Man –

Validation that Indridason  isn’t a one-off and that there is more European-crime-in-translation out there that I enjoy.

The Affinity Bridge -

I can honestly say this was the most compulsive read of the year for me. The characters were intriguing, the plot fun and the setting was amazingly imagined.

I’d also say that you should read Mike Carey’s Felix Castor series from the beginning and The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. A Madness of Angels will make you see London as a completely different place. Indridason  for his peeling back of a crime. Oh and Nights of Villjamur  I could go on and on.

Finally I can’t leave without giving you some books I didn’t enjoy in the slightest just so you know I don’t like everything if nothing else:

You can find quotes and links from all the reviews so far this year below. What are your fave or not so fav reads?

Reviews: January

Starting with my favourite comedy fantasy writer, and is up there with my favourite writer ever Terry Pratchett’s A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett.

I’d recommend A Hat Full of Sky to anyone that loves intelligent fantasy, likes to see true character development and to anyone that want to see Granny Weatherwax at her best.

But I’d read Wee Free Men first.

Then came The Domino Men by Jonathan Barnes

I’m rather jealous really as I’d love to go to work one day to find out that my entire life has been a lie and that the foundation I’ve build my life on isn’t what it seems and that I’m about to become a hero even if Harry doesn’t realise it at the start.

Blood Rites by Jim Butcher

If I was being completely honest I’d say that Blood Rites doesn’t quite hit the mark feeling more like plot by numbers – with things needing to happen and being driven by those revelations rather than being about the strength of the stories in this episode.

The Angel Maker by Stefan Brijs

I’ll admit that at the end I didn’t like Victor Hoppe but I was compelled to find out what he’s doing and why. There is a need here to finish the exploration that I’d say is down to how Brijs expertly draws the reader in. I’m looking forward to seeing what he has translated next.

Blood Ties by Pamela Freeman (Orbit)

We also get snippets, almost small stories, of the lives of the minor characters, something that could be distracting but somehow it makes everything sharper and enhances the story.

There are wonderful little twists that I’d spoil by saying more but it shows that little seeds are being sown all the time. As with all first books in a trilogy the ending is only the beginning.

Reviews: February

February was a but of a full reading month it seems and it contained some un-reviews

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Gilbert Adair

As I was saying this should be a poor parody but it’s not. Adair creates a cast of emotive and responsive characters whose lives are touching if a little dated by modern standards. He gives them all a sense of individuality even the servants like Addie and hers ‘squashed little features’.

The Secret War by M. F .Curran

It feels like a very long introduction and I’m struggling to keep going. And as I’m a fickle soul I’m off to seek excitement elsewhere.

The Gabble and Other Stories by Neal Asher (Tor)

The danger of a collection is that there is going to be one or two dubs but I really can’t think of any that fell short of the mark. Each has their own take on the world as well as enhancing and informing each other.

I’m really looking forward to reading more Neal Asher and the Polity Universe.

Twelve by Jasper Kent (Bantam Press)

There is nothing wrong with the descriptions or the writing itself, but for me it just lacks that x-factor that draws me into a story. But if you do like historical novels with a twist you might want to read a few chapters first to see if it pulls you in.

This Is Not A Game by Walter Jon Williams (Orbit)

Williams manages to keep the story moving, twist and turning as Dagmar finds out more about who killed her friend and why. The answer is seems is a little more closer to home than would first appear.

I don’t really have any criticism. I love the small touches like the chapter titles, the way that email and forum entries are seamlessly inserted into the narrative and how scarily Williams blurs the lines so easily.

Hunter’s Moon by David Devereux (Gollancz)

All that isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy it. I did. It’s action packed and constantly on the go. But like Jack it’s very superficial. An entertaining read but nothing that’s going to get you thinking too much. And certainly something that’s going to give you the wrong impression of a Coven of Witches.

March Reviews:

The Island at the End of the World by Sam Taylor (Faber)

Not everything works however – part does come from my problems with Pa. It’s hard to read a story with a dominating unsympathetic main character. My other problem comes from the way in which Taylor chooses to erode the Island. It isn’t quite believable even with the fable-like quality to the storytelling. Taylor allows too much reality to creep making some of The Island at the End of the World implausible.

The Ninth Circle by Alex Bell (Gollancz)

Saying that I found The Ninth Circle, compelling, descriptive, thoughtful and fully packed. Alex Bell’s debut makes her an author that I’m eager to read more of.

A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin (Orbit)

Overall though, Kate Griffin’s adult debut (having written for children as Catherine Webb) is a powerful, fresh, imaginative step into Urban Fantasy, and luckily, even though there is a satisfying ending to Matthew Swift’s story of revenge, he’s back in The Midnight Mayor.

The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry (William Heinemann)

Overall, I’m glad I’ve read a story that is not only self-contained but has a strong sense of itself and does what it sets out to do. Solve the mystery of Travis Sivart’s disappearance and explain why a lowly filing clerk is the only person who can find him.

April Reviews:

Shadow of the Scorpion by Neal Asher (Tor UK)

Shadow of the Scorpion explores the foundations of Agent Cormac and as such is a great starting point for those new to the Agent Cormac Series or Neal Asher in general. But not that I have a feeling for long-term fans that there are going to be more than one ah-ha moments.

Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indridason (Vintage)

Indridason delves into the life of the major and minor characters and gives them the sense of life outside the scenes they are in. This makes for a rounded and emotionally connecting read. Indridason plays with the reader as we move slowly to the discovery the owner of the bones and seeing how they were killed.

I must admit the story of the family is harrowing and distressing and a good reminder how we’re more supported in the present than we have been in the past and that male dominance needs tapering.

Eagle Rising by David Devereux (Gollancz)

Overall Devereux is doing a great job in carving out his niche in an already crowded market. I have to say that it might not be to everyone’s taste. But if you have a strong stomach and you like action over in-depth character development this is for you.

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher (Orbit)

You can hopefully tell that I enjoyed Dead Beat a great deal. I said in my last review that in a series you end up wanting the same but different. Well Dresden gets taken up a notch. The subplot from earlier books about the ongoing war makes a significant leap.

The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas (Harvill Secker)

I have a feeling Adamsberg’s character and his detection-style is going to continue to intrigue and delight. Plus Vargas has a way of storytelling that masks the mystery until the final unveiling and then you think, why didn’t I see that before!

The Thirteen Treasures by Michelle Harrison (SIMON AND SCHUSTER)

There really are too many holes that can be poked here. The story felt like it was progressing by numbers and so long as everything fitted it would work. But it doesn’t, not when you look back over it. There are too many strange choices, interactions, lack of interventions and explanations that would have stopped the story in its tracks.

May Reviews:

Half the Blood of Brooklyn by Charlie Huston (Orbit)

For a novel of 221 pages of mostly dialogue and sparse description it’s denser and more packed than novels of 3 or 4 times its size. Huston has a mastery of dialogue, storytelling and atmosphere that a lot of other writers could learn a lot form when creating lean and crisp prose.

The Semantics of Murder by Aifric Campbell (Serpent’s Tail)

There are plenty of shocking revelations. Both in terms of Aifric’s frankness about Robert’s sexual encounters and Jay’s responses to them to the character of Jay himself. As she exposes more and more it seems that she has reached the last layer only to pull one it away to reveal something darker.

June Reviews:

Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton (UK Tor)

He’s only two novels into his career (this is his debut with a mainstream publisher) and you can tell that Newton is going to stand out. He’s mindful that he needs to create texture and colour to his characters and give them a reason for moving on the page. He’s also put thought into the environment they inhabit. And he knows the journey he needs to take his characters. All qualities that can only grow with experience and further novels.

Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas (Vintage)

When the revelation of whether it’s a man or werewolf or wolf is revealed I for one again fell off the cliff. Now this sounds like Vargas is out to trick the reader and manipulate them. I don’t think she is. There are no dirty tricks here. She does keep you guessing and lulls you into the lives of the main case that you don’t see what else could be happening

Review: Thicker Than Water by Mike Carey (Orbit)

Carey has let the story off the leash in Thicker Than Water – know that he’s established everyone and can pull those strings/connections, he lets it twist and turn, and peels away layers and layers until Felix is exposed. Felix seems to win only to leave this reader close to tears on the final page.

The Affinity Bridge by George Mann (Snowbooks)

Newbury is a gentlemen spy so his nemesis is a gentlemen of sorts. And the cat and mouse game that they play is teasing and fun. You can’t take this tale too seriously though the main characters have strong emotional connections and they have a believable fondness for each other. Mann has given The Affinity Bridge a strong central core and one that can grow and be explored in the next and subsequent books.

Keep reading.

marcusgipps: Thicker Than Water, by Mike Carey – more thoughts on Mike Carey’s take on Urban Fantasy

marcusgipps: The Gay Divorcee, by Paul Burston – only because it’s the first time I’ve seen reference to ‘gay chick lit’

marcusgipps: The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan – another book I’m not the target audience for but it’s interesting to see what YA are reading. I wonder what affect that’s going to have on the future of adult titles?

marcusgipps: The Year of the Flood, by Margaret Atwood – I’ve read two Margaret Atwood’s so far. Need to read a third. Could this be it?

Walker of Worlds: Book Haul 27/06/09 – just to prove that book bloggers do read books. I’ve actually bought all of these except Retribution Falls, which I will get in ebook form when it’s pb priced (or maybe beg a copy off Gollancz?). I didn’t like Consider Philabas -I have The Algebrast to try him again, Big Jim Buthcher fan and yet to read the other two.

Fantasy Book Critic: “Jasmyn” by Alex Bell (Reviewed by Liviu Suciu) – I have to say that I’ve tried this one and it wasn’t for me. You’ll have to ask me if you want to know why

Fantasy Book Critic: “Lord of Silence” by Mark Chadbourn (Reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo) – going to London to Forbidden Planet to see ‘my favourite fantasy writer ever in the world’ on the 9th July. I’m going to get this read by then. I’m wondering how it’s going to differ from what I’ve read before?

Speculative Horizons: Blood of Elves extract and Gemmell Award photos – Interesting choice for the Gemmell – shame it was from public vote. Ordered it. Will see how I get on

Primal by Robin Baker | Highlander’s Book Reviews – going to try this one. Hmmm not sure. But you can only try?

Merlin’s Wood by Robert Holdstock | Highlander’s Book Reviews – I’ve been hearing a lot about Mythago Wood – so may have to try it first.

Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review: ‘Retribution Falls’ – Chris Wooding (Gollancz) – another mention of Retribution Falls – it’s one of those books where I’m not sure if it’s really me but if I keep hearing about it I want to know what I’m missing.

Falcata Times: SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW: Stone – Adam Roberts – This is one of my favourite ever sci-fi stories- the narrator does an amazing job all the way until the end. Brilliant

Falcata Times: FANTASY REVIEW: The Colour of Magic/The Light Fantastic: Anniversary Edition – Terry Pratchett – I’ve got all Terry’s books and I saw this the other day. The illustrations are amazing. If only it was one of the Terry books I actually reread – I do reread a few of them

Jennie’s Review: Johannes Cabal: the Necromancer, by Jonathan L. Howard | Bookgeeks – this is one of the books you just have to try. Look for a review soon.

Simon P’s Review: Stone’s Fall by Iain Pears | Bookgeeks – The opening of An Instance of the Fingerpost bored me to tears. Nothing worthwhile happened. The setting and the language were fine. Again one of those writers that you hear good stuff from so I’m wondering if it’s me.

Simon A’s Review: Fall of Thanes, by Brian Ruckley | Bookgeeks – another reminder that after reading the first in the series it’s worth reading the other two!

Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist: Fall of Thanes – and other and it’s a review on the Hotlist. Shocking!

A Dribble of Ink » Blog Archive » Review | Blood of Ambrose by James Enge – just to show that we can do negative reviews.

An Interview with Jo Graham « Davebrendon’s Fantasy & Sci-Fi Weblog – must admit that this series is one that isn’t for me. Not enough magic! But it might temp you.

More info on The Magicians by Lev Grossman ~ Mad Hatter’s Bookshelf & Book Review – more links and stuff for this book.

Speculative Fiction Junkie: Book I Couldn’t Finish – The Glister – and to show that people are allowed not to finish books.

That’ll do you and me for now I think.

After I got bitten by the bug, that is after I started finishing books and not half reading them and putting them down. I think that’s because I was choosing books that didn’t grab me in the slightest and I thought that you should finish every book you start as it’s you that has the problem and it’s nothing to do with the book.

Which is true if you think that by finishing a book you’ll be a better person. You won’t BTW. You’ll just be a frustrated reader. And it might put you off if you read the next Booker Prize winner or such prize because you think that’s what reading is all about. Not knocking the Booker though it’s rare that my kind of books get put on it.

I’ve been reading long enough to know my own tastes and know how far I can realistically stretch them so no matter how many reviews the next Jane Green gets and how many people say how wonderful it is I’m highly unlikely to want to read it. Chick-Lit just isn’t my thing. Neither is the Twilight-esque death-love-thing that is hitting the YA scene. I have tried those but that’s more because I loved Anne Rice as a teenager.

Anyway, bloggers and selling. There has been an interesting discussion about John Self and his blog and sales of a book he’s been championing – Colony by Hugo Wilcken. Not many copies it seems and I don’t think it matters in the slightest as those that liked the idea of the book would have bought it.

Someone on Twitter, now sure who, said the bloggers are more hand-sellers and are taking over the roll of booksellers in bookshops. That might not be 100% right but I do now buy a lot of my books after reading them on blogs. Not just reviews but mentions of new releases, cover p0rn, people showing off what they’ve had in the mail, what authors signings they been to.. to name but a few things.

Those things can also be a turn off. Mostly reviews can be a turn off and I’m not talking negative reviews. Just being honest and open. Because I want to read things like Joe Abercrombie’s Best Served Cold but then reading the very positive reviews I think that’s not going to be fun – gritty fantasy – it’s just not the fantasy I like. I’ve got The Blade Itself and we’ll see if I like him. I might be wrong

So what am I saying – yes trust us but challenge us – don’t take our word for it – if it really isn’t your thing no matter how many reviews you read you probably won’t like it. But if it is your thing or at least raises an interest please please give it a go and then tell us if you liked it or not.

Is that just me that gets swayed by my fellow reviewers? What have you read that you wouldn’t if it wasn’t for a blog?

I’m mostly in the Love it camp. But then again, I’m a fan of cool minimalist art like this

link: A Dribble of Ink » Blog Archive » Cover Art | The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (UK Edition)

I’m a little late i sharing this one I know but I think it’s stunning.

I’ve been hearing lots of thing about Mistborn and have been wondering when it was coming to the UK. It’s out 8 October 2009 so a bit of time yet!

Thanks to Aiden. Hope you don’t mind me nabbing it!

I think blogging is partly about self expression ad partly about being a part of a community. It’s easy to get discouraged writing into the void.
Jonathan M

link: OF Blog of the Fallen: When do you ever stop whoring yourself out?

I don’t want to delve the use of competitions and other promotions. There is a good debate for those interested in the link above or a more personal reflection of the points raised on A Dribble of Ink:

Early on, when I was just setting out to create A Dribble of Ink, I wanted to be a creator of content, rather than a puller of content. I was determined to get people to read my blog because they loved me and my take on the world of Speculative Fiction. It started off great, of course, but it quickly became clear that there was so much more out there that I was interested in, wanted to pass on to my readers, but didn’t really leave much room for my own personal interpretation

link: A Dribble of Ink » Blog Archive » Article | Where’d the Enthusiasm Go?

I called this post, ‘Personal Journeys in Reading‘ as that’s what I started out doing. Now how is that reading shaped? That’s the dilemma. I’ll readily admit that my reading choices are swayed heavily by what’s received through the door.

This isn’t a bad thing in the slightest. I’m enjoying it. I get to experience authors I already know and like and old but new to me and new new authors that are on their first or second novels. It’s a challenging mix and what you get to see here is the ones that I’ve finished. Now as I tend to be books I’ve enjoyed as I can’t read books I don’t it’s up to you if they are your sort of books.

I’ve been thinking of taking the John Self approach to blogging but having nothing but reviews for me probably won’t work as I like the book p0rn, and cover p0rn posts.

I probably won’t feature any link-round-ups or pure promotional pots for a while. I’m getting more personal value from reading and reviewing. And I want to spend more time getting in touch with authors – and I’ve got a few that I really need to get back in touch with.

So it’s freeing up time but also de-cluttering the high number of books that are mentioned on this blog. I already filter by my personal taste. All books here I really want to try but I’m conscious that me going ‘oooh look pretty’ might not be the most handy selection tool.

Before I bore you to tears. I’d better say something about how I choose. Well the books I like are evident if you look back a few pages. I’ve selected my next 8 or so books – though they are subject to change so I’m not going to list them. The choice is simple. I like that. I need to read some sci-fi, fantasy, crime, other, and this one fits the bill. As not to show preference to one publisher or another I do try and choose books from different ones from one book to another.

Suffix to say that I’m hoping you’ll get to know a bit about me and the books I’ve read over the next 8 posts of so.

Enough about me. How is your own journey going? Going round in circles? Travelling without a map? Or do you know exactly what you’re reading and why?

As banks struggle and businesses collapse, the science fiction writer Alastair Reynolds is making his own contribution to the flagging UK economy, signing an unprecedented ten-book deal with Gollancz worth £1m.

link: Science fiction author lands £1m book deal | Books | guardian.co.uk

It’s not the amount of money that’s exciting. it’s the fact that he’s going to be bringing out one book a year for the next 10 years. Which as impossible as it might sound. He’s had 11 books published since 2000.

I’ve read Revelation Space and I think it’s probably time to dust down the copy of Chasm City.