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Giveaway: BLOOD AND BONE by Ian C. Esslemont

Thu, 30 May 2013 09:11:57 -0400

Originally posted at: http://bastardbooks.blogspot.com/2013/05/giveaway-blood-and-bone-esslemont.html

It’s with great reluctance that I admit to be Malazan ignorant. My brother’s best friend has been on my case for years trying to get me to read it, with obvious failure. Today we celebrate the release of Blood and Bone of the Malazan Empire by Ian C. Esslemont published by Tor, with a giveaway of course. Just so I didn’t make a total fool out myself, I got my hands on Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson, which is the first novel as I understand it in the world of Malaz. Read the prologue, read the first chapter, and it looks like it’ll be an awesome series to get into, which I will definitely be doing as soon as I can.

Blood and Bone is the fifth novel in the Malazan Empire series written by Ian C. Esslemont, but also the fifteenth in the Malazan universe, though I personally don’t know how integrated the two series are with one another; something to look into elsewhere. In any case, Blood and Bone is released today in the US, and we’ll be having a giveaway here for one copy of any of the Malazan Empire books by Esslemont published by Tor for two winners.

In the western sky the bright emerald banner of the Visitor descends like a portent of annihilation. On the continent of Jacuruku, the Thaumaturgs have mounted yet another expedition to tame the neighboring wild jungle. Yet this is no normal wilderness. It is called Himatan, and it is said to be half of the spirit realm and half of the earth. And it is said to be ruled by a powerful entity whom some name the Queen of Witches, and some a goddess: the ancient Ardata.

Saeng grew up knowing only the rule of the magus Thaumaturgs—but it was the voices out of that land’s forgotten past that she listened to. And when her rulers mount an invasion of the neighboring jungle, those voices send her and her brother on a desperate mission.

To the south, the desert tribes are united by the arrival of a foreign warleader, a veteran commander in battered ashen mail whom his men call the Grey Ghost. This warleader takes the tribes on a raid like none other, deep into the heart of Thaumaturg lands. Meanwhile word comes to K'azz, and mercenary company the Crimson Guard, of a contract in Jacuruku. And their employer…none other than Ardata herself.

Ian Esslemont thrills again with another gripping entry into the New York Times bestselling Malazan World in Blood and Bone.

http://us.macmillan.com/bloodandbone/IanEsslemont

Participants have to be 18 years of age or older to participate. Void where prohibited by law. Giveaway rules are subject to change.

Giveaway will be for 1 physical copy for two winners of any of Ian C. Esslemont’s Malazan Empire novels which include Night of Knives, Return of the Crimson Guard, Stonewielder, Orb Sceptre Throne, and Blood and Bone provided by Tor.

The giveaway is open to US, CANADA, and the UK shipping addresses only, and it will run from May 21, 2013 until 11:59 pm ET on May 30, 2013.

How to participate:

To participate simply log-in into to the Rafflecopter and “Enter” through the easy entry.
One entry per person, or face disqualification.
Entries accepted until 11:59pm ET on May 30, 2013.
There’ll be two winners only for one physical copy any of Esslemont’s Malazan Empire novels
Will have to confirm email to be considered a winner within 48 hours.
Additional entries may be had by following the steps provided in the Rafflecopter instructions, and only by doing those steps.
Winners will be chosen by random selection using the Rafflecopter.

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview & Giveaway with Wesley Chu author of THE LIVES OF TAO

Tue, 28 May 2013 19:06:00 -0400

Originally posted at: http://bastardbooks.blogspot.com/2013/05/interview-giveaway-with-wesley-chu.html

Banzai!

It’s been a while since I’ve had an interview on the blog, and a good opportunity presented itself so that we could get acquainted with charming debut author Wesley Chu. It’s always my goal to have an awesome and worthwhile interview, and I think we accomplished that.

That said, I want to take this moment in time to state my intent to wage war against this Chu character. I forgive him for making a fool out of me with some of his answers, even sidestepping a few of my most insightful questions, but he took it too far when he dared to blaspheme against the almighty god Jack Bauer, my daddy. Here I was rejoicing the future return of this great hero, when Mr. Chu with his clever words alluded to Bauer’s human mortality, and diminished badassery. Unacceptable. And he didn’t stop there. While last night, much as it pains me and to my repulsiveness, the world conspired to mettle a small token of revenge for this slight, I’m not ready to forgive and forget just yet.

In any case, have a look for yourselves… oh, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post; The Lives of Tao was awesome.

**********

Bastard: Hey Wes, welcome to our house at Bastard Books. Looks like all the begging you did to get invited finally paid off. I hope you don’t come to regret it as you’ve just given me permission to invade your privacy, never a good idea. How are you doing today?

Wesley Chu: I’m good. Fantastic even.

Uh, I was fantastic at the beginning of the interview. By the end, I was far from fugging fantastic. Bastard’s a right bastard when it comes to interviewing!

Bastard: For the record, can you tell us a bit about yourself? Make sure to state your full name and inform us of the when and where you first got your diapers changed, as well as your favorite color and your favorite song to dance to when you don’t think anyone is watching.

Wesley Chu: Hello all, my name is Wesley Chu, and I’ve never had my diapers changed. You see, when you grow up in the jungles like I did, you don’t wear diapers. After all, predators can follow your scent. Therefore, it’s extraordinarily important to bury the feces right away. Remember kids, one in five children don’t make it to three years old because they don’t bury their poop.

My favorite color is blue. No, yellow! (One geek point if you get the reference)

Bastard: Budweiser has been my beer of choice for as long as I can remember, but lately I’ve been partial to some Blue Moon with the orange slices. Which is your preferred beer, and don’t you dare tell me you don’t drink, else we can’t be friends any longer. Lie if you have to, some things are just too important to ruin with unwelcomed truths.

Wesley Chu: I think you’re the first human being that actually admits to drinking Budweiser. It tastes like a mixture of armpit sweat and carbonated Robitussin. I used to like beer, being partial to Magic Hat #9, but drinking too much of it ill fits my small bladder lifestyle.

Now, I just drink Scotch neat. My current favorite scotch (changes weekly) is Ardbeg Uigeadail, but I like basically anything peaty that punches you in the face. If someone forces me to drink something else, I’ll drink stuff from Speyside, but I refuse to drink any of the Glens.

Bastard: You mention on your website that you got into Information Technology for your professional career, what do you actually do within it? Programming, networking, Excel Master, Google Search specialist? Or is this an elaborate way of calling yourself a gamer? Yes indeed, I’m well aware of all the boasting you’ve been doing around about your elite WoW skillz.

Wesley Chu: I do Middleware design and build for large financial institutions, but let’s talk about the important stuff. World of Warcraft raiding is the best thing one can enroll in for leadership training.

As the former recruiting officer for the #1 end game raiding guild on my server, I had so much power in the palm of my delicate blood elf hands that it was intoxicating, not to mention I was one of the richest guys on the server. I was like the Jared of my server, and no, not the Subway guy, the jewelers. I’ve managed people in real life before, but they’re nowhere as difficult to herd a group of 150 pubescent and not so pubescent guys (and a few girls) hot for epic loots!

Bastard: As any self-respecting person would do, as soon as I learned you were an actor I IMDB’ed you. To my surprise you had a role in Fred Claus as the “Banzai Chef”. I’m a very skeptical person, as I’m sure the readers in my blog are too, so I went and gathered proof. Behold!

I take it you’re the one shouting “Banzai!” Tell us a bit about your experience as an actor, is it a career you’re still pursuing?

Wesley Chu: I am impressed you found this thing. It was a dangerous job. I bled my own blood shooting that cinematic scene. No honestly, I did. I nearly cut Rachel Weisz too. They actually had the hot plate turned on. And no, I didn’t have any teppanyaki training.

Acting is still there on the side, but I’m starting to fill the second class older roles. Meh, it goes with the territory. When I was young, tuned, and limber, I used to chase work. Now, it’s all about the writing. That and I’ve come to the realization that there’s just not that many roles for Asian guys.

We’re pretty much near the bottom of the acting totem pole, relegated to token Asian guy roles. That’s the problem with Asian male roles. Asian women are highly sought after and can play many more roles than us dudes. Hell, even Lucy Liu even got to play Watson sidekick in Elementary. Asian guys, we get to be Sulu, and your doctor telling you that you have cancer, or the guy at Best Buy selling you a phone.

Bastard: Don’t know how far you went with your gymnastics, but it seems like your dreams of becoming a professional athlete didn’t materialize, at least not yet. I assume you’re still a sports fan though, what are your preferred sports? And what about those Chicago Bulls and how far they’ve gone without Derrick Rose? I sympathize with my Boston Celtics missing Rajon Rondo, but I still won’t forgive Chicago for stealing Tom Thibodeau and Brian Scalabrine from us.

Owie

Wesley Chu: Hey, don’t you mention that Derrick !@$@ #%% !%#% piece of !#%!@& @$!%%@ #$^&$%$ that damn !@!%^ *$@! Rose guy. I mean, he’s been !@$#% cleared ^&** since {honk} January to play! Yo DRose, man up and go help your team in the playoffs. Otherwise, the Bulls are aight.

I’m really a Bears fan though, which makes my life even more tragic. I mean !@%% dang draft !#$^@ !(&(^&%^ Long, a 2^nd round !@%!$^ (&(^$ in the first? But hey, we’re gonna win it all this year!

Bastard: I’ve also seen that you call yourself a Kung-Fu Master, so I just know everyone is wondering if you and Jack Bauer got into a slapfight, who do you think would win? Obviously Jack Bauer would win, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Give us a blow by blow account if necessary.

War has been declared!

Wesley Chu: First of all, that’s a load of BULL! Jack Bauer can’t kick my ass! He’s 47 years old and he’s been in hiding! So that means he’s probably not eating well. Not to mention since he’s keeping a low profile, he’s probably not working out anymore. And if we’re going to size people’s weaknesses, heroin addicts have a higher sensitivity to pain. I would crush him in a fight.

Oh wait, I see what you did there. Very tricky, Bastard. Very tricky. Slap fight eh? We both know Jack Bauer’s hands can only make fists. He is physically unable to touch another human being with an open hand. Jack Bauer does not slap.

Bastard: Before I became engrossed with my SF&F reading, I was mainly a manga reader and anime watcher. I’ve seen your picture around with the Superman t-shirt, all the talk about WoW gaming, so on that respect as you were growing up, and even now, what has held your interests?

Wesley Chu: I used to play a lot of first person shooters, and then as time went on, I realized that I sucked at them. Sure there were a few I got pretty mediocre at, but my FPS experience usually involves me spawning at the safe zone and getting crushed like a worm 15 seconds later.

So now, I’m all about the Civilizations, the Total Wars, and if I feel the need to be competitive, I play Heroes of Newerth. And before any of you DOTA masters challenge me, I will admit that I pretty much suck at that too.

However, I will challenge ANYONE to a game of Axis & Allies as long as I get to be Japan.

Bastard: What’s your tale about your trials and tribulations to get your book published, every author seems to have one? The uncensored version please.

Wesley Chu: I’m gonna cheat a little on this one:

It all started with an expensive email. Wait, let me back track. I’m sure the Great Angry Robots Open submission of 2011 is old news now, but in case you don’t follow their every spoken word (like I do), here’s a quick recap. In March 2011, AR had their first open submission ever. Nearly 1000 people submitted works, 65 were asked for full manuscripts and 24 made it to the editors’ desk. Out of those 24, 5 received offers. The End.

Back to the expensive email. In December of 2011, my wife and I were vacationing in Bora Bora, which while a fantastically beautiful place, had perfected the fine art of legalized racketeering. Yes it’s a very small island in the middle of the ocean. We get it. But $24 for a 6oz bottle of bug spray? Yeah, you suck, Mr. Convenience Store Owner. Don’t even ask what sunblock was going for. I could have bought 6oz of plutonium for less. So after a week being disconnected from the internet, we finally caved and bought access for a whopping $40 a day.

My wife and I were watching “The Bounty” starring Mel Gibson (ironically, the movie was filmed on the island – no wonder it came so highly recommended) when an email popped in from a certain Mr. Lee Harris expressing interest in publishing The Lives of Tao. I did what anyone wearing a bathrobe in an over-water bungalow would do in that situation. I ran around the room in circles about nine times whooping and making a fool of myself, and then I jumped into the ocean.

Then when I got home, I bought a bottle of scotch which I was supposed to save for the actual signing. My friends got into most of it during my New Year’s Party (/shakes fist at said friends). The rest I shared with my bestie literary friend Laura Lam (of Pantomime fame) over Skype when the contract appeared in my inbox. It was 6AM in the morning. Friendly tip folks; scotch and toothpaste make a foul combination.

(Co-opted from my original signing post)

Bastard: The Lives of Tao is your extremely fun debut novel, one that I would describe as the bastard child of NBC’s Chuck and, as you mentioned in the novel, the Invasion of the Body Snatchers film. Share with those who haven’t read it yet a bit about the novel and advise them on why The Lives of Tao should be in their next shopping basket.

Chuck being badass

Wesley Chu: The Lives of Tao is a modern day science fiction about an alien that inhabits an overweight loser and convinces him to fight in a civil war over humanity’s evolution. The alien, Tao, with his millions of years of wisdom and experience, has a slight problem. He can only talk to Roen, the overweight and highly unmotivated loser, but can’t control him. So now, the two must learn to work together as Roen loses weight, learns how to throw a stiff jab, find love, and stay alive as Tao’s powerful enemies hunt them down.

Oh, and some guy on the internet said that it’s an extremely fun debut, and a bastard child of Chuck and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Bastard: What is a Quasing and what is the name of yours? What do you make of the voices inside my head? Maybe I’m destined for greatness.

Wesley Chu: My Quasing’s name is Eva, which incidentally is the name of my dog. See, that’s how my Quasing got me. Eva spiked my brain and convinced me to get a dog and call her Eva. It’s really confusing.

And since I’m always with my dog, and think my dog’s talking to me, my brain has no issues dealing with this alien in my head. Got it? Of course, for some reason, Eva the dog and the Quasing both sound like Marge Simpson.

Bastard: Considering that you were born in Taiwan, and without getting into its tricky relationship with mainland China, The Lives of Tao integrated plenty of Chinese history, mythology, and folklore into its narrative. How much did your country of origin and your family’s culture influence how you went about writing your novel? In other words, how the heck did a typical fat loser white American end up being named Roen Tan? Maybe because of his English or German heritage?

Wesley Chu: Ahh…but is he white? Let me put it this way. I purposely named him Roen Tan and did not describe his ethnicity or physical features too closely for two reasons. I wanted him to be the common man blank enough so that any reader can think to themselves “man, I could be this Roen guy.”

Also, in my opinion, far too often minority roles are written with stereotypes in mind. That’s why people assume leads are white. Sure there have been lead roles that utilize Latinos, African Americans, and other minorities, but how many books and movies have written lead Asian males without minority stereotypes in mind? I wanted to address that.

So, what you’re saying is that Seth Rogen still has a chance…

Bastard: The Lives of Tao was recently released, as a rookie author you’re in the unique position to divulge some trade secrets. What kind of hazing have you had to endure from fellow veteran authors? It’s quite all right, you’re in a safe environment. And so far, how has your early publishing life been treating you, as expected?

Not Jack Bauer

Wesley Chu: Well, there was this one night at Immortal Confusion when Myke Cole started handing out tequila shots like candy. Now, I would tell you what happened next if I remembered, but I believe Diana Rowland, who is an ex-cop, had to save my life at one point.

But honestly, I love the writing community. When my non-writing friends ask me what it’s like going to all these SFF conventions, I tell them I feel like the hobbit coming back to the shire. It’s the strangest and most unique feeling when a guy finally finds a place he belongs.

Psst…Myke Cole is Jack Bauer.

Bastard: While we’re at it, does this series have a name? What can you share with us about the future of this series and the sequel you’re currently working on? Any other projects or is writing this series holding your full focus at the moment?

Wesley Chu: Due to the great early reception for The Lives of Tao, the Angry Robot overlords have green lit The Deaths of Tao and moved it up to Oct 29, 2013. Fans of the first book can expect something a little different in Deaths. After all, it is five years later and the Quasing civil war has put Roen through the ringer. He’s a little older and a lot more pissed off. Oh yeah, and things aren’t looking too rosy.

As for a series name…um… let me get back to you on that.

Bastard: At the risk of a copy/paste answer, what novels and authors have had the biggest influence in your writing and life? Any recent novels you've read you’d like to recommend?

Wesley Chu: I’m gonna cheat again and just talk about an upcoming novel dropping in August. I have the arc for Jay Posey’s Three at the moment. It’s a gritty dystopian about a guy trying to help a woman and her son from a slew of baddies, both human, kinda human, and some straight up weird bad shit.

Now, Jay works for Red Storm Entertainment, and he’s one of the guys who brought us Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon. The first thing I felt about reading Three was how visceral the book is. I felt like I was right there in his clusterphobic world, and I’ll be honest, it’s not a nice place to be for someone of my low pain threshold.

Keep an eye on for Three; it’s going to make a good splash.

Bastard: Well off you go, I’m sure you have other places to invade. I’d like to say it was a pleasure… well, it actually was. Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you around. Good luck with The Lives of Tao, and any future projects you get involved in. Any parting shots?

Wesley Chu: Thanks much. You’re not as bad as they all said you were, even if you are a Boston fan. By the way, how did your guys doing in the playoffs? Oh, oops. =) It’s okay. I’m sure my Bulls will be joining you soon.

They sure did, Nostradamus. In the interest of not being an ungrateful host, I’ll call for a temporary truce for the rest of the day.

All kidding aside, thanks to Wesley Chu for stopping by, much appreciated. The Lives of Tao was a really good read, so go buy yourself a copy as soon as you can. It’s extremely fun. Or, you can try your luck and see if you can win a copy in the following giveaway (if you’re honest, this is probably why you came here in the first place).

For more information on Wesley Chu you can visit his website and follow him on Twitter @wes_chu.

Participants have to be 18 years of age or older to participate. Void where prohibited by law. Giveaway rules are subject to change.

Giveaway will be for 1 physical copy of The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu provided by Angry Robot.

The giveaway is open to US and CANADA shipping addresses only, and it will run from May 16, 2013 until 11:59 pm ET on May 31, 2013.

How to participate:

To participate simply log-in into to the Rafflecopter and “Enter” through the easy entry.
One entry per person, or face disqualification.
Entries accepted until 11:59pm ET on May 31, 2013.
There’ll be 1 winner only for one physical copy of The Lives of Tao.
Will have to confirm email to be considered a winner within 48 hours.
Additional entries may be had by following the steps provided in the Rafflecopter instructions, and only by doing those steps.
Winners will be chosen by random selection using the Rafflecopter.

Good luck everyone! You can follow…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: A Tale from the Trenches from author Tim Marquitz

Mon, 27 May 2013 12:58:26 -0400

The dilemma of self-publishing is the constant nagging thought of, “What do I have to offer that people can’t find elsewhere and how do I get it to them?” At least it is for me.

With the shelves of (remaining) bookstores stocked full of traditionally published books and those of the big small houses, being self-published without a traditional publishing background is a challenge. It’s not insurmountable, as many authors have shown, but it certainly puts the onus of marketing and promotion and the drive toward success squarely on the shoulders of the author. And while I’ve got the internet to spread the word and hopefully sing the praises of my books, the reality of it is more like throwing a book into the ocean and hoping it hits each and every shore. It’s an unrealistic expectation, especially at the outset; a hopeless dream that appears doomed from the onset.

And that’s exactly what it felt like when I started publishing. I’d sold a few hundred copies of Armageddon Bound, the first of my Demon Squad series, and while that was awesome, it certainly didn’t pay me back the money I’d spent on giveaways or my web page, and it definitely didn’t pay for my occasional convention trip. Not that it’s all about money, mind you. I write because I love to, but there’s an uncomfortable reality of return when you’re writing for public consumption. You can’t just constantly hemorrhage cash trying to get your name out there with no return and expect any sort of longevity.

For me, the first few years were hard as far as my aspirations were concerned. Seriously, $400 a year doesn’t go very far. I was fortunate—and still am—to have a solid, full time job with benefits. I’m no starving artist living on the street, but for me, the goal is to write for a living. $400 isn’t going to get me there. It’s not going to get anyone there.

Seeing that paltry sum in return for all the long hours I’d spent writing and editing and imagining was a kick to the baby parts. The first four novels I’d written were stashed in a trunk, rejections having piled up with no substantive advice buried in them, and writing the fifth felt like taking a swim with a cannonball. I was drowning.

Early on, I was under the delusion that writing was all about the writing. Turns out I was wrong. It isn’t how good a writer you are these days, and it isn’t about how poetic your prose or awe-inspiring your plots are. Of course those matter, but they’re just one piece of the publishing puzzle. It took me a while to realize this, focused as I was on bettering my skills and storytelling.

In the end I learned it was about writing plus marketing plus promotion plus networking plus—and this is the most ephemeral piece of the puzzle—plain luck. You can be the best storyteller in the world but if no one hears you, you’re nothing. Same goes for promotion. You can pitch a sack of gussied up poo all day long but once folks figure out what it is, you’re done. A successful author has to be all things publishing-related if they hope to make a name for themselves. And they have to be lucky, right place, right time.

Once I figured that out—after plenty of mistakes and the mantric advice from more talented buddies and colleagues echoing inside my head—things changed. They changed a lot. The relationships I’d formed with bloggers—people I now consider friends—gave me a soapbox for my work, a pedestal to display it where more than just my wife and the cats got to see. It was the same with conventions. While I blew more than a year’s worth of royalties booking a flight and was forced to nickel and dime to eat while I was there, the relationships I’ve created at these conventions have more than made each and every trip worth the effort.

Add this to what I learned with regards to my actual writing and I suddenly had more of a platform. People were starting to tune in. That increased as I put more effort into not being an anti-social introvert and expanded my visibility through social media. Just like in real life (if you can believe it) I made friends and met folks whose skills and willingness to help only furthered my ability to grow an audience. Word of mouth had gone from forced self-promotion to something more natural, folks talking about my books on their own, discussing them and telling their friends. It’s a great feeling seeing the tiny seed of my career sprout.

While I’m hardly one of the Michael J Sullivans or Hugh Howeys of the world, I’m finding my groove, and I know for a fact it isn’t because of just one thing I’ve done (write) but the sum of all I’ve done and has been done for me, and that elusive bit of luck I’ve managed to catch a wisp of. And as solitary as writing might seem, the long hours cooped up in front of keyboard making stuff up, it really becomes a community when you expand beyond the function of writing and step into publishing. It has to if you want to get your manuscript into the hands of someone not related to you.

Ultimately, self-publishing is a lot of work with no guarantees of success—just like life. There’s no certainty you’ll wake up every morning, and there’s definitely no certainty you’ll wake up with a contract from one of the big publishing houses in your inbox. So, if your dream is to write and be published and your options are limited, just do it. Tell your stories, make friends, dream big, and work your ass off. There are no guarantees but there’s plenty of regret to go around. And while I might not be the textbook example of success when it comes to self-publishing, the fact that I can make something of myself doing it is proof there are opportunities out there. You simply have to make the most of them.

As always a pleasure to have Tim around, author of one of my favorite urban fantasy series in Demon Squad. Most here should already know him as I keep inviting him over.

His newest novel is the latest in the Demon Squad series, the fifth installment Beyond the Veil, which was great.

You can follow Tim Marquitz on Twitter @Marquitz, Facebook, his website, and his blog.

Review: THE LEGEND OF ELI MONPRESS by Rachel Aaron

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:00:31 -0400

Originally posted at: http://bastardbooks.blogspot.com/2013/04/review-the-legend-of-eli-monpress-rachel-aaron.html

The Legend of Eli Monpress is an omnibus that collects the first three novels of the epic fantasy series bearing the same title by Rachel Aaron. It includes the debut effort of The Spirit Thief, The Spirit Rebellion, and The Spirit Eater, all of which were published back in 2010 in consecutive months one right after the other.

I was quite eager with my anticipation of The Spirit Thief. For some reason, it seemed to me to be heavily promoted in urban fantasy blogs, and I got the impression that many around thought it was going to be an urban fantasy novel, myself included. I wasn’t a blogger back then, so don’t think about pointing any fingers my way. There was a slight adjustment to be made to my expectations once I started reading, but after stumbling a bit, it was smooth sailing from there. But can you blame me? I mean they used a Paul Blackthorne look-a-like as a model for Eli Monpress in the cover, and we all know that he played Harry Dresden in the short lived tv-adaptation of The Dresden Files (can someone please do a new adaptation?), so it was obvious that this was going to be an urban fantasy. It’s no wonder that they ended up changing the cover styles after the third book, and re-released them in an omnibus so that there would be no confusion that this is an epic fantasy. But truth be told, I liked those original covers, and my OCD hoarder side of me wishes the full series was released with the original style, my collection now feels a bit incomplete without them.

My first impression of this series was that it had a good mixture of both high fantasy and sword & sorcery plot threads, and it mixed attributes of some of my favorite reads in recent years, or it at least reminded me of some of them. If you’ll excuse some of the name dropping I’m about to do, even when some would consider doing so bad form, but the character dynamic was excellent and fun resembling what is found in Tales of the Ketty Jay by Chris Wooding and The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan, and also their sense of adventure. Some of the world building seemed to echo aspects found in The First Law by Joe Abercrombie, though even I can admit that I’m stretching it a bit. Also, considering the con-job aspect of some of the plot threads, Ocean’s Eleven easily stood out, so by extension, The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Lastly, we have one of my favorite anime/manga with One Piece with its combination of fun, funny, and serious portions to go with the adventure aspects as well as its main character’s obsession with becoming the Pirate King and his bounty paralleling Eli Monpress’s obsession with becoming the most wanted criminal with the highest bounty and be renown as the best thief in the world.

While I enjoyed The Spirit Thief, it wasn’t as good as I was expecting it to be, ignoring the urban fantasy vs. epic fantasy shenanigans to the side. It was an extremely fun read and light-hearted, but it also bordered the line of silliness too close for my taste a few times, despite it being quite funny too. The plot in this book wasn’t that strong either in my opinion. Also there were some moments of extreme deus ex machina, which I’m not fan of. Though keep in mind that much of these are impressions I got from my experience reading the first novel that first time around, and much of my perspective changed as I kept reading to the series, giving new insights to these events, in particular to some of the issues I found with the deus ex machina which had a hidden cost not apparent at the time, but I later came to appreciate it more as we learned more from Eli’s circumstances.

Despite those issues, I was still anxious to continue reading the series, to the point that each book in the series was one of my more anticipated reads each time around because the novel was indeed fun and I loved the characters from Eli with his conning personality, to Josef’s silent persona and deadly sword, to Nico’s adolescent creepy demonic nature, to Miranda’s overbearing self-righteous personality who wants to arrest all these three. The character dynamic was too good and the world full of possibilities for it not get better. I smelled the potential and Rachel Aaron made sure to reward me for hanging around.

The Spirit Rebellion began a pattern that continued on for the rest of the series of each book improving over its predecessor. It meant that each book added to the momentum of the series and that was a big plus. By the same token, each book became a bit darker, and I loved that aspect. It also introduced new plot threads, notably political intrigue and expanding the world and cast of characters. The book focused a bit more on Miranda, and through her we learned a bit more of what is a stake in their world and what they strive to protect concerning the spirits and other sorts of intrigues from a murderous and traitorous inclination. Of course, Eli and his band somehow find their way into the middle of it by pure chance and luck, or lack of it for that matter.

Finally we have The Spirit Eater with a higher focus on Nico and her demonic nature as we go about learning a bit more about how dangerous demons are and the threat they pose. There’s also a higher focus on Nico’s relationship with Eli, and more importantly on the nature of her relationship with Josef. We also start delving a bit into Eli’s secrets, something Aaron has been careful not to reveal much of. Just like the previous novel, the world keeps expanding, new characters emerge, and adding new dimensions to the composition of the various powers of the world.

The Legend of Eli Monpress is a reminder of the very thing that makes me a fan of fantasy stories. Fun characters you don’t mind spending the time with, a cool world full of possibilities, a sense of magic and wonder, and just like it’s main character, the series has plenty of charm. But more importantly, it’s a story that at its core doesn’t pretend to be more than it is, and no matter what the mood I was in, reading The Legend of Eli Monpress was always a good idea. I could’ve been reading a novel that could be considered the best by a landslide for the year, and I probably would’ve put it down in favor of reading the newest installment of this series. Can’t explain it much, it’s not a perfect series, other than I really enjoyed spending time in Eli’s universe.

Don’t want to get ahead of myself, but the sequel to this omnibus was my favorite read of last year. The Legend of Eli Monpress is a series that is appealing to a wide variety of ages, which is why I highly recommend this omnibus to just about anyone despite it maturing and going darker after each book, and this omnibus should be a safe bet for those interested in buying a gift for someone who’s an avid reader. Also be aware that this series has been finished and completely published, so it’s the perfect time to sit down and marathon the full series. Not a hard thing to do as this is an easy book to read, and a page turner to go with it. This debut effort by Rachel Aaron is responsible for one of my favorite series of recent memory (truth be told, all series to me are of recent memory, but why spoil the fun?). Do yourself a favor, and just find some time to sit back, relax, forget about nitpicking for a few hours in your day, and just have fun with a fantasy series that is capable of reminding us about some of the good things of reading in this genre. Whatever Rachel Aaron’s next project is, she can be comforted that this Bastard will surely be eager to give it a read.

Buy The Legend of Eli Monpress from The Book Depository
Buy The Spirit War from The Book Depository
Buy Spirit’s End from The Book Depository

For more information on Rachel Aaron and this series, please visit her website, blog, and follow her on Twitter.

Man of Steel - “Fate of Your Planet” Official...

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:43:47 -0400

Man of Steel - “Fate of Your Planet” Official Trailer

THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY by Mur Lafferty book...

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:32:00 -0400

THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY by Mur Lafferty book trailer.

Don’t forget to RSVP for:

Shindig Chat with Mur Lafferty Wednesday, May 22nd, 6:30 PM ET http://murlafferty.eventbrite.com

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. longer trailer.

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:45:01 -0400

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. longer trailer.

Dracula trailer for NBC

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:52:07 -0400

Dracula trailer for NBC

Agents of SHIELD promo

Mon, 13 May 2013 04:29:50 -0400

Agents of SHIELD promo

Arrested Development, season 4 trailer.

Mon, 13 May 2013 03:41:25 -0400

Arrested Development, season 4 trailer.

Amazing cover by Commander Chris Hadfield on board the...

Sun, 12 May 2013 23:19:14 -0400

Amazing cover by Commander Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Station for David Bowie’s Space Oddity

RIP

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:31:17 -0400

RIP

Video

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 11:36:29 -0400

Guillermo del Toro developing an adaptation of Urasawa Naoki's MONSTER for HBO

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:54:00 -0400

Originally posted at http://bastardbooks.blogspot.com/2013/04/monster-urasawa-naoki-guillermo-del–toro-hbo.html

With the assumption that they won’t fuck this up, this has to be the best news I’ve heard in a while. Monster by Urasawa Naoki is simply an amazing story. I’ve read the manga and watched the anime, both have become one of my favorites for both mediums, and I really can’t express how excited I am if this comes to fruition.

According to Deadline Hollywood, Guillermo del Toro and HBO are “teaming on Monster, developing a potential series culled from a series of 18 volumes of Japanese Manga by author Naoki Urasawa published by Shogakukan Inc. Del Toro will co-write the story with Steven Thompson, best known for his work on Dr. Who and Sherlock.” That’s excellent news, a very good team to get the ball rolling as I’m a big fan of Sherlock too, and even though I haven’t watched Dr. Who, I don’t need to explain the importance of the series around these circles.

Urasawa Naoki has been for some time my favorite mangaka. He has a real talent for writing and drawing characters and telling carefully crafted compelling stories. He has a talent to make even the most minor of characters an interesting one. Not only interesting, but even important to the story. He has an amazing ability to show us the ugliness and the beauty of what it means to be human, and all his characters serve this very purpose. Urasawa will give you an engaging story, with good drama, awesome memorable characters, great character interaction, a good mystery, a good amount of tension, and stories that have meaning. I hope this happens, and if it’s successful, that it opens the door to other of Urusawa’s stories like 20th Century Boys or Pluto.

Monster is simply amazing and be ready to meet one of the best antagonists I’ve ever encountered. Even if this project doesn’t become a reality, I exhort everyone to either read the manga or watch the anime, doesn’t matter which as the anime was a very loyal adaptation. You will not be disappointed.

Kenzou Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon in Germany, had it all: incredible skill at his work, a rich and beautiful fiancee, and a promising career at his hospital. However, after becoming disenchanted by hospital politics, he chose to save the life of a young boy who got shot in the head over the life of the mayor. As a result he lost the support of the hospital director, as well as his position in the hospital and his fiance. A short time later, the hospital director and the doctors that replaced him were murdered, and once again he was catapulted back onto the top. But as the chief suspect of the murders, Tenma did not get a easy life. As a matter of fact, it seems that the boy he saved was much more than he had appeared to be… Now to clear his name and to correct his past mistake, Tenma must get to the bottom of these and other murders, and investigate the truth of the Monster who is behind all of this.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3750

Japanese cover art for The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:10:51 -0400

Japanese cover art for The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch @scottlynch78

Cover art for HEIR TO THE BLOOD THRONE by Tim Marquiz, an...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:42:00 -0400

Cover art for HEIR TO THE BLOOD THRONE by Tim Marquiz, an upcoming YA novel. Design by Joe Martin from Nine Worlds Media.

Giveaway: MISERERE by Teresa Frohock

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:10:04 -0400

Original post http://bastardbooks.blogspot.com/2013/04/giveaway-miserere-teresa-frohock.html

I wrote such an awesome review for Miserere: An Autumn Tale by Teresa Frohock last week, that the author was compelled into offering a signed copy to one of the readers of this blog. Or, maybe back in August she learned that I was working on a review and offered to do a giveaway whenever I posted it, which we’ll be doing now that I finally posted the review after eight months. Don’t judge me. There’s no conclusive evidence either way.

In any event, this is a giveaway you don’t want to miss out on. Not only was this a very good read, but this may very well be one of the final times, or maybe the final time you’ll get the opportunity to win this particular edition of the novel and signed by the author in a giveaway like this. It could very well become a rare edition soon. I’m even tempted to participate myself and magically win the prize. There’s a situation going on right now with the publisher Night Shade Books, but this is not the time or place to dwell on it other than hope that everything turns out for the better for all the authors involved.

Miserere: An Autumn Tale is a novel that deserves to be read more, and hopefully we’ll see more of the series in the future and other future projects from author Teresa Frohock.

Exiled exorcist Lucian Negru deserted his lover in Hell in exchange for saving his sister Catarina’s soul, but Catarina doesn’t want salvation. She wants Lucian to help her fulfill her dark covenant with the Fallen Angels by using his power to open the Hell Gates. Catarina intends to lead the Fallen’s hordes out of Hell and into the parallel dimension of Woerld, Heaven’s frontline of defense between Earth and Hell. When Lucian refuses to help his sister, she imprisons and cripples him, but Lucian learns that Rachael, the lover he betrayed and abandoned in Hell, is dying from a demonic possession. Determined to rescue Rachael from the demon he unleashed on her soul, Lucian flees his sister, but Catarina’s wrath isn’t so easy to escape!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10193060-miserere

Participants have to be 18 years of age or older to participate. Void where prohibited by law. Giveaway rules are subject to change.

Giveaway will be for 1 signed copy of Miserere: An Autumn Tale by author Teresa Frohock

The giveaway is open WORLDWIDE, and it will run from April 8, 2013 until 11:59 pm ET on April 19, 2013.

How to participate:

To participate simply log-in into to the Rafflecopter and “Enter” through the easy entry.
One entry per person, or face disqualification.
Entries accepted until 11:59pm ET on April 19, 2013.
There’ll be 1 winner only for a signed copy of Miserere by Teresa Frohock.
Will have to confirm email to be considered a winner within 48 hours.
Additional entries may be had by following the steps provided in the Rafflecopter instructions, and only by doing those steps.
Winners will be chosen by random selection using the Rafflecopter.

Good luck everyone, and once again please make sure to read my review of Miserere, or better yet just buy yourself a copy. I also just learned that we’re also celebrating Teresa Frohock’s birthday today, so make sure to send her your well wishes @TeresaFrohock.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Elysium movie trailer, looks awesome

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:21:38 -0400

Elysium movie trailer, looks awesome

Man of Steel, first TV spot. Can’t wait for this movie to...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 02:26:17 -0400

Man of Steel, first TV spot. Can’t wait for this movie to come out, but these trailers need to do a better job generating excitement.

Trailer for Kick-Ass 2. Loved the first one, hope this one...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 02:22:25 -0400

Trailer for Kick-Ass 2. Loved the first one, hope this one delivers too.