NextRead

Title: Scar Night
Author: Alan Campbell
Publisher: Tor
Published: May 2007
Price: £7.99
Bought It

Before I say anything else Alan Campbell’s debut novel Scar Night is an amazing creation. Not only does he create rounded characters, he creates a believable world for them to live. I enjoyed reading it immensely but it’s not without its problems. Though before I get into all that let me tell you what it’s all about.

Dill is the last of his line. A battle-archon whose role is to protect the faithful and the Temple of Deepgate. But he’s not a fighter. The role is now ceremonial as the battleships do the fighting and the flying. Dill is left to stand on the roof unable to fly and release the occasional bucket of snails from his room in the Temple kitchens.

The city of Deepgate is suspended by great chains that have been interlinked over the years by lesser chains and ropes. This combined with its industrial needs have created several districts but overlooking them all is the Temple of Ucis. Ulcis is the undead God who is gathering an army of Ghosts, the dead of Deepgate, to reclaim his place in heaven.

As events unfold it is Dill who has no choice but to descend below and find out what hell really looks like.
When I started reading I wasn’t sure what expect. I expected Dill to go for feeble boy to a warrior man and save everyone. But he doesn’t, well not in that Hollywood hero way and that’s a good thing.

Instead Alan Campbell presents an exploration of life, death and faith and how what we believe can build and build until its foundations are forgotten. He also shows that no one is as bad as they first appear.

The trouble is I’m not sure that Campbell always had the balance quite right. The bad characters have some qualities that strip away some of their nastiness, which is alright, but somehow made me pause and wonder about their motives.

Saying that though he does well to give individuality to the minor as well as major characters and my thoughts about some of the motivations didn’t distract or undermine my enjoyment of Scar Night.

In fact I couldn’t wait to see what Campbell did next. Somehow he kept managing to surprise me in terms of what happened in the story and how he got there.

And at the end he left me in no doubt that this was only the beginning.

I recommend this for anyone who likes their fantasy to break and twist conventions and who likes their stories dark with a light at the end of a tunnel. I’m eager to read the just released Iron Angel.

8.5/10

Tags: Alan Campbell, debut, review, Tor

I’m just seeing if Contribute is going to be functional enough for making a blog post and I dont think it is.

I’m using this one to have a good push at catching up. I’ve done pretty well so far with my massive post on April books and getting past the halfway mark in Scar Night. Now I’m back on other blogs. I’ve been missing them and missed being able to comment on them. Here are a few things that caught my eye.

OF Blog of the Fallen has some Underrated Authors and I’ve never heard of any of them

SFSignal reviews Centotaxis by Sean Williams. Need to read Saturn Returns. It’s one or two books from the top of the reading pile.

OF Blog of the Fallen also has some interesting advice that I may or may not follow.

Science Fiction and Fantasy isn’t my main interest. There I’ve said it. And it’s confirmed by these lists from Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist and OF Blog…

I don’t feel so guilty about my reading pile knowing that OF Blog received 100 review copies over twelve months.

Neal Stephenson is a man I’m never going to read as his books are just too thick! But it’s nic to see from The Wertzone that Cryptonomicon and Quicksilver are worth reading.

In my round-up of April’s Books on Amazon I mentioned Alastair Reynolds, well The Wertzone has a profile.

Speaking of books I’ll never read TW  also a review of Flood by Stephen Baxter.

Another book from April’s Amazon was Empress and Grasping the Wind has a review and interview with Karen Miller.

Apparently, I should be stopping what ever I’m doing and reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I’m going to wait until June for the paperback

Is there another name for a Pile o’ Shame that involves whole shelves? So I’m not going there.

There are some wonderful and insightful interviews at the moment. Chris, The Book Swede has one with Marie Brennan, whose book Midnight Never Come is out this month.

Chris also got a copy on Bloodheir, a sequel a book I miss judged last year when I read it.

 Other Stories reminds me about Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

Time is running out to enter Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review’s competition to win the first two Felix Castor books by Mike Carey.

Graeme also has a review of Leviathan Rising by Jonathan Green. A book high on my TBR list. That reminds me: must update the sidebar!

Speaking of interviews Graeme speaks to Mark Charan Newton and

gave his debut, The Reef, 8/10

Apart from telling you just to read Fantasy Book Critic’s whole blog here are some selected highlights:

There is the exhaustive or should that be exhausting spotlight on May books.

I’m looking forward to a few of them.

I’ve just spotted a bit called Around the Blogoshphere. Looks like we share some of the same sources/interests

I glanced at the review of Iron Angel, well read the end, as I didn’t want to spoil anything and I see it’s better than Scar Night. Woot!

And more interviews this one with Alan Campbell himself. I’m saving that one for after Scar Night ends

Two positive reviews of Bloodheir by Brian Ruckley. This one by Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist. it’s official. It’s on my need to get hold of a copy list.

Pat also has an interview with Kay Kenyon

Interestingly Pat has a review of The Day Watch by Segei Lukyanenko at the beginning of the month and Chris reviews The Night Watch at the end.

I think I’ve caught up now

Going on Amazon is a really dangerous thing for me, as is stepping in places that sell books, as I usually end up buying something. On this occasion I resisted buying anything but here are some of the books that caught my eye. I’ve also added a couple of moments about why they looked interesting.

It’s also a reminder why it’s impossible to read all the books that come out month by month, where could you find the time? Hopefully I’ll find time for a couple of these at some point. And if you’ve read any of them please do let me know what you thought. Thanks.

The Burning Man by Mark Chadbourn
Published by Gollancz

Synopsis

After a long journey across the ages, Jack Churchill has returned to the modern world, only to find it in the grip of a terrible, dark force. The population is unaware, mesmerised by the Mundane Spell that keeps them in thrall. With a small group of trusted allies, Jack sets out to find the two ‘keys’ that can shatter the spell. But the keys are people - one with the power of creation, one the power of destruction - and they are hidden somewhere among the world’s billions. As the search fans out across the globe, ancient powers begin to stir. In the bleak North, in Egypt, in Greece, in all the Great Dominions, the old gods are returning to stake their claim. The odds appear insurmountable, the need desperate …This is a time for heroes.

If you’ve following this blog for a while you’ll know I have a huge admiration for the works of Mark Chadbourn and would recommend that anyone with any sort of interest in modern fantasy read his work. I’m looking forward to seeing where he takes the Brothers and Sisters of Dragons next and how he’s changing the rules of the game again. Very exciting. This Book Two of the Kingdom of the Serpent. You can find my review of Book One, Jack of Ravens, here and I’ve also written a brief overview of the series so far here. Plus I managed to get my hands on a review copy so look for a review soon!

The Ninth Circle by Alex Bell
Published by Gollancz

Synopsis

This is The Bourne Identity …as if Neil Gaiman had written it …A man comes round on the floor of a shabby flat in the middle of Budapest. His head is glued to the floorboards with his own blood. There’s a fortune in cash on the kitchen table. And he has no idea where, or who, he is. He can do extraordinary things - speak any number of languages fluently, go three days without food or sleep, and fight with extraordinary prowess. But without a name, without a past, he’s isolated from the rest of the world; a stranger to everyone, including himself - until a chance encounter with a young scholar leads to his first friendship, and his first hint that someone out there knows more about him than he does. Someone is sending him clues about his past. Photographs hidden in books and crates of wine.Cryptic clues pointing towards a murdered woman. And clear warnings against Stephomi, his only friend. But that’s not all; Gabriel Antaeus is seeing strange, impossible things: a burning man is stalking his dreams and haunting his mirrors, his dreams are filled with violence from the past, and his pregnant young neighbour is surrounded by an extraordinary golden aura.Something dark and violent in Gabriel’s past is trying to resurface.

And as he pieces the clues together, everything points towards an astounding war between angels and demons …and a battle not just for the future of the world, but for the minds and souls of everyone in it.

Ok, I must admit that I’m interested in any book that’s described as, ‘The Bourne Identity …as if Neil Gaiman had written it’. What more can you say?

The Battle for Gullywith by Susan Hill

Published by Bloomsbury

Synopsis

A stone army, an enchanted castle, mysterious ancient powers - and some very clever tortoises - Olly finds there’s more than meets the eye at Gullywith. When his family move to Gullywith Farm in the Lake District, Olly just can’t imagine being happy in his new home. Gullywith is the coldest house in the world and no one has lived there for years. Then Olly meets KK and she tells him locals won’t go near the place. It does seem to be jinxed - the roof falls in, walls collapse but even more strangely, Olly notices that there are stones at Gullywith that can move around of their own accord - stones with ancient markings on them. He feels sure that they are angry about something.KK takes Olly to see the mysterious NonnyDreever to ask his advice and he tells them they must return the stones to Withern Mere. As they search for the answer to Gullywith’s secret, Olly is drawn into a world of myth, magic and midnight adventure deep inside the surrounding hills. What is the ancient power that controls the stones and can anything be done to end their hold over Gullywith? Susan Hill deftly weaves a tale of real life and enchantment to delight young readers.

I must admit that I have a soft spot for celtic-centred stories (I guess that comes from having Welsh rural roots and loving my country.) And this is a book I’ve seen mentioned a couple of times during blog post of the author and Scott Pack whose children has a sneak peek. I’m also a big kid at heart so this intrigues me. The cover is also amazing.

Small Favour by Jim Butcher
Published by Orbit

Synopsis

Harry Dresden’s life finally seems to be calming down. The White Council’s war with the vampiric Red Court has entered a period of detente, no one’s tried to kill him in nearly a year, and the worst problem he’s had lately is working out how to remove the stains his apprentice bungled into his carpeting. The future looks fairly bright. Unfortunately, the past isn’t nearly as promising. An old bargain placed Harry in debt to Mab, monarch of the Winter Court of the Sidhe and the Queen of Air and Darkness. Harry still owes the Winter Queen of Faerie two favours, and it’s time to pay one of them off. It’s a small favour that he really can’t refuse, but it will trap Harry between a nightmarish foe and an equally deadly ally, stretching his skills and loyalties to their very limits. It figures. Everything was going too well to last.

I was a great fan of the sort-lived Dresden Files TV series and tuned into the books when I couldn’t get my TV fix. Jim Butcher is a wonderfully immediate writer and I’ve enjoyed the first two and so this’ll make book ten. I might have to be a few books behind for quite a while but as someone said, and I can’t remember who, this series just gets better and better. I’ve got a lot to look forward to.

Oh and Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review has a…review.

The Butt by Will Self
Published by Bloomsbury

Synopsis

Tom Brodzinski is a man who takes his own good intentions for granted. But when he finally decides to give up smoking, a moment’s inattention to detail becomes his undoing. Flipping the butt of his final cigarette off the balcony of the holiday apartment he’s renting with his family, Tom is appalled when it lands on the head of one his fellow countrymen, Reggie Lincoln. The elderly Lincoln is badly burnt, and since the cigarette butt passed through public space before hitting him, the local authorities are obliged to regard Tom’s action as an assault, despite his benign intentions. Worse is to follow: Lincoln is married to a native from one of the rigorous, mystical tribes of the desert interior, and their customary law is incorporated into the civil statute.In order to make reparations to Mrs Lincoln’s people, Tom will have to leave his family behind, and carry the appropriate goods and chattels deep into the arid heart of this strange, island continent. Any of this might be bearable, were it not for Tom’s companion, forced on him by his enigmatic lawyer, the mixed-race Jethro Swai-Phillips.

Brian Prentice, like Tom, has to make reparations and although there is a taboo that prevents either man from knowing the exact detail of the other’s offence, Tom’s almost 100 per cent certain that he’s a child-abuser. As they drive into the desert and encounter a violent counter-insurgency war that Tom has allowed himself to remain in ignorance of, the relationship between the two men becomes one of complicit guilt as well as seething mistrust. Refusing facile moral certitudes, Will Self’s latest novel is set in a distorted world, in a country that is part Australia, part Iraq, part Greeneland and part the heart of a distinctively modern darkness.

The reviews are already in the Independent on Sunday and The Times. Plus the guardian has a picture of and comment by Will Self on his Writing Room.

Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell
Published by Sphere

Synopsis

The ‘book of the dead’ is the morgue log, the ledger in which all cases are entered by hand. For Kay Scarpetta, however, it is about to have a new meaning. Fresh from her bruising battle with a psychopath in Florida, Scarpetta decides it’s time for a change of pace. Moving to the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina, she opens a unique private forensic pathology practice, one in which she and her colleagues offer expert crime scene investigation and autopsies to communities lacking local access to competent death investigation and modern technology. It seems like an ideal situation, until the murders and other violent deaths begin. A woman is ritualistically murdered in her multi-million-dollar beach home. The body of an abused young boy is found dumped in a desolate marsh. A sixteen-year-old tennis star is found nude and mutilated near Piazza Navona in Rome. Scarpetta has dealt with many brutal and unusual crimes before, but never a string of them as baffling, or as terrifying, as the ones before her now. Before she is through, that book of the dead will contain many names - and the pen may be poised to write her own.

I’ve fallen out of love with Patricia. It was the gap that did it when she went off to find Jack the Ripper and somehow forgot how to write. Or at least that’s how I felt and still feel after picking up Blow Fly. With an ongoing series it’s always dangerous to play with the format too much. You’ve got to shake things up a bit but changing the narration from first to third person was a step too far. Cornwell isn’t a great writer, she’s good, but not outstanding and what kept me reading was the will and the mind of Kay Scarpetta and that was compelling enough that I didn’t mind Cornwell’s lack of flair. In Blow Fly all the roots and foundations that I was used to is missing. I might still pick this up and add it to the rest in case urge to find out what happens takes me.

The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam by Chris Ewan
Published by Pocket Books

Synopsis

Charlie Howard doesn’t just write books about a career thief, he also happens to be one. In Amsterdam working on his latest novel, Charlie is approached by a mysterious American who asks him to steal two apparently worthless monkey figurines from two separate addresses on the same night. At first he says no. Then he changes his mind. Only later, kidnapped and bound to a chair, the American very dead and a spell in police custody behind him, does Charlie begin to realise how costly a mistake he might have made. The police think he killed the American. Others think he knows the whereabouts of the elusive third monkey. But for Charlie only three things matter: Can he clear his name? Can he get away with the haul of a lifetime? And, can he solve the briefcase-shaped plot-hole in his latest novel?

I almost missed the paperback release of The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam by Chris Ewan. I bought the Long Barn Books hardback last year and greatly enjoyed it as you can see from my review. I hope if you like crime fiction you go out and buy a copy. It’s a great little mystery.

The Pool of Unease by Catherine Sampson
Published by Pan

Synopsis

The scream - female, high-pitched, terrified, breathless, a wordless, formless, plea for mercy - arrived from silence and was cut off, abruptly strangled, leaving a gurgling echo in its airy wake …Robin Ballntyne is investigating the murder of a British man in Beijing. But in a city thick with paranoia and corruption, she struggles to separate rumour from reality. Meanwhile, late one freezing night, Chinese private detective Song rescues a young boy from a fire on a building site. With witnesses appearing from the murky surrounds, bloody clothes on the ground but no body, and flames blazing around him, Song panics and flees through the woods - still clutching the boy.From the smog of the capital to the poverty-stricken countryside, and from the mansions of millionaires to a disused quarry where the children of scavengers root among the rubbish, Song and Robin must unravel the truth behind the murders before they find themselves silenced - and before the killer can make another sinister move …

If The Good Thief’s Guide... was a gentle little tale from the cover this doesn’t look that gentle. Not sure why this caught my eye. Maybe it’s all the Beijing Olympics? Or maybe it’s the mix of British foreigner, and rich and poor?

Murder at Deviation Junction by Andrew Martin
Published by Faber and Faber

Synopsis

A train hits a snow drift in the frozen Cleveland Hills. In the process of clearing the line a body is discovered, and so begins a dangerous case for struggling Edwardian railway detective, Jim Stringer. Jim’s new investigation takes him to the mighty blast furnaces of Ironopolis, to Fleet Street in the company of a cynical reporter from The Railway Rover, and to a nightmarish spot in the Highlands. Jim’s faltering career in the railway police hangs on whether he can solve the murder - but before long the pursuer becomes the pursued, and Jim finds himself fighting not just for his job, but for his very life as well.

Maybe I’m having a thing for historical crime fiction. I’m looking forward to reading The Necropolis Railway, book one in the Jim Stringer Steam Detective series. This is book four with book five, Death On A Branch Line, just about to be released in HB it looks like this series has steam! 

The Mesmerist’s Apprentice by L M Jackson
Published by William Heinemann Ltd

Synopsis

When the enigmatic Sarah Tanner re-opens her Dining and Coffee Rooms soon after a disastrous fire, the gossips of Leather Lane grudgingly admit she has ‘the luck of the devil’. Yet when a local butcher is falsely accused of a heinous offence, selling horse-meat, it seems her luck has run out…Drawn into an ever more dangerous series of confrontations with a gang of youths who seem determined to put an innocent man out of business, Sarah Tanner’s own livelihood looks set for ruin into the bargain.But what links the persecution of a humble butcher with a certain Dr. Stead - a leading practitioner of the strange art of mesmerism - and a desperate plea from Sarah’s former lover, the aristocrat Arthur DeSalle? As Mrs. Tanner investigates, she increasingly fears that the mesmerist, patronised by the highest in society, is a charlatan and his latest patient, the unwitting victim of a grotesque fraud. To preserve a family’s honour, Sarah Tanner sets out upon a trail of suicide, murder, deception and deceit which stretches from the alleys of Leather Lane to the drawing-rooms of Mayfair. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more she seems to be putting herself in danger…

See another historical mystery or at least that’s what it looks like from the blurb.

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale.
Published by Bloomsbury

Synopsis

It is a summer’s night in 1860. In an elegant detached Georgian house in the village of Road, Wiltshire, all is quiet. Behind shuttered windows the Kent family lies sound asleep. At some point after midnight a dog barks. The family wakes the next morning to a horrific discovery: an unimaginably gruesome murder has taken place in their home. The household reverberates with shock, not least because the guilty party is surely still among them. Jack Whicher of Scotland Yard, the most celebrated detective of his day, reaches Road Hill House a fortnight later. He faces an unenviable task: to solve a case in which the grieving family are the suspects.The murder provokes national hysteria. The thought of what might be festering behind the closed doors of respectable middle-class homes - scheming servants, rebellious children, insanity, jealousy, loneliness and loathing - arouses fear and a kind of excitement. But when Whicher reaches his shocking conclusion there is uproar and bewilderment.

A true story that inspired a generation of writers such as Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle, this has all the hallmarks of the classic murder mystery - a body; a detective; and, a country house steeped in secrets. In “The Suspicions of Mr Whicher”, Kate Summerscale untangles the facts behind this notorious case, bringing it back to vivid, extraordinary life.

And another one! But his one is non-fiction. Life is sometimes stranger?

Victory Conditions by Elizabeth Moon
Published by Orbit

Synopsis

A vast and hostile force is attacking prosperous trade centres, destroying their space fleets then moving on, leaving death and chaos in their wake. Admiral KyVatta’s family was decimated by one such attack and Turek, the pirate force’s leader, will not escape her vengeance. Ky has a loyal taskforce, but the enemy have three times the ships and the firepower to match. She must offset these advantages with her knowledge of military strategy and her ace: superior ansible technology, facilitating fast and accurate in-space intelligence. The alternative to victory is unthinkable - devastation of interplanetary trading networks on a galaxy-wide scale - and the end of a way of life.

I’m having a sci-fi pull and heard a lot about Elzabeth Moon. Not sure if this would be a good place to start!

Line War ( AgentCormac 5) by Neal Asher
Published by Tor

Synopsis

The Polity is under attack from a ‘melded’ AI entity with control of the lethal Jain technology, yet the attack seems to have no coherence. When one of Erebus’swormships, kills millions on the world of Klurhammon, a high-tech agricultural world of no real tactical significance, agent Ian Cormac is sent to investigate, though he is secretly struggling to control a new ability no human being should possess …and beginning to question the motives of his AI masters. Further attacks and seemingly indiscriminate slaughter ensue, but only serve to bring some of the most dangerous individuals in the Polity into the war.Mr Crane, the indefatigable brass killing machine sets out for vengeance, while Orlandine, a vastly-augmented haiman who herself controls Jain technology, seeks a weapon of appalling power and finds allies from an ancient war. Meanwhile Mika, scientist and Dragon expert, is again kidnapped by that unfathomable alien entity and dragged into the heart of things: to wake the makers of Jain technology from their five-million-year slumber. But Erebus’s attacks are not so indiscriminate, after all, and could very well herald the end of the Polity itself.

Speaking of good sci-fi. Neal Asher is another name that I keep meaning to read. Again, maybe not the best place to start.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire Derek Landy
Published by HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks

Synopsis

Just when you think you’ve saved the world! “You will kill her?” the Torment asked. Skulduggery sagged. “Yes.” He hesitated, then took his gun from his jacket. “I’m sorry, Valkyrie,” he said softly. “Don’t talk to me,” Valkyrie said. “Just do what you have to do.” Valkyrie parted her tunic, and Skulduggery pointed the gun at the vest beneath. “Please forgive me,” Skulduggery said, then aimed the gun at the girl and pulled the trigger. With Serpine dead, the world is safe once more. At least, that’s what Valkyrie and Skulduggery think, until the notorious Baron Vengeous makes a bloody escape from prison, and dead bodies and vampires start showing up all over Ireland. With Baron Vengeous after the deadly armour of Lord Vile, and pretty much everyone out to kill Valkyrie, the daring detective duo face their biggest challenge yet. But what if the greatest threat to Valkyrie is just a little closer to home!?

I’m just curious about what all the fuss is about.

Voice of Gods by Trudi Canavan
Publsihed by Orbit

Synopsis

In her new role as protector of the Siyee, Auraya investigates sightings of a landwalker stranger in their land. She meets a mysterious woman claiming to be a friend of Mirar’s: a woman who makes an offer Auraya is unable to refuse, but which she must conceal or risk the wrath of the gods. In the south, Mirar enjoys acceptance and respect as he reclaims his place among his people, but that freedom will come at a cost. Meanwhile, Emerahl is at last able to join the Thinkers in their search for the Scroll of the Gods, but the truth may not be revealed in the form she expects. And the Pentadrians, frustrated by their defeat at the hands of the Circlians, plot and scheme to bring down their enemies by means other than direct conflict. As the promise of peace dies, and two peoples are once more drawn inexorably into war, Auraya is unable to avoid being caught up the conflict. The key to everything, though, may lie with the Wilds, who embark upon a quest for secrets buried long ago. Secrets that could change the world.

Trudi Canavan gave a great quote on Scar Night by Alan Campbell, which I’m read and really enjoying at the moment. Plus this looks like a fantasy detective novel. Can you see a theme?

Dark Wraith of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Published by Orbit

Synopsis

‘The past is always with us, but sometimes we fail to recognise it for what it is.’ These were JairOhmsford’s final thoughts as he walked away from the carnage at Dun Fee Aran, having destroyed at last the book of dark magic known as the Ildatch. Following this great event, told in The Wishsong of Shannara, Jair discovers that he can draw on a form of magic that allows him to transform into other living creatures, both human and non-human. The magic is both powerful and seductive, for Jair can feel himself wanting to remain in each new form that he tries. Jair sets out for the family home of Shady Vale, seeking peace from the temptations of his unwanted gift. But fate has other plans for the heir to the elvenmagics of Shannara, and the shade of the Druid Allanon sets him, and his sister Brin, on a new path. The way is perilous, but Jair can provide protection with his new magical ability. Of course, that may be the most dangerous path of all …

Another of those big names I really should read.

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds
Publshed by Gollancz HB

Synopsis

Six million years ago, at the very dawn of the starfaring era, Abigail Gentian fractured herself into a thousand male and female clones: the shatterlings. Sent out into the galaxy, these shatterlings have stood aloof as they document the rise and fall of countless human empires. They meet every two hundred thousand years, to exchange news and memories of their travels with their siblings. Campion and Purslane are not only late for their thirty-second reunion, but they have brought along an amnesiac golden robot for a guest. But the wayward shatterlings get more than the scolding they expect: they face the discovery that someone has a very serious grudge against the Gentian line, and there is a very real possibility of traitors in their midst. The surviving shatterlings have to dodge exotic weapons while they regroup to try to solve the mystery of who is persecuting them, and why - before their ancient line is wiped out of existence, for ever.

The Prefect Alastair Reynolds
Published by Gollancz PB

Synopsis

Tom Dreyfus is a Prefect, a policeman of sorts, and one of the best. His force is Panoply, and his beat is the multi-faceted utopian society of the Glitter Band, that vast swirl of space habitats orbiting the planet Yellowstone. These days, his job is his life. A murderous attack against a Glitter Band habitat is nasty, but it looks to be an open-and-shut case - until Dreyfus starts looking under some stones that some very powerful people would really rather stayed unturned. What he uncovers is far more serious than mere gruesome murder: a covert takeover bid by a shadowy figure, Aurora (who may once have been human but certainly isn’t now), who believes the people of the Glitter Band should no longer be in charge of their own destiny. Dreyfus discovers that to save something precious, you may have to destroy part of it.

I read and greatly enjoyed Revelation Space and these are a reminder that I really should read Chasm City.

Shadow Gate by Kate Elliot
Published by Orbit

Synopsis

Marit was pretty sure she had been murdered. She recalled the assassin’s dagger, thrust up to pierce her heart. A certain path to a swift death, as any reeve would know. Her dying vision had shown her the next world but her spirit had not made the journey. She woke alone, sprawled on a Guardian altar with only a cloak for a covering. Her eagle was dead. The Guardians had ruled the Hundred, but they had long disappeared from the world, leaving the reeves to administer justice in their stead. But this peace has been shattered by a desperate army, slaughtering all in its path. And its leaders are shadowy undead, wearing the cloaks of lost Guardians …

I’ve fallen for the cover art. It’s lovely. It’s a sequel to Spirit Gate

Empress by Karen Miller
Published by Orbit

Synopsis

When a scrawny, unwanted child - so lowly that she does not even have a name - is sold into slavery, a chain of events is set in motion that will have a profound impact on all the civilised world. Naming herself ‘Hekat’ (after a slaver’s observation that she is quite the hellcat), the girl is taken in chains to Mijak’s largest city, but makes a bargain with a ruthless god and escapes her captors. After she saves the life of a warlord, he takes her in and teaches her ways that an orphan might use to prosper in an uncaring world. When the warlord’s family dies, the way becomes clear for Hekat to carve a dynasty out of infidelity and betrayal…

Karen Miller has been an instant hit since the release of The Innocent Mage/The Awakened Mage. Chris, the book swede has had chance to interview Karen and it’s a good read to.

And that’s the lot. I’ve missed some I’m sure. But I wasn’t expecting it to take this long to do seeing as we’re in May.

I hope you found it interesting. I’ve got a list of books for May ready plus I’ve received some exciting books that I need to talk about so expect another exciting list soon-ish with a bit of luck.

gav.

Tags: Bloomsbury, Faber, Gollancz, HaperCollins, Orbit, Orion, Pan, Sphere, Tor, William Heinemann

I’ve been quiet as I had stalled. I’ve been greatly enjoying Scar Night by Alex Campbell and Cell by Stephen King. But both have been read slowly page-by-page one at a time and both have reached the 100 page mark or there abouts. It’s nothing to do with them as stories. It’s more me as a reader.

I’m now slowly pushing forward with Scar Night by sticking my ipod in my ears at lunch instead of listening to my lovely colleagues gossip whilst in work also I’ve been trying to read if I arrive early.

Though it looks like a lot of people read on their breaks and at lunchtime (when it’s not worth fighting your way out of the building as there really isn’t anywhere to go before having to rush back). Most of the reading material is popular fiction with a couple of more student friendly titles so at least I don’t look too out of place by taking to a good book instead. Does anyone else notice a lot of colleagues reading?

Anyway as I’ve not been reading much, books or blogs I’ve been a little quiet, which doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been things to comment on as there has. For a start April has a large and varied selection of books out as there has been a lot of buzz. I’m hoping to get a good look at Aprils releases at the weekend. I’ve got a good page long list of titles in my notebook all waiting for comment. Then there is lots of blogs posts to read. Here are some highlights:

Orbit has a couple of pieces of Jim Butcher news. Firstly, we have Small Favour, the latest in the amazingly popular Dresden Files. It’s also Butcher’s first hardback release. Quite exciting, apart from that fact that I still haven’t read Book Three so I’m getting further behind! Orbit have also picked up his Codex Alera sequence in a four-book deal. There is also a nice quote from commissioning editor Bella Pagan,

‘We are really delighted to be publishing Jim Butcher’s fabulous Codex Alera sequence. After the huge popularity of Jim’s ongoing Dresden Files series, it is exciting to have a new direction to offer fans. With its fast pace, fine world-building and compulsive plot twists, this more traditional fantasy series will also attract an army of new enthusiasts.

It’ll be interesting to see how he handles fantasy, though I’ll have to wait until summer 2009 to find out.

The SF Signal, always a great treasure-trove of stuff, has a list of the Locus Award 2008 Finalists. I’ve read Un Lun Dun by China Mieville and have a proof of Halting State by Charles Stross, which has been getting dust on my shelf for far too long, as well as a copy of The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon. So that’s three in the house and one read. I’m not very good at these award winners.

The next few likes are mostly thanks to SF Signal:

Kate Elliot, a name I’ll come back to later has a brilliant manifesto for fiction writers: Don’t Bore Me. I’d add Get on with it! Tell me what I need to know but no more.

Will Wheaton isn’t writing. But he does link to Neil Gaiman who has some comment on JK Rowling’s court case amongst other things including:

Genre fiction, as Terry Pratchett has pointed out, is a stew. You take stuff out of the pot, you put stuff back. The stew bubbles on.

I gotta agree with the above. If you take characters like Constantine, Felix Castor and Harry Dresden. They come from a similar sphere being male, magical in their way and detectives of sorts. But they’re brought to life by their writers. And I’d happily read all of them without comparing them any more than that. Take all the vampire books. Each of them has a unique take even if they are working from a very familiar if oversaturated source.

SF Signal reminds me that I’m still to read anything by Ursula K. LeGuin with a review of The Lathe of Heaven.

They also raise A Dilemma: Books I Can’t Finish Reading followed by A Few I Couldn’t Finish. I don’t always publicly announce or denounce the books that I haven’t finished. Mostly it’s because I can’t think of anything to say apart from didn’t work for me, which isn’t really helpful. Is it?

More links:

Back to Kate Elliot, who has been interviewed by the Fantasy Book Critic.

Upsetting writers isn’t something I consider when I review something so it’s interesting to see a writers reaction to a review. The reason that I don’t tend to worry is that I try to balance a review and stick to the text and my thoughts and feelings on it rather than the author, unless they’re big enough to look after themselves, Patricia I mean you ;).

Orbit Books has some stats. The one bit that made me smile was the fact that the sci-fantasy market had grown 18% so far this year. So it’s great that people are still finding time for a good book.

I’m not even half the way down a very long list of things to read but that’ll keep you going for now. Oh and I have had some books in the post so exciting things to mention soon! 

The wonderful thing about running a book blog (when you haven’t just started a new job and you can’t seem to find a reading or blogging routine no matter how you try) is that you get to hear about and sometimes receive copies of lots of weird and wonderful titles. So here is a post mentioning some recent ones these are a little late but it’s better late than never

Digging Up The Dead by Druin Burch.

I don’t usually mention my non-fiction reading. This is because it’s computer and techie related like Adobe Photoshop though occasionally it does slip into photography but mostly I don’t think it’s compatible with most of the content of this blog.

I think that’s the reason why I don’t get offered many non-fiction titles. Though the nice people at Vintage thought I might like Digging Up The Dead, which was released last month.

It’s an examination of Astley Cooper 1768-1841 who, it seems, was a tearaway young man who became a fiery radical (taking his pregnant wife to Paris during the Revolution) and a brilliantly successful surgeon who was the first person to describe the function of the middle ear, and served three successive Kings, as well as Princes and Prime Ministers. But his passion was dissection and he ended up running a country-wide network of informers and body snatchers.

I’m a great fan of series like Bones and Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series (up to Blow Fly when she changed from first to third person) so I’m looking forward to reading beyond the prologue into a biography that is a form of ‘autopsy’, which means ‘to see for oneself’.

Reviews of Digging Up The Dead have appeared in Popular Science (*****/5), Fortean Times (****/5) and The Telegraph.

A publisher that I’ve seen a bit of (but not read anything from) is Abaddon Books. So I was pleasantly surprised when I took a closer look at them after two books, Twilight of Kerberos: Shadowmage by Matthew Sprange and Leviathan Rising by Jonathan Green, arrived through the door.

Abaddon Books describes itself as ‘We are an exciting genre imprint dedicated to publishing the best in high-action Science-Fiction, Horror and Fantasy.’ Sounds like my sort of thing. They also produce paperback size books rather than the slightly less pocket friendly larger format that is currently becoming popular but not so easy to read.

Twightof Kerberos: Shadowmage by Matthew Sprange

The blurb, ‘Forced onto the streets of Turnitia after the army destroys his home and murders his parents, Lucius Kane becomes an excellent thief, gaining notoriety in his new profession. Soon drawn into a war between rival thieves guilds, Kane fights for friends and profit but finds himself pulled into the darker and more mysterious world of the Shadowmage, a calling for which it seems he is ideally suited. Mercenary practitioners who combine stealth with magic, Shadowmages make the best scouts, infiltrators, spies. . . and assassins.’

Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review has passed judgement already so there’s a review here.

Leviathan Rising by Jonathan Green

“Around the world in eighty days ­ in style!”
This proud claim, made by the Carcharodon Shipping Company, is about to be put to the test as its newest and most magnificent submersible cruise liner, the Neptune, sets sail on its maiden voyage around the world. Among the great and the good who have been invited to join this historic cruise is Ulysses Quicksilver, dandy adventurer and hero of Magna Britannia, enjoying a well-deserved sojourn after the traumatic events of Queen Victoria¹s 160th jubilee celebrations.

Again Graeme has read it and his review is here. As an aside Jonathan Green has a reaction to his review in SFX. Look for my own thoughts on both shorty.

Finally for this little batch is Iron Angel by Alan Campbell that arrived almost 4 weeks early thanks to Tor! This should, hopefully, after giving myself a good taking to about the importance of reading, give me time to digest Scar Night, its prequel and read Iron Angel before it’s published properly.

The blurb from Iron Angel:

In this stunning follow-up to his epic fantasy debut, Alan Campbell propels readers into a captivating city battling for its own survival—and that of humankind—in a world of deities and demons, fallen angels and killers.

And if the reviews from Scar Night (here, here, here, here and here) are anything to go by it should be good.

Tags: Abaddon Books, Tor, Vintage

Now I’m moving to all the posts that are scarcely piling up in my RSS reader (NetNewsWire or FeedDemon depending if I’m on the mac or the PC). So what follows is probably in the order in which it appears in the list. Though I’m skipping all the art related blogs I like (though if you are interested visit 638ways.co.uk).

Kicking off with the Hugo Awards 2008 shortlist. I’m going to to stick to the Best Novel Category as I’ve not been keeping track on what shorter fiction has been around. I guess the other nominees would be a good place to start. Anyway the nominations for Best Novel are:

• The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins, Fourth Estate)
• Brasyl by Ian McDonald (Gollancz; Pyr)
• Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer (Tor; Analog Oct. 2006-Jan/Feb. 2007)
• The Last Colony by John Scalzi (Tor)
• Halting State by Charles Stross (Ace)

John Scalzi only came to my attention recently when The Ghost Brigades arrived in the post. Then Tor released Old Man’s War as an e-book as part of their current promotion and now the third book in the sequence is a nominee. So I might be cracking open The Ghost Bridges sooner than I thought. I’ve never read any Robert J. Sawyer and I can’t remember hearing about Rollback which seems to concern receiving alien messages. Halting State has been getting dust for far too long and the other two I may or may not pick up in paperback as I’ve read some fabulous reviews of both. Chadon has the slight edge as he’s a crossover writer appealing to be both literary and genre fans.

Via SF Signal (thanks) I’m sticking with award winners. This time the British Science Fiction Assocication Awards where Gollancz’s Brasyl by Ian McDonald just won Best Novel.

Swinging back to Charles Stross as SF Signal has a review of Glasshouse and says, ‘I’d have to say that Glasshouse is one of the best books I’ve read this year’. Sounds like they enjoyed it. And they’ve also dipped into Halting State saying, ‘The first thing you’ll notice when reading Halting State is that the entire book is written in the second person. This can be rather odd, as Stross changes characters every chapter and ‘you’ change gender frequently.’ Which is one of the reasons I’ve been putting off reading it,

Via UK SF Book News we’re back to awards as Nova Swing by M. John Harrison won the Philip K. Dick Award.

I’m skipping on OF Blog of the Fallen for a minute as there is a mass debate (no rude jokes please) on the nature of reviewing and it’s not something I can skim read.

Dovegreyreader reminds me often that there is more than genre fictions out there and she’s made a wonderful small post about short-stories thanks to a pile of books from small press publisher Salt.

Skimming past Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist Post entitled, I’m the EasyJet or Southwest Airlines of SFF book reviewing!;-) , I’m moving on to the review of The Secret History of Moscow by Ekaterina Sedia. I’d like to read more books that make places characters. Phil Rickman does it in his Merrily Waktins series and Neil Gaiman has certainly done it, as has China Meiville. So it’s good to see Moscow getting explored. The final verdict off Pat, ‘Do yourself a favor and read this one!’ So I will.

If I was braver I’d probably read Neuropath by Scott Baker, but I’m not. Especially after reading this bit in Pat’s review, ‘Tom is caught in a terrifying downward spiral as Neil kidnaps and mutilates people with a connection to him. He manipulates their brains, leaving them altered in ways that will shock some people’. But if you’re brave enough check out the rest of the review.

Tia over at Fantasy Debut is Looking for that Sense of Wonder and after reading her post I tend to agree. Though Mark Chadbourn (yep him again) does quite often make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

John Self over at The Asylum reminds me that I really should delve into the depths of the classic and previously published and he as a few words on reissued classics when he looks at The Assistant by Robert Walser.

Tia reminded me and Robert reviewed, Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark Henry (though its UK release isn’t until the 14 June 2008) so I’m hoping I don’t forget about by then.

Next on the list is Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review who, as it happens, has just celebrated one year in blogging and may he have many many more - as long as he doesn’t get crushed to death by a falling stack of review copies first.

Graeme’s also happened to review Happy Hour of the Damned saying, ‘It’s an irreverent and fun read that has got me waiting impatiently for the sequel ‘Road Trip of the Living Dead’’. As an aside I’m also reading Cell, which is a Stephen King take on zombies or so it seems from the first few gruesome but intriguing pages. Speaking of zombie he also managed to see Diary of the Dead which has disappeared from my local cinemas faster than £50 note on a pavement.

Hallelujah, I know now what The Name of the Wind is actually about. The whole thing is making a bit more sent thanks to Graeme’s enlightening synopsis.

The bouncy Book Swede, Chris, has reviewed Procession of the Dead by D.B. Shan. He seems to come to the conclusion that it’s good but not great due to a couple of flaws in both characterisation and exposition. Still sounds worth reading.

Kimbofo at Reading Matters has a review of The Ghost by Robert Harris. Robert Harris is one of those writers that you feel you ought to read but seems a little bit too big to actually do it. It seems that The Ghost is a good one to read and has erased any doubts that Robert Harris is a writer for her.

My film of the year last year had to be the magical Stardust based on the illustrated story, now novel, by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess. So it’s good to see that Katie’s Reading enjoyed the original novel and recommends reading both the book and seeing the film in any order you like.

Daren at The Genre Files has a couple of recommended reads. Being connected Darren managed to get hold of a copy of Richard Morgan’s The Steel Remains, something us mere mortals have to wait until August to read. But by the sounds of it Morgan’s first fantasy novel after some very successful sci-fi novels will be well worth the wait. It’s a very thorough review and worth reading. The interesting point for me was. ‘The Steel Remains is one of the darkest, most intense epic fantasy novels I’ve read to-date. I also think it’s a fantasy novel that doesn’t so much transcend as extend the genre, into the sort of thematic territory that the majority of fantasy writers wouldn’t even consider going anywhere near.’ He also has good words for the debut Black Ships by Jo Graham. Which is reassuring after reading Robert’s review. It was also released under the Librarything Early Reviewer programme. Not that I can get into the Librarything thing but it seems to be working as Black Ships also has a review by an Librarything early reviewer Fyrefly.

booklit reminds me that there is still an Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction.

In my last post I mentioned that covers are slowly going more painterly and Grimspace by Anne Aguirre falls into that category and according to Grasping for the Wind it also falls into ‘pure entertainment’.

I think that just about covers it. In part 3 I’ll be catching up with other stuff. And maybe wade into the review thing that’s in the air.

This is going to be a little random and maybe a little long but I have a lot of catching up to do.

He’s the plan so far. In this post I’m going to try and catch up with this months releases and highlights, leaning quite heavily on Robert aka Fantasy Book Critic so I hope he doesn’t mind too much. Then I’ve got a stack of book-o-sphere/RSS/Newsgator feeds-type catch up do to. And I want to mention a few books and publishers who’ve got in contact with me and then hopefully I’ll have cleared some of the backlog. That’ll keep me going for the next few posts at least. And then I should get to the books I’ve been pecking away at reading.

Deep breath. Here we go.

It’s not often I see Stephen King getting a blog review so it was nice to see Duma Key getting a positive review on Fantasy Book Critic. I’m a little behind on Mr King (aren’t I always) but this one might slip past the ones I already have waiting so I can experience, ‘Just like the ending of The Sixth Sense, readers will want to go back and read “Duma Key” to search for the clues they missed, as well as to re-read the segments that slapped them in the face with starkness.’

Sticking with Fantasy Book Critic. He has a wonderful and extensive round-up of March’s releases (I know we’re past the middle of March).

There a few books that stand-out for me. Kay Keyon is writing four novels called the The Entire and The Rose Quartet. The second book called A World Too Near is getting its US release both from Pyr. I missed the release of the first one, Bright of the Sky, in the UK last September (though it’s had a large format paperback release this month and I didn’t even know that Pyr released books over here.) SFReviews have a wonderful reviews of both Bright of the Sky (review by Sci-Fi.com) and A World Too Near (review by Sci-Fi.com) . The bit that caught my eye was the universe that Keynon has created:

The Entire is an artificial universe created by the Tarig, a curious humanoid race who have peopled their creation with engineered duplicates of species from natural universes like our own, which they call the Rose. The Entire itself beggars easy description. It is like a landscape of sorts that spans galactic distances and even possesses the radial shape of a spiral galaxy. It is bordered on its sides by roiling curtains of ineffable exotic matter, and above by a sky that never darkens. The Tarig rule their subject species like the despots they are. Only they possess the ability to communicate across the Entire’s vast radial arms, the primacies. And they control the most important means of travel, achieved with vessels piloted by beings called navitars that journey a river, the Nigh, made of yet more exotic matter.
Extract from Bright of Sky review on SFReviews

Darren Shan is a writer that has never really appealed to me, basically the covers didn’t appeal to me or present the type of thing that I can see myself reading. Now Darren Shan has morphed into D.B Shan to present The City Trilogy to older (more adult?) readers. He starts with Procession of the Dead:

‘The first volume in a noirish, gritty urban fantasy for adults from the bestselling author otherwise known as Darren Shan. Quick-witted and cocksure, young upstart Capac Raimi arrives in the City determined to make his mark. As he learns the tricks of his new trade from his Uncle Theo — extortion, racketeering, threatening behaviour — he’s soon well on his way to becoming a promising new gangster. Then he crosses paths with The Cardinal, and his life changes forever. The Cardinal is the City and the City is The Cardinal. They are joined at the soul. Nothing moves on the streets, or below them, without the Cardinal’s knowledge. His rule is absolute. As Capac begins to discover more about the extent of the Cardinal’s influence on his own life he is faced with hard choices. And as his ambition soars ever higher he will learn all there is to know about loss, and the true cost of ultimate power’!

I might actually give these a go! Sounds up my street. Released by HarperVoyager

Speaking of things up my street. I do have more than a glancing knowledge of tarot cards so it’s interesting to see a novel based around them. The Magician and the Fool by Barth Anderson:

Two fallen scholars vie for control over the earliest known tarot deck, and find themselves in a battle with a force beyond their reckoning. One homeless man with an unspeakable gift hides in the shadows from an unknown enemy and wrestles with the riches and horrors that true power bestows. One ancient and mysterious document holds secrets that should never be spoken. All converge in one explosive fate that exposes what real magic actually means, and shows us what true sacrifice entails.

The other plus point is that I’m having a pull towards more historical novels. So this book seems to mix both interests. US import released by Bantam.

There are a few more that caught my eye.

The Dark Lantern by Gerri Brightwell:

A fascinating portrayal of a vanished England as well as an unconventional mystery, The Dark Lantern exposes the grand “upstairs” of a Victorian home and the darker underbelly of its servants’ quarters. The clash between the classes makes for a suspenseful novel of mistaken identities, intriguing women, and dangerous deceptions.

I can’t seem to find any enlightening reviews of this one, so I’m looking forward to, hopefully, seeing some soon. US import published by Crown.

The Reef by Mark Charan Newton

I have to say that I’m not overly convinced by the synopsis as I can’t quite grasp what’s going on. But it seems to involve water and ancient technology so I’ll go with that. The real reason why The Reef stands out is that Mark Charan Newton has just signed a two-book deal with Macmillan/Tor UK. So the lad has something (and yes he’s a lad as he’s the tender age of 26). He also has a series of posts called Road to Publication that are worth checking out. Mark’s debut is released by Pendragon Press.

The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton is getting it’s US release this month courtesy of Del Rey. This is quite exciting as it’s usually the other way around and us Brits have to wait for (and in my case usually miss) books that have been out in America for quite a while. I really enjoyed reading The Dreaming Void when I reviewed it last year and I hope it’ll pick up Hamilton a few more us fans.

The next two books show how behind I am as the wonderful Fantasy Book Critic has already passed judgement but that’s not stopping me from mentioning them.

The Lost Ones by Christopher Golden.

I have to say that I’ve never registered Christopher Golden but I’m going to forgive myself as he’s not yet, as far as I can tell, had a major UK release. Which seems a shame considering that The Lost Ones brings to a close The Veil trilogy and it follows on from The Myth Hunters (Flames Rising Review) and The Borderkind (SciFi.com review). Why is it a shame? From the looks of it Golden plays with myth and reality another love of mine (do I love too many things?). You can find Fantasy Book Critic’s review of The Lost Ones, plus links the other reviews and a Bonus Q&A with with author here. US import published by Bantam Spectra

Poison Sleep by T.A. Pratt

Covers in the US seem to be getting a bit more painterly these days and are quite stunning and it wasn’t until I saw the cover of Blood Engines that I remembered about seeing T.A Pratt before. I’m the same with people. I can remember a face 100 times easier than I can a name. I think in some ways I do judge a book by its cover. Poison Sleep is second book of what looks to be a four-part series based on Marla Mason and slightly worryingly the Marlaverse. The taste of cheese doesn’t quite end there as the bit of the blurb from Blood Engines that I love is:

A rival is preparing a powerful spell that could end Marla’s life — and, even worse, wreck her city. Marla’s only chance at survival is to boost her powers with the Cornerstone, a magical artifact hidden somewhere across the country in San Francisco. But when she arrives in the pretty white city by the bay, she finds the quest isn’t quite as simple as she’d expected… and that some of the people she’d counted on for help are dead.

Both books have a lot of praise from FBC, ‘both terrific reads and if Tim can keep it up with the next couple of books, then the Marla Mason series will be one of the first that I recommend to readers wanting to discover great urban fantasy…’ And I’m sure they aren’t as cheesy as I imagine them to be. US import published by Bantam Books.

Moving on from the Fantasy Book Critic, at least for a while, with a few UK releases that caught my eye:

It’s not very often that I see a book that I just have to read ASAP. Well it happened last year with Never the Bride by Paul Magrs and now his second book, Something Borrowed, on the adventures of Brenda is out in paperback. I wonder what will happen in the quiet little town of Whitby this time? It’s waiting patiently in my Amazon basket for payday.

Kelly Armstrong is another Urban Fantasy writer that I need to get into. I’ve read Bitten, the first novel in her The Otherworld series before stalling. Have I mentioned that I don’t like getting into things halfway through? As much as I enjoyed it. Werewolves just don’t get me going. I will read Stolen. I wonder if it’s safe to skip to Dime Store Magic, where the narrator changes to Paige, but she also features in Stolen. Dilemma. Anyway the reason for mentioning Kelly Armstrong is that books seven and eight are now out. No Humans Involved gets a paperback release after coming out in hardback and Personal Demon has a hardback release. It shows something of the appeal of Armstrong that she gets a two-stage release schedule. It looks Jeremy from Bitten is still around in No Humans Involved where necromancer Jamie Vegas looks into the darker side of LA calling on her personal angel, Eve and a chaos demon to investigate the things that keep haunting her as she sees them in the corner of her eye and hears fragments whispered in her ear. Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review has a review and it seems like he got a taste for more. Both books are presented by the wonderful people at Orbit.

I have a soft spot for a good cover design and one that keeps grabbing my attention is Swiftly by Adam Roberts. I loved his third book, Stone, where the narrator tells a rock about his life and crimes and how he came to be imprisoned in an unescapable prison. And it is one of the best works of sci-fi I’d read. I’ve tried to get into his first and second books, Salt and On, but they are so different that they didn’t click. Back to Swiftly, the blurb says, ‘A rip-roaring 19th century adventure, a love story and a thought-provoking pre-atomic SF novel about our place in the universe’ and ‘Wellsian sequel to Gulliver’s Travels and a unique piece of SF literature all of its own’. Never a man to have small ideas is Roberts. Released by Gollancz

And finally for part one I’ve just spotted a new book and a new series on Amazon by Garth Nix. It has the title of The Fall (The Seventh Tower). The synopsis says:

Tal is getting ready for the Day of Ascension – a day when all the 13-year-old Chosen from the Castle of Seven Towers enter the spirit world of Aenir. Then his father disappears with the family’s Primary Sunstone. Without it, Tal cannot enter Aenir and bind himself to a Spiritshadow – a guardian being, both protector and friend.
Tal tries to steal a Sunstone, but during his act of thievery is thrown off the Castle of Seven Towers by a powerful Spiritshadow Keeper. He falls down to the iceworld below, where he is captured by Icecarls. To save his life, he must team up with Milla – a Shield-Maiden-in-training – and offer his aid to the nomads. Which complicates his task immeasurably…

Now this sounds like my sort of book and if it’s told with any of the care and skill that Nix used on The Old Kingdom series I’m going to be more than happy. Oh, I found a review of it here. Released by HarperCollins Children’s.

In part two, I’m going to be taking a look at what’s been happening in the book-o-sphere whilst my back’s been turned.

Sorry for the unexpected silence. Normal service will resume soon.

Title: Un Lun Dun
Author: China Miéville
Publisher: Pan
Published: 5 Feb 2007
Price: £6.99
Review Copy

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading Un Lun Dun. All I knew about Miéville was that he was an imaginative and political writer who could be categorised as writing in the New Weird tradition plus this was his first novel for Young Adults. After reading Un Lun Dun I’d say he was all of the above and then some.

Two girls find themselves in an alternative London where London’s lost and broken things end up along with some of the people. The strange this is that the girls are expected and there is a prophecy to fulfil; the Smog is bent on it’s destruction and the city needs a hero.

Mieville has created a unique twisted take on not only London but on the quest novel where nothing quite works out as planned. And the unexpected is one of Miéville’s strengths. He plays with words, conventions, and draws from a very fascinating imagination. I can’t see anyone else making a pack of blood-thirsty giraffes quite so scary or coming up with the same wide-range of unique areas and inhabitants of Un Lun Dun like rock climbing librarians or ghost houses that fade in and out. But cutting through that is the journey that Miéville takes us on.

What at first seems right and proper is in fact quite the opposite and vice versa. It’s not every novel you read when the hero fails and falls at the first hurdle but then continues in un-expected ways. Miéville is really playful with not only the companions of our hero but also how they go about fulfilling that role.

What I liked the most is that it’s a modern fairy tale with slight mix of politics but it doesn’t preach or moralise. Any messages it does have are delivered through the events and the decisions that takes place.

Overall, Miéville’s furtile and playful imagination along with a strong story telling skills has created a modern fairy tale for young adults and adults who love a good story. Though some of the language is quite complex so it might be a challenging read to some less experienced young readers. It’s well worth reading.

There is also a slight door left open to revisit Un Lun Dun again and I hope he does. But in the meantime I’ll be reading more by China Miéville.

9/10

Tags: 9/10, China Miéville, Pan, review