NextRead

Well it doesn’t look like I’m going to get my July Books round up done until Saturday And there are so many good books to mention and I’ve got the rest of my expanding RSS feed to go through. July hasn’t been the most productive month on the blog.

In other news Amazon.co.uk had The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie at £4.99 so I treated myself. Looking forward to see what all the fuss is about.

Speaking of fuss Paul Kearney doesn’t seem happy with Aiden.

Oh and there is going to be one more Harry Potter-related book.

More later

Tags: Comment, news

I must admit that at the moment this looks like it could be my literary book of the year. It might be the only literary book I’ve read so far, I could be wrong about that, but it’s going to be hard to beat.

At an English Boys Private School children are going missing, they are dreaming and then disapearing but no one knows where they’ve gone. Miller mixes in war, fantasy, violence and emotion into what is turning into a clever read. Though I’m reserving judgement until I’ve finished the second half.

Things I like so far are the narrative voice and way that Miller is telling his story. It wasn’t what I was expecting and it’s not going in the direction I thought it would. The focus has shifted from Timothy, the focus for the first section, to his father. Each is building a picture from different angles. I’m looking forward to how he’s going to mix them all together. The voice as in the tone and style is very accomplished that I’m surprised that this is a debut as it is confident as a pro.

Fingers crossed for the second half.

Tags: debut, first thoughts

After stalling on Martin Andrew’s The Necropolis Railway, I know it’s steam powered but good god get on with it!, I picked up the next title on my review copy pile and I’m engaged and reading every moment I can fit in.

What has me so excited? It’s the next title by Mark Chadbourn and his wonderfully inventive and playful fantasy series. The Burning Man takes out heroes away from where they’ve been before and puts them face to face with other Great Dominions (the Celts aren’t the only ones with gods after all). At this point their mission seems insurmountable but if their is one message from this series it’s that there is always light even in the darkest places.

Tags: Books, Gollancz, Mark Chadbourn, Novel, reading

This is always a hard choice for me. On the one hand I have books that have one the shelves for ages(read years) that I should give time to and then there is the pile of new releases that are shouting at me we’re new read me now! And usually I try and balance personal reading with review copies from publishers. The problem comes when I just can’t settle and pick a book. I think about it, put it down, read a couple of pages and then move on to the next one.

Reading for me has a lot to do with mood. Do I want to read something comforting by a writer I know or read something new that I might not like. Added to that is when my inner editor is front and centre and it takes quite a lot to impress him.

For example I’ve picked and put down two books that I’ve had sitting in the pile for a little bit. My problem is that that my inner editor is shouting and screaming as I read. “Show not tell! Show not tell!” I think I’m a bit of a snob. So this leaves me with a bit of a dilemma. Should I struggle and hope it’s a phase and that I won’t end up hating every second. Or should I move on?

I usually choose move on as I’m not enjoying it. Quality of writing I think is important for me even if I’m reading a genre that isn’t considered literary, which isn’t a fair comment to make as I’ve read more quality writing in genre fiction that I have in the literary books. Though I’ve also read some of the worse writing in genre titles as well.

Anyway, I’m hoping to find something I’ll like soon. Currently I’m trying Andrew Martin’s The Necropolis Railway. Fingers crossed.

Tags: reading

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! 

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.

I started a new job this week. Not just any job but a full-time job. I’m only mentioning it as its cutting into my reading time. Well it will until I finish training and then I hope I’m getting some time back. I have been finding some time to read Un Lun Dun by China Mieville and I’m loving his imagination. He’s created an amazing distortion of London and the story isn’t bad either.

And this, of course, is the biggest threat to the novel, but not just the book, any media that takes time to complete is going to struggle in these time poor days. It’s one of the reasons that I think that novels need to get tighter. When I’m buying a book it’s a major consideration. If it has small type and is thick then I am going to think twice. If you’re going to invest time in writing a big book then make sure it counts. The book that springs to mind is Dreaming the Void. It’s over 600 packed pages but nothing felt wandering or superfluous.

I bought two books this week as I was in Borders and thought that books would be a good treat for working so hard. I had a couple of books in mind. I was sorely tempted by the large paperback version of The Domino Men and I saw the new cover re-issues of Greg Egan. There were a few more but then Borders is like a sweet shop.

In the end I went for The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski and The Necropolis Railway by Andrew Martin. It helped that they were on the ‘buy one, get one half price’ tables but what really swung it was the fact that they were less than 300 pages each and I think I’ll be able to read them in the time I have. Though The Domino Men came a very close second…

There is a dilema inherent in most genre fiction: Should I start at beginning?  Sometimes that choice is easier than others. Lord of the Rings comes in three parts, clearly numbered and in sequence. And once you’ve read them you’re done. A series like Terry Prattchet’s Discworld is more fluid though it helps to read about The Watch or the Witches or Death in sequence but you can read him in mostly any order you like as one book doesn’t, for the most part, depend on the events of the others. Then you have books which are sequels but not part of a trilogy or longer sequence, should you read those from the beginning? I guess the idea is that you find a book by an author you like and then go back and read to fill in the gaps.

So why has this thought struck me? One reason is that I’m halfway through reading Jack of Ravens by Mark Chadbourn and I’ve been thinking what a new reader would make of it? Does it actually make any sense if you haven’t read the books that have gone before? I think that a new reader is going to find it confusing and disappointing and lots of the events, and people, and meaning is missing if you take things on face value. The trouble is that it’s got a completely different cover to the other books and it doesn’t really make any indication that there is so much history behind it. And it’s a shame as Chadbourn is amazing, he blows me away with his gift of weaving so many things into his stories. But they only have significance is you know that the Jack of the title is a hero from the first three books and his return was bought about by the end of the events in the second three (JoR is book seven) and that what is happening in Jack of Ravens has already happened but the events have darkened and aren’t working out the way things are supposed to be.

Have you read any books that are part of something larger only to be disapointed you didn’t start at the beginning?  Just wondering.

Tags: sequels, series, thoughts