More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Raymond E. Feist's The Dark War Saga omnibus for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Get all three fantasy novels in New York Times bestselling author Raymond E. Feist's the Darkwar Saga in one e-book, including: Flight of the Nighthawks, Into a Dark Realm, and Wrath of a Mad God. This explosive trilogy revisits Feist's signature worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan that ushers in the third, and most dramatic Riftwar yet: the Darkwar.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download N. K. Jemisin's The Inheritance trilogy omnibus for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. That's nearly 1500 pages for only 3$! This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

After her mother's mysterious death, a young woman is summoned to the floating city of Sky in order to claim a royal inheritance she never knew existed in this award-winning fantasy trilogy from the NYT bestselling author of The Fifth Season.

Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle.

The Inheritance Trilogy omnibus includes the novels: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Broken Kingdoms, The Kingdom of Gods, and a brand new novella set in the same world: The Awakened Kingdom.

You can also download Shannon Chakraborty's The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Shannon Chakraborty, the bestselling author of The City of Brass, spins a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one woman’s determined quest to seize a final chance at glory—and write her own legend.

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.

You can also download Sebastien de Castell's The Malevolent Seven for only 0.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

'Seven powerful mages want to make the world a better place. We're going to kill them first.'

Picture a wizard. Go ahead, close your eyes. There he is, see? Skinny old guy with a long straggly beard. No doubt he's wearing iridescent silk robes that couldn't protect his frail body from a light breeze. The hat's a must, too, right? Big, floppy thing, covered in esoteric symbols that would instantly show every other mage where this one gets his magic? Wouldn't want a simple steel helmet or something that might, you know, protect the part of him most needed for conjuring magical forces from being bashed in with a mace (or pretty much any household object).

Now open your eyes and let me show you what a real war mage looks like . . . but be warned: you're probably not going to like it, because we're violent, angry, dangerously broken people who sell our skills to the highest bidder and be damned to any moral or ethical considerations.

At least, until such irritating concepts as friendship and the end of the world get in the way.

My name is Cade Ombra, and though I currently make my living as a mercenary wonderist, I used to have a far more noble-sounding job title - until I discovered the people I worked for weren't quite as noble as I'd believed. Now I'm on the run and my only friend, a homicidal thunder mage, has invited me to join him on a suicide mission against the seven deadliest mages on the continent.

Time to recruit some very bad people to help us on this job . . .

Grave Empire

I no longer receive review copies from Orbit, so I didn't get the chance to read Richard Swan's Empire of the Wolf as the books came out. I have since then purchased them during ebook sales, but I was loath to give another big series a shot, what with all the unread SFF works that vie for my attention.

When I snatched a free copy of Grave Empire and realized that you didn't need to read the previous trilogy to get into the story, I knew it was time to give Swan a shot.

Here's the blurb:

From critically acclaimed author Richard Swan, Grave Empire begins the epic tale of an empire on the verge of industrial revolution, where sorcery and arcane practices are outlawed – and where an ancient prophecy threatens the coming end of days.

Blood once turned the wheels of empire. Now it is money.

A new age of exploration and innovation has dawned, and the Empire of the Wolf stands to take its place as the foremost power in the known world. Glory and riches await.

But dark days are coming. A mysterious plague has broken out in the pagan kingdoms to the north, while in the south, the Empire’s proxy war in the lands of the wolfmen is weeks away from total collapse.

Worse still is the message brought to the Empress by two heretic monks, who claim to have lost contact with the spirits of the afterlife. The monks believe this is the start of an ancient prophecy heralding the end of days—the Great Silence.

It falls to Renata Rainer, a low-ranking ambassador to an enigmatic and vicious race of mermen, to seek answers from those who still practice the arcane arts. But with the road south beset by war and the Empire on the brink of supernatural catastrophe, soon there may not be a world left to save...

The Great Silence series takes place about two hundred years following the events of the Empire of the Wolf trilogy. The setting is no medieval European analogue. It's a flintlock fantasy featuring a vast empire akin to the British Empire spanning dominions, territories, colonies, etc, which has reached a certain level of industrialization. As such, the worldbuilding is interesting and well realized. The author does an excellent job depicting the changes brought by urbanization and technological advancements. Swan also portrays the bureaucratic aspects of the imperial apparatus, the army, the diplomatic embassies, companies, etc, quite efficiently. However, certain things make little sense, chief among them why the wolfmen are exterminating each other in the name of a human religious schism similar to that of Catholicism vs Protestantism. I'm not sure whether or not this is a nuance that I would have understood better had I read the previous trilogy. The second thing which appears to make little sense is Renata's position as a minor official for Ambassador Didacus Marushka at the Imperial Office. Why would these two be the representatives of the underwater kingdom of the Stygion when they have never had contacts with the mermen felt odd to say the least.

I have to admit that I was completely captivated by the premise and the plot, yet the characterization didn't quite work for me. Not because the protagonists are not well drawn, mind you. Once again, Richard Swan did a good job fleshing them out and giving them agency. It's just that I never could really root for any of them. Grave Empire features three main characters and a vast supporting cast. The most important protagonist, at least in this first installment, is the aforementioned Renata Rainier. Impulsive and often annoying, I had a hard time getting into her plotline. Especially since a lot of things feel contrived just to keep the story moving forward. No less easy to like is Peter Kleist, a craven commissioned officer in the Sovan army sent to the New East. In over his head, a stranger in a strange land, he nevertheless grows on you as the tale progresses. Peter's storyline is by far the darkest and goriest of the novel, and it's also the most fascinating. I loved how Swan focused on the physical and psychological and emotional hardships of facing an unknown and invisible enemy that decimates your troops and threatens your own sanity. The third perspective is that of Count Lamprecht Von Oldenburg, an opportunistic nobleman bent on reintroducing outlawed magic back into the empire. Needless to say, his dabbling in forbidden knowledge will have grave repercussions on what is to come. There are a few standouts in the supporting cast such as Captain Furlan, Yelena (though her sexual/magical talents felt a bit gratuitous and irrelevant), Broz, and Captain Lyzander.

Grave Empire does suffer from pacing issues from time to time. It takes a while for all three perspectives to come together, but that was to be expected. The author needed time to lay down the groundwork for all three storylines, so this wasn't a problem. Trouble is, Swan does like to overindulge when it comes to the travelogues and he makes sure to showcase every single village/city/region down to the smallest detail. It does make his universe come alive with arresting imagery, yet it also slows the rhythm of the tale too often for my liking. I guess it's just a question for him to find the right balance.

Slow-moving as it can be at times, even if it takes a while the various plotlines eventually come together and set the stage for an interesting endgame. Grave Empire features a number of exciting chapters near the end, with thrilling action scenes and a captivating visit to the underwater kingdom of the Stygion. Revelations are made that elevate this tale to another level, but the rushed finale and the way an important magical artifact falls into the hands of Count Lamprecht left something to be desired. Still, this dark fantasy novel sets the stage for what appears to be an ambitious and multilayered saga that many should find appealing. Looking forward to the next volume.

The final verdict: 7.5/10

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Quote of the Day

There were things it was best not to ask because answers often had their price.

- MICHELLE WEST, Hunter's Death

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Alastair Reynolds' House of Suns for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Six million years ago, at the dawn of the star-faring era, Abigail Gentian fractured herself into a thousand male and female clones, which she called shatterlings. She sent them out into the galaxy to observe and document the rise and fall of countless human empires. Since then, every two hundred thousand years, they gather to exchange news and memories of their travels. Only there is no Gathering. Someone is eliminating the Gentian line. And now Campion and Purslane -- two shatterlings who have fallen in love and shared forbidden experiences -- must determine exactly who, or what, their enemy is, before they are wiped out of existence . . .

You can also download Jim Butcher's Furies of Calderon, first volume in the Codex Alera series, for only 3.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

The second volume, Academ's Fury, is also on sale for 2.99$.

Here's the blurb:

In this extraordinary fantasy epic, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files leads readers into a world where the fate of the realm rests on the shoulders of a boy with no power to call his own...

For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bond with the furies—elementals of earth, air, fire, water, wood, and metal. But in the remote Calderon Valley, the boy Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. At fifteen, he has no wind fury to help him fly, no fire fury to light his lamps. Yet as the Alerans’ most savage enemy—the Marat horde—return to the Valley, Tavi’s courage and resourcefulness will be a power greater than any fury, one that could turn the tides of war...

Cover art and blurb for Steven Erikson's NO LIFE FORSAKEN

The folks at Bantam have just unveiled the cover art and blurb for Steven Erikson's forthcoming No Life Forsaken. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Here's the blurb:

A goddess awakens to a new world, only to find that some things never change.

Amidst the ashes of a failed rebellion in Seven Cities, new embers are flaring to life.

There are furrowed brows at the beleaguered Malazan Legion headquarters in G’danisban for it would appear that yet another bloody clash with the revived cult of the Apocalyptic is coming to a head.

Seeking to crush the uprising before it ignites the entire subcontinent, Fist Arenfall has only a few dozen squads of marines at his disposal, and many of those are already dispersed - endeavouring to stamp out multiple brush-fires of dissent. But his soldiers are exhausted, worn down by the grind of a simmering insurrection and the last thing Arenfall needs is the arrival of the new Adjunct, fresh from the capital and the Emperor's side.

The man's mission may be to lend support to Arenfall’s efforts . . . or stick a knife in his back. 'Twas ever thus, of course. That a popular commander should inevitably be seen as a threat to the Emperor - such is the fatal nature of imperial Malazan politics.

And what of the gods? Well, as recent history has proved, their solution to any mortal mess is to make it even messier. In other words, it's just another tumultuous day in the chequered history of the Malazan Empire.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Neal Stephenson's Anathem for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

In addition, several other Stephenson titles like Quicksilver, The Confusion, The System of the World, Polostan, Reamde, and The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O are also on sale!

Here's the blurb:

Anathem, the latest invention by the New York Times bestselling author of Cryptonomicon and The Baroque Cycle, is a magnificent creation: a work of great scope, intelligence, and imagination that ushers readers into a recognizable -- yet strangely inverted -- world.

Fraa Erasmas is a young avout living in the Concent of Saunt Edhar, a sanctuary for mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers, protected from the corrupting influences of the outside "saecular" world by ancient stone, honored traditions, and complex rituals. Over the centuries, cities and governments have risen and fallen beyond the concent's walls. Three times during history's darkest epochs violence born of superstition and ignorance has invaded and devastated the cloistered mathic community. Yet the avout have always managed to adapt in the wake of catastrophe, becoming out of necessity even more austere and less dependent on technology and material things. And Erasmas has no fear of the outside -- the Extramuros -- for the last of the terrible times was long, long ago.

Now, in celebration of the week-long, once-in-a-decade rite of Apert, the fraas and suurs prepare to venture beyond the concent's gates -- at the same time opening them wide to welcome the curious "extras" in. During his first Apert as a fraa, Erasmas eagerly anticipates reconnecting with the landmarks and family he hasn't seen since he was "collected." But before the week is out, both the existence he abandoned and the one he embraced will stand poised on the brink of cataclysmic change.

Powerful unforeseen forces jeopardize the peaceful stability of mathic life and the established ennui of the Extramuros -- a threat that only an unsteady alliance of saecular and avout can oppose -- as, one by one, Erasmas and his colleagues, teachers, and friends are summoned forth from the safety of the concent in hopes of warding off global disaster. Suddenly burdened with a staggering responsibility, Erasmas finds himself a major player in a drama that will determine the future of his world -- as he sets out on an extraordinary odyssey that will carry him to the most dangerous, inhospitable corners of the planet . . . and beyond.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Dan Simmons' Ilium for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale. The sequel, Olympos, is also on sale for the same price.

Here's the blurb:

The Trojan War rages at the foot of Olympos Mons on Mars -- observed and influenced from on high by Zeus and his immortal family -- and twenty-first-century professor Thomas Hockenberry is there to play a role in the insidious private wars of vengeful gods and goddesses. On Earth, a small band of the few remaining humans pursues a lost past and devastating truth -- as four sentient machines depart from Jovian space to investigate, perhaps terminate, the potentially catastrophic emissions emanating from a mountaintop miles above the terraformed surface of the Red Planet.

For a limited time, you can also download the entire The Soldier Son trilogy by Robin Hobb for 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This omnibus edition is comprised of Shaman's Crossing, Forest Mage, and Renegade's Magic.

Here's the blurb for Shaman's Crossing:

Here's the blurb:

Nevare Burvelle is the second son of a second son, destined from birth to carry a sword. The wealthy young noble will follow his father—newly made a lord by the King of Gernia—into the cavalry, training in the military arts at the elite King's Cavella Academy in the capital city of Old Thares. Bright and well-educated, an excellent horseman with an advantageous engagement, Nevare's future appears golden.

But as his Academy instruction progresses, Nevare begins to realize that the road before him is far from straight. The old aristocracy looks down on him as the son of a "new noble" and, unprepared for the political and social maneuvering of the deeply competitive school and city, the young man finds himself entangled in a web of injustice, discrimination, and foul play. In addition, he is disquieted by his unconventional girl-cousin Epiny—who challenges his heretofore unwavering world view—and by the bizarre dreams that haunt his nights.

For twenty years the King's cavalry has pushed across the grasslands, subduing and settling its nomads and claiming the territory in Gernia's name. Now they have driven as far as the Barrier Mountains, home to the Speck people, a quiet, forest-dwelling folk who retain the last vestiges of magic in a world that is rapidly becoming modernized. From childhood Nevare has been taught that the Specks are a primitive people to be pitied for their backward ways—and feared for their indigenous diseases, including the deadly Speck plague, which has ravaged the frontier towns and military outposts.

The Dark Evening brings the carnival to Old Thares, and with it an unknown magic, and the first Specks Nevare has ever seen . . .

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Raymond E. Feist's Shadow of a Dark Queen for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

All three sequels in the Serpentwar saga, as well as a number of other Feist titles, are also on sale for 1.99$ each.

Here's the blurb:

Acclaimed, New York Times bestselling fantasist Raymond E. Feist gets his masterful Serpentwar Saga off to a spectacular start with Shadow of a Dark Queen. Feist’s classic epic fantasy adventure returns readers to ever-imperiled Midkemia, a breathtaking, richly imagined realm of magic and intrigue, where two unlikely heroes must rally the forces of the land to stand firm against a malevolent race of monsters intent upon conquest and annihilation. Locus magazine calls Shadow of a Dark Queen, “the place to start for those yet to discover Feist’s fantasy worlds.” For fans of Terry Goodkind, George R. R. Martin, and Terry Brooks—and for anyone not already in the thrall of this astonishing author’s literary magic—that is excellent advice indeed.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Martha Wells' The Wizard Hunters for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

The two sequels, The Ships of Air and The Gate of Gods, are also on sale.

Here's the blurb:

Ile-Rien is in peril. A mysterious army known only as the Gardier has surrounded the country, attacking in ominous black airships. Hope is not lost though, for a magical sphere created by Ile-Rien's greatest sorcerer may hold the key to defeating the faceless enemy. But the sphere is unpredictable and has already claimed several lives. When a magical spell goes disastrously awry, young Tremaine Valiarde and a brave band are transported to another world. A world of rough magics, evil mages, honorable warriors -- and a secret Gardier base.

Extract from Joe Abercrombie's THE DEVILS

You can now read the first 3 chapters of Joe Abercrombie's upcoming The Devils on reactormag.com.

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Stephen King's Holly for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Stephen King’s Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly’s gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges’s partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King’s new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download George R. R. Martin's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Taking place nearly a century before the events of A Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. These never-before-collected adventures recount an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness.

Before Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne, there was Dunk and Egg. A young, naïve but ultimately courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals—in stature if not experience. Tagging along is his diminutive squire, a boy called Egg—whose true name (hidden from all he and Dunk encounter) is Aegon Targaryen. Though more improbable heroes may not be found in all of Westeros, great destinies lay ahead for these two… as do powerful foes, royal intrigue, and outrageous exploits.

Featuring more than 160 all-new illustrations by Gary Gianni, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a must-have collection that proves chivalry isn’t dead—yet.

You can also get your hands on the digital edition of Peter F. Hamilton's Exodus for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale. For my money, it's the best SFF work of 2024!

Here's the blurb:

Explore EXODUS, a new sci-fi action-adventure RPG coming soon from Archetype Entertainment featured in this epic novel from legendary author Peter F. Hamilton.

Forty thousand years ago, humanity fled a dying Earth. Traveling in massive arkships, these brave pioneers spread out across the galaxy to find a new home. After traveling thousands of light-years, one fleet of arkships arrived at Centauri, a dense cluster of stars with a vast array of potentially habitable planets. The survivors of Earth signaled to the remaining arkships that humanity had finally found its new home among the stars.

Thousands of years later, the Centauri Cluster has flourished. The original settlers have evolved into advanced beings known as Celestials and divided themselves into powerful Dominions. One of the most influential is that of the Crown Celestials, an alliance of five great houses that controls vast areas of Centauri. As arkships continue to arrive, the remaining humans and their descendants must fight for survival against overwhelming odds or be forced into serving the Crown Dominion.

Among those yearning for a better life is Finn, for whom Earth is not a memory but merely a footnote from humanity’s ancient history. Born on one of the Crown Dominion worlds, Finn has known nothing but the repressive rule of the Celestials, though he dreams of the possibility of boundless space beyond his home.

When another arkship from Earth, previously thought lost, unexpectedly arrives, Finn sees his chance to embrace a greater destiny and become a Traveler—one of a group of brave heroes dedicated to ensuring humanity’s future by journeying into the vast unknown of distant space.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Michelle Sagara's Shards of Glass for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

The Academia, once an elite proving ground for the rulers of the world, has been frozen for centuries. Now its strange slumber has ended, and a new Chancellor, an orange-eyed dragon, has reopened its lecture halls and readied its dorms. In order to thrive once more, however, the Academia needs fresh blood—new students with a passion and talent for learning.

One such student, Robin, has the perfect recruit in mind: his friend Raven, an orphan who lives in the dangerous Warrens. Robin grew up in the Warrens, and he wouldn't have made it if not for Raven. He knows she’ll be safe at the Academia, where her unusual gifts can be appreciated.

But when students start turning up dead, the campus threatens to collapse completely. Raven and Robin will not let that happen to their new home…if they can survive long enough to figure out who—or what—is trying to kill them.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Neal Stephenson's Polostan for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Termination Shock and Cryptonomicon, the first installment in a monumental new series—an expansive historical epic of intrigue and international espionage, presaging the dawn of the Atomic Age.

The first installment in Neal Stephenson’s Bomb Light cycle, Polostan follows the early life of the enigmatic Dawn Rae Bjornberg. Born in the American West to a clan of cowboy anarchists, Dawn is raised in Leningrad after the Russian Revolution by her Russian father, a party line Leninist who re-christens her Aurora. She spends her early years in Russia but then grows up as a teenager in Montana, before being drawn into gunrunning and revolution in the streets of Washington, D.C., during the depths of the Great Depression. When a surprising revelation about her past puts her in the crosshairs of U.S. authorities, Dawn returns to Russia, where she is groomed as a spy by the organization that later becomes the KGB.

Set against the turbulent decades of the early twentieth century, Polostan is an inventive, richly detailed, and deeply entertaining historical epic, and the start of a captivating new series from Neal Stephenson.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Guy Gavriel Kay's River of Stars for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

In his critically acclaimed novel Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay told a vivid and powerful story inspired by China’s Tang Dynasty. Now, the international bestselling and multiple award-winning author revisits that invented setting four centuries later with an epic of prideful emperors, battling courtiers, bandits and soldiers, nomadic invasions, and a woman battling in her own way, to find a new place for women in the world – a world inspired this time by the glittering, decadent Song Dynasty.

Ren Daiyan was still just a boy when he took the lives of seven men while guarding an imperial magistrate of Kitai. That moment on a lonely road changed his life—in entirely unexpected ways, sending him into the forests of Kitai among the outlaws. From there he emerges years later—and his life changes again, dramatically, as he circles towards the court and emperor, while war approaches Kitai from the north.

Lin Shan is the daughter of a scholar, his beloved only child. Educated by him in ways young women never are, gifted as a songwriter and calligrapher, she finds herself living a life suspended between two worlds. Her intelligence captivates an emperor—and alienates women at the court. But when her father’s life is endangered by the savage politics of the day, Shan must act in ways no woman ever has.

In an empire divided by bitter factions circling an exquisitely cultured emperor who loves his gardens and his art far more than the burdens of governing, dramatic events on the northern steppe alter the balance of power in the world, leading to events no one could have foretold, under the river of stars.

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (March 23rd)

In hardcover:

Rebecca Yarros' Onyx Storm maintains its position at number 1. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Iron Flame is up one position, ending the week at number 2. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Cassandra Clare's The Ragpicker King debuts at number 6. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing maintains its position at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing is down two positions, ending the week at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Callie Hart's Quicksilver is down three positions, ending the week at number 13. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses is up one position, ending the week at number 14. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Anji Kills a King

I haven't had much luck with SFF debuts these last couple of years. For some reason, most of them just can't scratch that itch and make me want to find out what happens next. Even worse, most of them have been veritable chores to finish. Which is why I've been steering clear from debuts for a while.

Still, I have to admit that my curiosity was piqued when the publicist handling Anji Kills a King got in touch with me about getting an early read of this one. I didn't know it at the time, but Evan Leikam is a fellow book reviewer who hosts a podcast. The blurb was intriguing, so I decided to give this new debut a shot.

Alas, Leikam's debut was a disappointment on all fronts. Don't let the cover blurb mislead you. It's got nothing in common with Joe Abercrombie's body of work. I haven't read Christopher Buehlman yet, so I can't comment on any similarities between his novels and Anji Kills a King. I can say that, much like Kuang's The Poppy War, this one features an absurdly annoying young female lead and that's about it.

It's too bad, for this novel did have potential. Yet the utter lack of worldbuilding, the often boring linear plot, the perspective of a single dumb protagonist, the pathetic quality of the antagonists, and the somewhat black and white approach with little or no nuance whatsoever turned what seemed to have true promise into a lackluster dark YA effort that failed to deliver.

Here's the blurb:

An unlikely assassin struggles to escape a legendary bounty hunter in this breakneck fantasy debut that will grab you by the throat—perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, R.F. Kuang, and Christopher Buehlman.

She killed for a cause. Will she die for it too?

Anji works as a castle servant, cleaning laundry for a king she hates. So when a rare opportunity presents itself, she seizes the chance to cut his throat. Then she runs for her life. In her wake, the kingdom is thrown into disarray, while a bounty bigger than anyone could imagine lands on her head.

On her heels are the fabled mercenaries of the Menagerie, whose animal-shaped masks are magical relics rumored to give them superhuman powers. It’s the Hawk who finds Anji, a surly, aging swordswoman who has her own reasons for keeping Anji alive and out of the hands of her fellow bounty hunters, if only long enough to collect the reward herself.

With the rest of the Menagerie on their trail, so begins an alliance as tenuous as it is temporary—and a race against death that will decide Anji’s fate, and may change the course of a kingdom.

From the very beginning, the premise doesn't make much sense. How can a lowly laundress find herself alone in the presence of the king, with no guards or other attendants close by, and then kill him and get away without anyone being the wiser? Still, I elected to go with the flow and see how the tale unfolds. Needless to say, Anji Kills a King starts with a bang and is good until the Hawk takes Anji into custody. Their relationship is at first interesting, but things quickly go down the crapper and they never quite recover until just before the end. By then it's too late to save this one.

The worldbuilding leaves a lot to be desired. Evan Leikam introduces what seem to be intriguing concepts, yet he rarely sees fit to elaborate on any of them. Weighing in at barely 350 pages, it's not like the author was forced to cut scenes or get rid of exposition meant to provide depth to his ideas. As a matter of course, not all secrets can be divulged in the first installment of a new series. Then again, with this being a debut, there must be enough meat around the bone to capture my imagination and maintain my interest. Leikam did it with the Rail addiction. It works like cocaine, but it turns users into monsters known as Dredgers once addicted. Drug use and their repercussions are seldom explored in fantasy stories, so this was a different theme which stands out. Trouble is, beyond Rail Leikam only provides bare bone details about everything else. We learn nothing of King Rolandrian and the kingdom of Yem's politics and why things are the way they are. Nothing of the neighboring kingdoms. Very little of the Order of the Inheritance and their fall from grace. Nothing of the Nine Gods. Nothing of the Sun Wardens and the One Path and how it became the state religion. Nothing of the Maxia, the magic system in Leikam's universe. Very little of what made the Menagerie so fearsome and helped them become the kingdom's most notorious bounty hunters. Sadly, there is almost no depth to speak of. I'm at a total loss to explain this, as it's not like fleshing out these ideas would have boosted the page count by a whole lot. And yet, it would have elevated Anji Kills a King to another level.

As subpar as the worldbuilding turned out to be, it's the characterization that really sinks this book. Not because Anji isn't a well drawn character. She is that. Problem is, Anji just might be the most annoying protagonist I've ever encountered. Hotheaded to the point of stupidity, she's a chore to follow. It took her getting maimed so she could finally shut the hell up. Not only did I feel no desire to root for her, I wanted her to die at every turn. Flashback sequences are meant to show how Anji ended up an orphan working at the castle laundry, yet she is so exasperating that the emotional arc such scenes are meant to build completely failed to have an impact on me. The snarky banter between Anji and the Hawk gets old real fast, and their relationship doesn't really get interesting until the very end. The piss-poor quality of the antagonists, whether it's how lame the masked bounty hunters of the Menagerie are, or the Nazi religious fucktardness of the Sun Wardens, didn't help in the least. With Anji being such an irritating main character, the novel would have benefited from a stronger supporting cast. Unfortunately, other than the Hawk, and Leikam kept his cards way too close to his chest for too long as far as she's concerned, Anji needs to carry this entire tale on her shoulders and she can possibly do that.

Based on the blurb, I was expecting a fast-paced novel. And though some portions are indeed breakneck in nature, others are a slog. A good chunk of this tale is little more than a travelogue in which the Hawk attempts to bring Anji back to the capital to face justice in a roundabout way meant to elude pursuit. To be honest, more often than not it's just for random stuff to occur, mostly violent encounters with monsters or enemies. There is no endgame per se and the ending felt extremely YA and a bit nonsensical. You don't see it coming, which is nice. And yet, it doesn't redeem the previous three hundred pages or so that you have to go through to reach it.

To a certain extent, Anji Kills a King feels like something that isn't a final draft. As mentioned, there are some cool ideas, but they are not developed enough and the faulty execution means that this debut can never live up to its potential. It's sad, for with more editing, more worldbuilding, and more work on the characterization, this would have been a much better and more entertaing read.

The final verdict: 5.5/10

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

You can read an excerpt from the book here.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Martha Wells' Wheel of the Infinite for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

A traitor and a swordsman join forces to save the world from being rewritten into devastation.

Every year the image of the Wheel of the Infinite must be painstakingly remade to ensure another year of peace and harmony for the Celestial Empire. Every hundred years the very fabric of the world must be rewoven. Linked by the mystic energies of the Infinite, the Wheel and world are one. But a black storm is spreading across the Wheel, reappearing each morning, bigger and darker than before, unraveling the beautiful and orderly patterns.

Maskelle, a murderer and traitor, has been summoned back to help put the world right with the assistance of the mysterious Rian, a swordsman of some renown. If they can’t find the source of the problems that plague the Wheel, the world may find its latest rotation is its last.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Joe Abercrombie's The Heroes for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

An epic battle that will decide the fate of the North unfolds in this novel set in the world of the First Law from NYT bestselling author Joe Abercrombie.

Three men. One Battle. No Heroes.

They say Black Dow's killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbor, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud.

Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they've brought a lot of sharpened metal with them.

Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his stolen honor on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted to violence, he's far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the attempt. Even if it's his own.

Prince Calder isn't interested in honor, and still less in getting himself killed. All he wants is power, and he'll tell any lie, use any trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn't have to fight for it himself.

Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he even tell what that is with the world burning down around him?

Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the strongest arms that prevail.

For glory, for victory, for staying alive.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Ted Chiang's Arrival for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Previously published as Stories of Your Life and Others. Includes "Story Of Your Life," the basis for the major motion picture Arrival, starring Amy Adams, Forest Whitaker, Jeremy Renner, and directed by Denis Villeneuve.

“A swell movie adaptation always sends me to the source material, so Arrival had me pick up Ted Chiang's Stories of Your Life and Others: lean, relentless, and incandescent.” —Colson Whitehead, GQ

Ted Chiang has long been known as one of the most powerful science fiction writers working today. Offering readers the dual delights of the very strange and the heartbreakingly familiar, Arrival presents characters who must confront sudden change. In "Story of Your Life," which provides the basis for the film Arrival, alien lifeforms suddenly appear on Earth. When a linguist is brought in to help communicate with them and discern their intentions, her new knowledge of their language and its nonlinear structure allows her to see future events and all the joy and pain they may bring. In each story of this incredible collection, with sharp intelligence and humor, Ted Chiang examines what it means to be alive in a world marked by uncertainty, but also by wonder.

You can also get your hands on the digital edition of Martha Wells' All Systems Red for only 1.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

You can also download Seanan McGuire's Middlegame for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

A HUGO AWARD FINALIST!

WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST FANTASY NOVEL, 2020!

A Pick on the 2020 RUSA Reading List!

New York Times bestselling and Alex, Nebula, and Hugo-Award-winning author Seanan McGuire introduces readers to a world of amoral alchemy, shadowy organizations, and impossible cities in the standalone fantasy, Middlegame.

Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story.

Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math.

Roger and Dodger aren’t exactly human, though they don’t realise it. They aren’t exactly gods, either. Not entirely. Not yet.

Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before him. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He’s not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascend with them and claim their authority as his own.

Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained.

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (March 16th)

In hardcover:

Rebecca Yarros' Onyx Storm maintains its position at number 1. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Iron Flame maintains its position at number 3. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

T. Kingfisher's Swordheart debuts at number 5. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing is up three spots, finishing the week at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing is down one position, ending the week at number 5. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Callie Hart's Quicksilver is down three positions, ending the week at number 10. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses is down seven positions, ending the week at number 15. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Kate Elliott's Black Wolves for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

An exiled captain returns to help the son of the king who died under his protection in this rich and multi-layered first book in an action-packed new series.

Twenty two years have passed since Kellas, once Captain of the legendary Black Wolves, lost his King and with him his honor. With the King murdered and the Black Wolves disbanded, Kellas lives as an exile far from the palace he once guarded with his life.

Until Marshal Dannarah, sister to the dead King, comes to him with a plea-rejoin the palace guard and save her nephew, King Jehosh, before he meets his father's fate.