This week's New York Times Bestsellers (November 29th)

In hardcover:

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows slips 6 spots, ending its second week on the NYT list at number 7.

Robert Jordan's Knife of Dreams drops 3 positions, finishing its sixth week on the prestigious list at number 11.

Diana Gabaldon's A Breath of Snow and Ashes is down 2 spots, ending the week at number 20. The novel has remained on the bestseller list for 8 consecutive weeks.

R. A. Salvatore's Promise of the Witch-King drops 8 positions, finishing its fourth week at number 30.

Nothing to report in paperback. . .

Kitty and the Midnight Hour

First of all, I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of the horror/dark urban fantasy sub-genres. I don't hink I've read books containing werewolves and vampires (Pratchett notwithstanding) since the old TSR Ravenloft books.

I didn't know what to expect when I elected to read this book. Because of its cover, I had preconceived misconceptions. But I'm currently reading Bakker's The Thousandfold Thought (taking notes, etc), which means that I couldn't bring it at work. Needing something to read during my lunch breaks, and since Time Warner sent me a review copy of the novel, I went for it. I wanted something "light," something that wouldn't take me weeks to finish. To all ends and purposes, Carrie Vaughn's Kitty and the Midnight Hour appeared to be just what the doctor ordered. Plus, the book was released earlier this month, so what the heck?

To tell the truth, I wasn't expecting much more than something to kill time. Well, I'm happy to report that I've enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected. Kitty and the Midnight Hour is a very entertaining novel!

The narrative flows extremely well. The dialogues are pretty good. The pace is crisp, keeping you turning those pages. The premise, which on the blurb seemed a little lame, turns out to be original and a lot of fun.

The characterizations are well-done, with Kitty coming out as a strong, three-dimensional characters. In fact, it's Kitty's character which really draws you into this story.

Although a "dark" tale, Vaughn's witty sense of humor shines through Kitty's character, bringing a certain balance between the lighter and the darker sides of this horror story.

And there is much more depth to this story than I first anticipated. Vaughn uses the fact that Kitty hosts a radio show offering late-night advice to men and women who are supernaturally disadvantaged to reveal a ton of information on werewolves and vampires. Hence, we learn much concerning werewolves' packs and how they function. The same can be said pertaining to vampires' families.

So what exactly is this book about, you ask? Well, I'm not about to include spoilers in this book review. Let's just say that Kitty, a werewolf in the closet, finds herself in the middle of a power struggle within her pack. Moreover, the head of the city's vampire family appears to want her dead. She soon finds herself facing a bounty hunter, and her expertise is required to solve a number of strange and violent homicides. As Kitty's radio show's popularity continues to skyrocket, more and more people are drawn to Elijah Smith and his Church of the Pure Faith. They supposedly possess the secret to cure werewolves and vampires, and bring them back fully on the side of humanity. Meanwhile, the US government is also taking a growing interest in the paranormal.

As I said, a very entertaining book. I will certainly read Kitty's upcoming adventures!

The final verdict: 8/10

Win a free hardcover set of THE PRINCE OF NOTHING trilogy

Hi guys!

It's unbelievable, I know! After Robin Hobb and Neil Gaiman in October, I was lucky enough to announce that we had two new contests under way, one for Tad Williams' Shadowplay and one for Steven Erikson's The Bonehunters.

Well, I have just received word that The Overlook Press has given me the "go ahead" to organize my R. Scott Bakker contest. In the beginning, the prize was to be a copy of The Thousandfold Thought. Which, everyone would agree, was a neat enough prize. But Overlook has decided to set the bar a little higher, granting the winner a complete hardcover set of The Prince of Nothing trilogy. Hence, the lucky winner will received The Darkness that Comes Before, The Warrior-Prophet, and The Thousandfold Thought! Now that's something!;-)

All you have to do to register is to leave your name and full mailing address in an email that you will send to reviews@(NO-SPAM)gryphonwoodpress.com. Please make sure that the header reads "BAKKER." But remove the No-spam addition. And if you haven't registered for the Tad Williams or the Steven Erikson contest, please do the same but with the header "SHADOWPLAY" or "THE BONEHUNTERS." One name will be randomly drawn, sent to the publisher, and a while later the books will be delivered to your doorstep!;-)

Yes, it's that easy!!! Many thanks again to Overlook for accepting to do this! Once again, this contest is open to all, regardless of where you are from.

Good luck to all the participants!

P. S. I'm halfway through The Thousandfold Thought and it's great so far!:-)

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (November 22nd)

In hardcover:

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows makes an impressive debut, holding the number 1 spot on the NYT list.

Robert Jordan's Knife of Dreams is still selling very well. Although it's down 2 spots, it finishes its fifth week on the bestseller list at number 8.

Diana Gabaldon's A Breath of Snow and Ashes drops 1 position, ending its seventh week on the prestigious list at number 18.

R. A. Salvatore's Promise of the Witch-King continues to drop, down 2 spots this week, finishing its third week on the list at number 22.

Nothing to report in paperback. . .

THUD!

Okay, I'll be the first to admit it. I can be a fairly stupid person when I put my mind to it. At least that's how I feel, having now finished my very first Terry Pratchett novel. Go ahead, throw rocks at me! You are certainly entitled. I've been an avid reader of the genre for two decades now, as many well know. So how come I have never read a Discworld book before now? It's a legitimate question, that's true. Unfortunately, I have no satisfying answer to offer you.

Living in Canada, where we can get Pratchett's novels since the beginning (one of the joys of being a member of the Commonwealth!), I've seen the Discworld novels every time I go to a bookstore. For some reason, I harbored doubts that fantasy and comedy could particularly go well together. After all, when I needed a laugh, there was always Seinfeld. Having read Thud!, I realize the immensity of my error of judgement. Over the years, I have witnessed how popular the author became. The first time I traveled to London, I noticed that he had more shelf space than Jordan and Tolkien put together. Still, I was reticent to pick up on of his books.

When Thud! debuted at number 4 on the NYT bestseller list, certain critics claimed that it was about time American fantasy readers realized just how good Terry Pratchett was. In light of such acclaim, I finally decided that the time had come for me to jump on the bandwagon.

The narrative flows flawlessly, and the dialogues are great and bring a smile on your face at every turn.:-) Pratchett's sharp wit and delightful humor surpass those of both Neal Stephenson and Neil Gaiman, two of my favorites in those departments.

With Discworld being such an enormous series, I was afraid that I would have difficulty getting into the story. Yet that was not the case. Although a lot is alluded to, new readers like me can read Thud! as a stand-alone novel without missing a beat. The dynamic prose keeps you turning those pages, following the wild adventures of a bunch of hilarious characters.

I now understand why Pratchett has garnered so much praise over the years. And believe me, it is well-deserved. Although humorous, there is a much deeper side to the author's work. Most jokes and observations often act as a mirror to our own world. Hidden underneath one of the most entertaining book I've read this year is an insightful social commentary.

And the author's jab at The Da Vinci Code, as Vimes and company must solve the riddle of a painting that supposedly conceals the true secret of the Koom Valley battle, was a nice touch to a wonderful tale.

I am now -- and forever will be -- a fan of Terry Pratchett and the Discworld universe! Yes, it took me a long time to face the truth. But I am now a believer! And I now have 29 Discworld novels to read and enjoy! By the way, can anyone tell me how a series which has reached its 30th volume can still be this good!?!

If you haven't read it yet, put Thud! on that Christmas present list! The other Discworld books will certainly be on mine!;-)

The final verdict: 9/10

Win a free copy of Steven Erikson's THE BONEHUNTERS

Hi guys!

Wow! After Robin Hobb and Neil Gaiman last month, here we go again! Barely two days ago, I announced a new contest in which the lucky winner will receive a free copy of Tad Williams' Shadowplay from the publisher. And I just got word that Transworld agreed to hook up one happy winner with a copy of Steven Erikson's The Bonehunter. The book will be released on March 1st, 2006.

All you have to do to register is to leave your name and full mailing address in an email that you will send to reviews@(NO-SPAM)gryphonwoodpress.com. Please remove the No-spam addition and make sure that the header reads "BONEHUNTERS." And if you haven't registered for the Tad Williams contest, please do the same but with the header "SHADOWPLAY." One name will be randomly drawn, sent to the publisher, and a while later the book will be delivered to your doorstep!;-)

Yes, it's that easy!!! Many thanks again to Transworld for accepting to do this! Once again, this contest is open to all, regardless of where you are from.

Good luck to all the participants!

Accepting Questions for a Steven Erikson Interview

Hi guys!

I just got word from my contact at Transworld, and she will be happy to arrange an interview with Steven Erikson for me!;-) Lucky me, I know!

As always, feel free to sumbit the questions you would like me to ask the author. I will select a number of questions from the fans to add to the interview.

Remember that your comments and observations are always appreciated. . .:-)

Oh, and by the way, I should be able to announce that The Bonehunter contest tonight! So get ready to register!

Pat

Win a free copy of Tad Williams' Shadowplay

Hi guys!

Well, since the Robin Hobb and Neil Gaiman contests were a lot of fun to put together, here we go again!;-) I've just received the confirmation by email that I had the "go ahead" to do this.

In collaboration with Penguin Books USA, I'm organizing a little contest in which the lucky winner will receive a free copy of Tad Williams' Shadowplay from the publisher. There is no official release date at the moment, although Penguin Books believe that it will be in spring/summer 2006. You can already read an excerpt at www.shadowmarch.com.

All you have to do to register is to leave your name and full mailing address in an email that you will send to reviews@(NO-SPAM)gryphonwoodpress.com. I should have thought about that for the previous ones, since a lot of people were uncomfortable with the thought of leaving their names and email addresses in the comment section. By acting thus, it will keep everyone's identity private -- as it should be. Please remove the No-spam addition and make sure that the header reads "SHADOWPLAY." One name will be randomly drawn, sent to the publisher, and a while later the book will be delivered to your doorstep!;-)

Yes, it's that easy!!! Many thanks again to Penguin Books USA for accepting to do this! Once again, this contest is open to all, regardless of where you are from.

Good luck to all the participants!

P. S. I'm hammering out the details to set up another such contest for R. Scott Bakker's The Thousandfold Thought. In addition, I'm in the process of doing the same for Steven Erikson's The Bonehunters. So stay tuned!

Scepters

This third volume in Modesitt's The Corean Chronicles proved to live up to the promise generated by the first two books of the trilogy. Scepters is indeed a very neat finale.

Once again, what may appear to be not too complicated at first turns out to be a multilayered tale. And the author certainly takes his sweet time, gradually revealing those intriguing details to the readers.

As was the case with its predecessors, the first half of the book suffers from a somewhat slow pace. For fans of Modesitt's works, this is no big deal. Indeed, they are aware that the best is yet to come. But, as I stated in my previous book reviews, new readers may find the rhythm to be sluggish at times. The first part of Scepters follows Alucius, now promoted to a higher rank and given command of a combined force of Northern and Southern Guards. Hence, for quite a while this novel is more martial fantasy, with military battles, strategy, etc.

The worldbuilding reaches another level in this book. We learn a lot more about the ifrits and their insidious influence, as well as the Ancient Ones who toppled the Duarchy. All is not as it seems on the world of Corus, and an unseen threat menaces all its inhabitants and the world itself. Even Alucius doesn't quite know how to react to those disturbing discoveries.

The characters remain three-dimensional. Our reluctant hero continues to attempt to survive, so he can return home to the stead. Wendra, now pregnant with his child, plays a larger role in this one.

All the storylines converge toward a climax that is quite interesting. Unfortunately, the author sets up the ending in a way that will make it almost impossible for sequels.

Nicely written, with great dialogues -- as always. And with L. E. Modesitt, jr.'s patented sound effects to boot!

As are most of Modesitt's works, this trilogy is for thoughtful readers. This is not the equivalent of a big budget production, to be appreciated by every dumb ass out there. In one of its reviews, Starlog wrote, "Legacies is for people who enjoy a leisurely reading experience, want to see their characters grow and like to fill in the blanks themselves rather than have the author do it for them. . ." I could not have said it better myself. . .:-)

So if you wish to try something different, something intelligent, not particularly fast-paced but in no way boring, then I'd recommend picking up The Corean Chronicles. This trilogy certainly makes a nice addition to any fantasy collection. So think about adding it to that Christmas present list!;-)

The final verdict: 8/10

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (November 15th)

In hardcover:

Robert Jordan's Knife of Dreams is still going strong. Dropping a single spot, the novel ended its fourth week on the NYT list at number 6.

Diana Gabaldon's A Breath of Snow and Ashes slips 3 positions, finishing its sixth week on the bestseller list at number 17.

R. A. Salvatore's Promise of the Witch-King drops 5 spots, ending its second week on the prestigious list at number 20.

In paperback:

Stephen King's The Dark Tower debuts at number 34.

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (November 8th)

In hardcover:

Robert Jordan's Knife of Dreams is still selling well. Down 3 positions from last week, this latest volume of The Wheel of Time series finishes its third week on the NYT list at number 5.

Diana Gabaldon's A Breath of Snow and Ashes is down 4 spots, ending its fifth week on the bestseller list at number 14.

R. A. Salvatore's Promise of the Witch-King debuts at number 15.

Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys drops down 12 positions, finishing its sixth week on the NYT list at number 34.

Nothing to report in paperback. . .

Darknesses

This second volume of The Corean Chronicles more than lives up to the expectations generated by its predecessor. Indeed, Darknesses is yet another strong offering by L. E. Modesitt, jr.

I love how everything which appears to be simple at face value turns out to be multilayered. Once more, that characterizations are of the first order, imbued with that human touch I alluded to in my previous book review. The worldbuilding is also quite interesting. The author refrained from revealing much about his new universe in Legacies. But Darknesses reveals many secrets, showing just how much depth this new series possesses.

Understandably, Alucius takes center stage again. Events continue to prevent him from returning to his wife and family. Our reluctant hero just tries to remain alive long enough to reclaim his life of a simple herder. But those very survival skills will make him a hero in the eyes of many others.

Like in the first volume, the pace is a bit slow at the beginning. But things take a dramatic turn for the better about halfway through. From that point on, secrets from the past are disclosed, and we learn a lot more about the fallen Duarchy and what caused the Cataclysm.

As always, Mr. Modesitt manages to create a very strong and vivid backdrop. And as is his trademark, somehow he succeeds at maintaining those individual storylines and demonstrates how much they influence the world at large.

There are a multitude of military encounters, as well as a number of magical confrontations, which should satisfy most battle lovers.

And the fact that characters must always pay a heavy price for every achievement imbues the numerous storylines with more credibility than is currently the norm in the market. Which makes L. E. Modesitt, jr.'s novels so different -- and so special!

The final verdict: 8/10

Feel free to comment. . .:-)

Hi guys!

Well, it safe to say that this little weblog has taken a life of its own.:-) What began as a simple experiment has reached proportions that I never could have envisioned. With over 15, 000 visitors from 57 different countries, who have perused over 29, 000 pages since February, I have to concede that this goes beyond my wildest dreams!;-) So let me first thank each and everyone of you, who take the time to visit and read what I post every week or so. It means a lot to me.

I just wanted to remind you all that I always welcome your comments. So please feel free to state your opinion when I write a book review or article. It often permits potential readers to consider more than one opinion before deciding whether to buy/read the book which has been reviewed. And the more one hears about a novel (good or bad), the better in the long run.

Okay, so what started as a little place where I would post my thoughts on the books I read has grown into something that never ceases to amaze me. And if you have any suggestions, feel free to leave me a comment. What would you like to see more of, etc? I'm sure that everyone would like more chances to win free books, but alas I have no control over that. The last contest was a lot of fun, and I hope I can do it all over again in the near future. But the publicity and online marketing departments of the big publishers make the decision, not me.

I guess I just wanted all of you to know that I always welcome your thoughts and opinions.:-) Once again, many thanks for your support.

I will try to keep up the good work!

Patrick

Book Reviews so far. . .

Since more and more people seem to be discovering this blog of mine, I've decided to write a list of this year's book reviews. That seems to be the main reason why people lurk around here. . .;-)

Patrick

JANUARY

- Children of Amarid (David B. Coe)
- The Outlanders (David B. Coe)
- Eagle-Sage (David B. Coe)

FEBRUARY

- Shadowmarch (Tad Williams)
- Ship of Magic (Robin Hobb)
- Mad Ship (Robin Hobb)
- Ship of Destiny (Robin Hobb)

MARCH

- The Runes of the Earth (Stephen R. Donaldson)
- The Silences of Home (Caitlin Sweet)
- Quicksilver (Neal Stephenson)

APRIL

- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (Matthew Stover)
- The Confusion (Neal Stephenson)
- The System of the World (Neal Stephenson)

MAY

- The Darkness that Comes Before (R. Scott Bakker)
- The Warrior-Prophet (R. Scott Bakker)
- Fool's Errand (Robin Hobb)
- Golden Fool (Robin Hobb)

JUNE

- Fool's Fate (Robin Hobb)
- It's Only Temporary (Eric Shapiro)
- In the King's Service (Katherine Kurtz)
- The Curse of Chalion (Lois McMaster Bujold)
- Paladin of Souls (Lois McMaster Bujold)

JULY

- The Years of Rice and Salt (Kim Stanley Robinson)
- Neverwhere (Neil Gaiman)

AUGUST

- The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman)
- The Subtle Knife (Philip Pullman)
- The Amber Spyglass (Philip Pullman)
- Dune: The Butlerian Jihad (Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson)

SEPTEMBER

- Dune: The Machine Crusade (Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson)
- Dune: The Battle of Corrin (Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson)
- Shaman's Crossing (Robin Hobb)

OCTOBER

- One Palestine, Complete (Tom Segev)
- Anansi Boys (Neil Gaiman)
- Knife of Dreams (Robert Jordan)
- Legacies (L. E. Modesitt, jr.)
- Bloodline of the Holy Grail (Laurence Gardner)

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (November 1st)

In hardcover:

Robert Jordan's Knife of Dreams still ranks high, finishing its second week on the NYT list at number 2.

Diana Gabaldon's A Breath of Snow and Ashes drops 4 positions, ending at number 10. The book has remained on the bestseller list for 4 weeks.

Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys slips 3 spots, finishing its fifth week on the list at number 22.

Terry Brooks' High Druid of Shannara: Straken is down 4 positions, ending at number 29. This latest Shannara offering has been on the NYT list for 7 weeks.

Terry Pratchett's Thud! drops 4 spots, finishing its sixth week on the prestigious list at number 35.

In paperback:

Troy Denning's Star Wars: The Unseen Queen is back on the NYT list, returning at number 35.