New Ian Cameron Esslemont interview

Clarkesworld Magazine has a new interview with Malazan co-creator Ian Cameron Esslemont, author of Night of Knives (Canada, USA, Europe) and Return of the Crimson Guard (Canada, USA, Europe).

Here's a teaser:

I hope that what I write contains everything—else it would not have the feel of a complete fiction (if you know what I mean)," said Esslemont. "More specifically, I suppose I write about contending goals and agendas, the evolution of mythologies, beliefs, and legends, the efforts of the individual to find his or her 'self' and to understand and come to peace with the world and their place in it (everything, in other words).

To read the entire Q&A, head on out to the Clarkesworld Magazine website.

New online serial novel from Scott Lynch

From Scott Lynch:

Until recently, I was offline for a very long time. Longer than I'd meant to be, for personal reasons.

Now my cup runneth over with things to do, responsibilities I've stacked up, from revising and turning in certain manuscripts to rebuilding this website. And let's talk about my responsibility to you, my readers... you've gone for some time without seeing anything new from me. Not for lack of writing, but for lack of showing.

One thing I don't talk about very often is that I have a paralyzing fear of showing my early drafts to anyone. I write in total privacy and hate to have anyone so much as look over my shoulder while I'm working. My drafts are hidden in the darkest corners of my hard drive, checked and re-checked, then hidden again, then revised ad nauseam. It's... not terribly efficient, and probably not mentally healthy. It certainly causes my editors, who are saints, much more trouble than they deserve. This cannot persist. It's time to do something rather terrifying about it.

I'm going to start posting that dream-book I wrote, chapter by chapter, in weekly installments as a free online serial novel. And I'm going to finish the sucker in the grandest style I can.

So you can now read the first two chapters of Queen of the Iron Sands for free here. Keep an eye out on the author's website, as there should be weekly web installments for this new serial adventure!

James Barclay contest winner!

This lucky bastard will get his hands on a full set of ARCs of the US edition of James Barclay's Chronicles of the Raven, courtesy of me! The prize pack includes:

- Dawnthief (Canada, USA, Europe)

- Noonshade (Canada, USA, Europe)

- Nightchild (Canada, USA, Europe)

The winner is:

- Mario Mancini, from Detroit, Michigan, USA

Thanks to all the participants!

Win a copy of BY BLOOD WE LIVE, edited by John Joseph Adams

Thanks to the folks at Night Shade Books, I have three copies of By Blood We Live, edited by John Joseph Adams, for you to win. This anthology features vampire stories by some of the biggest names in speculative fiction: Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Anne Rice, Sergei Lukyanenko, Tad Williams, and more! For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Here's the blurb:

From Dracula to Buffy the Vampire Slayer; from Castlevania to Tru Blood, the romance between popular culture and vampires hearkens back to humanity's darkest, deepest fears, flowing through our very blood, fears of death, and life, and insatiable hunger. And yet, there is an attraction, undeniable, to the vampire archetype, whether the pale, wan European count, impeccably dressed and coldly masculine, yet strangely ambiguous, ready to sink his sharp teeth deep into his victims' necks, draining or converting them, or the vamp, the count's feminine counterpart, villain and victim in one, using her wiles and icy sexuality to corrupt man and woman alike...

Gathering together the best vampire literature of the last three decades from many of today's most renowned authors of fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror.

Edited by John Joseph Adams (WASTELANDS, THE LIVING DEAD), BY BLOOD WE LIVE is 200,000+ words of the best in vampire fiction. Thirsty? By Blood We Live will satisfy your darkest cravings...

Authors to be featured in By Blood We Live include: Kelley Armstrong, L. A. Banks, Elizabeth Bear, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Stephen King, Sergei Lukyanenko, Tanith Lee, Brian Lumley, Ken Macleod, Garth Nix, Anne Rice, Lilith Saintcrow, Harry Turtledove, Catherynne M. Valente, Carrie Vaughn, David Wellington, Tad Williams ...and many more.

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "VAMPIRE." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.

Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.

Good luck to all the participants!

The end of an era. . .

The Robert Jordan-dedicated website wotmania.com is shutting down today. . .

Though the Other Fantasy community sort of went down the crapper these last couple of years, I'm truly sad to see it go. Wotmania.com was the first place where I started lurking circa 2003 and 2004. And it's the very first message board where I became and official member.

The folks there provided me with so many great recommendations over the years, chief among them Steven Erikson and R. Scott Bakker (at a time when no one really knew who they were). They are also responsible for my discovering novels such as Robinson's The Years of Rice and Salt. And for that, I'll be eternally grateful.=)

Without their support early on, I might never have continued blogging. Without wotmania.com, there would be no Pat's Fantasy Hotlist.

So happy trails to everyone who was a wotmaniac! It's been a great couple of years, no question!

Jeff Somers contest winners!

Our three winners will get their hands on Jeff Somers' The Eternal Prison, courtesy of the nice folks at Orbit. For more info about this title: (Canada, USA, Europe).

If you haven't read them yet, don't miss out on the highly entertaining and action-packed The Electric Church ( Canada, USA, Europe) and The Digital Plague (Canada, USA, Europe)!

The winners are:

- Christoff Knudsen, from Brossard, Québec, Canada

- Michael Carter, from Nelson, British Columbia, Canada

- Ross Howarth, from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Thanks to all the participants!

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (August 25th)

In hardcover:

Lev Grossman's The Magicians debuts at number 9. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Sherrilyn Kenyon's Bad Moon Rising is down eleven spots, finishing its second week on the bestseller list at number 12.

Charlaine Harris' Dead and Gone is down three positions, ending its 15th week on the charts at number 13.

Stephenie Meyer's The Host is down three spots, finishing the week at number 19.

Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's The Winds of Dune is down nine positions, ending its second week on the prestigious list at number 24. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Angel's Game is down three positions, ending its ninth week on the bestseller list at number 32. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragons of the Hourglass Mage is down fifteen spots, finishing its second week on the NYT list at number 34. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

In paperback:

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Dead and Alive maintains its position, finishing its third week on the NYT list at number 2. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is down one position, ending its 20th week on the prestigious list at number 9.

Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind is down six spots, finishing the week at number 21. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's Paul of Dune debuts at number 25.

Charlaine Harris' eight Sookie Stackhouse novels are on the paperback bestseller list, ranking from number 3 to number 21.

Musical Interlude

Wild Side - Motley Crue


Ah, the Bad Boys of Rock and Roll!

Mötley Crüe was one of my favorite bands while I was growing up, and they were the first band I ever saw live. It was the Dr. Feelgood world tour at a sold out Montreal Forum.

I bought a T-shirt that said:

The Mother-fucking
Ass-Kicking
Ear-Splitting
Loudest Tour on Earth

Those were the days!!!:p

Joe Abercrombie's THE HEROES

Thanks to Ken for pointing this out. I'm sorry, Joe, but the vagaries of life make it hard for me to check your website every day. . .;-)

So here's the scoop on Abercrombie's forthcoming book, The Heroes, straight from the author himself:

Both because the action centres around a ring of standing stones called the Heroes, and because it's about heroism and that (meant semi-ironically, of course). It mostly takes place over the course of three days, and is the story of a single battle for control of the North. Think Lord of the Rings meets A Bridge Too Far, with a sprinkling of Band of Brothers and Generation Kill. It's about war, you get me? Principally it follows the (mis)adventures of six assorted persons on both sides and different levels of command, whose paths intersect during the course of the battle in various fateful, horrible, wonderful, surprisingly violent, surprisingly unviolent, and hilarious ways. With the Northmen: a veteran losing his nerve who just wants to keep his crew alive, an ex-Prince determined to claw his way back to power by any means necessary, a young lad determined to win a place in the songs for himself. With the Union: A depressive swordsman who used to be the king's bodyguard, a profiteering standard-bearer, and the venomously ambitious daughter of the Marshal in command. But of course a fair few familiar faces show up on both sides...

Head on out to Joe Abercrombie's website for the full story!

Meanwhile, if you haven't read it already, do give Best Served Cold (Canada, USA, Europe) a shot!

Win a copy of Troy Denning's STAR WARS: FATE OF THE JEDI: ABYSS

I'm giving away my review copy of Troy Denning's Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Abyss to one lucky winner! For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Here's the blurb:

Following a trail of clues across the galaxy, Luke Skywalker continues his quest to find the reasons behind Jacen Solo's dark downfall and to win redemption for the Jedi Order. Sojourning among the mysterious Aing-Tii monks has left Luke and his son Ben with no real answers, only the suspicion that the revelations they seek lie in the forbidden reaches of the distant Maw Cluster. There, hidden from the galaxy in a labyrinth of black holes, dwell the Mind Walkers: those whose power to transcend their bodies and be one with the Force is as seductive and intoxicating as it is potentially fatal. But it may be Luke's only path to the truth.

Meanwhile, on Coruscant, the war of wills between Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala and the Jedi Order is escalating. Outraged over the carbonite freezing of young Jedi Knights Valin and Jysella Horn after their inexplicable mental breakdowns, the Jedi are determined to defy Daala's martial tactics, override Council Master Kenth Hamner's wavering leadership, and deal on their own terms with the epidemic of madness preying on their ranks. As Han and Leia Solo, along with their daughter Jaina, join the fight to protect more stricken Knights from arrest, Jedi healers race to find a cure for the rapidly spreading affliction. But none of them realize the blaster barrel is already swinging in their direction-and Chief Daala is about to pull the trigger.

Nor do Luke and Ben, deep in the Maw Cluster and pushing their Force abilities beyond known limits, realize how close they are-to the Sith strike squad bent on exterminating the Skywalkers, to a nexus of dark-side energy unprecedented in its power and its hunger, and to an explosive confrontation between opposing wielders of the Force from which only one Master-good or evil-can emerge alive.

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "ABYSS." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.

Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.

Good luck to all the participants!

Scott Lynch's THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES Prologue

Scott Lynch updated his website for the first time in ages, and the prologue for his forthcoming The Republic of Thieves (Canada, USA, Europe) can now be downloaded for free!

Here's what Lynch had to say:

You asked politely. You asked impolitely. You sent death threats. You hired mercenaries. Well, they made their point very clear! Enjoy the prologue to The Republic of Thieves, and lay eyes on Sabetha Belacoros for the very first time.

So what are you waiting for!?! Get your ass over there following this link!

Here's to hoping that this will be a 2010 release. . .

A Weeping Czar Beholds the Fallen Moon

Speaking of Ken Scholes, you can now read a short story titled "A Weeping Czar Beholds the Fallen Moon" on tor.com. The short story is set in the same universe as Scholes' series The Psalms of Isaak. The illustration is by Gregory Manchess.

Here's a brief teaser:

Frederico leaned close to smell the poison on his thirteenth wife’s cold, dead lips. It tickled his nose and he resisted the strong desire to kiss her that suddenly overcame him.

That you might lose yourself from sadness by my lips, my husband and Czar, her open, glassy eyes promised him. He looked away, uncomfortable with her empty, inviting stare.

Behind him, the Minister of the Interior cleared his voice and spoke. “The cabinet feels it would be more stabilizing to consider this an assassination. Jazrel was a most popular wife.”

Frederico nodded. She had quite a following among the young girls in Espira, the region she represented, and this was a dance he knew. He’d been in this very room three years ago to watch them cut his ninth wife’s body down.

When Sasha had hung herself with a rope of knotted silk, six thousand young women in Borut had done the same to declare sisterhood with their region’s wife.

“Assassination,” he agreed. For a moment, he felt a stab of guilt when he thought about the young girls who spent their childhoods emulating his wives in the hopes that one day they would be chosen. I’ve robbed them of an ending, he thought.

He turned now to his Minister of Intelligence. “I assume you concur, Pyrus?”

“Yes, Lord Czar,” he answered. Pyrus was a large man, his beard and hair close cropped. He held the Czar and his tears in quiet disdain but Frederico did not fault him for this. Pyrus had climbed the ranks from private to general during the fifty-year war with their bloated southern neighbor, a nation of leftovers from the defunct Engmark Republic. He’d retired into his intelligence role, bringing an edge to it that only a soldier could bring. He was a hard man from hard times. He ran a hand through his hair. “We implicate the Lunar Resurgence,” he said.

Frederico’s eyes wandered back to his dead wife and he sighed. “And then host a Purging?” He looked up now, forcing himself to meet Pyrus’s eyes.

Pyrus nodded. “The black-coats are already lacquering their guns. We could put the Resurgence away quickly enough and be done with their idle mysticism.”

The Czar contemplated this. He glanced back to his dead wife, Jazrel, and sighed again. “I suppose it would be timely,” he finally said.

But not even the thought of a Purging could lift his downcast spirit.

Read the full story here.

And to learn more about the author and his work, check out Scholes' website.

Win a copy of Ken Scholes' LAMENTATION

I have three copies of the mass market paperback edition of Ken Scholes' fantasy debut, Lamentation, up for grabs, compliments of Tor Books. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Here's the blurb:

An ancient weapon has completely destroyed the city of Windwir. From many miles away, Rudolfo, Lord of the Nine Forest Houses, sees the horrifying column of smoke rising. He knows that war is coming to the Named Lands.

Nearer to the Devastation, a young apprentice is the only survivor of the city – he sat waiting for his father outside the walls, and was transformed as he watched everyone he knew die in an instant.

Soon all the Kingdoms of the Named Lands will be at each others' throats, as alliances are challenged and hidden plots are uncovered.

This remarkable first novel from an award-winning short fiction writer will take readers away to a new world – an Earth so far in the distant future that our time is not even a memory; a world where magick is commonplace and great areas of the planet are impassable wastes. But human nature hasn’t changed through the ages: War and faith and love still move princes and nations.

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "ISAAK." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.

Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.

Good luck to all the participants!

Upcoming SFF cover art

Here's a medley of a number of covers for forthcoming SFF novels. . .:-)

Steven Erikson contest winners!

Each winner will receive a complimentary copy of Steven Erikson's Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, courtesy of the folks at Tor Books! For more info about this title: USA, Europe.

This omnibus contains three novellas:

- Blood Follows (Canada, USA, Europe)

- The Lees of Laughter's End (Canada, USA, Europe)

- The Healthy Dead (Canada, USA, Europe)

The winners are:

- Colin Mogg, from Plattsburg, Missouri, USA

- Peter Butt, from Dover, New Hampshire, USA

- Bryce Lee, from Murray, Utah, USA (Seak on sffworld.com)

- Joe Scanlon, from Ripon, Wisconsin, USA

- Cory Reffett, from Evansville, Indiana, USA (End of Disc One on malazanempire.com)

Thanks to all the participants!

Live Chat with Lev Grossman

New York Times bestselling writer Lev Grossman, author of the critically acclaimed The Magicians (Canada, USA, Europe), will be answering questions during a live chat on Wednesday, August 26th, from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, at Penguin's Water Cooler Site.

This is the man who dubbed George R. R. Martin "the American Tolkien." GRRM introduced me to Grossman on our way to the BwB party at Worldcon earlier this month.

Here's the blurb for The Magicians:

Quentin Coldwater is a brilliant but unhappy young man growing up in Brooklyn, NY. At 17, he remains obsessed with the fantasy novels he read as a child, set in the magical land of Fillory. One day, returning home from a college interview gone awry, he finds himself whisked to Brakebills, an exclusive college for wizards hidden in upstate New York. And so begins THE MAGICIANS, the thrilling and original novel of fantasy and disenchantment by Lev Grossman, author of the international bestseller Codex and book critic for TIME magazine (Viking; On-Sale: August 11, 2009).

At Brakebills, Quentin learns to cast spells. He makes friends and falls in love. He transforms into animals and gains powers of which he never dreamed. Still, magic doesn’t bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he thought it would, and four years later, he finds himself back in Manhattan, living an aimless, hedonistic existence born of apathy, boredom and the ability to conjure endless sums of money out of thin air.

One afternoon, hung over and ruing some particularly foolish behavior, Quentin is surprised by the sudden arrival of his Brakebills friend and rival Penny, who announces that Fillory is real. This news promises to finally fulfill Quentin’s yearning, but their journey turns out to be darker and more dangerous than Quentin could have imagined. His childhood dream is a nightmare with a shocking truth at its heart.

At once psychologically piercing and magnificently absorbing, THE MAGICIANS pays intentional homage to the beloved fantasy novels of C. S. Lewis, T.H. White and J.K. Rowling, but does much more than enlarge the boundaries of conventional fantasy writing. By imagining magic as practiced by real people, with their capricious desires and volatile emotions, Grossman creates an utterly original world in which good and evil aren’t black and white, love and sex aren’t simple or innocent, and power comes at a terrible price.

To learn more about the novel, check out http://www.themagiciansbook.com/.

Glen Cook contest winners!

Thanks to the cool folks at Tor Books, our winners will receive a copy of Glen Cook's latest Black Company omnibus, The Return of the Black Company. This omnibus is comprised of Bleak Seasons and She is the Darkness. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

The winners are:

- Christopher Vincent, from Ithaca, New York, USA

- Dave Dempsey, from Centennial, Colorado, USA (DaveyD on Robin Hobb's sff.net Newsgroup)

- Mike Leach, from Norton, Ohio, USA

- Wanda Bergman, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

- John Lohman, from Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Many thanks to all the participants!

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2009

This series replaced the old Lonely Planet's Bluelist travel books, but they remain pretty similar in style and format. I reckon the title, Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2009: 850 Trends, Destinations, Journeys & Experiences for the Year Ahead, is a bit more evocative and makes the book stand out on the shelves a lot more.

Whether you're an avid backpacker/budget traveler, or someone who loves to travel vicariously through other people's adventures, this Lonely Planet publication is definitely for you. The 2010 edition will be released in November, this time in hardcover format.

Whether you are in the mood to be inspired, or you simply want to let your mind wander to far-off countries without leaving the comfort of your living room, Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2009 will scratch that itch! Of course, this being a Lonely Planet title, its target audience ain't the sort of people whose idea of traveling means booking a tour with Cosmos.

As is always the case, you may or may not agree with which countries, regions, cities, yada yada yada, made the cut for each list found in the book. Case in point, the Top 10 countries to visit in 2009: Algeria, Bangladesh, Canada, Georgia, Greenland, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Peru, Rwanda, and Sierre Leone. Told you it wasn't for the Cosmos crowd!

After introducing each country, the entry is broken down into a number of sections such as "Defining Experience," "Recent Fad," "Festivals and Events," "Life-Changing Experiences," "Random Facts," "Hot Topic of the Day," "What's Hot?" "What's Not?" and "Most Bizarre Sight."

The Top 10 regions to visit in 2009: Basque Country (France and Spain), Bay of Fire (Tasmania, Australia), the Islands of Chiloé (Chile), The Big Island in Hawaii, Ko Tao (Thailand), Languedoc (France), Nam Ha National Protected Area (Laos), San Andrés & Providencia (Colombia), Svalbard (Norway), and Yunnan (China). Once again, each entry is broken down in similar sections.

The Top 10 cities to visit in 2009: Antwerp (Belgium), Beirut (Lebanon), Chicago (USA), Glasgow (Scotland), Lisbon (Portugal), Mexico City (Mexico), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Shanghai (China), Warsaw (Poland), and Zürich (Switzerland).

Now, for the life of me I keep wondering how Zürich has been ending up on basically every such list in the last couple of years? Switzerland is a gorgeous country and I would love to go back. But Zürich ain't nothing to write home about!

The rest of the book is divided into an ensemble of disparate lists that range from "Most Spine-Tingling Commute," to "Best Places for Deadly Sins," to "Best Places to Steal a Kiss," to "Best Big Trips," to "Lost Cities of the World," to "Most Extreme Ancient Sites," and many more. A good portion of the book is devoted to "Water: The Ultimate Traveller." The last section contains world profiles for every single country around the globe.

All in all, a work that is as entertaining as it is interesting. Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2009: 850 Trends, Destinations, Journeys & Experiences for the Year Ahead is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to travel!

One thing I've learned and could not believe: In late 2007 Bill Gates was initially denied a tourist visa for Nigeria on the grounds that he might stay and prove a strain on the welfare system! I kid you not!

For more info about this title: (Canada, USA, Europe)

DUNE contest winners!

Both winners will receive an autographed copy of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's The Winds of Dune, as well as a Dune B&W string backpack, compliments of the kind folks at Tor Books. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

The winners are:

- Karyn Coffey, from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA

- Megan Tursi, from Eatontown, New Jersey, USA

Thanks to all the participants!

Another interview with Yours Truly!

This marks the third time I've been officially interviewed, and it always feels weird to realize that some people are actually interested in discovering what I have to say. . .

Peter William from Ubiquitous Absence is the culprit this time around. So blame him for what you are about to read! A number of topics are broached, among them Mystar and other Goodkind fuckwit fans, brown-nosing bloggers, Pat's Fantasy Hotlist, Lemmings of Discord, wankers, YA, quality blogs, the upcoming NFL season, yada yada yada. If the drivel you see posted here every day is not enough, then head on out here to read the full Q&A.:-)

I'm aware that this one will ruffle a few feathers. . . But hey, it wouldn't be fun otherwise, right!?!

For more sleep-inducing material, you can check out the first and second Q&A I've done in 2007 and 2008.

Enjoy!;-)

On the Horizon. . .

Since some of you are always curious to know what I'm considering reading next, here's a list of books that now find themselves on top of the pile:

- Child of Fire by Harry Connolly (Canada, USA, Europe)

Ray Lilly is living on borrowed time. He’s the driver for Annalise Powliss, a high-ranking member of the Twenty Palace Society, a group of sorcerers devoted to hunting down and executing rogue magicians. But because Ray betrayed her once, Annalise is looking for an excuse to kill him–or let someone else do the job.

Unfortunately for both of them, Annalise’s next mission goes wrong, leaving her critically injured. With the little magic he controls, Ray must complete her assignment alone. Not only does he have to stop a sorcerer who’s sacrificing dozens of innocent lives in exchange for supernatural power, he must find–and destroy–the source of that inhuman magic.

- Imager's Challenge by L. E. Modesitt, jr. (Canada, USA, Europe)

Imager’s Challenge takes up immediately after the conclusion of Imager. Still recovering from injuries received in foiling the plots of the Ferran envoy, Rhenn is preparing to take up his new duties as imager liaison to the Civic Patrol of L’Excelsis. No sooner has he assumed his new position than he discovers two things. First, the Commander of the Civic Patrol doesn’t want a liaison from the infamous Collegium, and soon has Rhenn patrolling the streets of the worst district in the city. Second, Rhenn receives formal notice that one of the High Holders, the father of a man Rhenn partly blinded in self-defense, has declared his intention to destroy Rhenn and his family.

Rhenn’s only allies are the family of the girl he loves, successful merchants with underworld connections. In the end, Rhenn must literally stand off against gang lords, naval marines, Tiempran terrorist priests, the most powerful High Holder in all of Solidar, and his own Collegium—and find a way to prevail without making further enemies and endangering those he loves.

- The Golden City by John Twelve Hawks (Canada, USA, Europe)

John Twelve Hawks's previous novels about the mystical Travelers and the Brethren, their ruthless enemies, generated an extraordinary following around the world. The Washington Post wrote that The Traveler “portrays a Big Brother with powers far beyond anything Orwell could imagine . . .” and Publishers Weekly hailed the series as “a saga that's part A Wrinkle in Time, part The Matrix and part Kurosawa epic.” Internet chat rooms and blogs have overflowed with speculation about the final destiny of the richly imagined characters fighting an epic battle beneath the surface of our modern world.

In The Golden City, Twelve Hawks delivers the climax to his spellbinding epic. Struggling to protect the legacy of his Traveler father, Gabriel faces troubling new questions and relentless threats. His brother Michael, now firmly allied with the enemy, pursues his ambition to wrest power from Nathan Boone, the calculating leader of the Brethren. And Maya, the Harlequin warrior pledged to protect Gabriel at all costs, is forced to make a choice that will change her life forever.

A riveting blend of high-tech thriller and fast-paced adventure, The Golden City will delight Twelve Hawks's many fans and attract a new audience to the entire trilogy.

- Sasha by Joel Shepherd (Canada, USA, Europe)

Spurning her royal heritage to be raised by the great warrior, Kessligh, her exquisite swordplay astonishes all who witness it. But Sasha is still young, untested in battle and often led by her rash temper. In the complex world of Lenayin loyalties, her defiant wilfulness is attracting the wrong kind of attention.

Lenayin is a land almost divided by its two faiths: the Verenthane of the ruling classes and the pagan Goeren-yai, amongst whom Sasha now lives. The Goeren-yai worship swordplay and honour and begin to see Sasha as the great spirit—the Synnich—who will unite them. But Sasha is still searching for what she believes and must choose her side carefully.

When the Udalyn people—the symbol of Goeren-yai pride and courage—are attacked, Sasha will face her moment of testing. How will she act? Is she ready to lead? Can she be the saviour they need her to be?

- Peter & Max by Bill Willingham (Canada, USA, Europe)

Set in the imaginative realm of the award-winning comic book series FABLES, PETER and MAX is a stand-alone prose novel – the first ever published starring FABLES characters!

Long ago, in the deepest dark of The Black Forest, two brothers – Peter Piper and his older brother Max - encountered ominous forces that changed them both irreparably. Thus begins an epic tale of sibling rivalry, magic, music and revenge that spans medieval times to the present day, when their deadly conflict surfaces in the placid calm of modern day Fabletown.

PETER and MAX: A FABLES NOVEL features the deft prose of award-winning comic book writer Bill Willingham and lush ink spot illustrations from FABLES artist Steve Leialoha. The novel also reveals secrets of some of the regular FABLES series cast members including Bigby Wolf, Frau Totenkinder and Bo Peep. Included as well is an 8-page bonus sequential comic story by Willingham and Leialoha that serves as a bridge to the FABLES graphic novel collections.

In between some of these novels, I'll probably fit S. L. Farrell's A Magic of Nightfall (Canada, USA, Europe), which has been awaiting my attention for too long. . .

Win an Advance Reading Copy of Ken Scholes' CANTICLE

There was a mix-up and I received two ARCs for Ken Scholes' Canticle. So I'm giving away one of them to one of you! For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Here's the blurb:

Come back to the Named Lands in this compelling sequel to Ken Scholes amazing novel Lamentation.

It is nine months after the end of the previous book. Many noble allies have come to the Ninefold Forest for a Feast in honor of General Rudolfo’s first-born child. Jin Li Tam, his wife and mother of his heir, lies in childbed.

As the feast begins, the doors of the hall fly open and invisible assassins begin attacking. All of Rudolfo’s noble guests are slain, including Hanric, the Marsh Queen’s Shadow. And on the Keeper’s Gate, which guards the Named Lands from the Churning Waste, a strange figure appears, with a message for Petronus, the Hidden Pope.

Thus begins the second movement of The Psalms of Isaak, Canticle.

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "PETRONUS." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.

Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.

Good luck to all the participants!

James Cameron's AVATAR teaser trailer

Holy crap, it looks as though Cameron is back, kicking some serious ass!

It's been years since a trailer has left me wanting more like this! Roll on December!:-)

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (August 18th)

In hardcover:

Sherrilyn Kenyon's Bad Moon Rising debuts at number 1.

Charlaine Harris' Dead and Gone is up one, ending its 14th week on the charts at number 10.

Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's The Winds of Dune debuts at number 15. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Stephenie Meyer's The Host is down four spots, finishing the week at number 16.

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragons of the Hourglass Mage debuts at number 19. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Angel's Game is down eleven positions, ending its 8th week on the bestseller list at number 29. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Harry Turtledove's Hitler's War debuts at number 35.

In paperback:

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Dead and Alive is down one spot, finishing its second week on the NYT list at number 2. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies maintains its position, ending its 19th week on the prestigious list at number 8.

Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind is up two spots, finishing the week at number 15. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Charlaine Harris' eight Sookie Stackhouse novels are on the paperback bestseller list, ranking from number 8 to number 22.

HBO casting news for GRRM's A GAME OF THRONES

Seven new cast members have been added to the roster. From The Hollywood Reporter:

HBO is filling out the cast of its fantasy pilot "Game of Thrones" with the addition of former "New Amsterdam" star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and several others.

The group joins the previously cast lead Sean Bean as battle-weary Ned Stark, who leaves his home to serve the king. Mark Addy, Kit Harrington, Jennifer Ehle, Jack Gleeson, Peter Dinklage and Harry Lloyd also star.

In the adaptation of the George R.R. Martin fantasy-book series, Coster-Waldau will play Jaime Lannister, one of the king's guards and a ruthless usurper of the previous king. The actor, most recently seen in Ron Moore's Fox pilot "Virtuality," is repped by WME, Impression and Independent Talent Group.

Another addition is Tamzin Merchant (Showtime's "The Tudors"), who'll play Daenerys, an exiled teenage princess.

Also new to the cast: Richard Madden ("Hope Springs") as Stark's eldest son, Robb; Iain Glen ("Into the Storm") as Ser Jorah Mormont, a disgraced knight; Alfie Allen ("The Other Boleyn Girl") as Theon, Stark's young ward; Sophie Turner ("Doctor Who"), as Stark's eldest daughter, Sansa; Maisie Williams as Stark's young tomboy daughter, Arya.

The group joins the previously cast lead Sean Bean as battle-weary Ned Stark who leaves his home to serve the king, Mark Addy, Kit Harrington, Jennifer Ehle, Jack Gleeson, Peter Dinklage and Harry Lloyd.

HBO still has a few more roles to fill in the large ensemble cast of "Thrones," one of the more buzzed-about titles on the premium network's development slate. The pilot shoots in Ireland in October.

David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Guymon Casady, Carolyn Strauss, Vincent Gerardis and Martin are executive producing.

Things are definitely moving now!:-)

CLOCKWORK PHOENIX 2 contest winners!

Both winners will receive a complimentary copy of the anthology Clockwork Phoenix 2, edited by Mike Allen, courtesy of the folks at Norilana Books. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

The winners are:

- Chalene Wibberley, from Hawthorne, California, USA

- Shellie Nunn, from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

Many thanks to all the participants!

Win a set of James Barclay's Chronicles of the Raven

James Barclay made a name for himself on the other side of the Atlantic with the Chronicles of the Raven, which will be published in the USA by Pyr this fall. Hence, I'm giving away my full set of ARCs to one lucky winner! The prize pack includes:

- Dawnthief (Canada, USA, Europe)

The Raven: six men and an elf, sword for hire in the wars that have torn apart Balaia.

For years their loyalty has been only to themselves and their code.

But, that time is over. The Wytch Lords have escaped and The Raven find themselves fighting for the Dark College of magic, searching for the location of Dawnthief. It is a spell created to end the world, and it must be cast if any of them are to survive.

- Noonshade (Canada, USA, Europe)

Now the land of Balaia, still riven by war, must live with the consequences. The Dawnthief spell—designed to destroy the world, but cast to save it—has torn a hole in the sky, a pathway into the dragon dimension, and, through it, unfriendly eyes are turning to Balaia.

With war already sweeping the land, there are no armies to send against the dragons. All that stands between Balaia and complete dominion by these tyrannous beasts is a tiny, but legendary band of mercenaries: The Raven. And if they fail, Balaia will fall beneath the wings of countless dragons...

- Nightchild (Canada, USA, Europe)

There Is A New Power Coming. It will sweep aside the four colleges of magic. It is the power of the land, and it has manifested itself in Lyanna, a five year old girl. Unknowingly, she could destroy Balaia.

Desperate to maintain their power, the colleges will do anything to control the child. If that fails, they will kill her.

Terrified, Lyanna's mother, Erienne the mage, takes her into hiding. But they can't hide forever. As the hunt goes on, Lyanna starts to test her powers and nature itself begins to turn on Balaia.

Her father, Denser of The Raven, is also desperate to find her. But can even The Raven find Erienne and her child when they do not want to be found? And if they do find them, what then should they do? Lyanna is ripping the world apart. Thousands are dying. Can The Raven afford to let her live?

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "RAVEN." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.

Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.

Good luck to all the participants!

Adrian Tchaikovsky contest winner!

This lucky bastard will receive my review copy of Adrian Tchaikovsky's Blood of the Mantis! For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

The winner is:

- Humberto Ramirez, from Mexico City, Mexico

Another giveaway which will cost me an arm and a leg in shipping charges. . . Why can't winners be closer to home when I give away my own stuff!?! At least it's not in Asia this time! Please consider buying stuff through the Amazon links I post, for that's what's paying for the shipping of these prizes. . .:-)

Thanks to all the participants!

David Weber contest winners!

Our three winners will get their hands on a set of David Weber's Safehold series, compliments of the folks at Tor Books! The prize pack includes:

- Off Armageddon Reef (Canada, USA, Europe)

- By Schism Rent Asunder (Canada, USA, Europe)

- By Heresies Distressed (Canada, USA, Europe)

The winners are:

- Robert Hedin, from Tampa, Florida, USA

- Jake Di Toro, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

- Amanda Makepeace, from Watkinsville, Georgia, USA

Thanks to all the participants!

Lamentation

Ken Scholes' Lamentation was heralded as one of the most anticipated fantasy debuts of 2009. Mixed reviews followed the novel's publication, yet overall the buzz has been on the positive side. Though this one was released in February, for some reason it remained on my "books to read" pile since then. When I received an ARC for its sequel, Canticle (Canada, USA, Europe), it dawned upon me that it was time to give Lamentation a shot.

When the ancient words of Xhum Y'zir's Seven Cacophonic Deaths are recited in the central square of Windwir, the forbidden magic unleashed wipes out the greatest repository of knowledge in the world. The devastation kills thousands of men, women, and children, and decimates the Androfrancine religious order. Aware that the Desolation of Windwir means that war will soon engulf the Named Lands, Rudolfo, Lord of the Ninefold Forest Houses, rides toward the gigantic column of smoke, knowing that he is too late. Sethbert, Overseer of the Entrolusian City States, is planning to use the chaos to gain dominion over the Named Lands. As the power struggle ensues and kingdoms are marching to war, schemes are unveiled and alliances shattered. Against this backdrop, the future of the Androfrancine's vast wealth of knowledge and the very future of the Named Lands will be determined.

The worldbuilding is definitely this novel's strongest aspect. I liked how technological magic has more or less vanished from the world, and how an organized religion like the Androfrancine order spent centuries digging in the Churning Wastes to recover and restore lost knowledge. The mechoservitors are a nice touch, no doubt about it. In addition, the far-reaching political machinations of Vald Li Tam hint at much more depth than meets the eye.

In terms of characterization, Scholes created a host of likeable men and women. Every chapter is separated into POV sections, which works quite well throughout. My only complaint would have to be that all the main characters appear to be way too smart, with everything around them falling into place almost too easily. That's especially true with Rudolfo, Petronus, and Jin Li Tam. It does stretch the limits of credibility and realism at times, and readers who can get past that might find the entire novel sort of off-putting. Neb's storyline, on the other hand, was quite unpredictable and engaging, and it's obvious the author has a lot more in store for him for the rest of the series.

Following a somewhat slow start, Ken Scholes set a good pace, making Lamentation, weighing in at 366 pages, a relatively fast read. With cool concepts, endearing characters, and a panoply of plotlines, Lamentation is a strong debut. Not in the same category as Patrick Rothfuss, Scott Lynch, or Naomi Novik, but a quality read nonetheless.

Canticle will be published in October by Tor Books, and The Psalms of Isaak will be comprised of three additional installments. Scholes' Lamentation will be out in mass market paperback in a few short weeks, so keep an eye out for it.

It's too early to tell just how good a fantasy series The Psalms of Isaak will turn out to be. But based on the potential displayed by Lamentation, it shows great promise. Only time will tell. . .

The final verdict: 7.5/10

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe