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You can now download Tamsyn Muir's Undercover 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:

When a stranger comes to town, secrets are sure to come out. New York Times bestselling author Tamsyn Muir spins a twisty—and twisted—short story of revenge and survival.

A fresh-faced newcomer arrives in an isolated, gang-run town and soon finds herself taking a job nobody else wants: bodyguard to a ghoul. Not just your average mindless, half-rotted shuffler, though. Lucille is a dancer who can still put on her own lipstick and whose shows are half burlesque, half gladiator match. But the stranger is no stranger to this particular ghoul. Both women are undercover in their own way. And both have something to lose if their connection comes to light.


Quote of the Day

If blood defined family—and it did, in the South—oaths defined men.

- MICHELLE WEST, The Sun Sword

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

Almost done with this one and it's glorious! =)

The Riven Shield


I have to admit that I was a bit concerned about this one, because it is essentially the first half of what was meant to be the final volume in the series. When West reached 2000 manuscript pages, she knew she was in trouble and got in touch with her publisher. Instead of trying to cut 600 pages' worth of material, it was decided that the novel would be split into two books. Hence, The Riven Shield and the sixth and final installment, The Sun Sword.

I was concerned, for splitting a manuscript in two doesn't necessarily mean that the first half would stand that well on its own. Moreover, would it have its own sort of ending? Michelle West has proven time and again that she knows how to end a book with style and aplomb. And with the author somehow finding a way to elevate her game yet again, and thus making Sea of Sorrows the best installment so far, could The Riven Shield deliver like its predecessors?

Well, I'm pleased to report that it does! The endgame and the finale may not be as rousing as the previous ones, but this fifth volume turned out to be more self-contained than I thought it would be.

Here's the blurb:

The fifth novel of the acclaimed Sun Sword series returns to a war-torn world of noble houses divided and demon lords unleashed…

Valedan kai di’Leonne, last survivor of the ruling clan of the Dominion, has forged an alliance with his people’s ancestral enemies, the Northern armies of the Essalieyan Empire. Though young and untried, he has also won the support of Dominion Tyr’agnate Ramiro di’Callesta. Whether he can now do the impossible, and bring Tyr’agnate Mareo di’Lamberto over to his side, remains to be seen. Even with such powerful backers, if Valedan can’t gain possession of the Sun Sword and survive the wielding of it, all will be lost…

Jewel of House Terafin has joined forces with the Voyani, bringing with her the legendary Warlord, Avandar, the bard-assassin, Kallandras, and Lord Celleriant of the Winter Queen’s court. Hunted by the demonic Kialli, they will be hard pressed to escape from the Sea of Sorrows and link up with Valedan’s troops…

In Averalaan, House Terafin is on the brink of a bloody dynastic war—and Jewel’s den is caught in deadly political infighting within the House, forced by command of the Terafin herself to take on the most difficult roles of their lives…

Kiriel, child of the Lord of Darkness and a mortal woman, also must face the greatest challenge of her life, torn between the conflicting demands of her father’s demonic realm and her human heritage…

The Kialli demon lords and their human allies are banding together, too, readying to sweep down upon the Northern armies in a devastating campaign of terror and destruction that will either see peace restored or all the furies of the Hells and the Lord of Darkness himself released upon the world…


I've said it before and I'll say it again: Structurally, it often feels as though six volumes were not enough to recount the full tale Michelle West wanted to tell. On the positive side of things, this means that her editor forced West to keep a lid of things, so to speak, thus preventing her from getting lost in the mire of extraneous plot threads that plagued portions of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, Steven Erikson's The Malazan Book of the Fallen, and Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive. On the other hand, it forces the author to juggle with several storylines, all of them important in the greater scheme of things, and somehow write them in a way that creates an interesting and cohesive whole. Alas, that is easier said than done. The great finales of both The Shining Court and Sea of Sorrows set the stage for bigger and better things to come. Sadly, since the bulk of those novels takes place in the Dominion, West is forced to backtrack and elaborate on the events that concurrently took place in the Essalieyan Empire. This wouldn't be so bad if it still held some importance in the current series. However, the bulk of those scenes, and they amount to hundreds of pages spread out throughout the six volumes, mostly exist to lay the groundwork for the subsequent House War series. Which is why such sequences involving the Terafin household and Jewel's den always feel somewhat discordant and superfluous. They'll be extremely important later on, but they serve little purpose in The Sun Sword.

The worldbuilding was already impressive and Sea of Sorrows raised the bar to another level. In my previous reviews, I claimed that there was a depth to Michelle West's universe that rivals that of Tolkien, Erikson, and Bakker. Now I'm starting to believe that she might surpass them all in that regard. How she managed to up her game with each new installment, I have no idea. And the House War series promises to add yet more threads to this complex and enthralling tapestry. The Riven Shield continues to build on the storylines of its predecessors, adding layers upon layers to an already convoluted plot that should satisfy even the most demanding fantasy aficionados.

Weighing in at 877 pages, The Riven Shield is no slender volume. Like The Shining Court and Sea of Sorrows, it is another sprawling book that covers a lot of plot threads and locales. And yet, unlike the last two volumes, it is not as tightly written. This one is more akin to The Broken Crown in terms of rhythm. There are some pacing issues, most of which having to do with the Terafin plotline and the drawn-out attempt by two canny Serras to establish a truce between Mareo di’Lamberto and Ramiro di’Callesta so that the true Leonne heir and his forces might triumph over the armies of the Lord of Night and save the Dominion. Having said that, I was still fascinated by how two supposedly powerless wives to two of the most powerful men in the South were able to pull some strings, as it were, in an attempt to influence their husbands as war reaches their borders. It was overwritten and overdone to a certain degree, but it was by no means boring. Political intrigue has been at the heart of this series and it was great to see the love and respect that both men have for their wives and how this could perhaps change the course of their lives and that of those men, women, and children under their rule.

Once again, the characterization is top notch. À la Robin Hobb and Jacqueline Carey, Michelle West continues to flesh out a cast of endearing and fascinating three-dimensional characters. I was a bit sad to say goodbye to Margret and the Arkosa Voyani, but war has finally come to the Dominion and it was time for Teresea, Diora, Kallandras, Yollana, Jewel, Avandar, and their companions to move on. Kiriel, Auralis and the Ospreys, Valedan, Serra Alina, Ramiro kai di'Callesta, Meralonne APhaniel, and Ser Anton di'Guivera all return as the endgame begins. As mentioned, Serra Donna en’Lamberto and Serra Amara en’Callesta proved themselves to be significant players in the decision of whose army their husbands would support in the coming conflict. Anya, the poor deranged girl who's also the most powerful mage born since the fall of the Cities of Man, returns as well. Yollana, the old Matriarch of the Havalla Voyani clan, continues to play a far-reaching role as the story unfolds. The Radann Marakas par el’Sol, due to both past and present circumstances, turned out to be more important than I thought he would be. Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't say how much Teresa's storyline, by seemingly reaching its end in the greater scheme of things, is both poignant and gut-wrenching.

Even if the finale cannot match those of The Shining Court and Sea of Sorrows, which were next level, the author nevertheless weaves the various plotlines of her tale together and make them come together in another thrilling ending. The war has begun and there's no turning back.

Do yourself a favor and read The Sun Sword. If you relish detailed worldbuilding, multilayered storylines, and powerful characterization, Michelle West will amaze you!

The final verdict: 9/10

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

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You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Nicholas Eames' Kings of the Wyld 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:

GLORY NEVER GETS OLD.

Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best, the most feared and renowned crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld.

Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk, or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay's door with a plea for help--the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for.

It's time to get the band back together.

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You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Kristen Britain's Green Rider, first volume in the NYT bestselling Green Rider series, for only 4.99$ 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, First Rider's Call, is also on sale.

Here's the blurb:

On her long journey home from school after a fight which will surely lead to her expulsion, Karigan G'ladheon ponders her future as she trudges through the immense forest called Green Cloak. But her thoughts are interrupted by a galloping horse bursting from the woods, its rider impaled by two black-shafted arrows.

As the young man lies dying on the road, he tells Karigan he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary messengers of King Zachary. Before he dies, he makes Karigan swear to deliver the "life and death" message he’s carrying and to complete his mission "for love of her country." The man gives her his green coat, with the symbolic brooch of his office, bestowing upon Karigan the title of Green Rider and changing her life forever. Caught up in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand, Karigan is hounded by dark beings bent on seeing that the message, and its reluctant carrier, never reach their destination.

Green Rider is the first installment of the acclaimed Green Rider series.

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You can now download Kameron Hurley's Future Artifacts: Stories for only 6.99$ 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:

Brutal. Devastating. Dangerous.

Join an investigation into a cruel and heartless leader … crawl through filth and mud to escape biological warfare … team up with time-traveling soldiers faced with potentially life-altering instructions.

Kameron Hurley, award-winning author and expert in the future of war and resistance movements, has created eighteen exhilarating tales giving glimpses into the warfare of tomorrow.

A bleak future, yet there is hope for us. With Hurley’s characteristic grim optimism, her characters fight for what they believe is right. They exhibit degrees of humanity only possible in the worst of circumstances. It is these characters, driven by a murky sense of honor and written with sincere, deep empathy, that make Future Artifacts: Stories a powerful collection you won’t soon forget.

Contains the following stories:

Sky Boys
Overdark
The Judgement of Gods and Monsters
Broker of Souls
The One We Feed
Corpse Soldier
Levianthan
Unblooded
The Skulls of Our Fathers
Body Politic
We Burn
Antibodies
The Traiter Lords
Wonder Maul Doll
Our Prisoners, the Stars
The Body Remembers
Moontide
Citizens of Elsewhen


Quote of the Day

A moment of pain passed between them, shared, and lessened in some way by the sharing. Loss did that; it strengthened or it weakened, but it never quite left you the same.

- MICHELLE WEST, The Sun Sword

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

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (April 30th)

In paperback:
 
V.E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue debuts at number 9.

Quote of the Day

In the South, we accept this as truth: Allies are enemies who stand beside you, rather than behind you. The ally who stands at your back is either Tyran, or a man with a dagger. But allies have their own plans, and their own goals, not all of which involve your survival.

- MICHELLE WEST, The Sun Sword

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

575 pages into this one and it's evident now that the book is a slow burn gradually building up to the finale.

I can't say that I mind, for Michelle West continues to bring threads together, tying up loose ends and elevating her game as she goes on.

I gain more respect for this author with each new chapter I read. . .

After reviewing books for nearly 2 decades, I thought myself a bit jaded and didn't think I could be amazed in such a way anymore. It's nice to stand corrected. =)

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You can now download R. Scott Bakker's The Darkness That Comes Before 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 score of centuries has passed since the First Apocalypse. The No-God has been vanquished and the thoughts of men have turned, inevitably, to more worldly concerns...Drusas Achamian, tormented by 2,000 year old nightmares, is a sorcerer and a spy, constantly seeking news of an ancient enemy that few believe still exists. Ikurei Conphas, nephew to the Nansur Emperor, is the Exalt-General of the Imperial Army and a military genius. He plots to conquer the known world for his Emperor and dreams of the throne for himself. Maithanet, mysterious and charismatic, is spiritual leader of the Thousand Temples. He seeks a Holy War to cleanse the land of the infidel. Cnaiur, Chieftain of the Utemot, is a Scylvendi barbarian. Rejected by his people, he seeks vengeance against the former slave who slew his father, and disgraced him in the eyes of his tribe. Into this world steps Anasurimbor Kellhus, the product of two thousand years of breeding and a lifetime of training in the ways of thought, limb, and face. Steering souls through the subtleties of word and expression, he slowly binds all - man and woman, emperor and slave - to his own mysterious ends. But the fate of men - even great men - means little when the world itself may soon be torn asunder. Behind the politics, beneath the imperialist expansion, amongst the religious fervour, a dark and ancient evil is reawakening. After two thousand years, the No-God is returning. The Second Apocalypse is nigh. And one cannot raise walls against what has been forgotten...

Quote of the Day

“You do not understand that death is the Dominion. The deaths that you order. The deaths that you offer. The deaths that you withhold. You cannot hope to keep what you seek to gain if you do not learn to kill.”

- MICHELLE WEST, The Sun Sword

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

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You can now download Miles Cameron's Cold Iron 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 young mage-in-training takes up the sword and is unwittingly pulled into a violent political upheaval, in the first book of this epic fantasy trilogy by Miles Cameron, author of The Red Knight.

Aranthur is a promising young mage. But the world is not safe and after a confrontation leaves him no choice but to display his skill with a blade, Aranthur is instructed to train under a renowned Master of Swords.

During his intensive training he begins to question the bloody life he's chosen. And while studying under the Master, he finds himself thrown into the middle of a political revolt that will impact everyone he's come to know.

To protect his friends, Arnathur will be forced to decide if he can truly follow the Master of Swords into a life of violence and cold-hearted commitment to the blade.

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You can now download China Miéville's Perdido Street Station 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:

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from China Mieville’s Embassytown.

Beneath the towering bleached ribs of a dead, ancient beast lies New Crobuzon, a squalid city where humans, Re-mades, and arcane races live in perpetual fear of Parliament and its brutal militia. The air and rivers are thick with factory pollutants and the strange effluents of alchemy, and the ghettos contain a vast mix of workers, artists, spies, junkies, and whores. In New Crobuzon, the unsavory deal is stranger to none—not even to Isaac, a brilliant scientist with a penchant for Crisis Theory.

Isaac has spent a lifetime quietly carrying out his unique research. But when a half-bird, half-human creature known as the Garuda comes to him from afar, Isaac is faced with challenges he has never before fathomed. Though the Garuda's request is scientifically daunting, Isaac is sparked by his own curiosity and an uncanny reverence for this curious stranger.

While Isaac's experiments for the Garuda turn into an obsession, one of his lab specimens demands attention: a brilliantly colored caterpillar that feeds on nothing but a hallucinatory drug and grows larger—and more consuming—by the day. What finally emerges from the silken cocoon will permeate every fiber of New Crobuzon—and not even the Ambassador of Hell will challenge the malignant terror it invokes . . .

A magnificent fantasy rife with scientific splendor, magical intrigue, and wonderfully realized characters, told in a storytelling style in which Charles Dickens meets Neal Stephenson, Perdido Street Station offers an eerie, voluptuously crafted world that will plumb the depths of every reader's imagination.

Quote of the Day

Never accept a gift when you do not know the price you will be asked to pay for it.

- MICHELLE WEST, The Sun Sword

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

A little more than 350 pages into this final volume and I can't wait to see how it ends!

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C. S. Friedman made a name for herself with the amazing Coldfire trilogy. Indeed, these books established the author as a master of dark fantasy during the 90s. Sadly, the Magisters trilogy, although awesome, flew so low under the radar that very few people seem to have read it. If more and more people actually gave these books a shot, we might soon refer to the Coldfire trilogy as the Friedman's other fantasy series. Yes, it's that damn good!

And you can once again get your hands on the digital edition of the first volume, Feast of Souls, for only 4.99$ 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. This trilogy deserves the highest possible recommendation!

Here's the blurb:

At the end of her bestselling Coldfire trilogy, C.S. Friedman challenged readers to imagine what a world would be like if sorcery required the ultimate sacrifice-that of life itself. Now, in Feast of Souls, she introduces us to a terrifying world in which the cost of magic is just that...in which the fuel for sorcery is the very fire of the human spirit, and those who hunger for magical power must pay for it with their lives. In this epic tale of nightmarish shadows and desperate hope, the greatest threat of all may not be that of ancient enemies returned, or ancient wars resumed, but of the darkness that lies within the hearts of men.

Here's a link to my review from 2007.

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You can also get your hands on the digital edition of William Gibson's Virtual Light 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:

2005: Welcome to NoCal and SoCal, the uneasy sister-states of what used to be California. Here the millenium has come and gone, leaving in its wake only stunned survivors. In Los Angeles, Berry Rydell is a former armed-response rentacop now working for a bounty hunter. Chevette Washington is a bicycle messenger turned pickpocket who impulsively snatches a pair of innocent-looking sunglasses. But these are no ordinary shades. What you can see through these high-tech specs can make you rich--or get you killed. Now Berry and Chevette are on the run, zeroing in on the digitalized heart of DatAmerica, where pure information is the greatest high. And a mind can be a terrible thing to crash...

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

In hardcover:

Brandon Sanderson's Tress of the Emerald Sea debuts at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Cassiel's Servant


You know that I'm a big fan of Jacqueline Carey and that the Kushiel books are one of my favorite SFF series of all time. So when the author announced that she was writing a retelling of Kushiel's Dart but from Joscelin's perspective, needless to say I was pretty excited!

Having said that, I was also a bit worried. Other than Joscelin's upbringing and training among the Cassilines, the tale would be exactly the same. There was no way for Carey to surprise us with something new, something unexpected. The plot would be the same, only we'd witness events occurring through the eyes of the warrior-priest. And Phèdre has such a singular voice; she's by far one of my favorite narrators and her thoughtful POV is what gave the original trilogy its unique flavor. Could the perspective of her honorable and stiff-necked bodyguard be as interesting? I was eager to find out!

Here's the blurb:

The lush epic fantasy that inspired a generation with a single precept: “Love As Thou Wilt."

Returning to the realm of Terre d’Ange which captured an entire generation of fantasy readers, New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Carey brings us a hero’s journey for a new era.

In Kushiel’s Dart, a daring young courtesan uncovered a plot to destroy her beloved homeland. But hers is only half the tale. Now see the other half of the heart that lived it.

Cassiel’s Servant is a retelling of cult favorite Kushiel’s Dart from the point of view of Joscelin, Cassiline warrior-priest and protector of Phèdre nó Delaunay. He’s sworn to celibacy and the blade as surely as she’s pledged to pleasure, but the gods they serve have bound them together. When both are betrayed, they must rely on each other to survive.

From his earliest training to captivity amongst their enemies, his journey with Phèdre to avert the conquest of Terre D’Ange shatters body and mind… and brings him an impossible love that he will do anything to keep.

Even if it means breaking all vows and losing his soul.


First of all, I didn't expect to go through this book as fast as I did. It was a pleasure to revisit Terre d'Ange and the events and the characters from Kushiel's Dart. As always, Jacqueline Carey's spellbinding prose creates an imagery filled with wonder and beauty that never fails to fascinate. Even though I knew almost everything that would happen from the get-go, still Carey's words took me back to her enchanting universe and provided another wild ride. Instead of a cash-grabbing author's preferred edition that brings nothing new, Cassiel's Servant tells Joscelin's version of the tale. My fear that the change of perspective would be somewhat jarring was unfounded. The first hundred pages or so recount Joscelin's early years and I was surprised by how quickly I got used to his POV. I figure that it allowed me to let his voice settle in my mind before he finally meets the woman who will turn his world upside down. And though he is righteous and unyielding, there is a depth to Joscelin that was fun to discover. Seeing how being with Phèdre forced him to learn how to bend and ultimately break all the vows that define him made for a compelling read.

Should one read it if they haven't read Kushiel's Dart? Even if it's possible to enjoy Cassiel's Servant on its own, why would you want to do that? Why deprive yourself of the first person narrative of Phèdre nó Delaunay? She's a deeply flawed character with a remarkable voice. Her strengths and weaknesses make her genuine and her perspective, that of an older Phèdre relating the story of her past, misleads readers on numerous occasions by playing with their expectations. Reading Joscelin's account of those same events can't quite compare with the original novel. No, this one is for fans relishing the chance to follow these two unforgettable protagonists for another go-around. And even though it may not be as memorable as the first time, it is nevertheless a totally satisfying reading experience.

With such a stellar supporting cast, it was great to once again meet such characters as Anafiel Delaunay, Alcuin, Melisande Shahrizai, Hyacinthe, Waldemar Selig, Ysandre, Thelesis de Mornay, Drustan mab Necthana, Admiral Rousse, and Ti-Philippe for the first time through Joscelin's eyes. I was especially looking forward to see how the relationship between the Cassiline and the Tsingano would unfold. They both love Phèdre in their own way and it was interesting to see that from Joscelin's perspective.

Cassiel's Servant is a rare treat for Jacqueline Carey's fans. It's a retelling of a beloved novel, one that spawned three different trilogies. If, like me, you can't get enough of these two star-crossed lovers and you want to revisit the tale that brought them together, then this books is definitely for you!

Here's to hoping that Carey will now write about what took place following the second trilogy. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants more Phèdre and Joscelin!

The final verdict: 8/10

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

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You can now download Peter V. Brett's The Warded Man 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:

As darkness falls after sunset, the corelings rise—demons who possess supernatural powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity.

For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards—symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile. It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms, but those days are gone. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless assault. Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past. Together, they will stand against the night.

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You can now download Beyond Redemption by Michael R. Fletcher 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:

A darkly imaginative writer in the tradition of Joe Abercrombie, Peter V. Brett, and Neil Gaiman conjures a gritty mind-bending fantasy, set in a world where delusion becomes reality . . . and the fulfillment of humanity's desires may well prove to be its undoing.

Faith shapes the landscape, defines the laws of physics, and makes a mockery of truth. Common knowledge isn't an axiom, it's a force of nature. What the masses believe is. But insanity is a weapon, conviction a shield. Delusions give birth to foul new gods.

Violent and dark, the world is filled with the Geisteskranken--men and women whose delusions manifest, twisting reality. High Priest Konig seeks to create order from chaos. He defines the beliefs of his followers, leading their faith to one end: a young boy, Morgen, must Ascend to become a god. A god they can control.

But there are many who would see this would-be-god in their thrall, including the High Priest's own Doppels, and a Slaver no one can resist. Three reprobates--The Greatest Swordsman in the World, a murderous Kleptic, and possibly the only sane man left--have their own nefarious plans for the young god.

As these forces converge on the boy, there's one more obstacle: time is running out. When one's delusions become more powerful, they become harder to control. The fate of the Geisteskranken is to inevitably find oneself in the Afterdeath. The question, then, is:

Who will rule there?

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You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Michelle West's The Hidden City 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.

The first three volumes of the House War series act as prequels to the Sun Sword, which I've been raving about these last few months. I wasn't sure whether or not this series made for a better entry point in Michelle West's Essalieyan saga, but a few people on malazanempire.com elected to begin with this book and they're loving it. So if you want to sample West's writing without breaking the bank, this sale is for you!

Here's the blurb:

In this epic fantasy series for fans of George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb, Jewel Markess must contend with deadly court politics, and visions of looming magical threats.

Orphaned and left to fend for herself in the slums of Averalaan, Jewel Markess—Jay to her friends—meets an unlikely savior in Rath, a man who prowls the ruins of the undercity. Nursing Jay back to health is an unusual act for a man who renounced his own family long ago, and the situation becomes stranger still when Jay begins to form a den of other rescued children in Rath's home. But worse perils lurk beneath the slums: the demons that once nearly destroyed the Essalieyan Empire are stirring again, and soon Rath and Jay will find themselves targets of these unstoppable beings.


Quote of the Day

Ser Alessandro lifted a hand. “It is not to my liking, to be told how to wage war by a man who sings for a living.” His voice was cool.

- MICHELLE WEST, The Riven Shield

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

Considering how badass Kallandras is, this made me laugh out loud! =)

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

There are no speculative fiction bestsellers on the list this week.

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You can now download Roger Zelazny's Nine Princes of Amber, the first volume in The Chronicles of Amber series, 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 second installment, The Guns of Avalon, is also on sale. Here's the blurb:

One of the most revered names in sf and fantasy, the incomparable Roger Zelazny was honored with numerous prizes—including six Hugo and three Nebula Awards—over the course of his legendary career. Among his more than fifty books, arguably Zelazny’s most popular literary creations were his extraordinary Amber novels.

Now officially licensed by the Zelazny estate, the first book in this legendary series is now finally available electronically.

Carl Corey wakes up in a secluded New York hospital with amnesia. He escapes and investigates, discovering the truth, piece by piece: he is really Prince Corwin, of Amber, the one true world of which our Earth is just a shadow. He is one of nine men who might rule Amber, if he can fight his way past the armies of his older brother Eric.


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You can get your hands on the digital edition of Neal Stephenson's Fall, or Dodge in Hell 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 NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Seveneves, Anathem, Reamde, and Cryptonomicon returns with a wildly inventive and entertaining science fiction thriller—Paradise Lost by way of Philip K. Dick—that unfolds in the near future, in parallel worlds.

In his youth, Richard “Dodge” Forthrast founded Corporation 9592, a gaming company that made him a multibillionaire. Now in his middle years, Dodge appreciates his comfortable, unencumbered life, managing his myriad business interests, and spending time with his beloved niece Zula and her young daughter, Sophia.

One beautiful autumn day, while he undergoes a routine medical procedure, something goes irrevocably wrong. Dodge is pronounced brain dead and put on life support, leaving his stunned family and close friends with difficult decisions. Long ago, when a much younger Dodge drew up his will, he directed that his body be given to a cryonics company now owned by enigmatic tech entrepreneur Elmo Shepherd. Legally bound to follow the directive despite their misgivings, Dodge’s family has his brain scanned and its data structures uploaded and stored in the cloud, until it can eventually be revived.

In the coming years, technology allows Dodge’s brain to be turned back on. It is an achievement that is nothing less than the disruption of death itself. An eternal afterlife—the Bitworld—is created, in which humans continue to exist as digital souls.

But this brave new immortal world is not the Utopia it might first seem . . .

Fall, or Dodge in Hell is pure, unadulterated fun: a grand drama of analog and digital, man and machine, angels and demons, gods and followers, the finite and the eternal. In this exhilarating epic, Neal Stephenson raises profound existential questions and touches on the revolutionary breakthroughs that are transforming our future. Combining the technological, philosophical, and spiritual in one grand myth, he delivers a mind-blowing speculative literary saga for the modern age.

Quote of the Day

“I have gathered wisdom over the years, and at some cost; I have learned that there are some answers that are better left unspoken.”.

- MICHELLE WEST, The Riven Shield

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

About 530 pages into this one and I'm enjoying it!

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You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Katharine Kerr's Daggerspell 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.

Here's the blurb:

Even as a young girl, Jill was a favorite of the magical, mysterious Wildfolk, who appeared to her from their invisible realm. Little did she know her extraordinary friends represented but a glimpse of a forgotten past and a fateful future. Four hundred years—and many lifetimes—ago, one selfish young lord caused the death of two innocent lovers. Then and there he vowed never to rest until he'd rightened that wrong-and laid the foundation for the lives of Jill and all those whom she would hold dear: her father, the mercenary soldier Cullyn; the exiled berserker Rhodry Maelwaedd; and the ancient and powerful herbman Nevyn, all bound in a struggle against darkness. . . and a quest to fulfill the destinies determined centuries ago.

Here in this newly revised edition comes the incredible novel that began one of the best-loved fantasy seers in recent years—a tale of bold adventure and timeless love, perilous battle and pure magic. For long-standing fans of Deverry and those who have yet to experience this exciting series, Daggerspell is a rare and special treat.


Quote of the Day

Haste makes a poor warrior.

- MICHELLE WEST, The Riven Shield

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

I was a bit concerned about this one, because it is essentially the first half of what was meant to be the final volume in the series. But 250 pages into it and it's excellent! =)

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You can now get your hands on the digital edition of R. S. Ford's Engines of Empire for only 4.99$ 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:

FORGED IN FIRE, BOUND BY BLOOD.

From an unmissable voice in epic fantasy comes a sweeping tale of clashing guilds, magic-fueled machines, and revolution.

The nation of Torwyn is run on the power of industry, and industry is run by the Guilds. Chief among them are the Hawkspurs, whose responsibility it is to keep the gears of the empire turning. That’s exactly why matriarch Rosomon Hawkspur sends each of her heirs to the far reaches of the nation.

Conall, the eldest son, is sent to the distant frontier to earn his stripes in the military. It is here that he faces a threat he could have never seen coming: the first rumblings of revolution.

Tyreta is a sorceress with the ability to channel the power of pyrestone, the magical resource that fuels the empire’s machines. She is sent to the mines to learn more about how pyrsetone is harvested – but instead, she finds the dark horrors of industry that the empire would prefer to keep hidden.

The youngest, Fulren, is a talented artificer and finds himself acting as a guide to a mysterious foreign emissary. Soon after, he is framed for a crime he never committed. A crime that could start a war.

As the Hawkspurs grapple with the many threats that face the nation within and without, they must finally prove themselves worthy–or their empire will fall apart.


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You can now download Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys 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:

God is dead. Meet the kids.

When Fat Charlie's dad named something, it stuck. Like calling Fat Charlie "Fat Charlie." Even now, twenty years later, Charlie Nancy can't shake that name, one of the many embarrassing "gifts" his father bestowed -- before he dropped dead on a karaoke stage and ruined Fat Charlie's life.

Mr. Nancy left Fat Charlie things. Things like the tall, good-looking stranger who appears on Charlie's doorstep, who appears to be the brother he never knew. A brother as different from Charlie as night is from day, a brother who's going to show Charlie how to lighten up and have a little fun ... just like Dear Old Dad. And all of a sudden, life starts getting very interesting for Fat Charlie.

Because, you see, Charlie's dad wasn't just any dad. He was Anansi, a trickster god, the spider-god. Anansi is the spirit of rebellion, able to overturn the social order, create wealth out of thin air, and baffle the devil. Some said he could cheat even Death himself.

Returning to the territory he so brilliantly explored in his masterful New York Times bestseller, American Gods, the incomparable Neil Gaiman offers up a work of dazzling ingenuity, a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth that is at once startling, terrifying, exhilarating, and fiercely funny -- a true wonder of a novel that confirms Stephen King's glowing assessment of the author as "a treasure-house of story, and we are lucky to have him."

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You can now download Jim Butcher's Summer Knight 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 the fourth novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series featuring everyone's favorite wizard for hire, Harry Dresden is suckered into the tangled—and dangerous—affairs of Faerie...

Ever since his girlfriend left town to deal with her newly acquired taste for blood, Harry Dresden has been down and out in Chicago. He can’t pay his rent. He’s alienating his friends. He can’t even recall the last time he took a shower. The only professional wizard in the phone book has become a desperate man.

And just when it seems things can’t get any worse, in saunters the Winter Queen of Faerie. She has an offer Harry can’t refuse if he wants to free himself of the supernatural hold his faerie godmother has over him—and hopefully end his run of bad luck. All he has to do is find out who murdered the Summer Queen’s right-hand man, the Summer Knight, and clear the Winter Queen’s name.

It seems simple enough, but Harry knows better than to get caught in the middle of faerie politics. Until he finds out that the fate of the entire world rests on his solving this case. No pressure or anything...

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (April 9th)

In hardcover:

Laurell K. Hamilton's Smolder debuts at number 10. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

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Many of the Daw titles that have been on sale for a while have gone up in price, but you can still download Michelle West's The Broken Crown for only 4.99$ 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. So if my reviews have piqued your curiosity, this is the perfect time to give this superior series a shot! =)

Here's the blurb:

The first novel of the acclaimed Sun Sword series introduces readers to a war-torn world of noble houses divided and demon lords unleashed...

Tor Leonne—the heart of the Dominion of Annagar, where the games of state are about to become a matter of life and death—and where those who seek to seize the crown will be forced to league with a treacherously cunning ally....

Tor Leonne, ancestral seat of power, where Serra Diora Maria di’Marano—the most sought-after beauty in the land, a woman betrayed by all she holds dear—may strike the first blow to change the future of the Dominion and Empire alike....

Averalaan Aramarelas—that most ancient of civilized cities, the home of the Essalieyan Imperial court, has long been a center of magics both dark and bright. And though the Empire won its last war with the Dominion, and survived a devastating, magic-fueled battle with a far deadlier foe, both those victories were not without their cost....

But now the realm is on the brink of a far greater confrontation, faced with an unholy alliance that could spell the end of freedom for all mortalkind.

The second volume, The Uncrowned King, is still on sale at 5.99$ here. The Shining Court, the best of the first three installments, is 8.99$ here. So if you have a 20$ to invest in new books, this is definitely the trio to go for!

Dune: Part Two: Official Trailer



Looking good!

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You can now get your hands on the digital edition of S. L. Farrell's A Magic of Twilight for only 4.99$ 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.

You may recall that this was one of the books I was forced to read when I lost that football bet with George R. R. Martin. You can read my review here.

Here's the blurb:

The breathtaking first novel in a brilliant new fantasy series.

A masterwork of fantasy, The Nessantico Cycle is the epic tale of an empire at its height, yet poised on the brink of what could be a devastating descent into ruin. Told from the viewpoints of numerous characters, it is a sweeping saga of murder and magic (portrayed both as a powerful religion and a forbidden art), of deception and betrayal, of Machiavellian politics, star-crossed lovers, and a realm facing war on every front.


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You can now download Gene Wolfe's The Wizard Knight omnibus, comprised of The Knight and The Wizard, 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 for the first book:

A young man in his teens is transported from our world to a magical realm that contains seven levels of reality. Very quickly transformed by magic into a grown man of heroic proportions, he takes the name Able and sets out on a quest to find the sword that has been promised to him, a sword he will get from a dragon, the one very special blade that will help him fulfill his life ambition to become a knight and a true hero.

Inside, however, Able remains a boy, and he must grow in every sense to survive the dangers and delights that lie ahead in encounters with giants, elves, wizards, and dragons. His adventure will conclude next year in the second volume of The Wizard Knight, The Wizard.

Gene Wolfe is one of the most widely praised masters of SF and fantasy. He is the winner of the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, the Nebula Award, twice, the World Fantasy Award, twice, the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the British Fantasy Award, and France's Prix Apollo. His popular successes include the four-volume classic The Book of the New Sun.

With this new series, Wolfe not only surpasses all the most popular genre writers of the last three decades, he takes on the legends of the past century, in a work that will be favorably compared with the best of J. R. R. Tolkien, E. R. Eddison, Mervyn Peake, and T. H. White. This is a book---and a series---for the ages, from perhaps the greatest living writer in (or outside) the fantasy genre.

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You can now download Tad Williams' The Witchwood Crown 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 Dragonbone Chair, the first volume of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, was published in hardcover in October, 1988, launching the series that was to become one of the seminal works of modern epic fantasy. Many of today’s top-selling fantasy authors, from Patrick Rothfuss to George R. R. Martin to Christopher Paolini credit Tad with being the inspiration for their own series.

Now, twenty-four years after the conclusion of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Tad returns to his beloved universe and characters with The Witchwood Crown, the first novel in the long-awaited sequel trilogy, The Last King of Osten Ard.

Thirty years have passed since the events of the earlier novels, and the world has reached a critical turning point once again. The realm is threatened by divisive forces, even as old allies are lost, and others are lured down darker paths. Perhaps most terrifying of all, the Norns—the long-vanquished elvish foe—are stirring once again, preparing to reclaim the mortal-ruled lands that once were theirs…