Pat's Fantasy Hotlist

Quote of the Day

2012-01-31T09:57:00.001-05:00

The truth is that the goal of existence is to kill you.

- IAN CAMERON ESSLEMONT, Orb, Sceptre, Throne ( Canada, USA, Europe).

Win a copy of Saladin Ahmed's THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON

2012-01-31T09:51:00.003-05:00

I have a copy of Saladin Ahmed's fantasy debut, Throne of the Crescent Moon, up for grabs, compliments of the nice folks at Daw Books. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Here's the blurb:

One of the year's most anticipated fantasy debuts, from a finalist for the Nebula and Campbell Awards.

The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, land of djenn and ghuls, holy warriors and heretics, Khalifs and killers, is at the boiling point of a power struggle between the iron-fisted Khalif and the mysterious master thief known as the Falcon Prince. In the midst of this brewing rebellion a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms.

Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, the last real ghul hunter in the great city of Dhamsawaat, just wants a quiet cup of tea. A fat old man who has grown weary of hunting monsters and saving lives, he's more than ready to retire from his dangerous vocation. But when an old flame's family is murdered, Adoulla is drawn back to the hunter's path.

Adoulla's young assistant Raseed, a hidebound holy warrior whose prowess is matched only by his piety, is eager to deliver God's justice. But even as Raseed's sword is tested by ghuls and manjackals, his soul is tested when he and Adoulla cross paths with the tribeswoman Zamia.

Zamia Badawi, Protector of the Band, has been gifted with the power of the Lion-Shape, but shunned by her people for daring to take up a man's title. She lives only to avenge her father's death. Until she learns that Adoulla and his allies also hunt her father's killer. Until she meets Raseed.

When they learn that the murders and the Falcon Prince's brewing revolution are connected, the companions must race against time - and struggle against their own misgivings - to save the life of a vicious despot. In so doing they discover a plot for the Throne of the Crescent Moon that threatens to turn Dhamsawaat, and the world itself, into a blood-soaked ruin.

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

Musical Interlude

2012-01-30T23:25:00.002-05:00

Last Monday, I was visiting the Mayan ruins in Tikal, Guatemala. It was sunny, sultry and humid in the jungle. Now I'm in Montreal, where it's cold (okay, not that cold considering this is the end of January. But still...) and we expect another 5 cm of snow tomorrow. This sucks!

So I need a little something that feels like summer to put a bit of sunshine and brighten my day. To all of you caught in winter, here's a little remix of an old tune singing the praise of St-Tropez on the French Riviera.

Ah, to be back in beautiful Belize, lying in a hammock and sipping on rum punch... =)

Alas, all good things must come to an end, or so they say...

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

2012-01-30T10:43:00.012-05:00

After posting the Tad Williams update yesterday, I decided to have a look and it appears that quite a few SFF titles are still available on the cheap!

- You can download George R. R. Martin's In the House of the Worm for 3.19$ here.

- You can download Brandon Sanderson's Infinity Blade: Awakening for 2.99$ here.

- You can download John Scalzi's Questions for a Soldier for 0.99$ here.

- You can download The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume 1, edited by Jonathan Strahan for 2.99$ here.

- You can download John Scalzi's An Election for 0.99$ here.

- You can download Terry Brooks' Imaginary Friends for 2.99$ here.

- You can download C. S. Friedman's new novella, Dominion, for 2.99$ here.

- You can download Brent Weeks' Perfect Shadow for 2.99$ here.

- You can download Bradley P. Beaulieu and Stephen Gaskell's Strata for 0.99$ here.

- You can download Robin Hobb's Dragon Keeper for 1.99$ here.

- You can download a combo of James S. A. Corey's excellent Leviathan Wakes and Daniel Abraham's The Dragon's Path for 2.99$ here!

- You can download Paolo Bacigalupi's The Alchemist for 2.99$ here.

- You can download Tobias S. Buckell's The Executioness for 2.99$ here.

- Cherie Priest's Clementine can be downloaded for 4.99$ here.

- The excellent Bright of the Sky by Kay Kenyon for free available here.

- Sasha by Joel Shepherd for free available here.

- The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks for 2.99$ available here.

- Child of Fire by Harry Connolly for 0.99$ available here.

- David Chandler's Den of Thieves, is available for 0.99$ here.

- Wild Cards I edited by GRRM for 2.99$ is available here.

Game of Thrones Season 2 "Shadow" Teaser

2012-01-29T21:39:00.002-05:00

Roll on, April 1st!!! =)

I know, I know. . . :/

2012-01-29T18:16:00.007-05:00

A bigot, a racist, a sexist, a religious fucktard, AND a bad reviewer???

I wasn't planning to post about this, but with all the PMs and emails I received since Friday, it looks as though I must. Don't expect a formal rebuttal from me, however. It would be pointless and do nothing but start a flame-war.

Yes, as so many of you have pointed out, too often sarcasm, cynicism, irony, and a dark sense of humor are lost on idiots. This guys drags me through shit, paints a vile picture of the sort of person he thinks I am, while he obviously ain't smart enough to realize that a lot of his accusations are based on tongue-in-cheek observations I've made over the years. I linked this on my Facebook page when author Mark Lawrence pointed it out to me on Friday morning. Interestingly enough, everyone who knows me personally and who has read it couldn't believe their eyes.

Yes, I am aware that he has taken portions of my travel blogs, the chunks of text that work for him and used them out of context, overlooking the rest. Yes, I know that this is grounds for a lawsuit. I'm a Law grad, remember?

Funny, but most of my friends and family members have all read my travel blogs over the years, and never has anyone perceived anything that could be construed as racist or sexist. Not only that, but taken as a whole, my Southeast-Asian posts are decidedly positive (take away the fact that I was rushed to the hospital in Phuket), and I've loved my time in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapour. I've been pimping this destination to anyone who'll listen to me ever since, actually.

Yes, most of you have pointed out that he sort of implies that I condone prostitution and the sex industry, while I actively condemn it everywhere I go. Heck, every single post I've written regarding Thailand contains a few paragraphs with me bitching about them.

Yes, as everyone made quite clear, it's obvious this guy has never set foot in Thailand. Had he even a little traveling experience, he would sing another tune, sure. There's a proverb that says: Culture is like strawberry jam. The less you have, the more you spread it. And acrackedmoon sure knows how to spread it. . . Had he spent even a single day in Bangkok, he would know just how ignorant his post make him sound. It's no surprise that I've never met anyone who doesn't agree with me about the proliferation of prostitutes, bar girls, massage parlors, etc. Any man who travels through Thailand can't help but get annoyed by this. Unless they are indeed there for the sex tourism. He mentions that the country has a ton of universities (there were a little over 30 public universities when I was there in 2010), but fails to mention the fact that the average daily wages were less then US6$ at that time. Yes, these girls truly have great prospects, don't they? Yes, it's a bit odd that my personal observations are being judged by someone who, in all likelihood, has never been abroad and likely rarely leaves his parents' basement. . . I've only been to 46 countries, so what do I know?

Yes, I know, he decided to use a few words from the Kuala Lumpur post to damn me, when the entire paragraph contradicts what he is trying to convey. The whole paragraph reads like this:

Although a Muslim regime, Malaysia has always had a "live and let live" attitude. With a multi-ethnic population that gets along well, there is basically no clash of cultures here. No one quite knows how the Malay people make it work, but in KL it's something to see. Kind of gives you hope in mankind. . . Almost. . . Sadly, it's not the same everywhere.:-(

Acrackedmoon's post is so heinous and full of ignorance as to make it ridiculous. I mean, hate me as a reviewer and hate Pat's Fantasy Hotlist, fine. This guy sure does, no question! What I don't understand is where those personal attacks, of a shocking virulence, come from??? I didn't know my blog and myself could generate so much vitriol. . .

Yes, I know he would have liked for me to get knifed. But Robert Stanek said it first, so no brownie points for acrackedmoon for this.

Yes, I know that Larry has helped disseminate this personal attack against me. Funny that he didn't take the time to read the related posts and see that the better part of acrackedmoon's post is stuff taken out of context. Considering that Larry can read like 4 novels in a day, he could probably have read all my Southeast-Asian posts in about 5.2 seconds. Many of you thought that Larry and I were friends. So did I. . .

Another proof of this guy's ignorance: He takes exception that I was upset anime store staffs didn't know about Makoto Shinkai and Hayao Miyazaki. That would be like entering Forbidden Planet and not raise an eyebrow if they had never heard of Neil Gaiman and George R. R. Martin. Are you kidding me?

Yes, I like beautiful girls. Scratch that: I love them! ;-) Wasn't against the law the last time I checked. . .

My promoting the Girls of Geek calendar was +++++gross??? Since 2007, I've never concealed the fact that my mom is a breast cancer survivor. And since then, I've made a lot of efforts to raise awareness and support the cause. And since my cousin died of cancer in the summer of 2010 at the young age of 41, I've been trying to do even more. So supporting such a worthy cause is gross? WTF? Having sexy geek girls wanting to do something special to help raise funds for breast cancer research is bad? Maybe acrackedmoon could elaborate on this. He looks a bit misogynist, or at the very least extremely insecure where women are concerned. . .

In any event, yes I'm aware of all this. So please let it go. From a blog titled Requires Only That You Hate, whose motto is "Your daily dose of hatred and geekrage," would you expect anything less than such an underhanded attack? I'm at a loss as to exactly how I got under this guy's skin in such a way that made him write something so heinous, so overflowing with vitriol. But I'm not going to lose any sleep on it.

It's evident this guy is begging for attention, but I'm not going to link to his post to send traffic his way. Here's the post in its entirety:

Let me introduce you to Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist.

But scratch that. If you are an SF/F fan–which you probably are, reading this blog–you likely have heard of him before. Go over there and you’ll see endless splash banners advertising books or tie-in fiction. He’s basically a genre PR bot: all his content is little more than promotional material on top of promotional material, almost as though he is paid by publishing houses to fellate the latest-and-greatest grimdark neckbeard icon, which he might well be. Who knows.

And if you’ve read him for any length of time, you will probably have noticed that he’s a raging douche. I don’t just mean “douche” in a mild, non-specific way, oh no. We are talking about a grade-A sexist, racist fuckwad. The kind that should be put in a meat-grinder: there’d be about twenty people at the ready, vying to press the GRIND GRIND GRIND button. We’d press it until our fingers are raw and Pat nothing more than a memory of fat white meat.

He visited Thailand this one time: Bangkok: Sultry heat, temples, pollution, never-ending noise, and prostitutes. Off to a good start, and we aren’t even out of the subject line.

The upside: I have hundreds of girls after me. The downside: They’re all prostitutes! I mean, even though I knew what to expect, this goes beyond anything I could ever imagine. . .:\

I am amused that this is probably the only time in his life “hundreds of girls” would be after him in any fashion.

I got very close to punching one of them last night, but held off at the last second. You never know if the guy knows a bit of Thai boxing. And it would have done little to help me make my point if I had found myself flat on my back after a vicious kick I never saw coming, right?

I wish he had tried to punch someone and ended up knifed and bleeding from his guts in a dark corner somewhere. And nobody’d have given a shit, because this man’s douchiness is so evident it radiates off him in waves.

It’s like the jeans and T-shirt test for a girl. You know how any girl can look fantastic in a little black cocktail dress. I’ve always said that the true test is always to see her in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. If she looks good in those, she’ll look good in anything!=)

Annnnd we’re up to a sexist analogy!

To add insult to injury, I was forced to don long pants in order to visit Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddah. The temple compound is absolutely gorgeous, but to force people to wear shoes and long pants in that kind of heat should be illegal!

Oh, no, not being expected to respect the local traditions! He is Whitey, he is Mighty, and he should be exempt from all rules and regulations!

It’s kind of odd that some aspects of Bangkok could put any Western city to shame, and all the while show you sides straight out of a Third World country when you turn around and face the other way

Fuck you, you smug little shit.

It’s kind of sad to see fat and old Western men walking hand in hand with pretty young Thai girls. They’re absolutely everywhere and not likely to go away. There are a couple of universities here, so hopefully there is a brighter future for many Thai young women.

Oh my god what the fuck. Thailand has tons of universities; Bangkok certainly has more than two and what the fuck is this patronizing bullshit.

Too bad. . . Thai girls have different facial traits than other Asian women. I can see the appeal, certainly. They are beautiful, as well as taller and more shapely than the more petite Asian girls from Japan, Korea, etc. So there will never be any shortage of horny old farts looking for cheap fucks with them. But Christ, when you can’t cross a street corner without having a group of them waving and calling out at you, well that’s a major problem. And the worst thing is that the Thai government doesn’t seem to have much of a problem with the situation. I guess that sex tourism brings in too much money.

YELLOW FEVER YELLOW FEVER RACIST LITTLE COCKSTAIN

God, honkies.

Next: Kuala Lumpur: Mixed Feelings

Poor Thai people. . . That’s the image they have of the West: Dirty old men there for the sex tourism and fucking hippies.

And you, fuckface.

We always seem to think that Asian people are very nice, polite, and reserved, so it’s nice to see them bitch about one another. Haven’t seen this in Thailand, but Malays have no qualms about it. We always see it in the West, with people bitching about Americans, Brits, French, etc. So I couldn’t help laughing when the staff at the hostel would shake their heads and mutter things like “Damned Chinese” or something like that.

Lookie! A white person celebrating Asian-vs-Asian prejudice. Awesome.

Although a Muslim regime

Oh my god what the fuck.

And anime fans, you won’t believe this. I stopped at no less than four anime stores, and NO ONE had ever heard of Makoto Shinkai (still looking for 5 cm per Second and The Place Promised in Our Early Days)!!! Are you kidding me??? I’m in Asia and no one knows shit??? Even worst, only one person knew Hayao Miyazaki!!! Who’s hiring these guys???

ASIANS SHOULD ALL KNOW ABOUT ANIMEEEE. Weeaboos, my friends.

Next, some run-of-the-mill sexism: The Privilege of the Sword. Now I think Ellen Kushner’s writing–what I’ve read of it, being Swordpoint–is shit, boring, and about as clever as cat litter, but…

I am acutely aware that some will grill me for saying this, but Ellen Kushner’s The Privilege of the Sword is, in my humble opinion (which doesn’t count for much, as some will surely point out!), fantasy chick lit.

Chick lit it really isn’t. I mean does he just think anything with a woman on the cover, written by a woman, is…

I’m all for strong and genuine female protagonists, yet this is one of the “girliest” novels I’ve ever read.

OH NOES NOT THE GIRL COOTIES.

I refer to this book as fantasy chick lit because it contains several elements that are associated with “chick lit.” There’s a very “girly” approach to the narrative. It focuses on undying/forbidden love, corny romance, flowers, jewelry, gowns, fabrics, and an inordinate amount of emo moments. For crying out loud, the characters shed more tears in this book than bridesmaids at a wedding! There is only so much crying one can take, after all. In addition, the emo male characters are not authentic.

No comment needed. Cooooooties.

Remember the Elizabeth Moon blow-up? As in, Moon was an Islamophobe and got her con invite rescinded? Well Pat has something to say about that too! Charmingly titled “Islam and Soft-Left Intellectuals: 1 Free Speech: 0.”

WTF??? It’s nice to see that in this soft-Left Obama era, democratic values such as free speech remain the cornerstone of our society. . .

This, of course, comes in response to Elizabeth Moon’s post on Islam. I also picked up the story last month in this post.

Like a fucking caricature, except dead serious. He thinks, of course, that the only people who could possibly take offense at Moon’s xenophobic fuckwaddery can only be “ultra-soft leftists.” Really, just do a search on his blog for “Islam” in general.

Last but not least: “Girls of Geek” calendar. +++++gross.

Dude also thinks Christwire is for real, citing an article by one “Susan B. Xenu” as evidence of everything wrong with America’s xtian fundies. :’)

Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist is a very popular genre blog. What does that say about the SF/F genre? Exactly.

We were talking about starting up a kickstarter project for that Pat-specific meatgrinder, by the way. Who wants to chip in?
------------

Pat's Fantasy Hotlist isn't everyone's cup of tea. And that's as it should be. I don't consider myself a very talented or insightful reviewer. Never have, never will. Pat's Fantasy Hotlist is what it is. Nothing more, nothing less.

Acrackedmoon asks: Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist is a very popular genre blog. What does that say about the SF/F genre? Exactly.

Maybe that a majority of the online SFF community likes a friendly, more casual approach to reviewing? Maybe they like to read the posts of a fan who doesn't take himself too seriously? Your guess is as good as mine. . .

So case closed, as far as I'm concerned. To acrackedmoon, I have no idea where all that pent-up anger is coming from. The passionate hatred you have for me leaves me baffled. Masturbation might help you release some of that geek rage, you know. I could even supply my complimentary copy of the Girls of Geek 2012 calendar for you to focus on. . . It's not true it will make you deaf. . .

Be forewarned I will monitor the comment section.

Peace. . .

Only a few days left to take advantage of the Tad Williams ebook promotion

2012-01-29T13:27:00.006-05:00

Just to remind you that you have until January 31st to download Tad Williams' latest collection of short fiction, A Stark and Wormy Knight, for only 4.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

A fat new collection by best-selling fantasy and science fiction author Tad Williams, containing new material original to this book.

Tad Williams is an acknowledged master of the multi-volume epic. Through such popular series as Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn and Otherland, he has acquired a huge and devoted body of readers who eagerly await each new publication. A Stark and Wormy Knight offers those readers something both special and surprising: a virtuoso demonstration of Williams's mastery of a variety of shorter forms.

The range of tone, theme, style, and content reflected in this generous volume is nothing short of amazing. The title story is a tale within a tale of dragons and knights and is notable for its wit and verbal inventiveness. "The Storm Door" uses The Tibetan Book of the Dead to forge a singular new approach to the traditional zombie story. "The Terrible Conflagration at the Quiller's Mint" offers a brief, independent glimpse into the background of Williams's Shadowmarch series. "Ants" provides an ironic account of what can happen when a marriage goes irrevocably wrong.

Two of the longer entries show Williams working, with great facility, within the fictional creations of other writers. "The Thursday Men" is a hugely entertaining foray into the world of Mike Mignolla's Hellboy comics. The wonderfully titled "The Lamentably Comical Tragedy (or the Laughably Tragic Comedy) of Lixal Laqavee" is both a first-rate fantasy and a deeply felt homage to Jack Vance's immortal Dying Earth. Two other pieces offer rare and hard-to-find glimpses into other facets of Williams's talent. "Bad Guy Factory" is the script for a proposed series of DC Comics that never came to fruition. "Black Sunshine" is the immensely readable screenplay for a movie that remains, at least for the moment, unproduced. One can only hope.

These and other stories and novellas comprise a stellar collection that really does contain something for everyone. For longtime Williams readers, and for anyone with a taste for literate imaginative fiction, A Stark and Wormy Knight is a welcome, and indispensable, volume.

(Please note: Subterranean Books will be publishing hardback and paperback editions Summer 2012.)

And although the promotion was supposed to end on December 31st, 2011, you can still download Tad Williams' Caliban's Hour for 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

Caliban's Hour is a novella-length (40,000 words) Shakespearian fantasy, and the inspiration for it came from a conversation between Tad Williams and his wife Deborah Beale, where they reimagined The Tempest in the light of colonialism, and saw the suffering of the native Caliban at the heart of it. The story recounts all of Caliban's young life as the wizard Prospero and his child Miranda, shipwrecked on the island, take it all for themselves.

Scott Lynch update

2012-01-28T16:12:00.004-05:00

There is a new update concerning Scott Lynch's eagerly awaited The Republic of Thieves (Canada, USA, Europe) from The Little Red Reviewer:

Scott did a reading from Republic of Thieves. it WILL be hitting bookstore shelves this year, possibly in June. He is contracted for 5 books, and if the publishers decide they like him, he will get 2 more books (trust me, they like him). Book 3 is where things start to ramp up, with the series moving towards some type of large war.

I can’t give you any RoT spoilers, because he didn’t. He described RoT as being the “awkward teenage years” of the Gentlemen Bastards. The portion he read involved Locke and Jean, and Sabetha and the Sanza twins,and teaser: there was a bedroom scene. Locke is obviously in love with Sabetha, but hasn’t figured out how to tell her, so he basically lets her beat the crap out him whenever she wants. There was much in the way of awkward teenagedness, beautiful swear words, and giggleworthy moments. Scott even got to use his LOUD voice. Twas truly lovely.

Follow this link to read the full con report.

Planesrunner

2012-01-26T10:23:00.003-05:00

Most of you are well aware of where I stand when it comes to Young Adults works. There's nothing wrong with them, but they usually don't appeal to me much. Hence, you can understand my disappointment when, after reading the incredible The Dervish House, I discovered that Ian McDonald was now working on a YA novel. River of Gods, Brasyl, and The Dervish House figure among the best science fiction books I've read since creating the Hotlist, so I was a bit crestfallen by the idea that his next work would be aimed at a younger audience.

And yet, as is the case with Neil Gaiman, regardless of the audience he's writing for, Ian McDonald remains Ian McDonald. Though the plot may not show as much depth and the storylines may not be as multilayered and convoluted, I should have known that McDonald couldn't possibly dumb the tale down as to make it a travesty or a parody of his previous science fiction works. So no, it's not the mind-blowing doorstopper scifi yarn that River of Gods was. Still, Planesrunner is an intelligent, entertaining, and fast-paced book that should satisfy McDonald's fans, both old and new!

Here's the blurb:

There is not one you. There are many yous. There is not one world. There are many worlds. Ours is one among billions of parallel earths.

When Everett Singh’s scientist father is kidnapped from the streets of London, he leaves young Everett a mysterious app on his computer. Suddenly, this teenager has become the owner of the most valuable object in the multiverse—the Infundibulum—the map of all the parallel earths, and there are dark forces in the Ten Known Worlds who will stop at nothing to get it. They’ve got power, authority, the might of ten planets—some of them more technologically advanced than our Earth—at their fingertips. He’s got wits, intelligence, and a knack for Indian cooking.

To keep the Infundibulum safe, Everett must trick his way through the Heisenberg Gate that his dad helped build and go on the run in a parallel Earth. But to rescue his dad from Charlotte Villiers and the sinister Order, this Planesrunner’s going to need friends. Friends like Captain Anastasia Sixsmyth, her adopted daughter, Sen, and the crew of the airship Everness.

Can they rescue Everett’s father and get the Infundibulum to safety? The game is afoot!

The multiverse theory is an old trope of the science fiction genre. Parallel universes, parallel Earths; this is nothing new. Yet McDonald approaches it in a way that makes it feel fresh. I loved the idea of the Plenitude of Known Worlds and the Heisenberg Gate. The author keeps his cards pretty close to his chest in this opening volume, but there are a few tantalizing revelations which makes you want to learn a lot more about those other realities. And many of those secrets hint at the fact that this series might resound with much more depth than meets the eye. Only time will tell. . .

The characterization is particularly well-done. McDonald came up with an endearing, if disparate, cast of protagonists for Planesrunner. Although it is Everett Singh's tale from beginning to end, he shares the spotlight with a compelling group of men and women, chief among them the crew of the airship Everness. Captain Anastasia Sixsmyth, the enigmatic Sen, the God-fearing Mr.Sharkey, and the mysterious and fearsome Charlotte Villiers all add another dimension to the story. The author also created a new language for the Airish community, and there is a Palari dictionary at the end of the book.

The pace is fast and crisp, making Planesrunner a page-turner. I went through the entire novel in only two sittings. True, I was lying in a hammock about forty feet from the Caribbean Sea in Caye Caulker, Belize, sipping on rum punch as I read. It was the perfect setting to lose track of time and get lost in a novel, I know. But I would never have been able to finish this one so fast if the story had not captured my imagination from the start. Weighing in at only 274 pages in hardcover, Planesrunner is rather short. Having said that, I never felt short-changed and the tale ends exactly at the right time. A longer book would simply have meant info dumps and filler material. Hence, Planesrunner is as long as it needs to be. Not too fond of cliffhanger endings, but there was no way to get around that with this one.

All in all, Planesrunner is an interesting introduction to a series that promises to be fun and entertaining, featuring an engaging cast of characters, and may well turn out to be more complex than what one could expect from a YA work. I'm curious to see where Ian McDonald will take the story in the second installment.

The final verdict: 7.75/10

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

If 2012's Oscar-nominated movie posters told the truth???

2012-01-25T15:59:00.003-05:00

This post from Theshiznit.co.uk is hilarious!

Check it our here!

A bit of humor. . .

2012-01-25T09:27:00.003-05:00

Even vampires now hate Twilight!!!

Win a copy of Deborah Harkness' A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES

2012-01-24T13:10:00.004-05:00

Thanks to the generosity of the folks at Penguin Books, I have a copy of the paperback edition of Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Here's the blurb:

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.

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

Calling on all scifi geeks and aficionados!

2012-01-23T23:10:00.004-05:00

I took this picture this afternoon. . .

The first person who can tell me which scene from which movie features this panoramic vista, as well as where this photo was taken on our planet, gets a free book!

The comments are time-stamped, so it will be easy to monitor this. When you leave your comment, please select "Name" and enter your name if you don't have a Google account. Otherwise, I won't be able to track you down. . .

The first part of the question is easy. The second part makes for a good trivia question. . .

Musical Interlude

2012-01-22T23:29:00.000-05:00

A classic! ;-)

Fort Freak

2012-01-21T17:34:00.004-05:00

I know I was late for this party, but I have come to be a Wild Cards fan over the last couple of years. I was looking forward to this newest mosaic novel, especially since this one featured a new line-up of authors in addition to the regular contributors.

With the way the latest triad ended, I was curious to see where George R. R. Martin and company would take this one. I was even more curious when I learned that it would focus on Manhattan's Fifth Precinct, better known as Fort Freak. This had potential, no doubt about it.

Here's the blurb:

In 1946, an alien virus that rewrites human DNA was accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It killed ninety percent of those it infected. Nine percent survived, mutated into tragically deformed creatures. And one percent gained superpowers. The Wild Cards shared-universe series, created and edited by New York Times #1 bestseller George R. R. Martin (called “the American Tolkien” by Time), is the tale of the history of the world since then—and of the heroes among the one percent.

Now, in the latest Wild Cards mosaic novel, we get to know the hardbitten world of Manhattan’s Fifth Precinct—or “Fort Freak,” as cops and malefactors alike call the cop-shop where every other desk sergeant, detective, and patrol officer is more than human.

Featuring original work by writers such as Cherie Priest, author of the bestselling Boneshaker; Paul Cornell, Hugo–nominated comic book and Doctor Who writer; David Anthony Durham, winner of 2009’s John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer; and many others, Fort Freak is one of the strongest offerings yet in the ongoing Wild Cards project.

Unlike the last trilogy, which was all over the place, the action in Fort Freak pretty much occurs in Jokertown and the rest of NYC. It's a more self-contained tale as well, making it an excellent jumping point for newbies who wish to experience the Wild Cards universe for the first time.

In order for a mosaic novel to work on all levels, the team of writers needs to mesh well, and that's the case with this bunch of old and new hands. Cherie Priest is a terrific addition to the Wild Cards team. Indeed, it feels as though she's been doing this from the start. Her part of the tale, "The Rat Race," connects everything else together and is one of the most interesting storylines of the book. Melinda M. Snodgrass' "The Rook" gets the book moving forward and I'm disappointed that it's her only contribution to this novel. I also enjoyed David Anthony Durham's contribution, which is unlike what he normally writes.

Fort Freak is basically a detective story, as Detective-Investigator Leo Storgman tackles the old "Rathole" case from the late 70s one last time before retiring. As such, knowledge of previous Wild Cards volumes is not necessary to fully enjoy this one. Which is why I say that Fort Freak is the perfect opportunity for curious readers unfamiliar with the series to give it a try.

The pace is decidedly uneven, however. I think that Fort Freak features way too many plotlines. A lot more than were necessary, which at times can be off-putting. And even if each storyline adds a little more depth to the "Rathole" case, I get the feeling that we could have done without a few of them without being detrimental to the overall plot. I think that had the novel been fifty or seventy-five pages less, it would have worked much better on virtually every single level. For example, the "Sanctuary" storyline by Mary Anne Mohanraj was entertaining, but didn't bring anything valuable to the plot. Other than those MTV-esque sex scenes the new Wild Cards book seem to be fond of.

All in all, Fort Freak is a good read and a welcome addition to the Wild Cards universe. Yet letting readers witness events unfold through too many POV narratives takes something away from the overall reading experience. In the end, it remains a fun and compelling read, no question about it. But it would have worked better with a lesser number of contributions, as some of them take the reader away from the case itself and prove to be little more than distractions.

The final verdict: 7.5/10

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

Warner Bros. acquired the rights to Tad Williams' Otherland series

2012-01-20T16:28:00.004-05:00

This from variety.com:

Warner Bros. is heading to "Otherland," acquiring feature rights to Tad Williams' sci-fi book series and setting it up with Dan Lin to produce.

Studio has tapped John Scott III to script the film, based on the four books published by DAW-Penguin USA between 1996 and 2001 as "City of Golden Shadow," "River of Blue Fire," "Mountain of Black Glass" and "Sea of Silver Light."

Story for the adaptation is set 100 years in the future and follows a group of unexpected heroes who must escape an assassin and make their way through epic digital worlds to unravel a conspiracy that threatens to destroy humanity.

Seanne Winslow Wehrenfennig at Lin Pictures will serve as co-producer and oversee for Lin Pictures.

Lin's a producer on "Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows" and is in post-production on period drama "Gangster Squad," starring Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, and Sean Penn, directed by Ruben Fleischer. He's also producing "Lego: the Piece of Resistance," written and directed by Chris Miller and Phil Lord, with Warners planning a 2014 release.

Scott's zombie script "Maggie" made the top 10 of the 2011 Black List and was the top title of the 2011 Blood List, the top 13 most-liked unproduced screenplays in the horror, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, and dark comedy/drama genres. "Maggie" is in pre-production with Henry Hobson directing, and Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, Matt Baer, and Trevor Kaufman producing.

Scott is also adapting Isaac Asivmov's "Caves of Steel" for Fox, also with Hobson attached to direct.

WME represents the "Otherland" book rights. Scott is repped by CAA and managed by Trevor Kaufman.

Quote of the Day

2012-01-20T09:55:00.003-05:00

There is no situation in life that cannot be made worse by the presence of police.

- IAN MCDONALD, Planesrunner (Canada, USA, Europe).

The Lazy Jedi

2012-01-19T15:55:00.002-05:00

Master Dave needs a little help from the Force to start his day. . .

Final wraparound cover for Bradley P. Beaulieu's THE STRAITS OF GALAHESH

2012-01-19T14:10:00.007-05:00

Here's the final wraparound cover for Bradley P. Beaulieu's upcoming The Straits of Galahesh. The cover art is by Todd Lockwood. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Click on the image for an enlarged version of the cover.

Here's the blurb:

West of the Grand Duchy of Anuskaya lies the Empire of Yrstanla, the Motherland. The Empire has lived at peace with Anuskaya for generations, but with political turmoil brewing and the wasting disease still rampant, opportunists from the mainland have begun to set their sights on the Grand Duchy, seeking to expand their empire. Five years have passed since Prince Nikandr, heir to the scepter of Khalakovo, was tasked with finding Nasim, the child prodigy behind a deadly summoning that led to a grand clash between the armies of man and elder elemental spirits. Today, that boy has grown into a young man driven to understand his past - and the darkness from which Nikandr awakened him. Nikandr's lover, Atiana, has become a Matra, casting her spirit forth to explore, influence, and protect the Grand Duchy. But when the Al-Aqim, long thought lost to the past, return to the islands and threaten to bring about indaraqiram - a change that means certain destruction for both the Landed and the Landless - bitter enemies must become allies and stand against their horrific plans. From Bradley P. Beaulieu, author of the critically acclaimed debut novel The Winds of Khalakovo, comes Book Two of The Lays of Anuskaya, The Straits of Galahesh.

Death Masks

2012-01-18T18:03:00.001-05:00

The Dresden Files book sequence has become one of the most popular series in the speculative fiction genre, its last few installments topping the New York Times bestseller list. At first, the series was a bit formulaic and episodic in format. Nevertheless, for all that the misadventures of Harry Dresden made for entertaining and fun-filled reads. With Summer Knight, Butcher elevated his game, bringing the Dresden Files to a higher level and setting the stage for a lot of fireworks to come!

And with Death Masks, the author raises the bar even higher. Regardless of its immense popularity, a lot of speculative fiction fans look down on the urban fantasy subgenre. But Jim Butcher demonstrates that urban fantasy can be as good and multilayered as any other subgenre.

Here's the blurb:

Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only practicing professional wizard, should be happy that business is pretty good for a change. But now he’s getting more than he bargained for.

A duel with the Red Court of Vampires’ champion, who must kill Harry to end the war between vampires and wizards…

Professional hit men using Harry for target practice…

The missing Shroud of Turin…

A handless and headless corpse the Chicago police need identified…

Not to mention the return of Harry’s ex-girlfriend Susan, who’s still struggling with her semivampiric nature. And who seems to have a new man in her life.

Some days, it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed. No matter how much you’re charging.

As always, and it's one of the highlights of the series, Death Masks features the first-person narrative of the endearing, if frequently inept, wizard Harry Dresden. More than ever in this book, Harry's heart heart is in the right place, and his flawed nature makes him one of the most likeable SFF characters out there. Doubtless, the novels wouldn't be as entertaining if we didn't witness events through Harry Dresden's eyes.

The supporting cast once again adds another dimension to this tale. The return of Susan Rodriguez was more than a little interesting. The three Knights of the Cross, Michael Carpenter, Shiro, and Sanya, played an important role throughout the book. Ortega, the Archive, Kincaid, Nicodemus, and Gentleman Marcone all bring something to this story.

In Summer Knight, the introduction of new concepts, he addition of new characters and developments hinted at the fact that this was a series that resounded with a lot more depth than met the eye. Well, Death Masks more than confirms it. Not only does the novel builds on aspects introduced in the first four volumes, but it also expends on several others. I was fascinated by everything that had to do with the Denarians and the Fellowship of St. Giles.

This fifth volume is another fast-paced urban fantasy offering. We see evidence of a bigger, more complex, and more ambitious overall story arc. Which bodes well for future installments!

Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files is fast becoming one of my favorite series on the market today. Urban fantasy it may be, yet it is as good and convoluted as can be!

The final verdict: 8.25/10

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

Daw contest winner!

2012-01-17T10:07:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the nice folks at Daw Books, our lucky winner will receive a great bundle of books! The prize pack includes:

- Legacy of Kings by C. S. Friedman
- The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
- The Diviner by Melanie Rawn
- Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
- Spellcast by Barbara Ashford
- Magebane by Lee Arthur Chane

The winner is:

- Ryan Joyce, from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Many thanks to all the participants!

No Pants Subway Ride 2012

2012-01-16T09:55:00.002-05:00

This is the kind of fun shit they should do in Montreal. But for some reason, they don't.

Granted, if it's -30°C, you don't want to bare your legs outside. But God knows it's hot enough in the métro to do so. . .

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

2012-01-15T22:35:00.004-05:00

Just learned that you can download Paolo Bacigalupi's excellent The Windup Girl for 6.99$ here. Again, it may not be as cheap as some of the recent deals I've posted, but it is still 53% off the regular ebook price.

Here's the blurb:

Anderson Lake is a company man, AgriGen's Calorie Man in Thailand. Under cover as a factory manager, Anderson combs Bangkok's street markets in search of foodstuffs thought to be extinct, hoping to reap the bounty of history's lost calories. There, he encounters Emiko...

Emiko is the Windup Girl, a strange and beautiful creature. One of the New People, Emiko is not human; instead, she is an engineered being, creche-grown and programmed to satisfy the decadent whims of a Kyoto businessman, but now abandoned to the streets of Bangkok. Regarded as soulless beings by some, devils by others, New People are slaves, soldiers, and toys of the rich in a chilling near future in which calorie companies rule the world, the oil age has passed, and the side effects of bio-engineered plagues run rampant across the globe.

What happens when calories become currency? What happens when bio-terrorism becomes a tool for corporate profits, when said bio-terrorism's genetic drift forces mankind to the cusp of post-human evolution? In The Windup Girl, award-winning author Paolo Bacigalupi returns to the world of "The Calorie Man" ( Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award-winner, Hugo Award nominee, 2006) and "Yellow Card Man" (Hugo Award nominee, 2007) in order to address these poignant questions.

Quote of the Day

2012-01-14T16:10:00.004-05:00

The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.

- BRUCE LEE

Scott Lynch Update

2012-01-13T13:44:00.001-05:00

This from the Gollancz Blog regarding Scott Lynch's eagerly anticipated The Republic of Thieves (Canada, USA, Europe):

Well, the months have rolled around faster than anyone could quite credit and we find ourselves in 2012 and still without that final confirmed delivery of the completed draft of Scott Lynch’s The Republic of Thieves. Sadly those who expressed their doubts have been proved right and we’re now forced to move the likely date for Scott’s publication into the Autumn of this year.

Scott is still facing up to his issues and we’re still having to face up to the wait for his book. I know which I’d rather be dealing with.

So, we send our apologies to you and our very best wishes to Scott. Thank you, on his behalf, for bearing with us. And in the meantime, of course, (and to take some of the pressure of Scott) there are plenty of other wonderful books to be reading until The Republic of Thieves does make its appearance.

Transworld contest winner!

2012-01-13T13:40:00.002-05:00

Our winner will receive a cool set of books, compliments of the folks at Transworld. Their prize pack includes:

- Queen of Kings by Maria Dahvana Headley
- The Watchers by Jon Steele
- Snuff by Terry Pratchett
- The Crippled God by Steven Erikson
- The Scar Crow Men by Mark Chadbourn
- Orb, Sceptre, Throne by Ian Cameron Esslemont

The winner is:

- Baptiste Csernel, from Paris, France

Many thanks to all the participants!

C.S. Friedman's DOMINION is now available!

2012-01-12T15:18:00.003-05:00

You can now download C. S. Friedman's new novella featuring the memorable Gerald Tarrant, Dominion, for 2.99$ here!

Here's the blurb:

Four hundred years after mankind's arrival on Erna, the undead sorcerer Gerald Tarrant travels north in search of a legend. For it is rumored there is a forest where the fae has become so powerful that it devours all who enter it, and he means to test its power.

This prequel to C. S. Friedman's bestselling Coldfire Trilogy (Black Sun Rising, When True Night Falls, Crown of Shadows) offers fans of the series a hint of Tarrant's secret history, while new readers will enjoy a chilling introduction to one of High Fantasy's most fascinating -- and deadly --worlds.

Throne of the Crescent Moon

2012-01-11T21:38:00.003-05:00

As a finalist for both the Nebula and the Campbell awards for his short fiction, Saladin Ahmed's fantasy debut, Throne of the Crescent Moon, is doubtless one of the most eagerly awaited SFF debuts of 2012. Billed as a fantasy adventure with all the magic of The Arabian Nights, Ahmed's debut is just that.

Throne of the Crescent Moon is definitely a throwback book, reminiscent of sword & sorcery novels that were so popular during 80s. A bit like Blake Charlton's Spellwright, the book is an homage to novels from that era. It is the sort of tale that takes us back in time; to a time when authors such as David Eddings, Raymond E. Feist, and Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman dominated the New York Times bestseller list with their popular series. And given some of these writers' popularity today, it appears that there could well be a big market for novels such as Throne of the Crescent Moon.

Here's the blurb:

One of the year's most anticipated fantasy debuts, from a finalist for the Nebula and Campbell Awards.

The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, land of djenn and ghuls, holy warriors and heretics, Khalifs and killers, is at the boiling point of a power struggle between the iron-fisted Khalif and the mysterious master thief known as the Falcon Prince. In the midst of this brewing rebellion a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms.

Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, the last real ghul hunter in the great city of Dhamsawaat, just wants a quiet cup of tea. A fat old man who has grown weary of hunting monsters and saving lives, he's more than ready to retire from his dangerous vocation. But when an old flame's family is murdered, Adoulla is drawn back to the hunter's path.

Adoulla's young assistant Raseed, a hidebound holy warrior whose prowess is matched only by his piety, is eager to deliver God's justice. But even as Raseed's sword is tested by ghuls and manjackals, his soul is tested when he and Adoulla cross paths with the tribeswoman Zamia.

Zamia Badawi, Protector of the Band, has been gifted with the power of the Lion-Shape, but shunned by her people for daring to take up a man's title. She lives only to avenge her father's death. Until she learns that Adoulla and his allies also hunt her father's killer. Until she meets Raseed.

When they learn that the murders and the Falcon Prince's brewing revolution are connected, the companions must race against time - and struggle against their own misgivings - to save the life of a vicious despot. In so doing they discover a plot for the Throne of the Crescent Moon that threatens to turn Dhamsawaat, and the world itself, into a blood-soaked ruin.

As a throwback book, Throne of the Crescent Moon embraces a lot of the traditional tropes of the sword and sorcery subgenre. Which, truth be told, will either please or put off readers. Fans of the "New Grit" movement and the school of hard knocks established by George R. R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, and Richard Morgan, among others, might have a hard time getting into this "lighter" offering. In Ahmed's debut, the heroes are good, the villains are evil. Shades of gray are few and far between, as is habitually the case with sword and sorcery tales. The forces of good always beat the odds and manage to come out on top, with secret knowledge or power falling into their lap in the nick of time. The whole Good vs Evil shebang, once more. To his credit, Saladin Ahmed has a few surprises in store for his readers. But nevertheless, Throne of the Crescent Moon has a very traditional feel to it. Which is not inherently a negative thing, mind you, provided that readers are prepared to read such a work. On the other hand, readers who prefer subversion of these same tropes and clichés, and love authors known to do just that might have a hard time getting into this novel. Personally, though you are well aware that I much prefer grittier SFF books and series, as a child of the 80s I mostly enjoyed this homage to the works which made me fall in love with the genre. Indeed, it sort of made me feel like a teenager again.

The worldbuilding is reminiscent of The Arabian Nights, no question about it. Unfortunately, we only get a few glimpses of Ahmed's universe. I'm probably a victim of my own expectations, but I was looking forward to much more depth in that department. With the plot occurring in a pseudo-Islamic world and with Saladin Ahmed himself a Muslim, I was expecting more insight and depth regarding the religion, the traditions, and the customs of the various races and societies. The vast majority of SFF authors are Christians, and thus their depictions of Islam or pseudo-variations of that religion are tainted by their own religious and spiritual beliefs. Hence, I was hoping that the author would delve a bit deeper and offer us something a bit different, something a bit more genuine in that regard. Mind you, my expections stemmed from the fact that I thought that Throne of the Crescent Moon would be an epic fantasy novel and not a sword and sorcery offering. Depth habitually gives way to action and adventure in sword and sorcery. In addition, from a marketing standpoint, publishing an Islamic fantasy novel in the USA may not be the key to achieving commercial success at the moment. Still, it will be interesting to see and discover more of the world and its people as the story progresses in the upcoming sequels.

Ahmed's evocative prose creates a colorful imagery. Sights, smells, sounds; the author makes the scenes come alive as you read along.

Often, what truly makes a fantasy debut stand out is the imaginative magic system it features. Interestingly enough, Ahmed went down the classical path for his own, coming up with something straight out of AD&D. Again, this may pull the heartstrings of nostalgic readers, or annoy the hell out of them.

In true sword and sorcery fashion, the characterization is all tropes and clichés. You have your wise and cranky aging wizard sick of it all, but forced to go at it once again in order to save the world. The kick-ass, well-nigh unbeatable swordsman. The ferocious female who's no damsel in distress. And more. Having said that, for all the tropes and the clichés, Ahmed created an endearing bunch of characters.

The pace is good. Ahmed keeps it fun and interesting, with not a single sluggish moment found from start to finish. The many action sequences keep the rhythm crisp, and you breeze through the book in no time. Weighing in at a tentative 288 pages, it will be interesting to see if SFF fans will show qualms about paying hardcover price for such a short-length work. Then again, keeping in mind that Throne of the Crescent Moon was never meant to be a doorstopper epic fantasy novel, for a sword and sorcery book the price is right.

Saladin Ahmed's fantasy debut is a quick and entertaining read. Throne of the Crescent Moon works extremely well as a throwback novel, and I'm curious to see how well it will be received compared to quality debuts that hit the shelves in recent years, namely those of Patrick Rothfuss, Naomi Novik, Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie, Brian Ruckley, Brandon Sanderson, and Bradley P. Beaulieu.

As a sword and sorcery work, Throne of the Crescent Moon is nonetheless a world away from the epic fantasy works that topped the bestseller lists these last few years. And yet, if Daw Books markets it to the appropriate crowd, Ahmed debuts could create some waves in 2012.

If you are looking for a book that will bring you back to the action/adventure fantasy tales of your teenage years (provided you are a child of the 80s, of course), Saladin Ahmed's Throne of the Crescent Moon should scratch that itch!

The final verdict: 7.5/10

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

Esslemont update

2012-01-10T11:36:00.005-05:00

Hey guys,

A lot of Malazan fans have been asking me about my review of Ian Cameron Esslemont's Orb, Sceptre, Throne ( Canada, USA, Europe).

As usual, I was supposed to get an early read. Simon Taylor told me that the book was supposed to reach me in early December. We don't really know what happened, but the package ended up in my mailbox on December 29th. Needless to say, this threw a monkey wrench into our plans.

With the Holidays, work, and the fact that I was flying down to Miami on January 4th, I couldn't get to it. Unfortunately, there will not be an early review of Orb, Sceptre, Throne on the Hotlist prior to the novel's pub date. =(

The book is sitting on my desk, waiting. It will be the first novel I'll read and review when I return from Belize, though.

R. Scott Bakker's "The False Sun"

2012-01-09T15:56:00.004-05:00

This from Bakker's blog:

A new Atrocity Tale is up.

I had a lot of fun with this one, reaching back, as it does, to a pivotal moment in Far Antiquity. So much so, that it’s got me thinking about the way serial fantasy demands so much more of readers than any genre short of experimental avante garde stuff. Writing “The False Sun” felt… I dunno, thick, semantically dense in a way that my return to philosophical concerns can’t hope to. A fantasy world is a reality where Soul and World are coextensive. Our world (or even worse, the world of the Blind Brain Theory) is one where the Soul has shrunk to a delusional ember, and ‘profundity’ is little more than bell cruelly tied to a lap-dog’s tale.

But the very reason I enjoyed writing “The False Sun” so much is also the reason I need to issue a SEVERE SPOILER ALERT. The Second Apocalypse is big, so big that the narrative and thematic dimensions only come into collective focus here and there. ”The False Sun” is a story about the origins of the Consult, and so brings together the historical and metaphysical dimensions of the greater saga in a decisive way. Nothing is spoiled in terms of plot, but in terms of setting, this story cuts against the way the details of the World have been rationed over the course of the series. Drawing the curtain back on Golgotterath is something I’ve reserved for The Unholy Consult.

Thus the spoiler alert: Reading “The False Sun” will have a profound impact on your reading of The Unholy Consult, and if you are as jealous of your narrative surprises as I am, you might want to set this story on the back-burner.

Otherwise, dig in. There’s several things that I’m not certain about, and as always I appreciate any kind of feedback that can help me put these or other qualms to bed.

You can read "The False Sun" here.

Here's a handy timeline to help you along the way.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

2012-01-09T11:02:00.004-05:00

Someone just pointed out that, in the US only, Joe Abercrombie's The Heroes can still be purchased for 2.99$ here.

If you live outside of the USA and you wish to get your hands on the excellent book, simply change your ip address. . . Google it up to learn how. . .

Here's the blurb:

They say Black Dow’s killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbour, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud. Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they’ve brought a lot of sharpened metal with them.

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

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

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

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

Three men. One battle. No Heroes.

More ebook deals!

2012-01-09T10:51:00.004-05:00

You can now get David Wingrove's first volume in the Chung Kuo sequence, Son of Heaven, for 6.89$ here. It may not be as good a deal as some of the others I've posted lately, but the price is still down 73%!

Here's the blurb:

The year is 2085, two decades after the great economic collapse that destroyed Western civilization. With its power broken and its cities ruined, life in the West continues in scattered communities. In rural Dorset Jake Reed lives with his 14-year-old son and memories of the great collapse. Back in '43, Jake was a rich, young futures broker, immersed in the datascape of the world's financial markets. He saw what was coming - and who was behind it. Forewarned, he was one of the few to escape the fall. For 22 years he has lived in fear of the future, and finally it is coming - quite literally - across the plain towards him. Chinese airships are in the skies and a strange, glacial structure has begun to dominate the horizon. Jake finds himself forcibly incorporated into the ever-expanding 'World of Levels' a global city of some 34 billion souls, where social status is reflected by how far above the ground you live. Here, under the rule of the mighty Tsao Ch'un, a resurgent China is seeking to abolish the past and bring about world peace through rigidly enforced order. But a civil war looms, and Jake will find himself at the heart of the struggle for the future.

Ace contest winner!

2012-01-07T10:26:00.002-05:00

This lucky girl will get her hands on a nice bundle of books, courtesy of the folks at Ace. The prize pack includes:

- Dead Mann Walking by Stefan Petrucha
- Supervolcano by Harry Turtledove
- The Nerdist Way by Chris Hardwick
- Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman
- Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

The winner is:

- Melissa Caldwell, from Anniston, Alabama, USA

Many thanks to all the participants!

Dominion

2012-01-06T09:36:00.003-05:00

C. S. Friedman confided that she had had an idea for a new Gerald Tarrant story when she agreed to contribute to Speculative Horizons, the anthology I compiled and edited for Subterranean Press last year. I was foaming at the mouth at the very thought, yet I knew that we could never afford to have that story in our anthology. In any event, she wanted to complete Legacy of Kings before tackling that new project.

And then, a few weeks ago, she let me know that the novella was done, edited, and she wanted to know if I wanted to be the first one to review it? Are you kidding me!?! "Hell yeah!" I said! And it was quite a treat, if only for 31 pages, to return to the world of the Coldfire trilogy and rediscover one of my favorite fantasy characters of all time!

Here's the blurb:

Four hundred years after mankind's arrival on Erna, the undead sorcerer Gerald Tarrant travels north in search of a legend. For it is rumored there is a forest where the fae has become so powerful that it devours all who enter it, and he means to test its power.

This prequel to C. S. Friedman's bestselling Coldfire Trilogy (Black Sun Rising, When True Night Falls, Crown of Shadows) offers fans of the series a hint of Tarrant's secret history, while new readers will enjoy a chilling introduction to one of High Fantasy's most fascinating -- and deadly --worlds.

It's been sixteen years since we last encountered Gerald Tarrant. Far too long for most Friedman fans around the world, I'm sure. But when asked about the possibility of additional short stories or novellas featuring that beloved protagonist, C. S. Friedman told me that this was a one-off. Unless other memorable and worthwhile ideas come to mind, there won't be more of them coming up. Which, as a matter of course, made me savour Dominion even more.

This being a novella, the format precluded too much depth in terms of worldbuilding. Still, Friedman sets the mood perfectly. The narrative grabs hold of you and won't let go. The prose is evocative and the Forest almost becomes a character in its own right. Sure, many will claim that fans are already won over. But it's no secret that the author knows how to draw readers into her tales and Dominion is no different.

The novella features the POVs of two protagonists. The first is, not surprisingly, that of Gerald Tarrant, first Neocount of Merentha. It was a veritable pleasure to revisit a character that has made such an impact on me during the 90s. Although the thirty pages or so don't provide enough of an opportunity to fully appreciate this chance to see Gerald Tarrant in action and witness events unfold through his eyes, I relished every single moment of it. And damn it, I want more! The second is that of Faith, last survivor of a band of knights of the Church hunting faeborn creatures in the Forest. She possesses a special gift known as the Earth's blessing; the fae does not respond to her. Both characters find themselves in the heart of the Forest; one trying to escape, while the other means to best it. I think Friedman created a good balance between the two POV sections throughout the novella.

The relatively short format means that there is not a dull moment from start to finish. Indeed, all too soon you come to the end, satisfied but begging for more. Considering Gerald Tarrant's complex past, one would think that there would be material for several prequels. And here's to hoping that Dominion will be the first of many short form works featuring him.

This novella is a small vignette of Gerald Tarrant's life prior to the Coldfire trilogy, one focusing on his conquest of the Forest. I enjoyed how the author introduced Amoril and how he became part of Tarrant's entourage.

All in all, Dominion is a fantastic read. If you are a C. S. Friedman fan and loved the Coldfire trilogy, this novella is definitely for you!

The final verdict: 8/10

C. S. Friedman's Dominion will be available soon through all the usual e-book channels, in all e-book formats.

Tor Books contest winner!

2012-01-06T09:34:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the generosity of the folks at Tor Books, our winner will receive a bundle of books! The prize pack includes:

- The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card
- Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi
- Kitty's Greatest Hits by Carrie Vaughn
- Crack'd Pot Trail by Steven Erikson
- The Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge
- Halo: Glasslands by Karen Traviss
- The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

The winner is:

- Erin Hartshorn, from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

Many thanks to all the participants!

Happy Birthday Hotlist!!!

2012-01-05T00:55:00.004-05:00

Wasting technology since January 5th, 2005. . .

Who would have thought that it would last this long??? And yet, more than 300 book reviews and an unbelievable amount of drivel later, I'm still around!

Fuck me, Pat's Fantasy Hotlist is now seven years old!

In internet years, that almost makes me a dinosaur of the SFF Blogosphere. . .

That doesn't make me any younger. . . :/

The Pat's Fantasy Hotlist World Tour continues!

2012-01-04T10:41:00.004-05:00

Well, folks.

I'm catching a Florida bound plane this evening, which will put me in South Beach later tonight.

So the next time you hear from me, it will be from Miami, Florida, where I'll spend three days before flying down to beautiful Belize.

For the next three weeks, I'm done with the harsh Canadian winter!!! ;-)

No worries, I've brought a number of books to kill time at the beach. . .

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

2012-01-04T10:31:00.004-05:00

You can now download Bradley P. Beaulieu and Stephen Gaskell's Strata for 0.99$ here.

I was impressed by Beaulieu's fantasy debut, so I will definitely check this one out.

Here's the blurb:

Strata is a stand-alone novella by two Writers of the Future Award winners.

It’s the middle of the twenty-second century. Earth’s oil and gas reserves have been spent, but humankind’s thirst for energy remains unquenched. Vast solar mining platforms circle the upper atmosphere of the sun, drawing power lines up from the stellar interior and tight-beaming the energy back to Earth. For most of the platforms’ teeming masses, life is hard, cramped—and hot. Most dream of a return Earthside, but a two-way ticket wasn’t part of the benefits package, and a Sun-Earth trip doesn’t come cheap.

Kawe Ndechi is luckier than most. He’s a gifted rider—a skimmer pilot who races the surface of the sun’s convection zone—and he needs only two more wins before he lands a ticket home. The only trouble is, Kawe’s spent most of his life on the platforms. He’s seen the misery, and he’s not sure he’s the only one who deserves a chance at returning home.

That makes Smith Pouslon nervous. Smith once raced the tunnels of fire himself, but now he’s a handler, and his rider, Kawe, is proving anything but easy to handle. Kawe’s slipping deeper and deeper into the Movement, but Smith knows that’s a fool’s game. His own foray into the Movement cost him his racing career—and nearly his life—and he doesn’t want Kawe to throw everything away for a revolt that will never succeed.

One sun. Two men. The fate of a million souls.

Musical Interlude

2012-01-03T17:56:00.000-05:00

Will.i.am, Mick Jagger and Jennifer Lopez. Who would have thought it could be so cool!?!

Del Rey/Bantam Spectra contest winner!

2012-01-03T17:51:00.004-05:00

Thanks to the cool folks at Del Rey and Bantam Spectra, our winner will receive a number of books! The prize pack includes:

- George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones 4-book boxed set
- Drew Karpyshyn's Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan
- Terry Brooks' The High Druid of Shannara trilogy
- China Miéville's Embassytown
- William Gibson and Bruce Sterling's The Difference Engine (20th Anniversary Edition)

The winner is:

- Nathanial Barnhart, from Mead, Colorado, USA (SkynJay on asoiaf.westeros.org)

Many thanks to all the participants! ;-)

Girls of Geek 2012 Calendar contest winner!

2012-01-02T16:34:00.005-05:00

Thanks to the folks at Girlsofgeek.com, our winner will get his hands on the Girls of Geek 2012 calendar!

The winner is:

- Brett I., from Sandy, Utah, USA

Girls of Geek is a yearly calendar focused on beautiful geeky women showing what being a geek is really about! The calendar showcases all things geeky from video games, mobile devices, computers, gaming, comic books, and everything geeky in-between! A portion of all sales will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Follow this link to meet all the models appearing in the 2012 calendar.

Twelve gorgeous and sexy geeks to brighten up your year; one for every single month! So come on! What are you waiting for!?! You can order your copy here.

The Waste Lands

2012-01-02T11:11:00.006-05:00

Yes, I know. . .

I'm late for this party. But as I mentioned in my reviews for The Gunslinger and The Drawing of the Three, though I've had Stephen King's The Dark Tower installments patiently awaiting my attention for years, I wanted to wait till the series was done before starting to read The Gunslinger.

The first two volumes were more or less set-up books for what would come after. Hence, I was quite curious to discover what would transpire in The Waste Lands. Most fans seem to agree that the third and fourth volumes are the best of the series, so I was looking forward to finding out where King would take us.

Here's the blurb:

Roland continues his quest for the Dark Tower, but he is no longer alone. He has trained Eddie and Susannah—who entered Mid-World from their separate whens in New York City in The Drawing of the Three—in the old ways of the gunslingers. But their ka-tet is not yet complete. Another must be drawn from New York into Mid-World, someone who has been there before, a boy who has died not once but twice, and yet still lives. The ka-tet, four who are bound together by fate, must travel far in this novel encountering not only the poisonous waste lands and the ravaged city of Lud that lies beyond, but also the rage of a train that might be their only means of escape.

Up until this point, the worldbuilding had not been a factor in the Dark Tower series. This universe reminiscent of America's Wild West had captivated me in The Gunslinger. Sadly, Stephen King had played his cards pretty close to his chest, and readers had learned next to nothing about the series' universe. In terms of worldbuilding, The Waste Lands is a world away from its two predecessors. To begin with, the novel finally establishes the physics by which the world operates. Six beams run between twelve portals which mark the edges of Mid-World. Standing at the point where the beams cross at the center of the universe lies the Dark Tower. Hints seem to indicate that the Dark Tower might lie at the center of all worlds. We also learn more about the twelve Guardians set to guard the twelve Portals. Each Guardian matches up with a Guardian at the Portal on the other end of the Beam. Roland, Eddie, and Susannah face one of the Guardians in the early part of the novel. They encounter a gigantic cyborg bear known as Shardik. The beast was created by North Central Positronics Ltd. As Roland and his party make their way along the Path of the Beam, passing through River Crossing on their way to the city of Lud, readers learn more and more details. These discoveries raise a panoply of additional questions, yet they demonstrate that the Dark Tower universe resounds with an incredible wealth of depth.

The first portion of the book is dedicated to the drawing of the true third in their ka-tet, Jake Chambers. But in order for this drawing to become a reality, Roland and Jake must first battle their own fraying psyches and achieve some sort of reconciliation between their doubled memories concerning the paradoxical events which led to Jake's death. The second portion chronicles the events that lead the ka-tet toward the city of Lud, searching for a train known as Blaine the Mono. This is the sole means of transportation which can take them to Topeka, where Mid-World ends and End-World begins.

As a no-nonsense kind of Gunslinger, Roland of Gilead immediately became a fan favorite. Though both The Gunslinger and The Drawing of the Three featured an interesting supporting cast, the books' main focus more or less remained on Roland. What differentiates The Waste Lands from its predecessors is that the secondary characters really come into their own and take their rightful place in the narrative. Although the series continues to be about Roland's quest for the Dark Tower, it is now evident that Eddie, Susannah, and Jake will play important roles in what is to come.

It is also in The Waste Lands that a number of connections with Stephen King's other novels are unveiled. References to The Stand and It are hidden within the narrative.

Unlike the second volume in the series, The Waste Lands doesn't suffer from an uneven rhythm. The pace keeps you turning those pages, eager to discover what happens next. The plot keeps moving forward, revealing layer after layer regarding those convoluted storylines.

Onward to the Dark Tower. . .

The final verdict: 8.5/10

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

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-01T20:40:00.003-05:00

Hey guys!

Hope you enjoyed the Holiday season!

May 2012 be everything you want it to be! =)

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (December 26th)

2011-12-31T11:01:00.004-05:00

In hardcover:

Stephen King's 11/22/63 maintains its position at number 1. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Haruki Murakami's 1Q84 is up one spot, finishing the week at number 12. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons maintains its position at number 14. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus maintains its position at number 18. For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Gregory Maguire’s Out of Oz maintains its position at number 25.

In paperback:

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is up seven positions, ending the week at number 3.

George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is up twelve spots, finishing the week at number 7.

George R. R. Martin's A Storms of Swords is up five positions, ending the week at number 8.

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows is up eleven positions, ending the week at number 9.

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is up two positions, ending the week at number 10 (trade paperback).

Max Brooks' World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is up three spots, finishing the week at number 18 (trade paperback).

George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is up six spots, finishing the week at number 24 (trade paperback).

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows is down one position, ending the week at number 32 (trade paperback).

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

2011-12-31T00:11:00.001-05:00

This from the Angry Robot website:

That’s right! In the best tradition of purveyors of quality merchandise everywhere, we’re having a January sale. And likewise in the best tradition of purveyors of (etc. etc.) we’ve dropped the prices of our sale items a little early (as of… now!) with said lower price-points remaining in force until the end of January.

Which means that an impressive selection of our ebook titles – all our 2009 and 2010 titles, plus a few 2011 debuts – have been reduced in price, not only at the Angry Robot Store* but also on the virtual shelves of a number of major online retailers – including Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and Amazon.co.uk, among others.

So, what are you waiting for? Head on over to your eBook store of choice, dig around, see what you can find! And be prepared to stuff your Kindle or fill your Nook (or, indeed, cram your Kobo or burst your eReader, if you’re that way inclined) with lots and lots of lovely Angry Robot eBooks.

You know it makes sense.
----------------

Follow this link to peruse the selection of speculative fiction titles you can download on the cheap! Prices begin at 2.99$.

Mark Lawrence interviews me!

2011-12-30T18:22:00.004-05:00

Mark Lawrence, fantasy author of Prince of Thorns, has turned the tables on me. If you want to see me go from interviewer to interviewee, Mark posted a Q&A with Yours Truly on his blog. Here's a teaser:

Does your personal opinion of an author ever sway a review in any direction?

No. I let the novel stand on its own merit.

Every time I'm perusing a message board and see readers bitching about Terry Goodkind, Orson Scott Card, Dan Simmons, or John C. Wright, and see them go on about how they'll never buy/read any of their books again, I can't help but shake my head and marvel at the silliness of it all.

Terry Goodkind is a dumbass and a crackpot. About as bad as they come. But that's not why I don't read and review his books anymore. It's just that he writes crap. Period. I would still hate his books if he was the nicest human being out there. . . Sadly, he's not. . .

Follow this link to read the full interview.

Prologue and first two chapters of Ian Cameron Esslemont's ORB, SCEPTRE, THRONE

2011-12-29T20:30:00.002-05:00

The prologue and the first two chapters of Ian Cameron Esslemont's Orb, Sceptre, Throne (Canada, USA, Europe) are now available online.

You can also see a new map of Southern Genabackis.

Follow this link to read the extract.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

2011-12-29T20:13:00.005-05:00

Part of the new ebook sale from Harper Voyager, you can now download Robin Hobb's Dragon Keeper for 1.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

Return to the world of the Liveships Traders and journey along the Rain Wild River in this standalone adventure from the author of the internationally acclaimed Farseer trilogy. Guided by the great blue dragon Tintaglia, they came from the sea: a Tangle of serpents fighting their way up the Rain Wilds River, the first to make the perilous journey to the cocooning grounds in generations. Many have died along the way. With its acid waters and impenetrable forest, it is a hard place for any to survive. People are changed by the Rain Wilds, subtly or otherwise. One such is Thymara. Born with black claws and other aberrations, she should have been exposed at birth. But her father saved her and her mother has never forgiven him. Like everyone else, Thymara is fascinated by the return of dragons: it is as if they symbolise the return of hope to their war-torn world. Leftrin, captain of the liveship Tarman, also has an interest in the hatching; as does Bingtown newlywed, Alise Finbok, who has made it her life's work to study all there is to know of dragons. But the creatures which emerge from the cocoons are a travesty of the powerful, shining dragons of old. Stunted and deformed, they cannot fly; some seem witless and bestial. Soon, they become a danger and a burden to the Rain Wilders: something must be done. The dragons claim an ancestral memory of a fabled Elderling city far upriver: perhaps there the dragons will find their true home. But Kelsingra appears on no maps and they cannot get there on their own: a band of dragon keepers, hunters and chroniclers must attend them. To be a dragon keeper is a dangerous job: their charges are vicious and unpredictable, and there are many unknown perils on the journey to a city which may not even exist...

Here are the other titles on sale:

For 0.99$:

Phoenix Rising by Tee Morris and Pip Ballenyne
White Tiger by Kylie Chan
Den of Thieves by David Chandler
Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey
Scent of Shadows by Vicki Petterson
Heir of Night by Helen Lowe
Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake

For 1.99$:

Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison
Rides of a Dread Legion by Raymond Fiest
Earth Strike: Star Carrier by Ian Douglas
Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb
Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

The Hotties: 2011 Year-End Awards

2011-12-28T18:18:00.013-05:00

Okay, we may not be as prestigious or glamorous as the Hugo, the Nebula, or the World Fantasy Awards, but winning a Hottie still means something, right!?! Well, maybe not but what the heck!?!

For the sake of posterity, I've also included my Top 10 SFF novels and the runner-up titles of the year in this post.

Without further ado, here are the 2011 Hottie Awards!

Top 10 Speculative Fiction Titles of 2011

1- Steven Erikson's The Crippled God [Tor, Bantam Press]

2- C. S. Friedman's Legacy of Kings [Daw, Orbit]

3- George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons [Bantam Dell, Voyager]
4- R. Scott Bakker's The White-Luck Warrior [Penguin Canada, The Overlook Press, Orbit]

5- James S. A. Corey's Leviathan Wakes [Orbit]

6- Robert McCammon's The Five [Subterranean Press]

7- Joe Abercrombie's The Heroes [Orbit, Gollancz]

8- Patrick Rothfuss' The Wise Man's Fear [Daw, Gollancz]

9- Melanie Rawn's The Diviner [Daw]

10- Bradley P. Beaulieu's The Winds of Khalakovo [Nightshade Books]

-----------------------------

11- Robin Hobb's The Inheritance and Other Stories [Voyager]

12- Carrie Vaughn's Kitty's Greatest Hits [Tor]

13- Peter F. Hamilton's Manhattan in Reverse [Del Rey, Macmillan]

14- Jasper Kent's The Third Section [Pyr, Bantam Press]

15- Alastair Reynolds' Troika [Subterranean Press]

16- Mark Lawrence's Prince of Thorns [Ace, Voyager]

17- Jeff Somers' The Final Evolution [Orbit]

18- Brandon Sanderson's The Alloy of Law [Tor, Gollancz]

19- Brian Ruckley's The Edinburgh Dead [Orbit]

20- Mark Hodder's The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man [Pyr]

PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR AWARD

- Daw

With three titles in my top 10, a couple of New York Times bestsellers, and the World Fantasy Award for best novel this year, it looks as though Daw can still kick some serious ass!

FAVORITE SFF BLOG

- The Wertzone

Adam has always been a passionate SFF fan and he remains one of my most trusted sources when it comes to books!

BEST SFF MESSAGE BOARD

- Westeros

Honorable mention: SFFWorld.com

Hands down, the two most interesting and lively SFF message boards on the web!

MOST AMBITIOUS PROJECT AWARD

- The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont

In terms of depth and scope, nothing even comes close to this series. I say that every year, I know, but it's true! Problem is, it was perhaps a bit too ambitious. Erikson will now need two additional trilogies to "complete" his portion of the tale. But hey, I'm not complaining! ;-)

MOST OVERRATED NOVEL AWARD

- China Miéville's Embassytown

I like Miéville, no doubt about it. But this one was sleep-inducing for the better part of the book. . .

MOST UNDERRATED NOVEL AWARD

- C. S. Friedman's Legacy of Kings

Friedman's The Magister trilogy is one of the very best fantasy series of the new millennium, and yet it sometimes feels as though I'm the only one who has read it. Give these books a shot, damn it!

BEST COVER ART AWARD

- Steve Stone's cover art for Steven Erikson's The Crippled God.

Awesome! I love it!

WORST COVER ART AWARD

- Matthew Hughes' The Other

Pure visual crap. . .

INTERVIEW OF THE YEAR

- R. Scott Bakker, part 1 and part 2

For the first time in his career, Bakker was actually spoilerish!

MOST PROMISING NEW VOICE AWARD

- Bradley P. Beaulieu

Although The Winds of Khalakovo suffered from a number of shortcomings, at times it was simply brilliant.

It looks as though Beaulieu could be the real deal. . .

COMEBACK OF THE YEAR AWARD

- Daw

For the same reasons stated for the Publisher of the Year award! It is obvious that the commercial success of Patrick Rothfuss has allowed them to experiment with new styles and directions, which is for the best. It doesn't hurt that all of their big names released novels this year as well.

UNEXPECTED SURPRISE AWARD

- James S. A. Corey's Leviathan Wakes

Honorable mention: Melanie Rawn's The Diviner

I didn't really know what to expect, but Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck really knocked the ball out of the park with this one!

MOST DISAPPOINTING NOVEL AWARD

- We have a three-way tie between China Miéville's Embassytown, Daniel Abraham's The Dragon's Path, and Peter Orullian's The Unremembered.

I had high expectations for all three, but sadly none lived up to them. . .

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: BEST DEBUT

- Bradley P. Beaulieu's The Winds of Khalakovo

Honorable mention: Mark Lawrence's Prince of Thorns

For a while, it looked as though Mark Lawrence would be cruising toward an easy victory. But December came and I read the Beaulieu. What can I say? Shit happens. It was a close call, but The Winds of Khalakovo ended up the victor.

Still, things are looking up for both authors!

THE LOIS McMASTER BUJOLD "THIS ONE WILL WIN AN AWARD OR THREE" AWARD

- China Miéville's Embassytown

Well, it's China Miéville. . .

MVP AWARD

- Betsy Wollheim and Sheila Gilbert, the heart and soul of Daw Books.

It goes without saying that 2011 was a terrific year for Daw. A smaller publisher, they don't necessarily have the means to always compete with the genre powerhouses out there. But Rothfuss' success demonstrated yet again how important it is to have a passionate publisher backing you and promoting your books. This commercial success has allowed Daw to explore new horizons, which bodes well for the years to come. It's nice to see them on top once again! Well-deserved!

Ian McDonald contest winners!

2011-12-28T13:45:00.004-05:00

Thanks to the generosity of the folks at Pyr, our four winners will get their hands on a copy of Ian McDonald's Planesrunner! For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

The winners are:

- Ben Lorber, from Atlanta, Georgia, USA

- Galena Ostipow, from East Lansing, Michigan, USA

- Jenny Salyers, from Evanston, Illinois, USA

- Guillermo Cantu, from Houston, Texas, USA

Many thanks to all the participants!

More inexpensive e-book goodies!

2011-12-28T00:34:00.004-05:00

You can download a combo of James S. A. Corey's excellent Leviathan Wakes and Daniel Abraham's The Dragon's Path for 2.99$ here!

Here's the blurb for Leviathan Wakes:

Welcome to the future. Humanity has colonized the solar system – Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond – but the stars are still out of our reach.

Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, The Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for – and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.

Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to The Scopuli and rebel sympathizer, Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.

Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations – and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.

If you enjoy Leviathan Wakes, you can also get James S. A. Corey's The Butcher of Anderson Station: A Story of The Expanse for 1.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

A new story set in the world of The Expanse. One day, Colonel Fred Johnson will be hailed as a hero to the system. One day, he will meet a desperate man in possession of a stolen spaceship and a deadly secret and extend a hand of friendship. But long before he became the leader of the Outer Planets Alliance, Fred Johnson had a very different name. The Butcher of Anderson Station.

This is his story.

And here's the blurb for The Dragon's Path:

Summer is the season of war in the Free Cities.

Marcus wants to get out before the fighting starts. His hero days are behind him and simple caravan duty is better than getting pressed into service by the local gentry. Even a small war can get you killed. But a captain needs men to lead — and his have been summarily arrested and recruited for their swords.

Cithrin has a job to do — move the wealth of a nation across a war zone. An orphan raised by the bank, she is their last hope of keeping the bank’s wealth out of the hands of the invaders. But she’s just a girl and knows little of caravans, war, and danger. She knows money and she knows secrets, but will that be enough to save her in the coming months?

Geder, the only son of a noble house is more interested in philosophy than swordplay. He is a poor excuse for a soldier and little more than a pawn in these games of war. But not even he knows what he will become of the fires of battle. Hero or villain? Small men have achieved greater things and Geder is no small man.

Falling pebbles can start a landslide. What should have been a small summer spat between gentlemen is spiraling out of control. Dark forces are at work, fanning the flames that will sweep the entire region onto The Dragon’s Path — the path of war.

Two full-length novels for 2.99$??? It doesn't get much better than this! ;-)

Final US cover art for Stephen King's THE WIND THROUGH THE KEYHOLE

2011-12-26T12:09:00.003-05:00

Here's the final US cover art for Stephen King's new Dark Tower book, The Wind Through the Keyhole.

Here's the blurb:

For those discovering the epic bestselling Dark Tower series for the first time—and for its legions of dedicated fans—an immensely satisfying stand-alone novel and perfect introduction to the series.Beginning in 1974, gaining momentum in the 1980s and coming to a thrilling conclusion when the last three novels were published in 2003-2004, the Dark Tower epic fantasy saga stands as Stephen King’s most beguiling achievement. It has been the basis for a long-running Marvel comic series.

Now, with The Wind Through the Keyhole, King has returned to the rich landscape of Mid-World. This story within a story within a story finds Roland Deschain, Mid-World’s last gunslinger, in his early days during the guilt-ridden year following his mother’s death. Sent by his father to investigate evidence of a murderous shape-shifter, a “skin-man,” Roland takes charge of Bill Streeter, a brave but terrified boy who is the sole surviving witness to the beast’s most recent slaughter. Roland, himself only a teenager, calms the boy by reciting a story from the Book of Eld that his mother used to read to him at bedtime. “A person’s never too old for stories,” he says to Bill. “Man and boy, girl and woman, we live for them.”

Sure to captivate the avid fans of the Dark Tower epic, this is an enchanting introduction to Roland’s world and the power of Stephen King’s storytelling magic.

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

House of Leaves

2011-12-26T10:41:00.006-05:00

I've had Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves sitting on my shelf for about a decade. Since then, the novel has acquired a cult following and it is said to be one of the scariest books ever written. I was in no hurry to read it, confident that it would be awesome whenever I elected to do so.

Well, I finally did read it. . . And I don't know if it's because my expectations were too high, but House of Leaves can be nothing but a major disappointment for me. Indeed, for the most part, I was bored out of my mind throughout the book.

Here's the blurb:

Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth -- musicians, tattoo artists, programmers, strippers, environmentalists, and adrenaline junkies -- the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children.

Now, for the first time, this astonishing novel is made available in book form, complete with the original colored words, vertical footnotes, and newly added second and third appendices.

The story remains unchanged, focusing on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.

Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story -- of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.

What's it like? Hmmm, if The Blair Witch Project had been a novel instead of a movie, it would have been something similar to Danielewski's cult book. But House of Leaves is not really a novel; it's more like two narratives driving the story side by side. The first, known as The Navidson Record, was recorded by a dead blind man named Zampanò. It's a pseudo-academic study of what turns out to be a nonexistent documentary film shot by an award-winning photojournalist who just bought a new house so he and his family can enjoy a new beginning. Unfortunately, the house turns out to be haunted, which will splinter the family instead of bringing it together. As the plot goes, it is rather thin and nothing to write home about. No, it's the story within the story that truly is a feat of imagination. The footnotes, the appendices, the correspondence, the notes, the interviews,the quotes -- this is what likely helped this book achieve cult status. Yet to a reader like me, more focused on plot, these things were just distractions that always killed whatever momentum House of Leaves had going for it. The second, found in the footnotes, is that of Johnny Truant, the literary editor of this manuscript. Truant found the jumble of pages and notes in Zampanò's apartment when the old man was found dead. A sex, drugs, and rock and roll kind of guy, Truant is an assistant in tattoo parlor. But his life takes a dramatic turn for the worst as soon as he begins to read and compile Zampanò's The Navidson Record. More and more, it looks as though he will share Zampanò's fate.

I have to admit that I was engrossed and intrigued from the very beginning. Danielewski's oddly put together novel has a way of sucking you in and keep you turning those pages. But one soon loses interest, as very little actually takes place. Moreover, the excrutiating amount of minutiae found in the footnotes simply proved to be too much for me. In the end, I was just going through the motions, reading on and hoping that something interesting would finally happen. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. Is it scary? Not one bit. Could it have been? Sure. But I have a feeling that Mark Z. Danielewski spent too much time padding up his narrative with quirky or pseudo-academic footnotes and appendices instead of focusing his efforts on the plot itself and the characterization.

I am acutely aware that this is what gives House of Leaves its own flavor, what made it the cult book it has become over the years. And it's all well and good. But unfortunately, it absolutely did nothing for me.

The pace is atrocious, made even more uneven by the panoply of footnotes and other devices that take you away from the story.

If you are looking for something weird, something completely different, something that you will either love or hate, then Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves might be for you.

The final verdict: 6/10

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

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T12:05:00.003-05:00

Hi guys!

Just wanted to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas!

Take advantage of the Christmas break to spend time with friends and family, for that's all you really need! =)

Have a good one!

More inexpensive e-book goodies!

2011-12-25T11:48:00.004-05:00

You can now download Paolo Bacigalupi's The Alchemist for 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

Magic has a price. But someone else will pay.

Every time a spell is cast, a bit of bramble sprouts, sending up tangling vines, bloody thorns, and threatening a poisonous sleep. It sprouts in tilled fields and in neighbors’ roof beams, thrusts up from between street cobbles, and bursts forth from sacks of powdered spice. A bit of magic, and bramble follows. A little at first, and then more— until whole cities are dragged down under tangling vines and empires lie dead, ruins choked by bramble forest. Monuments to people who loved magic too much.

In paired novellas, award-winning authors Tobias Buckell and Paolo Bacigalupi explore a shared world where magic is forbidden and its use is rewarded with the axe. A world of glittering memories and a desperate present, where everyone uses a little magic, and someone else always pays the price.

In the beleaguered city of Khaim, a lone alchemist seeks a solution to a deadly threat. The bramble, a plant that feeds upon magic, now presses upon Khaim, nourished by the furtive spellcasting of its inhabitants and threatening to strangle the city under poisonous vines. Driven by desperation and genius, the alchemist constructs a device that transcends magic, unlocking the mysteries of bramble’s essential nature. But the power of his newly-built balanthast is even greater than he dreamed. Where he sought to save a city and its people, the balanthast has the potential to save the world entire—if it doesn’t destroy him and his family first.

You can also download Tobias S. Buckell's The Executioness for 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

Magic has a price. But someone else will pay.

Every time a spell is cast, a bit of bramble sprouts, sending up tangling vines, bloody thorns, and threatening a poisonous sleep. It sprouts in tilled fields and in neighbors’ roof beams, thrusts up from between street cobbles, and bursts forth from sacks of powdered spice. A bit of magic, and bramble follows. A little at first, and then more— until whole cities are dragged down under tangling vines and empires lie dead, ruins choked by bramble forest. Monuments to people who loved magic too much.

In paired novellas, award-winning authors Tobias Buckell and Paolo Bacigalupi explore a shared world where magic is forbidden and its use is rewarded with the axe. A world of glittering memories and a desperate present, where everyone uses a little magic, and someone else always pays the price.

Magic has a price.

In Khaim, that price is your head if you’re found using it. For the use of magic comes with a side effect: it creates bramble. The bramble is a creeping, choking menace that has covered majestic ancient cities, and felled civilizations. In order to prevent the spread of the bramble, many lose their heads to the cloaked executioners of Khaim.

Tana is one of these executioners, taking the job over from her ailing father in secret, desperate to keep her family from starvation. But now her family has been captured by raiders, and taken to a foreign city.

So Khaim’s only female executioner begins a quest to bring her family back together. A bloody quest that will change lives, cities, and even an entire land, forever. A quest that will create the legend of The Executioness.

*** Please remember that anything purchased via the Amazon links (used or new) till January 15th will help raise funds for Breast Cancer Research.

Quote of the Day

2011-12-25T00:30:00.001-05:00

It was as if the interlopers had suggested to a bunch of born-again Christians that they hunt up the Ark of the Covenant and turn it into a pay toilet.

- STEPHEN KING, The Waste Lands (Canada, USA, Europe)

'Tis the Season Giveaway: Daw Books

2011-12-24T11:10:00.005-05:00

It's now Daw Books' turn to step up to the plate! Their prize pack includes:

- Legacy of Kings by C. S. Friedman
- The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
- The Diviner by Melanie Rawn
- Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
- Spellcast by Barbara Ashford
- Magebane by Lee Arthur Chane.

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

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (December 19th)

2011-12-24T10:55:00.004-05:00

In hardcover:

Stephen King's 11/22/63 is up one position, ending the week at number 1. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Haruki Murakami's 1Q84 is down two spots, finishing the week at number 13. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons is down two positions, ending the week at number 14. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus is up one position, ending the week at number 18. For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Gregory Maguire’s Out of Oz is down eight spots, finishing the week at number 25.

In paperback:

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is up five positions, ending the week at number 10.

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is up nine positions, ending the week at number 12 (trade paperback).

George R. R. Martin's A Storms of Swords is up five positions, ending the week at number 13.

George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is up four spots, finishing the week at number 19.

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows is up four positions, ending the week at number 20.

Max Brooks' World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is down one spot, finishing the week at number 21 (trade paperback).

Max Brooks' World War Z returns at number 25.

Kim Harrison's Pale Demon debuts at number 29.

George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is down four spots, finishing the week at number 30 (trade paperback).

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows is down four positions, ending the week at number 31 (trade paperback).

Tad Williams e-book promotion + Exclusive Extract

2011-12-23T07:18:00.002-05:00

From now till the end of January, you can download Tad Williams' latest collection of short fiction, A Stark and Wormy Knight, for only 4.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

A fat new collection by best-selling fantasy and science fiction author Tad Williams, containing new material original to this book.

Tad Williams is an acknowledged master of the multi-volume epic. Through such popular series as Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn and Otherland, he has acquired a huge and devoted body of readers who eagerly await each new publication. A Stark and Wormy Knight offers those readers something both special and surprising: a virtuoso demonstration of Williams's mastery of a variety of shorter forms.

The range of tone, theme, style, and content reflected in this generous volume is nothing short of amazing. The title story is a tale within a tale of dragons and knights and is notable for its wit and verbal inventiveness. "The Storm Door" uses The Tibetan Book of the Dead to forge a singular new approach to the traditional zombie story. "The Terrible Conflagration at the Quiller's Mint" offers a brief, independent glimpse into the background of Williams's Shadowmarch series. "Ants" provides an ironic account of what can happen when a marriage goes irrevocably wrong.

Two of the longer entries show Williams working, with great facility, within the fictional creations of other writers. "The Thursday Men" is a hugely entertaining foray into the world of Mike Mignolla's Hellboy comics. The wonderfully titled "The Lamentably Comical Tragedy (or the Laughably Tragic Comedy) of Lixal Laqavee" is both a first-rate fantasy and a deeply felt homage to Jack Vance's immortal Dying Earth. Two other pieces offer rare and hard-to-find glimpses into other facets of Williams's talent. "Bad Guy Factory" is the script for a proposed series of DC Comics that never came to fruition. "Black Sunshine" is the immensely readable screenplay for a movie that remains, at least for the moment, unproduced. One can only hope.

These and other stories and novellas comprise a stellar collection that really does contain something for everyone. For longtime Williams readers, and for anyone with a taste for literate imaginative fiction, A Stark and Wormy Knight is a welcome, and indispensable, volume.

(Please note: Subterranean Books will be publishing hardback and paperback editions Summer 2012.)

And to give you a taste, here's an exclusive excerpt from the short story "And Ministers of Grace," courtesy of the author! =) It was originally published in Warriors, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.

Enjoy!
------------------

The seed whispers, sings, offers, instructs.

A wise man of the homeworld once said, “Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.” Everything is possible for a committed man or woman. The universe is in our reach.

Visit the Orgasmium – now open 24 hours. We take Senior Credits. The Orgasmium – where YOU come first!

Your body temperature is normal. Your stress levels are normal, tending toward higher than normal. If this trend continues, you are recommended to see a physician.

I’m almost alive! And I’m your perfect companion – I’m entirely portable. I want to love you. Come try me. Trade my personality with friends. Join the fun!

Comb properties now available. Consult your local environment node. Brand new multi-family and single-family dwellings, low down payment with government entry loans…!

Commodity prices are up slightly on the Sackler Index at this hour, despite a morning of sluggish trading. The Prime Minister will detail her plans to reinvigorate the economy in her speech to Parliament…

A wise woman of the homeworld once said, “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.”

* * *

His name is Lamentation Kane and he is a Guardian of Covenant – a holy assassin. His masters have placed a seed of blasphemy in his head. It itches like unredeemed sin and fills his skull with foul pagan noise.

The faces of his fellow travelers on the landing shuttle are bored and vacuous. How can these infidels live with this constant murmur in their heads? How can they survive and stay sane with the constant pinpoint flashing of attention signals at the edge of vision, the raw, sharp pulse of a world bristling and burbling with information?

It is like being stuck in a hive of insects, Kane thinks -- insects doing their best to imitate human existence without understanding it. He longs for the sweet, singular voice of Spirit, soothing as cool water on inflamed skin. Always before, no matter the terrors of his mission, that voice has been with him, soothing him, reminding him of his holy purpose. All his life, Spirit has been with him. All his life until now. Humble yourselves therefore under the strong hand of God, so that He may raise you up in due time.

Sweet and gentle like spring rain. Unlike this unending drizzle of filth, each word Spirit has ever spoken has been precious, bright like silver.

Cast all your burdens on Him, for He cares for you. Be in control of yourself and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Those were the last words Spirit spoke to him before the military scientists silenced the Word of God and replaced it with the endless, godless prattle of the infidel world, Archimedes.

For the good of all mankind, they assured him: Lamentation Kane must sin again so that one day all men would be free to worship God. Besides, the elders pointed out, what was there for him to fear? If he succeeds and escapes Archimedes the pagan seed will be removed and Spirit will speak in his thoughts again. If he does not escape – well, Kane will hear the true voice of God at the foot of His mighty throne. Well done, my good and faithful servant…

Beginning descent. Please return to pods, the pagan voices chirp in his head, prickling like nettles. Thank you for traveling with us. Put all food and packaging in the receptacle and close it. This is your last chance to purchase duty-free drugs and alcohol. Cabin temperature is 20 degrees centigrade. Pull the harness snug. Beginning descent. Cabin pressure stable. Lander will detach in twenty seconds. Ten seconds. Nine seconds. Eight seconds…

It never ends, and each godless word burns, prickles, itches.

Who needs to know so much about nothing?

* * *

A child of one of the Christian cooperative farms on Covenant’s flat and empty plains, he was brought to New Jerusalem as a candidate for the elite Guardian unit. When he saw for the first time the white towers and golden domes of his planet’s greatest city, Kane had been certain that Heaven would look just that way. Now, as Hellas City rises up to meet him, capitol of great Archimedes and stronghold of his people’s enemies, it is bigger than even his grandest, most exaggerated memories of New Jerusalem – an immense sprawl with no visible ending, a lumpy white and gray and green patchwork of complex structures and orderly parks and lacy polyceramic web skyscrapers that bend gently in the cloudy upper skies like an oceanic kelp forest. The scale is astounding. For the first time ever in his life, Lamentation Kane has a moment of doubt – not in the rightness of his cause, but in the certainty of its victory.

But he reminds himself of what the Lord told Joshua: Behold I have given into thy hands Jericho, and the king thereof, and all the valiant men…

Have you had a Creemy Crunch today? It blares through his thoughts like a klaxon. You want it! You need it! Available at any food outlet. Creemy Crunch makes cream crunchy! Don’t be a bitch, Mom! Snag me a CC – or three!

The devil owns the Kingdom of Earth. A favorite saying of one of his favorite teachers. But even from his high throne he cannot see the City of Heaven.

Now with a subdermal glow-tattoo in every package! Just squeeze it in under the skin -- and start shining!

Lord Jesus, protect me in this dark place and give me strength to do your work once more, Kane prays. I serve You. I serve Covenant.

* * *

It never stops, and only gets more strident after the lander touches down and they are ushered through the locks into the port complex.

Remember the wise words, air quality is in the low thirties on the Teng Fuo scale today. First time visitors to Archimedes go here, returning go there, where to stand, what to say, what to have ready. Restaurants, news feeds, information for transportation services, overnight accommodations, immigration law, emergency services, yammer yammer yammer until Kane wants to scream. He stares at the smug citizens of Archimedes around him and loathes every one of them. How can they walk and smile and talk to each other with this Babel in their heads, without God in their hearts?

Left. Follow the green tiles. Left. Follow the green tiles. They aren’t even people, they can’t be -- just crude imitations. And the variety of voices with which the seed bedevils him! High-pitched, low-pitched, fast and persuasive, moderately slow and persuasive, adult voices, children’s voices, accents of a dozen sorts, most of which he can’t even identify and can barely understand. His blessed Spirit is one voice and one voice only and he longs for her desperately. He always thinks of Spirit as “her”, although it could just as easily be the calm, sweet voice of a male child. It doesn’t matter. Nothing as crass as earthly sexual distinctions matter, any more than with God’s holy angels. Spirit has been his constant companion since childhood, his advisor, his inseparable friend. But now he has a pagan seed in his brain and he may never hear her blessed voice again.

I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. That’s what Spirit told him the night he was baptized, the night she first spoke to him. Six years old. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

He cannot think of that. He will not think of anything that might undermine his courage for the mission, of course, but there is a greater danger: some types of thoughts, if strong enough, can trigger the port’s security E-Grams, which can perceive certain telltale patterns, especially if they are repeated.

A wise man of the homeworld once said, “Man is the measure of all things…” The foreign seed doesn’t want him thinking of anything else, anyway.

Have you considered living in Holyoake Harbor? another voice asks, cutting through the first. Only a twenty-minute commute to the business district, but a different world of ease and comfort.

…And of things which are not, that they are not, the first voice finishes, swimming back to the top. Another wise fellow made the case more directly: “The world holds two classes of men -- intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence."

Kane almost shivers despite the climate controls. Blur your thoughts, he reminds himself. He does his best to let the chatter of voices and the swirl of passing faces numb and stupefy him, making himself a beast instead of a man, the better to hide from God’s enemies.

* * *

He passes the various mechanical sentries and the first two human guard posts as easily as he hoped he would -- his military brethren have prepared his disguise well. He is in line at the final human checkpoint when he catches a glimpse of her, or at least he thinks it must be her -- a small, brown-skinned woman sagging between two heavily armored port security guards who clutch her elbows in a parody of assistance. For a moment their eyes meet and her dark stare is frank before she hangs her head again in a convincing imitation of shame. The words from the briefing wash up in his head through the fog of Archimedean voices – Martyrdom Sister – but he does his best to blur them again just as quickly. He can’t imagine any word that will set off the E-Grams as quickly as “Martyrdom”.

The final guard post is more difficult, as it is meant to be. The sentry, almost faceless behind an array of enhanced light scanners and lenses, does not like to see Arjuna on Kane’s itinerary, his last port of call before Archimedes. Arjuna is not a treaty world for either Archhimedes or Covenant, although both hope to make it so, and is not officially policed by either side.

The official runs one of his scanners over Kane’s itinerary again. “Can you tell me why you stopped at Arjuna, Citizen McNally?”

Kane repeats the story of staying there with his cousin who works in the mining industry. Arjuna is rich with platinum and other minerals, another reason both sides want it. At the moment, though, neither the Rationalists of Archimedes or the Abramites of Covenant can get any traction there: the majority of Arjuna’s settlers, colonists originally from the homeworld’s Indian sub-continent, are comfortable with both sides – a fact that makes both Archimedes and Covenant quite uncomfortable indeed.

The guard-post official doesn’t seem entirely happy with Lamentation Kane’s explanation and is beginning to investigate the false personality a little more closely. Kane wonders how much longer until the window of distraction is opened. He turns casually, looking up and down the transparent u-glass cells along the far wall until he locates the one in which the brown-skinned woman is being questioned. Is she a Muslim? A Copt? Or perhaps something entirely different – there are Australian Aboriginal Jews on Covenant, remnants of the Lost Tribes movement back on the homeworld. But whoever or whatever she is doesn’t matter, he reminds himself: she is a sister in god and she has volunteered to sacrifice herself for the sake of the mission – his mission.

She turns for a moment and their eyes meet again through the warping glass. She has acne scars on her cheeks but she’s pretty, surprisingly young to be given such a task. He wonders what her name is. When he returns – if he returns – he will go to the Great Tabernacle in New Jerusalem and light a candle for her.

Brown eyes. She seems sad as she looks at him before turning back to the guards. Could that be true? The Martyrs are the most privileged of all during their time in the training center. And she must know she will be looking on the face of God Himself very soon. How can she not be joyful? Does she fear the pain of giving up her earthly body?

As the sentry in front of him seems to stare out at nothing, reading the information that marches across his vision, Lamentation Kane opens his mouth to say something – to make small-talk the way a real returning citizen of Archimedes would after a long time abroad, a citizen guilty of nothing worse than maybe having watched a few religious broadcasts on Arjuna – when he sees movement out of the corner of his eye. Inside the u-glass holding cell the young, brown-skinned woman lifts her arms. One of the armored guards lurches back from the table, half-falling, the other reaches out his gloved hand as though to restrain her, but his face has the hopeless, slack expression of a man who sees his own death. A moment later bluish flames run up her arms, blackening the sleeves of her loose dress, and then she vanishes in a flare of magnesium white light.

People are shrieking and diving away from the glass wall, which is now spiderwebbed with cracks. The light burns and flickers and the insides of the walls blacken with a crust of what Kane guesses must be human fat turning to ash.

A human explosion – nanobiotic thermal flare -- that partially failed. That will be their conclusion. But of course, the architects of Kane’s mission didn’t want an actual explosion. They want a distraction.

The sentry in the guardpost polarizes the windows and locks up his booth. Before hurrying off to help the emergency personnel fight the blaze that is already leaking clouds of black smoke into the concourse, he thrusts Kane’s itinerary into his hand and waves him through, then locks off the transit point.

Lamentation Kane would be happy to move on, even if he were the innocent traveler he pretends to be. The smoke is terrible, with the disturbing, sweet smell of cooked meat.

What had her last expression been like? It is hard to remember anything except those endlessly deep, dark eyes. Had that been a little smile or is he trying to convince himself? And if it had been fear, why should that be surprising? Even the saints must have feared to burn to death.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…

Welcome back to Hellas, Citizen McNally! a voice in his head proclaims, and then the other voices swim up beneath it, a crowd, a buzz, an itch.

* * *

He does his best not to stare as the cab hurtles across the metroscape, but he cannot help being impressed by the sheer size of Archimedes’ first city. It is one thing to be told how many millions live there and to try to understand that it is several times the size of New Jerusalem, but another entirely to see the hordes of people crowding the sidewalks and skyways. Covenant’s population is mostly dispersed on pastoral settlements like the one on which Kane was raised, agrarian cooperatives that, as his teachers explained to him, keep God’s children close to the earth that nurtures them. Sometimes it is hard to realize that the deep, reddish soil he had spent his childhood digging and turning and nurturing was not the same soil as the Bible described. Once he even asked a teacher why if God made Earth, the People of the Book had left it behind.

“God made all the worlds to be earth for His children,” the woman explained. “Just as he made all the lands of the old Earth, then gave them to different folk to have for their homes. But he always kept the sweetest lands, the lands of milk and honey, for the children of Abraham, and that’s why when we left Earth he gave us Covenant.”

As he thinks about it now Kane feels a surge of warmth and loneliness commingled. It’s true that the hardest thing to do for love is to give up the beloved. At this moment, he misses Covenant so badly it is all he can do not to cry out. It is astounding in one as experienced as himself. God’s warriors don’t sigh, he tells himself sternly. They make others sigh instead. They bring lamentation to God’s enemies. Lamentation.

He exits the cab some distance from the safe house and walks the rest of the way, floating in smells both familiar and exotic. He rounds the neighborhood twice to make sure he is not followed, then enters the flatblock, takes the slow but quiet elevator up to the eighteenth floor, and lets himself in with the key code. It looks like any other Covenant safe house on any of the other colony worlds, cupboards well stocked with nourishment and medical supplies, little in the way of furniture but a bed and a single chair and a small table. These are not places of rest and relaxation, these are way stations on the road to Jericho.

It is time for him to change.

Kane fills the bathtub with water. He finds the chemical ice, activates a dozen packs and tosses them in. Then he goes to the kitchen and locates the necessary mineral and chemical supplements. He pours enough water into the mixture to make himself a thick, bitter milkshake and drinks it down while he waits for the water in the tub to cool. When the temperature has dropped far enough he strips naked and climbs in.

“You see, Kane,” one of the military scientists had explained, “we’ve reached a point where we can’t smuggle even a small hand-weapon onto Archimedes, let alone something useful, and they regulate their own citizens’ possession of weapons so thoroughly that we cannot chance trying to obtain one there. So we have gone another direction. We have created Guardians -- human weapons. That is what you are, praise the lord. It started in your childhood. That’s why you’ve always been different from your peers – faster, stronger, smarter. But we’ve come to the limit of what we can do with genetics and training. We need to give you what you need to make yourself into the true instrument of God’s justice. May He bless this and all our endeavors in His name. Amen.”

“Amen,” the Spirit in his head told him. “You are now going to fall asleep.”

“Amen,” said Lamentation Kane.

And then they gave him the first injection.

When he woke up that first time he was sore, but nowhere near as sore as he was the first time he activated the nanobiotes or “notes” as the scientists liked to call them. When the notes went to work, it was like a terrible sunburn on the outside and the inside both, and like being pounded with a roundball bat for at least an hour, and like lying in the road while a good-sized squadron of full-dress Holy Warriors marched over him.

In other words, it hurt.

Now, in the safehouse, he closes his eyes, turns down the babble of the Archimedes seed as far as it will let him, and begins to work.

It is easier now than it used to be, certainly easier than that terrible first time when he was so clumsy that he almost tore his own muscles loose from tendon and bone.

He doesn’t just flex, he thinks about where the muscles are that would flex if he wanted to flex them, then how he would just begin to move them if he were going to move them extremely slowly, and with that first thought comes the little tug of the cells unraveling their connections and re-knitting in different, more useful configurations, slow as a plant reaching toward the sun. Even with all this delicacy, his temperature rises and his muscles spasm and cramp, but not like the first time. That was like being born – no, like being judged and found wanting, as though the very meat of his earthly body was trying to tear itself free, as though devils pierced his joints with hot iron pitchforks. Agony.

Had the sister felt something like this at the end? Was there any way to open the door to God’s house without terrible, holy pain? She had brown eyes. He thinks they were sad. Had she been frightened? Why would Jesus let her be frightened, when even He had cried out on the cross?

Lamentation Kane tells the pain, This is Your way of reminding me to pay attention. I am Your servant, and I am proud to put on Your holy, I praise You Lord, armor.

* * *

It takes him at least two hours to finish changing at the best of times. Tonight, with the fatigue of his journey and long entry process and the curiously troubling effect of the woman’s martyrdom tugging at his thoughts, it takes him over three.

Kane gets out of the tub shivering, most of the heat dispersed and his skin almost blue-white with cold. Before wrapping the towel around himself he looks at the results of all his work. It’s hard to see any differences except for a certain broadness to his chest that was not there before, but he runs his fingers along the hard shell of his stomach and the sheath of gristle that now protects his windpipe and is satisfied. The thickening beneath the skin will not stop high-speed projectiles from close up, but they should help shed the energy of any more distant shot and will allow him to take a bullet or two from nearer and still manage to do his job. Trellises of springy cartilage strengthen his ankles and wrists. His muscles are augmented, his lungs and circulation improved mightily. He is a Guardian, and with every movement he can feel the holy modifications that have been given to him. Beneath the appearance of normality he is strong as Goliath, scaly and supple as a serpent.

He is starving, of course. The cupboards are full of powdered nutritional supplement drinks. He adds water and ice from the kitchen unit, mixes the first one up and downs it in a long swallow. He drinks five before he begins to feel full.

Kane props himself up on the bed – things are still sliding and grinding a little inside him, the last work of change just finishing – and turns the wall on. The images jump into life and the seed in his head speaks for them. He wills his way past sports and fashion and drama, all the unimportant gibberish with which these creatures fill their empty hours, until he finds a stream of current events. Because it is Archimedes, hive of Rationalist pagans, even the news is corrupted with filth, gossip and whoremongering, but he manages to squint his way through the offending material to find a report on what the New Hellas authorities are calling a failed terrorist explosion at the port. A picture of the Martyrdom Sister flashes onto the screen -- taken from her travel documents, obviously, anything personal in her face well hidden by her training -- but seeing her again gives him a strange jolt, as though the notes that tune his body have suddenly begun one last, forgotten operation.

Nefise Erim, they call her. Not her real name, that’s almost certain, any more than Keenan McNally is his. Outcast, that’s her true name. Scorned – that could be her name too, as it could be his. Scorned by the unbelievers, scorned by the smug, faithless creatures who, like Christ’s ancient tormentors, fear the word of God so much they try to ban Him from their lives, from their entire planet! But God can’t be banned, not as long as one human heart remains alive to His voice. As long as the Covenant system survives, Kane knows, God will wield his mighty sword and the unbelievers will learn real fear.

Oh, please, Lord, grant that I may serve you well. Give us victory over our enemies. Help us to punish those who would deny You.

And just as he lifts this silent prayer, he sees her face on the screen. Not his sister in martyrdom, with her wide, deep eyes and dark skin. No, it is her – the devil’s mistress, Keeta Januari, Prime Minister of Archimedes.

His target.

Januari is herself rather dark skinned, he cannot help noticing. It is disconcerting. He has seen her before, of course, her image replayed before him dozens upon dozens of times, but this is the first time he has noticed a shade to her skin that is darker than any mere suntan, a hint of something else in her background beside the pale, Scandinavian forebears so obvious in her bone structure. It is as if the martyred sister Nefise has somehow suffused everything, even his target. Or is it that the dead woman has somehow crept into his thoughts so deeply that he is witnessing her everywhere?

If you can see it, you can eat it! He has mostly learned to ignore the horrifying chatter in his head, but sometimes it still reaches up and slaps his thoughts away. Barnstorm Buffet! We don’t care if they have to roll you out the door afterward – you’ll get your money’s worth!

It doesn’t matter what he sees in the Prime Minister, or thinks he sees. A shade lighter or darker means nothing. If the devil’s work out here among the stars has a face, it is the handsome, narrow-chinned visage of Keeta Januari, leader of the Rationalists. And if God ever wanted someone dead, she is that person.

Game of Thrones Season 2: In Production - Belfast

2011-12-23T07:13:00.000-05:00

The cast and crew of Game of Thrones Season 2 discuss the beauty of shooting in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Prometheus Trailer

2011-12-22T19:04:00.001-05:00

Will it be another Aliens, or will it be crap?

Here's to hoping that it'll be the shit!!!

More inexpensive e-book goodies!

2011-12-22T17:48:00.003-05:00

You can get Robin Hobb's Shaman's Crossing for 1.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

The first book in a brand new trilogy from the author of the Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies. When the two-hundred year war between the kingdoms of Vania and Landsing ended the Landsingers were left in triumphant possession of Vania's rich coal and coast territories. When young King Troven assumed the throne of Vania thirty years later, he was determined to restore her greatness, not through waging another assault upon their traditional enemies, but by looking in the opposite direction and colonising the wild plains and steppes to their east. Over the next twenty years, cavalry forces manage to subdue the rolling plains formerly wasted on nomadic herders and tribesmen.Troven's campaign restores the pride of the Varnian military and to reward them, Troven creates a new nobility that is extremely loyal to their monarch. Beyond the grasslands lies the current frontier of Varnia, the heavily forested Barrier Mountains, home to enigmatic Specks: a dappled, forest dwelling people, unable to tolerate the heat and full sunlight of the plains. The new settlers find the Specks slightly dim-witted and overly placid, and yet strangely difficult to control. There are tales that they are 'blood-drinkers' and their nature worship of ancestral trees has presented difficulties for those who wish to harvest the forest's exotic timber. They also harbour strange diseases, ones that cause the Specks little more than a week or two of discomfort but which frequently kills those settlers and soldiers who fall victim to it. For that reason, prolonged contact, and especially intimate contact with the Specks is judged both fool-hardy and disgusting. Nevare Gerar is the second son of one of King Troven's new lords. Following in his father's footsteps, a commission as a cavalry officer at the frontier and an advantageous marriage await him, once he has completed his training at the King's Cavalry Academy.

A MEMORY OF LIGHT is done!

2011-12-21T21:58:00.004-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, A Memory of Light--the final book in The Wheel of Time--has been finished.

This was posted on Brandon Sanderson's Twitter account earlier today. It was later confirmed on Tor.com.

So the fall 2012 release date appears to be on target!

Book trailer for Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's SISTERHOOD OF DUNE

2011-12-21T17:49:00.005-05:00

Here's the blurb:

It is eighty-three years after the last of the thinking machines were destroyed in the Battle of Corrin, after Faykan Butler took the name of Corrino and established himself as the first Emperor of a new Imperium. Great changes are brewing that will shape and twist all of humankind.

The war hero Vorian Atreides has turned his back on politics and Salusa Secundus. The descendants of Abulurd Harkonnen Griffen and Valya have sworn vengeance against Vor, blaming him for the downfall of their fortunes. Raquella Berto-Anirul has formed the Bene Gesserit School on the jungle planet Rossak as the first Reverend Mother. The descendants of Aurelius Venport and Norma Cenva have built Venport Holdings, using mutated, spice-saturated Navigators who fly precursors of Heighliners. Gilbertus Albans, the ward of the hated Erasmus, is teaching humans to become Mentats…and hiding an unbelievable secret.

The Butlerian movement, rabidly opposed to all forms of “dangerous technology,” is led by Manford Torondo and his devoted Swordmaster, Anari Idaho. And it is this group, so many decades after the defeat of the thinking machines, which begins to sweep across the known universe in mobs, millions strong, destroying everything in its path. Every one of these characters, and all of these groups, will become enmeshed in the contest between Reason and Faith. All of them will be forced to choose sides in the inevitable crusade that could destroy humankind forever….

All of these powerful characters rapidly become embroiled in a great struggle between the opposing forces of Reason and Faith, the consequences of which will indelibly shape the future of humanity—or destroy it. The first installment in a new trilogy going back to the formation of the Dune Universe, SISTERHOOD OF DUNE will captivate and awe fans of science fiction and adventure as well as followers of the Dune novels.

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

More inexpensive e-book goodies!

2011-12-21T17:43:00.004-05:00

Stephen Hunt's novella Sliding Void is available for free till December 23rd here.

Here's the blurb:

Control Lana Fiveworlds has a hell of a lot of harms.

She’s sliding void in an ageing seven-hundred-year-ancient space ship, scrabbling around the edges of civilised space tiresome to find a cargo valuable enough to pay her bills without proving so risky that it’ll kill her. She’s got an alien devout freak for a route-finder, an unreliable android for a initially mate, a shamed lizard for a trade speaker and a deserter from the fleet performing arts as her chief persuade.

And that was well before an ex-crewman turns up wanting Lana to rescue a barbarian prince from a long-failed colony world.

Sorry to say for Lana, the harms she doesn’t know about are even more treacherous. In fact, they just might be enough to ruin Lana’s rickety but much-loved vessel, the Gravity Rose, and abandon her and her crew into the void without a spacesuit.

But there’s one business you can by no means tell an self-determining space trader. That’s the odds…

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey trailer

2011-12-20T22:51:00.001-05:00

Why must they sing???

Still think that two movies for such a short book means that it's going to be mostly filler and not enough killer. . .

'Tis the Season Giveaway: Transworld

2011-12-20T20:54:00.004-05:00

It's now Ace's turn to step up to the plate! Their prize pack includes:

- Queen of Kings by Maria Dahvana Headley
- The Watchers by Jon Steele
- Snuff by Terry Pratchett
- The Crippled God by Steven Erikson
- The Scar Crow Men by Mark Chadbourn

AND

- Orb, Sceptre, Throne by Ian Cameron Esslemont (Canada, USA, Europe)

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

Quote of the Day

2011-12-20T17:35:00.001-05:00

The heart's memory eliminates the bad and magnifies the good.

-GABRIEL GARCÍA MÁRQUEZ

'Tis the Season Giveaway: Ace

2011-12-19T12:58:00.003-05:00

It's now Ace's turn to step up to the plate! Their prize pack includes:

- Dead Mann Walking by Stefan Petrucha
- Supervolcano by Harry Turtledove
- The Nerdist Way by Chris Hardwick
- Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman
- Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

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

Extract from Stephen King's THE DARK TOWER: THE WIND THROUGH THE KEYHOLE

2011-12-19T10:08:00.006-05:00

Tor.com just posted an exclusive extract from Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole:

In King’s own words: “What happened to Roland, Jake, Eddie, Susannah, and Oy between the time they leave the Emerald City (the end of Wizard and Glass) and the time we pick them up again, on the outskirts of Calla Bryn Sturgis (the beginning of Wolves of the Calla)? There was a storm, I decided....”

The Wind Through The Keyhole takes place between books four and five in The Dark Tower series.

The cover is by Jae Lee. Follow this link to read the excerpt.

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

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (December 12th)

2011-12-17T14:53:00.003-05:00

In hardcover:

Stephen King's 11/22/63 maintains its position at number 2. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Haruki Murakami's 1Q84 is up one spot, finishing the week at number 11. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons is up two positions, ending the week at number 12. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Gregory Maguire’s Out of Oz maintain its position at number 17.

Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus maintains its position at number 19. For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Chuck Palahniuk’s Damned is down nine positions, ending the week at number 35.

In paperback:

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is down four positions, ending the week at number 15.

George R. R. Martin's A Storms of Swords is down three positions, ending the week at number 18.

Max Brooks' World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is up one spot, finishing the week at number 20 (trade paperback).

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is down six positions, ending the week at number 21 (trade paperback).

George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is down six spots, finishing the week at number 23.

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows is down three positions, ending the week at number 24.

Michael Reaves and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff's Shadow Games debuts at number 25.

George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is up seven spots, finishing the week at number 26 (trade paperback).

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows returns at number 27 (trade paperback).

'Tis the Season Giveaway: Tor Books

2011-12-16T06:57:00.001-05:00

It's now Tor Books' turn to step up to the plate! Their prize pack includes:

- The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card
- Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi
- Kitty's Greatest Hits by Carrie Vaughn
- Crack'd Pot Trail by Steven Erikson
- The Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge
- Halo: Glasslands by Karen Traviss
- The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "TOR." 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 Winds of Khalakovo

2011-12-15T00:05:00.003-05:00

Truth be told, Bradley P. Beaulieu's debut wasn't on my reading schedule. And then, either Scott Lynch or Saladin Ahmed (can't remember whom) got in touch with me, saying that Beaulieu had roomed with them at the World Fantasy Con or Worldcon and that perhaps I'd like to take a look at The Winds of Khalakovo. After that, Beaulieu's emails somehow always ended up in my spam folder and it took forever for us to set something up. It didn't look as though I would have time to read the book before the end of the year, but I agreed to post an extract.

The author sent me a complimentary copy of book nonetheless, one I truly wanted to read after going through the excerpt that went up on the Hotlist. I was intrigued by the flying ships and the whole Russian feel that appeared to permeate the story.

And boy am I glad I gave The Winds of Khalakovo a shot! Indeed, if not for a few shortcomings, Beaulieu's debut had the potential to be one of the very best fantasy debuts of all time.

Here's the blurb:

Among inhospitable and unforgiving seas stands Khalakovo, a mountainous archipelago of seven islands, its prominent eyrie stretching a thousand feet into the sky. Serviced by windships bearing goods and dignitaries, Khalakovo's eyrie stands at the crossroads of world trade. But all is not well in Khalakovo. Conflict has erupted between the ruling Landed, the indigenous Aramahn, and the fanatical Maharraht, and a wasting disease has grown rampant over the past decade. Now, Khalakovo is to play host to the Nine Dukes, a meeting which will weigh heavily upon Khalakovo's future.

When an elemental spirit attacks an incoming windship, murdering the Grand Duke and his retinue, Prince Nikandr, heir to the scepter of Khalakovo, is tasked with finding the child prodigy believed to be behind the summoning. However, Nikandr discovers that the boy is an autistic savant who may hold the key to lifting the blight that has been sweeping the islands. Can the Dukes, thirsty for revenge, be held at bay? Can Khalakovo be saved? The elusive answer drifts upon the Winds of Khalakovo...

The worldbuilding is fantastic. Very Russian and/or Eastern European in style and tone, the author demonstrates that he has a great eye for details. Once again, going for something different than the clichéd European medieval environment gives The Winds of Khalakovo a very distinctive vibe and flavor. The presence of firearms hints at a more modern epoch, both in terms of technology and culture. Overall, the politicking is well-done, though Beaulieu takes the path of least resistance from time to time.

À la Steven Erikson, Beaulieu plunges his readers into the heart of the tale without offering any explanation or information. This works well for some, yet many readers might find it off-putting. Especially since there are no info dumps or other such devices to help us along the way. For instance, I've read the entire novel, but I still have absolutely no idea how the magical system works.

Although far from perfect, the layered characterization is my favorite facet of this work. Nikandr and Rehada's points of view create an interesting balance between perspectives. Add to that POV sections by a supporting cast of engrossing men and women, and you have a book that really captures your imagination. Symbolically and thematically, lovers of Russian literature will recognize a number of traditional devices, both regarding the worldbuilding and the characterization. The dialogue throughout is top notch.

And yet, again à la Erikson, too often does Bradley P. Beaulieu plays his cards very close to his chest. Which, sadly, results in an occasional lack of clarity that will leave readers wondering. Though most of the protagonists are well-drawn and genuine, too often are we left in the dark as to their motivations or their past. Not only don't I understand exactly how the magical system works, but I have no idea as to how the Maharrat master plan came into being. And this particular storyline lies at the very heart of the tale, that's a problem. . .

There are a few rough spots here and there, yet the pace of the novel is rarely an issue. The narrative creates an arresting imagery that sure delighted me. The Winds of Khalakovo seems to be comprised of two different volumes, however. The first and second parts have their own disparate vibes, the latter suffering from the aforementioned shortcomings.

These flaws cannot take away the fact that Bradley P. Beaulieu's debut is a terrific and ambitious fantasy work. Indeed, it is something that even jaded genre readers will appreciate. It is a very good novel, no question about it. But my disappointment stems from the fact that The Winds of Khalakovo had the potential to be the speculative fiction book of the year. Injecting more depth and revealing more about the characters and the mechanics of the fascinating world the author has created would have added another dimension to an already impressive work of fiction. For make no mistake: At times, The Winds of Khalakovo is brilliant. Unfortunately, the obscurities regarding some extremely important plot points could well annoy many a reader.

Since creating the Hotlist, I've come across some incredibly talented fantasy debut authors. One only has to think of Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, Naomi Novik, Joe Abercrombie, Patrick Rothfuss, Hal Duncan, Brian Ruckley, and many more. Well, Bradley P. Beaulieu has the potential to be as good, or even better, than any of them.

Highly recommended.

The final verdict: 8/10

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

*** Please remember that anything purchased via the Amazon links (used or new) till January 15th will help raise funds for Breast Cancer Research.

Musical Interlude

2011-12-15T00:05:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite songs right now.

The video sucks, however. . .

Karen Traviss contest winner!

2011-12-14T10:34:00.004-05:00

This lucky gal will get her hands on my copy of Karen Traviss' Halo: Glasslands. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

The winner is:

Eve-Marie Séguin, from Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada

Many thanks to all the participants!

'Tis the Season Giveaway: Del Rey / Bantam Spectra

2011-12-14T10:08:00.005-05:00

With the Holidays just around the corner, I invited publishers to come up with special prize packs for the biggest giveaways of the year. In the next couple of days, you'll see similar contests cropping up. The idea is to offer something that everyone will want to win.

The first to step up to the plate was Del Rey/Bantam Spectra, and here's what Santa has in store for the big winner! The prize pack includes:

- George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones 4-book boxed set
- Drew Karpyshyn's Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan
- Terry Brooks' The High Druid of Shannara trilogy
- China Miéville's Embassytown
- William Gibson and Bruce Sterling's The Difference Engine (20th Anniversary Edition)

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

Oh Canada. . . Why God Hates You

2011-12-13T21:41:00.006-05:00

Came across this insightful piece from christwire.com. The article is by Susan B. Xenu. Although over 80 years old, she is still a woman of unparalleled intellect and passion. She brings this spiritual fire to every aspect of her life.

This is the perfect example of American religious fucktardness. As a Canadian, I'm not even offended. It's just unbelievable. Here's a teaser, but do click on the aforementioned link to read the whole thing. You won't be disappointed! :P

This one's for my fellow Canucks, as we will all burn in Hell, especially French Canadians like me! By the way, it's Canadia. Not Canada. Here we go:

One of America’s most trusted allies is to it’s north, Canada. But should it be? Should we trust these people? In my experience Canadians are up tight, godless, racist, communist, jerks. It is my intention to show you why God is ashamed of this sinful nation that has turned its self from Gods moral and correct teachings.

[...]

Canada has an open border policy with people from Muslim lands. This is why it was so easy for the Al Quida terrorists of 9-11 infamy to come into America and ruthlessly murder over 3,000 people. Liberals think that because Canadians are typically white Anglo Saxons like us that they can be trusted. So the border with Canada is virtually unprotected for thousands and thousands of miles.

Muslims come from hot desert lands. Why would any of them want to go to a frozen waste land? There is only one answer to that. To stage terror attacks on America. It is bad enough that the muslims are all staging invasion in Canada but they are starting to pour into America. The City of Dearborn Michigan is teeming with them. In fact there is a new show on cable called “All American Muslim” that shows us what these “people’ are up to. Expect an article on that sin filthy show coming soon.

[...]

Canada is a liberal nation of atheists. They imprison and fine Christians for speaking their views.

[...]

America was founded with guns. Our nation has a long and proud history of using guns for defense against aggressors (such as England of Canada early on) and for procuring food from hunting. Americans still use guns for defense and hunting as well as sport and collecting. We love guns. We know that they are tools and unfortunately like all tools can be used as deadly weapons by the wrong people. But we as a nation do not go around banning the use and sell of hammers and wrenches…or guns.

Canada is different. Canada does not love guns. They are a socialist nation that trusts their government to protect them. So they have allowed their nation to take their guns away.

[...]

Canadians love to talk about how racist Americans are. Listen to a Canadian and you would think the whole country is like Mississippi in the 1950’s. But the truth is we are all Americans and love one another. We may have disagreements occasionally but we are all one happy American family when it comes right down to it. But not Canada.

Just like Mexicans are pouring into our borders, Asians are entering into Canada and the Canadians don’t like it. These poor squinty eyed refugees are going to Canada, packing freighters and cargo ships for a land that they have been told is open, friendly and accepting. But it isn’t.

[...]

Hockey is the worst sport in the world. With the exception of Soccer. Only Canadians could come up with a supposed sport that involves men figure skating with sticks and putting little black things into stylized puckered butt cheeks.

Speaking of racism, why didn’t they have one single person of color on their winter Olympic team? America is such an accepting land we have plenty of dark colored people on our teams. Speaking of winter Olympics, what in the world is curling? If people are going to play a sport where you sweep something then women should play that sport. Sweeping is a woman’s job. Why do Canadians insist on blurring the lines between sexual roles?

[...]

As if Canadians of English descent isn’t bad enough you have Canadians or French decent too. We all know that the French are more perverted deviants than the English, so if the English Canadians are as bad as we have seen, then imagine how disgusting it is to live in the French part.

Not much is known about French Canadia as they speak a foreign language. What we do know is that they are clustered in an area known as Quebec. Church attendance in Quebec is low.

[...]

It all boils down to the fact that Canadians hate their selves. They know that they are wrong. They know that they are sinners and they wish they were us. America saw what England had become and decided that we didn’t want any of it, any longer. On the other hand, Canada decided to stick with the monarchy. Because of this they stayed in the shadow of the queen and never had a chance to shine as their own independent light. They never got to become a major party on the international landscape.

Now all they have is Hockey, and a Navy that is smaller than some Somali pirate fleets. Canada hates the US because they secretly want to be us. This love hate feeling that they have for us is pouring over into politics. Only an insecure nation would rename Ham in their honor.

[...]

But can Americans and Canadians come together to be one nation?

They would have to learn to be tolerant people and to respect ones inalienable rights to life, land, guns, free speech and happiness. They would also have to give up their socialist ways and embrace capitalism and the free market. They would also have to stop persecuting religious Christians and learn to live with us hand in hand in Gods love.

The truth is that Canadians are just too sinful and perverse to be included in Gods love, let alone America’s. God is much more forgiving than America. He may forgive people persecuting his beloved people, but we do not.
------------------

Could this woman be the Yeard's mother???

Making of Game of Thrones: Fight Scenes

2011-12-13T19:27:00.001-05:00

April seems so far away. . .

Speculative Fiction Top 10 of 2011

2011-12-13T07:05:00.001-05:00

Hey guys!

It's that time of year again! Here is my speculative fiction Top 10 of 2011! The runner-up titles will be unveiled with my year-end awards, the Hotties!

Enjoy!

1- Steven Erikson's The Crippled God (Canada, USA, Europe)

2- C. S. Friedman's Legacy of Kings (Canada, USA, Europe)

3- George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons (Canada, USA, Europe)

4- R. Scott Bakker's The White-Luck Warrior (Canada, USA, Europe)

5- James S. A. Corey's Leviathan Wakes (Canada, USA, Europe)

-----------------------------------------

6- Robert McCammon's The Five (Canada, USA, Europe, and Subpress)

7- Joe Abercrombie's The Heroes (Canada, USA, Europe)

8- Patrick Rothfuss' The Wise Man's Fear (Canada, USA, Europe)

9- Melanie Rawn's The Diviner (Canada, USA, Europe)

10- Bradley P. Beaulieu's The Winds of Khalakovo (Canada, USA, Europe)

Quote of the Day

2011-12-13T07:04:00.001-05:00

Make no mistake, those who write long books have nothing to say. Of course those who write short books have even less to say.

- MARK Z. DANIELEWSKI, House of Leaves (Canada, USA, Europe)

Win a copy of the Girls of Geek 2012 Calendar

2011-12-12T13:02:00.007-05:00

Thanks to the folks at girlsofgeek.com, I have a copy of their 2012 calendar up for grabs! Here's what they have to say about it:

Girls of Geek is a yearly calendar focused on beautiful geeky women showing what being a geek is really about! The calendar showcases all things geeky from video games, mobile devices, computers, gaming, comic books, and everything geeky in-between!

A portion of all sales will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The lovely model on the photo above is Squeak. I haven't read comics in years (other than Neil Gaiman's Sandman), but maybe she could give a little crash course on the subject. Don't quite know why, but all of a sudden I feel like reading a few X-Men comic books! ;-)

Here's her bio:

Interests: Comic books, astronomy, physics, Magic: The Gathering, writing, currency tracking (Wheresgeorge.com), the Society for Creative Anachronism, RPG games, Quidditch, theatre (BAM.org), Cosplay, fan fiction, actuaries, and aerial dance.

Hobbies: I love astronomy and physics. I currently am a member of a local astronomy club and I have a 5″ refractor telescope that I try to go viewing with as often as possible. I like deep space objects the best so don’t bother asking me how Saturn is doing or, god forbid, the moon. Historical research and reenactment is another hobby of mine. I am deeply fascinated with 10th-16th century textiles and culture of Southern India. I have traveled all around the country and to London’s V&A to study the extant pieces of textiles and jewelry from that time period and region. I have taught classes on the subject and hope to one day publish my documentation. For a nerd I’m also quite athletic! I am co-captain of the Delaware Valley Dragons Quidditch team and I play as a Chaser. I also enjoy many forms of circus and aerial dance; everything from pole, to lyra, to silks, and more. Then of course, there is my comic book collection. I bought my first X-Men comic in September of 1993 and I haven’t stopped yet! I now collect dozens of titles each month and I have them organized in magazine holders set onto a very large shelving unit in my finished basement. I don’t have an accurate count but I imagine that my comics number into the thousands by now.

Turn-ons: Alan Rickman, glasses, Alan Rickman wearing glasses, facial hair, Alan Rickman with facial hair, world domination monologues, Alan Rickman delivering a world domination monologue, and…errr…did I mention I like Alan Rickman?

Turn-offs: People who only know how to communicate via text messaging or social networking sites (what’s wrong with having a real conversation?)…and poor grammar.

Geekiest thing I have ever done: Wow, this is a tough one; partly because who is to say what is most “geeky”? I know LARPers who refuse to join my Quidditch team because they think it “uncool” and I know SCAdians who think LARPing is silly. It is difficult to decipher who or what activity reigns supreme on the tier of geek-dom. I suppose I shall have to go with one of my more recent geeky doings. I had downloaded a bunch of game soundtracks to my iPod (Baldur’s Gate, Morrowind, Diablo 2, and the like) so that I could have it playing in the background during one of my monthly Magic: The Gathering parties. (That would have earned me quite the ass-kicking back in High School.)

Follow this link to meet all the models appearing in the 2012 calendar.

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "GEEKS ARE SEXY." 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!

Since my mother is a breast cancer survivor, you know important this worthy cause is to me. Which is why I compiled and edited the Speculative Horizons anthology that was released last year by Subterranean Press.

But this is even better! Twelve gorgeous and sexy geeks to brighten up your year; one every month! Forget the Sports Illustrated swimsuit calendar and go for the Girls of Geek 2012 calendar!

So come on! What are you waiting for!?! You can order your copy here.

More inexpensive e-book goodies!

2011-12-12T10:21:00.003-05:00

You can now download Lilith Saintcrow's The Hedgewitch Queen for 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

Vianne di Rocancheil has been largely content to play the gawky provincial. As lady in waiting at the Court of Arquitaine, she studies her books, watches for intrigue, and shepherds her foolhardy Princesse safely through the glittering whirl. Court is a sometimes-unpleasant waltz, especially for the unwary, but Vianne treads its measured steps well.

Unfortunately, the dance has changed. Treachery is afoot in gilded and velvet halls. A sorcerous conspiracy is unleashed, with blood, death, and warfare close behind. Her Princesse murdered and her own life in jeopardy, Vianne must flee, carrying the fate of her land with her--the Great Seal of Arquitaine, awake after its long sleep. Invasion threatens, civil war looms, and the conspiracy hunts for Vianne di Rocancheil, to kill or to use her against all she holds dear.

A life of dances, intrigues, and fashion has not prepared her for this. Nor has it prepared her for Tristan d'Arcenne, Captain of the King's Guard and player in the most dangerous games conspiracy can devise. Yet to save her country and avenge her Princesse, Vianne will become what she must, say what she should, and do whatever is required.

A Queen can do no less.

Game of Thrones: Season 2 "Cold Winds" Teaser

2011-12-11T21:47:00.001-05:00

Ah shit. . . Roll on April 2012!!! =)

Daniel Abraham: A Private Letter from Genre to Literature

2011-12-11T20:04:00.004-05:00

SF Signal just posted Daniel Abraham's letter from genre to literature.

Here's an excerpt:

I saw you tonight. You were walking with your cabal from the university to the little bar across the street where the professors and graduate students fraternize. You were in the dark, plain clothes that you think of as elegant. I have always thought they made you look pale. I was at the newsstand. I think that you saw me, but pretended not to. I want to say it didn't sting.

Please, please, darling let us stop this. This artificial separation between us is painful, it is undignified, and it fools no one. In company, we sneer at each other and make those cold, cutting remarks. And why? You laugh at me for telling the same stories again and again. I call you boring and joyless. Is it wrong, my dear, that I hope the cruel things I say of you cut as deeply as the ones you say of me?

[...]

I forgive you. I weep and I resent and I say how little I care what your opinions are. And, let me be honest, dear, I take comfort in the fact that I make more money than you. That my audience is larger. Outside the narrow halls of the academy, my star is brighter. I go to the movies, and I am on every marquee. A television is practically my mirror. My house is larger and warmer, and the people there laugh and weep more loudly. Not all of them are sophisticates. Many of them find comfort and solace in things you consider beneath you. But they are my people, and I love them as they love me.

[...]

I read through the collections of your most honored short stories, and what do I see? Fantasy, mystery, ghost stories, romance. How often you refresh yourself at my springs. I wonder whether your contempt might hide something deeper. Fear perhaps, that you might be less without me as I am less without you. Are you vulnerable, love? You can be. I will not turn you away.

Follow this link to read the entire letter.

Michael J. Sullivan contest winners!

2011-12-11T19:49:00.005-05:00

Our winners will receive a copy of Michael J. Sullivan's Theft of Swords, compliments of the fine folks at Orbit. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

The winners are:

- Chris Bissette, from Salford, England, United-Kingdom

- Mike Haakstad, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada

- Liz Pezzuto, from Shirley, Maine, USA

Many thanks to all the participants!

Update: Girls of Geek 2012 Calendar

2011-12-10T15:46:00.004-05:00

The original press release:

OMAHA, NE - Popular geek specialists and web blog DontHateTheGeek.com has teamed up
with models, gamers, geekettes, and web personalities to put together the first ever Girls of Geek calendar. This 2012 calendar will feature 12 of the most popular, stunning, and geeky women of the Internet, TV, and radio with a combined reach of over 5 million geeks in a traditional yearly calendar. When available, this calendar will be sold across a variety of popular geek websites, as well as Amazon.com and other retailers. Pre-orders will launch soon.

“We are putting together a yearly calendar of nothing but geeky women showing what being a geek is really about! The calendar will showcase all things geeky from video games, mobile devices, computers, gaming, comic books, and everything geeky in-between! We are currently taking submissions for models for the 2012 Calendar and sponsors from any companies looking at getting involved.”

This years calendar will include Actress Hailey Bright, XDA TV personality SassiBoB, Actress and Sci-Fi geek Kristen Nedopak, Video Host and model Raychul, YouTube Geek Guru NixiePixel, SuicideGirls.com models Bob and SqueakMachine plus many more beautiful popular ladies to be released.

In keeping with DontHateTheGeek.com’s tradition, a portion of the proceeds from the calendar will be donated. This year, the recipient of the donations will be the Breast Cancer Research Fund. For previous events, DontHateTheGeek.com has worked with other groups to raise as much as $6,000 for charitable causes, and plans to keep that tradition alive with all of their works.

Just an update to let you know that the calendar should ship in the next couple of days. You can pre-order your copy here.

You also download a Girls of Geek app on the Android Market.

With 2012 just around the corner, get your hands on this calendar! ;-)

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (December 5th)

2011-12-09T21:57:00.004-05:00

In hardcover:

Stephen King's 11/22/63 maintains its position at number 2. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Haruki Murakami's 1Q84 is down two spots, finishing the week at number 12. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons is up three positions, ending the week at number 14. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Gregory Maguire’s Out of Oz is down five spots, finishing the week at number 17.

Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus is up one position, ending the week at number 19. For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Chuck Palahniuk’s Damned is up four positions, ending the week at number 26.

Brandon Sanderson's The Alloy of Law is down six spots, finishing the week at number 33. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

In paperback:

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is up two positions, ending the week at number 11.

George R. R. Martin's A Storms of Swords is up five positions, ending the week at number 15.

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is up thirteen positions, ending the week at number 15 (trade paperback).

George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is up one spot, finishing the week at number 17.

George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows maintains its position at number 21.

Max Brooks' World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War returns at number 21 (trade paperback).

Max Brooks' World War Z is down two spots, finishing the week at number 34.

The Rules of Magic, According to the Greatest Fantasy Sagas of All Time

2011-12-09T06:36:00.004-05:00

This from io9.com:

Magic is mysterious and ancient, and its workings are often beyond the understanding of mere mortals. But that doesn't mean that magic doesn't have rules.

Every fantasy saga has its own rules for magic, and its own explanations for how the magical arts work. Where does magic come from? Who can use magic, and how? Do regular muggles know magic exists? We dug through 50 or so of our favorite fantasy sagas, and compiled a complete list of the rules of magic in each of them.

Make sure to keep an eye out for an amended version of the chart on io9.com!