- George R. R. Martin, The Glass Flower, taken from Dreamsongs, Volume 2 (Canada, USA, Europe)
Almost done with this collection and it is awesome! Some of GRRM's very best work, no question! =)
Quote of the Day
- George R. R. Martin, The Glass Flower, taken from Dreamsongs, Volume 2 (Canada, USA, Europe)
Almost done with this collection and it is awesome! Some of GRRM's very best work, no question! =)
Cover art for Peter V. Brett's THE DAYLIGHT WAR
Peter V. Brett just unveiled the cover art for the forthcoming The Daylight War and it looks pretty good! For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
With The Warded Man and The Desert Spear, Peter V. Brett surged to the front rank of contemporary fantasy, standing alongside giants in the field like George R. R. Martin, Robert Jordan, and Terry Brooks. The Daylight War, the eagerly anticipated third volume in Brett’s internationally bestselling Demon Cycle, continues the epic tale of humanity’s last stand against an army of demons that rise each night to prey on mankind.
On the night of the new moon, the demons rise in force, seeking the deaths of two men both of whom have the potential to become the fabled Deliverer, the man prophesied to reunite the scattered remnants of humanity in a final push to destroy the demon corelings once and for all.
Arlen Bales was once an ordinary man, but now he has become something more—the Warded Man, tattooed with eldritch wards so powerful they make him a match for any demon. Arlen denies he is the Deliverer at every turn, but the more he tries to be one with the common folk, the more fervently they believe. Many would follow him, but Arlen’s path threatens to lead him to a dark place he alone can travel to, and from which there may be no returning.
The only one with hope of keeping Arlen in the world of men, or joining him in his descent into the world of demons, is Renna Tanner, a fierce young woman in danger of losing herself to the power of demon magic.
Ahmann Jardir has forged the warlike desert tribes of Krasia into a demon-killing army and proclaimed himself Shar’Dama Ka, the Deliverer. He carries ancient weapons—a spear and a crown—that give credence to his claim, and already vast swaths of the green lands bow to his control.
But Jardir did not come to power on his own. His rise was engineered by his First Wife, Inevera, a cunning and powerful priestess whose formidable demon bone magic gives her the ability to glimpse the future. Inevera’s motives and past are shrouded in mystery, and even Jardir does not entirely trust her.
Once Arlen and Jardir were as close as brothers. Now they are the bitterest of rivals. As humanity’s enemies rise, the only two men capable of defeating them are divided against each other by the most deadly demons of all—those lurking in the human heart.
Engraved on the Eye
Saladin Ahmed made quite a name for himself with his short fiction. After all, his stories have been nominated for prestigious genre awards. I was familiar with some of his work, but this collection allowed me to read all of his published short fiction to date and finally discover what the buzz was all about. Ahmed is a gifted author and one of speculative fiction's brightest new voices. Having read his fantasy debut, Throne of the Crescent Moon, I'm now convinced that, at least at this early stage of his career, Saladin Ahmed is much more talented when writing short fiction than novel-length projects.
Here's the blurb:
Stories to Captivate the Imagination: Welcome to the worlds of Saladin Ahmed.
A medieval physician asked to do the impossible. A gun slinging Muslim wizard in the old West. A disgruntled super villain pining for prison reform. A cybernetic soldier who might or might not be receiving messages from God. Prepare yourself to be transported to new and fantastical worlds.
The short stories in this collection have been nominated for the Nebula and Campbell awards. They’ve been reprinted in The Year’s Best Fantasy and other anthologies, recorded for numerous podcasts, and translated into several foreign languages. Now they are collected in one place for the first time. Experience for yourself the original voice of one of fantasy’s rising stars!
"Where Virtue Lives" is a prequel to Ahmed's debut. It's a sword and sorcery adventure featuring Adoulla Makhslood and Raseed bas Raseed, two of the main protagonists from the book. It's basically a tale of how the two characters met.
"Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela" is a powerful short story about love and lengths some people are willing to go to find it and hold on to it. "Judgement of Swords and Souls" is another sword and sorcery offering featuring a clichéd bad-ass female character in the same vein as the first short story and Ahmed's Throne of the Crescent Moon. "Doctor Diablo Goes Through the Motions" is a quirky tale about the Society of Supercriminals' new master plan!
"General Akmed's Revenge" is an interesting take on a Muslim immigrant's difficulty to integrate American society. "Mister Hadj's Sunset Ride" is a dystopian Western story and one of the best stories in the collection. "The Faithful Soldier, Prompted" is a science fiction piece that stays with you once you're done reading it. Could well be my favorite of the bunch! "Iron Eyes and the Watered-Down World" is another sword and sorcery tale about a trio of adventurers who find a lot more than they ever envisioned when they finally catch a thief.
It's obvious that Saladin Ahmed loves the sword and sorcery subgenre. And yet, his most memorable short fiction, in my opinion at least, turns out to be tales in which he challenges himself and forces himself to go off the beaten path. The best pieces from this collection are often told in a much difference voice than that the author uses to write sword and sorcery. I'm really looking forward to more such tales from Ahmed in the future. And if his forthcoming short fiction lives up to the potential found in the digital pages of Engraved on the Eye, I foresee more nominations for genre awards for him.
The final verdict: 7.75/10
To download this collection for only 3.99$, follow this link.
Win an Advance Reading Copy of Myke Cole's SHADOW OPS: FORTRESS FRONTIER
Since I received an extra ARC of Myke Cole's Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier, I'm giving it away to one lucky winner! For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe. It's the sequel to Shadow Ops: Control Point (Canada, USA, Europe).
Here's the blurb:
The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began to develop terrifying powers—summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Overnight the rules changed... but not for everyone.
Colonel Alan Bookbinder is an army bureaucrat whose worst war wound is a paper-cut. But after he develops magical powers, he is torn from everything he knows and thrown onto the front-lines.
Drafted into the Supernatural Operations Corps in a new and dangerous world, Bookbinder finds himself in command of Forward Operating Base Frontier—cut off, surrounded by monsters, and on the brink of being overrun.
Now, he must find the will to lead the people of FOB Frontier out of hell, even if the one hope of salvation lies in teaming up with the man whose own magical powers put the base in such grave danger in the first place—Oscar Britton, public enemy number one...
The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "FORTRESS." 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 (November 12th)
Karen Marie Moning’s Iced debuts at number 9.
Justin Cronin's The Twelve is down one spot, finishing the week at number 12. For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons is up three spots, finishing the week at number 18. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
In paperback:
David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas is up one position, ending the week at number 4 (trade paperback).
Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus is up four spots, finishing the week at number 12 (trade paperback).
George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is up sixteen positions, ending the week at number 14.
Stephen King's 11/22/63 is up three positions, ending the week at number 25 (trade paperback).
George R. R. Martin's A Storm of Swords returns at number 27.
George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows returns at number 28.
James Luceno's Star Wars: Darth Plagueis debuts at number 29.
David Mack's Star Trek: The Next Generation: Cold Equations: The Persistence of Memory debuts at number 30.
Max Brooks' World War Z is up three spots, finishing the week at number 30 (trade paper back).
Mike Shepherd's Kris Longknife: Furious debuts at number 32.
George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings returns at number 34.
More inexpensive ebook goodies!
Somehow, I missed this one when Orbit announced that a number of their titles would be available on the cheap. So you can now download Karen Miller's The Innocent Mage for 2.99$ here.
Here's the blurb:
"The Innocent Mage is come, and we stand at the beginning of the end of everything."
Being a fisherman like his father isn't a bad life, but it's not the one that Asher wants. Despite his humble roots, Asher has grand dreams. And they call him to Dorana, home of princes, beggars?and the warrior mages who have protected the kingdom for generations.
Little does Asher know, however, that his arrival in the city is being closely watched by members of the Circle, people dedicated to preserving an ancient magic.
Asher might have come to the city to make his fortune, but he will find his destiny.
Red Country
I must admit that I was immediately intrigued when, over a year ago, Joe Abercrombie revealed that his next work would be a fantasy Western. I mean, how could my curiosity not be piqued? So I have been looking forward to Red Country for quite a while. And interestingly enough, though there are a lot of mixed reviews regarding the novel, it made me want to read the book even more.
Like Best Served Cold a few years back, Red Country is an extremely gloomy tale filled with graphic and gratuitous violence. There are no good guys, no heroes to root for. Indeed, Red Country is Joe Abercrombie at his darkest, bloodiest, most snarky, and most cynical ever. It might also well be Joe Abercrombie at his best. Although it suffers from a few shortcomings, Red Country remains one of the top fantasy offerings of 2012.
Here's the blurb:
They burned her home.
They stole her brother and sister.
But vengeance is following.
Shy South hoped to bury her bloody past and ride away smiling, but she’ll have to sharpen up some bad old ways to get her family back, and she’s not a woman to flinch from what needs doing. She sets off in pursuit with only a pair of oxen and her cowardly old stepfather Lamb for company. But it turns out Lamb’s buried a bloody past of his own, and out in the lawless Far Country, the past never stays buried.
Their journey will take them across the barren plains to a frontier town gripped by gold fever, through feud, duel and massacre, high into the unmapped mountains to a reckoning with the Ghosts. Even worse, it will force them into alliance with Nicomo Cosca, infamous soldier of fortune, and his feckless lawyer Temple, two men no one should ever have to trust. . .
As was the case with its predecessor, The Heroes, the worldbuilding doesn't intrude much on the storytelling in this one. And yet, even though we don't discover much about the Far Country and its past as part of the Old Empire, Abercrombie did a magnificent job describing the harsh realities of what appears to be a god-forsaken land beyond the boundaries of civilization. Not since Best Served Cold, in which the author's Mediterranean setting truly came alive and lept off the page, has Abercrombie created such an arresting imagery.
In addition, I loved how Abercrombie mixed fantasy elements with Western themes, thus creating something special yet familiar. I was concerned at first, for I doubted that this could be done without something being lost in the translation. But the author managed to incorporate Western motifs into his tale without it losing its fantasy "flavor." The Western influence is not just in terms of setting, far from it. Western themes such as the conquest of the great unknown, the clash between what is supposed to be civilized and uncivilized, greed, justice, etc, were interwoven into the various storylines, creating an even more layered work of fiction. I also liked how the budding first steps toward industrialization were introduced, which is something to look forward to in Abercrombie's upcoming trilogy.
Red Country features all the grit, the blood, the violence, and the wit that have become Joe Abercrombie's hallmarks. The novel's main problem is that it features a decidedly weaker cast of protagonists than what we have come to expect from the author. Even the return of a fan-favorite character cannot change the fact that the cast is subpar compared to Abercrombie's previous works. It might be due to the fact that Shy South and Temple are not always the most interesting or engaging of narrators. Perhaps the narrative would have benefited from additional POV characters? Hard to say. As I mentioned, the humor and the snark are always present. But for some reason, it doesn't always work the way it did in other novels. That being said, I chuckled every couple of pages or so, from start to finish.
The pace is also an issue. Shy and Lamb embark on what sometimes feels as though an interminable journey in search of her siblings. At times, the rhythm is crisp and the book is a page-turning affair. Yet ofttimes, Red Country slows down to a veritable crawl and you have to wonder if such and such chapters were just another excuse for another case of gratuitous bloodshed.
Red Country is another morally ambiguous work with many shades of gray. By daring to mix fantasy elements with Western themes, Abercrombie took a big chance. SFF readers are well-known for not always enjoying going out of their comfort zone and the author takes us to the Wild, Wild West of the fantasy genre. Whether or not fans like it as much as its predecessors, you have to respect Joe Abercrombie for writing exactly the sort of book he wanted to write and for succeeding in mixing two such disparate genres to create something original.
And though Red Country may not be as great as past Abercrombie novels, it is still a top fantasy read for 2012.
The final verdict: 8/10
For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey soundtrack
Hey guys!
The folks at empireonline.com have just unveiled Howard Shore's soundtrack for the movie. You can listen to the full score by following this link.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey soundtrack will be available in stores on December 10th. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
Excerpt from Jim Butcher's COLD DAYS
Jim Butcher's posted a third excerpt from the forthcoming Cold Days on his website! For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
Here's the blurb:
HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!
After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard.
He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill.
Guess which Mab wants first?
Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday.
Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own…His soul.
Follow this link to read the extract.
George R. R. Martin contest winner!
- Dreamsongs, Volume 1 (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Dreamsongs, Volume II (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Windhaven (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Dying of the Light (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Armageddon Rag (Canada, USA, Europe)
The winner is:
- Felipe Montoya, from Bogota, Colombia
Many thanks to all the participants! =)
Extract from James S. A. Corey's ABADDON'S GATE
Here's the blurb:
For generations, the solar system -- Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt -- was humanity's great frontier. Until now. The alien artifact working through its program under the clouds of Venus has appeared in Uranus's orbit, where it has built a massive gate that leads to a starless dark.
Jim Holden and the crew of the Rocinante are part of a vast flotilla of scientific and military ships going out to examine the artifact. But behind the scenes, a complex plot is unfolding, with the destruction of Holden at its core. As the emissaries of the human race try to find whether the gate is an opportunity or a threat, the greatest danger is the one they brought with them.
Follow this link to read the extract.
More inexpensive ebook goodies!
You can download Martha Wells' The Element of Fire for only 2.99$ here.
Here's the blurb:
The kingdom of Ile-Rein lies in peril, menaced by sorcerous threats and devious court intrigues. As the weak King Roland, flattered and misled by treacherous companions, rules the country, only his ruthless mother, the Dowager Queen Ravenna, guards the safety of the realm. But now rumors arise that Urbain Grandier, the dark master of scientific sorcery, has arrived to plot against the throne. And Kade, bastard sister of King Roland, appears unexpectedly at court. The illegitimate daughter of the old king and the Queen of Air and Darkness herself, Kade's true desires are cloaked in mystery. Is she in league with the wizard Grandier? Or is she laying claim to the throne?
It falls to Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queen's Guard and Ravenna's former lover, to sort out who is friend, who is foe in a deadly game to keep the Dowager Queen and the kingdom she loves from harm. But is one man's steel enough to counter all the magic of fayre?
Originally published by Tor Books in hardcover in 1993.
You can also download Martha Wells' City of Bones for only 2.99$ here.
Here's the blurb:
Khat, a member of a humanoid race created by the Ancients to survive in the Waste, and Sagai, his human partner, are relic dealers working on the edge of society, trying to stay one step ahead of the Trade Inspectors and to support Sagai's family. When Khat is hired to find relics believed to be part of one of the Ancients' arcane engines, they are both reluctant to become involved. But the request comes from the Warders, powerful mages who serve Charisat's Elector. Khat soon discovers that the deadly politics of Charisat's upper tiers aren't the only danger. The relics the Warders want are the key to an Ancient magic of unknown power, and, as all the inhabitants of Charisat know, no one understands the Ancients' magic.
Originally published by Tor Books in hardcover in 1995.
Finally, you can download Martha Wells' stand-alone Wheel of the Infinite for only 2.99$ here.
Here's the blurb:
With chaos in the wind, a woman with a shadowy past has returned to Duvalpore. A murderer and traitor--an exile disgraced, hated, and feared, and haunted by her own guilty conscience--Maskelle has been summoned back to help put the world right. Once she was the most enigmatic of the Voices, until cursed by her own actions. Now, in the company of Rian--a skilled and dangerously alluring swordsman--she must confront dread enemies old and new, and a cold, stalking malevolence unlike any she has ever encountered.
For if Maskelle cannot unearth the cause of the Wheel of the Infinite's accelerating disintegration--if she cannot free herself from the ghosts of the past and focus on the catastrophe to come--the world will plunge headlong into the terrifying abyss toward which it is recklessly hurtling. And all that is, ever was, and will be will end.
Originally published in hardcover by Avon Eos in 2000.
This week's New York Times Bestsellers (November 5th)
Justin Cronin's The Twelve is down nine spots, finishing the week at number 11. For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons is down four spots, finishing the week at number 21. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
In paperback:
David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas is down one position, ending the week at number 5 (trade paperback).
Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus is down two spots, finishing the week at number 16 (trade paperback).
Stephen King's 11/22/63 returns at number 28 (trade paperback).
George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is down twenty positions, ending the week at number 30.
Max Brooks' World War Z is down twenty-one spots, finishing the week at number 33 (trade paper back).
Cover art and blurb for Mark Lawrence's EMPEROR OF THORNS
Not surprisingly, they went for visual continuity for the cover of Mark Lawrence's Emperor of Thorns. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
Looking forward to the conclusion of this series!
Here's the blurb:
To reach the throne requires that a man journey. Even a path paved with good intentions can lead to hell, and my intentions were never good.
The Hundred converge for Congression to politic upon the corpse of Empire, and while they talk the Dead King makes his move, and I make mine. The world is cracked, time has run through, leaving us clutching at the end days, the future so bright that those who see it are the first to burn. These are the days that have waited for us all our lives. These are my days. I will stand before the Hundred and they will listen. I will take the throne whoever seeks to thwart me, living or dead, and if I must be the last emperor then I will make of it such an ending.
This is where the wise man turns away. This is where the holy kneel and call on God. These are the last miles, my brothers. Don't look to me to save you. Don't think I will not spend you. Run if you have the wit. Pray if you have the soul. Stand your ground if courage is yours. But don't follow me.
Follow me, and I will break your heart.
UK cover art for Myke Cole SHADOW OPS: FORTRESS FRONTIER
Myke Cole just unveiled the UK cover art for the upcoming Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier (Canada, USA, Europe), sequel to what remains, in my opinion at least, the speculative fiction debut of 2012, Shadow Ops: Control Point (Canada, USA, Europe).
Here's the blurb:
The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began to develop terrifying powers—summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Overnight the rules changed... but not for everyone.
Colonel Alan Bookbinder is an army bureaucrat whose worst war wound is a paper-cut. But after he develops magical powers, he is torn from everything he knows and thrown onto the front-lines.
Drafted into the Supernatural Operations Corps in a new and dangerous world, Bookbinder finds himself in command of Forward Operating Base Frontier—cut off, surrounded by monsters, and on the brink of being overrun.
Now, he must find the will to lead the people of FOB Frontier out of hell, even if the one hope of salvation lies in teaming up with the man whose own magical powers put the base in such grave danger in the first place—Oscar Britton, public enemy number one...
Quote of the Day
- MIKA S., a Suicide Girls model
When I saw this on Facebook, especially since it was coming from a girl, I knew I had to share it!! :P
Excerpt from Jim Butcher's COLD DAYS
Jim Butcher's posted a second excerpt from the forthcoming Cold Days on his website! For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
Here's the blurb:
HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!
After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard.
He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill.
Guess which Mab wants first?
Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday.
Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own…His soul.
Follow this link to read the extract.
More inexpensive ebook goodies!
You can now download Martha Wells' The Cloud Roads for only 1.99$ here.
Here's the blurb:
Moon has spent his life hiding what he is — a shape-shifter able to transform himself into a winged creature of flight. An orphan with only vague memories of his own kind, Moon tries to fit in among the tribes of his river valley, with mixed success. Just as Moon is once again cast out by his adopted tribe, he discovers a shape-shifter like himself... someone who seems to know exactly what he is, who promises that Moon will be welcomed into his community. What this stranger doesn't tell Moon is that his presence will tip the balance of power... that his extraordinary lineage is crucial to the colony's survival... and that his people face extinction at the hands of the dreaded Fell! Now Moon must overcome a lifetime of conditioning in order to save and himself... and his newfound kin.
And you can also download Tim Powers' Hide Me Among the Graves for only 0.99$ here.
Here's the blurb:
London, winter of 1862, Adelaide McKee, a former prostitute, arrives on the doorstep of veterinarian John Crawford, a man she met once seven years earlier. Their brief meeting produced a child who, until now, had been presumed dead. McKee has learned that the girl lives—but that her life and soul are in mortal peril from a vampiric ghost. But this is no ordinary spirit; the bloodthirsty wraith is none other than John Polidori, the onetime physician to the mad, bad, and dangerous Romantic poet Lord Byron. Both McKee and Crawford have mysterious histories with creatures like Polidori, and their child is a prize the malevolent spirit covets dearly.
Polidori is also the late uncle and supernatural muse to the poet Christina Rossetti and her brother, the painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti. When she was just fourteen years old, Christina unwittingly brought Polidori's curse upon her family. But the curse bestowed unexpected blessings as well, inspiring Christina's poetry and Gabriel's paintings. But when Polidori resurrects Dante's dead wife—turning her into a horrifying vampire—and threatens other family members, Christina and Dante agree that they must destroy their monstrous uncle and break the spell, even if it means the end of their creative powers.
Determined to save their daughter, McKee and Crawford join forces with the Rossettis, and soon these wildly mismatched allies are plunged into a supernatural London underworld whose existence goes beyond their wildest imaginings. Ultimately, each of these disparate individuals—the sensitive poet, the tortured painter, the straitlaced animal doctor, the reformed prostitute, and even their Artful Dodger–like young daughter—must choose between the banality and constraints of human life and the unholy immortality that Polidori offers.
Sweeping from the mansions of London's high society to its grimy slums, the elegant salons of the West End to the pre-Roman catacombs beneath St. Paul's Cathedral, Hide Me Among the Graves blends the historical and the supernatural in a dazzling, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride—a modern horror story with a Victorian twist.
The Cold Commands
You may recall that my less-than-stellar review of Richard Morgan's The Steel Remains had created quite a stir in the Blogosphere back in 2008. Especially my back-and-forth with editor Simon Spanton, which came to be known as the Hype Files.
Although I felt the book was good, given the expectations I had it turned out to be a disappointment. Even if it was an entertaining and action-packed read, sadly it was nowhere near as groundbreaking as advertised. Which probably explains why it took me such a long time to give the sequel, The Cold Commands, a shot.
I feel that Morgan relied too much on shock value in The Steel Remains. Instead of focusing on multilayered plotlines and his habitually superior storytelling skills, the author's main problem with his fantasy debut was that he went only for the grit, the nastiness, the explicit language, the "in your face" violence, the gore, the drugs, the sex, homosexuality, etc. Morgan now refers to The Steel Remains as "Previously on gay elf fucking," which shows that he has a wicked sense of humor. But the sad truth is that, when one took away all those "shock value" factors, The Steel Remains didn't have a whole lot to offer in terms of plot.
I'm glad to report that The Cold Commands is an improvement in terms of storylines. Indeed, there is a story moving forward and a number of aspects hinting at a bigger, more ambitious overall plot. Problem is, there is once again a lot of filler material in this book, and it creates a lot of pacing issues along the way.
Here's the blurb:
With The Steel Remains, award-winning science fiction writer Richard K. Morgan turned his talents to sword and sorcery. The result: a genre-busting masterwork hailed as a milestone in contemporary epic fantasy. Now Morgan continues the riveting saga of Ringil Eskiath—Gil, for short—a peerless warrior whose love for other men has made him an outcast and pariah.
Only a select few have earned the right to call Gil friend. One is Egar, the Dragonbane, a fierce Majak fighter who comes to respect a heart as savage and loyal as his own. Another is Archeth, the last remaining daughter of an otherworldly race called the Kiriath, who once used their advanced technology to save the world from the dark magic of the Aldrain—only to depart for reasons as mysterious as their arrival. Yet even Egar and Archeth have learned to fear the doom that clings to their friend like a grim shadow . . . or the curse of a bitter god.
Now one of the Kiriath’s uncanny machine intelligences has fallen from orbit—with a message that humanity faces a grave new danger (or, rather, an ancient one): a creature called the Illwrack Changeling, a boy raised to manhood in the ghostly between-world realm of the Grey Places, home to the Aldrain. A human raised as one of them—and, some say, the lover of one of their greatest warriors—until, in a time lost to legend, he was vanquished. Wrapped in sorcerous slumber, hidden away on an island that drifts between this world and the Grey Places, the Illwrack Changeling is stirring. And when he wakes, the Aldrain will rally to him and return in force—this time without the Kiriath to stop them.
An expedition is outfitted for the long and arduous sea journey to find the lost island of the Illwrack Changeling. Aboard are Gil, Egar, and Archeth: each fleeing from ghosts of the past, each seeking redemption in whatever lies ahead. But redemption doesn’t come cheap these days. Nor, for that matter, does survival. Not even for Ringil Eskiath. Or anyone—god or mortal—who would seek to use him as a pawn.
The worldbuilding within the pages of The Steel Remains were, to a large extent, quite barebone. Morgan doesn't play his cards as close to his chest in this second volume and we learn a lot more about his universe. These revelations provide more depth to a series that really needed some. I liked how the author used some science fiction elements such as aliens and artificial intelligences to give A Land Fit For Heroes its own distinct "flavor." We learn more about the mysterious Kiriath and their technology. Morgan also opens up a bit about the Gray Places, but most of their secrets remain undisclosed. The cover blurb can be deceiving, though, as the entire Illwrack Changeling plotline, which appears to be at the very heart of the tale, doesn't play much of a role until the very end and will only be explored at length in the forthcoming The Dark Defiles.
Like its predecessor, The Cold Command is another character-driven book and the various story arcs focus on the three main characters: Ringil Eskiath, homosexual hero of the infamous battle of Gallows Gap; Archeth, a kiriath half-breed abandoned by her brethren and now advisor to the Emperor of the Yhelteth Empire; Egar the Dragonbane, who fought for the Yhelteth Empire during the War against the Scaled Folk and was driven away by his own people. Although all three were more or less well-defined in The Steel Remains, by trying to make them too edgy and over-the-top Morgan sort of shot himself in the foot and the whole thing backfired. I felt that the author had created a cast of morally and sexually ambiguous characters, but had failed to inject enough life into their personalities and back stories to make them memorable. Character development is much more present in this sequel and we learn a lot more about all three protagonists. So much so, however, that all this sort of gets in the way of moving the plot forward and it breaks the rhythm of the novel, especially in the middle part of the book. There are constant inner monologues occurring inside every character's mind, which at times can get a little annoying. I may be wrong, but I don't remember there being as much of this in the first volume.
The pace is likely my biggest problem with The Cold Commands. The novel starts strong and is a page-turner for about a third of its length. Indeed, with a Kiriath A.I. falling from orbit with dire tidings that humanity faces a new menace, it sets the tone and keeps the plot moving forward. Trouble is, the middle part of the book sort of becomes a meandering, drifting ensemble of chapters whose only purpose seems to be to somehow bring the gang back together. As a result, the pace slows down to a crawl and the reader is often left wondering what the heck is going on. Especially the Ringil chapters, as he travels through the Gray Places. Fortunately, the book regains its lustre at the end, and it sets the stage for what should be a very interesting third installment.
It's no secret that epic fantasy became nastier and more violent in recent years. Dark and brooding epics have irrevocably altered the sub-genre, or so it seems. And yet, though it features its fair share of blood, violence, and sex, in The Cold Commands Morgan avoided the pitfall that made The Steel Remains offputting at times by creating a better balance between all that grit and the actual storytelling. Too bad the author seemed to lose his way for about a third of this work, for the beginning and the end were very good.
Although the first two installments suffered from a number of shortcomings, it appears that all the pieces are now in position to make The Dark Defiles the sort of fantasy offering Morgan fans have been awaiting since it was announced that the author would jump genre. I'm intrigued and I definitely want to discover what happens next!
The final verdict: 7.5/10
For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
Triumph Over Tragedy: an anthology for the victims of Sandy
This from indiegogo.com:
I am R.T. Kaelin and I am an author.
Seeing the images of Sandy's aftermath was hard, some left me cold inside, others I did not know what I felt. So many needed so much. In past tragedies, I have donated some money to the Red Cross to help, but I’ve always felt like it was inadequate.
“Hey, you lost your home? How awful. Here’s fifty bucks. I gotta hop in my car now, get a cup of coffee and go off to work. What’s that? Your car and job are gone? Ooohh…”
So, this time, I wanted to do something more.
I reached out to fellow writers (who in turn, reached out to more writers) with the idea of putting together an anthology of donated short stories, sell them via eBook, and donate 100% of the proceeds to the Red Cross for relief efforts. As this will take time to put together, I thought trying to raise money now in exchange for the anthology later might be useful. Hence, I am here.
The theme of the anthology is simple: triumph over tragedy. It will contain all sorts of stories: fantasy (traditional or urban), sci-fi, mystery, pulp, romance, action…I don’t much care what goes in it. To me, the more variety, the better as I want this to appeal to as many people as possible. The more readers, the more money to those who need it. My only guidance is that every story be appropriate for all ages.
What We Need & What You Get
We don't need anything. The people in New Jersey and the surrounding areas do. Food, water, power...the things you take for granted until they are gone. To help them, we would like a donation for them.
You will get (when completed) the anthology in whatever eBook format you wish. .mobi, .epub, .pdf. All DRM free (no digital rights management). Authors contributing to this effort to date:
• Michael J. Sullivan
• Bradley Beaulieu
• Maxwell Alexander Drake
• Rick Novy
• Phillip Athans
• Stephen Sullivan
• Jean Rabe
• C.S. Marks
• C.J. Henderson
• Marian Allen
• Bryan Young
• Janine Spendlove
• T.L. Gray
• Tracy Chowdhury
• Miya Kressin
• Steven Saus
• Addie King
• R.T. Kaelin
• Rob Knipe
• Vicki Stegar
• Donald Bingle
The Impact
The people of the northeast are going to need support for months, perhaps years to come. You can help them.
-----------------------------------
Follow this link for more information about the anthology and how you can help. . .
More inexpensive ebook goodies!
You can now download Brandon Sanderson's The Emperor's Soul for only 4.99$ here.
Here's the blurb:
A novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, The Emperor's Soul showcases a fascinating magic system as the clock ticks down for a condemned criminal.
When Shai is caught replacing the Moon Scepter with her nearly flawless forgery, she must bargain for her life. An assassin has left the Emperor Ashravan without consciousness, a circumstance concealed only by the death of his wife. If the emperor does not emerge after his hundred-day mourning period, the rule of the Heritage Faction will be forfeit and the empire will fall into chaos.
Shai is given an impossible task: to create—to Forge—a new soul for the emperor in less than one hundred days. But her soul-Forgery is considered an abomination by her captors. She is confined to a tiny, dirty chamber, guarded by a man who hates her, spied upon by politicians, and trapped behind a door sealed in her own blood. Shai's only possible ally is the emperor's most loyal councillor, Gaotona, who struggles to understand her true talent.
Time is running out for Shai. Forging, while deducing the motivations of her captors, she needs a perfect plan to escape…
2012 World Fantasy Awards winners
Lavie Tidhar's Osama won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel this weekend at the World Fantasy Convention held in Toronto. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
Here's the blurb:
In an alternate world without global terrorism, a private detective is hired by a mysterious woman to track down the obscure creator of the fictional vigilante, Osama Bin Laden...
Joe’s identity slowly fragments as his quest takes him across the world, from the backwaters of Asia to the European capitals of Paris and London. He discovers the shadowy world of the Refugees, ghostly entities haunting the world in which he lives. Where do they come from? What do they want? Joe knows how the story should end, but is he ready for the truths he will uncover... or the choice he will have to make?
Lavie Tidhar was in Dar-es-Salaam during the American embassy bombings in 1998, and stayed in the same hotel as the Al Qaeda operatives in Nairobi. Since then he and his now-wife have narrowly avoided both the 2005 London, King’s Cross and 2004 Sinai attacks—experiences that led to the creation of Osama. He is the author of many novels, including the Bookman trilogy and is a prolific short story writer.
Follow this link to peruse the list of all the award winners!
More inexpensive ebook goodies!
You can now download Felix Gilman's The Half-Made World for only 2.99$ here.
Here's the blurb:
A fantastical reimagining of the American West which draws its influence from steampunk, the American western tradition, and magical realism.
The world is only half made. What exists has been carved out amidst a war between two rival factions: the Line, paving the world with industry and claiming its residents as slaves; and the Gun, a cult of terror and violence that cripples the population with fear. The only hope at stopping them has seemingly disappeared—the Red Republic that once battled the Gun and the Line, and almost won. Now they’re just a myth, a bedtime story parents tell their children, of hope.
To the west lies a vast, uncharted world, inhabited only by the legends of the immortal and powerful Hill People, who live at one with the earth and its elements. Liv Alverhyusen, a doctor of the new science of psychology, travels to the edge of themade world to a spiritually protected mental institution in order to study the minds of those broken by the Gun and the Line. In its rooms lies an old general of the Red Republic, a man whose shattered mind just may hold the secret to stopping the Gun and the Line. And either side will do anything to understand how.
Kameron Hurley contest winners!
The winners are:
- Guy Byars, from Mansfield, Texas, USA
- Michael Newman, from Portland, Oregon, USA
- Piotr Nester, from Warszawa, Poland
Many thanks to all the participants!
This week's New York Times Bestsellers (October 29th)
Justin Cronin's The Twelve debuts at number 2. For more information about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons is down one spot, finishing the week at number 17. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
Mark Z. Danielewski, The Fifty Year Sword debuts at number 21. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.
Gregory Benford and Larry Niven’s Bowl of Heaven debuts at number 35.
In paperback:
David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas maintains its position at number 4 (trade paperback).
George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones is up one position, ending the week at number 10.
Max Brooks' World War Z returns at number 12 (trade paper back).
Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus is up two spots, finishing the week at number 14 (trade paperback).
George R. R. Martin's A Storm of Swords is down eight spots, finishing the week at number 18.
Justin Cronin's The Passage returns at number 19.
George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows is down ten positions, ending the week at number 20.
George R. R. Martin's A Clash of Kings is up two positions, ending the week at number 23.
Kim Harrison's A Perfect Blood is down one spot, finishing the week at number 31.
More inexpensive ebook goodies!
You can now download Clive Barker's Mister B. Gone for only 1.99$ here.
Here's the blurb:
You hold in your hands not a book at all, but a terrifying embodiment of purest evil. Can you feel the electric tingle in your fingers as you are absorbed by the demon Jakabok's tale of his unintentional ascent from the depths of the Inferno? Do you sense the cold dread worming its way into your bloodstream, your sinews, the marrow of your bones as you read more deeply into his earthly education and unspeakable acts? The filth you now grasp has been waiting patiently for you for nearly six hundred years. And now, before you are completely in its thrall, you would do well to follow the foul creature's admonition and destroy this abomination of ink and paper before you turn a single leaf and are lost forever.
You have been warned.
Free stuff from Night Shade Books!
With Kameron Hurley's Rapture (Canada, USA, Europe) about to be released, the folks at Night Shade Books are giving away the ebook editions of both God's War (Canada, USA, Europe) and Infidel (Canada, USA, Europe) for free!
This from Night Shade Books:
In anticipation of the forthcoming release of Rapture, Kameron Hurley's bone-shattering conclusion to the epic Bel Dame Apocrypha trilogy, that's exactly what Night Shade Books is giving away. We don't want you to miss out on any of the "smart, dark, visceral and wonderfully, hectically entertaining" action of this trilogy! So we are giving away the first two titles in the series, the 2012 Nebula Award-nominated God's War and the awesome Infidel, absolutely free!
And, once you're hooked (as we know you will be), be sure to pick up the exciting conclusion, Rapture, available 11/6/12!
Don't believe the hype? Find out FREE for yourself. Just send an email to Beldamegiveaway@nightshadebooks.com. Night Shade will return fire with an email giving you the info you need to download the files for God's War and Infidel. Both Epub and Mobi files are available.
So what are you waiting for!?!
--------------------------
Here's the blurb for God's War:
Nyx had already been to hell. One prayer more or less wouldn't make any difference...
On a ravaged, contaminated world, a centuries-old holy war rages, fought by a bloody mix of mercenaries, magicians, and conscripted soldiers. Though the origins of the war are shady and complex, there's one thing everybody agrees on--
There's not a chance in hell of ending it.
Nyx is a former government assassin who makes a living cutting off heads for cash. But when a dubious deal between her government and an alien gene pirate goes bad, Nyx's ugly past makes her the top pick for a covert recovery. The head they want her to bring home could end the war--but at what price?
The world is about to find out.
And here's the trailer:
Here's the blurb for Infidel:
The only thing worse than war is revolution. Especially when you're already losing the war...
Nyx used to be a bel dame, a government-funded assassin with a talent for cutting off heads for cash. Her country's war rages on, but her assassin days are long over. Now she's babysitting diplomats to make ends meet and longing for the days when killing people was a lot more honorable.
When Nyx's former bel dame "sisters" lead a coup against the government that threatens to plunge the country into civil war, Nyx volunteers to stop them. The hunt takes Nyx and her inglorious team of mercenaries to one of the richest, most peaceful, and most contaminated countries on the planet -- a country wholly unprepared to host a battle waged by the world's deadliest assassins.
In a rotten country of sweet-tongued politicians, giant bugs, and renegade shape shifters, Nyx will forge unlikely allies and rekindle old acquaintances. And the bodies she leaves scattered across the continent this time... may include her own.
Because no matter where you go or how far you run in this world, one thing is certain: the bloody bel dames will find you.
And here's the trailer:
You can read sample chapters from both novels here.
