Chosen

Benedict Jacka's Fated shared many of the qualities and just about the same shortcomings as Storm Front, opening chapter in Jim Butcher's popular Dresden Files. I was hoping that, like Butcher, Jacka would find a way to up his game with each new installment and that each new book would allow this series to reach new heights. The author did just that with Cursed and then again with Taken.

Where both series differ the most is that while Butcher took the macro approach for the Dresden Files, with the storylines expanding and a slew of characters being introduced in each new title, Jacka took the micro approach for the Alex Verus sequence. The plotlines are more circumscribed, the cast much smaller even though there are new additions in every novel. If anything, Chosen is a step backward in that regard, more of an origin story for the main protagonist than a work that pushes the plot forward.

I wasn't quite expecting that, to be completely honest. And yet, in order for the story to progress and the series to reach another level, it's obvious that we needed to discover the truth about Alex and what happened when he was the apprentice of a Dark mage for everything else to make sense. Hence, even though it felt weird at times to have a book focusing on Alex when there was a lot more going on around him, now that I've read it it makes perfect sense and it will allow the series to move forward in a more fluid fashion.

Here's the blurb:

I don’t publicly advertise that I’m a mage, but I don’t exactly hide it either, and one of the odd things I’ve learnt over the years is just how much you can get away with if you’re blatant enough. Hide something behind smoke and mirrors and make people work to find it, and they’ll tear the place down looking for what’s there.

Alex Verus is a diviner who can see probable futures—a talent that’s gotten him out of many a tough scrape. But this time, he may be in over his head. Alex was once apprenticed to a Dark mage, and in his service he did a lot of things he isn’t proud of.

As rumors swirl that his old master is coming back, Alex comes face to face with his misdeeds in the form of a young adept whose only goal is to get revenge. Alex has changed his life for the better, but he’s afraid of what his friends—including his apprentice, Luna—will think of his past. But if they’re going to put themselves at risk, they need to know exactly what kind of man they’re fighting for…

As was the case with the previous sequels, Chosen takes place a few months following the events chronicled in the last book. Alex Verus, a little known diviner until he was thrust into a Council matter of great import, has now gained quite a reputation. Although supposedly a weak diviner, powerful Mages who have crossed him have somehow gone missing and a lot of his peers now believe that there is a lot more to him than meets the eye. Trying to keep everything low key hasn't been working all that well for him and, as a do-gooder at heart, the poor guy just can't help getting involved in matters that will put him into the line of fire. While trying to find mages who will take them on as apprentices, Anna and Variam now share his flat while attending lessons. Our past, no matter how deeply buried, has a tendency to come back and bite us in the ass. When a group of Adepts target Alex for dirty deeds done years before while under the thrall of his Dark master, not only will that put those he cares for at risk, but the truth about who he used to be just might make them abandon him altogether.

I said that Alex Verus continues to grow on me with each new book. He was a more quiet and inconspicuous protagonist early on, but he is also growing as a character and coming into his own with each new novel. Being virtually powerless in terms of brute strength against other mages, Alex must rely on his wits to come out on top. That more than anything is what keeps this series fresh and interesting. As mentioned in my previous reviews, his first-person narrative isn't as witty and entertaining as that of his counterpart from the Dresden Files. Alex doesn't have the charisma and the repartee that make Harry such a likeable character. And yet, Verus is a more thoughtful and humane person, one that makes an impression on you the more the story progresses. That is still true in this fourth installment. What Chosen demonstrates is that there is a decidedly ruthless side to Alex, one that we haven't seen before. Being magically weak, it is his intelligence as well as this ruthlessness that allows him to overcome the challenge that would put the lives of those he loves in danger. Still, that ruthlessness may not sit well with those whose lives it helped save. The supporting cast is even stronger in this one. Once again, it was nice to see Jacka build on the relationships Alex has with Luna, now officially his apprentice, and Sonder, whose importance continues to grow with each new installment. The addition of Anna and Variam adds some new layers to the plot. And yet, it's Alex's origin story that unveils the truth about what happened to Shireen and Rachel years before that really is the heart of this book. We finally discover why Shireen appears in the Elsewhere and how Rachel became the deranged Deleo. That, more than anything else, elevates Chosen to new heights. The Adepts could have been more fleshed out, however. The way things stand, they were more of a plot device meant to steer Alex's past storyline throughout the novel.

Like its predecessors, Chosen is another very short work. I don't know how he does it, but somehow Benedict Jacka is able to cram a lot more in terms of plot than most writers could with such a limited pagecount. As mentioned, this one is more focused on Alex himself and doesn't move the story forward as much as those that came before. Mind you, that doesn't mean that there is no progress. Indeed, Chosen is the book that reveals the most about Alex's former Dark master and his disappearance.

Chosen features another exciting endgame, one that shows just how ruthless Alex can be. But can those he meant to protect accept this kind of mercilessness from him? This question remains unanswered. With more characters and plotlines added with each new installment, Benedict Jacka's Alex Verus series continues to grow in both quality and scope.

The final verdict: 8/10

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

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Brandon Sanderson's Elantris: Tenth Anniversary Author's Definitive Edition for only 4.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

In 2005, Brandon Sanderson debuted with Elantris, an epic fantasy unlike any other then on the market. To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Tor is reissuing Elantris in a special edition, a fresh chance to introduce it to the myriad readers who have since become Sanderson fans.

This new edition begins with a preface by author Dan Wells, the first person to read the completed novel, and a new afterword by Sanderson explaining how he came to write the book and its place in the Cosmere, the unified universe of all his Tor novels.

Also included is an expanded version of the "Ars Arcanum" appendix, with more of the technical details of the book's magic that fans can never get enough of.

Elantris was truly a milestone both for Sanderson and for the genre of epic fantasy. It deserves this special treatment, something Tor has done only once before, with Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. Sanderson fans old and new will be excited to discover it.

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

In hardcover:

SenLinYu's Alchemised is up two positions, ending the week at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Callie Hart's Brimstone is down one position, ending the week at number 11. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Matt Dinniman's Carl's Doomsday Scenario is down one spot, finishing the week at number 15. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary is up two positions, ending the week at number 6. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl is up two spots, finishing the week at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download The Big Book of Modern Fantasy, edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, for only 4.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Step through a shimmering portal ... a worn wardrobe door ... a schism in sky ... into a bold new age of fantasy. When worlds beyond worlds became a genre unto itself. From the swinging sixties to the strange, strange seventies, the over-the-top eighties to the gnarly nineties—and beyond, into the twenty-first century—the VanderMeers have found the stories and the writers from around the world that reinvented and revitalized the fantasy genre after World War II. The stories in this collection represent twenty-two different countries, including Russia, Argentina, Nigeria, Columbia, Pakistan, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, China, the Philippines, and the Czech Republic. Five have never before been translated into English.

From Jorge Luis Borges to Ursula K. Le Guin, Michael Moorcock to Angela Carter, Terry Pratchett to Stephen King, the full range and glory of the fantastic are on display in these ninety-one stories in which dragons soar, giants stomp, and human children should still think twice about venturing alone into the dark forest.

Completing Ann and Jeff VanderMeer's definitive The Big Book of Classic Fantasy, this companion volume to takes the genre into the twenty-first century with ninety-one astonishing, mind-bending stories.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Adrian Tchaikovsky's Made Things for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky's Made Things is dark fantasy tale of how the most unlikely characters may become the most heroic.

Making friends has never been so important.

Welcome to Fountains Parish--a cesspit of trade and crime, where ambition curls up to die and desperation grows on its cobbled streets like mold on week-old bread.

Coppelia is a street thief, a trickster, a low-level con artist. But she has something other thieves don't... tiny puppet-like companions: some made of wood, some of metal. They don't entirely trust her, and she doesn't entirely understand them, but their partnership mostly works.

After a surprising discovery shakes their world to the core, Coppelia and her friends must re-examine everything they thought they knew about their world, while attempting to save their city from a seemingly impossible new threat.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Death's Master

You may recall that I was shocked when I learned that, on top of all the awful crap he's been accused of, there were claims that Neil Gaiman had based The Sandman on Tanith Lee's Tales from the Flat Earth series without giving her any credit. Since I've been in the field as a reviewer for over two decades now, in addition to being a fan of the genre for almost as long before that, I was more than a little perplexed by the fact that I only heard about this supposed ripoff last year.

My curiosity piqued, I immediately decided to read the first volume, Night's Master. I was surprised by the fact that, at least on Amazon, the folks from Daw Books had recently changed the blurb and now openly claimed that Lee's series was the inspiration for Gaiman's magnum opus. Be that as it may, based on that first installment, I found that there was absolutely nothing in common with The Sandman. But I knew that this could change as I go through the subsequent books. With Death's Master now under my belt, I still feel the same way. Time will tell whether or not Gaiman "borrowed" much from Lee's Tales from the Flat Earth. I'm just happy I gave this series a shot, as it is a very good read thus far!

Here's the blurb:

Death's Master, winner of the August Derleth Award for Fantasy, is the second book of the stunning arabesque high fantasy series Tales from the Flat Earth, which, in the manner of the One Thousand and One Nights, portrays an ancient world in mythic grandeur via connected tales.

Long time ago when the Earth was Flat, beautiful indifferent Gods lived in the airy Upperearth realm above, curious passionate demons lived in the exotic Underearth realm below, and mortals were relegated to exist in the middle.

Uhlume, Lord of Death, second of the Lords of Darkness, King of Shadow and Pallor, makes an unusual bargain which sets in motion an intricate sequence of events that entangle men and gods, queens and kings, sorcerers and witches, and lowly wanderers. When the secret to immortality falls into human hands, dark magic and wickedness are unleashed, testing the bounds of mortal love and sanity, and questioning the nature and purpose of life itself.

Come within this ancient world of brilliant darkness and beauty, of glittering palaces and wondrous elegant beings, of cruel passions and undying love.

Rediscover the exotic wonder that is the Flat Earth.

Like One Thousand and One Nights, Night's Master was a collection of interconnected short stories/vignettes that formed a bigger and more far-reaching narrative with each new tale. Though each one stood alone to a certain extent, most built on one another and were linked in various and sometimes unexpected ways. That first volume encapsulated the mythological and whimsical nature of fairy tales. But these were not innocent children's tales. The sex, the violence, and the themes explored made Tales from the Flat Earth an adult fantasy series. Death's Master follows in the same vein in terms of structure, yet each story stick to a trajectory that plot-wise assemble what is more or less a novel. It is also a much darker fairy tale, one that explores the meaning of death and what comes after, and one that is, despite the definite beauty and love that permeates everything, full of cruelty, despair, and revenge.

Once again, I was impressed by the quality of Tanith Lee's writing. The imagery she creates continues to be absolutely amazing and the prose is lyrical and otherworldly. The universe, the landscapes, the protagonists, and everything else are richly depicted. Like its predecessor, Death's Master makes for an incredibly immersive reading experience. This second volume is also filled with eroticism that prudes may not care for. Still, it's that dark and seductive narrative that gives this book its original flavor.

Azhrarn, Prince of Demons and one of the Lords of Darkness, was the closest thing to a main character found in Night's Master. He makes a few appearances in this second volume, and once more he influences every tale in various ways, be it mischievous, cruel, or good-natured. Oddly enough, Uhlume, the remote and rather detached Lord of Death, doesn't take center stage in this book. Granted, he has an important role to play in the myriad storylines, but he isn't a central figure in the plot by any means. Once again, it's the diverse cast that makes Death's Master such a captivating read. Narasen, the lesbian Leopard Queen of Merh, who is barren but must somehow bear a child to lift a curse that afflicts her kingdom. The girl witch Lylas, Death’s Handmaiden, who arranges a deal with her Lord so that Narasen may conceive. Simmu, Narasen’s intersex daughter, and Zhirem, whose mother made invulnerable through another pact with Death, destined to be star-crossed lovers. They all played a part in making this book such a engrossing read.

My only complaint about Night's Master was that it was too short. Death's Master is about twice as long, which was perfect. It gave the author the room she needed to flesh out characters and elaborate more on the worldbuilding front. Which bodes well for what comes next! You guys should give this series a shot, either out of curiosity or simply due to the Gaiman allegations. The first book was a World Fantasy Award nominee and this second one won the British Fantasy Award for best novel. Not a bad start for a fantasy sequence, all things considered!

The final verdict: 8/10

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

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Dangerous Women, an anthology edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

All new and original to this volume, the 21 stories in Dangerous Women include work by twelve New York Times bestsellers, and seven stories set in the authors' bestselling continuities-including a new "Outlander" story by Diana Gabaldon, a tale of Harry Dresden's world by Jim Butcher, a story from Lev Grossman set in the world of The Magicians, and a 35,000-word novella by George R. R. Martin about the Dance of the Dragons, the vast civil war that tore Westeros apart nearly two centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones.

Also included are original stories of dangerous women--heroines and villains alike--by Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lawrence Block, Carrie Vaughn, S. M. Stirling, Sharon Kay Penman, and many others.

Writes Gardner Dozois in his Introduction, "Here you'll find no hapless victims who stand by whimpering in dread while the male hero fights the monster or clashes swords with the villain, and if you want to tie these women to the railroad tracks, you'll find you have a real fight on your hands. Instead, you will find sword-wielding women warriors, intrepid women fighter pilots and far-ranging spacewomen, deadly female serial killers, formidable female superheroes, sly and seductive femmes fatale, female wizards, hard-living Bad Girls, female bandits and rebels, embattled survivors in Post-Apocalyptic futures, female Private Investigators, stern female hanging judges, haughty queens who rule nations and whose jealousies and ambitions send thousands to grisly deaths, daring dragonriders, and many more."

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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

In hardcover:

Jim Butcher's Twelve Months debuts at number 1. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

SenLinYu's Alchemised is down one position, ending the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Callie Hart's Brimstone is down three positions, ending the week at number 12. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Samantha Sotto Yambao's The Elsewhere Express debuts at number 13. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Matt Dinniman's Carl's Doomsday Scenario is up one spot, finishing the week at number 14. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary is down one position, ending the week at number 8. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl is down one spot, finishing the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Alan Smale's Clash of Eagles for only 3.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This is a great series that deserve more attention. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale. At this low price, it's the best time to give it a shot!

Here's the blurb:

Perfect for fans of action-adventure and historical fiction—including novels by such authors as Bernard Cornwell, Steve Berry, Naomi Novik, and Harry Turtledove—this stunning work of alternate history imagines a world in which the Roman Empire has not fallen and the North American continent has just been discovered. In the year 1218 AD, transported by Norse longboats, a Roman legion crosses the great ocean, enters an endless wilderness, and faces a cataclysmic clash of worlds, cultures, and warriors.

Ever hungry for land and gold, the Emperor has sent Praetor Gaius Marcellinus and the 33rd Roman Legion into the newly discovered lands of North America. Marcellinus and his men expect easy victory over the native inhabitants, but on the shores of a vast river the Legion clashes with a unique civilization armed with weapons and strategies no Roman has ever imagined.

Forced to watch his vaunted force massacred by a surprisingly tenacious enemy, Marcellinus is spared by his captors and kept alive for his military knowledge. As he recovers and learns more about these proud people, he can’t help but be drawn into their society, forming an uneasy friendship with the denizens of the city-state of Cahokia. But threats—both Roman and Native—promise to assail his newfound kin, and Marcellinus will struggle to keep the peace while the rest of the continent surges toward certain conflict.

You can also download Kim Stanley Robinson's incredible The Years of Rice and Salt for only 6.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

With the same unique vision that brought his now classic Mars trilogy to vivid life, bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson boldly imagines an alternate history of the last seven hundred years. In his grandest work yet, the acclaimed storyteller constructs a world vastly different from the one we know. . . .

“A thoughtful, magisterial alternate history from one of science fiction’s most important writers.”—The New York Times Book Review

It is the fourteenth century and one of the most apocalyptic events in human history is set to occur—the coming of the Black Death. History teaches us that a third of Europe’s population was destroyed. But what if the plague had killed 99 percent of the population instead? How would the world have changed? This is a look at the history that could have been—one that stretches across centuries, sees dynasties and nations rise and crumble, and spans horrible famine and magnificent innovation.

Through the eyes of soldiers and kings, explorers and philosophers, slaves and scholars, Robinson navigates a world where Buddhism and Islam are the most influential and practiced religions, while Christianity is merely a historical footnote. Probing the most profound questions as only he can, Robinson shines his extraordinary light on the place of religion, culture, power—and even love—in this bold New World.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Joe Hill's King Sorrow for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Arthur Oakes is a reader, a dreamer, and a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters, exceptional library, and beautiful buildings. But his idyll—and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot—is shattered when a local drug dealer and her partner corner him into one of the worst crimes he can imagine: stealing rare books from the college library.

Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for comfort and help. Together they dream up a wild, fantastical scheme to free Arthur from the cruel trap in which he finds himself. Wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren suggests using the unnerving Crane journal (bound in the skin of its author) to summon a dragon to do their bidding. The others—brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen—don’t hesitate to join Colin in an effort to smash reality and bring a creature of the impossible into our world.

But there’s nothing simple about dealing with dragons, and their pact to save Arthur becomes a terrifying bargain in which the six must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow every year—or become his next meal.

You can also download Stephen King and Peter Straub's The Talisman for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

The iconic, “extraordinary” (The Washington Post) collaboration between bestselling authors Stephen King and Peter Straub—an epic #1 New York Times bestselling fantasy thriller about a young boy’s quest to save his mother’s life.

Jack Sawyer, twelve years old, is about to begin a most fantastic journey, an exalting, terrifying quest for the mystical Talisman—the only thing that can save Jack’s dying mother. But to reach his goal, Jack must make his way not only across the breadth of the United States but also through the wondrous and menacing parallel world of the Territories.

In the Territories, Jack finds another realm, where the air is so sweet and clear a man can smell a radish being pulled from the ground a mile away—and a life can be snuffed out instantly in the continuing struggle between good and evil. Here Jack discovers “Twinners,” reflections of the people he knows on earth—most notably Queen Laura DeLoessian, the Twinner of Jack’s own imperiled mother. As Jack “flips” between worlds, making his way westward toward the redemptive Talisman, a sequence of heart-stopping encounters challenges him at every step.

An unforgettable epic of adventure and resounding triumph, The Talisman is one of the most influential and highly praised works of fantasy ever written.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

Hunter's Run, a collaboration between George R. R. Martin, Daniel Abraham, and Gardner Dozois, is available for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Running from poverty and hopelessness, Ramón Espejo boarded one of the great starships of the mysterious, repulsive Enye. But the new life he found on the far-off planet of São Paulo was no better than the one he abandoned. Then one night his rage and too much alcohol get the better of him. Deadly violence ensues, forcing Ramón to flee into the wilderness.

Mercifully, almost happily alone—far from the loud, bustling hive of humanity that he detests with sociopathic fervor—the luckless prospector is finally free to search for the one rich strike that could make him wealthy. But what he stumbles upon instead is an advanced alien race in hiding: desperate fugitives, like him, on a world not their own. Suddenly in possession of a powerful, dangerous secret and caught up in an extraordinary manhunt on a hostile, unpredictable planet, Ramón must first escape . . . and then, somehow, survive.

And his deadliest enemy is himself.

You can also download Andy Weir's Artemis for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

The bestselling author of The Martian returns with an irresistible new near-future thriller—a heist story set on the moon.

Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich.

Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Just rich enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she’s owed for a long time.

So when a chance at a huge score finally comes her way, Jazz can’t say no. Sure, it requires her to graduate from small-time smuggler to full-on criminal mastermind. And it calls for a particular combination of cunning, technical skills, and large explosions—not to mention sheer brazen swagger. But Jazz has never run into a challenge her intellect can’t handle, and she figures she’s got the ‘swagger’ part down.

The trouble is, engineering the perfect crime is just the start of Jazz’s problems. Because her little heist is about to land her in the middle of a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself.

Trapped between competing forces, pursued by a killer and the law alike, even Jazz has to admit she’s in way over her head. She’ll have to hatch a truly spectacular scheme to have a chance at staying alive and saving her city.

Jazz is no hero, but she is a very good criminal.

That’ll have to do.

Propelled by its heroine’s wisecracking voice, set in a city that’s at once stunningly imagined and intimately familiar, and brimming over with clever problem-solving and heist-y fun, Artemis is another irresistible brew of science, suspense, and humor from #1 bestselling author Andy Weir.

You can also download Blake Crouch's Recursion for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Reality is broken.

At first, it looks like a disease. An epidemic that spreads through no known means, driving its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived. But the force that’s sweeping the world is no pathogen. It’s just the first shock wave, unleashed by a stunning discovery—and what’s in jeopardy is not our minds but the very fabric of time itself.

In New York City, Detective Barry Sutton is closing in on the truth—and in a remote laboratory, neuroscientist Helena Smith is unaware that she alone holds the key to this mystery . . . and the tools for fighting back.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can download Robert McCammon's Swan Song for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

McCammon’s epic bestselling novel about a girl psychic struggling to survive in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust.

Something flashes in nine-year-old Swan’s brain, telling her that trouble is coming. Maybe it’s her mother, fed up with her current boyfriend and ready to abandon their dismal trailer park and seek a new home. But something far worse is on the horizon. Death falls from the sky—nuclear bombs which annihilate American civilization. Though Swan survives the blast, this young psychic’s war is just beginning.

As the survivors try to make new lives in the wasteland, an evil army forms, intent on murdering all those tainted with the diseases brought by fallout. When Swan finds a mysterious amulet that could hold the key to humankind’s salvation, she draws the attention of a man more dangerous than any nuclear bomb. To rescue mankind, this little girl will have to grow up fast.

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

In hardcover:

SenLinYu's Alchemised is down three positions, ending the week at number 8. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Callie Hart's Brimstone is down three positions, ending the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Kaylie Smith's Enchantra debuts at number 11. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Matt Dinniman's Carl's Doomsday Scenario debuts at number 15. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary is down two positions, ending the week at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl is down two spots, finishing the week at number 8. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Jasmine Mas' Psycho Fae debuts at number 15. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Brent Weeks' The Black Prism for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Gavin Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. But Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live: Five years to achieve five impossible goals.

But when Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he's willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Chris Wooding's The Ember Blade for only 4.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Empires rise, civilisations fall and one culture comes to subsume another. It's the way of the world . . . sometimes ways of life are improved, sometimes they are not. But the progression of change is huge and - usually - unstoppable.

In this story, the Ossian way of life is fading and the Dachen way is taking its place and Aren is comfortable with that. Even when his parents are accused of treason he supports the establishment and maintains there's been some mistake . . . which is all it takes to get himself and his best friend arrested . . .

Thrown into a prison mine they plan their escape - only to be overtaken by events when they're rescued, and promptly find themselves in the middle of an ambush. By the time they've escaped, they're unavoidably linked to Garric - their unwelcome saviour - and his quest to overturn to Dachen way of life.

If they leave Garric now, they'll be arrested or killed by their pursuers. If they turn him in, Garric will kill them. If they stay with him, they'll be abetting a murderous quest they don't believe in. There are no good options - but Aren will still have to choose a path . . .

Designed to return to classic fantasy adventures and values, from a modern perspective, this is a fast-moving coming-of-age trilogy featuring a strong cast of diverse characters, brilliant set-pieces and a strong character and plot driven story.

Quote of the Day

Few events in a human being's life-at least a male human being's life-are as free, as exuberant, as infinitely expansive and filled with potential as the first day of summer when one is an eleven-year-old boy. The summer lies ahead like a great banquet and the days are filled with rich, slow time in which to enjoy each course.

- DAN SIMMONS, Summer of Night

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

Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS

Another well-researched work that shines some light on the birth of ISIS and what led to the fall of Iraq and Syria. As mentioned in some of my past reviews, this is another book that shows just how the USA never quite understood the intricacies of Islam and the various factions that came into play into this Middle Eastern conflict. What continues to shock me is that, no matter if the Republicans or the Democrats are in the White House, no matter if their foreign policy calls for intervention or non-intervention, even though each new administration should have learned from the mistakes of their predecessors, each US presidents (in this case George W. Bush and Barack Obama) and their entourage always manage to make the wrong decisions.

Even more damning is the fact that these administrations almost always fail to heed the advice of their own experts on these issues, which allows these problems to fester and grow in ways that result in mass casualites of innocent men, women, and children.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Joby Warrick's Black Flags is a great read!

Here's the blurb:

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Joby Warrick reveals how the strain of militant Islam now raising its banner across Iraq and Syria spread from a remote Jordanian prison with the unwitting aid of American military intervention.

When he succeeded his father in 1999, King Abdullah of Jordan released a batch of political prisoners in the hopes of smoothing his transition to power. Little did he know that among those released was Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a man who would go on to become a terrorist mastermind too dangerous even for al-Qaeda and give rise to an Islamist movement bent on dominating the Middle East.

Zarqawi began by directing hotel bombings and assassinations in Jordan from a base in northern Iraq, but it was the American invasion of that country in 2003 that catapulted him to the head of a vast insurgency. By identifying him as the link between Saddam and bin Laden, the CIA inadvertently created a monster. Like-minded radicals saw him as a hero resisting the infidel occupiers and rallied to his cause. Their wave of brutal beheadings and suicide bombings continued for years until Jordanian intelligence provided the Americans with the crucial intelligence needed to eliminate Zarqawi in a 2006 airstrike.

But his movement endured, first called al-Qaeda in Iraq, then renamed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, seeking refuge in unstable, ungoverned pockets on the Iraq-Syria border. And as the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, ISIS seized its chance to pursue Zarqawi's dream of a sweeping, ultra-conservative Islamic caliphate.

Drawing on unique access to CIA and Jordanian sources, Joby Warrick weaves together heart-pounding, moment-by-moment operational details with overarching historical perspectives to reveal the long trajectory of today's most dangerous Islamic extremist threat.

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

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

In hardcover:

SenLinYu's Alchemised maintains is down three positions, ending the week at number 5. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Callie Hart's Brimstone is down one position, ending the week at number 6. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Melissa de la Cruz's Rings of Fate debuts at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl is up one position, ending the week at number 10. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary is down one position, ending the week at number 5. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl is up one spot, finishing the week at number 6. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Steven Erikson's Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, volume 1, for onyl 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

The first three tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, the famed necromancers from the Malazan Book of the Fallen, collected in one volume.

BLOOD FOLLOWS
In the port city of Lamentable Moll, a diabolical killer stalks the streets and panic grips the citizens like a fever. As Emancipor Reese's legendary ill luck would have it, his previous employer is the unknown killer's latest victim. But two strangers have come to town and they have posted in Fishmonger's Round a note, reeking of death-warded magic, requesting the services of a manservant...

THE HEALTHY DEAD
The city of Quaint's zeal for goodness can be catastophic, and no one knows this better than Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, two stalwart champions of all things bad.The homicidal necromancers - and their substance-addled manservant, Emancipor Reese - find themeselves ensnared in a scheme to bring goodness into utter ruination. Sometimes you must bring down civilization...in the name of civilization.

THE LEES OF LAUGHTER'S END
After their blissful sojourn in Lamentable Moll, the sorcerors Bauchelain and Korbal Broach - along with their manservant, Emancipor Reese -set out on the open seas aboard the sturdy ship Suncurl. Alas, there's more baggage in the hold than meets the beady eyes of the crew, and unseemly terrors awaken. For Bauchelain, Korbal Broach and Emancipor Reese, it is just one more night on the high seas, on a journey without end.

You can also get your hands on the digital edition of Christian Cameron's Tyrant for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

Ruler. Puppet Master. Killer.

Glory. Death. Well-born Athenian cavalry officer, Kineas, fought shoulder to shoulder with Alexander in his epic battles against the Persian hordes. But on his return from the east to his native city, he finds not glory but shame - and exile.

With nothing to his name but his military skills, Kineas agrees to lead a band of veterans to the city of Olbia, where the Tyrant is offering good money to train the city's elite cavalry. But soon Kineas and his men find they have stumbled into a deadly maze of intrigue and conspiracy as the Tyrant plots to use them as pawns in the increasingly complex power games between his own citizens, and the dread military might of Macedon.

Caught between his duty to the Tyrant, his loyalty to his men and a forbidden love affair with a charismatic Scythian noblewoman, Kineas must call on all his Athenian guile, his flair on the battlefield, and even - he is convinced - the intervention of the gods, to survive.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Janny Wurts' The Cycle of Fire: The Complete Series, an omnibus comprised of Stormwarden, Keeper of the Keys, and Shadowfane, for only 3.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Now in one volume: three novels in the “epic tale mixing fantasy and SF . . . full of action, splendid scenes of magic and engaging secondary characters” (Publishers Weekly).

Stormwarden

A young girl, her brother, and a Firelord’s descendant are caught up in the rescue of the Stormwarden Anskiere—and the unbinding of the demons that could destroy all of humanity.

Keeper of the Keys

As Jaric struggles to accept his father’s heritage, Taen’s brother is possessed by the demons who use him as a pawn to hunt down and slay the Firelord’s heir.

Shadowfane

Jaric faces the Cycle of Fire that drove his father to madness, while Taen Dreamweaver is targeted by her brother and his demon overlords, psionically endowed aliens who have been revealed as mankind’s ancient conquerors.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Gail Z. Martin's The Sworn for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

The sequel, Dread, is also on sale for the same price.

Here's the blurb:

The Sworn is the beginning of a new adventure set in the world of The Chronicles of the Necromancer from one of the most exciting writers of dark fantasy, Gail Z. Martin.

After millennia of silence, the legendary Dread are stirring in their burrows – and no one knows what hand wakes them and whom they will serve when they rise.

In a country ravaged by civil war, Summoner-King Martris Drayke must attempt to gather an army to meet his kingdom's next great threat. Meanwhile, as an untested generation of rulers face their first battle, Tris seeks new allies from among the living — and the dead.

Now, Drayke turns to the Sworn, a nomadic clan of warriors bound to protect the Dread. But even the mighty Sworn do not know what will happen when the Dread awake. All are certain, though, that war is coming to the Winter Kingdoms.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Dan Simmons' Summer of Night for only 5.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

This masterfully crafted horror classic, featuring a brand-new introduction by Dan Simmons, will bring you to the edge of your seat, hair standing on end and blood freezing in your veins.

It's the summer of 1960 and in the small town of Elm Haven, Illinois, five twelve-year-old boys are forging the powerful bonds that a lifetime of change will not break. From sunset bike rides to shaded hiding places in the woods, the boys' days are marked by all of the secrets and silences of an idyllic middle-childhood. But amid the sundrenched cornfields their loyalty will be pitilessly tested. When a long-silent bell peals in the middle of the night, the townsfolk know it marks the end of their carefree days. From the depths of the Old Central School, a hulking fortress tinged with the mahogany scent of coffins, an invisible evil is rising. Strange and horrifying events begin to overtake everyday life, spreading terror through the once idyllic town. Determined to exorcize this ancient plague, Mike, Duane, Dale, Harlen, and Kevin must wage a war of blood—against an arcane abomination who owns the night...

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

In hardcover:

SenLinYu's Alchemised maintains is up three positions, ending the week at number 2. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Callie Hart's Brimstone is up one position, ending the week at number 5. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Stacia Stark's We Who Will Die debuts at number 6. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Callie Hart's Quicksilver is up one spot, finishing the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl is down three positions, ending the week at number 11. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

R.F. Kuang's Katabasis returns at number 14. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Onyx Storm returns at number 15. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary is down two positions, ending the week at number 4. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl debuts at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download N. K. Jemisin's How Long 'til Black Future Month for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Three-time Hugo Award winner and NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin sharply examines modern society in her first collection of short fiction.

N. K. Jemisin is one of the most powerful and acclaimed authors of our time. In the first collection of her evocative short fiction, which includes never-before-seen stories, Jemisin equally challenges and delights readers with thought-provoking narratives of destruction, rebirth, and redemption.

Spirits haunt the flooded streets of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In a parallel universe, a utopian society watches our world, trying to learn from our mistakes. A black mother in the Jim Crow South must save her daughter from a fey offering impossible promises. And in the Hugo award-nominated short story "The City Born Great," a young street kid fights to give birth to an old metropolis's soul.