The Institute

It's been a very long time since I last bought a Stephen King novel this close following its release date. So long ago that I can't quite remember when. But I do recall that I was still a teenager. So yes, it's been a while.

But the rave reviews regarding The Institute really intrigued me and so did the cover blurb. I mean, readers claimed that even the ending was good! Hence, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give King's latest a shot ASAP. And while it may not be as compelling a read as 11/22/63 turned out to be, this is definitely one of the best post-accident King titles.

Here's the blurb:

In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t check out.”

In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extranormal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. If you don’t, punishment is brutal. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute.

As psychically terrifying as Firestarter, and with the spectacular kid power of It, The Institute is Stephen King’s gut-wrenchingly dramatic story of good vs. evil in a world where the good guys don’t always win.

Now, children with supernatural powers subjected to cruel experiments by a covert government organization are nothing special and have become a speculative fiction trope. There's no way to make this truly original and Stephen King did not attempt to reinvent the wheel. In the end, the execution and not the familiar premise would make or break this novel. And I'm glad to report that The Institute makes for compulsive reading.

Stephen King usually excels at characterization and it's this aspect which elevates this work to another level. Few authors can write children and teenagers as well as King. The kid power may not surpass that of the classic It, yet the cast of The Institute is nevertheless memorable. Luke makes for a great protagonist and King fleshed him out perfectly. Character development regarding Kalisha, Avery, and the others was also excellent. A good chunk of The Institute is seen through the eyes of Tim Jamieson, an ex-cop who accepted to give up his seat on a flight from Tampa to NYC because it somehow felt like the right thing to do. Great things turn on small hinges, or so it seems, and Tim will end up in the small town of DuPray, South Carolina, where he'll become a night knocker to earn a living before continuing to move north toward New York City. Little does he know that his life will soon change forever. We also get the perspectives of Mrs. Sigsby and other "villains" from the Institute, which adds another dimension to the plot.

The odd experiments and the violent punishments the children are subjected to occasionally make for difficult scenes. And yet, those sequences pack a powerful emotional punch that make you feel for those kids even more. Their plight makes The Institute impossible to put down. Still, for all the darkness and disturbing segments, there are several poignant moments that pull on the heartstrings and bring some light into this somewhat bleak and oppressive tale.

In typical Stephen King fashion, it takes a while for the various parts that comprise the plot to come together. Tim is a decidedly interesting character, but I kept wondering why I was reading about an ex-cop working the night shift in a dead end town in the middle of nowhere. Though good, that portion of the tale seemed incongruous with the rest of the story. But when everything finally comes together and the proverbial shit hits the fan across the different plotlines, King takes us through a fantastic endgame.

Weighing in at 561 pages, The Institute is a big novel. I was expecting some slow-moving parts here and there, but the book is a veritable page-turner. There is not a dull moment between its covers and I went through The Institute in just a few sittings.

King is renowned for his discordant and/or inferior endings that don't live up to the expectations generated by their buildups. Well, I'm pleased to report that it's not the case with The Institute. This one has a worthy ending that doesn't cheapen the rest of the book.

Highly recommended.

The final verdict: 8.5/10

For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download John Scalzi's Old Man's War for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army.

The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-and aliens willing to fight for them are common. The universe, it turns out, is a hostile place.

So: we fight. To defend Earth (a target for our new enemies, should we let them get close enough) and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has gone on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force, which shields the home planet from too much knowledge of the situation. What's known to everybody is that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve your time at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.

John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine-and what he will become is far stranger.

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

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Naomi Alderman's The Power for only 3.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

In THE POWER, the world is a recognizable place: there's a rich Nigerian boy who lounges around the family pool; a foster kid whose religious parents hide their true nature; an ambitious American politician; a tough London girl from a tricky family. But then a vital new force takes root and flourishes, causing their lives to converge with devastating effect. Teenage girls now have immense physical power--they can cause agonizing pain and even death. And, with this small twist of nature, the world drastically resets.

From award-winning author Naomi Alderman, THE POWER is speculative fiction at its most ambitious and provocative, at once taking us on a thrilling journey to an alternate reality, and exposing our own world in bold and surprising ways.

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

In hardcover:

Nora Roberts' The Rise of Magicks debuts at number 1.

Stephen King's The Institute is up three positions, ending the week at number 6. For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

Margaret Atwood's The Testaments is up five positions, ending the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea is down one spot, finishing the week at number 14.

In paperback:

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is up two positions, ending the week at number 10 (trade paperback).

Stephen King's It returns at number 12 (trade paperback).

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Myke Cole's The Armored Saint for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

Myke Cole, star of CBS's Hunted and author of the Shadow Ops series, debuts the Sacred Throne epic fantasy trilogy with The Armored Saint, a story of religious tyrants, arcane war-machines, and underground resistance that will enthrall epic fantasy readers of all ages.

In a world where any act of magic could open a portal to hell, the Order insures that no wizard will live to summon devils, and will kill as many innocent people as they must to prevent that greater horror. After witnessing a horrendous slaughter, the village girl Heloise opposes the Order, and risks bringing their wrath down on herself, her family, and her village.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of R. F. Kuang's The Dragon Republic for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

Rin’s story continues in this acclaimed sequel to The Poppy War—an epic fantasy combining the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters.

The war is over.

The war has just begun.

Three times throughout its history, Nikan has fought for its survival in the bloody Poppy Wars. Though the third battle has just ended, shaman and warrior Rin cannot forget the atrocity she committed to save her people. Now she is on the run from her guilt, the opium addiction that holds her like a vice, and the murderous commands of the fiery Phoenix—the vengeful god who has blessed Rin with her fearsome power.

Though she does not want to live, she refuses to die until she avenges the traitorous Empress who betrayed Rin’s homeland to its enemies. Her only hope is to join forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who plots to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new republic.

But neither the Empress nor the Dragon Warlord are what they seem. The more Rin witnesses, the more she fears her love for Nikan will force her to use the Phoenix’s deadly power once more.

Because there is nothing Rin won’t sacrifice to save her country . . . and exact her vengeance.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

All of Orbit's 2019 SFF debuts are 2.99$ until December 16th! =) You can purchase them by following this Amazon Associate link. There is a price match in Canada.

- The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter.

Game of Thrones meets Gladiator in this debut epic fantasy about a world caught in an eternal war, and the young man who will become his people's only hope for survival.

The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable war for almost two hundred years. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine.

Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war.

Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He's going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn't get the chance.

Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He'll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.

The Rage of Dragons launches a stunning and powerful debut epic fantasy series that readers are already calling "the best fantasy book in years."

- The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow.

In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.

Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

Lush and richly imagined, a tale of impossible journeys, unforgettable love, and the enduring power of stories awaits in Alix E. Harrow's spellbinding debut--step inside and discover its magic.

- The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan.

A group of three young thieves are pulled into a centuries old magical war between ancient beings, mages, and humanity in this wildly original debut epic fantasy.

Enter a city of saints and thieves . . .

The city of Guerdon stands eternal. A refuge from the war that rages beyond its borders. But in the ancient tunnels deep beneath its streets, a malevolent power has begun to stir.

The fate of the city rests in the hands of three thieves. They alone stand against the coming darkness. As conspiracies unfold and secrets are revealed, their friendship will be tested to the limit. If they fail, all will be lost, and the streets of Guerdon will run with blood.

The Gutter Prayer is an epic tale of sorcerers and thieves, treachery and revenge, from a remarkable new voice in fantasy.

- The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H. G. Parry.

For his entire life, Charley Sutherland has concealed a magical ability he can't quite control: He can bring characters from books into the real world.

But when literary characters start causing trouble throughout the city and threatening to destroying the world, he learns he's not the only one with his ability. Now it's up to Charley and his reluctant older brother, Rob, to stop them--hopefully before reach The End.

- Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender.

An ambitious young woman with the power to control minds seeks vengeance against the royals who murdered her family, in a Caribbean-inspired fantasy world embattled by colonial oppression.

Sigourney Rose is the only surviving daughter of a noble lineage on the islands of Hans Lollik. When she was a child, her family was murdered by the islands' colonizers, who have massacred and enslaved generations of her people -- and now, Sigourney is ready to exact her revenge.

When the childless king of the islands declares that he will choose his successor from amongst eligible noble families, Sigourney uses her ability to read and control minds to manipulate her way onto the royal island and into the ranks of the ruling colonizers. But when she arrives, prepared to fight for control of all the islands, Sigourney finds herself the target of a dangerous, unknown magic.

Someone is killing off the ruling families to clear a path to the throne. As the bodies pile up and all eyes regard her with suspicion, Sigourney must find allies among her prey and the murderer among her peers... lest she become the next victim.

- Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward.

Legacy of Ash is an unmissable fantasy debut--an epic tale of intrigue and revolution, soldiers and assassins, ancient magic and the eternal clash of empires.

A shadow has fallen over the Tressian Republic.

Ruling families -- once protectors of justice and democracy -- now plot against one another with sharp words and sharper knives. Blinded by ambition, they remain heedless of the threat posed by the invading armies of the Hadari Empire.

Yet as Tressia falls, heroes rise.

Viktor Akadra is the Republic's champion. A warrior without equal, he hides a secret that would see him burned as a heretic.

Josiri Trelan is Viktor's sworn enemy. A political prisoner, he dreams of reigniting his mother's failed rebellion.

And yet Calenne Trelan, Josiri's sister, seeks only to break free of their tarnished legacy; to escape the expectation and prejudice that haunts the family name.

As war spreads across the Republic, these three must set aside their differences in order to save their home. Yet decades of bad blood are not easily set aside. And victory -- if it comes at all -- will demand a darker price than any of them could have imagined.

- Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O’Keefe.

Dazzling space battles, intergalactic politics, and rogue AI collide in Velocity Weapon, the first book in this epic space opera trilogy by award-winning author Megan O'Keefe.

Sanda and Biran Greeve were siblings destined for greatness. A high-flying sergeant, Sanda has the skills to take down any enemy combatant. Biran is a savvy politician who aims to use his new political position to prevent conflict from escalating to total destruction.

However, on a routine maneuver, Sanda loses consciousness when her gunship is blown out of the sky. Instead of finding herself in friendly hands, she awakens 230 years later on a deserted enemy warship controlled by an AI who calls himself Bero. The war is lost. The star system is dead. Ada Prime and its rival Icarion have wiped each other from the universe.

Now, separated by time and space, Sanda and Biran must fight to put things right.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Jim Butcher's Side Jobs for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

With tales ranging from the deadly serious to the absurdly hilarious—including an original story for this volume—Side Jobs is a must-have collection for every devoted Harry Dresden fan.

As Chicago’s only professional wizard, Harry Dresden has had cases that have pitted him against insane necromancers, power-hungry faerie queens, enigmatic dark wizards, fallen angels—pretty much a “who’s who” of hell and beyond—with the stakes in each case ranging from a lone human soul to the entire human race. But not every adventure Harry Dresden undertakes is an epic tale of life and death in a world on the edge of annihilation.

Here, together for the first time in paperback, are the shorter works of #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher—a compendium of cases that Harry and his cadre of allies managed to close in record time.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Robin Hobb's Fool's Assassin for only 3.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link!

Here's the blurb:

Nearly twenty years ago, Robin Hobb burst upon the fantasy scene with the first of her acclaimed Farseer novels, Assassin’s Apprentice, which introduced the characters of FitzChivalry Farseer and his uncanny friend the Fool. A watershed moment in modern fantasy, this novel—and those that followed—broke exciting new ground in a beloved genre. Together with George R. R. Martin, Robin Hobb helped pave the way for such talented new voices as Scott Lynch, Brandon Sanderson, and Naomi Novik.

Over the years, Hobb’s imagination has soared throughout the mythic lands of the Six Duchies in such bestselling series as the Liveship Traders Trilogy and the Rain Wilds Chronicles. But no matter how far she roamed, her heart always remained with Fitz. And now, at last, she has come home, with an astonishing new novel that opens a dark and gripping chapter in the Farseer saga.

FitzChivalry—royal bastard and former king’s assassin—has left his life of intrigue behind. As far as the rest of the world knows, FitzChivalry Farseer is dead and buried. Masquerading as Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is now married to his childhood sweetheart, Molly, and leading the quiet life of a country squire.

Though Fitz is haunted by the disappearance of the Fool, who did so much to shape Fitz into the man he has become, such private hurts are put aside in the business of daily life, at least until the appearance of menacing, pale-skinned strangers casts a sinister shadow over Fitz’s past . . . and his future.

Now, to protect his new life, the former assassin must once again take up his old one. . .

You can also download Kevin Hearne's Hounded, the first volume in the Iron Druid Chronicles, for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

The first novel in the Iron Druid Chronicles—introducing a cool, new, funny urban fantasy hero.

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (December 2nd)

In hardcover:

Stephen King's The Institute is down one position, ending the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea is down four spots, finishing the week at number 13.

Margaret Atwood's The Testaments is down three positions, ending the week at number 14. For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

In paperback:

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is down three positions, ending the week at number 12 (trade paperback).

The Dark Forest

You may recall that I waited a long time to read Cixin Liu's The Three-Body Problem. Indeed, though the novel had garnered lots of rave reviews, the fact that it was a translation sort of put me off. And as is habitually the case when I wait this long before reading something, I felt like an idiot for not reading the book when it first came out. The opening chapter of the Remembrance of Earth's Past series may not have been perfect, but it was a superior read.

I was curious to see where the author would take the story now that mankind was aware of the alien invasion. And I'm happy to report that The Dark Forest is as good as its predecessor!

Here's the blurb:

This near-future trilogy is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience this multiple-award-winning phenomenon from Cixin Liu, China's most beloved science fiction author.

In The Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion-in just four centuries' time. The aliens' human collaborators may have been defeated, but the presence of the sophons, the subatomic particles that allow Trisolaris instant access to all human information, means that Earth's defense plans are totally exposed to the enemy. Only the human mind remains a secret. This is the motivation for the Wallfacer Project, a daring plan that grants four men enormous resources to design secret strategies, hidden through deceit and misdirection from Earth and Trisolaris alike. Three of the Wallfacers are influential statesmen and scientists, but the fourth is a total unknown. Luo Ji, an unambitious Chinese astronomer and sociologist, is baffled by his new status. All he knows is that he's the one Wallfacer that Trisolaris wants dead.

Cixin Liu is the most popular science fiction author in China, but most wondered if the English translation could do justice to this series. Ken Liu's translation of The Three-Body Problem worked well for the most part. The same can be said of Joel Martinsen's translation of The Dark Forest. Sure, there are a few clunky portions here and there, and once again I have a feeling that some things got lost along the way because they could not be translated properly. The same goes for the dialogue, which did not always ring true. I'm glad that like Liu, Martinsen elected to go for footnotes to provide additional information, as there are already too many massive info-dumps throughout the novel. Ultimately, I have a feeling that the English translation is as good as it could be and that certain elements simply couldn't be translated perfectly. As a matter of course, some readers might find that off-putting. And yet, The Dark Forest is another work of big ideas and one soon forgets about these little things.

The vast majority of the science fiction I've read over the years was produced by American and British authors. To get the Chinese point of view regarding world events and witness how the country would react to first contact with an alien civilization was fascinating. Non-Western views were indeed quite refreshing. Given the fact that it's now the entire world reacting to the forthcoming Trisolaris invasion, we do get Western perspectives within the pages of The Dark Forest. And yet, the Chinese viewpoint more or less remains the focus of the tale. Once again, there are a lot of hard scifi concepts involved in the plot and the author did a great job "dumbing" down most of them so that virtually any genre readers can enjoy the story.

The events of this book unfold over the course of two centuries. An overwhelming sense of despair permeates everything as the inevitable defeat against a superior civilization seems assured. The Wallfacers and their strategies turned out to be a decidedly unusual and quite interesting plot device. Moving forward two hundred years into the future also changed the tempo of the novel and key players coming out of hibernation have to adapt to a vastly different world. The Great Ravine changed several aspects of life on Earth decades before. Still, something appears to have been lost along the way and it's those people who went to sleep in the early years following the discovery of the Trisolaran fleet who will play the most important role in the struggle to come.

As was the case with the first installment, the characterization can be a bit uneven. The protagonists are not necessarily deeply realized. Most act as stand-in figures representing the concepts and ideas introduced and elaborated on throughout The Dark Forest. The eccentric Luo Ji is the one who stands out the most, but it's mostly due to his importance in the resolution of the plot and not because he's memorable in any way.

Not surprisingly, like its predecessor this second volume also suffers from pacing problems. Having said that, it was never really an issue for me. The more you begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together, the more fascinating the novel becomes. Eager to discover how Cixin Liu will close the show in the final installment, Death's End.

The final verdict: 8.5/10

For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can get your hands on the digital edition of Anthony Ryan's Blood Song for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link.

Here's the blurb:

“The Sixth Order wields the sword of justice and smites the enemies of the Faith and the Realm."

Vaelin Al Sorna was only a child of ten when his father left him at the iron gate of the Sixth Order—a caste devoted to battle. Vaelin will be trained and hardened to the austere, celibate and dangerous life of a warrior of the Faith. He has no family now save the Order.

Vaelin’s father was Battle Lord to King Janus, ruler of the Unified Realm—and Vaelin’s rage at being deprived of his birthright knows no bounds. Even his cherished memories of his mother are soon challenged by what he learns within the Order.

But one truth overpowers all the rest: Vaelin Al Sorna is destined for a future he has yet to comprehend. A future that will alter not only the Realm, but the world.

You can also download Kate Elliott's Cold Magic for only 3.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

The Wild Hunt is stirring - and the dragons are finally waking from their long sleep...

Cat Barahal was the only survivor of the flood that took her parents. Raised by her extended family, she and her cousin, Bee, are unaware of the dangers that threaten them both. Though they are in beginning of the Industrial Age, magic - and the power of the Cold Mages - still hold sway.

Now, betrayed by her family and forced to marry a powerful Cold Mage, Cat will be drawn into a labyrinth of politics. There she will learn the full ruthlessness of the rule of the Cold Mages. What do the Cold Mages want from her? And who will help Cat in her struggle against them?

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

In hardcover:

Stephen King's The Institute maintains its position at number 8. For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea is down six spots, finishing the week at number 9.

Margaret Atwood's The Testaments returns at number 11. For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

In paperback:

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale maintains its position at number 9 (trade paperback).

Stephen King's Doctor Sleep is down six positions, ending the week at number 13 (trade paperback).

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

For a limited time, you can download Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link.

Here's the blurb:

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

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

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

And you can once again get your hands on the digital edition of the first volume, Feast of Souls, for only 2.99$ here. This trilogy deserves the highest possible recommendation!

Here's the blurb:

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

Here's a link to my review from 2007.

Salvation Lost

If you've been hanging around in these parts for a while, then you are aware that I own every single book Peter F. Hamilton has published over the years. But other than the stand-alone novels I'm really far behind when it comes to his series. When Salvation was released last year, I was happy that from now on I'd finally be able to read and review installments of a new Hamilton sequence as they hit the shelves.

In the end, Salvation was another quality space opera featuring rich worldbuilding and complex characters. On its own, the book was not as self-contained as it could have been and that turned out to be detrimental to both the plotlines and the rhythm of the novel. Still, I felt that it was a satisfying read that would likely get better and better when the sequels came out.

And now that I've read Salvation Lost, I'm glad to report that this science fiction yarn of epic scope is even better than its predecessor.

Here's the blurb:

All the best in humanity rises to meet a powerful alien threat in the sequel to Salvation—part of an all-new trilogy from “the owner of the most powerful imagination in science fiction” (Ken Follett).

The comparative utopia of twenty-third-century Earth is about to go dreadfully awry when a seemingly benign alien race is abruptly revealed to be one of the worst threats humanity has ever faced. Driven by an intense religious extremism, the Olyix are determined to bring everyone to their version of God as they see it. But they may have met their match in humanity, who are not about to go gently into that good night or spend the rest of their days cowering in hiding. As human ingenuity and determination rise to the challenge, collective humanity has only one goal—to wipe this apparently undefeatable enemy from the face of creation. Even if it means playing a ridiculously long game indeed.

But in a chaotic universe, it is hard to plan for every eventuality, and it is always darkest before the dawn.

Hamilton is renowned for his worldbuilding, which is always vast in scope and vision. Definitely one of the best in the business, if not the best. And Salvation was certainly no exception! By the beginning of the 23rd century, mankind has taken to the stars. Demonstration of quantum spatial entanglement engendered the creation of portals that now connect every place on Earth and every settled planet and asteroid out there. Solar powerwell portals dropped directly into the sun provide the vast amount of energy required to keep everything running. In 2144, as a number of planets are being terraformed, an alien starship approaching our solar system is detected. The extraterrestrial civilization is known as the Olyix and they travel in the arkship Salvation of Life to the End of the Universe to meet their god. The arkship requires enormous amounts of electricity to generate antimatter, so the Olyix begin to trade their superior biotechnology with humans in exchange for the energy they need to continue their endless pilgrimage across the galaxies. When a portal ship arrives in the Beta Eridani system in 2204, it detects a beacon signal coming from a crashed alien spaceship light years away from Earth. And as impossible as it sounds, that ship contains the remains of human victims. An assessment team comprised of powerful and important men and women is sent to investigate, and they'll soon realize that they have more in common than they ever thought possible. And eighty-nine years from their home world, they'll come to realize that Earth might be facing a threat and that no one is aware of the imminent danger.

Salvation Lost begins exactly where the first volume ended. The salvage operation exposed the shocking truth about the Olyix. Realizing that their deception has been unmasked, as mankind attempts to mobilize for this unexpected threat the alien civilization strikes a devastating blow. Yet the human race is nothing if not resilient and will not go down without a fight. Millennia into the future, another storyline follows mankind's descendants as they prepare to spring a trap on the Olyix and hopefully end this war once and for all. But things are not always as they seem and some truths may ultimately turn out to be lies.

Once again, the structure of this novel is split into three ensembles of plotlines. The first one follows the perspectives of the characters from the salvage operation and additional important figures that witness the onset of the war between humanity and the Olyix. The second focuses on a number of small-fry London-based criminals and their activities as life on Earth begins to unravel. These sections felt decidedly discordant with the rest of the storylines and were often a little boring. There is only so much one can take about some guy with a super cock implant. The third timeline occurs in the distant future, in an era when mankind brought their war against the Olyix to the stars.

Peter F. Hamilton always had a knack for creating interesting and genuine characters and the same can be said of the Salvation Lost cast. Building on the groundwork already laid out in the first volume, the author further fleshes out his protagonists while introducing new faces. As I mentioned, I felt that too much air time was given to the crooks comprising the Southwark Legion gang. A few lame attempts to give some of them redeeming qualities and moral complexity kind of fell short. Given the quality of the other storylines and how compelling they are, I'm not sure why Hamilton felt that he had to focus on the London plotline to such a degree.

Although not perfect, Salvation Lost raises the bar higher and sets the stage for what should be a memorable finale. Definitely one of the science fiction books to read this year!

The final verdict: 8/10

For more info, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Alan Smale's Clash of Eagles for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This is a great series that deserve more attention. 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 get your hands on the digital edition of Guy Gavriel Kay's The Summer Tree for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

The Summer Tree is the first novel of Guy Gavriel Kay’s critically acclaimed fantasy trilogy, The Fionavar Tapestry. Five university students embark on a journey of self-discovery when they enter a realm of wizards and warriors, gods and mythical creatures--and good and evil…

It all began with a lecture that introduced five university students to a man who would change their lives, a wizard who would take them from Earth to the heart of the first of all worlds--Fionavar. And take them Loren Silvercloak did, for his need--the need of Fionavar and all the worlds--was great indeed.

And in a marvelous land of men and dwarves, of wizards and gods, five young people discovered who they were truly meant to be. For they are a long-awaited part of the pattern known as the Fionavar Tapestry, and only if they accepted their destiny would the armies of the Light stand any chance of surviving the wrath the Unraveller and his minions of darkness intend to unleash upon the world…

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital editions of all three installments of Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive, The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, and Oathbringer for only 7.92$ by following this Amazon Associate link. There is a price match in Canada.

Each volume is on sale and can be purchased separately.

Here's the blurb of the third installment:

In Oathbringer, the third volume of the New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive, humanity faces a new Desolation with the return of the Voidbringers, a foe with numbers as great as their thirst for vengeance.

Dalinar Kholin’s Alethi armies won a fleeting victory at a terrible cost: The enemy Parshendi summoned the violent Everstorm, which now sweeps the world with destruction, and in its passing awakens the once peaceful and subservient parshmen to the horror of their millennia-long enslavement by humans. While on a desperate flight to warn his family of the threat, Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with the fact that the newly kindled anger of the parshmen may be wholly justified.

Nestled in the mountains high above the storms, in the tower city of Urithiru, Shallan Davar investigates the wonders of the ancient stronghold of the Knights Radiant and unearths dark secrets lurking in its depths. And Dalinar realizes that his holy mission to unite his homeland of Alethkar was too narrow in scope. Unless all the nations of Roshar can put aside Dalinar’s blood-soaked past and stand together—and unless Dalinar himself can confront that past—even the restoration of the Knights Radiant will not prevent the end of civilization.

Quote of the Day

History's tragedies reveal great men: but those tragedies are provoked by the mediocre.

- MAURICE DRUON, The King Without a Kingdom.

For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can download every installment of James S. A. Corey's excellent The Expanse series for only 2.99$ to 5.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This is your chance to get your hands on what could well be the best space opera sequence ever written at very low prices!

Here's the blurb for the first volume, Leviathan Wakes:

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

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

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

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

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

In hardcover:

Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea debuts at number 3.

Stephen King's The Institute maintains its position at number 8. For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

In paperback:

Stephen King's Doctor Sleep maintains its position at number 7 (trade paperback).

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is up one position, ending the week at number 9 (trade paperback).

The King Without a Kingdom

As was the case with many other speculative fiction readers, I reckon it's thanks to George R. R. Martin that I discovered the excellent The Accursed Kings by French author Maurice Druon. As the main inspiration for A Song of Ice and Fire, I was eager to find out more about this series. The first two volumes were very good, but the third installment failed to live up to the expectations generated by its predecessors. The Royal Succession was a return to form for the author and I was looking forward to see if the fifth book would offer the same satisfying reading experience.

Ultimately, The She-Wolf didn't stand as well on its own as I thought it would. Druon continued to weave a vast number of threads in what is a great tapestry of men, women, and events that will shake the foundations of the kingdom of France and the rest of Europe. That hasn't changed. And yet, focusing more on the demise of King Edward II instead of the intrigues of the King of France's court, the fifth volume felt like some sort of interlude and was a bit discordant in the greater scheme of things. The following book, The Lily and the Lion, turned out to be more history textbook than novelization, and as such it was a disappointment.

Still, with family rivalries, politicking, betrayals and back-stabbings, ASOIAF fans will find a lot to love about Maurice Druon's The Accursed Kings. And given the fact that these books were first published back in the 50s, they have definitely aged well and are as easy to read as any contemporary novels on the market today. I was curious to see how the author would close the show in the final volume. Alas, Druon elected to change narrative form and this more or less killed The King Without a Kingdom from the get-go. It is by far the weakest in the series so far.

So much so that, like Glen Cook's recent Black Company novel, I suggest that readers simply skip it. It's a shame, but I now understand why it took so long for them to translate this final installment in English.

Here's the blurb:

Available for the first time in English, THE KING WITHOUT A KINGDOM is the seventh and final volume of The Accursed Kings series.

The reign of the Capetian kings has ended and John II, ‘The Good’, takes the throne.

Under the leadership of this vain, cruel, incompetent monarch The Hundred Years War escalates and England and France begin to tear each other apart. Warring factions plunder the land, famine threatens the people and the Black Death spreads far and wide. France is bleeding to death around the new king…

The structure of these novels has always revolved around a number of disparate POVs which allow readers to witness events through the eyes of a variety of protagonists. This helped generate more emotional impact, as you saw the web of scandal and intrigue weaving itself throughout all the storylines. This was what made the series so memorable, no question. Sadly, Druon decided to forgo this tried and true recipe and he went for a completely different narrative form. One that is so divergent and off-putting that it makes you want to throw the book across the room just a few chapters in.

Indeed, instead of going for an omiscient narrator, this time around the author opted for the first-person perspective of pompous Cardinal Talleyrand-Périgord, who recounts the catastrophic reign of John II and the escalation of the Hundred Years War. The narrative is little more than the vapid and pretentious recollections the cardinal shares with his newphew as his grand entourage travels toward Metz. Although the events elaborated upon are fascinating, the papal legate's monotonous monologues often make you want to open your veins in frustration.

As always, I found the translation to be quite good. As was the case with the other installments, it is at times too literal, creating occasional odd turns of phrase. But other than that, there's absolutely nothing to complain about. Instead of relying on info-dumps, Druon once again elected to go for footnotes sending you to the back of the novel for more historical background and clarification. In the past, this usually maintained a fluid pace throughout.

Unfortunately, The King Without a Kingdom failed to deliver on basically all fronts. To a certain extent, this seventh installment is a bit of a travesty, an inferior work that doesn't deserve to be part of The Accursed Kings.

The final verdict: 4/10

For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

Peter F. Hamilton contest winner!

This lucky gal will get her hands on my advance reading copy of Peter F. Hamilton's Salvation Lost. For more info, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

The winner is:

Christine Thompson, from Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA

Many thanks to all the participants!

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Kay Kenyon's At the Table of Wolves for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy meets X-Men in a classic British espionage story. A young woman must go undercover and use her superpowers to discover a secret Nazi plot and stop an invasion of England.

In 1936, there are paranormal abilities that have slowly seeped into the world, brought to the surface by the suffering of the Great War. The research to weaponize these abilities in England has lagged behind Germany, but now it’s underway at an ultra-secret site called Monkton Hall.

Kim Tavistock, a woman with the talent of the spill—drawing out truths that people most wish to hide—is among the test subjects at the facility. When she wins the confidence of caseworker Owen Cherwell, she is recruited to a mission to expose the head of Monkton Hall—who is believed to be a German spy.

As she infiltrates the upper-crust circles of some of England’s fascist sympathizers, she encounters dangerous opponents, including the charismatic Nazi officer Erich von Ritter, and discovers a plan to invade England. No one believes an invasion of the island nation is possible, not Whitehall, not even England’s Secret Intelligence Service. Unfortunately, they are wrong, and only one woman, without connections or training, wielding her talent of the spill and her gift for espionage, can stop it.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

For a limited time, you can get your hands on the digital edition of Tim Powers' Dinner at Deviant's Palace for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link.

Here's the blurb:

Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award: In a nuclear-ravaged California, a humble musician sets out on a dangerous quest to rescue his lost love from the clutches of a soul-devouring religious cult.

In the twenty-second century, the City of Angels is a tragic shell of its former self, having long ago been ruined and reshaped by nuclear disaster. Before he was in a band in Ellay, Gregorio Rivas was a redeemer, rescuing lost souls trapped in the Jaybirds cult of the powerful maniac Norton Jaybush. Rivas had hoped those days were behind him, but a desperate entreaty from a powerful official is pulling him back into the game. The rewards will be plentiful if he can wrest Urania, the official’s daughter and Gregorio’s first love, from Jaybush’s sinister clutches. To do so, the redeemer reborn must face blood-sucking hemogoblins and other monstrosities on his way to discovering the ultimate secrets of this neo-Californian civilization.

One of the most ingeniously imaginative writers of our time, Tim Powers dazzles in an early work that displays his unique creative genius. Alive with wit, intelligence, and wild invention, Dinner at Deviant’s Palace is a mad adventure across a dystopian future as only Tim Powers could have imagined it.

This ebook features an original introduction by the author.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Jonathan Maberry's The Dragon Factory for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

Joe Ledger and the DMS (Department of Military Sciences) go up against two competing groups of geneticists. One side is creating exotic transgenic monsters and genetically enhanced mercenary armies; the other is using 21st century technology to continue the Nazi Master Race program begun by Josef Mengele. Both sides want to see the DMS destroyed, and they've drawn first blood. Neither side is prepared for Joe Ledger as he leads Echo Team to war under a black flag.

You can also get your hands on the next installment, The King of Plagues, for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

Saturday 09:11 Hours: A blast rocks a London hospital and thousands are dead or injured… 10:09 Hours: Joe Ledger arrives on scene to investigate. The horror is unlike anything he has ever seen. Compelled by grief and rage, Joe rejoins the DMS and within hours is attacked by a hit-team of assassins and sent on a suicide mission into a viral hot zone during an Ebola outbreak. Soon Joe Ledger and the Department of Military Sciences begin tearing down the veils of deception to uncover a vast and powerful secret society using weaponized versions of the Ten Plagues of Egypt to destabilize world economies and profit from the resulting chaos. Millions will die unless Joe Ledger meets the this powerful new enemy on their own terms as he fights terror with terror.

Finally, you can download Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg's Nightfall for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

On a planet with six suns, night is about to fall for the first time in two thousand years . . .

The planet Kalgash is on the brink of chaos—but only a handful of people realize it. Kalgash knows only the perpetual light of day; for more than two millennia, some combination of its six suns has lit up the sky. But twilight is now gathering. Soon the suns will set all at one—and the terrifying splendor of Nightfall will call forth a madness that signals the end of civilization.

Isaac Asimov's short story “Nightfall” first appeared in 1941. It has since become recognized as a classic, its author a legend. But the short story isn't the whole story. Now, Dr. Asimov has teamed with multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winner Robert Silverberg to explore and expand one of the most awe-inspiring concepts in the history of science fiction.

In this novel, you will witness Nightfall—and much more.

You will learn what happens at Daybreak.

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (November 11th)

In hardcover:

Stephen King's The Institute is up one position, ending the week at number 8. For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

Margaret Atwood's The Testaments is down three positions, ending the week at number 13. For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House maintains its position at number 14.

In paperback:

Stephen King's Doctor Sleep is up six spots, finishing the week at number 7 (trade paperback).

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is down six positions, ending the week at number 10 (trade paperback).

Nora Robert's Of Blood and Bone debuts at number 11 (trade paperback).

Musical Interlude

The most powerful and haunting piece of what could be the very best movie soundtrack ever produced. Hans Zimmer truly knocked it out of the park.

I'd usually go for the musical score, but I find this live performance to be amazing.