Dresden Files news

I'm not sure how old this news is, but I recently found out that Jim Butcher posted the cover image for the next Dresden Files book, Small Favor, on his website. This will be the tenth book in the series and will be released in April 2008. No real info yet on the plot though Butcher did mention that Harry still owes two favors, referring to the two favors he owes his wicked fairy godmother.






I just found out today that this collection of short vampire stories released in September includes a Dresden Files novella. Harry and his apprentice Molly deal with crashers at a Role-Playing party on Valentine's Day.

It seems there was a similar book with another Dresden Files short story was released last year under the title, My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding. In this story, Harry apparently prompts a bridezilla rampage from a malevolent fairy when he tries to break up her wedding with the werewolf whose intended she is impersonating.

Looks like I have two more books on my To Buy List.

The Inferior

(Amazon.co.uk, Book Depository)

I think the book’s blurb explains it quite well without any need of paraphrasing so without further ado, “Stopmouth and his family know of no other life than the daily battle to survive. To live they must hunt rival species, or negotiate flesh-trade with those who crave meat of the freshest human kind. It is a savage, desperate existence. And for Stopmouth, considered slow-witted hunt-fodder by his tribe, the future looks especially bleak. But then, on the day he is callously betrayed by his brother, a strange and beautiful woman falls from the sky. It is a moment that will change his destiny, and that of all humanity forever.”
I enjoyed this book a lot. It is well written for a first novel and the themes of cannibalism and survival in an apocalyptic future mark a boldness that is often missing from science fiction today. I like how the author handles the pro and cons of both without being too judgmental of the differing perspectives. World-building was also well done and left me desiring to know more about the background and universe. I think the characterization was the strongest part of The Inferior. It is quite well done and realistic with the protagonists and antagonists feeling multiple motivations and conflicting emotions. I applaud the author for making his main character not quite an hero or an antihero, but somewhere in between. Stopmouth is perhaps not the strongest or the smartest hunter of his tribe, but he is the best survivor, which in this setting is the most important thing of all.
The only real downside is that at times I felt the book read like a young adult novel, that the emotions and actions of the characters were too simple for the seriousness of the book’s subject matter. I also felt that the book could have been expanded a little bit more. However, both complaints are minor and I’m hoping for another book since there is plenty of material for a sequel.
Final rating: 8.5/10.

New releases for the week of October 30

It's a big list of this week so be careful you don't miss something.

Spotlight:

(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Martin may be best known for his Song of Ice and Fire epic fantasy, but this mammoth collection of short stories (the first of two volumes) highlights his work in numerous genres, including SF, horror and fantasy. Focusing on Martin's early output, volume one features The Second Kind of Loneliness, originally published in 1972, which chronicles a man's insanity-inducing introspection millions of miles from Earth; the 1975 Hugo Award–winning A Song for Lya; The Pear-Shaped Man, a disturbing horror masterpiece about a creepy apartment neighbor; and more obscure works like a 1967 fanzine story starring the Astral Avenger and an unconventional college term paper about the Russo-Swedish War of 1808. An insightful introduction by Gardner Dozois, illustrations by Michael Kaluta and extensive—and candid—author commentary make this much more than just a compilation of stories.

Hardcover:
Mister B. Gone, Clive Barker
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

A War of Gifts: An Ender Story, Orson Scott Card
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Patrimony: A Pip & Flinx Adventure, Alan Dean Foster
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Plots and Misadventures, Stephen Gallagher
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Metatemporal Detective, Michael Moorcock
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)


Paperback:
The Green Trap, Ben Bova
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Dzur, Steven Brust (Reprint)
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Gentlemen of the Road, Michael Chabon
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Dragonlance: Protecting Palanthas, Douglas W. Clark
(Amazon)

Grantville Gazette II, Eric Flint (Editor)
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Trouble Magnet: A Pip & Flinx Adventure, Alan Dean Foster
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Prodigal, Marc D. Giller
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Mistral's Kiss, Laurell K. Hamilton
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Dragon's Teeth, James A. Hetley
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

People of the Dark: The Weird Works of Robert E. Howard, Vol. 2, Robert E. Howard
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

The Commons, Matthew Hughes
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 18th Edition, Stephen Jones (Editor)
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

The Clone Alliance, Steven L. Kent
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Swords in the Mist, Fritz Leiber
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Odyssey, Jack McDevitt
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Blade of Fortriu, Juliet Marillier
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Soarer's Choice, L.E. Modesitt Jr.
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Heart of Stone, C. E. Murphy
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Star Born, Andre Norton
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Earthquake Weather, Tim Powers (Reprint)
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Sixty Days and Counting, Kim Stanley Robinson
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Horizons, Mary Rosenblum
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Saint City Sinners, Lilith Saintcrow
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

The Android's Dream, John Scalzi
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Kris Longknife: Audacious, Mike Shepherd
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Endgame, Kristine Smith
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Wolf Who Rules, Wen Spencer
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Lunar Descent, Allen Steele (Reprint)
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Star Wars Republic Commando True Colors, Karen Traviss
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

The Tale of Krispos, Harry Turtledove
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

The Orphan's Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice, Catherynne Valente
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Howl at the Moon, Christine Warren
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Dragonlance: Dragons of Spring Dawning, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman (Reprint)
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

New York Times bestsellers for October 28

Hardcover:
R.A. Salvatore’s The Orc King heads into it's fourth on the list dropping three spots to number 13. US, Europe, Canada.

Michael Reaves’ and Steve Perry’s Star Wars: Death Star makes it debut on the New York Times bestseller list at number 15. US, Europe, Canada.

Stephen R. Donaldson’s Fatal Revenant is down four to number 16 at the end of it's second week. US, Europe, Canada.

Terry Pratchett’s Making Money hangs on in its fifth week to spot number 24, down four from the previous week. US, Europe, Canada.


Paperback:
Max Brooks’ World War Z makes its mark and debut on the list at number 10. US, Europe, Canada.

Gregory Maguire’s Wicked hits number 12 in its third week dropping four points from last week. US, Europe, Canada.

Stephen King’s The Mist also goes into its third week up another three points to number 13. US, Europe, Canada.

Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, after weeks of single digit moves, drops six rankings to number 17 in its 29th week on the list. US, Europe, Canada.

The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden

In the garden of the Sultan’s palace, an orphan girl spins tales to warm a young and curious prince. Inked onto her eyelids and the surrounding flesh, the tales are of magical and fantastical beasts: shape-shifting witches, heron kings, snake gods, and living stars. Each tale is stranger and more fantastical then the one before. And with each tale, we learn a little bit more about the tellers themselves.
I found this book to be fascinating. I had expected that the tales would be linear, told one after another, but instead they weave in and out each other, back and forth between tellers, stories within stories much like a tapestry. The blurb on the back even advertises the fact yet I still didn't expect it. The tales themselves are equally fascinating: richly detailed, complex, and full of imagery. The mythology is simply incredible and extremely well thought out.
The interweaving of the tales makes the storyline hard to follow so it’s best to just go with the flow. As such there is very little for a plotline, as least, it’s not easy to see. And because the story is all about the myths and tales, there are no real “main” characters. So anyone who wants a minimum of plot will be disappointed, but I think it’s definitely worth it. The second book in the duology, The Orphan's Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice, will be released October 30th and it will interesting to see how the story concludes.
Final Rating: 8.5/10.

New releases for the week of October 23

Spotlight:

(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

In the far future, in the aftermath of a mysterious galactic catastrophe, a false prophet comes face to face with his greatest adversary yet: a man who thinks he's god, and might very well be right. While the battle for Earth rages around them, they face off, one wanting to conquer the world and the other to redeem it, and the victory may well decide the future of the galaxy, and of humanity itself.

Hardcover:
A Lick of Frost, Laurell K. Hamilton
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

The Secret Files of the Diogenes Club, Kim Newman
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)


Paperback:
Stargate SG-1: Relativity, James Swallow
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

New York Times bestsellers for October 21

Hardcover:
R.A. Salvatore’s The Orc King is still going in it's third week to number 10, down one from the previous week. US, Europe, Canada.

Stephen R. Donaldson’s Fatal Revenant makes its debut on the New York Times bestseller list at number 12. US, Europe, Canada.

Terry Pratchett’s Making Money drops three spots to number 20 in its fourth week. US, Europe, Canada.

Terry Brooks’ Elves of Cintra, in its seventh week on the list, is up one to ranking 26. US, Europe, Canada.


Paperback:
Gregory Maguire’s Wicked heads into its second week up six points to number 8. US, Europe, Canada.

Can anything stop Cormac McCarthy’s The Road in it's 28th week on the paperback bestseller list dropping another spot to number 11? US, Europe, Canada.

Stephen King’s The Mist is up a whopping thirteen points to number 16 in its second week. US, Europe, Canada.

Naomi Novik’s Empire of Ivory is down another five spots to finish its third week at number 25. US, Europe, Canada.

Last Argument of Kings giveaway!

Joe Abercrombie has announced that he will be giving away three bound proofs of the upcoming Last Argument of Kings, the final book in the First Law trilogy. The books will also be signed and lined with an inscription of the winner's choice. See here for details on entering the giveaway contest.

Buying books overseas.

Anyone who buys books online knows that Amazon.com is synonymous with the online book store. With an account on Amazon you buy a book in any condition on any Amazon mirror site, including Canada and Europe. European sites can be nice to buy from since you can often get a book before it comes out in the US, it's in a different language, or because overseas publishers often use different covers.

The main problem with buying overseas is that shipping can be super expensive. Back in February I bought Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie from Amazon.co.uk for 18 Pounds, about $36 including shipping. That's quite a bit more to pay for even to get the book long before it will be released here. A few weeks later, I decided to try Book Depository because they have FREE shipping everywhere. I bought The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski in hardback and it cost about 12 Pounds which is about 24 dollars. I saved $12 buying from Book Depository and I got the book in five calender days. It always takes at least a full week to get anything from Amazon.co.uk, though the last couple orders from Book Depository have taken two full weeks. The main drawback to Book Depository is that they don't allow preorders; you have to buy the book right when it comes out.

New releases for the week of October 16

Sp0tlight:

(Amazon.co.uk, Book Depository)

A subterranean world of vast caverns, underground seas, crystalline forests. A civilisation born of darkness, in darkness, protected by shadows. A city of merchants, whose eyes have turned upward to the surface, where the lethal light of day beats down on their world. A conspiracy so vast that it will swallow them all ...


Hardcover:
The Last Days of Krypton, Kevin J. Anderson
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

20th Century Ghosts, Joe Hill
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

A Companion to Wolves, Sarah Monette, Elizabeth Bear
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Fleet of Worlds, Larry Niven, Edward M. Lerner
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Star Wars: Death Star, Michael Reaves, Steve Perry
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Harry Potter Hardcover Boxed Set, J.K. Rowling
(Barnes & Noble)

General Winston's Daughter, Sharon Shinn
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights, John Steinbeck
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)


Paperback:
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, Max Brooks
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Indigara, Tanith Lee
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Counting Heads, David Marusek
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)


Europe:
Messiah: The Chronicles of Brothers, Wendy Alec
(Amazon.co.uk, Book Depository)

Mr Bliss, J. R. R. Tolkien
(Amazon.co.uk, Book Depository)

Severian of The Guild, Gene Wolfe
(Amazon.co.uk, Book Depository)

New York Times bestsellers for October 14

Hardcover:
R.A. Salvatore’s The Orc King ends its second week on the bestseller list at number 9, down two spots. US, Europe, Canada.

Terry Pratchett’s Making Money rounds out its third week down seven spots to number 17. US, Europe, Canada.

Terry Brooks’ Elves of Cintra drops four spots to number 27 at the end of week six. US, Europe, Canada.

Eric Flint’s and Virginia DeMarce’s 1634: The Bavarian Crisis makes it debut on the list at number 29. US, Europe, Canada.


Paperback:
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road keeps its stamina for yet another week, in its 27th week its at number 10, dropping one spot. US, Europe, Canada.

Gregory Maguire’s Wicked also makes its debut on the New York Times bestseller list coming in at number 14. US, Europe, Canada.

Naomi Novik’s Empire of Ivory finishes its second week falling five marks to number 20. US, Europe, Canada.

Stephen King’s The Mist, the third debut this week, is at number 29. US, Europe, Canada.

Empire of Ivory

(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

The fourth book the in the Temeraire series. Empire of Ivory, picks up right where The Gunpowder Wars left off, with Temeraire and Laurence on the fly with rescued Prussian soldiers. They make it home to England only to discover a terrible disaster has befallen the Aerial Corp. A disease has stricken the dragons leaving England vulnerable to invasion and Temeraire and the newly recruited dragons are now the only aerial defense against Napoleon. When the Corp realizes Temeraire’s illness during the voyage to China may hold the key to a cure, Temeraire and several of the sickest are dispatched to Africa in a last ditch effort to save the dragons. The search for a cure in the African interior lands them in far more trouble than they bargained for, however, the real trial awaits them at home.
My biggest complaint about Empire and the prior books is Novik’s tendency to intersperse description with a single piece of dialogue. It's as if she can’t explain something by description alone and must therefore throw in extra character dialogue to explain. Frankly, it's a bit annoying. Also like the earlier books, Empire has a problem with its naiveté. Novik likes to use the dragons to explore issues of morality such as slavery and nationalism but rarely is there any real meaningful debate.
That being said, Empire of Ivory is the best book since His Majesty’s Dragon. The drawbacks I mentioned above are somewhat less in evidence in Empire than in the previous books. The pace is steadier and better handled with fewer plodding moments creating better tension than Throne of Jade. Plotting is also more thought out so the book lacks the some of the dullness of The Gunpowder Wars. A major bonus is that Empire has a creativity not seen since the first book. The adventure into the African interior was well researched and gave the book a unique flavor. Plus, the climax of the ending, while not exactly a cliffhanger, has a boldness I thought refreshing.
Final rating 8/10.

New releases for the week of October 9

I think it’s time I made some comments on my releases lists.

First of all, my list is by no means comprehensive although I do my best to include every book that is to be released for that particular week. Even checking a variety of sources, I am bound to miss a few books here and there. I also do not always include miscellaneous books based on television, anime, or comics, though I will include them on occasion.

Secondly, the vast majority of books on the list will be those being released in the United States. Frankly, this is not normally an issue since most publishers often print books overseas near the same time as they do here. On occasion this is not true. A good example being The First Law books by Joe Abercrombie the first of which was published last year in the UK and only just released in the US. In these instances, I will include them on the list under the appropriate heading.

(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Linden Avery, who loved Thomas Covenant and watched him die, has returned to the Land in search of her kidnapped son, Jeremiah. As Fatal Revenant begins, Linden watches from the battlements of Revelstone when the impossible happens-riding ahead of the hordes attacking Revelstone are Jeremiah and Covenant himself, apparently very much alive.

Hardcover:
Angel Isle, Peter Dickinson
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

1634: The Bavarian Crisis, Flint and Virginia DeMarce
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch, Neil Gaiman, Michael Zulli
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Halting State, Charles Stross
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

The Merchants' War, Charles Stross
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)


Paperback:
Stealing Light, Gary Gibson
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Lord of the Fading Lands, C. L. Wilson
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

New York Times bestsellers for October 7

Hardcover:
R.A. Salvatore’s The Orc King debuts at number 7 on the New York Times bestseller list. US, Europe, Canada.

Terry Pratchett’s Making Money, in it's second week on the list, is down six to number 10. US, Europe, Canada.

Terry Brooks’ Elves of Cintra drops six spots to position 23 in it's fifth week. US, Europe, Canada.


Paperback:
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is still going strong it's 26th week on the list. It is at number 9, down one from the previous week. US, Europe, Canada.

Naomi Novik’s Empire of Ivory makes its opening spot on the list at number 15. US, Europe, Canada.

To map or not to map, that is the question.

A couple days Joe Abercrombie made an interesting post on his blog concerning maps in fantasy. As many readers know, lately there has been a deal of controversy over the issue. Joe’s personal feelings are that maps are not bad in and of themselves; in fact he loves them, but that they seem to be part of a larger problem of books that rely too much on epics and world building. He says that such books focus too much on details rather than on the characters. He wants his readers to be immersed into the story, surrounded by the emotions and actions of characters, and that maps doesn’t work for the kind of stories that he writes.

Joe has an excellent point. I’ll admit that when a map is included that I’ll often stop reading to jump the map. And frankly I love it. To say that I like maps is a bit of an understatement because I LOVE them. If the first thing I look about a book that I look at is the cover, then the second thing I check is whether there is a map. I look for them in other genres too and in real life I look at atlases. One of my favorite books is a huge world atlas produced by National Geographic. You need two hands to pick up and hold this sucker! I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying, “Location, location, location”? I feel very strongly that location is a very important detail in any circumstance. Geography has a big influence in culture and society and their relation to the world at large.

Now this doesn’t mean that I don’t or can’t like books that don’t have maps because that is absolutely untrue. They’ll have my copy of The Blade Itself when they pry it from cold, dead fingers. I say this because while I love having maps, maps are not necessary to the story. They are a benefit yes, but certainly not a requirement. Joe says that his books don’t need maps and I agree with him. I accept that he has obviously thought his world through and that it’s his and the publishers choice to include it or not as they see fit. On the other hand, if Joe has a bout of insanity and decides to put a map in, I certainly wouldn’t stop him.

The Guild of Xenolinguists

The Guild of Xenolinguists is a collection of short stories by Sheila Finch. The stories tell the tales of the lingsters, members of the Guild of Xenolinguists, who study to become translators and recorders of alien languages. Through a quirk of biology humans are one of the few species with the flexibility to communicate with almost any species in the galaxy. The lingsters train by learning multiple languages along with the use of mind-altering drugs and AI assistance via a computer link implanted directly into the brain. The Guild trains their people to be translators and mediators and thus they have become the foremost linguists in known space.
Fortunately, the study of xenolinguistics is not the focus of the stories but merely the background for the plot. Each story stars a lingster who gets involved in the challenges and differences in human/alien relations. The Guild has taught its people that they are never to judge or get involved in the affairs of alien races, however, events often go beyond the scope of a lingster’s training and they must try to find the best choice they can. There are the inevitable stories of humans versus the benign aliens, but there are also those dealing with the very real dangers of exploration. Also interesting are a foreword and afterword discussing how the study of linguistics might be applied to alien life.
The publisher of The Guild of Xenolinguists was Golden Gryphon Press. It’s a small press and there were only about 2000 copies of Guild printed so getting a hold of one might be a challenge, however, it’s definitely worth it if you’ve ever been interested in the possibility of communication with alien races.
Final Rating: 8.5/10.