The Dragon's Nine Sons

It is the age of the Celestial Empire and the mighty civilizations of Imperial China and Mexica have taken their ancient war into space. Fifty years in the future, the two sides are stuck in a cold war on Earth and now fight a desperate war of attrition for control of the red planet. Nine disgraced soldiers are picked to mount a suicide mission by piloting a salvaged Mexica spacecraft to Xolotl, the asteroid stronghold of their enemies. For the imperial soldiers this is their final chance for redemption. 

As you can tell, the book is told in an alternate historical universe. It imagines what the world might be like if China had not entered an isolationist period following the Great Fleet sailings but rather went expansionist. A chronology in the appendix gives a handy reference to how history might have gone differently. Roberson goes in-depth on the cultures of the Chinese and Mexica but without getting bogged down in the details. The novel is similar to Thomas Harlan’s Wastelands of Flint but I think Roberson’s book is better written.

There was one thing about Roberson’s universe about which I found it hard to suspend my disbelief. The Chinese conquered the Mexica around 1900 AD and thus managed to bring the entire world under one single rule. Yet the Mexica later managed to throw off Chinese control and establish a detente. It seems a little unbelievable that the Chinese, who control all of the world’s land and population aside from Mexico, is unable to hold the Mexica. There was a brief scene in the book where we catch a glimpse of the Mexica mentality so perhaps this will be touched on a bit more in later books.

The book was fast-paced and had lots of action. Roberson didn’t waste too much time with non-essential plot devices. I did think the resolution of the climax was a little too easy but other than that it was pretty good. The only major problem I found is that Roberson tends to explain too much of the plot. He tells rather than shows so there’s very little actual tension in the story. 

One last thing: it would be nice if the publishers would stop putting plot spoilers in the books’ blurb. The Inferior by Peadar Ó Guilín had this problem and so did The Dragon’s Nine Sons. Seriously, how hard is it to summarize a book without spoiling the book for the reader? 

There are two more books set in Roberson’s universe to be released, and from what I’ve seen so far, the series certainly has promise. Recommended. 

Rating: 7.5/10.

To Map or Not To Map....

The ASOIAF message board is having yet another discussion on role of maps in fantasy. Personally I feel that while I love maps to death, that in a fantasy novel, maps are an extra not a requirement. There is an entire story to read after all. To read the discusssion, click here.

New releases for the week of February 26th

Spotlight:

(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

Synopsis:
The first volume in a series of anthologies offering short stories drawn from the storehouse of world mythology, Japanese Dreams takes the reader to the islands of fire and smoke—where shape-shifters, demons and lovers all populate a landscape blossoming with story. Contributions by such authors as Richard Parks, Catherynne Valente, Jeannette Westwood, Eugie Foster, Ekaterina Sedia, Erzebet YellowBoy, Yoon Ha Lee, Jenn Reese, Sarah Prineas, Jim C. Hines and Steve Berman all offer us a glimpse of a silken sleeve or the red fur of the fox as she slips between the rushes, daring us to follow.

Hardcover:
> Prador Moon, Neal Asher
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Matter, Iain M. Banks
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> The Outlaw Demon Wails, Kim Harrison
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Bone Song, John Meaney
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

Paperback:
> Grimspace, Ann Aguirre
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> No Humans Involved, Kelley Armstrong
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> The Adventures of Indiana Jones, Campbell Black, James Kahn, Rob Macgregor
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Emissaries from the Dead, Adam-Troy Castro
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> The Alchemist's Apprentice, Dave Duncan
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Into a Dark Realm, Raymond E. Feist
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> By Slanderous Tongues, Roberta Gellis
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> The Boys Are Back in Town, Christopher Golden
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Death's Head, David Gunn
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Planet of the Damned, Harry Harrison (Reprint)
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Echoes of an Alien Sky, James P. Hogan
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Heart of Light, Sarah A. Hoyt
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Downer: Fool's Errand, Kyle Hunter
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Maelstrom, Anne McCaffrey, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Volume 2, George Mann
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> House of Cards, C. E. Murphy
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> The Da-Da-de-Da-Da Code, Robert Rankin (Yes, this is the actual title!)
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Von Neumann's War, John Ringo, Travis Taylor
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Forgotten Realms: The Halfling's Gem, R. A. Salvatore
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Dead To Me, Anton Strout
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Blue War, Jeffrey Thomas
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Madhouse, Rob Thurman
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Revelation, Karen Traviss
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Best New Fantasy 2, Sean Wallace
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

New York Times bestsellers for February 24th

Paperback:
Jim Butcher’s White Night climbs three spots in its second week to reach number 11. United States, Europe, Canada.

Cormac McCarthy’s The Road slips one position to number 12 in its 24th week on the New York Times bestseller list. United States, Europe, Canada.

The mass-market paperback of Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend manages to stay on the list for a sixteenth week by rising to number 29 and up three. United States, Europe, Canada.

A Magic of Twilight

Nessantico is the greatest city in the world, capital of an empire and seat of the dominant religion. The sitting matriarch is nearing the fiftieth anniversary of her rule, however, not everyone is joyful of the approaching celebration. Factions are chaffing at the enforced peace of her long rule as well as the city’s dominance of political power. At the same time the head of the faith faces religious extremists bent on seizing control and the possibility of conflicts with magic-using “unbelievers”. The games of power being played in Nessantico will have repercussions throughout the world.
Like Martin’s ASOIAF series, the book is written in third person limited where each character gets his or her own chapter. The book is also divided into several sections much like a play. While not every character appears in each part, the character chapters stay the same so the focus stays tight on a revolving set of characters.
The characters are fairly well drawn. Most have their own motivations and agendas as befitting a story of political intrigue. Some characters are naive while others wiser to the ways of the world and often play things to their own advantage. Many of the supporting cast are one-dimensional though thankfully most of the main characters learn and evolve over the course of the story. The world building and magic system are also quite decent with differences in magical abilities keeping the book interesting.

The book starts a little slow, which is understandable given that the book is setting up the background and plot. Dividing up the book into "scenes" also serves to artifically slow it down. The action and battle scenes were also well done though I felt a little cheated by the climax.
The main weakness with A Magic of Twilight is that the book is basically fantasy lite. Everything is fairly light from the characters to the magic system to the world building. Compared with the possible scope, the book is just a little underwhelming.
A Magic of Twilight is a solid fantasy effort and will appeal to most fans of the genre. Lightly recommended.
Rating: 7/10.

New releases for the week of February 19th

Spotlight:

(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

Synopsis:
1944. After the fall of Russia and the failed D-Day landings, a German counterattack lands on British soil. Within a month, half of Britain is occupied. The seat of British government has fled to Worcester, Churchill to Canada. A network of British resistance cells is all that is left to defy the German army.

Against this backdrop, RESISTANCE opens with Sarah Lewis waking to find her husband Tom has disappeared. She is not alone, as all the other women in the Welsh border valley of Olchon wake to find their husbands gone. With these sudden and unexplained absences, the women regroup as an isolated, all-female community and wait.

Later, a German patrol arrives in the valley, the purpose of their mission a mystery. When a severe winter forces the two groups together, a fragile mutual dependency develops. Sarah begins a faltering acquaintance with the patrol's commanding officer, Albrecht Wolfram, and it is to her that he reveals the purpose of his mission. But as the pressure of the war beyond presses in on this isolated community, its fragile state of harmony is increasingly threatened.

Hardcover:
> In A Time of Treason, David Keck
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

> Victory Conditions, Elizabeth Moon
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

Paperback:
> Grease Monkey, Tim Eldred
(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

New York Times bestsellers for February 17th

Paperback:
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road dropss three points to number 11 in its 23rd week on the charts. Unites States, Europe, Canada.

Jim Butcher’s White Night makes its debut on the New York times bestseller list at number 14. Unites States, Europe, Canada.

The paperback of Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend finishes its thirteenth week at number 28, falling two. Unites States, Europe, Canada.

Meanwhile the mass-market of Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend tumbles seven spots to number 32 at the end of week fifteen. Unites States, Europe, Canada.

Pirate Freedom

As a parish priest, Father Christopher has heard many confessions, yet his own tale is more amazing than anything heard in the confessional. Chris was once a pirate captain several hundred years ago. Fresh from the monastery, Chris is somehow transported back in time to the golden age of piracy. At first he resists becoming a pirate, but he eventually embraces the life, and he even falls for a charming senorita. Where the wind will blow him, or perhaps I should say blew him, only Father Chris knows.
I’ve only read two other Wolfe books, Soldier in the Mist and Soldier of Arete, but I would say that Pirate Freedom is close in quality to both. It is similar in style as well, though the similarity lies mainly in that the book reads more like historical fiction than fantasy. The book is written like a memoir, Chris recounting his experiences as a pirate from some time far down the road. It is extremely well researched and very accurate for the time period, that of early 16^th Century Caribbean.
Like in the Soldier novels, the supernatural elements of the book are never explained, and frankly they don’t need to be. The strength lies in the immersing the reader into the story. Chris is the proverbial fish out of water, though it is never truly a setback for him since his future life had little resemblance to his life as a pirate. His knowledge in one life never really overlaps the other. Being from the future, Chris does not have any inherent advantages or disadvantages instead having to rely on his wits and intelligence. Perhaps that’s a weakness of the book, perhaps not.
It did seem that piracy was more widespread in the book than it was historically, but then it is set right during the time when Spain is still consolidating its hold on the Americas. Spain is the only real naval power at this time so such piracy is perhaps not as unlikely as it may first seems. Especially as some of the pirates were undoubtedly privateers, commissioned to be pirates on behalf of other governments.
If you love historical fiction, you can’t go wrong with Pirate Freedom. Recommended.
Rating: 8/10.

New releases for the week of February 12th

Spotlight:

(Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

Synopsis:
Relevant to today’s war-torn world, THE PALACE OF ILLUSIONS takes us back to the time of the Indian epic The Mahabharat—a time that is half-history, half-myth, and wholly magical. Through her narrator Panchaali, the wife of the legendary five Pandavas brothers, Divakaruni gives us a rare feminist interpretation of an epic story.

The novel traces Panchaali's life, beginning with her magical birth in fire as the daughter of a king before following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father’s kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at the brothers’ sides through years of exile and a terrible civil war. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her stratagems to take over control of her household from her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy. Panchaali is a fiery female voice in a world of warriors, gods, and ever-manipulating hands of fate.

Europe:
Soarer’s Choice, L.E. Modesitt, Jr. (Paperback)
(Amazon.co.uk, Book Depository)

The Last Wish, Andrzej Sapkowski (Paperback)
(Amazon.co.uk, Book Depository)

Half the Blood of Brooklyn

Joe Pitt is now the head of security for the Society. He’s not happy about it but it keeps him in money and blood, two things he needs for his dying girlfriend. But something is happening in the no-man’s land of the boroughs. Savage Rogues and clans are being driven across the river and Joe is sent to discover the cause. Instead he clashes with a long lost tribe carving out a kingdom in the suburbs. And he still has to decide how to help his girl. His choice will either save her or doom them both. 

Man, I loved how this book ended. The main plot was pretty standard Joe Pitt stuff: he gets in deep trouble, kills a bunch of people, gets in more trouble with his own allies, and faces a reckoning. However, the resolution of the girlfriend angle means that future developments will be a bit different, albeit just as bloody. I admit that I did not see this one coming. Granted, Joe has never gotten along with the Clans and has always wanted to be his own man, but I certainly didn’t expect the climax to happen the way it did. I’m glad Huston refrained from any kind of fairy tale ending. I’m also glad he reminded the readers that all the various elements in the series have their own agendas no matter how they interact with Joe. I must say, it’s a good thing Joe has an independent streak.

It was nice to see the Evie angle set up in book one finally come to a head. Anyone who has watched a loved one suffer from a terminal illness knows what Joe is going through with his HIV-infected girlfriend. Huston gives just the right amount of agony for a man who can cure his loved one but is uncertain of the right course of action. He also explores the moral issues of infecting someone with the Vyrus and also whether it’s something to be cured. Huston handles the issues well without seeming too heavy handed. 

Strongly recommended. When does the next book come out? 

Rating: 8.5/10. 

New York Times bestsellers for February 10th

Hardcover:
Drew Karpyshyn’s Darth Bane: Rule of Two slips one spot to number 26 in its sixth week on the list. United States, Europe, Canada.

Terry Goodkind’s Confessor finishes its twelfth week down six to number 28. Will it survive another week? United States, Europe, Canada.

Paperback:
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is back up one point to number 8 in week twenty-two. United States, Europe, Canada.

The mass-market paperback of Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend tumbles twenty positions in its fourteenth week to stop at number 25. United States, Europe, Canada.

Meanwhile the paperback of Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend is down nine to number 26 in its twelfth week. United States, Europe, Canada.

Patricia Briggs’ Iron Kissed ends its sixth week down a whopping twenty-one spots to number 30. United States, Europe, Canada.

Shadowbridge

Shadowbridge is a world of linked spans arching high above the seas. It is a world of gods and magic, and above all, it is a world of stories. Leodora is a shadow-puppeteer who travels the spans of Shadowbridge collecting stories then retelling them in performances. However, forces are moving in the world and her past, and the pasts of her companions, are about to catch up with them.
Shadowbridge reminds me a bit of The Orphan’s Tales. The metaphor of bridges is quite obvious, tales linking one another to form a whole, though the book doesn’t have the narrative richness or complexity of Valente’s work.
Much of the book is told in flashback, telling the stories of the characters themselves. The character backgrounds as well as the Shadowbridge stories are the highlight and a pleasure to read, however, the main narrative told in the present suffers a bit. The fact that a good portion of it is told from the point of view of a character that is constantly drunk and suffers hallucinations certainly doesn’t help. Also, the book ended on a cliffhanger that made absolutely no sense at all. Hopefully, the second half of the duology will explain a few things. Frankly, I think the publishers made a mistake in splitting the book as I think the plot would make much more sense if the book could be read in its entirety.
To be honest, another problem I had was suspension of disbelief, no pun intended. I have no problem with the fact that this is a fantastical world with magic, but the concept of bridges that continue more or less forever was a little difficult to swallow. The whole point of a bridge is to go from one place to another. Why would you have a bridge that goes nowhere? Why are there no platforms or floating cities? The bridges are metaphorical I get that. I just wonder if there was a better way Frost could have conceived it.
Characterizations are quite well done, although many of the human motivations were pretty cynical. Most of the characters act only for their own ends and nothing else, almost begging the gods to intervene. I’m not sure if that’s the point or if Frost merely wrote it that way.
I’ll withhold final judgment until I’ve read the second half, but for now I can only give the book a basic recommendation.

Rating: 7/10.

New releases for the week of February 5th

Spotlight:

(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Synopsis:
An intricate tale of murder and magic, deception and betrayal, Machiavellian politics, star-crossed lovers, and a world on the brink of devastating war...

Over the decades and slow centuries, the city of Nessantico spread its influence in all directions, subsuming and converting the majority of other religions and lesser gods within the Holdings. Always strong even as the borders of the Holdings ebbed and flowed under the effects of war and commerce, always magnificent even as tastes and styles changed, always seductive and desirable no matter what other exotic lands and places might briefly come into fashion, Nessantico gathered to itself all that was intellectual, all that was rich, all that was powerful. There was no city in the known world that could rival it. But there were many who envied it...

Hardcover:
> Somnambulist, Jonathan Barnes
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> V: The Second Generation, Kenneth Johnson
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Singularity's Ring, Paul Melko
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Manxome Foe, John Ringo, Travis S. Taylor
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Transhuman, Mark L. Van Name (Editor), Weisskopf T. K. F. (Editor)
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Paperback:
> Miles in Love, Lois McMaster Bujold
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> White Night, Jim Butcher
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Some Golden Harbor, David Drake
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Feast of Souls, C. S. Friedman
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Jumper, Steven Gould (Reprint)
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Jumper: Griffin's Story, Steven Gould
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Barking, Tom Holt
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The Outback Stars, Sandra McDonald
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The Automatic Detective, A. Lee Martinez
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The White Tyger, Paul Park
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Rollback, Robert J. Sawyer
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The New Weird, Jeff VanderMeer
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Marseguro, Edward Willett
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

New York Times bestsellers for February 3rd

Hardcover:
Terry Goodkind’s Confessor is down three in its eleventh week to number 22. United States, Europe, Canada.

Drew Karpyshyn’s Darth Bane: Rule of Two drops five to number 25 in its fifth week on the list. United States, Europe, Canada.

Paperback:
The mass-market paperback of Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend jumps back up to number 5, up four in its thirteenth week. United States, Europe, Canada.

Patricia Briggs’ Iron Kissed slips one spot at the end of week five to number 9. United States, Europe, Canada.

Cormac McCarthy’s The Road finishes its 21st week on the charts at number 9, down one. United States, Europe, Canada.

The paperback of Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend falls two positions to number 17 in its eleventh week. United States, Europe, Canada.

David Weber’s Off Armageddon Reef is at number 29 in its third week and down three. United States, Europe, Canada.

Max Brooks’ World War Z falls nine whole rankings in its thirteenth week to hit number 30. Will it survive another week? United States, Europe, Canada.