Sunday, June 29, 2008

The Wheelman


This book is a little different than the science fiction and fantasy I usually read. Sometimes I like to spread out to different genres. I had heard that The Wheelman was a good book and would appeal to fans of Charlie Huston's vampire series so I decided to pick it up.

Lennon is a mute Irish getaway driver when a job he is working goes bad. Left for dead, Lennon tries to get back to the money while finding out who betrayed him and his partners. He soon crosses guns with seemly every criminal in town, from the Russian and Italian mobs to crooked cops to small-time gangsters looking to score big. Everyone wants the money, however the situation is compounded by the fact that nobody can find it.

The Wheelman is a short, fast-paced, gritty crime novel. It comes in at barely over two hundred pages and almost never lets up so the reader practically reads by the seat of their pants. The book also certainly earns the “gritty” adjective. Everyone is out for themselves, double-, triple-, and quadruple-crossing everyone else. With people dropping like flies, the body count stacks rather quickly rather like a chain reaction. Pretty much no is safe from the author’s writing axe. 

If you don’t like protagonists with shade of grey then this book is not for you. As a getaway driver for bank robbers, Lennon is admittedly not the straightest of characters. However he is forced to make hard choices that would make even hardened criminals squeamish. The only real problem I had with the book was that I found it a little hard to believe Lennon could survive all the physical damage he takes. He’s passed off as a real tough guy, but there aren’t any supernatural elements in the novel so he really should died early on. But it’s not that big a deal and the book is definitely good reading. 

Fans of hard, fast crime, and more specifically, fans of the Joe Pitt series, will like The Wheelman. However, if you’re not into grey characters that sometimes do bad things, this book will not be for you. Recommended. 

Rating: 8.5/10.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

New York Times bestsellers for June 29th

Hardcover:
Stephanie Meyer’s The Host is still going strong at number 3 in its seventh week on the NYT bestseller list. United States, Europe, Canada.

Dean Koontz’s Odd Hours slips four spots in its fifth week to number 12. United States, Europe, Canada.

Laurell K. Hamilton’s Blood Noir is also down four points to number 16 at the end of week 4. United States, Europe, Canada.

Paperback:
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road rounds out its 64th week overall down three to number 14. United States, Europe, Canada.

Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union falls six ranks in week eight to come in at number 18. United States, Europe, Canada.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

I'm back...

Well, my internet problems haven't exactly been solved, but I've managed to find some solutions around them so I can update this blog. Things should be more or less back to normal after my trip out of town this weekend. In the meantime, I have a finally have a review of Little Brother available for posting as well as two more reviews in the pipeline.

Marcus Yallow is a teen hacker living in San Francisco who doesn’t think beyond ditching school to play an ARG. But his world changes forever when terrorists attack his city and the Department of Homeland Security arrests him for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He becomes even more outraged as security measures enacted by the DHS curtail freedoms and treat everyone like a potential terrorist. Thus begins his personal battle for justice.

It’s hard to miss the theme of this book. Marcus is the consummate underdog outnumbered and outgunned by a runaway Big Brother. The book is set in San Francisco, one of the most ideological and open-minded places in the country. The book reeks with radicalism and rebelliousness. This is not a bad thing. While Little Brother is not exactly subtle, it does say what needs to be said. Doctorow tries to highlight the importance of social and political awareness, not just to the teen set but also for everyone. Doctorow attempts to have a genuine debate on freedom versus security and for the most part he succeeds. Especially for the younger generation that is the target of this novel.

Little Brother is chock full of technical jargon and information dumps, including technology that doesn’t currently exist, so it can be a little tough to get into first. And while it is aimed at teenagers it is a worthwhile read for adults as well. Characters, both young and adult are well written. Some choose to fight like Marcus does, some fear to do anything; others openly support the enhanced security measures. Ultimately though the book is about the importance of freedoms.

Neil Gaiman has said Little Brother is a must-read for teenagers and I agree. It’s also a good story on the dangers of security versus freedom. Recommended.

Rating: 8/10.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

No updates for now...

Due to some recent troubles with my internet service I have been unable to update my blog. I hope to get this fixed soon, but this means I am taking a leave of absence, at least for a while. Until then, keep reading folks!

Sunday, June 15, 2008

New releases for the week of June 17th

Spotlight:

Synopsis:
Mattie, an intelligent automaton skilled in the use of alchemy, finds herself caught in the middle of a conflict between gargoyles, the Mechanics, and the Alchemists. With the old order quickly giving way to the new, Mattie discovers powerful and dangerous secrets—secrets that can completely alter the balance of power in the city of Ayona. However, this doesn't sit well with Loharri, the Mechanic who created Mattie and still has the key to her heart—literally!

Paperback:
> Sideways in Crime, Lou Anders
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Passage at Arms, Glen Cook
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Europe:
> Principles of Angels, Jaine Fenn
(Amazon.co.uk, Book Depository)

> Eve: The Empyrean Age, Tony Gonzales
(Amazon.co.uk, Book Depository)

New York Times bestsellers for June 15th

Hardcover:
Stephanie Meyer’s The Host maintains its current position at number 2 for the second week in a row and its fifth week on the list overall. United States, Europe, Canada.

Laurell K. Hamilton’s Blood Noir drops four spots to number 5 in week two on the New York Times bestseller list. United States, Europe, Canada.

Dean Koontz’s Odd Hours is down four points in its fourth week to number 7. United States, Europe, Canada.

Troy Denning’s Invincible, also in its fourth week, is down ten spots to number 25. United States, Europe, Canada.

Paperback:
Michael Chabon’s popular The Yiddish Policemen’s Union slips two ranks to number 10 in its eighth week on the charts. United States, Europe, Canada.

Cormac McCarthy’s The Road climbs up another two positions to number 12 in its 40th week on the paperback list. The Road goes on and on... ;-) United States, Europe, Canada.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Lavinia


Virgil’s epic poem, The Aeneid, is about the Trojan hero Aeneas who survives the fall of the city and eventually makes his way to Italy where he marries a Latin woman by the name of Lavinia. This book is her story. Lavinia is the daughter and only child of the Latin king. Any man who marries her inherits the kingdom and the suitors are numerous. However, a ghost and a prophecy proclaim that she will marry a foreigner and plunge the realm into war.

Lavinia is a blending of myth and historical fiction. The mythological element is very strong reflecting the religious views of the early Italian peoples. Religious rites as well as omens and prophecies play a large part in the story. While the author admittedly takes a few liberties with the society’s sophistication, the historical aspect is incredibly accurate. Characters are also exceptionally well done, almost equal to Christopher Priest’s skill. All this combines to make the reader feel they are really present in a slightly mythical ancient Italy.

Anyone who likes historical fiction will enjoy this book set in the time prior to the rise of Rome. Strongly recommended.

Rating: 8.5/10.
 

Sunday, June 8, 2008

New releases for the week of June 10th

Spotlight:

I heard some good reviews of this book last year and decided to buy it online from the UK. Am I glad I did! This book turned out to be one of the best books of 2007. And now it's finally available in the States. So run to your local bookstore and pick it up now!

Synopsis:
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 slowwitted hunt-fodder by his tribe, the future looks especially bleak.

Here's my review from last October.

(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Synopsis:
When streetwise Molly Templar witnesses a brutal murder at the brothel she has recently been apprenticed to, her first instinct is to run back to the poorhouse where she grew up. But there she finds her fellow orphans butchered, and it slowly dawns on her that she was the real target of the attack. For Molly is a special little girl, and she carries a secret that marks her out for destruction by enemies of the state.

Oliver Brooks has led a sheltered existence in the backwater home of his merchant uncle. But when he is framed for his only relative's murder he is forced to flee for his life, accompanied by an agent of the mysterious Court of the Air. Chased across the country, Oliver finds himself in the company of thieves, outlaws and spies, and gradually learns more about the secret that has blighted his life.

Hardcover:
> Kushiel's Mercy, Jacqueline Carey
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The Lost Art, Simon Morden
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The House of Many Ways, Diana Wynne Jones
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Paperback:
> Midnight Never Come, Marie Brennan
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Soon I Will Be Invincible, Austin Grossman
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Execution Channel, Ken MacLeod
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Superpowers, David Schwartz
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Saturday, June 7, 2008

New York Times bestsellers for June 8th

Recent science fiction/fantasy hardcover releases have been doing very well as you can see with no less than seven titles on the bestseller list.

Hardcover:
Laurell K. Hamilton’s latest Anita Blake novel Blood Noir makes an impressive debut at number 1 on the bestseller list. United States, Europe, Canada.

Stephanie Meyer’s The Host is still going strong at number 2 at the end of week four. United States, Europe, Canada.

Dean Koontz’s Odd Hours slips two rankings in its third week to stop at number 3. United States, Europe, Canada.

Troy Denning’s Invincible rounds out its third week down four to number 15. United States, Europe, Canada.

James Rollins’ Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is down to number 24, four spots in its second week on the list. United States, Europe, Canada.

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse is down five in its fourth week to number 26. United States, Europe, Canada.

Newt Gingrich’s and William R. Forstchen’s Days of Infamy is hanging on at number 31, down three in its fifth week. United States, Europe, Canada.

Paperback:
Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union maintains its position at number 8 in its fifth week on the list. United States, Europe, Canada.

Cormac McCarthy’s The Road finishes its 39 week on the paperback list up five to number 14. United States, Europe, Canada.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

The Martian General's Daughter


The Martian General’s Daughter, set two hundred years in the future in a world reminiscent of Imperial Rome, is about General Peter Black, the last decent man as told by his devoted and illegitimate daughter. Once again, the empire is thrown into turmoil as powerful figures struggle for the throne and Peter Black is caught in the middle. 

As the title of the book implies, the story is as much about the general’s daughter, Justa, as it is about the man himself. Because she is illegitimate, she is raised in Black’s household and soon becomes his most trusted and devoted companion. Justa is just as important to the story as the general is. While the “main” plotline is set in the present, the majority of the story is told in flashback covering the reign of the Luke Antony. The General faithfully served the old emperor and felt obligated to do the same for his son. However, the son’s reign soon degenerated into a mad tyranny worthy of the Nero or Caligula.

The book draws heavily on Imperial Roman culture, religion, and politics. The correlation becomes stronger throughout the book as a nano weapon that destroys technology besets the empire, throwing society back several centuries. One of the main themes is the juxtaposition of simple, decent people caught up in the environment of decadence and corruption of absolute power. And it should not be lost on the reader that the birthplace of the book’s Pan-Polarian empire is in North America. Indeed, the allusions to ancient Roman tyranny are hard to miss, but thankfully the author manages not to overdo this story of the final stages of an empire’s collapse.

A cautionary tale on the consequences of supreme power, The Martian General’s Daughter is recommended for fans of both ancient Rome and military science fiction.

Rating: 7.5/10.
 

Sunday, June 1, 2008

New releases for the week of June 3rd

Spotlight:

Synopsis:
The world has fallen from its former state. The war between the clans of the Black Road and the True Bloods has spread. For Orisian, thane of the ruined Lannis Blood, there is no time to grieve the loss of his family, brutally slain by the invading armies. The Black Road must be stopped. However, as more blood is spilled on the battlefields, so each side in the conflict becomes more riven by internal dissent and disunity. Amidst the mounting chaos, Aeglyss the na'kyrim uses his new-found powers to twist everything and everyone around him to serve his own mad desires. Meanwhile, the long-dormant Anain are stirring - and when the most potent race the world has ever known returns, the bloodletting may never stop.

And I would be remiss if I did not mention the debut novel of a fellow Iowa Citian
of mine, The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas.

Synopsis:
In a city that runs on a dwindling supply of magic, a young boy is drawn into a life of wizardry and adventure. Conn should have dropped dead the day he picked Nevery's pocket and touched the wizard's locus magicalicus, a stone used to focus magic and work spells. But for some reason he did not. Nevery finds that interesting, and he takes Conn as his apprentice on the provision that the boy find a locus stone of his own. But Conn has little time to search for his stone between wizard lessons and helping Nevery discover who—or what—is stealing the city of Wellmet's magic.

Hardcover:
> Grantville Gazette IV, Eric Flint
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Daemons are Forever, Simon Green
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Valor’s Trial, Tanya Huff
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The Snow Queen, Mercedes Lackey
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The Prefect, Alastair Reynolds
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The Dark Ferryman, Jenna Rhodes
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Very Hard Choices, Spider Robinson
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

Paperback:
> Firestorm of Dragons, Michelle Acker, Kirk Dougal
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> All Souls Night, Jennifer Armintrout
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The Alton Gift, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Deborah Ross
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Ragamuffin, Tobias Buckell
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The Man Who Was Thursday, G.K. Chesterton
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Spook Country, William Gibson
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Vampire of the Mists, Christie Golden
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Year’s Best Fantasy 8, David Hartwell, Kathryn Cramer
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Future Americas, John Helfers, Martin Greenberg
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The Heart of Valor, Tanya Huff
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Good Fairies of New York, Martin Millar
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The Spider: City of Doom, Norvell W. Page
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Forgotten Realms: Siege of Darkness, R.A. Salvatore
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Forgotten Realms: Ascendancy of the Last, Lisa Smedman
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> The Reel Stuff, Brian Thomsen, Martin Greenberg (Reissue)
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

> Axis, Robert Charles Wilson
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble)