The Deckled Edge

Synopsis:

Frey is the captain of the Ketty Jay, leader of a small and highly dysfunctional band of layabouts. An inveterate womaniser and rogue, he and his gang make a living on the wrong side of the law, avoiding the heavily armed flying frigates of the Coalition Navy. With their trio of ragged fighter craft, they run contraband, rob airships and generally make a nuisance of themselves. So a hot tip on a cargo freighter loaded with valuables seems like a great prospect for an easy heist and a fast buck. Until the heist goes wrong, and the freighter explodes. Suddenly Frey isn't just a nuisance anymore - he's public enemy number one, with the Coalition Navy on his tail and contractors hired to take him down. But Frey knows something they don't. That freighter was rigged to blow, and Frey has been framed to take the fall. If he wants to prove it, he's going to have to catch the real culprit. He must face liars and lovers, dogfights and gunfights, Dukes and daemons. It's going to take all his criminal talents to prove he's not the criminal they think he is...

Hardcover:

> Fragment, Warren Fahy

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Angel’s Game, Carlos Luis Zafon

(Amazon, B&N)

Europe:

> Jasmyn, Alex Bell

Review: Best Served Cold

2009-06-10T15:00:00.005-05:00

Best Served Cold
by Joe Abercrombie

Format: Hardback, 536 pages
Publisher: Gollancz
Cover Design: Dave Senior, Didier Graffet/Bragelonne
Release Date: June 1, 2009 (UK)
ISBN-10: 0-575082453
ISBN-13: 978-0575082458

Monzcarro Murcatto, general of the mercenary army The Thousand Swords, and her brother and right-hand man, Benna, arrive at Talins to report the fall of another city to their employer, Duke Osco. The Duke, whose daughter is married to the King of the Union, has his own ambitions to become King of Styria and The Thousand Swords have already cut a swath through a portion of the continent. However, the mercenary army’s victories have made Monza extremely popular with the common people, far too popular for Osco’s taste. In a preemptive strike, Benna is murdered and Monza is thrown off a mountain to be left for dead.

Monza survives the fall, but is broken and scarred, swearing revenge against the seven who betrayed her. She recruits a varied band including her old mercenary general, a poisoner and his apprentice, a child-like killer, a former Union assassin, and a Northman trying to do good to aid her in her mission, which takes her across the breadth of Styria. As Monza’s revenge takes its toll on her and her comrades, her quest becomes subsumed by various factions, both within and without, intent on using the apex of Styria’s Years of Blood to their advantage.

The plot is a pretty straightforward revenge scenario and it plays that way for most of the book. About three-fourths of the way in, Monza’s revenge gets tied into a larger, overall struggle for control of Styria. The fate of the island continent swings back and forth between the various factions and it’s never clear how things will things end. Monza’s revenge is really a microcosm of a civilization caught in a never-ending struggle of power and blood. One thing I was surprised by was the number of characters first seen in The First Law who pop up in this book. Luckily, Abercrombie limits most of them to only supporting roles so that they don’t get in the way of the story.

And of course, the centerpieces of the novel are Abercrombie’s characters. Monza, in particular, is realistic as a woman who achieves a measure of power in a male-dominated culture. The tale is not just about her, but the entire cast as they cope with some of the darkest aspects of human nature. Some find a measure of redemption or even infamy while others descend into a dark spiral from which they may never recover. The title of the book uses part of the well-known quote for a good reason. Vengeance has a marked effect, on both those that seek it and those that are affected by it, and that it’s near impossible to do so and remain untouched.

Best Served Cold is a worthy stand-alone companion to The First Law trilogy. Abercrombie is definitely one of the best new writers of fantasy. Strongly recommended.

Rating: 9.5/10

New releases for the week of June 9th

2009-06-07T15:24:00.010-05:00

Along with the new releases for this week, I've also added a new sub to the sidebar titled "Eye on New Releases". As the title states, this will be a list of new books that I'll watching out for. I'm just trying this out for now.

Spotlight:

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

She was born in poverty, in a dusty village under the equatorial sun. She does not remember her mother, she does not remember her own name—her earliest clear memory is of the day her father sold her to the tall pale man. In the Court of the Pomegranate Tree, where she was taught the ways of a courtesan…and the skills of an assassin…she was named Emerald, the precious jewel of the Undying Duke’s collection of beauties.

She calls herself Green.

The world she inhabits is one of political power and magic, where Gods meddle in the affairs of mortals. At the center of it is the immortal Duke’s city of Copper Downs, which controls all the trade on the Storm Sea. Green has made many enemies, and some secret friends, and she has become a very dangerous woman indeed.

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn’t like his job, and the immortal who’s still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago.

Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren’s capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.

By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery, and mysterious Vasher, the Warbreaker.

Hardcover:

> Relentless, Dean Koontz

(Amazon, B&N)

> Of Berserkers, Swords, and Vampires, Fred Saberhagen

(Amazon, B&N)

> Overthrowing Heaven, Mark L. Van Name

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> The Edge of the World, Kevin J. Anderson

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Rise of the Terran Empire, Poul Anderson

(Amazon, B&N)

> In Ashes Lie, Marie Brennan

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Ghosts of Blood and Innocence, Storm Constantine

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Unit, Ninni Holmqvist

(Amazon, B&N)

Europe:

> Consorts of Heaven, Jaime Fenn

Review: Santa Olivia

2009-06-03T09:43:00.003-05:00

Santa Olivia
by Jacqueline Carey

Format: Paperback, 341 pages
Publisher: Grand Central
Cover Design: Alan Ayers
Release Date: May 29, 2009
ISBN-10: 0-44619817X
ISBN-13: 978-0446198172

In the near future, a flu pandemic races around the world. The United States decides to close off its borders and the town of Santa Olivia, near the Texas/Mexico border, is placed in a buffer zone and occupied by the military. The inhabitants are no longer citizens. They are cutoff from the rest of the country with the army being the only link to the outside world. After the buffer zone is in place, the only way to leave is to win a boxing match sponsored by the general of the garrison. However, no one has ever won.

One day an unlikely heroine is born. Her father was a deserter who had been genetically engineered with superhuman abilities and Loup Garron has inherited many of his gifts. As Loup grows into a young woman, she takes on the persona of the town’s patron saint to correct the injustices committed by the military occupiers. She soon comes to embody Santa Olivia’s hopes and dreams.

Santa Olivia is a very character-driven story. It first focuses on Loup’s mother and older brother before following the main character as she grows up. As can be expected from being cut off from the world, life in the town is not easy. Life is also hard for Loup as she loses her mother at a young age. Before she dies, her mother arranges for her to be raised with the orphans cared for by the church and they become her new family.

Loup’s family of orphans becomes the catalyst for the creation of her alter ego as Santa Olivia. The children band together to mete correct injustice and create miracles. I liked how every one of the orphan’s contributed to Loup’s role as Santa Olivia without any of them overshadowing the others. When Loup’s brother dies in the ring, she becomes determined to win not only for him and for the town, but to find her place in the world.

The only real negative thing that jumped out at me is that since the majority of the characters are teenagers, the emotions and relationships are at the same level. I just couldn’t help rolling my eyes at some of the teenage romance stuff. It’s only a minor complaint as it’s a small part of the story. And though I would have preferred a little more plot, I did enjoyed Carey’s focus the characters. This was my first novel by Carey and now I'm planning to check out the rest of her books.

Santa Olivia is a good character-driven superhero story, one that can be enjoyed by fans of both the author and the genre. Recommended.

Rating: 8/10

New releases for the week of June 2nd

2009-05-31T15:45:00.004-05:00

Spotlight:

Synopsis:

An ice age strikes a chain of islands, and thousands come to seek sanctuary at the gates of Villjamur: a city of ancient spires and bridges, a place where banshees wail the deceased, cultists use forgotten technology for their own gain and where, further out, the dead have been seen walking across the tundra. When the Emperor commits suicide, his elder daughter, Rika, is brought home to lead the Jamur Empire, but the sinister Chancellor plans to get rid of her and claim the throne for himself. Meanwhile a senior investigator in the city inquisition must solve the high-profile and savage murder of a city politician, whilst battling evils within his own life, and a handsome and serial womanizer manipulates his way into the imperial residence with a hidden agenda. When reports are received that tens of thousands of citizens are dying in a bizarre genocide on the northern islands of the Empire, members of the elite Night Guard are sent to investigate. It seems that, in this land under a red sun, the long winter is bringing more than just snow.

Hardcover:

> The Infinity Gate, Sara Douglass

(B&N)

> Faery Moon, P.R. Frost

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Spy Who Haunted Me, Simon R. Green

(Amazon, B&N)

> Skin Trade, Laurell K. Hamilton

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Story Sisters, Alice Hoffman

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Enchantment Emporium, Tanya Huff

(Amazon, B&N)

> House of Suns, Alastair Reynolds

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> Ink and Steel, Elizabeth Bear

(Amazon, B&N)

> Eve of Destruction, S.J. Day

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Immortal Prince, Jennifer Fallon

(Amazon, B&N)

> Demon Mistress, Yasmine Galenorn

(Amazon, B&N)

> Daemons Are Forever, Simon R. Green

(Amazon, B&N)

> Valor’s Trial, Tanya Huff

(Amazon, B&N)

> Juggler of Worlds, Larry Niven, Edward M. Lerner

(Amazon, B&N)

> Swordplay, Denise Little (Anthology)

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Dark Ferryman, Jenna Rhodes

(Amazon, B&N)

> Greywalker, Kat Richardson

(Amazon, B&N)

> Genesis, Ken Shuffeldt

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Edge of Reason, Melinda Snodgrass

(Amazon, B&N)

> Scarlet, Jordan Summers

(Amazon, B&N)

> By Schism Rent Asunder, David Weber

(Amazon, B&N)

> Null-A Continuum, Jon C. Wright

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Ships of Merior, Janny Wurts

(Amazon, B&N)

NYT bestsellers for May 29th

2009-05-30T15:24:00.005-05:00

Hardcover:
Charlaine Harris’ Dead and Gone slips a single point to number 4 in its third week. (Amazon, B&N)

Stephanie Meyer’s The Host maintains its previous position at number 7 two weeks after a full year on the list. (Amazon, B&N)

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun finishes its third week down nine to number 28. (Amazon, B&N)

Jim Butcher’s Turn Coat hangs on at the very bottom of the list after falling thirteen positions and a respectable seven weeks on the list. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is steady at number 4 for the second week in a row and eight weeks overall. (Amazon, B&N)

Dean Koontz’s Odd Hours is down four points to number 8 at the end of its fourth week. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse climbs a single rank in its seventh week to number 10. (Amazon, B&N)

David Benioff’s City of Thieves falls five spots in week eight to number 11. (Amazon, B&N)

Alan Dean Foster’s Star Trek stumbles seven steps to number 22 in its second week. (Amazon, B&N)

Karen Traviss’ Star Wars: Order 66 makes its debut on the paperback list at number 31. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series books 1-3, & 5 are at places 7, 11, 24, and 35 respectively.

Review: Twelve

2009-05-29T20:41:00.005-05:00

Twelve
by Jasper Kent

Format: Paperback, 480 pages
Publisher: Bantam
Cover Design: Paul Young
Release Date: January 1, 2009
ISBN-10: 0- 593060644
ISBN-13: 978-0593060643

Captain Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov is a Russian soldier in the year 1812. Most of Europe is under the French boot and now Napoleon has invaded Russia. The Tsar has ordered the Russian army to fall back rather than meet Napoleon in a decisive battle. Aleksei’s squad, which functions as scouts and spies by seeking intelligence and often working behind the lines, decides to hire a group of twelve foreign mercenaries to help slow the French advance.

However, the mercenaries, dubbed the Oprichniki by Aleksei’s squad, are not normal men. This is quite clear from the very beginning as they kill with a brutal, ruthless, and scary efficiency. In fact, they are voordalak – the ancient Russian word for vampire. When Aleksei discovers the Oprichniki’s true nature, the battle shifts from fighting the French to eradicating an ancient nightmare now fighting in their midst.

One cool thing about the book is that the vampires are pretty realistic. They have advantages over humans, but they have weaknesses to even the balance. Another thing is that the vampires don’t actively seek to increase their numbers. Instead, they rely on those that approach them and share a willingness to give up their humanity. Hence, vampirism is as much a state of mind as a disease or even existence as a separate species.

Twelve certainly sounds like an interesting book and it’s the main reason I bought it. Unfortunately, I had a few problems with it. My main complaint is that the book did not feel like a historical novel. Other than political details, there is nothing that made me feel like I was in 19th Century Russia fighting Napoleon. Frankly, the tale could be have been set during Caesar’s conquest of Gaul or the Boxer Rebellion in China for all the importance of the setting. Truly, the book is not about the Napoleonic Wars at all but rather against the vampires and I think the story suffers for it. To put it another way: if the setting is secondary, why have a vampire story in this time period at all?

Part of the problem with this may be Kent’s prose style. The novel is written in first person narrative yet I had quite a bit of difficulty believing in Aleksei’s motivations and actions. For instance, as an officer, Aleksei has a wife and son in St. Petersburg. He also has a mistress in Moscow, yet his love for her is never convincing. Neither did I believe his “instinctive” hatred for the vampires when all his knowledge of them is from fairy tales told by his grandmother. Aleksei even goes so far as to turn against his fellow comrades. Characterization on the whole was better for the supporting cast then it ever was for the voice of the narrative. The last third of the book, exclusively about Aleksei against the vampires, was nearly a slog to read.

Twelve has a very interesting premise, unfortunately I felt the author didn’t quite pull it off. Perhaps I was expecting too much from a book with a historical setting, or maybe I was not in the right frame of mind when I read it. In any case, the book might still appeal to other readers of vampire/horror or historical fiction.

Rating: 6.5/10

Review: The Warded Man

2009-05-24T20:42:00.005-05:00

The Warded Man
by Peter V. Brett

Format: Hardback, 416 pages
Publisher: Del Ray
Cover Design: Albert Stark, Lauren K. Cannon
Release Date: March 10, 2009
ISBN-10: 0-345503805
ISBN-13: 978-0345503800

For as long as anyone can remember, night has been the dominion of the corelings - demons that rise like steam from the core of the earth to take on terrible forms. For hundreds of years, the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards. Ages ago, mankind battled the corelings are equal ground, but the fighting wards have long been lost and fear is the only thing most people know.

However, three survivors are determined to change their world. Rojer was crippled by the demons that killed his parents and seeks solace in music only to find that music can also be a weapon. Leesha, harmed by both men and demons, becomes a master healer and a gatherer of knowledge. Arlen, the main focus of the narrative, will pay any price to battle the corelings. His path will lead him beyond the boundary of what it means to be human.

The Warded Man was published as The Painted Man in the United Kingdom late last year, yet the American title seems more appropriate as it is the term used in the book. The book is really a pretty standard fantasy with dark forces that prey on humankind and a farm boy who will rise to greatness. Indeed, Arlen is a bit of a “Mary Sue”, doing and thinking of things that apparently nobody else ever has before. Another problem was that the initial family dynamics for each of the characters seemed a little contrived to produce the characters that would be necessary later on.

Luckily, the novel’s early problems are lessened and resolved a bit as the plot advances. I admire the fact that the author cut across months and even years to keep the plot and pace going steadily. He also did a good job making me care about the characters. Although the three main characters aren’t especially complex, they do evolve a fair deal with Arlen experiencing the most development. Overall, the book was a good, fun read and I liked the world that Peter Brett created.

The Warded Man is a standard fantasy story yet it’s also an entertaining one and I look forward to the next book. Recommended.

Rating: 7.5/10

New releases for the week of May 26th

2009-05-24T16:56:00.005-05:00

Spotlight:

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

When a murdered woman is found in the city of Beszel, somewhere at the edge of Europe, it looks to be a routine case for Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad. But as he investigates, the evidence points to conspiracies far stranger and more deadly than anything he could have imagined.

Borlú must travel from the decaying Beszel to the only metropolis on Earth as strange as his own. This is a border crossing like no other, a journey as psychic as it is physical, a shift in perception, a seeing of the unseen. His destination is Beszel’s equal, rival, and intimate neighbor, the rich and vibrant city of Ul Qoma. With Ul Qoman detective Qussim Dhatt, and struggling with his own transition, Borlú is enmeshed in a sordid underworld of rabid nationalists intent on destroying their neighboring city, and unificationists who dream of dissolving the two into one. As the detectives uncover the dead woman’s secrets, they begin to suspect a truth that could cost them and those they care about more than their lives.

What stands against them are murderous powers in Beszel and in Ul Qoma: and, most terrifying of all, that which lies between these two cities.

Hardcover:

> Black Powder War, Naomi Novik

> Hylozoic, Rudy Rucker

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> Slan Hunter, Kevin J. Anderson, A.E. Van Vogt

(Amazon, B&N)

> Killing with the Edge of the Moon, A. Attanasio

(Amazon, B&N)

> Xenopath, Eric Brown

(Amazon, B&N)

> Orphan’s Triumph, Robert Buettner

(Amazon, B&N)

> Santa Olivia, Jacqueline Carey

(Amazon, B&N)

> World’s End, Mark Chadbourn

(Amazon, B&N)

> Semper Human, Ian Douglas

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Little Book, Selden Edwards

(Amazon, B&N)

> Incandescence, Greg Egan

(Amazon, B&N)

> Witch Way to the Mall, Esther Friesner

(Amazon, B&N)

> Blood Noir, Laurell K. Hamilton

(Amazon, B&N)

> Living Dead in Dallas, Charlaine Harris (Reprint)

(Amazon, B&N)

> Year’s Best SF 14, David G. Hartwell, Kathryn Cramer (Anthology)

(Amazon, B&N)

> Science Fiction: The Best of the Year 2008, Rich Horton (Anthology)

(Amazon, B&N)

> Divisions, Ken MacLeod

(Amazon, B&N)

> Warhammer 40,000: The Killing Ground, Graham McNeill

(Amazon, B&N)

> Star Flight, Andre Norton

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Human Disguise, James O’Neal

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Prefect, Alastair Reynolds

(Amazon, B&N)

> Endless Blue, Wen Spencer

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Stone Gods, Jeanette Winterson

(Amazon, B&N)

NYT bestsellers for May 22nd

2009-05-23T18:01:00.004-05:00

Hardcover:
Charlaine Harris’ Dead and Gone slips two spots to number 3 in its second week on the list. (Amazon, B&N)

Stephanie Meyer’s The Host finishes its 53rd week on the list up a point to number 7. (Amazon, B&N)

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun falls nine ranks in its second week to number 19. (Amazon, B&N)

Jim Butcher’s Turn Coat rounds out week six down two to number 22. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ends its seventh week maintaining its position at number 4. (Amazon, B&N)

Dean Koontz’s Odd Hours is also steady at number four on the mass market list in its third week. (Amazon, B&N)

David Benioff’s City of Thieves is down one spot to number 6 in week seven. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse keeps its previous position at number 11 in week six. (Amazon, B&N)

Alan Dean Foster’s Star Trek makes its debut on the paperback list at number 15. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark is at number 13 and Living Dead in Dallas is at number 20.

Review: Tides from the New Worlds

2009-05-18T18:28:00.005-05:00

Tides from the New Worlds
by Tobias Buckell

Format: Hardcover, 293 pages
Publisher: Wyrm
Cover Design: Brian Dow
Release Date: April 2009
ISBN-10: 1-890464074
ISBN-13: 978-1890464073

Tides from the New Worlds is a collection of Tobias Buckell’s short stories. Tobias Buckell burst onto the scene almost three years ago with the publication of his novel Crystal Rain. The science fiction novel, set on a future world and populated with descendents of Aztec and Afro-Caribbean cultures, marked a new and unique flavor in science fiction. Buckell’s next two books Ragamuffin and Sly Mongoose have established him as a fresh new voice in space opera and speculative fiction as a whole.

There are twenty-one short stories in Tides from the New Worlds. Most have been published in various venues such as anthologies and magazines except for “Something in the Rock”, which was written exclusively for this limited edition. The stories range from pure science fiction to fantasy to historical fiction, and to somewhere in between. A few take place in a universe already familiar to fans of Buckell. Others are separate, yet the discerning reader can glimpse echoes of ideas present in his novels. One of Buckell’s strengths as a writer is his characters and all of the stories in this collection reflect that.

I am not providing summaries on all of the stories. Instead I will limit myself to the ones I enjoyed the most. All of the stories are good and these three are my favorite.

The absolutely gorgeous cover of this collection features a scene from the story “Tides”. Siana is a young girl who lives in a stilt-village far out into the ocean and one day she returns from looking for shells to discover that her sister has returned home from the Coastal Wars. At first, Siana is resentful of her siblings return, but magic soon forms a bond between them before a tragic event changes her life forever.

“Something in the Rock” is a tale about a dwarf who leads a mission to rescue a group of trapped miners except that they find far more than they bargain for deep down in the earth. Something of a horror story, the story explores what happens when you face a terrible threat yet are unable to trust your own senses.

In “Necahual”, a young soldier from the League lands on the planet New Anegada to save it from the threat of alien invasion. However, nothing is quite what it seems. The natives don’t necessarily want his help and there’s a slight problem with the Aztecs.

Tides from the New Worlds is a must-read for all fans of Tobias Buckell. Strongly recommended.

Rating: 8.5/10

New releases for the week of May 19th

2009-05-17T16:03:00.002-05:00

Hardcover:
> Flinx Transcendent, Alan Dean Foster
(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
> Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Alan Dean Foster
(Amazon, B&N)

> Victory of Eagles, Naomi Novik
(Amazon, B&N)

> Star Wars: Order 66, Karen Traviss
(Amazon, B&N)

NYT bestsellers for May 15th

2009-05-16T16:38:00.003-05:00

Hardcover:
Charlaine Harris’ Dead and Gone makes its debut on the bestseller list at number 1. (Amazon, B&N)

Stephanie Meyer’s The Host finishes its 52nd week on the list at number 8 with no change from last week. (Amazon, B&N)

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun also makes its debut on the list at number 10. (Amazon, B&N)

Jim Butcher’s Turn Coat falls three ranks in its fifth week to number 20. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is up one position to number 4 in its sixth week. (Amazon, B&N)

Dean Koontz’s Odd Hours finishes its second week at number 4, up two. (Amazon, B&N)

David Benioff’s City of Thieves slips two spots to number 5 in its sixth week on the list. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse, after dropping nineteen points last week, is back up thirteen spots to number 11 in its fifth week. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark is at number 20 and Living Dead in Dallas is at number 30.

Jack Campbell’s The Lost Fleet: Relentless tumbles eighteen points to number 34 in its second week. (Amazon, B&N)

Review: Devil's Cape

2009-05-12T19:21:00.002-05:00

Devil's Cape
by Rob Rogers

Format: Paperback, 409 pages
Publisher: Discoveries
Cover Design: Chris McGrath
Release Date: April 1, 2008
ISBN-10: 0-786949015
ISBN-13: 978-0786949014

"A city where corruption and heroism walk hand-in-hand, and justice and mercy are bought and paid for in blood, Devil’s Cape has never been kind to its heroes. But when a new band of vigilantes rises from the ashes of one of the city’s most horrific murders, they set in motion a course of events that will change the city forever – but not necessarily for the better."

The book begins in flashback, giving the background of the major characters as well as several minor characters in the novel. The story then catches up to the present day as a team of superheroes arrives to avenge the death of a teammate twenty years earlier, however a gang of super-powered criminals guns them down in cold blood. Their deaths galvanize others into action intent on bringing down the former circus freaks. And watching and manipulating everything from the shadows, is the mysterious Robber Baron.

The city of Devil’s Cape is itself practically it’s own character; built in the swamps of Louisiana not far from New Orleans, by an honest-to-God pirate by the name of St. Diable. The extremely detailed background really brings the city to life and makes it feel as if it really exists. As a haven for criminals and corruption, I can’t help but be reminded of DC Comics Gotham City, likely the inspiration for the author’s city. The existence of superheroes is another similarity to the comic book universe with characters’ powers and costumes much like those of popular superheroes. Though perhaps I should say super-powered people instead, as not everyone with superpowers in Devil’s Cape would be considered a hero.

As can be guessed from the book’s plot, the setting is quite dark and gritty so it’s not surprising that the characters are as dirty as the city in which they live. Everyone is, to some degree, tainted or touched by the city’s influence. Characters fall on both sides of the line between good and evil and sometimes cross it several times in the novel. And everyone has their own reason and motivations for what they do. As for the Robber Baron, well, you’ll just have to read the book. If anything, I thought the characters could have been a little grayer than they were actually portrayed, but it’s only the author’s first novel.

Devil’s Cape is an impressive debut novel. There is more than enough material for more books sequels and hopefully Rob Rogers will write more in this setting and in others as well. Strongly recommended.

Rating: 8.5/10

New releases for the week of May 12th

2009-05-10T15:26:00.004-05:00

Spotlight:

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

When the British Arean Company founded its Martian colony, it welcomed any settlers it could get. Outcasts, misfits and dreamers emigrated in droves to undertake the grueling task of terraforming the cold red planet--only to be abandoned when the BAC discovered it couldn't turn a profit on Mars.

This is the story of Mary Griffith, a determined woman with three daughters, who opened the only place to buy a beer on the Tharsis Bulge. It's the story of Manco Inca, whose attempt to terraform Mars brought a new goddess vividly to life; of Stanford Crosley, con man extraordinaire; of Ottorino Vespucci, space cowboy and romantic hero; of the Clan Morrigan, of the denizens of the Martian Motel, and of the machinations of another Company entirely, all of whom contribute to the downfall of the BAC and the founding of a new world. But Mary and her struggles and triumphs is at the center of it all, in her bar, the Empress of Mars.

Hardcover:

> A Grey Moon Over China, Thomas A. Day

(Amazon, B&N)

> Night of Knives, Ian C. Esselmont

(Amazon, B&N)

> Monster, A. Lee Martinez

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> Tigerheart, Peter David

(Amazon, B&N)

> Dark Integers and Other Stories, Greg Egan

(Amazon, B&N)

> Star Trek, Alan Dean Foster

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Best of Michael Moorcock, Michael Moorcock

(Amazon, B&N)

> From the Earth to the Moon, Edward Roth, Jules Verne

(Amazon, B&N)

NYT bestsellers for May 8th

2009-05-09T16:33:00.002-05:00

Hardcover:
Stephanie Meyer’s The Host is down two spots to number 8 at the end of its 51st week. (Amazon, B&N)

Jim Butcher’s Turn Coat slumps seven points in its fourth week to number 17. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
David Benioff’s City of Thieves maintains its position at number 3 for the third week in a row and its fifth week overall. (Amazon, B&N)

Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies climbs back up another five ranks in its fifth week to number 5. (Amazon, B&N)

Dean Koontz’s Odd Hours makes its debut on the paperback bestseller list at number 6. (Amazon, B&N)

Likewise, Jack Campbell’s The Lost Fleet: Relentless also makes its debut this week at number 16. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse falls a whopping nineteen positions to number 24 at the end of week five. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark is at number 24.

New releases for the week of May 5th

2009-05-03T15:44:00.004-05:00

Spotlight:

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún is a previously unpublished work by J.R.R. Tolkien, written while Tolkien was Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford during the 1920s and ‘30s, before he wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It makes available for the first time Tolkien’s extensive retelling in English narrative verse of the epic Norse tales of Sigurd the Völsung and The Fall of the Niflungs. It includes an introduction by J.R.R. Tolkien, drawn from one of his own lectures on Norse literature, with commentary and notes on the poems by Christopher Tolkien.

Hardcover:

> Diamond Star, Catherine Asaro

(Amazon, B&N)

> Shadow Valley, Steven Barnes

(Amazon, B&N)

> Flood, Stephen Baxter

(Amazon, B&N)

> In the Stormy Red Sky, David Drake

(Amazon, B&N)

> Dead and Gone, Charlaine Harris

(Amazon, B&N)

> Starfinder, John Marco

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> The Shadow Isle, Katharine Kerr

(Amazon, B&N)

> Fires of Freedom, Jerry Pournelle

(Amazon, B&N)

> Coraline: The Graphic Novel, Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell

(Amazon, B&N)

> Fall of Thanes, Brian, Ruckley

(Amazon, B&N)

> Terra Insegura, Edward Willett

(Amazon, B&N)

Review: Avempartha

2009-05-02T19:09:00.005-05:00

Avempartha

by Michael J. Sullivan

Format: Paperback, 331 pages
Publisher: Ridan
Cover Design: Michael J. Sullivan
Release Date: March 22, 2009

ISBN-13: 978-0979621116

When a destitute young woman hires two thieves to help save her remote village from nocturnal attacks, they are drawn into the schemes of the wizard Esrahaddon. While Royce struggles to breech the secrets of an ancient elven tower, Hadrian attempts to rally the villagers to defend themselves against the unseen killer. What begins with the simple theft of a sword places the two thieves at the center of a firestorm — that could change the future of Elan.

Avempartha is the second book in the Riyria Revelations and picks up about two years after The Crown Conspiracy left off. Royce and Hadrian are off to the eastern wilderness to help the village of Dhalgren to fight off attacks by a mysterious monster. They quickly run into the wizard Esrahaddon, who they set free in the first novel, who claims that the weapon necessary to kill the beast is locked in an elven tower. Of course, the wizard has his own reasons for wanting to get inside. Meanwhile, the Church of Novron is maneuvering to plant a new heir on the imperial throne and thus hoping to gain control of Elan. They plan to accomplish this by having the “heir” kill the same monster attacking Dhalgren. As can be expected with many conflicting agendas, nothing goes according to plan.

The second book in this new epic fantasy series is a bit of an improvement over the first. The plot is, if anything, a little tighter, focusing on the confrontation with the magical beast. There is more background on the main characters of Royce and Hadrian as well as on the Church and the history of Elan. The Crown Conspiracy had a couple places where there was some info dumping close together in the narrative, and Avempartha has this as well, however it is only a minor concern and is otherwise well handled. As in the first novel, the second is essentially self-contained, though it does set up the plot for the next book.

Avempartha is a worthy sequel to The Crown Conspiracy. In fact, I’d say it probably surpasses it. I definitely recommend this new series and I look forward to the third book, Nyphron Rising.

Rating: 8/10

NYT bestsellers for May 1st

2009-05-02T16:09:00.003-05:00

Hardcover:
Stephanie Meyer’s The Host is down one to number 6 and marks its 50th week on the NYT bestseller list. (Amazon, B&N)

Jim Butcher’s Turn Coat finishes its third week down seven to number 10. (Amazon, B&N)

Aaron Allston’s Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Outcast comes in clear at the bottom of the list at number 35, down eleven points in its fifth week. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
David Benioff’s City of Thieves is steady at number 3 in its week four. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse slips a point in its fourth week to number 5. (Amazon, B&N)

Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is down three ranks to number 10 in its fourth week. (Amazon, B&N)

Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Acheron rounds out its fourth week at number 25, up two. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark and Leaving Dead in Dallas are at number 21 and 28 respectively.

Brent Weeks The Way of Shadows is back on the list at number 35.

Review: In the Courts of the Sun

2009-04-30T11:18:00.004-05:00

I just review In the Courts of the Sun by Brian D'Amato for Bookspot Central. The book has an interesting premise utilizing the Maya calendar, a divination ritual, and time travel to try to avert the end of the world, however, I think the book's flaws were a bit too glaring. While some people might like it, I'm afraid I can't recommend it. You can read the review here.

New releases for the week of April 28th

2009-04-26T15:57:00.005-05:00

Spotlight:

(Amazon)

Synopsis:

On a world of intelligent robots who seem to have forgotten their own distant past, it is a time of war as the soldiers of Artemis City set out to conquer everything within range on the continent of Shull, killing or converting every robot they capture to their philosophy, while viewing their own wire-based minds as nothing but metal to be used or recycled for the cause. Elsewhere, the more individualistic robots of Turing City believe they are something more than metal, but when the Artemisian robot Kavan sets out on a determined crusade to prove himself, even Turing City can't stand against him.Increasingly tied up with Kavan's destiny is Karel, a Turing robot with elements of Artemis' philosophy already woven into his mind ...as well as Karel's wife Susan, and their recently created child. Following the inevitable violence and destruction, Artemisian ambition focuses elsewhere and a journey begins towards the frozen kingdoms of the north ...and towards the truth about the legendary "Book of Robots", a text which may finally explain the real history of this strange world ...

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:
Aqueduct Press is pleased to announce the release of Cheek by Jowl, a collection of talks and essays on how and why fantasy matters, by Ursula K. Le Guin. In these essays, Le Guin argues passionately that the homogenization of our world makes the work of fantasy essential for helping us break through what she calls ''the reality trap.'' Le Guin writes not only of the pleasures of her own childhood reading, but also about what fantasy means for all of us living in the global twenty-first century.

Hardcover:

> The Currents of Space, Isaac Asimov

(Amazon, B&N)

> Conspirator, C.J. Cherryh

(Amazon, B&N)

> City of Glass, Cassandra Clare

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Onion Girl, Charles de Lint

> The Red Wolf Conspiracy, Robert V.S. Redick

(Amazon, B&N)

> Empties, George Zebrowski

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> The Ashes of Worlds, Kevin J. Anderson

(Amazon, B&N)

> To Outlive Eternity, Poul Anderson (Anthology)

(Amazon, B&N)

> Sins and Shadows, Lyn Benedict

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Lost Fleet: Relentless, Jack Campbell

(Amazon, B&N)

> Genesis, Paul Chafe

(Amazon, B&N)

> Congo, Michael Crichton (Reprint)

(Amazon, B&N)

> State of Fear, Michael Crichton (Reprint)

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Terminal Man, Michael Crichton (Reprint)

(Amazon, B&N)

> Eve of Darkness, S.J. Day

(Amazon, B&N)

> Dayhunter, Jocelynn Drake

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Twisted Citadel, Sara Douglass

(Amazon, B&N)

> Terminator Salvation, Alan Dean Foster

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Laurentine Spy, Emily Gee

(Amazon, B&N)

> In a Time of Treason, David Keck

(Amazon, B&N)

> Odd Hours, Dean Koontz

(Amazon, B&N)

> Warhammer 40,000: Heroes of the Space Marines, Nick Kyme, Lindsey Priestley

(Amazon, B&N)

> Fallen, Tim Lebbon

(Amazon, B&N)

> Singularity’s Ring, Paul Melko

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Hero of Ages, Brandon Sanderson

(Amazon, B&N)

> Blood of Elves, Andrzej Sapkowski

(Amazon, B&N)

> Zoe’s Tale, John Scalzi

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Trouble with Demons, Lisa Shearin

(Amazon, B&N)

> Heavy Mental, Ian Shirley

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Dragons of Babel, Michael Swanwick

(Amazon, B&N)

> Slanted Jack, Mark L. Van Name

(Amazon, B&N)

> Star Trek: Vanguard: Open Secrets, Dayton Ward

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Grand Conjunction: Astropolis, Sean Williams

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Curse of the Mistwraith, Janny Wurts

(Amazon, B&N)

NYT bestsellers for April 24th

2009-04-25T09:32:00.003-05:00

Hardcover:
Jim Butcher’s Turn Coat slips two spots in its second week on the list to number 3. (Amazon, B&N)

Stephanie Meyer’s The Host finishes its 49th week down one spot to number 5. (Amazon, B&N)

Aaron Allston’s Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Outcast tumbles nine positions to number 24 at the end of its fourth week. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
David Benioff’s City of Thieves maintains its strong position at number 3 at the end of its third week. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse slips a point in its third week to number 4. (Amazon, B&N)

Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is back up six ranks to number 7 in week three. (Amazon, B&N)

Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Acheron is down eight positions in its third week to number 27. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark and Leaving Dead in Dallas are at ranks number 17 and 28 respectively.

NYT bestsellers for April 17th

2009-04-18T16:44:00.003-05:00

Hardcover:
Jim Butcher's Turn Coat, the eleventh book in the Dresden Files, takes the top spot at number 1 on the NYT bestseller list. (Amazon, B&N)

Stephanie Meyer’s The Host is down two spots to number 4 in its 48th week. (Amazon, B&N)

Aaron Allston’s Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Outcast slips four points in its third week to number 15. (Amazon, B&N)

Raymond E. Feist’s Rides a Dread Legion falls eight ranks in its second week to number 24. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
David Benioff’s City of Thieves climbs a single spot to number 3 in its second week on the list. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse, also in its second week, is down to two points to number 3. (Amazon, B&N)

Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies rounds out its second week down ten to number 13. (Amazon, B&N)

Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Acheron finishes week two down five to number 19. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark is up a single point to number 26 in its third second week. (Amazon, B&N)

Review: The Crown Conspiracy

2009-04-17T20:18:00.002-05:00

The Crown Conspiracy
by Michael J. Sullivan

Format: Paperback, 296 pages
Publisher: Aspirations Media
Cover Design: Michael J. Sullivan
Release Date: October 1, 2008
ISBN-10: 0-980003437
ISBN-13: 978-0980003437

“There is no ancient evil to defeat, no orphan destined for greatness, just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time...Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out…and so begins this epic tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.”

Thus states the book’s synopsis on the author’s webpage and it explains the plot pretty well. The Crown Conspiracy is the first book in the six-part Riyria Revelations. Each book is supposed to be part of a larger tale, yet can also be read individually as stand-alone novels. Also, according to the author’s site, all the books in the series are already written so future installments should be coming quite soon. Indeed, the second story, Avempartha, was released last month and if the pattern continues, the third should be out in another five months.

As the reader can tell from the book’s synopsis, The Crown Conspiracy has a little bit of everything. It has elves, murder, wizards, intrigue, war, adventure, and hope. You might think there is too much for one book. And while it’s true that the book comes in just shy of three hundred pages, the plot takes off fairly quickly. Truthfully, the tale is quite concise without much meandering or world building except what is needed for the story. In many ways, the novel takes all the conventional tropes of a traditional fantasy story, takes what it needs, and throws out the rest. What is left is a quick and entertaining read.

One of my complaints with the novel is that the story seemed a little too simplistic. Drama and tension were resolved a little quickly, and some of the character inteactions were a little too easy. My other complaint is that it seems the world isn’t big enough for the story and the people in it. What I mean by that is that while the map at the front shows a fairly good-sized continent with plenty of space, the land as described in the story seems smaller than it should be. For instance, early in the book the main characters cover a fair distance in only one day, a distance that is over half the entire size of a kingdom. Luckily, both of these issues are handled somewhat better towards the end of the novel.

The Crown Conspiracy has a few, small flaws, but on the whole it is also a fast-paced and entertaining story. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series. Recommended.

Rating: 7.5/10

Review: Turn Coat

2009-04-15T13:10:00.003-05:00

Turn Coat
by Jim Butcher

Format: Hardcover, 420 pages
Publisher: Roc Trade
Cover Design: Chris McGrath
Release Date: April, 7 2009
ISBN-10: 0-451462565
ISBN-13: 978-0451462565

Harry Dresden has never gotten along with Morgan. Maybe it has to do with how the veteran Warden has hounded him most of his life. But when Morgan shows up on Harry’s doorstep, bleeding and on the run from the White Council, what’s an upstanding wizard to do? Harry doesn’t like it but he can’t let a man be labeled a traitor and executed for something he hasn’t done.

Determined to clear Morgan’s name, Harry begins to search for the traitor on the White Council. Along the way, he runs into a British weasel who can summon beings from the Nevernever and an ancient Navajo skinwalker. It also doesn’t help that his brother Thomas disappears and the White Court vampires also get drawn into the whole mess. Will Harry be able to prove Morgan’s innocence or is the Warden’s fate sealed no matter what?

The latest installment in the Dresden Files is full of action and lots of plot development. As always Harry runs afoul of several different players at once, however his tenacity pays off and he manages to pit them against each other. The traitor plot is resolved and the thread is set up for a new arc in the series. This book is also a fair bit darker as he becomes isolated from those that keep him grounded and his apprentice Molly makes some bad choices. The traitor’s revelation actually ends up being the weakest part of the novel.

Note: the following lines contain plot spoilers. Those who haven’t read the book should skip to the next paragraph. My biggest gripe with Turn Coat is over who was revealed as the traitor on the council. I thought the traitor being the secretary was a bit of copout. Butcher mentioned a few books back that only a handful of people could have known a key piece of information and Peabody was not one of them. As the secretary for the senior members, it’s possible Peabody have could known all the necessary details, but I it didn’t ring quite true. Ultimately, other actions on the part of the traitor did make the plotline easier to swallow so the book ended fairly well.

Turn Coat is another fast-paced and addictive book in the fun and fantastic Dresden Files series. Recommended.

Rating: 8/10

New releases for the week of April 14th

2009-04-12T15:54:00.003-05:00

Spotlight:

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

Bova's cautionary medical thriller, the uncut version of his 1996 novel Brothers, explores the political, social and religious ramifications of what could be humankind's greatest medical breakthrough-organ regeneration. When biotech lab director Arthur Marshak discovers a way to grow replacement organs and limbs within a patient's own body, the uproar from religious extremists, conservative politicians and sensationalized media coverage threatens to derail the project. When Marshak decides to let a "science court" in Washington, D.C., rule on the validity of human organ regeneration, the subsequent travesty of a tribunal not only imperils his career but also his tempestuous relationship with his estranged brother, who happens to be married to Arthur's ex-fiancée.

Hardcover:

> House of Windows, John Langan

(Amazon, B&N)

> A Forthcoming Wizard, Jody Lynn Nye

(Amazon, B&N)

> Fire Raiser, Melanie Rawn

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Revolution Business, Charles Stross

(Amazon, B&N)

> Thirteenth Child, Patricia C. Wrede

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> The Sugar Queen, Sarah Addison Allen

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Sam Gunn Omnibus, Ben Bova

(Amazon, B&N)

> Viewpoints Critical, L.E. Modesitt Jr. (Anthology)

(Amazon, B&N)

> Orcs: Bad Blood, Stan Nicholls

(Amazon, B&N)

NYT bestsellers for April 10th

2009-04-11T16:47:00.003-05:00

Hardcover:
Stephanie Meyer’s The Host is back up to number 2, up three in its 47th week. (Amazon, B&N)

Aaron Allston’s Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Outcast falls eight positions to number 11 in its second week. (Amazon, B&N)

Raymond E. Feist’s Rides a Dread Legion makes its debut on the NYT bestseller list at number 16. (Amazon, B&N)

Kim Harrison’s White Witch, Black Curse tumbles another 6 points in its sixth week to stop at number 26. (Amazon, B&N)

Christopher Moore’s Fool slips three ranks to number 31 in week eight. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse makes its debut on the paperback list at number 1. (Amazon, B&N)

The third debut this week is David Benioff’s City of Thieves at number 4. (Amazon, B&N)

Sherrilyn Kenyon’s latest Dark Hunter book Acheron also makes its debut at number 14. (Amazon, B&N)

The final debut this week at number 16 is Ilona Andrews’ Magic Strikes. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark is back on the paperback list at number 27. (Amazon, B&N)

Review: The Sun Over Breda

2009-04-08T10:10:00.003-05:00

The Sun Over Breda
by Arturo Perez-Reverte

Format: Paperback, 273 pages
Publisher: Plume
Cover Design: Chin-Yee Lai, Thomas J. Abercrombie/Getty Images
Release Date: April 5, 2007
ISBN-10: 0-452289741
ISBN-13: 978-0452289741

In the third installment in the Captain Alatriste series, the story moves to the battlefields of the Netherlands. The Dutch lands are in revolt against the Spanish-Austrian monarchy and the crown is determined to hold onto the land. Diedo Alatriste has re-enlisted in his old tercio, both to avoid political troubles at home, but also to settle his restless nature. Inigo, as always, accompanies him as his servant.

The story opens with the capture of a Dutch military fort as part of an operation by Alatriste’s tercio to put the squeeze on the city of Breda. The siege of the city takes up a fair amount of the plot as well as two major battles between Spanish and Dutch forces. Full of fighting and action, this tale is a somewhat different book in the series.

The Sun Over Breda marks a slight shift in the series storytelling. The previous two books focused more on politics and intrigue on the streets and in the court of Madrid. The latest novel is an almost straight-up military tale from the point of view of 17th Century soldier. The reader gets a very in-depth look of the Spanish army as the empire’s power begins to wane.

I was surprised to learn with this book that the author is basing the series on an actual manuscript written none other than the books’ narrator. I look forward to seeing where the series goes from here.

The Sun over Breda is another good edition to the Arturo Perez-Reverte’s popular historical fiction series. Recommended for all fans.

Rating: 8/10

New releases for the week of April 7th

2009-04-05T15:45:00.004-05:00

Spotlight:

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

The search for a traitor in the highest circles of power forms the main plot thread of Butcher's 11th hard-boiled fantasy novel featuring Chicago's wizard detective Harry Dresden. Harry, a warden of the magic-governing White Council, finds himself in an unusual position when Morgan, his fellow warden and frequent antagonist, asks for his help. One of the White Council's leaders has been murdered, and Morgan was found at the scene of the crime holding the murder weapon. If he has been framed, then another senior wizard is behind the killing and may be trying to destroy the council entirely. Aided by werewolf and vampire allies, Dresden investigates with his trademark sardonic noir flair.

Hardcover:

> The Stranger, Max Frei

(Amazon, B&N)

> A Madness of Angels, Kat Griffin

(Amazon, B&N)

> Longeye, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

(Amazon, B&N)

> Corambis, Sarah Monette

(Amazon, B&N)

> WWW: Wake, Robert J. Sawyer

(Amazon, B&N)

> Contact with Chaos, Michael Z. Williamson

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> Blue Diablo, Ann Aguirre

(Amazon, B&N)

> Dragon’s Luck, Robert Asprin
(Amazon, B&N)

> The Firebrand, Marion Zimmer Bradley (Reprint)

(Amazon, B&N)

> Nebula Awards Showcase 2009, Ellen Datlow (Anthology)

(Amazon, B&N)

> Other Earths, Nick Gevers, Jay Lake (Anthology)

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Game of Stars and Comets, Andre Norton

(Amazon, B&N)

> Dancing on the Head of a Pin, Thomas E. Sniegoski

(Amazon, B&N)

> Ghostland, Jory Strong

(Amazon, B&N)

> Red-Headed Stepchild, Jaye Wells

(Amazon, B&N)

> Shadowplay, Tad Williams

(Amazon, B&N)

> Ballistic Babes, John Zakour, Lawrence Ganem (Omnibus)

(Amazon, B&N)

NYT bestsellers for April 3rd

2009-04-04T18:25:00.003-05:00

Hardcover:
Aaron Allston’s Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Outcast makes it debut on the bestseller list at number 3. (Amazon, B&N)

Stephanie Meyer’s The Host slips a spot to number 5 in its 46th week. (Amazon, B&N)

Kim Harrison’s White Witch, Black Curse is down to number 20 in its fifth week, down eight from last week. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse is down six ranks in week twenty-seven to number 27. (Amazon, B&N)

Christopher Moore’s Fool tumbles a full ten positions to end its seventh week at number 28. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
Jim Butcher’s Small Favor is still doing well albeit down six points to number 19 in its fourth week. (Amazon, B&N)

Brent Weeks’ The Way of Shadows is going strong in week two, up two spots to number 29. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark and Living Dead in Dallas are at number 30 and number 21 respectively.

Review: Purity of Blood

2009-04-03T20:30:00.005-05:00

Purity of Blood

by Arturo Perez-Reverte

Format: Paperback, 267 pages
Publisher: Plume
Cover Design: Artists Rights Society
Release Date: November 28, 2006
ISBN-10: 0-452287987

ISBN-13: 978-0452287987

Recently, I’ve been interested in reading more historical fiction so last fall I picked up Captain Alatriste, the first book in a series by Arturo Perez-Reverte, on the strength of several recommendations. Unfortunately, the book failed to grab me. Last week I decided to give the series another chance and bought the second book, Purity of Blood. I’m glad that I did.

Purity of Blood picks up about a year after the events in Captain Alatriste. The narrator, Inigo Balboa, is now nearly fourteen years old and is still serving the swordsman-for-hire, Diego Alatriste. A friend of the captain comes to hire him to infiltrate a convent and rescue a young woman being held against her will. The family has no legal recourse because the head priest has threatened to expose them as being of Jewish descent. In 17th Century Spain, this is tantamount to a death sentence. However, the plan goes awry and Alatriste and company are quickly caught up in a much higher struggle for power.

I have to say I really enjoyed Purity of Blood much more than the first book. My main complaint with Captain Alatriste was that it did not have enough of a plotline for the story. The plot quickly petered out and the rest of the book was filled with a narrative exposition on the political and cultural background. I love reading about history, but generally I don’t find it a good idea to tell a story this way.

The good news is that I did have to worry about this problem with the second book. Though the plotline slowed down a bit, it did continue all the way to the end. The ending ended up being a little anti-climatic, however, it worked for the story that the author was telling. I also liked that the poetry segments were far fewer in number this time around. I’ve never been a fan of verse and the Captain Alatriste seemed to have way too much of it.

Overall, Purity of Blood is a good historical fiction novel and definitely better than the first Alatriste book in the series. Recommended.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Dancing on the Head of a Pin

2009-03-31T21:34:00.003-05:00

I just reviewed Dancing on the Head of a Pin by Thomas E. Sneigoski for Bookspot Central. It's the second book in a new urban fantasy series that shows a bit of promise. Click here to read the review.

New releases for the week of March 31st

2009-03-29T15:30:00.003-05:00

Spotlight:

Synopsis:

The wampyr has walked the dark streets of the world's great cities for a thousand years. In that time, he has worn out many names--and even more compatriots.

Now, so that one of those companions may die where she once lived, he has come again to the City of London. In 1938, where the ghosts of centuries of war haunt rain-grey streets and the Prussian Chancellor's army of occupation rules with an iron hand.

Here he will meet his own ghosts, the remembrances of loves mortal--and immortal. And here he will face the Chancellor's secret weapon: a human child.

Hardcover:

> The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction, Mark Bould

(Amazon, B&N)

> Rides a Dread Legion, Raymond E. Feist

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Complete Chronicles of Conan, Robert E. Howard

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Unincorporated Man, Dani Kollin, Eytan Kollin

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> The Ruby Dice, Catherine Asaro

(Amazon, B&N)

> Emperor, Stephen Baxter

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Holy Machine, Chris Beckett

(Amazon, B&N)

> Kingdoms of the Night, Allan Cole, Chris Bunch

(Amazon, B&N)

> Inferno, Ellen Datlow (Anthology)

(Amazon, B&N)

> When the Tide Rises, David Drake

(Amazon, B&N)

> Shadow Gate, Kate Elliott

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Empire of Ice Cream, Jeffrey Ford

(Amazon, B&N)

> Pearl Harbor, Newt Gingrich, William R. Forstchen

(Amazon, B&N)

> From Dead to Worse, Charlaine Harris

(Amazon, B&N)

> Renegade’s Magic, Robin Hobb

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Court of the Air, Stephen Hunt

(Amazon, B&N)

> Buyout, Alexander Irvine

(Amazon, B&N)

> Irons in the Fire, Juliet E. McKenna

(Amazon, B&N)

> Beyond the Blue Event Horizon, Frederik Pohl

(Amazon, B&N)

> Bloodheir, Brian Ruckley

(Amazon, B&N)

> Wicked Game, Jeri Smith-Ready

(Amazon, B&N)

> Halo: Contact Harvest, Joseph Staten

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Valley-Westside War, Harry Turtledove

(Amazon, B&N)

> Transhuman, Mark L. Van, T.K.F. Weisskopf

(Amazon, B&N)

NYT bestsellers for March 27th

2009-03-28T15:55:00.003-05:00

Hardcover:
Stephanie Meyer’s The Host keeps its previous position at number 4 at the end of its 45th week on the list. (Amazon, B&N)

Kim Harrison’s White Witch, Black Curse also maintains its spot at number 12 in its fourth week. (Amazon, B&N)

Christopher Moore’s Fool is down three points in its sixth week to number 18. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse is up a single notch to number 21 in its 26th week. (Amazon, B&N)

David Weber’s Storm From the Shadows ends its second week down six spots to number 26. (Amazon, B&N)

Patricia Briggs’ Bone Crossed is down five ranks in its seventh week to number 29. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
Jim Butcher’s Small Favor finishes its third week on the paperback list down one point to number 13. (Amazon, B&N)

Though not a new release, Brent Weeks’ The Way of Shadows makes its debut on the NYT list at number 31. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark and Living Dead in Dallas are at number 24 and number 29.

Review: River of Gods

2009-03-27T20:53:00.006-05:00

River of Gods
by Ian McDonald

Format: Hardcover, 597 pages
Publisher: Pyr
Cover Design: Stephan Martiniere
Release Date: March 2006
ISBN-10: 1-591024366
ISBN-13: 978-1591024361

It’s 2047 and India is approaching her centenary anniversary. The country has splintered into several semi-independent nation states. Relations between them have worsened over years of drought, as water has become ever more scare and precious. Culture and society are also under great stress from quantum leaps in genetic engineering and artificial intelligence. In this setting, nine people go about their lives: a gangster, a cop, his wife, a politician, a stand-up comic, a set designer, a journalist, a scientist, and a dropout. The most important character however turns out to be an orphan who is also a mind reader and a prophet. The characters will decide the fate of 21st Century India.

First off, like McDonald’s book Brasyl, River of Gods goes very in-depth into the culture and society of his chosen setting. 21st Century India comes alive in a myriad of cultures, castes, classes, and religions. The nuances make the background feel incredibly real and it gives the story a flavor not often found in science fiction.

Another thing I really liked was how he made artificial intelligences very different and not just a digital version of a person. In my opinion, a real artificial intelligence will not think like a human being nor will it have the same instincts or abilities. McDonald does a good job of showing this and I actually wish he had done a bit more.

The major flaws that I found turned out to be in the writing and not the book itself. For instance, I thought that the prose was very clunky. Often the story was unreadable and hard to follow, and it took me much longer to finish this book than it might otherwise have taken because of it. The other major problem I had was that I felt the book suffered from extraneous characters and storylines. I think a few of the plotlines, there are nine character points of view, were unnecessary, and the book might have benefited from been trimmed from the story.

River of Gods is a good science fiction novel with a fascinating, exotic setting, but it’s not without it’s flaws. Still, the book is definitely worth reading at least once. Recommended.

Rating: 8/10.

New releases for the week of March 24th

2009-03-22T15:37:00.004-05:00

Spotlight:

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

As December 12, 2012, the date the Maya predicted would mark the end of the world, approaches, the Warren Group, a shadowy conglomerate, seeks to use technological advances to forestall disaster. One way is to send the mind of Jed DeLanda, a savant skilled at a contemporary version of the Mayas' sacrifice game, into the body of a seventh-century Mayan hip-ball player to learn more about why the apocalyptic prediction was made. DeLanda's time-travel comes just as a devastating calamity, possibly triggered by biological weapons, hits Orlando, Florida.

Hardcover:

> The Dark Volume, Gordon Dahlquist

(Amazon, B&N)

> This Is Not a Game, Walter Jon Williams

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> Great Sky Woman, Steven Barnes

(Amazon, B&N)

> Swordbearer, Glen Cook

(Amazon, B&N)

> Hand of Isis, Jo Graham

(Amazon, B&N)

NYT bestsellers for March 20th

2009-03-21T16:30:00.003-05:00

Hardcover:
Stephanie Meyer’s The Host rounds out its 44th week on the list up two spots to number 4. (Amazon, B&N)

Kim Harrison’s White Witch, Black Curse drops three points to number 12 in its third week. (Amazon, B&N)

Christopher Moore’s Fool slips a single point to number 15 in week five. (Amazon, B&N)

David Weber’s Storm From the Shadows makes its debut on the bestseller list at number 20. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse maintains its position at number 22 at the end of its twenty-fifth week. (Amazon, B&N)

Patricia Briggs’ Bone Crossed finishes its sixth week at number 24, down five. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
Jim Butcher’s Small Favor is still going stronger at number 12 in its second week on the paperback list. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark and Living Dead in Dallas are both back on the list again at number 29 and 32 respectively.

New releases for the week of March 17th

2009-03-15T15:56:00.005-05:00

Spotlight:

(Amazon.co.uk, Book Despository)

Synopsis:

The Adamantine Palace lies at the centre of an empire that grew out of ashes. Once dragons ruled the world and man was little more than prey. Then a way of subduing the dragons alchemically was discovered and now the dragons are bred to be little more than mounts for knights and highly valued tokens in the diplomatic power-players that underpin the rule of the competing aristocratic houses. The Empire has grown fat. And now one man wants it for himself. A man prepared to poison the king just as he has poisoned his own father. A man prepared to murder his lover and bed her daughter. A man fit to be king? But unknown to him there are flames on the way. A single dragon has gone missing. And even one dragon on the loose, unsubdued, returned to its full intelligence, its full fury, could spell disaster for the Empire. But because of the actions of one unscrupulous mercenary the rivals for the throne could soon be facing hundreds of dragons . . .

Hardcover:

> The Mystery of Grace, Charles de Lint

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Best of Gene Wolfe, Gene Wolfe

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> We Never Talk About My Brother, Peter S. Beagle

(Amazon, B&N)

NYT bestsellers for March 13th

2009-03-14T16:33:00.002-05:00

Hardcover:
Stephanie Meyer’s The Host is up two points to number 6 in its 43rd week on the list. (Amazon, B&N)

Kim Harrison’s White Witch, Black Curse is down nine spots in its second week to number 9. (Amazon, B&N)

Christopher Moore’s Fool stumbles to number 14, down three in its fourth week. (Amazon, B&N)

Patricia Briggs’ Bone Crossed falls four ranks in week five to stop at number 19. (Amazon, B&N)

Anne Bishop’s The Shadow Queen makes its debut on the list at number 20. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse slips one point to number 22 in week twenty four. (Amazon, B&N)

Dan Simmons’ Drood tumbles a full twelve points in its fourth week to hit number 34. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
Jim Butcher’s Small Favor makes its debut at number 12 on the paperback bestseller list. (Amazon, B&N)

Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Raises Hell is down to number 27 in week two, falling nine spots. (Amazon, B&N)

BSC Review: Palimpsest

2009-03-11T15:02:00.003-05:00

I just posted a review of Catherynne Valente's latest novel over at Bookspot Central. You can read the review here.

I found it to be a good, richly imagined book yet not quite as good as The Orphan's Tales. I would recommend this book to fans of Valente and those who like a deeper, richer experience than the average fantasy novel.

New releases for the week of March 10th

2009-03-08T15:38:00.004-05:00

Spotlight:

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

As darkness falls each night, the corelings rise–demons who well up from the ground like hellish steam, taking on fearsome form and substance. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards–symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and mystery, and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile.

It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms. Once, under the leadership of the legendary Deliverer, and armed with powerful wards that were not merely shields but weapons, they took the battle to the demons . . . and stopped their advance.

But those days are gone. The fighting wards are lost. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless assault.Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past.

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

Enchantment, peril and romance pervade the shadowy Far East, from the elegant throne room of the emperor's palace to the humble teahouse of a peasant village. In these dozen stories of adventure and magic from the Orient, a maiden encounters an oni demon in the forest, a bride discovers her mother-in-law is a fox woman, a samurai must appease his sister's angry ghost, strange luck is found in a jade locket, and dark and light are two sides of harmony.

NYT bestsellers for March 6th

2009-03-07T16:37:00.003-06:00

Hardcover:
Kim Harrison’s White Witch, Black Curse makes its debut on the NYT list at number 3. (Amazon, B&N)

Stephanie Meyer’s The Host is down four spots to number 8 in its 42nd week. (Amazon, B&N)

Christopher Moore’s Fool falls six spots in its third week to number 11. (Amazon, B&N)

Patricia Briggs’ Bone Crossed comes in at number 15 and down three at the end of its fourth week. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse maintains its previous position at number 21 in week twenty-three. (Amazon, B&N)

Dan Simmons’ Drood stumbles three ranks in its third week to hit number 22. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
Carrie Vaughn's latest Kitty book Kitty Raises Hell makes its debut at number 18 on the bestseller list. (Amazon, B&N)

Review: Kitty Raises Hell

2009-03-04T14:49:00.006-06:00

Kitty Raises Hell

by Carrie Vaughn

Format: Paperback, 311 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Cover Design: Craig White
Release Date: February 24, 2009
ISBN-10: 0-446199540

ISBN-13: 978-0446199544

“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...except when it doesn’t. Kitty and Ben return to their werewolf pack in Denver only to discover an invisible evil that smells of brimstone and plays with fire has followed them home. Stalking the whole pack, it leaves a charred trail of ashes and death across the city. Kitty seeks help from Rick, the master vampire of Denver, as well as from the paranormal investigators on a popular reality TV show. But when a mysterious vampire who claims to be a demon hunter – and the only one who can help them – suddenly arrives, Kitty and her allies won’t be able to predict what he really wants...or what they must do to extinguish the terror that can torch them all.”

As you can tell from the book’s blurb, Kitty Raises Hell quickly follows the events of the previous book. The ending of Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand was only a harbinger of things to come. Barely a week later, Kitty is scrambling to find a way to protect herself and the pack from an invisible force seems to be as much an element of fire as a being. A mysterious vampire offers to solve the problem, but for a high price, one that Kitty and her ally Rick are not willing to pay. In desperation she turns to the paranormal investigators to identify the demonic entity and find a way to end the terror it is intent on unleashing.

Apart from the spirit of a skin-walker in Kitty Takes a Holiday, this was the most supernatural story yet in the Kitty series. It certainly makes for scary storytelling. I like how Vaughn is fleshing out her universe with different kinds of supernatural entities and putting her own spin on the myths. Still, I do prefer a story with flesh and blood characters.

Another thing I like is how Vaughn is slowly extending the scope and background of the series. With more additions to the background, I think the author is starting to slowly build up a larger overall plot, namely how Kitty will fit into what the vampires in the book refer to as the Long Game. It will be interesting to see where this goes.

Rating: 7.5/10.

New releases for the week of March 3rd

2009-03-01T16:45:00.005-06:00

Spotlight:

Synopsis:

First contact was not supposed to be like this. The first intelligent species to encounter Mankind attacked without warning and swarmed locust-like through the solar system. Merciless. Relentless. Unstoppable. With little hope of halting the savage invasion, Earth's last, desperate roll of the dice was to send out three colony ships, seeds of Earth, to different parts of the galaxy. Earth may perish but the human race would live on ...somewhere. 150 years later, the human colony on the planet Darien has established a new world for Humanity and forged a peaceful relationship with the planet's indigenous race, the scholarly, enigmatic Uvovo. But there are secrets buried beneath the surface of Darien's forest moon. Secrets that go back to an apocalyptic battle fought between ancient forerunner races at the dawn of galactic civilization...

Hardcover:

> The Shadow Queen, Anne Bishop

(Amazon, B&N)

> A Magic of Nightfall, S.L. Farrell

(Amazon, B&N)

> Belisarius II: Storm at Noontide, Eric Flint, David Drake

(Amazon, B&N)

> Firebirds Soaring, Sharyn November (Anthology)

(Amazon, B&N)

> Coyote Horizon, Allen Steele

(Amazon, B&N)

> Storm from the Shadows, David Weber

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> The Last Paladin, Kathleen Bryan

(Amazon, B&N)

> Small Favor, Jim Butcher

(Amazon, B&N)

> Ages of Wonder, Julie E. Czerneda, Robert St. Martin (Anthology)

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Alchemist’s Pursuit, Dave Duncan

(Amazon, B&N)

> Spook Country, William Gibson

(B&N)

> The Rolling Stones, Robert A. Heinlein

(Amazon, B&N)

> Escapement, Jay Lake

(Amazon, B&N)

> Mage-Guard of Hamor, L.E. Modesitt Jr.

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Hidden World, Paul Park

(Amazon, B&N)

> Calculating God, Robert J. Sawyer

(Amazon, B&N)

> Dying Inside, Robert Silverberg (Reprint)

(Amazon, B&N)

> Renegade Wizards, Lucien Soulban (Dragonlance)

(Amazon, B&N)

> Living with Ghosts, Kari Sperring

(Amazon, B&N)

> Prophets, S. Andrew Swann

(Amazon, B&N)

> Deathwish, Rob Thurman

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Hidden City, Michelle West

(Amazon, B&N)

> Lord of Lies, David Zindell

(Amazon, B&N)

Europe:

> Journey into Space, Toby Litt

Review: Lamentation

2009-02-28T21:33:00.003-06:00

I just reviewed Lamentation by Ken Scholes for Bookspot Central. You can read the review here. I thought it was a very solid debut novel in a new series that relies very heavily on politics and intrigue. I enjoyed it and I look forward to the next books.

NYT bestsellers for February 27th

2009-02-28T16:32:00.003-06:00

Hardcover:
Stephanie Meyer’s The Host slips one rank in its 41st week to number 4. (Amazon, B&N)

Christopher Moore’s Fool rounds out its second week on the list at number 5 and down one. (Amazon, B&N)

Patricia Briggs’ Bone Crossed falls to number 12, down seven in week three. (Amazon, B&N)

Dan Simmons’ Drood stays steady at number 18 in its second week on the list. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse stumbles four spots in its 22nd week to number 21. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series has books one and two at number 20 and number 21 respectively.

Review: A Kiss Before the Apocalypse

2009-02-23T21:41:00.006-06:00

A Kiss Before the Apocalypse

by Thomas E. Sniegoski

Format: Paperback, 292 pages
Publisher: Roc Fantasy

Cover Design: Alissa Amell
Release Date: May 6, 2008
ISBN-10: 0-451462053

ISBN-13: 978-0451462053

Remy Chandler is a Boston private eye on a standard assignment, investigating a man suspected of cheating on his wife. The target confirms Remy’s suspicions when he meets with his lover, but then things go horribly wrong when he shoots her and then himself. Even worse however, is that neither one dies from the fatal wounds. It is soon revealed that for the last week, no one in the city has died, whether from violence, disease, or natural causes. They cannot die because no one is collecting their souls and that is because the one being that should be doing it, the Angel of Death, has gone missing.

You might think such a case is beyond the ken of a simple private detective except that Remy is himself an angel. Thousands of years ago, after the Great War caused by Lucifer Morningstar, Remy left heaven and repressed his angelic nature to live among mortal beings. He soon discovers that things are even worse when a group of heavenly angels show up in his office with a case from the boss upstairs. Not only is the Angel of Death missing, so are the scrolls that when opened in his presence will unleash the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Remy Chandler must now get drawn back into a world he hoped to leave forever in order to save the world.

I was first exposed to Sniegoski’s Remy Chandler in the short story “Noah’s Orphan’s” published in the paranormal crime anthology Mean Streets (review), which incidentally is set after the events in this novel. I was intrigued by a story about an angel turned private detective who consciously chose to live among humans. For the most part, he is essentially human, at least in appearance. He has superior senses, he can will himself invisible, and he can speak and understand any language. The language bit is one of my favorites because Remy can also talk to animals and does so constantly with his Labrador retriever, Marlowe. Marlowe sometimes acts a little more intelligent then he should, but Sniegoski makes the interaction between him and Remy humorous and endearing.

Perhaps the most important thing about Remy in this book is that he is immortal. His wife of over five decades is dying of cancer. Or she would be if the Angel of Death was not missing. For her sake and for the sake of the world he must stop the Apocalypse and restore the natural balance to the world. Even after thousands of years of living among humans, Remy still doesn’t completely understand them yet he’s still willing to fight for them. But in order to do that he has to call upon his angelic nature and that is what he is afraid of. Angels don’t have souls so they have to learn to be human the hard way. Remy stands to lose everything he has gained, but what choice does he have with mankind’s existence hanging in the balance?

A Kiss Before the Apocalypse is the first book in an intriguing new urban fantasy series. I was raised Luthern so I don’t know that much about Catholic theology but I think this could an interesting series. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Rating: 7.5/10.

New releases for the week of February 24th

2009-02-22T16:23:00.006-06:00

Spotlight:

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

Cyberabad Days is a triumphant return to the India of 2047, a new, muscular superpower of one and a half billion people in an age of artificial intelligences, climate-change induced drought, water wars, strange new genders, genetically improved children that age at half the rate of baseline humanity, and a population where males outnumber females four to one. India herself has fractured into a dozen states from Kerala to the headwaters of the Ganges in the Himalayas.

Hardcover:

> The Magician’s Apprentice, Trudi Canavan

(Amazon, B&N)

> White Witch, Black Curse, Kim Harrison

(Amazon, B&N)

> City Without End, Kay Kenyon

(Amazon, B&N)

> Cryptic: The Best Short Fiction of Jack McDevitt (Anthology)

> Blood and Ice, Robert Masello

(Amazon, B&N)

> Black Blood, John Meaney

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Caryatids, Bruce Sterling

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> Jailbait Zombie, Mario Acevedo

(Amazon, B&N)

> Third Claw of God, Adam-troy Castro

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Accord, Keith Brooke

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Alchemist’s Code, Dave Duncan

(Amazon, B&N)

> Wrath of a Mad God, Raymond E. Feist

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Dreaming Void, Peter F. Hamilton

(Amazon, B&N)

> Duainfey, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

(Amazon, B&N)

> Spell Games, T.A. Pratt

(Amazon, B&N)

> Hope’s Folly, Linnea Sinclair

(Amazon, B&N)

> The 13th Immortal, Robert Silverberg

(Amazon, B&N)

> Galaxy Blues, Allen Steele

(Amazon, B&N)

> Palimpsest, Catherynne Valente

(Amazon, B&N)

> Kitty Raises Hell, Carrie Vaughn

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Swan Maiden, Jules Watson

(Amazon, B&N)

> Better to Beg Forgiveness, Michael Z. Williamson

(Amazon, B&N)

NYT bestsellers for February 20th

2009-02-21T16:33:00.002-06:00

Hardcover:
Stephanie Meyer’s The Host is up one to number 3 as it reaches it's 40th week milestone on the NYT bestseller list. (Amazon, B&N)

Christopher Moore’s historical satire Fool on the list at number 4. (Amazon, B&N)

Patricia Briggs’ Bone Crossed drops two spots in its second week to number 5. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse rounds out week 21 at number 17 and down one. (Amazon, B&N)

Dan Simmons’ newest novel Drood makes its debut at number 18. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand is down three points to number 28 in its third week. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series has books one and two at number 19 and number 23 respectively.

Review: Shambling Toward Hiroshima

2009-02-20T21:09:00.003-06:00

Shambling Toward Hiroshima
by James Morrow

Format: Paperback, 170 pages
Publisher: Tachyon Publications
Cover Design: Ann Monn
Release Date: February 1, 2009
ISBN-10: 1-892391848
ISBN-13: 978-1892391841

It is the summer of 1945. Germany is vanquished and victory in Europe has been declared, however, the war rages on in the Pacific. Japan is beaten, but remains defiant promising the Allies they will have to pay for every inch of ground. Back in Hollywood, Syms Thorley is an actor playing the various monsters in B-movie horror classics. You need a giant lizard, a mummy, or a Frankenstein; Syms Thorley is your man. And now, the US Navy wants to tap Thorley with a special starring role.

The US Navy has developed a new biological weapon: giant, fire-breathing monsters designed specifically to destroy a city. They want Thorley to don a monster suit and raze a miniature of a Japanese city to convince the enemy to surrender. If not, the President will authorize the use of the monsters on the Japanese mainland. It’s the role of a lifetime with thousands of lives hanging in the balance.

I have to admit this story piqued my interest. Shambling Toward Hiroshima is written as a memoir from the 1980s in which an aging Syms Thorley, suffering from depression, feels compelled to share his story on this piece of forgotten history. The majority of the novel is thus written in flashback vividly invoking the era of the horror genre classic. It was very interesting to get an in-depth look of the history of horror filmmaking featuring behind the scenes views of special effects and collisions of egocentric actors.

While the historical aspect of the story was fairly interesting, I had a little bit of trouble swallowing one of the basic premises of the book, that of using an actor to pretend to be a monster in order to force a surrender. Bascially, the author used a monster movie demonstration as a diplomatic scare tactic. Granted, any diplomats sent by the Japanese would never have seen a monster movie from Hollywood at the time, yet how could they possibly be expected to believe it? They weren’t seeing a real demonstration of the “weapon’s” capability. Putting aside whether scientists could actually have engineered any real such monster in the 1940s, it seems to me that this performance is simply too far-fetched to be believed.

Any such fantastic idea seems doomed to failure and that’s certainly what happened. As we know from history, the US dropped two atomic bombs onto Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The failure of the monster demonstration plagued Thorley throughout his life. It also caused the deaths of thousands of Japanese civilians. In effect, the novel is a character piece and a warning on the dangers of weapons of mass destruction.

Shambling Toward Hiroshima is an interesting effort mixing science fiction, historical monster filmmaking, and apocalyptic cautionary tale. The unfeasibility of the basic premise makes suspension of disbelief difficult yet the character arc partially redeems it.

Rating: 7/10.

Review: Alexandria

2009-02-18T15:45:00.004-06:00

Alexandria

by Lindsey Davis

Format: Hardback, 276 pages
Publisher: Century

Cover Design: Mark Edwards
Release Date: February 5, 2009
ISBN-10: 1-846052873

ISBN-13: 978-1846052873

Alexandria is the 19th addition in the long-running and entertaining Falco sequence, a mystery series set in the ancient Roman world circa 70s AD. Marcus Didius Falco and family are on holiday in Alexandria, the city founded by Alexander the Great and capital of the province of Egypt. The city is home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Great Lighthouse, and is the staging point for a second, the Great Pyramids of Giza. Marcus and his wife, Helena, have come to visit the great wonders, however things quickly go awry when the head librarian of the Great Library dies in mysterious circumstances. As an informer who often works for the Emperor, Falco is quickly handed the investigation by the authorities. Falco must deal with hostile academics, bribery, and embezzlement in his quest to solve the murder. Two more deaths complicate matters not to mention Falco’s shifty relatives who take an unhealthy interest in the Library’s scrolls.

Alexandria is another good book in one my favorite book series. As always, Marcus is a dogged and smart-ass informer, the closest Roman equivalent to a private detective. His social values and sense of justice may seem out of place, but the author handles it deftly, often tempered by the realities of Roman politics and society. Indeed, one thing I’ve always enjoyed about Lindsey Davis’ books is how authentic they feel. Davis does her homework on Roman society, culture, and history extremely well often consulting the latest archaeology research. Whenever I’m reading on the books, I often feel that I’m actually walking the streets of ancient Rome. The author openly admits that she often takes liberties for the sake of the plot, however I think she does a fantastic job and I always enjoy her work.

For fans of Lindsey Davis, Alexandria is another solid entry in the Falco series. Recommended for mystery and historical fiction.

Rating: 7.5/10.

New releases for the week of February 17th

2009-02-15T15:12:00.006-06:00

Spotlight:

Lamentation, Ken Scholes

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

An ancient weapon has completely destroyed the city of Windwir. From many miles away, Rudolfo, Lord of the Nine Forest Houses, sees the horrifying column of smoke rising. He knows that war is coming to the Named Lands.

Nearer to the Devastation, a young apprentice is the only survivor of the city – he sat waiting for his father outside the walls, and was transformed as he watched everyone he knew die in an instant.

Soon all the Kingdoms of the Named Lands will be at each others' throats, as alliances are challenged and hidden plots are uncovered.

Hardcover:

> The Judging Eye, R. Scott Bakker

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Valley of Shadows, Brian Cullen

(Amazon, B&N)

> Steal Across the Sky, Nancy Kress

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> The Seven Towers, Patricia Wrede

(Amazon, B&N)

2009-02-14T18:35:00.002-06:00

Hardcover:
Patricia Briggs’ Bone Crossed makes it debut on the NYT bestseller list at number 3. (Amazon, B&N)

Stephanie Meyer’s The Host slips two spots to number 4 in its 39th week. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse maintains its current position at number 16 in week twenty. (Amazon, B&N)

Kelley Armstrong’s Men of the Otherworld falls seven points in its second week to number 26. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand finishes its second week on the list down 12 to number 25. (Amazon, B&N)

Many Bloody Returns, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner, makes it debut on the paperback list at number 29. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris has the first two books of her Sookie Stackhouse series in positions number 26 and number 27 respectively.

Review: The Hero of Ages

2009-02-13T20:17:00.004-06:00

The Hero of Ages

by Brandon Sanderson

Format: Hardback, 572 pages
Publisher: Tor
Cover Design: Jon Foster
Release Date: October 14, 2008
ISBN-10: 0-765316897

ISBN-13: 978-0765316899

The Hero of Ages picks up a year after The Well of Ascension leaves off. At the end of the previous book, Vin accidentally released the primal force called Ruin from the Well of Ascension. The third book in the Mistborn trilogy starts with Vin and Elend seeking out the supply caches left by the Lord Ruler. They must hurry because the ash from the volcanos is beginning to fall even more heavily than before and threatens to bury the land completely. Elend has managed to unite most of the fractured kingdoms back into the empire except for two major holdouts in the cities of Fadrex and Urteau. Vin and Elend head to Fadrex to besiege the city and find the last supply cache. Sazed and Breeze are sent to meet up with Spook in Urteau. Elend is determined to survive, however it seems that Ruin opposes them at every turn. Is it the end of the world or is simply the darkest hour before the dawn?

As with the prior two novels, the characterization is very well done. Elend became a mistborn at the end of the second book and is now a seasoned fighter and soldier. He has become a combination of emperor, soldier, and scholar that the role has forced him to become. Vin doubts herself after being fooled into releasing Ruin. Not only that, but while seeking to stop Ruin, it seems to take a personal interest in her. Many secondary characters, including Sazed, Spook, and TenSoon, also get plenty of action and character development in their resistance to the machinations of Ruin. The end of the world makes for a pretty gritty and heavy storyline yet The Hero of Ages shares the determinism and optimism of the previous two books. Ruin’s actions and manipulations happen on a scale only a primal force can affect. How can any one person make a difference? Read the book and find out.

One thing I realized with The Hero of Ages is how the scope of the series increases with each book. Mistborn started with a simple thieving crew intent on killing the powerful and immortal Lord Ruler. The Well of Ascension takes the next step as the characters try to deal with the fallout of the Lord Ruler’s death and bring some stability to the empire. The final novel deals with no less than the fate of the world itself. Information and plot threads from the previous novels come together in the final book. I was often surprised at little bits of information from Mistborn that suddenly gained importance in Hero. The Mistborn trilogy is a great series and Brandon Sanderson has established himself as one the brightest new voices in fantasy.

Rating: 9/10.

New releases for the week of February 10th

2009-02-08T15:23:00.006-06:00

Spotlight:

Drood, Dan Simmons

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

On June 9, 1865, while traveling by train to London with his secret mistress, 53-year-old Charles Dickens--at the height of his powers and popularity, the most famous and successful novelist in the world and perhaps in the history of the world--hurtled into a disaster that changed his life forever.

Did Dickens begin living a dark double life after the accident? Were his nightly forays into the worst slums of London and his deepening obsession with corpses, crypts, murder, opium dens, the use of lime pits to dissolve bodies, and a hidden subterranean London mere research . . . or something more terrifying?

Just as he did in The Terror, Dan Simmons draws impeccably from history to create a gloriously engaging and terrifying narrative. Based on the historical details of Charles Dickens's life and narrated by Wilkie Collins (Dickens's friend, frequent collaborator, and Salieri-style secret rival), DROOD explores the still-unsolved mysteries of the famous author's last years and may provide the key to Dickens's final, unfinished work: The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Hardcover:

> Fool, Christopher Moore

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> The Palace of Illusions, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

(Amazon, B&N)

> Resistance, Owen Sheers

(Amazon, B&N)

NYT bestsellers for February 6th

2009-02-07T16:54:00.002-06:00

Hardcover:
Stephanie Meyer’s The Host finishes its 38th week on the list holding its previous position at number 2. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse drops four points to number 16 in its nineteenth week on the list. (Amazon, B&N)

The first of three new debuts on the bestseller is Kelley Armstrong’s Men of the Otherworld marking its spot at number 19. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
Also debuting this week is Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand clawing it's own place at number 13. (Amazon, B&N)

Finally, Michael Reaves’ Star Wars: Coruscant Nights: Patterns of the Force makes its debut at number 16 on the NYT bestseller list. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series has books one through three at number 23, 26, and 32 respectively.

Review: Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand

2009-02-06T20:21:00.004-06:00

Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand

by Carrie Vaughn

Format: Paperback, 301 pages

Publisher: Ballatine Books

Cover Design: Craig White

Release Date: January 13, 2009

ISBN-10: 0-345501110

ISBN-13: 978-0345501110

The fifth book in the Kitty series by Carrie Vaughn finds Kitty and her fiancé, Ben, planning to run off to Vegas to get married. However, as is often the case with Kitty, things easily become much more complicated. First, her parents insist on coming along. Then Kitty’s station manager convinces her to host a one-time television episode of her radio show. Not only that, but the vampire master of Denver asks her as a personal favor to deliver a letter of introduction to his counterpart in Las Vegas. So much for eloping on the spur of the moment.

The trip to Vegas gets off to a bad start when Kitty realizes her hotel is hosting a gun show. That wouldn’t be too much of a problem, despite the fact she hates guns, except it seems the show has attracted several werewolf-hating bounty hunters. Bounty hunters who her fiancé and know of her supernatural alter ego. As Kitty does research for the television show, she comes across several interesting characters including a magician who’s magic may be real and a live animal show starring a pack of lycanthropes. Fairly soon however events take a turn for the worst with the leader of the lycanthropes seeming determined to seduce Kitty for ulterior motives, a couple bounty hunters being equally determined to have her put down like an animal, and to top it off her fiancé goes missing. Viva Las Vegas.

The major thing I noticed with this book is that it seemed a little “lighter” than the last one, Kitty and the Silver Bullet. The fourth book had several major plot and character developments culminating in Kitty and Ben becoming the alpha pair of Denver’s wolf pack as well as the ascendance of a new vampire master. In Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand, the drama is much more personal. It feels a lighter because the dramatic action focuses on just a couple of people rather than a much larger contingent. The book is still a solid read and I’m definitely looking forward to the release of Kitty Raises Hell at the end of the month.

Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand is another good, solid book in Carrie Vaughn's Kitty series. Recommended for all fans of urban fantasy.

Rating: 7.5/10.

Review: The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death

2009-02-04T12:51:00.004-06:00

The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death

by Charlie Huston

Format: Hardback, 319 pages
Publisher: Ballatine Books
Cover Design: Christopher Sergio
Release Date: January 13, 2009
ISBN-10: 0-345501110
ISBN-13: 978-0345501110

The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death is a new fiction thriller by author Charlie Huston, well known in SFF for his Joe Pitt novels. Webster Fillmore Goodhue is a lazy bum with no job and an acerbic attitude. When his only friend tells him his freeloading days are over, he takes a job as a trauma cleaner. Trauma cleaners are a largely unregulated industry that handles just about anything that needs to be cleaned up from a dog hit by a car to a decomposing packrat. Web quickly finds he is well suited to the work.

Web’s life changes when he and his team clean up after a suicide by handgun and he encounters the deceased’s bereaved daughter. They don’t exactly hit it off like a couple in a bar, but there is a certain something there. This is increased when she asks him for help in another cleanup and pulls him into the middle of a smuggling operation gone bad. The smugglers kidnap the girl and put both of their lives in jeopardy.

This is my first of Huston’s non-fantasy books I have read and while it’s quite good, it does seem a little familiar. Plotting, pacing, and style are all consistent with the author’s work. One thing Huston is good at it are gray, gritty characters. Web comes off as a super asshole that alienates everyone he meets. Frankly, I had a hard time identifying with the character, as he is very hard to like, though that is half the point. Web had a very traumatic moment prior to the events in the book and of course everyone reacts differently to tragedy. By the end of the book however, the character changes considerably and his evolution is handled quite well.

A good stand-alone book, The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death is not Huston’s best work, but it works well as an introduction to the author. Recommended.

Rating: 8/10.

New releases for the week of February 3rd

2009-02-01T16:04:00.007-06:00

Spotlight:

(Amazon, B&N)

Synopsis:

In the tradition of Godzilla as both a playful romp and a parable of the dawn of the nuclear era, this original satire blends the destruction of World War II with the halcyon pleasure of monster movies. In the summer of 1945 war is reigning in the Pacific Rim, while in the U.S., Syms Thorley continues his life as a B-movie actor. But the U.S. Navy would like to use Thorley in their top-secret Knickerbocker Project, putting the finishing touches on the ultimate biological weapon: a breed of gigantic, fire-breathing, mutant iguanas. Thorley is to don a rubber suit that will transform him into the merciless Gorgantis and star in a film that simulates the destruction of a miniature Japan—if the demonstration succeeds, the Japanese will surrender, sparing thousands of lives; if it fails, the mutant lizards will be unleashed. Godzilla devotees and history buffs alike will be fascinated by this conspiratorial secret history of a war, a weapon, and an unlikely hero who will have to give the most convincing performance of his life.

Hardcover:

> Bone Crossed, Patricia Briggs

(Amazon, B&N)

> Wings of Wrath, C.S. Friedman

(Amazon, B&N)

> The High City, Cecelia Holland

(Amazon, B&N)

> Lear’s Daughter’s, Marjorie B. Kellogg, William Rossow

(Amazon, B&N)

> Walls of the Universe, Paul Melko

(Amazon, B&N)

> Escape From Hell, Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle

(Amazon, B&N)

> Man-Kzin Wars XII, Larry Niven (Anthology)

(Amazon, B&N)

> Enclave, Kit Reed

(Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:

> Into the Storm, Taylor Anderson

(Amazon, B&N)

> Rx for Chaos, Christopher Anvil

(Amazon, B&N)

> Undone, Rachel Caine

(Amazon, B&N)

> Foxfire, Barbara Campbell

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Sorcerer’s Plague, David B. Coe

(Amazon, B&N)

> Seekers of the Chalice, Brian Cullen

(Amazon, B&N)

> A Magic of Twilight, SL Farrell

(Amazon, B&N)

> Crime Spells, Martin H. Greenberg (Anthology)

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Last Watch, Sergei Lukyanenko

(Amazon, B&N)

> Dark Haven, Gail Z. Martin

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Automatic Detective, A. Lee Martinez

(Amazon, B&N)

> Mad Kestrel, Misty Massey

(Amazon, B&N)

> The Philosopher’s Apprentice, James Morrow

(Amazon, B&N)

> Mortal Coils, Eric Nylund

(Amazon, B&N)

> Postsingular, Rudy Rucker

(Amazon, B&N)

> Duplicate Effort, Kristine Kathryn Rusch

(Amazon, B&N)

> In the Courts of the Crimson Kings, S.M. Stirling

(Amazon, B&N)

> We, Yevgeny Zamyatin

(Amazon, B&N)

Europe:

> The Rise of the Iron Moon, Stephen Hunt

> Dragonfly Falling, Adrian Tchaikovsky

NYT bestsellers for January 30th

2009-01-31T17:11:00.005-06:00

Hardcover:
Stephanie Meyer’s The Host maintains last week's position at number 2 in week 37. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ From Dead to Worse also keeps steady at number 12 in its eighteenth week. (Amazon, B&N)

Paperback:
The paperback of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road rounds out its 70th week on the NYT list down nine to number 35. (Amazon, B&N)

Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series has books 1-7 in various positions from number 10 to number 35.

BSC Review: The Jennifer Morgue

2009-01-27T22:19:00.003-06:00

I just complete my first review for Bookspot Central of The Jennifer Morgue by Charles Stross. This also happens to be my first review not done for my blog so I hope everyone there likes it. In retrospect, perhaps I should not have provided an important plot spoiler though it did make sense to mention it in the review. Click here to read the review.

New releases for the week of January 27th

2009-01-25T15:41:00.006-06:00

Spotlight:

Synopsis:

Already the alpha pair of Denver's werewolf pack, Kitty and Ben now plan to tie the knot human-style by eloping to Vegas. Kitty is looking forward to sipping fru-fru drinks by the pool and doing her popular radio show on live TV, but her hotel is stocked with werewolf-hating bounty hunters. Elsewhere on the Strip an old-school magician might be wielding the real thing; the vampire community is harboring a dark secret; and the irresistible star of a suspicious animal act is determined to seduce Kitty. Sin City has never been so wild, and this werewolf has never had to fight harder to save not only her wedding, but her very life.

Hardcover:

> Men of the Otherworld, Kelley Armstrong

> Flight into Darkness, Sarah Ash

> The Domino Men, Jonathon Barnes

> Horizon, Lois McMaster Bujold

> Arch Wizard, Ed Greenwood

> A is for Alien, Caitlin Kiernan

(Amazon, Subterranean Press)

> Heroes of the Valley, Jonathon Stroud

Paperback:

> Iron Angel, Alan Campbell

> Sins of the Assassin, Robert Ferrigno

> Ring of Fire II, Eric Flint

> Dragon in Chains, Daniel Fox

> The Book of the Wars, Mark Geston

> The Map of Moments, Christopher Golden, Tim Lebbon

> The Vampire’s Revenge, Raven Hart

> The Born Queen, Greg Keyes

> Hunter’s Run, George R.R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, Daniel Abraham

> Victory Conditions, Elizabeth Moon

> From the Sea to the Stars, Andre Norton

> Star Wars: Coruscant Nights: Patterns of the Force, Michael Reaves

> Manxome Foe, Tavis Taylor, John Ringo

> End of the Century, Chris Roberson

(Amazon)

> Three Unbroken, Chris Roberson