Fantasy Book Critic: Fantasy Book Critic’s 2008 Review/2009 Preview

2008 FAVORITES:

My favourite new book of 2008 was “The Graveyard Book” by Neil Gaiman. I think he struck gold with this one!! While I've enjoyed all of his post-Sandman novels, I never felt he hit quite the same heights in his books that he did in the world of comics . . . until now. “The Graveyard Book” is up there with the very best issues of Sandman. A beautiful, spooky, spellbinding read!!!!

I also got a big kick out of “Bloodtide” by Melvin Burgess, a modern-day re-working of an old Norse legend. It was published in the late 90s (I think), so I was a bit late coming to it (as I am to most books!!), but I highly recommend it. It was published as a teen book, but it isn't really. This would make for a very interesting double-bill if read back to back with Gaiman's “American Gods”.

The most disappointing book I read in 2008 was “Hannibal Rising” by Thomas Harris. It was by no means unbearably awful, but it was an unnecessary undertaking that served to actually weaken the fabulous character of Hannibal, not add to his mythos. This was one trip too many to the same well, and given the quality of the other books in the series, it stands as a real letdown.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:

I'm most looking forward to reading “The Ghost In Love”, the new Jonathan Carroll novel. It was actually published in October 2008, and I already bought a copy, but I won't get a chance to read it until next year. I'm also salivating at the thought of getting hold of the promised new James Ellroy novel, “Blood's A Rover”—a new Ellroy novel is always a treat, and it's been far too long since his last one!!!

ON THE HORIZON FOR DARREN SHAN:

I'm going to have a typically “quiet” time in 2009! I'll be releasing three new books, one for adults, the other two for teens. First up is my second adult novel, “Hell's Horizon”, which I'll be releasing under the name of D. B. Shan. That hits stores in the UK in February/March. In May I release Book 9 of my Demonata series, “Dark Calling”, followed by the tenth and final book of the series in October, “Hell's Heroes”. Busy busy!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Under the pen names Darren Shan and D.B. Shan, Darren O'Shaughnessy has written two hugely popular series for children: the multiple award-winning Saga of Darren Shan and The Demonata, as well as The City Trilogy for adults. For more information, please visit the author’s Official Website and Official Blog.

NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.