2008 FAVORITES:
Oh, this is always such a hard question. So many good books, so impossible to rank them! Okay, well, I read some fabulous Australian literature this year, so might as well start there:
1) Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. A complex, mysterious novel about a young woman unraveling the secrets of her past, written by one of my favorite authors. Very appealing characters. This was a 2008 book and is a finalist for the Cybils in the Young Adult Fiction category.
2) Black Juice by Margo Lanagan. Magical realism; short stories. I never read short stories, but these ones hooked me. Margo Lanagan has an EXCELLENT BRAIN.
3) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The story of a young girl in Nazi Germany, told from the perspective of Death. Not a cheery book, but oh-so-beautiful.
4) Sleeping Dogs by Sonya Hartnett. It’s about a very disturbing family, it doesn’t offer much in the way of hope, but it’s full of truth and gorgeousness. What a writer!
And here’s a sampling of some other favorite (non-Australian!) reads of the year:
1) The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart. A sophomore girl at a New England boarding school, finding the Old-Boy-Network secret societies on campus distasteful, starts some secret-society-hijinks of her own that grow steadily more serious. I loved the way this book explored feminism, power, sexual dynamics; and, maybe more importantly, I loved the characters. This is a 2008 release, also up for a Young Adult Fiction Cybil.
2) Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers. I’ve been rereading the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, and this one, in which Lord Peter works undercover in an ad agency, will always be a favorite. It’s hysterically funny, a bit magical, a bit sad, and, like all of Sayers’ stuff, a ripping good mystery.
3) Feed by M.T. Anderson. A dystopia that feels so achingly familiar, and a protagonist so dear, that you fall in love, and can’t bear that this world is going to end. I adore sad books, and this is one of my favorites.
4) Peanuts Treasury by Charles M. Schulz. This is the type of book I reach for when I’m tired of always reading like a writer. Charlie Brown & Co. get my mind off of my own work and make me feel normal for being crazy. I can never get enough Peanuts.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
Here’s where I have to confess to being hopelessly out of it. I have no idea what’s coming out in 2009. I generally don’t know about new books until the buzz becomes so noisy that it forces itself through the fuzz of my brain. Luckily, I have friends and colleagues who are more observant than I am, and who sends me lists for my TBR pile; or, I go to trade shows and become aware of wonderful new books when someone places them directly into my hands. It’s hard to remain permanently uninformed when you work in the industry.
I can say, at least, that I’m looking forward to the continuations of a few series I started in 2008. For example, Suzanne Collins’s sequel to The Hunger Games; Marie Rutkoski’s sequel to The Cabinet of Wonders; and Sarah Prineas’s sequel to The Magic Thief.
ON THE HORIZON FOR KRISTIN CASHORE:
Graceling will be released in the U.K. in January of 2009. Translations of “Graceling” in various languages, most immediately Spanish, French, and Italian, will also be available in early 2009. Other language editions will follow, but I don’t know release schedules yet, so I’d better not promise anything! Finally, in the fall of 2009, Fire, a prequel-ish companion book to “Graceling”, will start trickling into bookstores. And in the meantime, I’ll continue with the writing of a book called “Bitterblue”, a sequel-ish companion book to “Graceling”, in which a sixteen-year-old Bitterblue is the protagonist.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kristin Cashore received her M.A. at the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College, and is the author of “Graceling”, a young adult fantasy novel from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, in bookstores now. “Graceling” is the author’s first novel. For more information, please visit the author's Official Blog.
NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.
Oh, this is always such a hard question. So many good books, so impossible to rank them! Okay, well, I read some fabulous Australian literature this year, so might as well start there:
1) Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. A complex, mysterious novel about a young woman unraveling the secrets of her past, written by one of my favorite authors. Very appealing characters. This was a 2008 book and is a finalist for the Cybils in the Young Adult Fiction category.
2) Black Juice by Margo Lanagan. Magical realism; short stories. I never read short stories, but these ones hooked me. Margo Lanagan has an EXCELLENT BRAIN.
3) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The story of a young girl in Nazi Germany, told from the perspective of Death. Not a cheery book, but oh-so-beautiful.
4) Sleeping Dogs by Sonya Hartnett. It’s about a very disturbing family, it doesn’t offer much in the way of hope, but it’s full of truth and gorgeousness. What a writer!
And here’s a sampling of some other favorite (non-Australian!) reads of the year:
1) The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart. A sophomore girl at a New England boarding school, finding the Old-Boy-Network secret societies on campus distasteful, starts some secret-society-hijinks of her own that grow steadily more serious. I loved the way this book explored feminism, power, sexual dynamics; and, maybe more importantly, I loved the characters. This is a 2008 release, also up for a Young Adult Fiction Cybil.
2) Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers. I’ve been rereading the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, and this one, in which Lord Peter works undercover in an ad agency, will always be a favorite. It’s hysterically funny, a bit magical, a bit sad, and, like all of Sayers’ stuff, a ripping good mystery.
3) Feed by M.T. Anderson. A dystopia that feels so achingly familiar, and a protagonist so dear, that you fall in love, and can’t bear that this world is going to end. I adore sad books, and this is one of my favorites.
4) Peanuts Treasury by Charles M. Schulz. This is the type of book I reach for when I’m tired of always reading like a writer. Charlie Brown & Co. get my mind off of my own work and make me feel normal for being crazy. I can never get enough Peanuts.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
Here’s where I have to confess to being hopelessly out of it. I have no idea what’s coming out in 2009. I generally don’t know about new books until the buzz becomes so noisy that it forces itself through the fuzz of my brain. Luckily, I have friends and colleagues who are more observant than I am, and who sends me lists for my TBR pile; or, I go to trade shows and become aware of wonderful new books when someone places them directly into my hands. It’s hard to remain permanently uninformed when you work in the industry.
I can say, at least, that I’m looking forward to the continuations of a few series I started in 2008. For example, Suzanne Collins’s sequel to The Hunger Games; Marie Rutkoski’s sequel to The Cabinet of Wonders; and Sarah Prineas’s sequel to The Magic Thief.
ON THE HORIZON FOR KRISTIN CASHORE:
Graceling will be released in the U.K. in January of 2009. Translations of “Graceling” in various languages, most immediately Spanish, French, and Italian, will also be available in early 2009. Other language editions will follow, but I don’t know release schedules yet, so I’d better not promise anything! Finally, in the fall of 2009, Fire, a prequel-ish companion book to “Graceling”, will start trickling into bookstores. And in the meantime, I’ll continue with the writing of a book called “Bitterblue”, a sequel-ish companion book to “Graceling”, in which a sixteen-year-old Bitterblue is the protagonist.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kristin Cashore received her M.A. at the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College, and is the author of “Graceling”, a young adult fantasy novel from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, in bookstores now. “Graceling” is the author’s first novel. For more information, please visit the author's Official Blog.
NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.
6:00 PM | 
Posted by
Robert |
Official Bruce R. Cordell WebsiteOfficial Plague of Spells Blog
Order “Plague of Spells” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
It's not often that a fantasy series focuses solely on one character. Given the epic nature of such tales, even the most compelling protagonist needs backup. Love interests, best friends, antagonists that we love to hate, grizzled war veterans, and sentient objects with attitudes are all good candidates to give any roster some extra flavor, as well as provide readers with other options should a core character not develop to their liking.
The trick, though, is to make sure that readers are given ample opportunity to appreciate secondary characters, or even multiple protagonists, before forcefully or coaxingly attaching them to one. Expected character jumps from chapter to chapter should end in a brief bout of frustration that Character A has temporarily left the stage before realizing that checking in on Characters B, C and D should prove just as enjoyable.
“Plague of Spells”, the first entry in Bruce R. Cordell's Abolethic Sovereignty, is one instance of a smooth and believable transition from character to character, though the first jump is a bit rocky. Less than twenty pages into “Plague of Spells”, protagonist and monk Raidon Kane bears witness to the Spellplague, the chaotic manifestation of the assassination of Mystra, keeper of all magic in the world of Toril. Everything and everyone around Raidon is immolated in searing blue fire, and as chapter one cuts off abruptly, so too does Raidon's world fade to black.
It is ten years after the horrific Spellplague that the narrative continues. Magic in Toril has been changed. Many previously prolific mages are no longer capable of creating even a tiny flame to light their path. It is here, after such a startling introduction to Raidon Kane, that author Cordell introduces us to new characters, many of whom initially seem quite dull. That is not to say that they are dull, however. One has the ability to coax her spirit out of her body while she sleeps—a handy ability to be sure. Another character is addicted to traveler's dust, a drug that sharpens one's senses but inevitably results in a grisly death. Their struggles are quite interesting, and a love story develops between the aforementioned two that should make for an interesting pairing going into book two.
Why, then, do I deem them “dull” before confessing that many are actually intriguing? Because of Raidon Kane. Raidon is ripped away so violently from the reader at the book's outset that foraging through the journeys of others is overly frustrating at first. The concern over Raidon speaks volumes about Cordell's careful crafting of the character. What happened to him? Why did it happen? Is he still alive? And if so, what changes has he undergone? I found myself so eager to receive answers to these questions that the change of setting and characters was more jarring than pleasant.
The warrior monk's Spellplague-caused trauma temporarily renders him an amnesiac, and this loss of identity puts the reader on equal footing with the character. Though Raidon has appeared in other Forgotten Realms works, not much is known about him at first: he has a daughter, and he is a creature bounty hunter. As Raidon regains his memory and searches for his daughter—Did she survive the Spellplague? Raidon doesn't know, and neither do you—the reader is able to follow Raidon step for step. The result is an easily forged connection with the character, as well as the world itself.
Readers will also doubtlessly be curious as to how Faerun has changed due to the Spellplague. By looking through the eyes of Raidon Kane, most questions in this vein will be answered, though many remain for the next two installments in the trilogy, and likely other Forgotten Realms adventures as well.
As Raidon's fate was explored and expanded upon every few chapters, I allowed myself to invest in the scheming and maneuvering of the other characters. In fact, I became even more interested in their doings than Raidon's at several points. Each has their own reasons for pursuing the ancient evil artifact in which they all become interested, as well as their own personalities, which are developed with a manageable sense of pace.
Their inevitable meeting and alliance also happens logically and realistically. They are united in their cause, but the personal motivations of each are not sacrificed for the sake of the bigger picture. The ending affects each character as a group, but also has personal ramifications for each and should leave readers eagerly anticipating the next entry, “City of Torment”.
“Plague of Spells” is an excellent addition to the ever-expanding Forgotten Realms library. The Spellplague is catastrophic and exciting all on its own, but it is the plight of an interesting cast of characters that will keep readers turning pages.
The trick, though, is to make sure that readers are given ample opportunity to appreciate secondary characters, or even multiple protagonists, before forcefully or coaxingly attaching them to one. Expected character jumps from chapter to chapter should end in a brief bout of frustration that Character A has temporarily left the stage before realizing that checking in on Characters B, C and D should prove just as enjoyable.
“Plague of Spells”, the first entry in Bruce R. Cordell's Abolethic Sovereignty, is one instance of a smooth and believable transition from character to character, though the first jump is a bit rocky. Less than twenty pages into “Plague of Spells”, protagonist and monk Raidon Kane bears witness to the Spellplague, the chaotic manifestation of the assassination of Mystra, keeper of all magic in the world of Toril. Everything and everyone around Raidon is immolated in searing blue fire, and as chapter one cuts off abruptly, so too does Raidon's world fade to black.
It is ten years after the horrific Spellplague that the narrative continues. Magic in Toril has been changed. Many previously prolific mages are no longer capable of creating even a tiny flame to light their path. It is here, after such a startling introduction to Raidon Kane, that author Cordell introduces us to new characters, many of whom initially seem quite dull. That is not to say that they are dull, however. One has the ability to coax her spirit out of her body while she sleeps—a handy ability to be sure. Another character is addicted to traveler's dust, a drug that sharpens one's senses but inevitably results in a grisly death. Their struggles are quite interesting, and a love story develops between the aforementioned two that should make for an interesting pairing going into book two.
Why, then, do I deem them “dull” before confessing that many are actually intriguing? Because of Raidon Kane. Raidon is ripped away so violently from the reader at the book's outset that foraging through the journeys of others is overly frustrating at first. The concern over Raidon speaks volumes about Cordell's careful crafting of the character. What happened to him? Why did it happen? Is he still alive? And if so, what changes has he undergone? I found myself so eager to receive answers to these questions that the change of setting and characters was more jarring than pleasant.
The warrior monk's Spellplague-caused trauma temporarily renders him an amnesiac, and this loss of identity puts the reader on equal footing with the character. Though Raidon has appeared in other Forgotten Realms works, not much is known about him at first: he has a daughter, and he is a creature bounty hunter. As Raidon regains his memory and searches for his daughter—Did she survive the Spellplague? Raidon doesn't know, and neither do you—the reader is able to follow Raidon step for step. The result is an easily forged connection with the character, as well as the world itself.
Readers will also doubtlessly be curious as to how Faerun has changed due to the Spellplague. By looking through the eyes of Raidon Kane, most questions in this vein will be answered, though many remain for the next two installments in the trilogy, and likely other Forgotten Realms adventures as well.
As Raidon's fate was explored and expanded upon every few chapters, I allowed myself to invest in the scheming and maneuvering of the other characters. In fact, I became even more interested in their doings than Raidon's at several points. Each has their own reasons for pursuing the ancient evil artifact in which they all become interested, as well as their own personalities, which are developed with a manageable sense of pace.
Their inevitable meeting and alliance also happens logically and realistically. They are united in their cause, but the personal motivations of each are not sacrificed for the sake of the bigger picture. The ending affects each character as a group, but also has personal ramifications for each and should leave readers eagerly anticipating the next entry, “City of Torment”.
“Plague of Spells” is an excellent addition to the ever-expanding Forgotten Realms library. The Spellplague is catastrophic and exciting all on its own, but it is the plight of an interesting cast of characters that will keep readers turning pages.
2008 FAVORITES:
I spend most of my time writing about the end of the world, and as the world really did seem to be ending on more than one occasion in 2008, I spent a lot of spare time catching up with some of the classics of post-apocalyptic literature! I particularly enjoyed Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” and, courtesy of my editor, John Christopher’s Tripods trilogy—The White Mountains, The City of Gold and Lead and The Pool of Fire. I also read Masuji Ibuse’s harrowing but touching account of the bombing of Hiroshima, “Black Rain”. On the small press front, I really enjoyed “Drop Dead Gorgeous” by Wayne Simmons (Permuted Press); a fascinating trip through post-apocalyptic Belfast filled with a cast of bizarre but totally believable characters!
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
I’m not making any plans for reading in 2009. I have a pile of books ready to go (mostly PA again!) but have so far been unable to read more than 5 pages of anything in one sitting. I’m starting with P.D. James’ “The Children of Men” and I’ll see where I go from there!
ON THE HORIZON FOR DAVID MOODY:
After many years self-publishing (god, how I hate that term) and running my own small press, I’m looking forward to my first major release. “Hater” is due out in February (Thomas Dunne Books in the US, Gollancz in the UK) with a movie adaptation in the works from Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth) and J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage). Also coming up later this year I have the release of a smaller scale, independent film of one of my other novels—“Autumn”. The film was shot in Canada and stars Dexter Fletcher and David Carradine. The novel that it was based on has also been picked up by Thomas Dunne Books and I’m currently working with them towards publication.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
David Moody’s debut novel, “Straight to You”, was first published in 1996 by a small UK publisher. In 2005 Moody formed Infected Books—his own publishing house through which he independently published his books including the popular Autumn series and “Hater” (2006). For more information, please visit the author’s Official Website.
NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.
I spend most of my time writing about the end of the world, and as the world really did seem to be ending on more than one occasion in 2008, I spent a lot of spare time catching up with some of the classics of post-apocalyptic literature! I particularly enjoyed Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” and, courtesy of my editor, John Christopher’s Tripods trilogy—The White Mountains, The City of Gold and Lead and The Pool of Fire. I also read Masuji Ibuse’s harrowing but touching account of the bombing of Hiroshima, “Black Rain”. On the small press front, I really enjoyed “Drop Dead Gorgeous” by Wayne Simmons (Permuted Press); a fascinating trip through post-apocalyptic Belfast filled with a cast of bizarre but totally believable characters!
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
I’m not making any plans for reading in 2009. I have a pile of books ready to go (mostly PA again!) but have so far been unable to read more than 5 pages of anything in one sitting. I’m starting with P.D. James’ “The Children of Men” and I’ll see where I go from there!
ON THE HORIZON FOR DAVID MOODY:
After many years self-publishing (god, how I hate that term) and running my own small press, I’m looking forward to my first major release. “Hater” is due out in February (Thomas Dunne Books in the US, Gollancz in the UK) with a movie adaptation in the works from Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth) and J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage). Also coming up later this year I have the release of a smaller scale, independent film of one of my other novels—“Autumn”. The film was shot in Canada and stars Dexter Fletcher and David Carradine. The novel that it was based on has also been picked up by Thomas Dunne Books and I’m currently working with them towards publication.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
David Moody’s debut novel, “Straight to You”, was first published in 1996 by a small UK publisher. In 2005 Moody formed Infected Books—his own publishing house through which he independently published his books including the popular Autumn series and “Hater” (2006). For more information, please visit the author’s Official Website.
NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.
Official Hidden Cities WebsiteOfficial Christopher Golden Website
Official Tim Lebbon Website
Order “The Map of Moments” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
ABOUT THE MAP OF MOMENTS: Barely six months after leaving New Orleans, history professor Max Corbett is returning to a place he hardly recognizes. The girl he’d loved—and lost—is dead, and the once-enchanted city has been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Max has not thought much beyond Gabrielle’s funeral—until a strange old man offers him a map, and an insane proposition:
“Forget all the stories about magic you think you know . . .”
It looks like an ordinary tourist map, but the old man claims that it is marked with a trail of magical moments from New Orleans’ history that just might open a door to the past. But it is a journey fraught with peril as Max begins to uncover dark secrets about both his dead love and the city he never really knew. How is Gabrielle linked to an evil group from the city’s past? And can Max evade them long enough to turn back the clock and give Gabrielle one last chance at life?
CLASSIFICATION: Like “Mind the Gap”, “The Map of Moments” is a contemporary mystery/thriller imbued with supernatural elements that takes place in a recognizable urban setting—in this case, post-Katrina New Orleans (2005). Unlike its predecessor, “The Map of Moments” is a darker, more somber affair, which is balanced by uplifting rays of hope…
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 368 pages divided over seventeen chapters. Narration is in the third-person exclusively via the protagonist Max Corbett. “The Map of Moments” is the second Novel of the Hidden Cities after “Mind the Gap”, but is unrelated, and like that book, is self-contained. January 27, 2009 marks the North American Trade Paperback publication of “The Map of Moments” via Bantam Spectra. Cover art provided by Stephan Martiniere.
ANALYSIS: “Mind the Gap”, the first collaboration between award-winning and bestselling authors Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, was a solid offering, marred by a slow start and conventional plotting, but ended on a very strong note. Their second collaboration follows a somewhat similar path—slow beginning, powerful ending—but with some key differences.
Firstly, the setting for “The Map of Moments” is much more interesting than it was in “Mind the Gap”. No offense against the city, but I’ve read so many books set in London that every time I go back there, it’s like déjà vu. On the flipside, I’ve only read one short story set in post-Katrina New Orleans, so reading a novel in that milieu was a fresh experience. Of course, it also helps that the authors were able to render the environment with such vividness. Not just the devastation, the horrors and the sorrow, but also little moments—a helpful stranger, an optimistic waitress—that expresses hope for the city, that New Orleans will rebuild, that “we’re still here, and we’ll survive”…
Secondly, “The Map of Moments” features a more inventive plot than its predecessor, revolving around a map that allows the protagonist to visit magical moments throughout New Orleans’ history starting with The First Moment way back in July 15, 1699. By visiting these moments, Max will supposedly gather magic to himself, and once he’s acquired enough magic, he’ll be able to journey back in time and save Gabrielle—the woman that Max loved—from her death during Hurricane Katrina. What really makes this story so fascinating however, is not the concept itself, but the questions that Max continuously uncovers with every new Moment—Why was Gabrielle estranged from her family? Who is Coco? What is the Tordu and why does the very mention of that word inspire such great fear? How is Gabrielle connected with all of this? Who or what is Seddicus? Et cetera—questions that are suspense-building and gut-wrenching.
Thirdly, I found the character of Max Corbett more compelling than “Mind the Gap’s” protagonist Jazz Towne. For one, it’s because he’s just a regular guy, someone without powers or a preordained destiny that readers can connect and sympathize with on a common level. After all, if you had the chance to save the life of someone you loved, wouldn’t you want to try, regardless of how impossible the methods may seem? Additionally, I liked Max more because he had substance and felt like a real person, an issue which I’ve had with the authors’ characterization in the past. In fact, not only does Max possess substance, but he also evolves over the course of the novel—both naturally and realistically—so the Max found at the end of “The Map of Moments” is a completely different person.
As to the rest, the writing of Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon is proficient as usual with skillful prose, believable dialogue and well-executed pacing and plotting. My only real complaint is the ending, which I thought was a bit anticlimactic—and perhaps not the ending I was hoping for—but I’m glad the authors stuck to their guns. On a personal note, as good as the Novels of the Hidden Cities are, I still prefer the authors’ own works like Christopher Golden’s Veil Trilogy and Tim Lebbon’s Noreela stories.
CONCLUSION: Compared to “Mind the Gap”, “The Map of Moments” is better written, better executed, creatively superior, and just overall a more gripping and satisfying reading experience than its predecessor. A haunting, yet inspirational novel that could resonate very strongly with readers, “The Map of Moments” is undeniable proof that Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon make a great team together…
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
A prolific and bestselling writer of horror, fantasy, and suspense for adults, teens, and young readers, Christopher Golden’s bibliography includes The Veil Trilogy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Hellboy tie-in books, Ghosts of Albion (w/Amber Benson), “Poison Ink” (Reviewed HERE) and “Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire”, co-authored with Mike Mignola, which they are currently scripting as a feature film for New Regency. Christopher has also collaborated with Thomas E. Sniegoski on The Menagerie series, the OutCast novels, and the comic book miniseries Talent and The Sisterhood—the latter three have all been acquired for film adaptation.
Tim Lebbon is a British writer of horror and dark fantasy. He has won three British Fantasy Awards, a Bram Stoker Award, a Shocker and a Tombstone Award. Tim’s bibliography includes the “Dusk/Dawn” duology, the Noreela novel “Fallen”, “Beserk”, “The Everlasting”, “Hellboy: Unnatural Selection” and the New York Times bestselling movie novelization of 30 Days of Night. He is also the author of the novella “White”, soon to be a major motion picture. Upcoming releases include the new Noreela novel, “The Island” (May 19, 2009) from Bantam Spectra,
Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon are also co-authoring The Secret Journeys of Jack London YA novels.
“Forget all the stories about magic you think you know . . .”
It looks like an ordinary tourist map, but the old man claims that it is marked with a trail of magical moments from New Orleans’ history that just might open a door to the past. But it is a journey fraught with peril as Max begins to uncover dark secrets about both his dead love and the city he never really knew. How is Gabrielle linked to an evil group from the city’s past? And can Max evade them long enough to turn back the clock and give Gabrielle one last chance at life?
CLASSIFICATION: Like “Mind the Gap”, “The Map of Moments” is a contemporary mystery/thriller imbued with supernatural elements that takes place in a recognizable urban setting—in this case, post-Katrina New Orleans (2005). Unlike its predecessor, “The Map of Moments” is a darker, more somber affair, which is balanced by uplifting rays of hope…
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 368 pages divided over seventeen chapters. Narration is in the third-person exclusively via the protagonist Max Corbett. “The Map of Moments” is the second Novel of the Hidden Cities after “Mind the Gap”, but is unrelated, and like that book, is self-contained. January 27, 2009 marks the North American Trade Paperback publication of “The Map of Moments” via Bantam Spectra. Cover art provided by Stephan Martiniere.
ANALYSIS: “Mind the Gap”, the first collaboration between award-winning and bestselling authors Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, was a solid offering, marred by a slow start and conventional plotting, but ended on a very strong note. Their second collaboration follows a somewhat similar path—slow beginning, powerful ending—but with some key differences.
Firstly, the setting for “The Map of Moments” is much more interesting than it was in “Mind the Gap”. No offense against the city, but I’ve read so many books set in London that every time I go back there, it’s like déjà vu. On the flipside, I’ve only read one short story set in post-Katrina New Orleans, so reading a novel in that milieu was a fresh experience. Of course, it also helps that the authors were able to render the environment with such vividness. Not just the devastation, the horrors and the sorrow, but also little moments—a helpful stranger, an optimistic waitress—that expresses hope for the city, that New Orleans will rebuild, that “we’re still here, and we’ll survive”…
Secondly, “The Map of Moments” features a more inventive plot than its predecessor, revolving around a map that allows the protagonist to visit magical moments throughout New Orleans’ history starting with The First Moment way back in July 15, 1699. By visiting these moments, Max will supposedly gather magic to himself, and once he’s acquired enough magic, he’ll be able to journey back in time and save Gabrielle—the woman that Max loved—from her death during Hurricane Katrina. What really makes this story so fascinating however, is not the concept itself, but the questions that Max continuously uncovers with every new Moment—Why was Gabrielle estranged from her family? Who is Coco? What is the Tordu and why does the very mention of that word inspire such great fear? How is Gabrielle connected with all of this? Who or what is Seddicus? Et cetera—questions that are suspense-building and gut-wrenching.
Thirdly, I found the character of Max Corbett more compelling than “Mind the Gap’s” protagonist Jazz Towne. For one, it’s because he’s just a regular guy, someone without powers or a preordained destiny that readers can connect and sympathize with on a common level. After all, if you had the chance to save the life of someone you loved, wouldn’t you want to try, regardless of how impossible the methods may seem? Additionally, I liked Max more because he had substance and felt like a real person, an issue which I’ve had with the authors’ characterization in the past. In fact, not only does Max possess substance, but he also evolves over the course of the novel—both naturally and realistically—so the Max found at the end of “The Map of Moments” is a completely different person.
As to the rest, the writing of Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon is proficient as usual with skillful prose, believable dialogue and well-executed pacing and plotting. My only real complaint is the ending, which I thought was a bit anticlimactic—and perhaps not the ending I was hoping for—but I’m glad the authors stuck to their guns. On a personal note, as good as the Novels of the Hidden Cities are, I still prefer the authors’ own works like Christopher Golden’s Veil Trilogy and Tim Lebbon’s Noreela stories.
CONCLUSION: Compared to “Mind the Gap”, “The Map of Moments” is better written, better executed, creatively superior, and just overall a more gripping and satisfying reading experience than its predecessor. A haunting, yet inspirational novel that could resonate very strongly with readers, “The Map of Moments” is undeniable proof that Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon make a great team together…
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
A prolific and bestselling writer of horror, fantasy, and suspense for adults, teens, and young readers, Christopher Golden’s bibliography includes The Veil Trilogy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Hellboy tie-in books, Ghosts of Albion (w/Amber Benson), “Poison Ink” (Reviewed HERE) and “Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire”, co-authored with Mike Mignola, which they are currently scripting as a feature film for New Regency. Christopher has also collaborated with Thomas E. Sniegoski on The Menagerie series, the OutCast novels, and the comic book miniseries Talent and The Sisterhood—the latter three have all been acquired for film adaptation.
Tim Lebbon is a British writer of horror and dark fantasy. He has won three British Fantasy Awards, a Bram Stoker Award, a Shocker and a Tombstone Award. Tim’s bibliography includes the “Dusk/Dawn” duology, the Noreela novel “Fallen”, “Beserk”, “The Everlasting”, “Hellboy: Unnatural Selection” and the New York Times bestselling movie novelization of 30 Days of Night. He is also the author of the novella “White”, soon to be a major motion picture. Upcoming releases include the new Noreela novel, “The Island” (May 19, 2009) from Bantam Spectra,
Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon are also co-authoring The Secret Journeys of Jack London YA novels.
2008 FAVORITES:
Apart from a steady diet of non-fiction and pulp crime, I didn’t manage to read much until a big splurge at the end of the year. Here are a few novels I can throughly recommend:
1) “The Word of God” by Thomas M. Disch. Funny, sour-sweet, sometimes uncomfortable but always on-target satire by a much-missed master.
2) “Night Work” by Thomas Glavinic. A nicely sustained piece of dour mittel-European existential horror riffing on the last man on Earth theme.
3) “House of Suns” by Alastair Reynolds. A space opera that combines a mythic love story and a gothic-style family mystery with a slew of classic but thoroughly reworked SF tropes. His best yet. (Following John Clute’s Protocol of Candour, I must declare that Al Reynolds is a friend of mine, he’s recommended a novel I published this year, and I’ve written an introduction to his collection, Zima Blue, so take this with as large a pinch of salt as you like.)
4) “Winterstrike” by Liz Williams. Another family mystery story, this time set on Mars and Earth in the far future; an edgy, finely wrought science fantasy.
A couple of books I should have read when they came out, but am glad that I caught up with:
1) “Blindsight” by Peter Watts. A tough and challenging take on that old chestnut, First Contact. You might not wholly agree with Watt’s bleak, neo-Darwinian premise, but you have to admire how he weaves his arguments into the spine of the narrative.
2) “Spin” by Robert Charles Wilson. A very different take on First Contact, skilfully and sympathetically blending the stuff of ordinary human life with a dizzying plunge into Deep Time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Paul McAuley is the author of numerous science fiction novels including the Philip K. Dick Award-winning “Four Hundred Billion Stars”, the acclaimed Confluence Trilogy, and “Fairyland” which won both the Arthur C. Clarke and John W. Campbell awards. “The Quiet War” is the author’s most recent release and will be followed by the sequel, “Gardens of the Sun”, in late 2009. Paul also has a Ph.D. in botany and has worked as a researcher in biology at various universities including Oxford and UCLA. 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.
Apart from a steady diet of non-fiction and pulp crime, I didn’t manage to read much until a big splurge at the end of the year. Here are a few novels I can throughly recommend:
1) “The Word of God” by Thomas M. Disch. Funny, sour-sweet, sometimes uncomfortable but always on-target satire by a much-missed master.
2) “Night Work” by Thomas Glavinic. A nicely sustained piece of dour mittel-European existential horror riffing on the last man on Earth theme.
3) “House of Suns” by Alastair Reynolds. A space opera that combines a mythic love story and a gothic-style family mystery with a slew of classic but thoroughly reworked SF tropes. His best yet. (Following John Clute’s Protocol of Candour, I must declare that Al Reynolds is a friend of mine, he’s recommended a novel I published this year, and I’ve written an introduction to his collection, Zima Blue, so take this with as large a pinch of salt as you like.)
4) “Winterstrike” by Liz Williams. Another family mystery story, this time set on Mars and Earth in the far future; an edgy, finely wrought science fantasy.
A couple of books I should have read when they came out, but am glad that I caught up with:
1) “Blindsight” by Peter Watts. A tough and challenging take on that old chestnut, First Contact. You might not wholly agree with Watt’s bleak, neo-Darwinian premise, but you have to admire how he weaves his arguments into the spine of the narrative.
2) “Spin” by Robert Charles Wilson. A very different take on First Contact, skilfully and sympathetically blending the stuff of ordinary human life with a dizzying plunge into Deep Time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Paul McAuley is the author of numerous science fiction novels including the Philip K. Dick Award-winning “Four Hundred Billion Stars”, the acclaimed Confluence Trilogy, and “Fairyland” which won both the Arthur C. Clarke and John W. Campbell awards. “The Quiet War” is the author’s most recent release and will be followed by the sequel, “Gardens of the Sun”, in late 2009. Paul also has a Ph.D. in botany and has worked as a researcher in biology at various universities including Oxford and UCLA. 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.
Official Margaret Weis WebsiteOfficial Tracy Hickman Website
Order “Bones of the Dragon” HERE
Read Excerpts HERE + HERE
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have long been a dynamic duo in the world of fantasy literature. Almost 25 years after their first Dragonlance book was published, the two have started a new fantasy series. “Bones of the Dragon”, the first of six volumes in the Dragonships of Vindras saga, introduces readers not only to a whole new creative world, but a story sprinkled with adventure, romance and clashes between humans and such creatures as dragons and ogres...
A battle has erupted between the Vindras gods and a group of unknown gods that wish to take over all that the Vindras look over and protect. As a result of this battle, the gods of the Vindras have scattered and gone into hiding leaving the clans of Vindras to fend for themselves against such hardships as famine and attacks from outside groups.
The only way the people of Vindras can live on their own and protect themselves is to find the five bones of the Vektia Dragon. Unfortunately, due to the extreme power these five bones hold when combined together, the bones have been scattered throughout the land and their location unknown.
Skylan Ivorson, son to the Torgun chief—a small clan of the Vindras—is a brash young man. He believes that he has been touched by the god of war since his birth and is called to do many great things. One of those great things is to become the Chief of Chiefs, ruling over all the Vindras clans, something he believes he is ready to undertake despite his young age and lack of experience. What Skylan does not understand is that being the Chief of Chiefs comes with many responsibilities including the assumed quest to find all five of the sacred bones so that the Vindras and their gods do not become non-existent...
As with a lot of first books in a series, be it a trilogy or longer, the majority of the novel is spent on developing the world that the series takes place in. “Bones of the Dragon” is no exception with most of the first half of the book centered around describing the world of the Vindras, from the clans that have formed, to the cultural elements of the people, and land structures. As usual, Weis and Hickman do a wonderful job of painting a picture for the readers to understand this new world. However, since so much time is spent on world-building, it takes a while for the book to build up to the adventures and developing an understanding for the story and what the series is about.
One facet of the world-building that really stood out was religion and the gods that the Vindras follow. Again, Weis and Hickman do a wonderful job of imagining such a religion and establishing the customs of the clans. In particular, readers are treated to various battle and love stories of the gods that are commonly told among the Vindras clans. While this is very essential to the plot, sometimes it does feel as though other aspects of the storyline were overlooked or lacking because there was so much time spent on religion and the gods.
While readers may enjoy the world-building, a major weakness of “Bones of the Dragon” were the characters and being unable to develop any real relationship with them. Basically, the characters that we are all introduced to are very one-dimensional, with only one side of them being shown like the stubborn warrior, the drunken leader, or the loyal friend who is afraid to speak up and say what he feels. This shallow portrayal of the characters becomes frustrating after a while, especially since we’ve seen these kinds of stereotypes before in the world of fantasy. For example, Skylan was overly confident and by the middle of the book you could basically predict every move that he was going to make. I was hoping that by the end of the novel one character would jump out at me, but unfortunately that didn't happen.
Overall, “Bones of the Dragon” was a middle-of-the-road book and didn't wow me like I was hoping, but it wasn't a complete let down because there were parts that I really enjoyed. The world-building in particular was wonderful and the descriptions really added a special dimension to the book. Also, the plot did pick up at the end. However, there were also a lot of drawbacks that made the book hard to get through like the flat characters and the large amount of time it took for the plot to get going. And some of my disappointment stemmed from how much I loved the Dragonlance novels, which made me really anticipate the new series. Of course, it’s too early to judge the Dragonships of Vindras and I’m hopeful that the series picks up in the future, although it could go either way. Still, it’s a series to definitely keep an eye on...
A battle has erupted between the Vindras gods and a group of unknown gods that wish to take over all that the Vindras look over and protect. As a result of this battle, the gods of the Vindras have scattered and gone into hiding leaving the clans of Vindras to fend for themselves against such hardships as famine and attacks from outside groups.
The only way the people of Vindras can live on their own and protect themselves is to find the five bones of the Vektia Dragon. Unfortunately, due to the extreme power these five bones hold when combined together, the bones have been scattered throughout the land and their location unknown.
Skylan Ivorson, son to the Torgun chief—a small clan of the Vindras—is a brash young man. He believes that he has been touched by the god of war since his birth and is called to do many great things. One of those great things is to become the Chief of Chiefs, ruling over all the Vindras clans, something he believes he is ready to undertake despite his young age and lack of experience. What Skylan does not understand is that being the Chief of Chiefs comes with many responsibilities including the assumed quest to find all five of the sacred bones so that the Vindras and their gods do not become non-existent...
As with a lot of first books in a series, be it a trilogy or longer, the majority of the novel is spent on developing the world that the series takes place in. “Bones of the Dragon” is no exception with most of the first half of the book centered around describing the world of the Vindras, from the clans that have formed, to the cultural elements of the people, and land structures. As usual, Weis and Hickman do a wonderful job of painting a picture for the readers to understand this new world. However, since so much time is spent on world-building, it takes a while for the book to build up to the adventures and developing an understanding for the story and what the series is about.
One facet of the world-building that really stood out was religion and the gods that the Vindras follow. Again, Weis and Hickman do a wonderful job of imagining such a religion and establishing the customs of the clans. In particular, readers are treated to various battle and love stories of the gods that are commonly told among the Vindras clans. While this is very essential to the plot, sometimes it does feel as though other aspects of the storyline were overlooked or lacking because there was so much time spent on religion and the gods.
While readers may enjoy the world-building, a major weakness of “Bones of the Dragon” were the characters and being unable to develop any real relationship with them. Basically, the characters that we are all introduced to are very one-dimensional, with only one side of them being shown like the stubborn warrior, the drunken leader, or the loyal friend who is afraid to speak up and say what he feels. This shallow portrayal of the characters becomes frustrating after a while, especially since we’ve seen these kinds of stereotypes before in the world of fantasy. For example, Skylan was overly confident and by the middle of the book you could basically predict every move that he was going to make. I was hoping that by the end of the novel one character would jump out at me, but unfortunately that didn't happen.
Overall, “Bones of the Dragon” was a middle-of-the-road book and didn't wow me like I was hoping, but it wasn't a complete let down because there were parts that I really enjoyed. The world-building in particular was wonderful and the descriptions really added a special dimension to the book. Also, the plot did pick up at the end. However, there were also a lot of drawbacks that made the book hard to get through like the flat characters and the large amount of time it took for the plot to get going. And some of my disappointment stemmed from how much I loved the Dragonlance novels, which made me really anticipate the new series. Of course, it’s too early to judge the Dragonships of Vindras and I’m hopeful that the series picks up in the future, although it could go either way. Still, it’s a series to definitely keep an eye on...
2008 FAVORITES:
I pride myself in being behind the curve. My favorite reads tend to be those that other people discovered anywhere from a year to a generation ago (last year it was Peake’s Titus Groan). If people are still talking about a book after the flash and rumble of its release fades away, I imagine, there’s a better chance that it’s truly exceptional. Or perhaps I just read slowly.
In any case I read far less than usual in 2008, what with a 620-page book to write. To start with fantasy: early in the year it was “The Children’s Hospital” (cataclysmic, hilarious, hideous, astonishing) by Chris Adrian. Shortly thereafter I treated myself to “A Game of Thrones”, my first foray into The Martin Chronicles; and Gregory Frost’s lovely, lyrical “Shadowbridge”. Then came two books by writers I’ve been lucky enough to get to know: John Crowley’s beautiful and meditative “Endless Things” and Paul Park’s brilliant concluding Romania novel, “The Hidden World”. Outside of fantasy my favorites included “Lost City Radio” by Daniel Alarcón (his first novel), “Bliss” by Peter Carey (his first, too—but in 1981) and the twisted and terrifying “Alamut” (1938) by the Slovene writer Vladimir Bartol. The latter is a bad place to learn anything about Islam, but a great place to consider what happens if you live by the assassin’s motto “Nothing is true; everything is permitted.” Some people might call all three of these books “mainstream.” Thinking back on them, the notion makes me giggle.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
There are the writers I’ve been wanting to read for years (Geoffrey Ryman, Iain M. Banks, G. Cabrera Infante), the writers I’ve learned about in the last year or two (Patrick Rothfuss, Peter V. Brett, Stephen Deas, Richard Morgan), the writers I’ve had a taste of and can’t wait to read more of (Roberto Bolaño, Orhan Pamuk, Gesualdo Bufalino), and the writers I’m just hoping will bring out another book soon (David Mitchell, Jim Shepard, Amit Chaudary). How many of these I’ll actually be able to get to will depend on what sort of speed records I break with the writing of the last book in The Chathrand Voyage trilogy.
ON THE HORIZON FOR ROBERT V.S. REDICK:
“The Red Wolf Conspiracy”, Book One of the fantasy trilogy The Chathrand Voyage, will be published in the U.S. by Del Rey on April 29. I’ll be making appearances at Cons before and after the launch, including Vericon (Harvard, January 23-24), New York Comic Con (NYC, February 6-8), the Virginia Book Festival (Charlottesville, March 19-21) and certainly Worldcon (Montréal, August 6-10).
The other big event for me this year will be the release of Book II of the trilogy, “The Rats and the Ruling Sea”, by my U.K./Canada/Commonwealth publisher, Gollancz, in August. Del Rey will follow a few months thereafter in the U.S. Various translations of “The Red Wolf Conspiracy” will also be out in 2009—the German, French and Spanish versions are all in the final editing stages and should be the first to appear.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robert V.S. Redick’s first novel, “Conquistadors”, was a finalist for the 2002 AWP/Thomas Dunne Novel Award. “Uncrossed River,” a memoir of his chance encounters with the late actor River Phoenix, won the 2005 New Millennium Writings Award for nonfiction and was published in New Millennium Writings. “Palpable,” another Argentina story, was a finalist for the 2003 Glimmer Train Short Story Award. Robert is currently at work on The Chathrand Voyage fantasy trilogy. 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.
I pride myself in being behind the curve. My favorite reads tend to be those that other people discovered anywhere from a year to a generation ago (last year it was Peake’s Titus Groan). If people are still talking about a book after the flash and rumble of its release fades away, I imagine, there’s a better chance that it’s truly exceptional. Or perhaps I just read slowly.
In any case I read far less than usual in 2008, what with a 620-page book to write. To start with fantasy: early in the year it was “The Children’s Hospital” (cataclysmic, hilarious, hideous, astonishing) by Chris Adrian. Shortly thereafter I treated myself to “A Game of Thrones”, my first foray into The Martin Chronicles; and Gregory Frost’s lovely, lyrical “Shadowbridge”. Then came two books by writers I’ve been lucky enough to get to know: John Crowley’s beautiful and meditative “Endless Things” and Paul Park’s brilliant concluding Romania novel, “The Hidden World”. Outside of fantasy my favorites included “Lost City Radio” by Daniel Alarcón (his first novel), “Bliss” by Peter Carey (his first, too—but in 1981) and the twisted and terrifying “Alamut” (1938) by the Slovene writer Vladimir Bartol. The latter is a bad place to learn anything about Islam, but a great place to consider what happens if you live by the assassin’s motto “Nothing is true; everything is permitted.” Some people might call all three of these books “mainstream.” Thinking back on them, the notion makes me giggle.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
There are the writers I’ve been wanting to read for years (Geoffrey Ryman, Iain M. Banks, G. Cabrera Infante), the writers I’ve learned about in the last year or two (Patrick Rothfuss, Peter V. Brett, Stephen Deas, Richard Morgan), the writers I’ve had a taste of and can’t wait to read more of (Roberto Bolaño, Orhan Pamuk, Gesualdo Bufalino), and the writers I’m just hoping will bring out another book soon (David Mitchell, Jim Shepard, Amit Chaudary). How many of these I’ll actually be able to get to will depend on what sort of speed records I break with the writing of the last book in The Chathrand Voyage trilogy.
ON THE HORIZON FOR ROBERT V.S. REDICK:
“The Red Wolf Conspiracy”, Book One of the fantasy trilogy The Chathrand Voyage, will be published in the U.S. by Del Rey on April 29. I’ll be making appearances at Cons before and after the launch, including Vericon (Harvard, January 23-24), New York Comic Con (NYC, February 6-8), the Virginia Book Festival (Charlottesville, March 19-21) and certainly Worldcon (Montréal, August 6-10).
The other big event for me this year will be the release of Book II of the trilogy, “The Rats and the Ruling Sea”, by my U.K./Canada/Commonwealth publisher, Gollancz, in August. Del Rey will follow a few months thereafter in the U.S. Various translations of “The Red Wolf Conspiracy” will also be out in 2009—the German, French and Spanish versions are all in the final editing stages and should be the first to appear.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robert V.S. Redick’s first novel, “Conquistadors”, was a finalist for the 2002 AWP/Thomas Dunne Novel Award. “Uncrossed River,” a memoir of his chance encounters with the late actor River Phoenix, won the 2005 New Millennium Writings Award for nonfiction and was published in New Millennium Writings. “Palpable,” another Argentina story, was a finalist for the 2003 Glimmer Train Short Story Award. Robert is currently at work on The Chathrand Voyage fantasy trilogy. 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.
ABOUT DRAGON IN CHAINS: Deposed by a vicious usurper, a young emperor flees with his court to the small island of Taishu. There, with a dwindling army, a manipulative mother, and a resentful population—and his only friend a local fishergirl he takes as a concubine—he prepares for his last stand.
In the mountains of Taishu, a young miner finds a huge piece of jade, the potent mineral whose ingestion can gift the emperor with superhuman attributes. Setting out to deliver the stone to the embattled emperor, Yu Shan finds himself changing into something more than human, something forbidden.
Meanwhile, a great dragon lies beneath the strait that separates Taishu from the mainland, bound by chains that must be constantly renewed by the magic of a community of monks. When the monks are slaughtered by a willful pirate captain, a maimed slave assumes the terrible burden of keeping the dragon subdued. If he should fail, if she should rise free, the result will be slaughter on an unimaginable scale.
Now the prisoner beneath the sea and the men and women above it will shatter old bonds of loyalty & love and forge a common destiny from the ruins of an empire…
CLASSIFICATION: “Dragon In Chains” is a character-driven, oriental-influenced epic fantasy that reminded me of a cross between Daniel Abraham’s The Long Price Quartet, Kate Elliott’s Crossroads series and Lian Hearn’s Tales of the Otori.
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 416 pages divided over six parts with each part divided into numbered chapters. Narration is in the third-person via four main POVs including the slave-boy Han, the fishergirl-turned-emperor’s mistress Mei Feng, Mei Feng’s grandfather Old Yen, and the young jade miner Yu Shan. Minor narratives include the wife/mother Ma Lin, the rebel leader Tunghai Wang, and the imprisoned dragon herself.
“Dragon In Chains” is the opening volume in the Moshui, the Books of Stone and Water trilogy so there are unresolved storylines and a cliffhanger, but I thought the novel came to a reasonable stopping point. The second and third books in the series are currently titled “Jade Man’s Skin” and “Hidden Cities”. January 27, 2009 marks the North American Trade Paperback publication of “Dragon In Chains” via Del Rey. Cover art is provided by Robert Hunt.
ANALYSIS: Fantasy novels have a habit of treading over familiar territory and Daniel Fox’s “Dragon In Chains” is no exception with youthful protagonists, an empire divided by rebellion, pirates, and a dragon among the book’s most obvious tropes. On top of that, the book follows a standard ‘first-volume-in-a-trilogy’ formula including an emphasis on character development and setting, unresolved storylines, and an ending that leaves readers hanging. Fortunately, the book is not all archetypical and because of parts like the setting, the characterization and the prose, “Dragon In Chains” has much more to offer than your average fantasy novel…
Firstly, the world of “Dragon In Chains” possesses an oriental theme—specifically Chinese—which immediately lends the book a different flavor from other fantasies, especially those with a pseudo-medieval setting. This is most evident by the role that jade plays in the book, not only as a symbol of the emperor’s power, but as a stone imbued with magical properties, while other cultural influences include the importance of ceremony. While I loved the Asian setting though, I thought the world-building was a bit lacking particularly toward the world’s history and religion as well as the reasons behind the rebellion and the imprisonment of the dragon, two of the novel’s most important storylines. I also felt that court politics and the difference between noble life and a fishergirl’s life were underdeveloped.
Characterization meanwhile, is one of the book’s strongest assets. Han, Mei Feng, Mei Feng’s grandfather Old Yen, and Yu Shan are all likeable characters infused with depth, personality and compassion, and their narratives are all the more compelling because of it. Plus, they are complemented by a very strong supporting cast—the pirate captain Li Ton, the emperor Chien Hua, the bandit woman Jiao, the jade carver Gaungli, etc.—who are almost as interesting as the main players. Unfortunately, because characterization is such a focal point of the novel, other areas tend to suffer like the story’s slow pacing, a lack of action, and the aforementioned world-building issues. There were also two narratives in Ma Lin and the rebel leader Tunghai Wang that seemed pointless, but I’m hoping the characters will figure more prominently in the sequels.
The novel’s greatest strength however, lies with Daniel Fox’s poetic prose:
“Gently, gently, one coaxes stone from darkness. Impossible to lift and carry through these awkward channels, where a man may be crawling at one time and then slithering on his belly and then sidling through a vertical crack, a large stone must be dragged, slid, rolled, inveigled on its way. Never coerced. Flesh can be crushed and stretched and scraped, but stone is immutable.
Lay hands on jade—even through sacking, through layers of sacking—and there is never any hurry but there is a surging urgency, a riptide in the blood, a brightening. Yu Shan had known it all his life. This stone made his skin shiver and his bones yearn; he wanted to rear up and break the hill apart above his head, to raise the stone to the sky and roar its wonder.”
It did take me a little while to get used to the prose, and there are moments when the author’s writing style is more clumsy than elegant, but it really adds a unique dimension to the novel and makes even the mundane seem marvelous. One drawback of the prose however, was the narrative voices which all tended to sound the same, but that was a relatively minor problem.
CONCLUSION: Despite some issues with world-building, slow pacing, familiar fantasy tropes, and getting used to the writing style, I mostly found Daniel Fox’s “Dragon In Chains” to be a refreshing and spellbinding experience, one that I very much look forward to continuing. Definitely a novel—and a series—that should be on every fantasy reader’s radar…
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Daniel Fox is a pseudonym for an award-winning British author of several novels including The Books of Outremer. He’s also written children’s books, poetry, plays, and hundreds of short stories.
In the mountains of Taishu, a young miner finds a huge piece of jade, the potent mineral whose ingestion can gift the emperor with superhuman attributes. Setting out to deliver the stone to the embattled emperor, Yu Shan finds himself changing into something more than human, something forbidden.
Meanwhile, a great dragon lies beneath the strait that separates Taishu from the mainland, bound by chains that must be constantly renewed by the magic of a community of monks. When the monks are slaughtered by a willful pirate captain, a maimed slave assumes the terrible burden of keeping the dragon subdued. If he should fail, if she should rise free, the result will be slaughter on an unimaginable scale.
Now the prisoner beneath the sea and the men and women above it will shatter old bonds of loyalty & love and forge a common destiny from the ruins of an empire…
CLASSIFICATION: “Dragon In Chains” is a character-driven, oriental-influenced epic fantasy that reminded me of a cross between Daniel Abraham’s The Long Price Quartet, Kate Elliott’s Crossroads series and Lian Hearn’s Tales of the Otori.
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 416 pages divided over six parts with each part divided into numbered chapters. Narration is in the third-person via four main POVs including the slave-boy Han, the fishergirl-turned-emperor’s mistress Mei Feng, Mei Feng’s grandfather Old Yen, and the young jade miner Yu Shan. Minor narratives include the wife/mother Ma Lin, the rebel leader Tunghai Wang, and the imprisoned dragon herself.
“Dragon In Chains” is the opening volume in the Moshui, the Books of Stone and Water trilogy so there are unresolved storylines and a cliffhanger, but I thought the novel came to a reasonable stopping point. The second and third books in the series are currently titled “Jade Man’s Skin” and “Hidden Cities”. January 27, 2009 marks the North American Trade Paperback publication of “Dragon In Chains” via Del Rey. Cover art is provided by Robert Hunt.
ANALYSIS: Fantasy novels have a habit of treading over familiar territory and Daniel Fox’s “Dragon In Chains” is no exception with youthful protagonists, an empire divided by rebellion, pirates, and a dragon among the book’s most obvious tropes. On top of that, the book follows a standard ‘first-volume-in-a-trilogy’ formula including an emphasis on character development and setting, unresolved storylines, and an ending that leaves readers hanging. Fortunately, the book is not all archetypical and because of parts like the setting, the characterization and the prose, “Dragon In Chains” has much more to offer than your average fantasy novel…
Firstly, the world of “Dragon In Chains” possesses an oriental theme—specifically Chinese—which immediately lends the book a different flavor from other fantasies, especially those with a pseudo-medieval setting. This is most evident by the role that jade plays in the book, not only as a symbol of the emperor’s power, but as a stone imbued with magical properties, while other cultural influences include the importance of ceremony. While I loved the Asian setting though, I thought the world-building was a bit lacking particularly toward the world’s history and religion as well as the reasons behind the rebellion and the imprisonment of the dragon, two of the novel’s most important storylines. I also felt that court politics and the difference between noble life and a fishergirl’s life were underdeveloped.
Characterization meanwhile, is one of the book’s strongest assets. Han, Mei Feng, Mei Feng’s grandfather Old Yen, and Yu Shan are all likeable characters infused with depth, personality and compassion, and their narratives are all the more compelling because of it. Plus, they are complemented by a very strong supporting cast—the pirate captain Li Ton, the emperor Chien Hua, the bandit woman Jiao, the jade carver Gaungli, etc.—who are almost as interesting as the main players. Unfortunately, because characterization is such a focal point of the novel, other areas tend to suffer like the story’s slow pacing, a lack of action, and the aforementioned world-building issues. There were also two narratives in Ma Lin and the rebel leader Tunghai Wang that seemed pointless, but I’m hoping the characters will figure more prominently in the sequels.
The novel’s greatest strength however, lies with Daniel Fox’s poetic prose:
“Gently, gently, one coaxes stone from darkness. Impossible to lift and carry through these awkward channels, where a man may be crawling at one time and then slithering on his belly and then sidling through a vertical crack, a large stone must be dragged, slid, rolled, inveigled on its way. Never coerced. Flesh can be crushed and stretched and scraped, but stone is immutable.
Lay hands on jade—even through sacking, through layers of sacking—and there is never any hurry but there is a surging urgency, a riptide in the blood, a brightening. Yu Shan had known it all his life. This stone made his skin shiver and his bones yearn; he wanted to rear up and break the hill apart above his head, to raise the stone to the sky and roar its wonder.”
It did take me a little while to get used to the prose, and there are moments when the author’s writing style is more clumsy than elegant, but it really adds a unique dimension to the novel and makes even the mundane seem marvelous. One drawback of the prose however, was the narrative voices which all tended to sound the same, but that was a relatively minor problem.
CONCLUSION: Despite some issues with world-building, slow pacing, familiar fantasy tropes, and getting used to the writing style, I mostly found Daniel Fox’s “Dragon In Chains” to be a refreshing and spellbinding experience, one that I very much look forward to continuing. Definitely a novel—and a series—that should be on every fantasy reader’s radar…
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Daniel Fox is a pseudonym for an award-winning British author of several novels including The Books of Outremer. He’s also written children’s books, poetry, plays, and hundreds of short stories.
2008 FAVORITES:
It seems like I never read new books because I'm always trying to catch up on old books. I'm never going to get ahead. But I did manage to read some new books this year—it helped that some of my favorite authors had new books out. My favorite was “Chalice” by Robin McKinley. Now, I'm biased because McKinley has been my favorite writer since I was 15. “Chalice” has that fairy tale quality that I've always loved about McKinley's writing, especially her short stories. I know lots of fantasy books get described as having fairy tale qualities, but McKinley's kind of fairy tale is different. It's down to earth while still feeling magical and epic. The main character, Mirasol, has to save the world. But she's a beekeeper who worries about her bees while helping a fire wizard stop being a wizard so he can perform the day-to-day business of running the country he has inherited. Mirasol succeeds because she's a beekeeper, and McKinley's writing is so sharp I can imagine walking down the path to her home one day and being invited in for tea and biscuits with some of her marvelous honey.
ON THE HORIZON FOR CARRIE VAUGHN:
I have two books coming out. “Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand”, the fifth in the series and should be out in just a couple of weeks (Feb 1st is the official day, I think). I have to warn you—it ends on a cliffhanger. But that's okay, because the next one, “Kitty Raises Hell”, is due out March 1st. A double feature!
I have lots of short fiction coming out as well. I didn't realize how much until I wrote it all down. “The Temptation of Robin Green” will appear in The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance, edited by Tricia Telep, in April. “The Girls from Avenger” will be appearing in Warriors, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. It's unusual in that it's a straight historical piece, but I'm pretty proud of it. A new Kitty short story, “Kitty Learns the Ropes,” will be appearing in Darrell Schweitzer's Urban Werewolves, and a horror story called “Watching” will appear in Killer Bunnies and Zombie Raccoons, edited by Kerrie Hughes and Martin H. Greenberg (the title on that one may have changed...) And, as always, I'm always working on new things so stay tuned!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carrie Vaughn is the New York Times Bestselling author of the Kitty Norville urban fantasy series. Carrie has also published over thirty short stories and was a contributing writer for the Wild Cards mosaic novels “Inside Straight” and “Busted Flush” edited by George R.R. Martin. She holds a Masters in English Literature and was a 1998 graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop. 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.
It seems like I never read new books because I'm always trying to catch up on old books. I'm never going to get ahead. But I did manage to read some new books this year—it helped that some of my favorite authors had new books out. My favorite was “Chalice” by Robin McKinley. Now, I'm biased because McKinley has been my favorite writer since I was 15. “Chalice” has that fairy tale quality that I've always loved about McKinley's writing, especially her short stories. I know lots of fantasy books get described as having fairy tale qualities, but McKinley's kind of fairy tale is different. It's down to earth while still feeling magical and epic. The main character, Mirasol, has to save the world. But she's a beekeeper who worries about her bees while helping a fire wizard stop being a wizard so he can perform the day-to-day business of running the country he has inherited. Mirasol succeeds because she's a beekeeper, and McKinley's writing is so sharp I can imagine walking down the path to her home one day and being invited in for tea and biscuits with some of her marvelous honey.
ON THE HORIZON FOR CARRIE VAUGHN:
I have two books coming out. “Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand”, the fifth in the series and should be out in just a couple of weeks (Feb 1st is the official day, I think). I have to warn you—it ends on a cliffhanger. But that's okay, because the next one, “Kitty Raises Hell”, is due out March 1st. A double feature!
I have lots of short fiction coming out as well. I didn't realize how much until I wrote it all down. “The Temptation of Robin Green” will appear in The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance, edited by Tricia Telep, in April. “The Girls from Avenger” will be appearing in Warriors, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. It's unusual in that it's a straight historical piece, but I'm pretty proud of it. A new Kitty short story, “Kitty Learns the Ropes,” will be appearing in Darrell Schweitzer's Urban Werewolves, and a horror story called “Watching” will appear in Killer Bunnies and Zombie Raccoons, edited by Kerrie Hughes and Martin H. Greenberg (the title on that one may have changed...) And, as always, I'm always working on new things so stay tuned!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carrie Vaughn is the New York Times Bestselling author of the Kitty Norville urban fantasy series. Carrie has also published over thirty short stories and was a contributing writer for the Wild Cards mosaic novels “Inside Straight” and “Busted Flush” edited by George R.R. Martin. She holds a Masters in English Literature and was a 1998 graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop. 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.
Congratulations to Anita Hunt (North Carolina), Alan Blank (California), Ruth Fichter (Michigan), Andrew Scott (New York), Sherri Kinney (Florida), Fred Hambrecht (South Carolina), Becky Michel (Louisiana), Carol Carter (Alabama), Michael Lacount (Colorado), Keith Prochaska (Minnesota), Julie Lawrence (North Carolina), Kelli George (Tennessee), Julie Ballman (Pennsylvania), Jennifer Rockwell (Montana), and Tamara Litke (South Dakota) who were all randomly selected to win a LIMITED-EDITION BOXED ADVANCE READING COPY w/DVD of Bernard Cornwell’s new book “Agincourt” thanks to HarperCollins!!! The US version of “Agincourt” officially comes out today! For more information on the book, including excerpts and a video, please click HERE.
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