Official Jasper Kent Website
Order “Thirteen Years Later” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Review of “Twelve”
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Jasper Kent has a degree in Natural Sciences from Trinity Hall, Cambridge. For almost twenty years he has worked as a software engineer and has co-written several musicals including The Promised Land and Remember! Remember!. “Thirteen Years Later” is his second novel after “Twelve”.
PLOT SUMMARY: 1825, Europe—and Russia—have been at peace for a decade. Bonaparte is long dead and the threat of invasion is no more. For Colonel Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov, life is peaceful. Not only have the French been defeated, but so have the twelve monstrous creatures he once fought alongside, and then against, all those years before. His duty is still to his tsar, Aleksandr I, but today the enemy is merely human.
But the tsar knows that he can never be at peace. He is well aware of the uprising fermenting within his own army, but what troubles him is something far more terrible—something that threatens to bring damnation down upon him, his family and his country. Aleksandr cannot forget a promise: a promise sealed in blood . . . and broken a hundred years before.
Now the victim of the Romanovs’ betrayal has returned to demand what is his. The knowledge chills Aleksandr’s very soul. And for Aleksei, it seems the vile pestilence that once threatened all he held dear has returned, thirteen years later…
CLASSIFICATION: Like its predecessor Twelve, Thirteen Years Later is a “vibrant blend of detailed historical fiction” and vampire horror. Think Bernard Cornwell meets Bram Stoker meets Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles meets “Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire”…
FORMAT/INFO: “Thirteen Years Later” is 500 pages long divided over three Parts, thirty-seven Roman-numbered chapters, a Prologue, and an Epilogue. Also includes a map, an Author’s Note, a Historical Note, a Selected Romanov Family Tree, and information on the Decembrists. Narration is in the third-person via Aleksei Ivanonvich Danilov—the star of “Twelve”, Aleksandr Pavlovich (the tsar of Russia), Aleksei’s 18-year-old son Dmitry Alekseevich, Aleksei’s 4-year-old daughter Tamara Alekseevna, and a few other characters. “Thirteen Years Later” is a sequel to “Twelve”, set thirteen years later, and concludes Aleksei’s story, but is just the second volume in The Danilov Quintet. The third installment, “The Third Section” (working title), looks to feature Aleksei’s daughter Tamara as the protagonist.
March 18, 2010 marks the UK Trade Paperback Publication of “Thirteen Years Later” via Bantam Press UK. Cover designed by Paul Young. The US edition will be published by Pyr.
ROBERT’S ANALYSIS: One of my favorite books of 2009—and one of the year’s best debuts—was Jasper Kent’s “Twelve”. In fact, I loved “Twelve” so much, I had concerns about the sequel disappointing me due to the lofty standards set by Mr. Kent’s outstanding debut. Fortunately, I needn’t have worried...
For starters, “Thirteen Years Later” retains the same winning formula found in Jasper Kent’s debut: realistic historical fiction mixed with chilling vampire horror in the vein of Anne Rice and Bram Stoker. From a historical standpoint, “Thirteen Years Later” is once again set in Russia—mainly Moscow, Taganrog and Petersburg—but this time revolves around the tsar of Russia, Aleksandr I, his mysterious death in 1825, the subsequent confusion surrounding the order of succession among his brothers, and the Decembrist uprising.
The voordalak—vampires—meanwhile, remain of the mostly time-honored variety—drink human blood to survive; increased strength, speed and recuperative abilities; can only be killed by sunlight, a wooden stake through the heart, or decapitation; et cetera—but where Jasper Kent explored vampires from a philosophical and psychological standpoint in “Twelve”, here he examines the voordalaki scientifically, like why don’t vampires have reflections, the ability to harm a vampire using its blood or body parts, and so on. Mr. Kent also introduces a couple of new vampire abilities, although they are powers that readers will be familiar with...
Secondly, Jasper Kent’s writing is once again first-rate, including detailed world-building, evocative prose, and in-depth characterization. Instead of the single first-person narrative used by Kent in “Twelve” though, “Thirteen Years Later” is written in the third-person via several different point-of-views. Because Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov’s first-person narrative was one of the best features about “Twelve”, I was admittedly worried by this change, but the author is able to pull off the third-person narratives without losing any of the depth, insight or personality that made Aleksei so compelling in the first book, while also providing variety and additional insight through the other characters. I particularly enjoyed the narrative of the book’s primary antagonist—one of the best villains to have been introduced in literature in the past few years—and wish more time had been spent with him.
Lastly, “Thirteen Years Later” features another engrossing story by Jasper Kent, brilliantly weaving together history and family drama with supernatural horror, political intrigue, espionage and suspense. To be honest, there are a number of similarities between the two novels plot-wise like the games of cat & mouse and how nothing is what it appears to be, but I liked the way “Thirteen Years Later” built on key events from “Twelve”, while laying down the foundation for the upcoming sequels. Plus, the whole Aleksandr, Romanov Betrayal, Cain and Decembrist uprising subplot added a different flavor to the book. Other than that, the novel suffers from a few lulls and the twists aren’t quite as heart-wrenching as those found in “Twelve”, but the pacing is engaging for the most part, and the story still delivers plenty of unexpected surprises...
In the end, as much as I loved “Twelve”, I enjoyed “Thirteen Years Later” just as much, if not more, and if Jasper Kent can continue this high level of excellence in the remaining sequels, then I strongly believe that The Danilov Quintet will end up being one of the best vampire series I have ever read...
Liviu's Short Take: There were two issues in this novel that made it less of a hit with me than Twelve:
1 - I thought that here the vampire part of the novel takes much more of a center stage in the big picture and that lessened my suspension of disbelief by a lot, while the experiments mentioned above read to me like 50's pulp sf.
2 - The whole Romanov subplot grated a lot - all the passages with Alexander read to me way anachronistic, like imagining a modern leader, not the Autocrat Tsar of Holy Russia in 1825, while the Peter the Great sequence verged on the ridiculous; only the Catherine snippets felt historical.
Everything that involved Aleksei was excellent and I could not put the novel down for 2/3, the twists and turns were great and the final one superb, but the failure on the big-picture front meant I was left a bit disappointed by this novel overall and I would rate it a B for me.
Order “Thirteen Years Later” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Review of “Twelve”
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Jasper Kent has a degree in Natural Sciences from Trinity Hall, Cambridge. For almost twenty years he has worked as a software engineer and has co-written several musicals including The Promised Land and Remember! Remember!. “Thirteen Years Later” is his second novel after “Twelve”.
PLOT SUMMARY: 1825, Europe—and Russia—have been at peace for a decade. Bonaparte is long dead and the threat of invasion is no more. For Colonel Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov, life is peaceful. Not only have the French been defeated, but so have the twelve monstrous creatures he once fought alongside, and then against, all those years before. His duty is still to his tsar, Aleksandr I, but today the enemy is merely human.
But the tsar knows that he can never be at peace. He is well aware of the uprising fermenting within his own army, but what troubles him is something far more terrible—something that threatens to bring damnation down upon him, his family and his country. Aleksandr cannot forget a promise: a promise sealed in blood . . . and broken a hundred years before.
Now the victim of the Romanovs’ betrayal has returned to demand what is his. The knowledge chills Aleksandr’s very soul. And for Aleksei, it seems the vile pestilence that once threatened all he held dear has returned, thirteen years later…
CLASSIFICATION: Like its predecessor Twelve, Thirteen Years Later is a “vibrant blend of detailed historical fiction” and vampire horror. Think Bernard Cornwell meets Bram Stoker meets Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles meets “Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire”…
FORMAT/INFO: “Thirteen Years Later” is 500 pages long divided over three Parts, thirty-seven Roman-numbered chapters, a Prologue, and an Epilogue. Also includes a map, an Author’s Note, a Historical Note, a Selected Romanov Family Tree, and information on the Decembrists. Narration is in the third-person via Aleksei Ivanonvich Danilov—the star of “Twelve”, Aleksandr Pavlovich (the tsar of Russia), Aleksei’s 18-year-old son Dmitry Alekseevich, Aleksei’s 4-year-old daughter Tamara Alekseevna, and a few other characters. “Thirteen Years Later” is a sequel to “Twelve”, set thirteen years later, and concludes Aleksei’s story, but is just the second volume in The Danilov Quintet. The third installment, “The Third Section” (working title), looks to feature Aleksei’s daughter Tamara as the protagonist.
March 18, 2010 marks the UK Trade Paperback Publication of “Thirteen Years Later” via Bantam Press UK. Cover designed by Paul Young. The US edition will be published by Pyr.
ROBERT’S ANALYSIS: One of my favorite books of 2009—and one of the year’s best debuts—was Jasper Kent’s “Twelve”. In fact, I loved “Twelve” so much, I had concerns about the sequel disappointing me due to the lofty standards set by Mr. Kent’s outstanding debut. Fortunately, I needn’t have worried...
For starters, “Thirteen Years Later” retains the same winning formula found in Jasper Kent’s debut: realistic historical fiction mixed with chilling vampire horror in the vein of Anne Rice and Bram Stoker. From a historical standpoint, “Thirteen Years Later” is once again set in Russia—mainly Moscow, Taganrog and Petersburg—but this time revolves around the tsar of Russia, Aleksandr I, his mysterious death in 1825, the subsequent confusion surrounding the order of succession among his brothers, and the Decembrist uprising.
The voordalak—vampires—meanwhile, remain of the mostly time-honored variety—drink human blood to survive; increased strength, speed and recuperative abilities; can only be killed by sunlight, a wooden stake through the heart, or decapitation; et cetera—but where Jasper Kent explored vampires from a philosophical and psychological standpoint in “Twelve”, here he examines the voordalaki scientifically, like why don’t vampires have reflections, the ability to harm a vampire using its blood or body parts, and so on. Mr. Kent also introduces a couple of new vampire abilities, although they are powers that readers will be familiar with...
Secondly, Jasper Kent’s writing is once again first-rate, including detailed world-building, evocative prose, and in-depth characterization. Instead of the single first-person narrative used by Kent in “Twelve” though, “Thirteen Years Later” is written in the third-person via several different point-of-views. Because Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov’s first-person narrative was one of the best features about “Twelve”, I was admittedly worried by this change, but the author is able to pull off the third-person narratives without losing any of the depth, insight or personality that made Aleksei so compelling in the first book, while also providing variety and additional insight through the other characters. I particularly enjoyed the narrative of the book’s primary antagonist—one of the best villains to have been introduced in literature in the past few years—and wish more time had been spent with him.
Lastly, “Thirteen Years Later” features another engrossing story by Jasper Kent, brilliantly weaving together history and family drama with supernatural horror, political intrigue, espionage and suspense. To be honest, there are a number of similarities between the two novels plot-wise like the games of cat & mouse and how nothing is what it appears to be, but I liked the way “Thirteen Years Later” built on key events from “Twelve”, while laying down the foundation for the upcoming sequels. Plus, the whole Aleksandr, Romanov Betrayal, Cain and Decembrist uprising subplot added a different flavor to the book. Other than that, the novel suffers from a few lulls and the twists aren’t quite as heart-wrenching as those found in “Twelve”, but the pacing is engaging for the most part, and the story still delivers plenty of unexpected surprises...
In the end, as much as I loved “Twelve”, I enjoyed “Thirteen Years Later” just as much, if not more, and if Jasper Kent can continue this high level of excellence in the remaining sequels, then I strongly believe that The Danilov Quintet will end up being one of the best vampire series I have ever read...
Liviu's Short Take: There were two issues in this novel that made it less of a hit with me than Twelve:
1 - I thought that here the vampire part of the novel takes much more of a center stage in the big picture and that lessened my suspension of disbelief by a lot, while the experiments mentioned above read to me like 50's pulp sf.
2 - The whole Romanov subplot grated a lot - all the passages with Alexander read to me way anachronistic, like imagining a modern leader, not the Autocrat Tsar of Holy Russia in 1825, while the Peter the Great sequence verged on the ridiculous; only the Catherine snippets felt historical.
Everything that involved Aleksei was excellent and I could not put the novel down for 2/3, the twists and turns were great and the final one superb, but the failure on the big-picture front meant I was left a bit disappointed by this novel overall and I would rate it a B for me.
12:01 AM | 
Posted by
Robert |
Official Ian Whates Website
Order "City of Dreams & Nightmare" HERE
Read an Excerpt from the Novel HERE
INTRODUCTION: "They call it the City of a Hundred Rows. The ancient city of Thaiburley is a vast, multi-tiered metropolis, where the poor live in the City Below and demons are said to dwell in the Upper Heights.
I got it at the first opportunity and read it almost immediately since it's a very entertaining page turner and a superb novelistic debut by another author to watch.
Actually Mr. Whates has another series starting this year with Solaris this time and which as space opera is also a great fit for me, the first book Noise Within due in April. Based on the style of City of Dreams and Nightmare, that is another asap for me as will be the announced Fall 2010 sequel of the Thaiburley sequence, City of Hope & Despair.
FORMAT/CLASSIFICATION: "City of Dreams & Nightmare" stands at about 430 pages and is divided into 18 numbered chapters. The main POV's of the novel are Tom, the "street-nick" with a remarkable talent for hiding and whose expedition from the under-city to the highest level of Thaiburley proved to be dangerous in quite unexpected ways, Tylus, the less than fully self-confident Kite-Guard from the "middle class of the higher levels" that will have to undertake a perilous mission in the City Below, Dewar, a former mercenary/assassin and currently butler and bodyguard of the main villain, assemblyman Magnus and Kat, a strange girl with unexpected connections and talents.
"City of Dreams & Nightmare" combines elements of fantasy and sf in an "enclosed world" setting - though Thaiburley is not strictly speaking isolated, but is connected by the river Thair to the nearby countryside - and the best description is as an adventure tale with quite a lot of things thrown in, so it has lots of sense of wonder, mysteries that give the setting a very "expanded" feel despite the relatively limited geographical location while keeping the expected "urban" motif.
In a sense what "The Bookman" did for steampunk, "City of Dreams & Nightmare" does for the "enclosed city adventure" sub-genre, with all and sundry of its paraphernalia thrown in a superb book. While the main threads of the novel are solved, the hook for the sequel is nicely set at the end.
ANALYSIS: "City of Dreams & Nightmare" has two strengths that make it such an addictive read. Sense of wonder and fast pace with many twists and turns. It is hard to overemphasize how many cool things the author throws in here, but I will give several examples:
-magical cape flying policemen - Tylus the Kite-Guard is one such
-nasty and even monstrous creation like the huge Demon Hounds, spider-like creations that act as spies or parasites that can influence the will of malleable people
-superb weaponry combining classical blades, swords and crossbows with lots of new, inventive ones
-intriguing aliens in the lizard like "Jeradine" and their highly valued "sculptures" made from - read the book to discover what!
-magical powers, including healing, ability to enter minds, ability to hide - or are they just advanced and forgotten science?
-several superb fight scenes, including a (small scale) battle that is for the ages
And that is just a sample of what the novel has to offer, so even if only for that and it is worth reading it.
"City of Dreams & Nightmare" grabs you pretty much from the first page and then you really do not want to put it down since it just twists and turns and the threads following the main characters above are all deftly handled with very smooth jumps and several crucial interludes following the "true movers and shakers" of the novel.
I also liked its style which is very direct and appropriate for its pace, with each of the four characters being a distinctive personality, though it's true that none acquire much more depth than his/her role suggests. But you will root for them, including for the seemingly nasty Dewar who shows some hidden qualities after all and in one of the more touching scenes of the novel, comforts a "working" girl - who used to be an agent of his when he worked in the City Below - and who got badly beaten by a client; I leave to the reader to imagine the fate of said client if Dewar tracks him down.
Since Tom and Kat are quite busy trying to survive for most of the novel, it is not surprising that Dewar and Tylus are developed slightly more, but the respective "mysteries" of both Kat and Tom make up for that.
Highly recommended as a strong A and a fun, page turning sff adventure that will enchant all fans of such.
Order "City of Dreams & Nightmare" HERE
Read an Excerpt from the Novel HERE
INTRODUCTION: "They call it the City of a Hundred Rows. The ancient city of Thaiburley is a vast, multi-tiered metropolis, where the poor live in the City Below and demons are said to dwell in the Upper Heights.
Having witnessed a murder in a part of the city he should never have been in, Tom, a lowly street-nick, has to run for his life through the City Below, Thaiburley’s unsavory basement world. Accused of committing the murder himself, he is pursued by sky-borne assassins, Kite Guards, and agents of a darker force intent on destabilizing the whole city. His only ally is Kat, a renegade like him, but she proves to have secrets of her own…"
The blurb of "City of Dreams & Nightmare" is the perfect hook for me, so I was very surprised when I discovered that I did not include the book in my 2010 Anticipated Novels post since I was not aware of it until recently when I saw it in the Angry Robot catalog.I got it at the first opportunity and read it almost immediately since it's a very entertaining page turner and a superb novelistic debut by another author to watch.
Actually Mr. Whates has another series starting this year with Solaris this time and which as space opera is also a great fit for me, the first book Noise Within due in April. Based on the style of City of Dreams and Nightmare, that is another asap for me as will be the announced Fall 2010 sequel of the Thaiburley sequence, City of Hope & Despair.
FORMAT/CLASSIFICATION: "City of Dreams & Nightmare" stands at about 430 pages and is divided into 18 numbered chapters. The main POV's of the novel are Tom, the "street-nick" with a remarkable talent for hiding and whose expedition from the under-city to the highest level of Thaiburley proved to be dangerous in quite unexpected ways, Tylus, the less than fully self-confident Kite-Guard from the "middle class of the higher levels" that will have to undertake a perilous mission in the City Below, Dewar, a former mercenary/assassin and currently butler and bodyguard of the main villain, assemblyman Magnus and Kat, a strange girl with unexpected connections and talents.
"City of Dreams & Nightmare" combines elements of fantasy and sf in an "enclosed world" setting - though Thaiburley is not strictly speaking isolated, but is connected by the river Thair to the nearby countryside - and the best description is as an adventure tale with quite a lot of things thrown in, so it has lots of sense of wonder, mysteries that give the setting a very "expanded" feel despite the relatively limited geographical location while keeping the expected "urban" motif.
In a sense what "The Bookman" did for steampunk, "City of Dreams & Nightmare" does for the "enclosed city adventure" sub-genre, with all and sundry of its paraphernalia thrown in a superb book. While the main threads of the novel are solved, the hook for the sequel is nicely set at the end.
ANALYSIS: "City of Dreams & Nightmare" has two strengths that make it such an addictive read. Sense of wonder and fast pace with many twists and turns. It is hard to overemphasize how many cool things the author throws in here, but I will give several examples:
-magical cape flying policemen - Tylus the Kite-Guard is one such
-nasty and even monstrous creation like the huge Demon Hounds, spider-like creations that act as spies or parasites that can influence the will of malleable people
-superb weaponry combining classical blades, swords and crossbows with lots of new, inventive ones
-intriguing aliens in the lizard like "Jeradine" and their highly valued "sculptures" made from - read the book to discover what!
-magical powers, including healing, ability to enter minds, ability to hide - or are they just advanced and forgotten science?
-several superb fight scenes, including a (small scale) battle that is for the ages
And that is just a sample of what the novel has to offer, so even if only for that and it is worth reading it.
"City of Dreams & Nightmare" grabs you pretty much from the first page and then you really do not want to put it down since it just twists and turns and the threads following the main characters above are all deftly handled with very smooth jumps and several crucial interludes following the "true movers and shakers" of the novel.
I also liked its style which is very direct and appropriate for its pace, with each of the four characters being a distinctive personality, though it's true that none acquire much more depth than his/her role suggests. But you will root for them, including for the seemingly nasty Dewar who shows some hidden qualities after all and in one of the more touching scenes of the novel, comforts a "working" girl - who used to be an agent of his when he worked in the City Below - and who got badly beaten by a client; I leave to the reader to imagine the fate of said client if Dewar tracks him down.
Since Tom and Kat are quite busy trying to survive for most of the novel, it is not surprising that Dewar and Tylus are developed slightly more, but the respective "mysteries" of both Kat and Tom make up for that.
Highly recommended as a strong A and a fun, page turning sff adventure that will enchant all fans of such.
Congratulations to Meghan Schumann (New Mexico) and Victor H. Kirshbaum (South Dakota) who were randomly to win a COPY of Joe Hill’s new novel, “Horns”. For more information on “Horns”, please visit the Official Joe Hill Website or read Fantasy Book Critic’s Review of “Horns”.
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Tim Marquitz is the author of the previously released Armageddon Bound, the 1st book in the Demon Squad series. He is also an editor and a heavy metal fan. He lives in Texas and is currently finishing up the third book in the Demon Squad series.
PLOT SUMMARY: Two years after the dead rose up to murder the living, the remnants of humanity face a brutal extinction. They are hunted day in and out with nowhere to turn to. The survivors have learnt to suffer under the inevitable shadow of death and survive at any cost. In such a brutal reality Harlan Cole wages a continuous war against the vast and destructive forces of the undead, aided by friendly spirits he tries his best to remain humane and yet survive. Driven to bring peace to the souls of his wife and daughter, Harlan vows to return the dead to the ground once again, or join them in the process!
FORMAT/INFO: The e-novella consists of about 50 pages which runs like a singular chapter. Narration is via Third person, and features Harlan Cole as the protagonist. This is episode one of a possible 3-4 episode story. March 1, 2010 marked the e-book release via Damnation Books. Cover art is provided by Jessica Lucero.
ANALYSIS: Tim Marquitz had really surprised me with his 1st book Armageddon Bound, the twisted action and humourous monologues of the protagonist made it a refreshing change in the field of Urban Fantasy. When he told me about Sepulchral Earth, I was wondering as to what type of tale this would be and what the title heralds? As I read the blurb, I realized this was going to be a post-apocalyptic tale and I was very eager to see what Tim’s twisted mind came up with next.
To begin with Sepulchral Earth – The long Road is a novella/novelette (depending on how much you define the word count to be) based in a world wherein a gargantuan tragedy has occurred, nearly 2-3 years ago an event called as the Breach happened and the world as we have known ended! The dead didn’t stay dead much to Harlan Cole’s dismay. He lost his wife and child to the undead and since then has resolved to reconfigure the Breach and try to make world normal again.
When the story opens, the reader is dropped into this world and sees Harlan being pursued by something. Later on we find out about Harlan’s capabilities and his thoughts as he saves a trio of folks unlucky enough to be caught up with him. Through Harlan’s inner thoughts and discussions with the trio we come to find out about the world and the state which it is currently. The tale then takes Harlan as he tries to find his way towards his destination and then receives another shock when his train of thought collides with something else.
The story is very paced and action-filled. The reader though might be a bit disoriented in the start when they start reading as the characters converse and mention things which do not make sense, however as the story progresses, clues and snippets of conversation reveal the state of the world Harlan Cole survives in! The ending to this tale is momentous as there is a revelation of sorts. The story ends fittingly with Harlan wondering about his next move.
This is episode one of the entire story and hopefully should be complete in about 3-4 episodes, while Harlan Cole is no Frank Trigg (main character in Armageddon Bound). His struggles are no less grim. I thoroughly enjoyed this short story and Tim Marquitz continues to surprise by pulling out another worthy tale from his dark repertoire that he calls his imagination.
Friday, March 5, 2010
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll Illustrations by Camille Rose Garcia (Spotlighted by Cindy Hannikman)
Order Alice's Adventure in Wonderland from amazon here
Alice in Wonderland has always been a major staple within my life. From the time I was young I have been influenced with a number of Alice books, pop-ups, merchandise, you name it if Alice was on it I've probably seen it, or read it. So with the release of Tim Burton's new movie on March 5, 2010, I find it fitting to feature this Alice in Wonderland story with all new illustrations from Camille Rose Garcia.
Camille Rose Garcia is most widely known for her Gothic like illustrations of various cartoon characters/children living in a wasteland like fairy tale land. In 2007 a retrospect of her work was put together titled Tragic Kingdom, a book with the similar name is also available. Camille Rose Garcia is also known for her artwork in the children's book, The Magic Bottle.
Camille Rose Garcia's illustrations supplement an unabridged version of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This version of Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland is a New York Time Bestseller.
I was a little unsure about the Gothic representation of Alice and how it would really come across. Alice is a character that is known for her innocence and it was hard trying to picture her in a gothic representation. Surprisingly Camille Rose Garcia's illustrations work throughout the whole book.
The coloring of the illustrations is what first stands out. There are plenty of purples, blacks, and magenta colors that blend well and make the pictures just stand out to the reader. The parts of the book that Camille Rose Garcia choose to illustrate really represent the book and make for an enjoyable reading experience.
While not every page is adorned with pictures, there are plenty of full length page illustrations, an occasional double page illustration (most fitting is the one when Alice grows in the house), and throughout the book there are smaller side page illustrations that add to the story. For pictures that might be considered "over the top" there is just the right amount of pictures to portray the story yet not over do it and burden the reader with unnecessary photos. There was real thought put behind each scene that was illustrated and that comes across in this version of Alice.
Although this is a more modernistic illustration of a classic, never once is the essence of the story of Alice's Adventure in Wonderland taken away or overshadowed. For that lovers of classic stories can rest assure and hopefully warm up to newer look.
Thanks to the folks at Collins Design, Fantasy Book Critic readers get to have a taste of some of the wonderful illustrations that are found throughout this version of Alice's Adventure in Wonderland.
Official Claude Lalumiere Website
Order "Objects of Worship" as tpb HERE
Order "Objects of Worship" in digital format HERE
Read Sample Story "Spiderkid" at Reflection's Edge
Read Sample Story "Njabo" at Expanded Horizons
INTRODUCTION: ChiZine Publications is a recently established small press that published two novels that I enjoyed very much and that made my list of "Remarkable Small Press Releases I Read in 2009", namely Filaria(FBC Rv) by Brent Hayward and The Choir Boats(FBC Rv) by Daniel Rabuzzi.
I keep monitoring their releases and I check out everything that seems of the least interest to me, so when the sample online stories from Claude Lalumiere's debut collection "Objects of Worship", Spiderkid and Njabo, turned out to be quite appealing I decided to try out the whole book.
Twelve superb and sometimes quite disturbing stories later and I have to say that ChiZine delivered another winner and Mr. Lalumiere is a name to be watched in the sff space.
FORMAT/CLASSIFICATION: "Objects of Worship" is a collection of 12 stories of which two are new and ten have been previously published. There is a superb preface by James Morrow that I would strongly recommend reading *after* you read the book since that way you will appreciate it even more, while at the end, the author discusses the genesis of each story.
Also adding tremendous value, there are the original interior illustrations by Rupert Bottenberg that precede each story and reflect its subject. I showcase here the illustration for one of my top, top stories of the collection, "The Sea, at Bari". The book stands at about 275 pages.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: While the main themes of the collection are the worship of unconventional "gods" and strange but powerful flavors of eroticism, each story stands very well on its own; several of them are linked to the author's home of Montreal, but we get a fair share of post-apocalyptic or even secondary-world stories. I will present a story by story take including the first several lines ( or in two cases the first "relevant lines").
The Object of Worship
The god settles on the table. Rose tears a piece from her toast, slathers a heap of cream cheese on the ear-sized morsel, and lays it next to the god. It consumes the tribute.
The first story and the one that names the collection starts the novel with a bang introducing a world in which gods are "real", physical and everywhere, demand worship while giving life and children, men are missing, and two young women live together in harmony with their house "god" until an "atheist" woman enters their life. A very powerful ending crowns a story that establishes the tone of the collection. (A+)
The Ethical Treatment of Meat
Raymond and George had never thought much about religion. They’d tried going to services at their local church shortly after adopting the child—it seemed like the right thing to do—but the preacher said children weren’t allowed. No animals of any kind. Only people.
The first of two stories set in a zombie dominated world, where humans are "meat animals" kept for their brains on which the zombies feed and for their body parts that are used as furniture and decoration. Raymond and George seem your next door gay couple, though of course as with all the "people" here, they are not human. Just disturbing and weird, the story was on the edge of my tolerance for such and *is definitely* not for everyone. (A)
Hochelaga and Sons
...Because I can’t become intangible and walk through it. Because I can’t teleport at will. Because I can’t even punch holes in it with my bare fists.
A superhero story with a twist; when a Montreal native of Jewish origins is captured and used as lab-experiment by the Nazis, he somehow gets superpowers and later becomes Hochelaga the superhero of Montreal. However of his twin sons Gordon (the narrator) and Bernard, only the later inherits his father's abilities just to refuse to use them because they are "treyf", unclean. However when the Hegemony of Hate declares war against humanity and sends powerful "super-terrorists" against the superheroes, Bernard faces a big dilemma since his faith talks also about "Pikuach Nefesh", the duty to save lives...
This story is both action filled and philosophical and another highlight of the collection (A+)
The Sea, at Bari
In Bari, the pizza marinara was more delicious than in Rome.
After the above tranquil opening line, we are introduced to the world of Mario a Canadian of Italian origins whose fifth birthday spent with his grandparents in Bari transformed his life. On his 30th birthday he goes back to try and get back what he had lost then. This story is one of my three top favorites in a superb collection and an A++.
The Darkness at the Heart of the World
As the boy Coro emerges from the Godpool, he sees the tears on his mother’s face.
This story starts conventionally with a boy who has a bad leg that the healing waters of the Godpool cannot cure. He sees the mighty flying angels that battle the demons every night and he wants to become one of them and soar in the sky; of course reality turns out quite differently...
This story was one of my least favorite because it did not balance well and I thought it less well formed than the rest (B).
Spiderkid
All the spiders in my apartment are araneomorphs, the most common type of spider. The second most common suborder consists of mygalomorphs—hairy, often large species, such as tarantulas. Mesothelae, the oldest suborder of spiders still extant, are quite rare; of the estimated hundred thousand or so species of spiders, fewer than one hundred belong to this primitive family, and they’re found almost exclusively in Asia. I’ve only ever seen pictures.
One of the two stories available online, go and read it!. Weird, disturbing and very good (A).
Njàbò
Njàbò, my only child, my daughter, walks with me. She is as old as the forest, while I was born but three and a half decades ago.
The second story that's available online and one of my three top stories of the collection, again, go and read it! (A++)
A Place Where Nothing Ever Happens
The first time Kyle received one of those phone calls, he was getting ready for a date.
This is another story that could have been better with a more balanced approach. Lucifer makes a deal with a phone company and allows all denizens of Hell to call their loved ones. Kyle gets a gorgeous and intelligent girlfriend; the two story-lines just do not mesh well and the final twist is visible from a mile (A-).
A Visit to the Optometrist
When a pigeon chewed out Basil Fesper’s right eye while he was taking a nap in his lawn chair, he finally admitted that it was time to make an appointment with the optometrist.
The second and better zombie story; still disturbing but less so than the first, it involves the same characters from the first except that now the married couple next door to Raymond and George are protagonists. A tie-in also with the "Darkness" story above, I liked this one more than "The Ethical Treatment of Meat" but that one has an indubitable power of its own, however shocking it was (A).
Roman Predator’s Chimeric Odyssey
Already, dusk encroaches on daylight, and Luna, lushly green, hangs in the sky, its fullness announcing the hunt.
Another of the stories that did not mesh well for me; werewolves and other animal/human combination in a post apocalyptic world and a mysterious alien which I did not truly get (B).
Destroyer of Worlds
...There was a deliberateness, a weight, to her gait. She was walking to her death.
The third top favorite and A++ story for me, this one is related to a comic series that somehow becomes "real" in the Multiverse; very powerful.
This Is the Ice Age
Distorted cars litter the bridge, quantum ice fractalling outward from their engines, from the circuits of their dashboards. The ice has burst from their chassis, creating random new configurations of ice, technology, and anatomy.
A post-apocalyptic story when all electronic powered devices turned to ice and killed lots of people, follows two teen survivors in Montreal, while the "geek" brother of the boy starts a cult; this story is extremely powerful almost to the end but then it peters out in an unconvincing ending which takes away a little from it (A+).
All in all "Objects of Worship" (A+) is a great collection and I strongly recommend it for every lover of literate speculative fiction.
Order "Objects of Worship" as tpb HERE
Order "Objects of Worship" in digital format HERE
Read Sample Story "Spiderkid" at Reflection's Edge
Read Sample Story "Njabo" at Expanded Horizons
INTRODUCTION: ChiZine Publications is a recently established small press that published two novels that I enjoyed very much and that made my list of "Remarkable Small Press Releases I Read in 2009", namely Filaria(FBC Rv) by Brent Hayward and The Choir Boats(FBC Rv) by Daniel Rabuzzi.
I keep monitoring their releases and I check out everything that seems of the least interest to me, so when the sample online stories from Claude Lalumiere's debut collection "Objects of Worship", Spiderkid and Njabo, turned out to be quite appealing I decided to try out the whole book.
Twelve superb and sometimes quite disturbing stories later and I have to say that ChiZine delivered another winner and Mr. Lalumiere is a name to be watched in the sff space.
FORMAT/CLASSIFICATION: "Objects of Worship" is a collection of 12 stories of which two are new and ten have been previously published. There is a superb preface by James Morrow that I would strongly recommend reading *after* you read the book since that way you will appreciate it even more, while at the end, the author discusses the genesis of each story.
Also adding tremendous value, there are the original interior illustrations by Rupert Bottenberg that precede each story and reflect its subject. I showcase here the illustration for one of my top, top stories of the collection, "The Sea, at Bari". The book stands at about 275 pages.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: While the main themes of the collection are the worship of unconventional "gods" and strange but powerful flavors of eroticism, each story stands very well on its own; several of them are linked to the author's home of Montreal, but we get a fair share of post-apocalyptic or even secondary-world stories. I will present a story by story take including the first several lines ( or in two cases the first "relevant lines").
The Object of Worship
The god settles on the table. Rose tears a piece from her toast, slathers a heap of cream cheese on the ear-sized morsel, and lays it next to the god. It consumes the tribute.
The first story and the one that names the collection starts the novel with a bang introducing a world in which gods are "real", physical and everywhere, demand worship while giving life and children, men are missing, and two young women live together in harmony with their house "god" until an "atheist" woman enters their life. A very powerful ending crowns a story that establishes the tone of the collection. (A+)
The Ethical Treatment of Meat
Raymond and George had never thought much about religion. They’d tried going to services at their local church shortly after adopting the child—it seemed like the right thing to do—but the preacher said children weren’t allowed. No animals of any kind. Only people.
The first of two stories set in a zombie dominated world, where humans are "meat animals" kept for their brains on which the zombies feed and for their body parts that are used as furniture and decoration. Raymond and George seem your next door gay couple, though of course as with all the "people" here, they are not human. Just disturbing and weird, the story was on the edge of my tolerance for such and *is definitely* not for everyone. (A)
Hochelaga and Sons
...Because I can’t become intangible and walk through it. Because I can’t teleport at will. Because I can’t even punch holes in it with my bare fists.
A superhero story with a twist; when a Montreal native of Jewish origins is captured and used as lab-experiment by the Nazis, he somehow gets superpowers and later becomes Hochelaga the superhero of Montreal. However of his twin sons Gordon (the narrator) and Bernard, only the later inherits his father's abilities just to refuse to use them because they are "treyf", unclean. However when the Hegemony of Hate declares war against humanity and sends powerful "super-terrorists" against the superheroes, Bernard faces a big dilemma since his faith talks also about "Pikuach Nefesh", the duty to save lives...
This story is both action filled and philosophical and another highlight of the collection (A+)
The Sea, at Bari
In Bari, the pizza marinara was more delicious than in Rome.
After the above tranquil opening line, we are introduced to the world of Mario a Canadian of Italian origins whose fifth birthday spent with his grandparents in Bari transformed his life. On his 30th birthday he goes back to try and get back what he had lost then. This story is one of my three top favorites in a superb collection and an A++.
The Darkness at the Heart of the World
As the boy Coro emerges from the Godpool, he sees the tears on his mother’s face.
This story starts conventionally with a boy who has a bad leg that the healing waters of the Godpool cannot cure. He sees the mighty flying angels that battle the demons every night and he wants to become one of them and soar in the sky; of course reality turns out quite differently...
This story was one of my least favorite because it did not balance well and I thought it less well formed than the rest (B).
Spiderkid
All the spiders in my apartment are araneomorphs, the most common type of spider. The second most common suborder consists of mygalomorphs—hairy, often large species, such as tarantulas. Mesothelae, the oldest suborder of spiders still extant, are quite rare; of the estimated hundred thousand or so species of spiders, fewer than one hundred belong to this primitive family, and they’re found almost exclusively in Asia. I’ve only ever seen pictures.
One of the two stories available online, go and read it!. Weird, disturbing and very good (A).
Njàbò
Njàbò, my only child, my daughter, walks with me. She is as old as the forest, while I was born but three and a half decades ago.
The second story that's available online and one of my three top stories of the collection, again, go and read it! (A++)
A Place Where Nothing Ever Happens
The first time Kyle received one of those phone calls, he was getting ready for a date.
This is another story that could have been better with a more balanced approach. Lucifer makes a deal with a phone company and allows all denizens of Hell to call their loved ones. Kyle gets a gorgeous and intelligent girlfriend; the two story-lines just do not mesh well and the final twist is visible from a mile (A-).
A Visit to the Optometrist
When a pigeon chewed out Basil Fesper’s right eye while he was taking a nap in his lawn chair, he finally admitted that it was time to make an appointment with the optometrist.
The second and better zombie story; still disturbing but less so than the first, it involves the same characters from the first except that now the married couple next door to Raymond and George are protagonists. A tie-in also with the "Darkness" story above, I liked this one more than "The Ethical Treatment of Meat" but that one has an indubitable power of its own, however shocking it was (A).
Roman Predator’s Chimeric Odyssey
Already, dusk encroaches on daylight, and Luna, lushly green, hangs in the sky, its fullness announcing the hunt.
Another of the stories that did not mesh well for me; werewolves and other animal/human combination in a post apocalyptic world and a mysterious alien which I did not truly get (B).
Destroyer of Worlds
...There was a deliberateness, a weight, to her gait. She was walking to her death.
The third top favorite and A++ story for me, this one is related to a comic series that somehow becomes "real" in the Multiverse; very powerful.
This Is the Ice Age
Distorted cars litter the bridge, quantum ice fractalling outward from their engines, from the circuits of their dashboards. The ice has burst from their chassis, creating random new configurations of ice, technology, and anatomy.
A post-apocalyptic story when all electronic powered devices turned to ice and killed lots of people, follows two teen survivors in Montreal, while the "geek" brother of the boy starts a cult; this story is extremely powerful almost to the end but then it peters out in an unconvincing ending which takes away a little from it (A+).
All in all "Objects of Worship" (A+) is a great collection and I strongly recommend it for every lover of literate speculative fiction.
March 1, 2010 marked the publication date of Tim Marquitz's novella Sepulchral Earth via Damnation Books. This ebook, has an innovative pricing system. The first book was sold as free, and for each purchase the book moves up 25 cents, with a cap at the full retail price. The current price and more information on Sepulchral Earth can be found here.
Tim Marquitz is the author of Armageddon Bound (Reviewed by FBC here) and was listed in Mihir's top 2009 debut authors. Read an interview with Tim Marquitz with FBC here.
About Sepulchral Earth from the Damnation Book website:
Two years after the furious dead rose up to murder the living, the remnants of mankind face a brutal extinction. Wretched and broken, trading humanity for life, the survivors suffer under the inevitable shadow of death. Aided by friendly spirits, the necromancer Harlan Cole wages war against the merciless forces of the undead. Driven to bring peace to the souls of his wife and daughter, Harlan vows to return the dead to their graves, or join them trying.
Tim Marquitz is the author of Armageddon Bound (Reviewed by FBC here) and was listed in Mihir's top 2009 debut authors. Read an interview with Tim Marquitz with FBC here.
About Sepulchral Earth from the Damnation Book website:
Two years after the furious dead rose up to murder the living, the remnants of mankind face a brutal extinction. Wretched and broken, trading humanity for life, the survivors suffer under the inevitable shadow of death. Aided by friendly spirits, the necromancer Harlan Cole wages war against the merciless forces of the undead. Driven to bring peace to the souls of his wife and daughter, Harlan vows to return the dead to their graves, or join them trying.
Visit Joni Sensel's Website here
Read FBC's Review of Farwalker's Quest here
Order The Timekeeper's Moon from amazon here
Author Introduction: Joni Sensel is the author of The Farwalker's Quest. She is also the author of other children's and YA books such as, The Humming of Numbers, and Reality Leak. She currently lives in Washington State near Mt. Rainier.
Overview: Ariel Farwalker, has just found out that she is the first Farwalker in many years. Recently she has been hearing the moon calling to her in the night. It tells her to do various actions. Although Ariel has been ignoring the voice of the moon it is almost at the point where it's follow what the moon is telling her to do or go crazy.
After a devastating evening of following what the moon has told her to do, Ariel decides she must venture past her small town to fully understand what the moon wants her to do. All Ariel knows is that it involves a mysterious map that was found within her telling dart. The map is marked by symbols and keys that no one has been able to understand.
Zeke, Ariel's best friend, can speak to the stones. The stones and rocks believe that if Ariel does not embark on this quest then she and the rest of the world may not survive. With this in mind, Ariel and Scarl leave an injured Zeke behind and head out to unknown lands in search of who sent the mysterious telling dart and what might be a part of a mysterious society that has for many years been lost to the people of the world.
The Timekeeper's Moon, takes readers on a journey through uncharted lands as Ariel and her friends learn more about what life was like before the Wars and uncover new secrets. Meanwhile, Ariel learns more about what it means to be a Farwalker.
Format: The Timekeeper's Moon, is a children's/YA adventure/fantasy novel. It stands at 336 pages. It is scheduled for release March 2, 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing.
Analysis: Farwalker's Quest was one of my top favorite books for 2009. Although after reading it there were many many questions I had, I can say without a doubt almost all those questions were laid to rest in The Timekeeper's Moon. Surprisingly, I was more engaged with this book then I was with the first.
Joni Sensel's writing is beautiful and flowy. She has the unique ability to write a book that is geared to a middle grade/YA audience but that makes even an adult want to read and jump into the world that she has created.
One of Sensel's strong points in her writing is her character building and portrayals. As mentioned in my review for Farwalker's Quest, Sensel creates three dimensional characters that aren't afraid to act like real life humans. Her characters show signs of being selfish, jealous, and needy. However on the flip side, these same characters are strong emotionally, and are good natured. Having three dimensional characters makes it easier for the reader to relate to the story and pick a character that they can relate to throughout the novel.
Although Timekeeper's Moon starts out with familiar characters from Farwalker's Quest, mainly Zeke, Ariel and Scarl. This novel introduces readers to a whole new set of characters that are all unique in their own ways. This fresh breath of characters kept me intrigued as I was learning more about each character but also kept a level of familiarity as I had known and become comfortable with Ariel.
Readers familiar with Ariel will get to see Ariel not only grow in her career as a Farwalker but also as a young woman. She develops a young love, and might even get to experience her first kiss and crush. Scarl also seems to grow in this novel, as he seems to be growing in his role as a father like figure to Ariel and even explains a lot of life's experiences to her. It was a relief to see established characters grow and not become stale or boring.
While I enjoyed Farwalker's Quest, there was something about The Timekeeper's Moon that seemed more polished and entrapped the reader easier. Farwalker's Quest dropped hints about the setting of the book being almost post apocalyptic, as there was an example of a device known as a "bike" talked about but no one understood what it was or had seen one. In Timekeeper's Moon this area of the novel is explored a little more and it's very clear that a War has taken away what readers today are used to. This was an aspect that I wanted to see explored and I enjoyed that it was touched upon.
Another area that Timekeeper's Moon expanded upon was that of the Farwalker calling. In the first novel it was touched upon what a Farwalker was but readers weren't able to see how Ariel develops her Farwalking skills or people's reaction to her skill as a Farwalker. There is a scene in Timekeeper's Moon where Ariel goes up to an unknown village and shows to the readers what is involved in truly being a Farwalker. From introducing herself and telling her story, to taking messages from village to village and trading items that these villagers might not have heard of or were helpful to them. Along with the Farwalker calling, readers also get a further look into the Flame Mage calling as Ariel befriends a Flame Mage.
Although TimeKeeper's Moon is a sequel to Farwalker's Quest and would best be enjoyed as being read after Farwalker's Quest. I really believe it could be read on its own. There are references to Farwalker's Quest and the events that happened in that novel but it's explained well enough that readers who hadn't read Farwalker's Quest will still understand what is going on.
Although the novel comes to a close, I'd love to see more of Ariel and all the characters that we have become familiar with. Each time I read either the Farwalker's Quest or TimeKeeper's Moon I am pulled into Ariel's world and life, and find it hard to come back to the real world. I'd jump at a chance to see more of Ariel and feel there are a lot more areas that could be explored and more adventures for Ariel to undertake.
In the end, I loved Timekeeper's Moon and find myself wanting to reread it again. Joni Sensel topped herself with this novel and brought a bit more mature and fluid writing style to this book. There is plenty of action and adventure to pull the reader into the book from the first couple of pages, and those looking for lovable/realistic characters will be certain to find them in this novel.
Official Col Buchanan Website
Order "Farlander" HERE
Read an Excerpt HERE
INTRODUCTION: "Farlander" was a debut that I have included in my 2010 Anticipated Book list because of the blurb which sounded interesting:
"The Heart of the World is a land in strife. For fifty years the Holy Empire of Mann, an empire and religion born from a nihilistic urban cult, has been conquering nation after nation. Their leader, Holy Matriarch Sasheen, ruthlessly maintains control through her Diplomats, priests trained as subtle predators. The Mercian Free Ports are the only confederacy yet to fall. Their only land link to the southern continent, a long and narrow isthmus, is protected by the city of Bar-Khos. For ten years now, the great southern walls of Bar-Khos have been besieged by the Imperial Fourth Army. Ash is a member of an elite group of assassins, the Rōshun - who offer protection through the threat of vendetta. Forced by his ailing health to take on an apprentice, he chooses Nico, a young man living in the besieged city of Bar-Khos. At the time, Nico is hungry, desperate, and alone in a city that finds itself teetering on the brink."
Later when the excerpt linked above became available and I liked it quite a lot, the novel became even a higher priority. After finishing Farlander, I have to say that after a first half in which it proceeded on pretty conventional lines but in a very engaging and well done manner so I was enjoying it a lot, the novel turned into a direction I really did not anticipate and I felt like everything had to be reevaluated.
FORMAT/CLASSIFICATION: Farlander stands at about 390 pages divided into 33 named chapters that follow several POV's. There is a prologue and a map.
Ash is a Roshun operative and a Farlander in exile since his thirties when he was an officer in the "people's army" that fought the oppressing "Overlords" in a land far away, hence the name of the book.
His CO, General Osho, a member of the original Roshun order in his native land manages a desperate escape across the ocean to the continent of Mideres, where he founds a new Roshun order of Daoist assassins/operatives that guarantee that anyone that kills one their clients will be subject to vendetta.
As time passes and Ash gets older and seemingly suffering of an incurable disease that may disable him at any time and following the events of the prologue, Ash accepts to take an apprentice for the first time and finds Nico, a youth who escaped an oppresive home to the besieged Bar-Khos where he needs to steal to avoid starving.
However we follow quite a few other POV's including the Matriarch of the Empire of Mann Sasheen and her son Kirkus, a highly trained Imperial operative Che and Bahn, an officer from Bar-Khos.
Farlander is epic fantasy though set in a secondary world with gunpowder, artillery, handguns and airships in additional to the more traditional pseudo-medieval paraphernalia. The magic so far is subtle and indirect.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: "Farlander" is a novel of three parts and my impression changed considerably each time I moved from one part to another. I liked the writing a lot and the pages turned by themselves so I was able to progress beyond the beginning which is very conventional - villains are the ultra-cliched corrupt, debauched, participating in orgies that include killing humans barehanded, priesthood of an evil god/creed, while the seemingly main hero is the young apprentice to a super-assassin and he is a bit silly to boot. However there are some details here and there including airships, the subtle magic, gunpowder and some pov's that seem outside the main flow of the story, that hint at subtlety and a much more interesting storyline than the above would suggest.
Then there is the second part in which the plot thickens, the villains acquire some nuance and the action becomes fast and furious. Here Farlander stays within the bounds of the conventional too, but it moves from a "traditional 80's" story to more of a "new-epic 00's" one and it finally became a book I could really enjoy both as style and as content. There were some elements a bit out of place, some prose that makes one cringe here and there and a tentative romance that felt forced but if it stayed that way and I would have been quite happy and eager to read more.
However at some point Farlander pulled the rug from under my expectations and made me reassess all that came before and it remains to be seen how that will pay off. But if anything, this major readjustment of expectations made me very eager to read the next installment which became a big time asap since I am truly curious to see where the story goes from here.
There are many hints at a much deeper background than we have seen so far, with a wide-world out-there of which we saw just a little so far - an analogue of the Mediterranean basin if you want versus the whole Earth - so the series can go in lots of places.
A solid A and a very enjoyable novel, I hope the sequels will fulfill the great promise here and raise the series to the top of the heap in the epic fantasy world since it definitely has the potential.
Monday, March 1, 2010
“Warriors” edited by George R. R. Martin & Gardner Dozois (Reviewed by Robert Thompson)
Official George R. R. Martin Website
Official Gardner Dozois Wiki
Order “Warriors” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
EDITOR INFORMATION: George R. R. Martin is an author, screenwriter and editor of fantasy, science fiction and horror, and is best known for the New York Times bestselling A Song of Ice and Fire series that begins with “A Game of Thrones”.
Gardner Dozois is an acclaimed science fiction and fantasy editor and novelist who has won fifteen Hugo Awards for his editorial work.
ABOUT WARRIORS: “People have been telling stories about warriors for as long as they have been telling stories. Since Homer first sang the wrath of Achilles and the ancient Sumerians set down their tales of Gilgamesh, warriors, soldiers, and fighters have fascinated us; they are a part of every culture, every literary tradition, every genre. All Quiet on the Western Front, From Here to Eternity, and The Red Badge of Courage have become part of our literary canon, taught in classrooms all around the country and the world. Our contributors make up an all-star lineup of award-winning and bestselling writers, representing a dozen different publishers and as many genres. We asked each of them for the same thing—a story about a warrior. Some chose to write in the genre they’re best known for. Some decided to try something different. You will find warriors of every shape, size, and color in these pages, warriors from every epoch of human history, from yesterday and today and tomorrow, and from worlds that never were. Some of the stories will make you sad, some will make you laugh, and many will keep you on the edge of your seat.” —from George R. R. Martin’s Introduction
Every story in “Warriors” appears here for the first time. Included are a new Dunk & Egg novella from the world of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire, a new tale of Lord John by Diana Gabaldon, an Emberverse story by S.M. Stirling, a Forever Peace story by Joe Haldeman, and an epic tale of humanity at bay by David Weber. Also present are original tales by David Ball, Peter S. Beagle, Lawrence Block, Gardner Dozois, Robin Hobb, Cecelia Holland, Joe R. Lansdale, David Morrell, Naomi Novik, James Rollins, Steven Saylor, Robert Silverberg, Carrie Vaughn, Howard Waldrop, and Tad Williams.
Many of these writers are bestsellers. All of them are storytellers of the highest quality. Together they make a volume of unforgettable reading...
FORMAT/INFO: “Warriors” is 736 pages long divided over twenty short stories and an Introduction by George R. R. Martin. Each short story is preceded by biographical information about the author and a short description of their contribution to the anthology. March 16, 2010 marks the North American Hardcover publication of “Warriors” via Tor.
ANALYSIS:
1) “The King of Norway” by Cecelia Holland. I’ve never read anything by Cecelia Holland before, but the author is described as “one of the world’s most highly acclaimed and respected historical novelists.” Not surprisingly, Ms. Holland’s contribution finds the author doing what she knows best: historical fiction—specifically a tale of bloodthirsty Vikings, reckless vows, and violent sea battles. Unfortunately, I’m not a very big fan of either historical fiction or Vikings—apart from Norse mythology—and found “The King of Norway” boring and unremarkable. In short, a disappointing start to the anthology...
2) “Forever Bound” by Joe Haldeman. I haven’t read Forever Peace (1998)—Joe Haldeman’s Hugo, Nebula and John W. Campbell award-winning science fiction novel—but I believe “Forever Bound” is like a prequel to that book since it features the first-person narrative of Julian Class (the protagonist of Forever Peace), while also covering such concepts as soldierboys (heavily armored robots telepathically operated by ‘mechanics’), cybernetic cranial implants (jacks) and platoon relationships (ten soldiers operating as a single group mind) found in the novel. What I do know for sure though is this: “Forever Bound” is superbly written, thought-provoking, and moving. Definitely one of the better entries in “Warriors”.
3) “The Triumph” by Robin Hobb. One of my favorite authors, Robin Hobb’s talents—intimate characterization, elegant prose, convincing world-building—are on full display in “The Triumph”, a tale about the last days of the historical figure Marcus Atilius Regulus, a Roman general and consul who was said to have died during Carthaginian captivity in 250 BC. Even though historical fiction is not my cup of tea, I was fascinated by Regulus’ story, although I did appreciate the speculative elements added to the mix. A very strong offering by Ms. Hobb...
4) “Clean Slate” by Lawrence Block. When I first started reading “Clean Slate”, I thought the editors had made a mistake. After all, what does a woman reconnecting with a past lover after eight years have anything to do with warriors. Pretty soon though, the connection becomes evident in Lawrence Block’s dark and disturbing offering about a woman trying to regain her lost innocence...
5) “And Ministers of Grace” by Tad Williams. Some of the ideas in “And Ministers of Grace” are familiar like colonized planets, implants that transmit messages/advertisements directly to a person’s brain, a “nanobiote”-enhanced soldier who reminded me some of Alex Mercer from the Prototype videogame, and religious themes, but as a whole I was blown away by Tad Williams’ futuristic tale of a Covenant Guardian named Lamentation Kane sent on a mission to assassinate the Prime Minister of Archimedes, and the ensuing chaos that follows... Would love to see the short story expanded into a full-length novel or series.
6) “Soldierin’” by Joe R. Lansdale. I haven’t read very much of Joe R. Lansdale’s work, but what I have read has been disappointingly hit or miss. So I wasn’t sure what to expect from “Soldierin’”, but thankfully Joe R. Lansdale’s comical Western about a group of ‘buffalo soldiers’ crossing paths with Apache Indians was easily the best thing I’ve read by the author, and one of the most entertaining stories in the entire anthology...
7) “Dirae” by Peter S. Beagle. Preceding each short story is biographical information about the author and a short description of their contribution to “Warriors”. For “Dirae”, the editors wrote the following: “You may find the opening pages of this story a bit confusing, but stick with it, and we promise you that you’ll be rewarded with a compelling study of the price of compassion—and introduced to perhaps the strangest and most unlikely warrior in this whole anthology.” Which pretty much sums up what I thought of Peter S. Beagle’s poetic tale about a mysterious guardian angel...
8) “The Custom of the Army” by Diana Gabaldon. “The Custom of the Army” is the second Lord John story that I’ve read after “Lord John and the Succubus” found in the “Legends II” anthology. In this one, Major Lord John Grey—a recurring secondary character from Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling Outlander series and the star of his own series—finds an innocent night at an electric eel party turn into a wild and entertaining adventure involving a duel, a marriage proposal, being charged for murder, dealing with infidelity, summoned to a court-martial hearing, and participating in the Siege of Quebec... To be honest, I can’t remember much of “Lord John and the Succubus”, but I enjoyed reading “The Custom of the Army” enough that I wouldn’t mind checking out the author’s Outlander and Lord John novels.
9) “Seven Years From Home” by Naomi Novik. Naomi Novik has made a name for herself with the alternate history fantasy series, Temeraire, but in “Seven Years From Home”, the award-winning author delivers an intelligent science fiction tale about a researcher/biographer and the role she plays in a manufactured war between the Melidans and the Esperigans which ends badly. Creatively, “Seven Years From Home” features some nice ideas like living cloth, parasitic wings, the Melidans’ funeral customs and so on, but I thought the narrative voice was dry, and ultimately cared little for the story...
10) “The Eagle and the Rabbit” by Steven Saylor. Like “The Triumph”, “The Eagle and the Rabbit” is a historical fiction story featuring Romans and Carthaginians. “The Eagle and the Rabbit” though is set after the destruction of Carthage, with the rest of the Carthaginian population being put to death or enslaved. In particular, this story follows a group of fugitives captured by Roman slave traders and the terrible games they are forced to participate in, specifically the temptatio: a trial that turns free men into slaves... One of the more engrossing entries in the anthology.
11) “The Pit” by James Rollins. Another favorite author of mine, James Rollins—also known as James Clemens—delivers a winner in “The Pit”, a visceral and heartwarming tale of the horrors of dogfighting and the power of love, as seen through the eyes of Brutus. It’s kind of like The Call of the Wild/White Fang meets Fight Club...
12) “Out of the Dark” by David Weber. I’ve heard nothing but praise for David Weber’s work, but it wasn’t until now that I experienced firsthand why the New York Times bestselling author is so highly regarded. Well-rounded characters—both human and alien, gifted storytelling, realistic military action, cool surprises . . . Weber’s thrilling science fiction tale about the Shongairi—doglike aliens—invading present-day Earth despite the Hegemony Constitution has it all, not to mention being smart and hugely entertaining. Easily one of the highlights of the anthology...
13) “The Girls From Avenger” by Carrie Vaughn. I’m most familiar with Carrie Vaughn because of her Kitty Norville urban fantasy series and her contributions to George R. R. Martin’s Wild Cards universe, but the author is also a prolific and talented short fiction writer, which is demonstrated in “The Girls From Avenger”: a well-written historical fiction story set in 1943 and starring Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), in particular one pilot and her quest to solve the mystery surrounding her friend’s tragic death...
14) “Ancient Ways” by S.M. Stirling. “Ancient Ways” is an Emberverse story set sometime after the Change—a vivdly rendered alternate history, post-apocalyptic milieu where electricity, guns, explosives, internal combustion engines, steam power, et cetera have stopped working. While the world-building in “Ancient Ways” was impressive, the story itself about two unlikely warriors joining forces on an “even more unlikely mission”—in this case saving a princess—was predictable. Still, I enjoyed the action and humor found in S.M. Stirling’s offering, although I believe I would have liked the story even more if I had been more familiar with the Emberverse series...
15) “Ninieslando” by Howard Waldrop. “Ninieslando” is one of those stories that starts off in one direction before suddenly veering off onto another. In this case, “Ninieslando” begins as what appears to be more historical fiction, particularly a realistic glimpse at trench warfare during World War I. But then the protagonist discovers a secret society based on the principles of the real life artificial language Esperanto and their plan to start a “New World of brotherhood”, and things start to get weird, but in a good way...
16) “Recidivist” by Gardner Dozois. Gardner Dozois may be best known for his work as an award-winning editor, but he is also an award-winning writer and I’ve been impressed by what I’ve read by him, namely “Hunter’s Run”. “Recidivist”, a science fiction tale about a future Earth drastically changed by AIs and one person’s attempt to strike back at the oppressors is a bit on the short side, but is still a creative and welcome addition to the anthology...
17) “My Name Is Legion” by David Morrell. From the creator of Rambo comes a compelling tale about the French Foreign Legion set in 1941. “My Name Is Legion” specifically gives readers a taste of legionnaire ideas—“Living by Chance”, “The Legion Is Our Country”, “Honor and Nobility”—and history (the Battle of Camarón, Captain Danjou), and examines what happens when legionnaires are forced to battle against one another...
18) “Defenders of the Frontier” by Robert Silverberg. Surveyor is only one of eleven survivors—Captain, Seeker, Sergeant, Weaponsmaster, Armorer, et cetera are some of the others—still stationed at a remote desert fort that once housed ten thousand soldiers. For over two decades these men have performed the duty that they were tasked with, but their Empire seems to have forgotten about them, while the enemy is no more. Having known nothing but their lives as soldiers, with no enemies to fight, and no knowledge of the outside world, what are such men to do? That is the scenario explored in “Defenders of the Frontier”, one of my favorite stories in the anthology thanks to speculative fiction elements (Seeker’s ability, Fisherfolk), Surveyor’s evocative first-person narrative, and Silverberg’s poignant examinations...
19) “The Scroll” by David Ball. Never having heard of David Ball, I had no expectations about the author’s contribution and was consequently blown away by “The Scroll”: a bleak, but highly entertaining tale about a French engineer named Baptiste whose life—and the lives of his fellow slaves—hang in the balance during the construction of the city Meknes, based on the whims of historical figure Moulay Ismaïl, sultan of Morocco, and a scroll prophesizing what the engineer will do next... Another favorite of mine.
20) “The Mystery Knight” by George R. R. Martin. Being completely honest with myself, the main reason I wanted to read “Warriors” was because of the new Dunk & Egg novella—the third such one after “The Hedge Knight” and “The Sworn Sword”—which takes place in the world of GRRM’s wildly popular A Song of Ice & Fire series. Fittingly, “The Mystery Knight” is saved for last because Dunk & Egg’s latest adventure about jousting, a dragon’s egg, honor, and conspiracy is easily the longest—and in my opinion—best story in the whole anthology...
CONCLUSION: In his Introduction, George R. R. Martin describes “Warriors” as a ‘spinner rack’, which is an apt description for an anthology that includes stories of every ilk from historical fiction, fantasy and sci-fi to a Western, mysteries, “some mainstream”, and “a couple of pieces that I won’t even begin to try and label.” Besides diversity, “Warriors” is also rich in quality with every story in the anthology well-written and deserving of inclusion, even if I enjoyed certain pieces more than others. For me, George R. R. Martin’s “The Mystery Knight” was easily the highlight of the anthology, but there were several other stories that I loved including contributions by Tad Williams, Robert Silverberg, David Weber, Joe Haldeman, James Rollins, David Ball, and Steven Saylor, while there were only a few pieces that I felt were forgettable. Negatively, for all of its variety, the anthology is nevertheless dominated by historical fiction pieces and stories on soldiers and war, and if there is ever a second “Warriors” anthology, I hope the editors will shoot for even greater diversity. Despite this one complaint, “Warriors” lived up to expectations delivering a diverse, entertaining and rewarding reading experience that I will not soon forget...
Official Gardner Dozois Wiki
Order “Warriors” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
EDITOR INFORMATION: George R. R. Martin is an author, screenwriter and editor of fantasy, science fiction and horror, and is best known for the New York Times bestselling A Song of Ice and Fire series that begins with “A Game of Thrones”.
Gardner Dozois is an acclaimed science fiction and fantasy editor and novelist who has won fifteen Hugo Awards for his editorial work.
ABOUT WARRIORS: “People have been telling stories about warriors for as long as they have been telling stories. Since Homer first sang the wrath of Achilles and the ancient Sumerians set down their tales of Gilgamesh, warriors, soldiers, and fighters have fascinated us; they are a part of every culture, every literary tradition, every genre. All Quiet on the Western Front, From Here to Eternity, and The Red Badge of Courage have become part of our literary canon, taught in classrooms all around the country and the world. Our contributors make up an all-star lineup of award-winning and bestselling writers, representing a dozen different publishers and as many genres. We asked each of them for the same thing—a story about a warrior. Some chose to write in the genre they’re best known for. Some decided to try something different. You will find warriors of every shape, size, and color in these pages, warriors from every epoch of human history, from yesterday and today and tomorrow, and from worlds that never were. Some of the stories will make you sad, some will make you laugh, and many will keep you on the edge of your seat.” —from George R. R. Martin’s Introduction
Every story in “Warriors” appears here for the first time. Included are a new Dunk & Egg novella from the world of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire, a new tale of Lord John by Diana Gabaldon, an Emberverse story by S.M. Stirling, a Forever Peace story by Joe Haldeman, and an epic tale of humanity at bay by David Weber. Also present are original tales by David Ball, Peter S. Beagle, Lawrence Block, Gardner Dozois, Robin Hobb, Cecelia Holland, Joe R. Lansdale, David Morrell, Naomi Novik, James Rollins, Steven Saylor, Robert Silverberg, Carrie Vaughn, Howard Waldrop, and Tad Williams.
Many of these writers are bestsellers. All of them are storytellers of the highest quality. Together they make a volume of unforgettable reading...
FORMAT/INFO: “Warriors” is 736 pages long divided over twenty short stories and an Introduction by George R. R. Martin. Each short story is preceded by biographical information about the author and a short description of their contribution to the anthology. March 16, 2010 marks the North American Hardcover publication of “Warriors” via Tor.
ANALYSIS:
1) “The King of Norway” by Cecelia Holland. I’ve never read anything by Cecelia Holland before, but the author is described as “one of the world’s most highly acclaimed and respected historical novelists.” Not surprisingly, Ms. Holland’s contribution finds the author doing what she knows best: historical fiction—specifically a tale of bloodthirsty Vikings, reckless vows, and violent sea battles. Unfortunately, I’m not a very big fan of either historical fiction or Vikings—apart from Norse mythology—and found “The King of Norway” boring and unremarkable. In short, a disappointing start to the anthology...
2) “Forever Bound” by Joe Haldeman. I haven’t read Forever Peace (1998)—Joe Haldeman’s Hugo, Nebula and John W. Campbell award-winning science fiction novel—but I believe “Forever Bound” is like a prequel to that book since it features the first-person narrative of Julian Class (the protagonist of Forever Peace), while also covering such concepts as soldierboys (heavily armored robots telepathically operated by ‘mechanics’), cybernetic cranial implants (jacks) and platoon relationships (ten soldiers operating as a single group mind) found in the novel. What I do know for sure though is this: “Forever Bound” is superbly written, thought-provoking, and moving. Definitely one of the better entries in “Warriors”.
3) “The Triumph” by Robin Hobb. One of my favorite authors, Robin Hobb’s talents—intimate characterization, elegant prose, convincing world-building—are on full display in “The Triumph”, a tale about the last days of the historical figure Marcus Atilius Regulus, a Roman general and consul who was said to have died during Carthaginian captivity in 250 BC. Even though historical fiction is not my cup of tea, I was fascinated by Regulus’ story, although I did appreciate the speculative elements added to the mix. A very strong offering by Ms. Hobb...
4) “Clean Slate” by Lawrence Block. When I first started reading “Clean Slate”, I thought the editors had made a mistake. After all, what does a woman reconnecting with a past lover after eight years have anything to do with warriors. Pretty soon though, the connection becomes evident in Lawrence Block’s dark and disturbing offering about a woman trying to regain her lost innocence...
5) “And Ministers of Grace” by Tad Williams. Some of the ideas in “And Ministers of Grace” are familiar like colonized planets, implants that transmit messages/advertisements directly to a person’s brain, a “nanobiote”-enhanced soldier who reminded me some of Alex Mercer from the Prototype videogame, and religious themes, but as a whole I was blown away by Tad Williams’ futuristic tale of a Covenant Guardian named Lamentation Kane sent on a mission to assassinate the Prime Minister of Archimedes, and the ensuing chaos that follows... Would love to see the short story expanded into a full-length novel or series.
6) “Soldierin’” by Joe R. Lansdale. I haven’t read very much of Joe R. Lansdale’s work, but what I have read has been disappointingly hit or miss. So I wasn’t sure what to expect from “Soldierin’”, but thankfully Joe R. Lansdale’s comical Western about a group of ‘buffalo soldiers’ crossing paths with Apache Indians was easily the best thing I’ve read by the author, and one of the most entertaining stories in the entire anthology...
7) “Dirae” by Peter S. Beagle. Preceding each short story is biographical information about the author and a short description of their contribution to “Warriors”. For “Dirae”, the editors wrote the following: “You may find the opening pages of this story a bit confusing, but stick with it, and we promise you that you’ll be rewarded with a compelling study of the price of compassion—and introduced to perhaps the strangest and most unlikely warrior in this whole anthology.” Which pretty much sums up what I thought of Peter S. Beagle’s poetic tale about a mysterious guardian angel...
8) “The Custom of the Army” by Diana Gabaldon. “The Custom of the Army” is the second Lord John story that I’ve read after “Lord John and the Succubus” found in the “Legends II” anthology. In this one, Major Lord John Grey—a recurring secondary character from Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling Outlander series and the star of his own series—finds an innocent night at an electric eel party turn into a wild and entertaining adventure involving a duel, a marriage proposal, being charged for murder, dealing with infidelity, summoned to a court-martial hearing, and participating in the Siege of Quebec... To be honest, I can’t remember much of “Lord John and the Succubus”, but I enjoyed reading “The Custom of the Army” enough that I wouldn’t mind checking out the author’s Outlander and Lord John novels.
9) “Seven Years From Home” by Naomi Novik. Naomi Novik has made a name for herself with the alternate history fantasy series, Temeraire, but in “Seven Years From Home”, the award-winning author delivers an intelligent science fiction tale about a researcher/biographer and the role she plays in a manufactured war between the Melidans and the Esperigans which ends badly. Creatively, “Seven Years From Home” features some nice ideas like living cloth, parasitic wings, the Melidans’ funeral customs and so on, but I thought the narrative voice was dry, and ultimately cared little for the story...
10) “The Eagle and the Rabbit” by Steven Saylor. Like “The Triumph”, “The Eagle and the Rabbit” is a historical fiction story featuring Romans and Carthaginians. “The Eagle and the Rabbit” though is set after the destruction of Carthage, with the rest of the Carthaginian population being put to death or enslaved. In particular, this story follows a group of fugitives captured by Roman slave traders and the terrible games they are forced to participate in, specifically the temptatio: a trial that turns free men into slaves... One of the more engrossing entries in the anthology.
11) “The Pit” by James Rollins. Another favorite author of mine, James Rollins—also known as James Clemens—delivers a winner in “The Pit”, a visceral and heartwarming tale of the horrors of dogfighting and the power of love, as seen through the eyes of Brutus. It’s kind of like The Call of the Wild/White Fang meets Fight Club...
12) “Out of the Dark” by David Weber. I’ve heard nothing but praise for David Weber’s work, but it wasn’t until now that I experienced firsthand why the New York Times bestselling author is so highly regarded. Well-rounded characters—both human and alien, gifted storytelling, realistic military action, cool surprises . . . Weber’s thrilling science fiction tale about the Shongairi—doglike aliens—invading present-day Earth despite the Hegemony Constitution has it all, not to mention being smart and hugely entertaining. Easily one of the highlights of the anthology...
13) “The Girls From Avenger” by Carrie Vaughn. I’m most familiar with Carrie Vaughn because of her Kitty Norville urban fantasy series and her contributions to George R. R. Martin’s Wild Cards universe, but the author is also a prolific and talented short fiction writer, which is demonstrated in “The Girls From Avenger”: a well-written historical fiction story set in 1943 and starring Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), in particular one pilot and her quest to solve the mystery surrounding her friend’s tragic death...
14) “Ancient Ways” by S.M. Stirling. “Ancient Ways” is an Emberverse story set sometime after the Change—a vivdly rendered alternate history, post-apocalyptic milieu where electricity, guns, explosives, internal combustion engines, steam power, et cetera have stopped working. While the world-building in “Ancient Ways” was impressive, the story itself about two unlikely warriors joining forces on an “even more unlikely mission”—in this case saving a princess—was predictable. Still, I enjoyed the action and humor found in S.M. Stirling’s offering, although I believe I would have liked the story even more if I had been more familiar with the Emberverse series...
15) “Ninieslando” by Howard Waldrop. “Ninieslando” is one of those stories that starts off in one direction before suddenly veering off onto another. In this case, “Ninieslando” begins as what appears to be more historical fiction, particularly a realistic glimpse at trench warfare during World War I. But then the protagonist discovers a secret society based on the principles of the real life artificial language Esperanto and their plan to start a “New World of brotherhood”, and things start to get weird, but in a good way...
16) “Recidivist” by Gardner Dozois. Gardner Dozois may be best known for his work as an award-winning editor, but he is also an award-winning writer and I’ve been impressed by what I’ve read by him, namely “Hunter’s Run”. “Recidivist”, a science fiction tale about a future Earth drastically changed by AIs and one person’s attempt to strike back at the oppressors is a bit on the short side, but is still a creative and welcome addition to the anthology...
17) “My Name Is Legion” by David Morrell. From the creator of Rambo comes a compelling tale about the French Foreign Legion set in 1941. “My Name Is Legion” specifically gives readers a taste of legionnaire ideas—“Living by Chance”, “The Legion Is Our Country”, “Honor and Nobility”—and history (the Battle of Camarón, Captain Danjou), and examines what happens when legionnaires are forced to battle against one another...
18) “Defenders of the Frontier” by Robert Silverberg. Surveyor is only one of eleven survivors—Captain, Seeker, Sergeant, Weaponsmaster, Armorer, et cetera are some of the others—still stationed at a remote desert fort that once housed ten thousand soldiers. For over two decades these men have performed the duty that they were tasked with, but their Empire seems to have forgotten about them, while the enemy is no more. Having known nothing but their lives as soldiers, with no enemies to fight, and no knowledge of the outside world, what are such men to do? That is the scenario explored in “Defenders of the Frontier”, one of my favorite stories in the anthology thanks to speculative fiction elements (Seeker’s ability, Fisherfolk), Surveyor’s evocative first-person narrative, and Silverberg’s poignant examinations...
19) “The Scroll” by David Ball. Never having heard of David Ball, I had no expectations about the author’s contribution and was consequently blown away by “The Scroll”: a bleak, but highly entertaining tale about a French engineer named Baptiste whose life—and the lives of his fellow slaves—hang in the balance during the construction of the city Meknes, based on the whims of historical figure Moulay Ismaïl, sultan of Morocco, and a scroll prophesizing what the engineer will do next... Another favorite of mine.
20) “The Mystery Knight” by George R. R. Martin. Being completely honest with myself, the main reason I wanted to read “Warriors” was because of the new Dunk & Egg novella—the third such one after “The Hedge Knight” and “The Sworn Sword”—which takes place in the world of GRRM’s wildly popular A Song of Ice & Fire series. Fittingly, “The Mystery Knight” is saved for last because Dunk & Egg’s latest adventure about jousting, a dragon’s egg, honor, and conspiracy is easily the longest—and in my opinion—best story in the whole anthology...
CONCLUSION: In his Introduction, George R. R. Martin describes “Warriors” as a ‘spinner rack’, which is an apt description for an anthology that includes stories of every ilk from historical fiction, fantasy and sci-fi to a Western, mysteries, “some mainstream”, and “a couple of pieces that I won’t even begin to try and label.” Besides diversity, “Warriors” is also rich in quality with every story in the anthology well-written and deserving of inclusion, even if I enjoyed certain pieces more than others. For me, George R. R. Martin’s “The Mystery Knight” was easily the highlight of the anthology, but there were several other stories that I loved including contributions by Tad Williams, Robert Silverberg, David Weber, Joe Haldeman, James Rollins, David Ball, and Steven Saylor, while there were only a few pieces that I felt were forgettable. Negatively, for all of its variety, the anthology is nevertheless dominated by historical fiction pieces and stories on soldiers and war, and if there is ever a second “Warriors” anthology, I hope the editors will shoot for even greater diversity. Despite this one complaint, “Warriors” lived up to expectations delivering a diverse, entertaining and rewarding reading experience that I will not soon forget...
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