Order “Skulls” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Watch a Video with Tim Marquitz HERE
Read FBC’s Review of “SE: The Temple Of The Dead”
Read FBC’s Interview with Tim Marquitz
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Tim Marquitz is the author of Armageddon Bound, the first book in the Demon Squad series, and the Sepulchral Earth short stories. He is also an editor, a heavy metal aficionado, a Mixed Martial Arts fan, and is also a member of the Live Action Role Playing organization. Currently, he’s writing the next chapter in the Sepulchral Earth series as well as whatever else catches his imagination. Tim lives in El Paso, Texas with his wonderful family.
ABOUT SKULLS: Life held little interest for Jacob . . . until he found death.
Abused and neglected, Jacob’s only solace comes when he is alone in the woods or in the arms of his new girlfriend. But when he stumbles across a hidden bunker filled with human skulls, he learns what true suffering is. Drawn to examine the skulls, he finds there is more than just empty blackness behind their lifeless stares. Through their eyes he watches them die.
With every glance, he witnesses another murder, the memories of the dead playing out inside his mind until reality becomes a blur. A primal cruelty awakening, Jacob returns to the morbid comfort of the skulls, over and over again. But when he happens upon a fresh skull, a victim tortured and slain for his amusement alone, he knows his time has come. Face to face with death, Jacob must choose whether to resist the darkness that dwells inside or condemn himself forever, murdering his innocence on the edge of an axe...
FORMAT/INFO: Skulls is 122 pages long divided over twenty-six chapters. Narration is in the third-person, mainly via the protagonist Jacob Rile. There are also other POVs featuring supporting characters and the antagonist, but most of these are one-offs. April 1, 2011 marked the Paperback publication of Skulls via Damnation Books. Cover art is provided by Jessica Lucero.
ANALYSIS: Skulls was an experiment of sorts for Tim Marquitz, who wanted to see whether he could bring his dark storytelling ability to a YA novel. Considering that the author’s previous books included the darkly humorous Armageddon Bound and the melancholy tinged Sepulchral Earth:The Long Road, I had no idea what to expect from Skulls...
Skulls begins by introducing us to Jacob Rile, an emotionally neglected and physically abused teen who happens upon a bunker where he discovers a gleaming array of human skulls. Not knowing the reason for their existence, Jacob rapidly exits the bunker with trepidation, but also a hint of curiosity. Before long, Jacob develops a psychic link with the bunker and is able to see and feel the murder of each skull he picks up. This awakens a very dark nature in Jacob as he’s drawn continuously to the skulls and their morbid memories. At the same time, the killer learns about Jacob’s connection to the skulls and is debating whether to kill the teen or apprentice him, while Jacob’s friends start to withdraw from him except for Cassie who tries to rescue Jacob from his own dark nature. From here, the plot escalates as more murders occur and Jacob seems hell-bent on making himself a murder junkie.
Skulls is a dark tale, and even though there is a mystery occurring at the same time, it is not very absorbing. Characterization however, is a major attraction, particularly Jacob Rile, a young soul who is drawn into a vicious web of murder & sadism due to familial neglect and the allure of dark power. Jacob’s struggles are the heart of this tale, which includes a stunning choice he has to make at the end of the story.
Negatively, the identity of the killer is easy to guess which softens the mystery aspect of the tale, but since the killer’s identitiy is not a central thread in the book, it’s not a major issue. Skulls is also a bit on the short side, but increasing the page count would mean losing some of the narrative tension and rapid pacing.
CONCLUSION: All in all, Skulls was a different book from Tim Marquitz’s previous efforts. It was also different from the few other YA books I have read due to its grim content, but it is a very good book because of its characters and plot. In short, I’m glad Tim Marquitz took this chance with Skulls, because it allowed him to showcase his literary skills in a different direction, while providing YA readers with a grim, but entertaining thrill ride...
12:01 AM | 
Posted by
Robert |
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
PRESS RELEASE: Bestselling Independent Author M. R. Mathias announces Kings, Queens, Heroes & Fools!!!
International bestselling independent author, M. R. Mathias, is proud to announce the upcoming release of Kings, Queens, Heroes & Fools, the second installment in The Wardstone Trilogy. The ebook version will be available for download in late June 2011 with an official release date of July 4, 2011. Mathias chose this date to celebrate the freedom his writing has brought him. A preview of the book can be found HERE + HERE.
“Mathias’ is a great story,” says W.R. Potter, founder of the Independent Authors Network. “From writing huge epic novels while in prison for drug abuse, to the top of the Amazon fantasy bestsellers lists worldwide. Not only is he an inspiration for rehabilitation, he has shown thousands of Independent Authors that with self publishing, anything is possible.”
Book one of The Wardstone Trilogy, The Sword and the Dragon (Reviewed HERE), was released less than a year ago and is still at the top of ebook bestseller charts across the board. The third and final novel of the trilogy, The Wizard and the Warlord, is scheduled for release in 2012. Mathias is also the author of the bestselling fantasy series, The Saga of the Dragoneers, as well as the paranormal horror/thriller The Butcher’s Boy that was released in 2010 under the pen name Michael Robb.
The cover of Kings, Queens, Heroes, & Fools was made by GVT Grafix featuring the original artwork of Sandara Tang. “The artwork is perfect,” said the author. “The woman on the dragon is Shaella, the Dragon Queen. I wanted it the second I saw the work. Then when Gary from GVX finished turning the piece into a cover I was just amazed.”
For interviews, ARCs, and publicity queries, please contact the author at michael@mrmathias.com.
Back in 2008, Subterranean Press published “Lye Street”, a 26,000 word novella which serves as a prequel to Alan Campbell’s fantasy debut, Scar Night, the opening volume of The Deepgate Codex. “Lye Street” is described as follows:
The Greene family is cursed. Every fifty years Deepgate's scarred angel, Carnival, returns to murder another descendant. Now, five hundred years after the first victim's death, Sal Greene is facing his own doom. His time has almost run out. In a desperate attempt to break the chain of violence and save his family, he summons a demon to the chained city: a warrior he hopes is powerful enough to stand against the angel.
Yet the creature which arrives in Deepgate is not quite the legendary mercenary Sal Greene was expecting...
Unfortunately, “Lye Street” was only available in limited edition with a little over 2000 copies printed and has been long sold out. Thanks to popular demand, Alan Campbell has decided to explore the option of self-publishing and is offering “Lye Street” as an eBook for the measly price of $0.99. “Lye Street” is currently available in Kindle edition HERE and will be available in ePub format in the near future. At only $0.99, this is quite a deal folks! Not only is “Lye Street” a neat little story all by itself—Read FBC’s Review HERE—but it’s also a great introduction to Alan Campbell and The Deepgate Codex. Plus, the novella also includes an excerpt from Alan Campbell’s awesome new book, Sea of Ghosts (Reviewed HERE).
Voting for the final winners of the Gemmell Award has opened several weeks ago, though only today I managed to vote. I also did a post about the shortlist vote HERE.
Legend Award for Best Novel:
The Desert Spear (FBC Rv) by Peter V. Brett
War of the Dwarves by Markus Heitz
Towers of Midnight (FBC Rv) by Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan
The Alchemist in the Shadows by Pierre Pevel
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
The Black Prism (FBC Rv) by Brent Weeks
I read three of the books (Brett, Sanderson and Weeks), while I have no interest in the Wheel of Time series or the Dwarves novel. The first Pevel novel (and previous Gemmell winner) was a huge meh for me though I may take a look at the second one here at some point, but it is not that high a priority.
As mentioned in the shortlist vote The Black Prism was my #1 traditional fantasy of last year (#3 in fantasy and #6 overall), though I voted there for Mark Newton's City of Ruin as more heroic. Here it was my clear vote by far. I liked The Desert Spear well enough but its subject is at the very limit of my interest and only the author's writing style and the way he managed to keep the story unpredictable so far keeps me in the series. I also liked The Way of Kings a bit unexpectedly since I have not been a Sanderson fan so far, but it was very bloated.
Prediction for winner: The Way of Kings
********************************************************************
Morningstar Award for Best Debut:
Spellwright (FBC Rv) by Blake Charlton
The Warrior Priest by Darius Hinks
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (FBC Rv) by N.K. Jemisin
Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov
Tymon's Flight by Mary Victoria
Here the choice was also an easy one since The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was one of my top debuts of last year as mentioned in the Hugo post. I was very meh on Spellwright and have no real interest in its sequel though Robert quite liked it as you can see in his review linked above, while Shadow Prowler is one of those books that while ultra-cliched for anyone versed with English language fantasy, may be a great introduction to the genre in other countries.
After all I read a ton of Soviet and Romanian sf decades ago when that was essentially my only choice and despite all (cliches...) it still nurtured my love for the genre. I have no interest in The Warrior Priest (the only tie-in universe I read in is the 163* one of Eric Flint) and I checked a sample of Tymon's Flight where I had no interest to read more based on it.
Prediction for winner: if the US/UK vote dominates, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, if the international vote dominates Shadow Prowler
********************************************************************
Ravenheart Award for Best Cover Art:
The Ragged Man
Power and Majesty
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Shadow King
Tymon's Flight
Here you can just go and check the covers at the Gemmell site, but I have a weakness for genre covers that show they are genre in an interesting way, so the cover of The Ragged Man had my vote here.
Prediction for winner: The Todd Lockwood cover for The Ragged Man
Legend Award for Best Novel:
The Desert Spear (FBC Rv) by Peter V. Brett
War of the Dwarves by Markus Heitz
Towers of Midnight (FBC Rv) by Brandon Sanderson and Robert JordanThe Alchemist in the Shadows by Pierre Pevel
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
The Black Prism (FBC Rv) by Brent Weeks
I read three of the books (Brett, Sanderson and Weeks), while I have no interest in the Wheel of Time series or the Dwarves novel. The first Pevel novel (and previous Gemmell winner) was a huge meh for me though I may take a look at the second one here at some point, but it is not that high a priority.
As mentioned in the shortlist vote The Black Prism was my #1 traditional fantasy of last year (#3 in fantasy and #6 overall), though I voted there for Mark Newton's City of Ruin as more heroic. Here it was my clear vote by far. I liked The Desert Spear well enough but its subject is at the very limit of my interest and only the author's writing style and the way he managed to keep the story unpredictable so far keeps me in the series. I also liked The Way of Kings a bit unexpectedly since I have not been a Sanderson fan so far, but it was very bloated.
Prediction for winner: The Way of Kings
********************************************************************
Morningstar Award for Best Debut:
Spellwright (FBC Rv) by Blake Charlton
The Warrior Priest by Darius Hinks
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (FBC Rv) by N.K. Jemisin
Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov
Tymon's Flight by Mary Victoria
Here the choice was also an easy one since The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was one of my top debuts of last year as mentioned in the Hugo post. I was very meh on Spellwright and have no real interest in its sequel though Robert quite liked it as you can see in his review linked above, while Shadow Prowler is one of those books that while ultra-cliched for anyone versed with English language fantasy, may be a great introduction to the genre in other countries.
After all I read a ton of Soviet and Romanian sf decades ago when that was essentially my only choice and despite all (cliches...) it still nurtured my love for the genre. I have no interest in The Warrior Priest (the only tie-in universe I read in is the 163* one of Eric Flint) and I checked a sample of Tymon's Flight where I had no interest to read more based on it.
Prediction for winner: if the US/UK vote dominates, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, if the international vote dominates Shadow Prowler
********************************************************************
Ravenheart Award for Best Cover Art:
The Ragged Man
Power and Majesty
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Shadow King
Tymon's Flight
Here you can just go and check the covers at the Gemmell site, but I have a weakness for genre covers that show they are genre in an interesting way, so the cover of The Ragged Man had my vote here.
Prediction for winner: The Todd Lockwood cover for The Ragged Man
Thursday, May 5, 2011
PRESS RELEASE: Orbit Acquires International Bestselling Author Trudi Canavan’s New Trilogy!
Global SF and Fantasy imprint Orbit has acquired a new trilogy by Sunday Times bestselling fantasy author Trudi Canavan. UK Editorial Director Anne Clarke acquired World rights from Arabella Stein, acting for Trudi Canavan’s primary agent Fran Bryson, in a major deal. The deal coincides with Trudi Canavan’s first major UK and European tour. The tour begins this week for publication of her latest novel The Rogue.
Millennium’s Rule is set in an entirely new magical world, with the first book in the trilogy due to be delivered in June 2013. It will be published by Orbit in 2014 in all good bookstores across the planet.
Trudi Canavan says: “I am delighted to continue working with Orbit who have been such a big part of the success of my books—and I am excited to be exploring this new, dynamic fantasy world which I can’t wait to share with my readers.”
Anne Clarke says: “I have long been a fan of Trudi’s wonderful books, and I was delighted and honoured to become her UK publisher when I joined Orbit at the start of this year. Trudi has a wonderful talent for creating emotionally compelling characters and weaving them into an exciting narrative set in a well drawn and wholly believable magical world. I and the rest of the Orbit team are thrilled at the prospect of publishing Trudi for many more years to come.”
Fran Bryson says “Trudi and Orbit are a terrific team. It’s great news that they will enter the stunning world of Millennium’s Rule together.”
Trudi Canavan’s UK tour for publication of The Rogue starts on May 5, 2011. She is available for interview. For all publicity queries please contact Rose Tremlett at rose.tremlett@littlebrown.co.uk.
PRESS RELEASE: Operation Kid Equip Partners with The Giving Effect to Collect Books for metro Detroit Kids!
WHAT: Operation: Kid Equip (OKE), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supplying metro Detroit kids with free school day supplies and books, will host its first mail in book drive in partnership with The Giving Effect. Between now and May 14th, people from Michigan and across the country can donate new or gently used books to OKE without leaving the comfort of their own home. The postage is free, too.
“I was fortunate to connect with Menachem from Operation: Kid Equip. Their progressive views on social media and their willingness to join us were a tremendous inspiration for building this system,” said Mitchell Silverman, Founder of The Giving Effect. “I look forward to working with them to get many more donations to the thousands of kids OKE serves.”
Local businesses are getting involved in the initiative, too. PublicCity PR has offered to be the first business to cover the cost of postage to donors who mail the first 1,000 books.
“We couldn’t have picked a better organization to partner with. The Giving Effect has helped us take our message to a whole new level,” said Menachem Kniespeck, Founder & Director of OKE. “It’s important to ensure the children of metro Detroit have the proper books they need to become the future of our great state.”
DETAILS: To donate simply collect 10 or more books, put them in a box, weigh it and log onto http://books.operationkidequip.org to print the packing slip. Each donor will receive a tracking number and when the books are received by OKE, the donor will get an in-kind donation receipt via e-mail.
To Donate Locally, Drop Books Off At:
OKE Teachers’ Annex & Operations Center
1830 Stephenson Highway, Suite B
Troy, Michigan 48083
Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 2:30p.m. – 6:30p.m.
Saturday from 10:00a.m. – 2:00p.m.
About Operation Kid Equip:
Operation: Kid Equip’s long term vision is a community where every child’s basic needs are met. To accomplish this in the short term we provide free school supplies, books, hygiene and food items for children who are at-risk. To effect long term community improvement, we work to increase awareness of the issues facing school-aged children to help them succeed in school and in life. For more information about Operation Kid Equip, visit http://operationkidequip.org
About The Giving Effect:
The Giving Effect helps donors connect with organizations that distribute essential items such as clothes, shoes, and food to people in need. Nonprofits use the site to publicize their needs and to create stories around each item donated: donors can share these stories online to increase support for the causes they care most about. Sponsors use The Giving Effect to promote their pro-social message: they provide postage to donors who mail items for free to people in need. The Giving Effect is headquartered in Brooklyn, NY. For more information, visit www.thegivingeffect.com
Read FBC's Review of "The Silver Skull" Here
OVERVIEW: The whole city of London is living in the fear of the Black Death. People are dying left and right from the plague which has brought a black shadow over the whole city. People who normally go out are forced to stay indoors and the smell of death lingers in the air.
While the plague sweeps the city and kills thousands, another force is working to systematically kill off England’s greatest spies. This force is killing off the spies in a ritualistic fashion that almost seems as if it is planned and has a purpose. The problem is, after the death of Sir Francis Walsingham, England is more concerned with politics and self-advancement than the looming threat of a dark force that could be working for the Unseelie Court.
However, England cannot ignore the threat any longer when the devil is channeled in the middle of Christopher Marlowe’s play and Marlowe ends up dead in a remote inn room. It is up to England’s greatest spy, Will Swyfte to uncover the Unseelie Court’s plot, find the killer, and see that justice is done to Marlowe’s killer. He must do this all while being shadowed by a realistic image of Jenny his long lost love.
FORMAT: The Scar-Crow Men is the second book in The Swords of Albion series. It is a mixture of historical fiction, fantasy and mystery. While it could be read without reading the first, it is recommended to read The Silver Skull due to the many references to events and people that could be confusing if the first book was not read. The Scar-Crow Men also ends on a cliffhanger feeling. It was published on February 8, 2011 by Pyr.
ANALYSIS: After reading Mark Chadbourn’s first book The Silver Skull I was in love with this series. I recommended it to everyone I knew and could not wait for the next book in the series. So when The Scar-Crow Men showed up on my doorstep I was overjoyed and couldn’t wait to see what happened. Unfortunately, my experience with this second book is a bit of a mixed bag of disappointment and excitement.
Sure, The Scar-Crow Men is still filled with all the historical elements that I enjoyed and Mark Chadbourn does not spare the readers the details of the sights, sounds and smells of London during the plague, but there were parts of the book that left me longing for something else and feeling as if I missed out on something.
The Scar-Crow Men is more about the mystery and helping to unravel the problems that England is facing. Maybe if I had gone in with the expecatation that this was a mystery and not an advanture, I would have had a better experience but after loving the first book so much, it was hard not to go in with pre-set expectations.
The lack of adventure wasn’t the only problem I encountered during the book. Another problem I had was there seemed to be a lot of elements that either were not fully developed or could have been and had a feeling of fizzling out. The biggest example that comes to mind is the whole secret weapon that is supposed to destroy The Scar-Crow Men. I felt it wasn’t developed and just sorta thrown out there and the readers were denied any explanation on how it worked, what needed to be done or really what it was.
All of this leads me to the major problem that I had after finishing this book and sense of forward plot movement. When I completed the book I felt as if the plot or story didn’t move forward any further than when I finished the first book. Granted, we aren’t at the same spot as the first book but readers were moved maybe a centimeter which was disappointing. This could be because unlike the first book this book ended with a cliffhanger, there was no sense of closure and now I must read the third book to see what happens.
Despite all the problems I encountered I don’t plan on giving up on this series. While I loved The Silver Skull, I just thought this book was “okay”. I believe a large portion of my issues could have been expectations that I had mentally formed for this book, that it obviously didn’t live up to. That being said, I view The Scar-Crow Men as a huge setup for the third book in which I plan on reading eagerly and hopefully it’ll live up to my expectations.One of the biggest things that I enjoyed about The Silver Skull was the adventure scenes that left you sitting at the edge of your seat. The problem is The Scar-Crow Men doesn’t have these scenes. There is very little action and because that was a huge part of what I felt made this series so special I was extremely disappointed in what this book gave me. Granted it wasn't a disappointment caused by the author but more because I went in with a set expectation and it didn't meet that. ,
While the plague sweeps the city and kills thousands, another force is working to systematically kill off England’s greatest spies. This force is killing off the spies in a ritualistic fashion that almost seems as if it is planned and has a purpose. The problem is, after the death of Sir Francis Walsingham, England is more concerned with politics and self-advancement than the looming threat of a dark force that could be working for the Unseelie Court.
However, England cannot ignore the threat any longer when the devil is channeled in the middle of Christopher Marlowe’s play and Marlowe ends up dead in a remote inn room. It is up to England’s greatest spy, Will Swyfte to uncover the Unseelie Court’s plot, find the killer, and see that justice is done to Marlowe’s killer. He must do this all while being shadowed by a realistic image of Jenny his long lost love.
FORMAT: The Scar-Crow Men is the second book in The Swords of Albion series. It is a mixture of historical fiction, fantasy and mystery. While it could be read without reading the first, it is recommended to read The Silver Skull due to the many references to events and people that could be confusing if the first book was not read. The Scar-Crow Men also ends on a cliffhanger feeling. It was published on February 8, 2011 by Pyr.
ANALYSIS: After reading Mark Chadbourn’s first book The Silver Skull I was in love with this series. I recommended it to everyone I knew and could not wait for the next book in the series. So when The Scar-Crow Men showed up on my doorstep I was overjoyed and couldn’t wait to see what happened. Unfortunately, my experience with this second book is a bit of a mixed bag of disappointment and excitement.
Sure, The Scar-Crow Men is still filled with all the historical elements that I enjoyed and Mark Chadbourn does not spare the readers the details of the sights, sounds and smells of London during the plague, but there were parts of the book that left me longing for something else and feeling as if I missed out on something.
The Scar-Crow Men is more about the mystery and helping to unravel the problems that England is facing. Maybe if I had gone in with the expecatation that this was a mystery and not an advanture, I would have had a better experience but after loving the first book so much, it was hard not to go in with pre-set expectations.
The lack of adventure wasn’t the only problem I encountered during the book. Another problem I had was there seemed to be a lot of elements that either were not fully developed or could have been and had a feeling of fizzling out. The biggest example that comes to mind is the whole secret weapon that is supposed to destroy The Scar-Crow Men. I felt it wasn’t developed and just sorta thrown out there and the readers were denied any explanation on how it worked, what needed to be done or really what it was.
All of this leads me to the major problem that I had after finishing this book and sense of forward plot movement. When I completed the book I felt as if the plot or story didn’t move forward any further than when I finished the first book. Granted, we aren’t at the same spot as the first book but readers were moved maybe a centimeter which was disappointing. This could be because unlike the first book this book ended with a cliffhanger, there was no sense of closure and now I must read the third book to see what happens.
Despite all the problems I encountered I don’t plan on giving up on this series. While I loved The Silver Skull, I just thought this book was “okay”. I believe a large portion of my issues could have been expectations that I had mentally formed for this book, that it obviously didn’t live up to. That being said, I view The Scar-Crow Men as a huge setup for the third book in which I plan on reading eagerly and hopefully it’ll live up to my expectations.One of the biggest things that I enjoyed about The Silver Skull was the adventure scenes that left you sitting at the edge of your seat. The problem is The Scar-Crow Men doesn’t have these scenes. There is very little action and because that was a huge part of what I felt made this series so special I was extremely disappointed in what this book gave me. Granted it wasn't a disappointment caused by the author but more because I went in with a set expectation and it didn't meet that. ,
Since I am trying to showcase as many 2011 interesting books of various kinds as I can, but the number of full reviews I can do is limited and is becoming even smaller due to various reasons, it is inevitable that some books won't receive as complete coverage as I wish. I keep the continually updated post with 2011 books read HERE. Here I will talk about two books I would have usually reviewed in full, but since I cannot do it, I will just summarize my thoughts.
*********************************************************************
First, one the highly awaited novels of the year: The White Luck Warrior by Scott Bakker. I greatly enjoyed the original Prince of Nothing trilogy though I was less enthusiastic about The Judging Eye (FBC Rv) which at the time I thought it was too prologue-like. Now after reading The White Luck Warrior, I realize that my discontent had to do with where the author took the series more than anything else.
The White Luck Warrior (D, series drop) was the first truly disappointing major expected release of 2011 for me. Most of it I would say it's probably me moving on beyond the kind of book this represents but I found it dull, boring and pretentiously empty. All the talk about kings, faith, all the philosophizing for which Scott Bakker is renowned just made me yawn and I couldn't give a fig for any of the characters of the book, except for Kelhus of course. If the No God would come and sweep them into history more the better.
A series drop and I kind of regret it given how much I enjoyed the first trilogy at least at the time, but overall books about ancient evil awakened and the mobilizing of huge armies to combat it, all done in an earnest, "oh, I am taking this really seriously" manner seems to have become another sub-genre I will give a pass from now on. I'd rather have some subtlety, some irony, some understanding of the human nature, than what the author offered here and the only thread that was palatable for me in The Judging Eye - with Mimara and Achamanian - became here another "fight and philosophize fest" that I could not wait to be over even at my fast reading rate.
The only redeeming moments were the ones with Kelhus who as usual was pure awesomeness since he is the only "alive" character of the new series, but few pages here and there cannot compensate for the drudgery of the rest.
*********************************************************************
Odin's Wolves (A/A+) by Giles Kristian is the third and temporarily last - hopefully since I want more for sure - tale of the Viking adventurers under Jarl Sigurd and Raven his protegee seemingly marked by Odin.
The promise of Raven: Blood Eye and Raven: Sons of Thunder is fully realized here with a rip-roaring tale of adventure, intrigue and even occasional heartbreak, that starts on the coasts of France, passes through Moorish Spain, the Mediterranean and ends as expected in Constantinople where the throne is fiercely contested by ambitious nobles and generals, while Sigurd and his fellowship may just be the ones to decide who wears the purple...
*********************************************************************
First, one the highly awaited novels of the year: The White Luck Warrior by Scott Bakker. I greatly enjoyed the original Prince of Nothing trilogy though I was less enthusiastic about The Judging Eye (FBC Rv) which at the time I thought it was too prologue-like. Now after reading The White Luck Warrior, I realize that my discontent had to do with where the author took the series more than anything else.
The White Luck Warrior (D, series drop) was the first truly disappointing major expected release of 2011 for me. Most of it I would say it's probably me moving on beyond the kind of book this represents but I found it dull, boring and pretentiously empty. All the talk about kings, faith, all the philosophizing for which Scott Bakker is renowned just made me yawn and I couldn't give a fig for any of the characters of the book, except for Kelhus of course. If the No God would come and sweep them into history more the better.
A series drop and I kind of regret it given how much I enjoyed the first trilogy at least at the time, but overall books about ancient evil awakened and the mobilizing of huge armies to combat it, all done in an earnest, "oh, I am taking this really seriously" manner seems to have become another sub-genre I will give a pass from now on. I'd rather have some subtlety, some irony, some understanding of the human nature, than what the author offered here and the only thread that was palatable for me in The Judging Eye - with Mimara and Achamanian - became here another "fight and philosophize fest" that I could not wait to be over even at my fast reading rate.
The only redeeming moments were the ones with Kelhus who as usual was pure awesomeness since he is the only "alive" character of the new series, but few pages here and there cannot compensate for the drudgery of the rest.
*********************************************************************
Odin's Wolves (A/A+) by Giles Kristian is the third and temporarily last - hopefully since I want more for sure - tale of the Viking adventurers under Jarl Sigurd and Raven his protegee seemingly marked by Odin.
The promise of Raven: Blood Eye and Raven: Sons of Thunder is fully realized here with a rip-roaring tale of adventure, intrigue and even occasional heartbreak, that starts on the coasts of France, passes through Moorish Spain, the Mediterranean and ends as expected in Constantinople where the throne is fiercely contested by ambitious nobles and generals, while Sigurd and his fellowship may just be the ones to decide who wears the purple...
Since Odin's Wolves picks up where Sons of Thunder ends, the increasingly diverse band of Sigurd and Raven having just lost their treasure to save their lives, needs another goal and the Jarl sure provides it. On the way they have the usual adventures, great duels, cunning tricks, great banter and blood curling happenings, while the book keeps the "no putting down" breakneck pace of the first two volumes. The ending has a special quality to it because it provides enough closure to be satisfied with the trilogy as a whole, but leaves open the future of our heroes for more adventures to come. Bring them on!
Order “Venom” HERE
Order “Tangled Threads” HERE
Read FBC’s Review of “Spider’s Bite”
Read FBC’s Review of “Web of Lies”
Read FBC’s Interview with Jennifer Estep HERE
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Jennifer Estep has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism, and a Master's in Professional Communications. Her bibliography includes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, the Mythos Academy YA urban fantasy series, and the Bigtime paranormal romance series. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and other writing groups.
ABOUT VENOM: What kind of assassin works pro bono?
It's hard to be a badass assassin when a giant is beating the crap out of you. Luckily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My current mission is personal: annihilate Mab Monroe, the Fire elemental who murdered my family. Which means protecting my identity, even if I have to conceal my powerful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most.
To the public, I'm Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland's best barbecue joint. To my friends, I'm the Spider, retired assassin. I still do favors on the side. Like ridding a vampire friend of her oversized stalker—Mab's right-hand goon who almost got me dead with his massive fists. At least irresistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I'll take my chances. Then there's Detective Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland's finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sister was dead. She probably thinks the same about me. Little does she know, I'm a cold-blooded killer . . . who is about to save her life...
ABOUT TANGLED THREADS: I'd rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings. But here I am; Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson's front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn't shy away from my past—or my present. And right now I have a bull's eye on my forehead.
Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers which means there's a fifty-fifty chance one of us won't survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur—or die trying—because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too. The only problem is, Bria has no idea I'm her long-lost sibling . . . or that I'm the murderer she's been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn't know just might get us both dead...
CLASSIFICATION: The Elemental Assassin novels are darkly tinged, action-packed Urban Fantasy with a side helping of romance.
FORMAT/INFO: Venom is 416 pages long divided over a Prologue and thirty-two numbered chapters. Narration is in the first-person, exclusively via the protagonist Gin Blanco. Venom is self-contained, but is the third book in the Elemental Assassin series and contains overarching story threads from the previous two books. September 28, 2010 marked the North American Mass Market Paperback publication of Venom via Pocket. Cover art and design is provided by Tony Mauro.
Tangled Threads is 357 pages long divided over thirty-one numbered chapters. Narration is in the first-person, exclusively via the protagonist Gin Blanco. Tangled Threads is the fourth volume of the Elemental Assassin series after Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies and Venom. Because Tangled Threads features overarching story threads from the previous three books, it’s not advisable for new readers to start the series with book four. April 26, 2010 marked the Mass Market Paperback publication of Tangled Threads via Pocket. Cover art and design is provided by Tony Mauro.
Tangled Threads is 357 pages long divided over thirty-one numbered chapters. Narration is in the first-person, exclusively via the protagonist Gin Blanco. Tangled Threads is the fourth volume of the Elemental Assassin series after Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies and Venom. Because Tangled Threads features overarching story threads from the previous three books, it’s not advisable for new readers to start the series with book four. April 26, 2010 marked the Mass Market Paperback publication of Tangled Threads via Pocket. Cover art and design is provided by Tony Mauro.
Venom begins with Gin Blanco gearing up to assimilate the information revealed to her at the end of book two, when she learns that Mab Munroe had a particularly cruel hand in the demise of her family. Gin realizes that from now on she will have to be extra careful and persistent if she wants to take down Mab Munroe and her underlings, but before that can happen, Blanco has a rather unfortunate encounter with Mab’s right and left hands: Elliot Slater and Jonah McAllister. Jonah is still vexed at Gin due to the disappearance of his son in the climactic events of the second book. So Gin is forced to take a severe beating in order to hide her identity and come out alive. Around the same time, Elliot Slater takes a rather special interest in Roselyn, the vampire madam who supplied the men & women for the party in the climax to Web Of Lies. Slater’s violent fascination with Roselyn fuels the majority of the plot threads in Venom. Also introduced in the book are Bria Coolidge, Gin’s long-lost baby sister who is searching for her family and has an interest in Mab Munroe, and Owen Grayson who has taken a liking to Blanco and might have a previous connection with her as well. Personally, Venom was my favourite entry in the series so far as it has the perfect amount of action and intrigue, while also introducing some interesting new characters into the mix.
Tangled Threads begins where Venom ends and continues Gin’s shady war with Mab Munroe and her empire. However, after the events of Venom in which she is recuperating from her losses, Mab decides to bring in heavy artillery in the form of Elektra LaFleur, an assassin who is possibly more powerful than Gin. In the meantime, things are heating up between Gin and Owen, and unlike her previous interest, Owen seems to be reciprocating her attention. The problem lies with Gin revealing her identity to Bria Coolidge, who is thrust into a difficult situation because of her profession. Also thrown into the mix is a spy amongst Roselyn’s workforce and shocking revelations about Gin’s family and Fletcher Lane which have been bubbling since the first two books, all of which comes to an epic climax in Tangled Threads.
Both Tangled Threads and Venom are entertaining novels full of action-packed story arcs that continue to progress as the series nears fruition, while seamlessly fitting in with the clues and subplots developed in the earlier books. Prose meanwhile is commendable, deftly describing both action scenes and romance, while the fast pacing of the books never lets the reader’s attention slacken.
Drawbacks include the predictability of the story. While there are a few surprises in store for the reader, overall the plot seems to be heading to a certain conclusion. This isn’t such a bad thing as the author has done her best to give the readers a polished and entertaining ride in spite of the predictable nature of the tale. Secondly, I’ve noticed Gin constantly focuses on the nature of her relationship with Owen and whether or not he will be able to accept the dichotomy within her, which can get a bit repetitive. Lastly, with the ever expanding character cast, not enough time is available for all of them to be developed as fully fledged characters. Fortunately, Jennifer Estep has written a number of short stories that helps reveal more about certain characters including Fin (Wasted & Poison), Bria (Tangled Schemes) and the Deveraux sisters (Tangled Dreams).
CONCLUSION: In Spider’s Bite and Web of Lies, Jennifer Estep wrote two books that got the Elemental Assassin series off to a good start, but with Venom and Tangled Threads, the author has upped the stakes, and with the final book—Spider’s Revenge—set to be released September 27, 2011, all the cards are in places for an explosive finale. So now’s the time to jump in if you happen to like stories about an assassin bent on revenge, a quirky supporting cast, and generous helpings of action, humor & romance...
Read An Excerpt HERE
Watch the Book Trailer HERE
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Maria Dahvana Headley is a MacDowell Colony Fellow whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, Elle, The Washington Post, and other publications. She is also the author of the memoir The Year of Yes, which has been translated into nine languages and optioned for film adaptation by Paramount Pictures. Queen of Kings is the author’s debut.
PLOT SUMMARY: The year is 30 BC. A messenger delivers word to Queen Cleopatra that her beloved husband, Marc Antony, has died at his own hand. Desperate to save her kingdom and resurrect her husband, Cleopatra summons the fearsome warrior goddess, Sekhmet, and strikes a mortal bargain.
In exchange for her soul, Cleopatra is transformed into a vampiric creature of mythical proportions, an immortal shapeshifter with superhuman strength and an insatiable hunger for human blood—a being at once ferocious and seductive. And she is bent on vengeance against those who have wronged her family and her kingdom.
Clashing against witches and monsters, gods and warriors, Cleopatra journeys from the tombs of Egypt to the great amphitheaters of Rome to the ancient underworld—where she will meet her love once again, and where the battle between man and beast will determine the fate of the world...
FORMAT/INFO: Queen of Kings is 416 pages long divided over a Prologue, Epilogue and three Books with each Book divided into numbered chapters. Narration is in the third person via several different POVs including Cleopatra, Marc Antony, Octavian/Augustus, Nicolaus the Damascene, Chrysate, Usem, Auðr, Marcus Agrippa, the Senate, Cleopatra’s children, and various minor viewpoints. Queen of Kings is self-contained, but is the first volume in a trilogy.
May 12, 2011 marks the North American Hardcover publication of Queen of Kings via Dutton. The UK edition (see below) will be published on July 21, 2011 via Bantam Press.
Starting out, Queen of Kings is decidedly more historical than fantastical, with Octavian’s invasion of Alexandria, Marc Antony’s suicide, Cleopatra’s imprisonment and eventual suicide, the execution of Cleopatra’s son Caesarion, and other historical events taking precedence over Cleopatra’s summoning of Sekhmet, the “goddess of the end of the world”, and the new powers that Cleopatra gains. This disparity remains so for the first one hundred pages of the novel, which also happens to be the weakest part of the book. The problem with this section of the book is twofold. One, the novel’s historical elements lack detail and authenticity, making it seem more like I was reading something off of Wikipedia instead of being transported back to Ancient Egypt. Secondly, the decision to narrate Queen of Kings through multiple point-of-views coupled with shallow characterization prevented me from connecting with or caring about any of the characters in the book.
Fortunately, once the novel starts focusing more on the fantastical than the historical—Cleopatra’s new abilities (shapeshifting, commanding animals); Sekhmet’s children (Plague, Famine, Earthquake, Flood, Drought, Madness and Violence); a journey through the Underworld in order to bargain with Hades & Persephone; the search for a weapon that can kill an immortal; the three sorcerers Marcus Agrippa finds for Augustus: Chrysate, a priestess of Hecate who can summon shades; Usem, the Chieftain of the Psylli tribe, who can control snakes and is married to the daughter of the Western Wind; Auðr, a seiðkona (fate spinner); et cetera—Queen of Kings is not only much more interesting and fun to read, but it also becomes easier to ignore the book’s deficiencies, which includes the aforementioned shallow characterization and an unconvincing love story between Cleopatra and Marc Antony. Negatively, the novel’s supernatural/mythological elements are occasionally too fantastical, which made it difficult at times to suspend my disbelief.
My biggest complaint with Queen of Kings though is with Cleopatra herself, who is not even the star of her own book. Instead, Cleopatra is overshadowed by Octavian/Augustus and numerous supporting characters like Marc Antony, Chrysate, and Marcus Agrippa. This is particularly disappointing because the author could have significantly fleshed out the love story between Cleopatra and Marc Antony and the motivations behind Cleopatra’s vengeance—important factors in the book—if she had focused more on Cleopatra instead of the supporting cast. On the plus side, Maria Dahvana Headley’s writing is smooth and accessible throughout, heavily contributing to the novel’s overall charm and readability.
CONCLUSION: Shallow characterization, unconvincing historical detail, and spending too much time with the supporting cast instead of Cleopatra may prevent Maria Dahvana Headley’s Queen of Kings from living up to its full potential, but the author’s debut novel is still primed for success thanks to an accessible writing style, a thrilling story full of heart-pounding drama and adventure, and appealing to a wide audience—fans of historical fiction, supernatural fantasy, romance, Greek & Egyptian mythology, and horror should all take note. Plus, all of the problems that can be found in Queen of Kings are issues that can be easily corrected, meaning the sequels could be even better. For myself, Queen of Kings started out slowly after an interesting Prologue, but from the Book of Divinations through the end of the novel, Maria Dahvana Headley’s debut was as exhilarating a thrill ride as any big budget blockbuster movie, leaving me with high expectations for the sequels...
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