Thursday, October 23, 2008
Winners of the David Wellington Giveaway! + Misc. News (Brandon Sanderson / David Farland Tour, JJLA, etc.)
Congratulations to Melody Chernenko (Michigan), Pamela Hansen (Ohio), and Yvonne North (Texas) who were randomly selected to win a SET of David Wellington's Vampire novels including copies of “13 Bullets”, “99 Coffins” and “Vampire Zero”, all thanks to Three Rivers Press!!! “Vampire Zero” was officially released on October 14, 2008, and more information on the book can be found HERE.
In news, a few Tidbits:
PRESS RELEASE: Writer and satirist Steve Aylett is the latest client to join the John Jarrold Literary Agency (Ian Cameron Esslemont, Stephen Hunt, Ramsey Campbell). Author of “Lint”, “Slaughtermatic” and many other novels, Aylett’s writing has received praise from many notable peers including Chuck Palahniuk and others:
Michael Moorcock: “Steve Aylett is the most original voice in the literary scene. He is quietly changing the rules and bringing fresh life to contemporary literature. Give him your attention. He will reward you enormously—and make you laugh like a drain.”
Alan Moore: “Lint: this has to be the literary biography of the year. Highly recommended”.
Neil Gaiman (on Lint): “I keep wanting to read bits out loud to people. It's astonishingly funny.”
Aylett’s writing has also been praised in the Guardian—“'Slaughtermatic: a dizzying cyber-coaster of a novel . . . Is this the future of fiction?'—The Telegraph, New Statesman, the Washington Post, Asimov’s, Starburst, ID, New York Times and many other places.
Ever the renaissance man, Steve has written in many areas of fiction, and Lint — The Movie is a major matter of conjecture on his Official Website and elsewhere.
“One thing I can be sure of with Steve,” said John Jarrold. “He’s never going to come up with the obvious or anything Hallmark is likely to turn into a mini-series. His writing is original, engrossing, surreal and ferociously intelligent—and very funny. It will be a fascinating ride!”
Staying with JJLA, and following the news HERE about Simon Spanton’s World Rights pre-empt for three books from new SF novelist Hannu Rajaniemi—on the basis of reading one chapter—German rights for all three books were also pre-empted at the Frankfurt Book Fair, by Carsten Polzin of Piper Verlag.
John Jarrold, the agent who concluded the original deal with Spanton, said, “This is wonderful. I know Carsten well and respect him greatly. He and Piper will do a great job with these novels—Hannu and I are both delighted. Congratulations to all involved!”
Other offers for Hannu’s novels from publishers across Europe are also being discussed by Gollancz’ Rights department.
Moving on, friends and family of deceased author and poet Thomas M. Disch gathered in remembrance Saturday at the New York City apartment of writer Alice Turner.
Disch, who committed suicide on July 4, 2008, was the author of numerous novels, short story collections, essays, poems, reviews and more. Just a few of his titles include Camp Concentration, On Wings of Song, The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of, 334, and most recently, The Word of God and The Wall of America.
Among those attending were Jacob Weisman, Sheila Williams, Samuel Delany, Gregory Feeley, Christopher Ecker, Henry Wessells, Ben Downing, Ellen Datlow, Scott Edelman, John Crowley and many members of Disch's family. Photographs from the event may be found HERE. Photos credited to Jacob Weisman of Tachyon Publications.
Lastly, in support of Brandon Sanderson’s “The Hero of Ages” (October 14, 2008), the conclusion to the author’s Mistborn trilogy, a Promo Video was released which not only talks about “The Hero of Ages” but also Robert Jordan’s “A Memory of Light”. The video can be viewed above. Speaking of “The Hero of Ages”, the book just debuted on the New York Times Adult Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers List at #21! This is the first time that Brandon Sanderson has appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List, congrats :)
Additionally, Brandon recently kicked off his national tour for “The Hero of Ages”—schedule is listed below or can be viewed HERE. Since this is Brandon’s first new book since the Robert Jordan news was announced last December, this will be the first time for many people to talk to Brandon Sanderson in person about “A Memory of Light”:
*NOTE: Some of these events include fellow Tor author David Farland whose latest Runelords novel, “The Wyrmling Horde”, is now available in Hardcover in your local stores. Signed copies of the book can be directly ordered from David Farland.
*Borders, Torrance, CA
3700 Torrance Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90503
310.540.7000
Thursday, October 23, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*Dark Delicacies, Burbank, CA
4213 W. Burbank
Burbank, CA 91505
818.556.6660
Friday, October 24, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*Mysterious Galaxy, San Diego, CA
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
Suite #302
San Diego, CA 92111
858.268.4747
Saturday, October 25, 2008 – 2:00 PM
*Borderlands, San Francisco, CA
866 Valencia St.
San Francisco CA 94110
415.824.8203
Monday, October 27, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*Dark Carnival, Berkeley, CA
3086 Claremont Ave.
Berkeley CA, 94705
510.654.7323
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 – 5:30 PM
*Books Inc., Mountain View, CA
301 Castro St.
Mountain View, CA 94041
650.428.1234
Thursday, October 30, 2008 – 7:30 PM
*Barnes & Noble, Fairfield, CA
1600 Gateway Boulevard
Fairfield, CA 94533
707.435.0484
Friday, October 31, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*Borders, Roseville, CA
2030 Douglas Blvd.
Roseville, CA 95661
916.784.1088
Saturday, November 01, 2008 – 2:00 PM
*Powell?s Books, Beaverton, OR
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005
503.228.4651
Monday, November 03, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*University Books, Seattle, WA
4326 University Way N.E.
Seattle, WA 98105
206.634.3400
Wednesday, November 05, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*Borders, Redmond, WA
Redmond Town Center
16549 N.E. 74th St.
Redmond, WA, 98052
425.869.1907
Thursday, November 06, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*Third Place Books, Seattle, WA
6504 20th Ave. NE
Seattle, WA 98115
206.525.2347
Friday, November 07, 2008 – 6:30 PM
Wordstock Festival, Portland, OR (David Farland Only)
1500 SW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97201
503.546-1013
Sunday, November 09, 2008 – 12 PM Reading
Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Pittsburgh, PA
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 – 7:00 PM
Brandon Sanderson Only
Books & Co., Dayton, OH
November 12, 2008 – 7:00 PM
Brandon Sanderson Only
Barnes & Noble, New York, NY
Friday, November 14, 2008 – 7:30 PM
Brandon Sanderson Only
In news, a few Tidbits:
PRESS RELEASE: Writer and satirist Steve Aylett is the latest client to join the John Jarrold Literary Agency (Ian Cameron Esslemont, Stephen Hunt, Ramsey Campbell). Author of “Lint”, “Slaughtermatic” and many other novels, Aylett’s writing has received praise from many notable peers including Chuck Palahniuk and others:Michael Moorcock: “Steve Aylett is the most original voice in the literary scene. He is quietly changing the rules and bringing fresh life to contemporary literature. Give him your attention. He will reward you enormously—and make you laugh like a drain.”
Alan Moore: “Lint: this has to be the literary biography of the year. Highly recommended”.
Neil Gaiman (on Lint): “I keep wanting to read bits out loud to people. It's astonishingly funny.”
Aylett’s writing has also been praised in the Guardian—“'Slaughtermatic: a dizzying cyber-coaster of a novel . . . Is this the future of fiction?'—The Telegraph, New Statesman, the Washington Post, Asimov’s, Starburst, ID, New York Times and many other places.
Ever the renaissance man, Steve has written in many areas of fiction, and Lint — The Movie is a major matter of conjecture on his Official Website and elsewhere.
“One thing I can be sure of with Steve,” said John Jarrold. “He’s never going to come up with the obvious or anything Hallmark is likely to turn into a mini-series. His writing is original, engrossing, surreal and ferociously intelligent—and very funny. It will be a fascinating ride!”
Staying with JJLA, and following the news HERE about Simon Spanton’s World Rights pre-empt for three books from new SF novelist Hannu Rajaniemi—on the basis of reading one chapter—German rights for all three books were also pre-empted at the Frankfurt Book Fair, by Carsten Polzin of Piper Verlag.John Jarrold, the agent who concluded the original deal with Spanton, said, “This is wonderful. I know Carsten well and respect him greatly. He and Piper will do a great job with these novels—Hannu and I are both delighted. Congratulations to all involved!”
Other offers for Hannu’s novels from publishers across Europe are also being discussed by Gollancz’ Rights department.
Moving on, friends and family of deceased author and poet Thomas M. Disch gathered in remembrance Saturday at the New York City apartment of writer Alice Turner.Disch, who committed suicide on July 4, 2008, was the author of numerous novels, short story collections, essays, poems, reviews and more. Just a few of his titles include Camp Concentration, On Wings of Song, The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of, 334, and most recently, The Word of God and The Wall of America.
Among those attending were Jacob Weisman, Sheila Williams, Samuel Delany, Gregory Feeley, Christopher Ecker, Henry Wessells, Ben Downing, Ellen Datlow, Scott Edelman, John Crowley and many members of Disch's family. Photographs from the event may be found HERE. Photos credited to Jacob Weisman of Tachyon Publications.
Lastly, in support of Brandon Sanderson’s “The Hero of Ages” (October 14, 2008), the conclusion to the author’s Mistborn trilogy, a Promo Video was released which not only talks about “The Hero of Ages” but also Robert Jordan’s “A Memory of Light”. The video can be viewed above. Speaking of “The Hero of Ages”, the book just debuted on the New York Times Adult Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers List at #21! This is the first time that Brandon Sanderson has appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List, congrats :)
Additionally, Brandon recently kicked off his national tour for “The Hero of Ages”—schedule is listed below or can be viewed HERE. Since this is Brandon’s first new book since the Robert Jordan news was announced last December, this will be the first time for many people to talk to Brandon Sanderson in person about “A Memory of Light”:
*NOTE: Some of these events include fellow Tor author David Farland whose latest Runelords novel, “The Wyrmling Horde”, is now available in Hardcover in your local stores. Signed copies of the book can be directly ordered from David Farland.
*Borders, Torrance, CA
3700 Torrance Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90503
310.540.7000
Thursday, October 23, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*Dark Delicacies, Burbank, CA
4213 W. Burbank
Burbank, CA 91505
818.556.6660
Friday, October 24, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*Mysterious Galaxy, San Diego, CA
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
Suite #302
San Diego, CA 92111
858.268.4747
Saturday, October 25, 2008 – 2:00 PM
*Borderlands, San Francisco, CA
866 Valencia St.
San Francisco CA 94110
415.824.8203
Monday, October 27, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*Dark Carnival, Berkeley, CA
3086 Claremont Ave.
Berkeley CA, 94705
510.654.7323
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 – 5:30 PM
*Books Inc., Mountain View, CA
301 Castro St.
Mountain View, CA 94041
650.428.1234
Thursday, October 30, 2008 – 7:30 PM
*Barnes & Noble, Fairfield, CA
1600 Gateway Boulevard
Fairfield, CA 94533
707.435.0484
Friday, October 31, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*Borders, Roseville, CA
2030 Douglas Blvd.
Roseville, CA 95661
916.784.1088
Saturday, November 01, 2008 – 2:00 PM
*Powell?s Books, Beaverton, OR
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005
503.228.4651
Monday, November 03, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*University Books, Seattle, WA
4326 University Way N.E.
Seattle, WA 98105
206.634.3400
Wednesday, November 05, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*Borders, Redmond, WA
Redmond Town Center
16549 N.E. 74th St.
Redmond, WA, 98052
425.869.1907
Thursday, November 06, 2008 – 7:00 PM
*Third Place Books, Seattle, WA
6504 20th Ave. NE
Seattle, WA 98115
206.525.2347
Friday, November 07, 2008 – 6:30 PM
Wordstock Festival, Portland, OR (David Farland Only)
1500 SW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97201
503.546-1013
Sunday, November 09, 2008 – 12 PM Reading
Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Pittsburgh, PA
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 – 7:00 PM
Brandon Sanderson Only
Books & Co., Dayton, OH
November 12, 2008 – 7:00 PM
Brandon Sanderson Only
Barnes & Noble, New York, NY
Friday, November 14, 2008 – 7:30 PM
Brandon Sanderson Only
3:06 PM | 
Posted by
Robert |
Henry H. Neff’s “The Second Seige” is yet another book about a young boy who finds out that he is special in some hidden world of magic. With the success of Harry Potter, there was a surfeit of many YA books that had this same theme. At the end of the first book in Henry’s Tapestry series, “The Hound of Rowan,” I was ready to chalk up this book as one of those. There were certainly many, many similarities between the schools, the bad guy hiding in portraits and coming back to life after centuries of being believed to have been defeated. However, in “The Second Siege”, Book Two of the Tapestry, the series definitely took a major turn that was nothing like Harry Potter.
“The Second Siege”, picks up right where “The Hound of Rowan” leaves off. A clan of witches have come to Rowan Academy, a magical school hidden in the New England area, to collect on an old debt owed from many years past. It appears that in exchange for hiding the great Book of Thoth, the witches would get any pupil that has the Old Magic running through them. If this debt is not paid, a curse will fall upon Rowan and all of its staff members. Max McDaniels, a thirteen-year-old who is believed to be the Cuchulain (the old hero of Rowan) reborn, and David, a young sorcerer who is beyond his years in the knowledge and magic ability that he possesses, are the conditions of this trade.
The plot quickly picks up from here, as the Book of Thoth, a magical book that contains the real name of every living creature—even creatures that haven't been brought into this world—is out there and Max and David have been entrusted with the mission of finding the book before Astaroth does. On this journey Max and David, along with Agent Cooper—a great agent of Rowan who is there to help in any way that he can—must go over sea, travel through parts of Europe (mostly Germany and Spain), and are even taken out of this world before they can retrieve the book.
A bunch of other adventures also occur involving imps, some sailors, and a quest to figure out what a mysterious key is that may help in finding the book. Also, questions will finally be answered about Max's mother, who disappeared three years ago…
From the moment that I started reading “The Second Siege”, I knew that Neff's writing had grown from the first book. First, I felt that the quality of writing had improved with more venturing into descriptions of actions instead of taking the safe road on a lot of the plots. Second, there seemed an overall better flow to the story. Instead of having a bunch of sub-plots and a feeling of the book running wild, “The Second Siege” introduced a central plot and main theme that kept going throughout the book and I found that characters and past events were easier to understand this way. However, a weakness of Neff's writing is his tendency to use the same words in describing people or events. For example, a lot of times people were described as doughy. I noticed this in the first book, and it’s a shortfall that has carried over in the second novel.
When I had read the buzz about “The Hound of Rowan”, there was a lot of talk about how the book was a mixture of science fiction, fantasy, and mythology. In “The Second Siege”, the readers are definitely introduced to the whole spectrum of these styles: There's a lot of magical creatures along with magic that represent the fantasy world while computers, pods, science research, the whole school in Germany and much more provide the science fiction. Personally, I felt that the mix of fantasy and sci-fi was done really well without any awkwardness.
One of my favorite parts about series is the way that Irish mythology is incorporated like Max, who is believed to be the Cuchulain reborn. I found that Neff does a great job of explaining the back story to not only Cuchulain, but also to various Irish mythology references that pop up throughout the book. It doesn't scream of factual information, but it does have a very subtle way of getting across to the readers a form of mythology that many books haven’t written about.
Much of the focus in “The Second Siege” has to do with the characters Max and David with a lot of time spent exploring the two further. There are back stories and questions being answered. Again this could have been because of the writing style and that the plot is more central and less hectic too. A twist that I do think is a great way of separating this book from others is that Max, our main protagonist, isn't really the hero of the story. While he does do the fighting and defending of David, he isn't the one that knows all the answers. Instead he is more of a guardian to the hero of the story, and must make sure that the hero stays safe and completes the mission. I do think that there is a gap in explaining why David knows so much, like how he is now labeled a sorcerer in this book which was never really touched on. Even though I believe that this will be answered later on, this does brings another form of confusion to the story.
Along with Max and David's characters being developed further, I loved that we finally get to learn more about the other characters including Agent Cooper, who he is and why he's so tough. The director of the German school, Dr. Rasmussen, is also explained very well. He isn't flat, but has many sides to him. However, while some of the characters are becoming more three dimensional, others are still very simple and I wish that Neff had developed the director of Rowan and maybe some of the staff members a little more as it just seems like there’s a lack of connection between the staff and the students.
Although I enjoyed reading “The Second Siege”, there is still a whole lot of confusion regarding much of Rowan. A better job of exactly who is selected for Rowan and why its there could have been done. It's all very confusing as to what Agents (graduates of Rowan that go to work out in the field) are exactly doing. This was touched on a little bit with explanations about field offices, and bringing in the Red Branch of the Rowan, but maybe this is an area that is being slowly revealed to the readers as the series progresses. It just seems that I was left with a lot of questions about Rowan that should have been answered and which would have made the story flow a little easier.
There was one small problem I had as far as the storyline/plot goes: Max’s father. Basically, you have this kid who is supposed to be a hero and great fighter, and then you have his dad trailing around wanting to do and experience everything with his son. I really wish that Max's father had less of a role in the story as I found him annoying and not really necessary to the plot.
In conclusion, I feel that it was a shame that the first book so closely resembled Harry Potter because this series is really taking a life of its own. I think a lot of readers, had they read “The Hound of Rowan”, would have stopped reading the series, especially the older readers. Unfortunately, since “The Second Siege” offers very little as far as back story, reading the first book is necessary in understanding the rest of the series. Thankfully, seeing how the second book had improved from the first one, my interest in the Tapestry series was definitely renewed and the third one should be an adventure worth reading…
“The Second Siege”, picks up right where “The Hound of Rowan” leaves off. A clan of witches have come to Rowan Academy, a magical school hidden in the New England area, to collect on an old debt owed from many years past. It appears that in exchange for hiding the great Book of Thoth, the witches would get any pupil that has the Old Magic running through them. If this debt is not paid, a curse will fall upon Rowan and all of its staff members. Max McDaniels, a thirteen-year-old who is believed to be the Cuchulain (the old hero of Rowan) reborn, and David, a young sorcerer who is beyond his years in the knowledge and magic ability that he possesses, are the conditions of this trade.
The plot quickly picks up from here, as the Book of Thoth, a magical book that contains the real name of every living creature—even creatures that haven't been brought into this world—is out there and Max and David have been entrusted with the mission of finding the book before Astaroth does. On this journey Max and David, along with Agent Cooper—a great agent of Rowan who is there to help in any way that he can—must go over sea, travel through parts of Europe (mostly Germany and Spain), and are even taken out of this world before they can retrieve the book.
A bunch of other adventures also occur involving imps, some sailors, and a quest to figure out what a mysterious key is that may help in finding the book. Also, questions will finally be answered about Max's mother, who disappeared three years ago…
From the moment that I started reading “The Second Siege”, I knew that Neff's writing had grown from the first book. First, I felt that the quality of writing had improved with more venturing into descriptions of actions instead of taking the safe road on a lot of the plots. Second, there seemed an overall better flow to the story. Instead of having a bunch of sub-plots and a feeling of the book running wild, “The Second Siege” introduced a central plot and main theme that kept going throughout the book and I found that characters and past events were easier to understand this way. However, a weakness of Neff's writing is his tendency to use the same words in describing people or events. For example, a lot of times people were described as doughy. I noticed this in the first book, and it’s a shortfall that has carried over in the second novel.
When I had read the buzz about “The Hound of Rowan”, there was a lot of talk about how the book was a mixture of science fiction, fantasy, and mythology. In “The Second Siege”, the readers are definitely introduced to the whole spectrum of these styles: There's a lot of magical creatures along with magic that represent the fantasy world while computers, pods, science research, the whole school in Germany and much more provide the science fiction. Personally, I felt that the mix of fantasy and sci-fi was done really well without any awkwardness.
One of my favorite parts about series is the way that Irish mythology is incorporated like Max, who is believed to be the Cuchulain reborn. I found that Neff does a great job of explaining the back story to not only Cuchulain, but also to various Irish mythology references that pop up throughout the book. It doesn't scream of factual information, but it does have a very subtle way of getting across to the readers a form of mythology that many books haven’t written about.
Much of the focus in “The Second Siege” has to do with the characters Max and David with a lot of time spent exploring the two further. There are back stories and questions being answered. Again this could have been because of the writing style and that the plot is more central and less hectic too. A twist that I do think is a great way of separating this book from others is that Max, our main protagonist, isn't really the hero of the story. While he does do the fighting and defending of David, he isn't the one that knows all the answers. Instead he is more of a guardian to the hero of the story, and must make sure that the hero stays safe and completes the mission. I do think that there is a gap in explaining why David knows so much, like how he is now labeled a sorcerer in this book which was never really touched on. Even though I believe that this will be answered later on, this does brings another form of confusion to the story.
Along with Max and David's characters being developed further, I loved that we finally get to learn more about the other characters including Agent Cooper, who he is and why he's so tough. The director of the German school, Dr. Rasmussen, is also explained very well. He isn't flat, but has many sides to him. However, while some of the characters are becoming more three dimensional, others are still very simple and I wish that Neff had developed the director of Rowan and maybe some of the staff members a little more as it just seems like there’s a lack of connection between the staff and the students.
Although I enjoyed reading “The Second Siege”, there is still a whole lot of confusion regarding much of Rowan. A better job of exactly who is selected for Rowan and why its there could have been done. It's all very confusing as to what Agents (graduates of Rowan that go to work out in the field) are exactly doing. This was touched on a little bit with explanations about field offices, and bringing in the Red Branch of the Rowan, but maybe this is an area that is being slowly revealed to the readers as the series progresses. It just seems that I was left with a lot of questions about Rowan that should have been answered and which would have made the story flow a little easier.
There was one small problem I had as far as the storyline/plot goes: Max’s father. Basically, you have this kid who is supposed to be a hero and great fighter, and then you have his dad trailing around wanting to do and experience everything with his son. I really wish that Max's father had less of a role in the story as I found him annoying and not really necessary to the plot.
In conclusion, I feel that it was a shame that the first book so closely resembled Harry Potter because this series is really taking a life of its own. I think a lot of readers, had they read “The Hound of Rowan”, would have stopped reading the series, especially the older readers. Unfortunately, since “The Second Siege” offers very little as far as back story, reading the first book is necessary in understanding the rest of the series. Thankfully, seeing how the second book had improved from the first one, my interest in the Tapestry series was definitely renewed and the third one should be an adventure worth reading…
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
OVERLOOKED TITLES: "The Good Thief", "The Hunger Games", "Slow Storm", Etc...
“The Good Thief” by Hannah Tinti. UK Release Date: July 10, 2008. Published by Headline Review. US Release Date: August 26, 2008. Published by The Dial Press.
Richly imagined, gothically spooky, and replete with the ingenious storytelling ability of a born novelist, “The Good Thief” introduces one of the most appealing young heroes in contemporary fiction and ratifies Hannah Tinti as one of our most exciting new talents…
Twelve year-old Ren is missing his left hand. How it was lost is a mystery that Ren has been trying to solve for his entire life, as well as who his parents are, and why he was abandoned as an infant at Saint Anthony’s Orphanage for boys. He longs for a family to call his own and is terrified of the day he will be sent alone into the world.
But then a young man named Benjamin Nab appears, claiming to be Ren’s long-lost brother, and his convincing tale of how Ren lost his hand and his parents persuades the monks at the orphanage to release the boy and to give Ren some hope. But is Benjamin really who he says he is? Journeying through a New England of whaling towns and meadowed farmlands, Ren is introduced to a vibrant world of hardscrabble adventure filled with outrageous scam artists, grave robbers, and petty thieves. If he stays, Ren becomes one of them. If he goes, he’s lost once again. As Ren begins to find clues to his hidden parentage he comes to suspect that Benjamin not only holds the key to his future, but to his past as well…
“Hannah Tinti has written a lightning strike of a novel—beautiful and haunting and ever so bright. She is a 21st century Robert Louis Stevenson, an adventuress who lays bare her character's hearts with a precision and a fearlessness that will leave you shaken.” — Junot Díaz, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critic’s Circle Award for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
“The Good Thief is a magical book. Everything worth writing about is in it: love, death and—more than anything else—family. I wish I'd written it.” —Daniel Wallace, author of Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician
Official Hannah Tinti Website
Order “The Good Thief” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Praise HERE
Read An Author Q&A HERE
“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. US Release Date: September 14, 2008. Published by Scholastic Press. UK Release Date: January 5, 2009. Published by Scholastic.
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival…
About the Author:
Suzanne Collins made her mark in children's literature with the New York Times bestselling series, the Underland Chronicles, for middle grade readers. Her debut novel, “Gregor the Overlander”, received numerous accolades in both the United States and abroad. Suzanne is breaking new ground with The Hunger Games trilogy. Poignant and rich with edge-of-your-seat pacing, this series is set in a district that evolved from the ruins of what was once known as North America. Suzanne has also had a successful and prolific career writing for children's television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains it All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. She received a Writer's Guild of America nomination in animation for co-writing the critically acclaimed Christmas special, Santa, Baby!
Official Suzanne Collins Website
Order “The Hunger Games” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via Entertainment Weekly, Presenting Lenore + School Library Journal
“Slow Storm” by Danica Novgorodoff. US Release Date: September 2, 2008. UK Release Date: October 17, 2008. Published by First Second Books.
A firefighter in rural Kentucky, Ursa searches for her place in life, struggling to meet her own expectations. When a tornado hits her town, the ensuing chaos brings her world into sharp focus, somehow making everything clearer, and Ursa finds that she just can’t stomach the way her life is going. It is then that she meets Rafi, an illegal immigrant whose life isn’t going the way he’d pictured it either. Their encounter is the catalyst for Ursa and Rafi, who take different roads to the realization that wanting your life to change isn’t enough to make it happen…
“Slow Storm” stands apart as a graphic novel with its literary heart and charged, atmospheric watercolor and ink artwork. The storm builds around the characters and inside them, and moments of violence and tenderness suddenly crack like lightning. With “Slow Storm”, Danica Novgorodoff takes her place as a talent to be reckoned with in the literary world.
About the Author:
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Danica Novgorodoff is a writer, painter, photographer, and comics artist who now lives in New York City where she works as a graphic designer for First Second Books. She has also worked as a horse trainer in Virginia, an assistant to photographer Sally Mann, and an artist review writer for galleries in Chelsea and SoHo. In 2006 she won the Isotope Award for her mini-comic, “A Late Freeze”, which was later nominated for an Eisner Award.
Official Danica Novgorodoff Website
Order “Slow Storm” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read Reviews HERE
Read An Interview HERE
“The First Escape” by G.P. Taylor. Release Date: August 20, 2008. Published by SaltRiver.
From the best-selling author of the Shadowmancer books and Mariah Mundi comes an enthralling new series of illustra-novellas. “The First Escape” is the first book in The Dopple Ganger Chronicles, a six-book series following three children—Sadie & Saskia Dopple and Erik Morrissey Ganger.
At Isambard Dunstan’s School for Wayward Children, life is trouble for 14-year-old identical twins Sadie and Saskia Dopple and their friend, former thief Erik Morrisey Ganger. But what starts out as a perfectly normal day of food fights, rioting classmates, fires, and (yawn) threats of expulsion goes suddenly and horribly wrong when a mysterious, wealthy woman appears at the school and adopts Saskia . . . without her sister.
On her own in a mansion full of dark secrets, Saskia stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens her very life. Meanwhile, in a desperate attempt to find her, Sadie and Erik escape from the orphanage with a gang of enemies in hot pursuit. Faced with madmen, wild dogs, treasure seekers, and an otherworldly visitor with a secret message, the trio must decide who to trust—and what to believe—if they are to survive long enough to find each other again…
This book is in an exciting new format called an “illustra-novella,” in which the story is told alternately in graphic novel format and plain text with occasional illustrations. Features collaborations with Tony Lee (Marvel Comics, Shadowmancer), Dan Boultwood, and Harry Potter artist Cliff Wright.
Official The Dopple Ganger Chronicles Website
Order “The First Escape” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “The First Escape” was originally published in the UK under the title, “The Tizzle Sister’s and Eirk”.
“Icarus at the Edge of Time” by Brian Greene. Release Date: September 2, 2008. Published by Knopf.
From one of America's leading physicists, “Icarus at the Edge of Time” is a moving and visually stunning futuristic reimagining of the Icarus fable written for kids and those journeying with them toward a deeper appreciation of the cosmos. With a minimum of words set on 34 full color boardbook pages, Icarus travels not to the sun, but to a black hole, and in so doing poignantly dramatizes one of Einstein's greatest insights.
Unlike anything Brian Greene (The Elegant Universe, The Fabric of the Cosmos) has previously written, “Icarus at the Edge of Time” uses the power of story, not pedagogy, to communicate viscerally one small part of the strange reality that has emerged from modern physics. Designed by Chip Kidd, with spectacular images from the Hubble Space Telescope, it's a short story that speaks to curiosity and wisdom in a universe we've only begun to fathom…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Greene
Order “Icarus at the Edge of Time” HERE
Read An Author Q&A HERE
“Under the Blood Red Moon” by Mina Hepsen. Release Date: September 30, 2008. Published by Avon Books.
Cursed with the ability to hear the thoughts of others, beautiful Angelica Shelton Belanov feels most comfortable when hidden away in the library of her father's English country estate. Now family duty requires that she make an appearance at a glittering gala, mingling with the cream of London society in hopes of finding a suitable husband. Assailed by the unwanted “chatter” of many minds, Angelica finds relief in the company of a handsome aristocratic stranger who remains, refreshingly, an enigma.
But Prince Alexander is not like other men. The powerful leader of an Eastern clan of immortals, he has come to London to hunt down a rogue vampire who threatens the survival of his dwindling kind. Angelica can sense that Alexander is dangerous, a mystery to be unraveled at her own peril. Yet desire sears them both—she, the bewitching telepath, and he, the fearless leader who must learn to trust his heart. And unrestrained passion has strict demands that could cost them both their lives and their souls…
Order “Under the Blood Red Moon” HERE
Browse Inside HERE
“River Runs Red” by Jeffrey J. Mariotte. Release Date: September 30, 2008. Published by Jove.
A CNN journalist kidnapped by insurgents in Iraq is held in a cavern prison, where he sees strange glowing images on the wall at night…
A reporter for a local independent weekly in El Paso, TX, finds herself strangely thrilled to cover murder stories, even while her beloved brother is dying in a nearby hospital room…
A CIA agent assigned to run Operation Moon Flash, the agency’s covert psychic investigations program, has to step in when his psychics start to die, one by one…
An anthropologist searches an ancient rock art site near a small Texas town on the Rio Grande, hoping to find clues to her father’s disappearance…
When these characters come together, they will confront their own pasts and each other, as combatants in a supernatural war spanning the eons and the continents, all linked by the raging currents of the world’s rivers…
Jeffrey J. Mariotte’s “River Runs Red” is the second book in a loose trilogy, linked by theme and setting, following “Missing White Girl” and coming before 2009’s “Cold Black Hearts”. Character-driven and fast moving, “River Runs Red” is an ambitious epic of a supernatural thriller combining elements of spy fiction—and fact—with flat-out horror…
“In River Runs Red, Jeff Mariotte seamlessly weaves our modern and ancient terrors into a breathless, fascinating novel of magic, murder, and friendship. Mariotte's one hell of a writer, and this is his best work yet!” —Christopher Golden, author of The Veil Trilogy and Mind the Gap
Official Jeffrey J. Mariotte Website
Order “River Runs Red” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Hundred-Towered City” by Garry Kilworth. UK Release Date: May 1, 2008. Published by Atom Books.
What awaits Jack, Annie and Davey when they are transported back in time to the gothic city of Prague, to search for their missing parents? Trying to avoid capture by the secret police, they find themselves running through dark and dangerous cobbled streets and meet some very shady characters.
Where are their parents and who has stolen the key to the time machine? Alchemists, mythical creatures and a man with a hook for a hand hold the answers they’re looking for. Will our young heroes be in time to save their parents from eerie Karlstein Castle? And even if they do, how will they return to the present day without the key?
“An excellent book, good and original and, in all the best ways, strange.” —Neil Gaiman, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sandman, American Gods and Stardust
Official Garry Kilworth Website
Order “The Hundred-Towered City” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via NextRead + The Bookbag
Richly imagined, gothically spooky, and replete with the ingenious storytelling ability of a born novelist, “The Good Thief” introduces one of the most appealing young heroes in contemporary fiction and ratifies Hannah Tinti as one of our most exciting new talents…
Twelve year-old Ren is missing his left hand. How it was lost is a mystery that Ren has been trying to solve for his entire life, as well as who his parents are, and why he was abandoned as an infant at Saint Anthony’s Orphanage for boys. He longs for a family to call his own and is terrified of the day he will be sent alone into the world.
But then a young man named Benjamin Nab appears, claiming to be Ren’s long-lost brother, and his convincing tale of how Ren lost his hand and his parents persuades the monks at the orphanage to release the boy and to give Ren some hope. But is Benjamin really who he says he is? Journeying through a New England of whaling towns and meadowed farmlands, Ren is introduced to a vibrant world of hardscrabble adventure filled with outrageous scam artists, grave robbers, and petty thieves. If he stays, Ren becomes one of them. If he goes, he’s lost once again. As Ren begins to find clues to his hidden parentage he comes to suspect that Benjamin not only holds the key to his future, but to his past as well…
“Hannah Tinti has written a lightning strike of a novel—beautiful and haunting and ever so bright. She is a 21st century Robert Louis Stevenson, an adventuress who lays bare her character's hearts with a precision and a fearlessness that will leave you shaken.” — Junot Díaz, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critic’s Circle Award for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
“The Good Thief is a magical book. Everything worth writing about is in it: love, death and—more than anything else—family. I wish I'd written it.” —Daniel Wallace, author of Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician
Official Hannah Tinti Website
Order “The Good Thief” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Praise HERE
Read An Author Q&A HERE
“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. US Release Date: September 14, 2008. Published by Scholastic Press. UK Release Date: January 5, 2009. Published by Scholastic.In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival…
About the Author:
Suzanne Collins made her mark in children's literature with the New York Times bestselling series, the Underland Chronicles, for middle grade readers. Her debut novel, “Gregor the Overlander”, received numerous accolades in both the United States and abroad. Suzanne is breaking new ground with The Hunger Games trilogy. Poignant and rich with edge-of-your-seat pacing, this series is set in a district that evolved from the ruins of what was once known as North America. Suzanne has also had a successful and prolific career writing for children's television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains it All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. She received a Writer's Guild of America nomination in animation for co-writing the critically acclaimed Christmas special, Santa, Baby!
Official Suzanne Collins Website
Order “The Hunger Games” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via Entertainment Weekly, Presenting Lenore + School Library Journal
“Slow Storm” by Danica Novgorodoff. US Release Date: September 2, 2008. UK Release Date: October 17, 2008. Published by First Second Books.A firefighter in rural Kentucky, Ursa searches for her place in life, struggling to meet her own expectations. When a tornado hits her town, the ensuing chaos brings her world into sharp focus, somehow making everything clearer, and Ursa finds that she just can’t stomach the way her life is going. It is then that she meets Rafi, an illegal immigrant whose life isn’t going the way he’d pictured it either. Their encounter is the catalyst for Ursa and Rafi, who take different roads to the realization that wanting your life to change isn’t enough to make it happen…
“Slow Storm” stands apart as a graphic novel with its literary heart and charged, atmospheric watercolor and ink artwork. The storm builds around the characters and inside them, and moments of violence and tenderness suddenly crack like lightning. With “Slow Storm”, Danica Novgorodoff takes her place as a talent to be reckoned with in the literary world.
About the Author:
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Danica Novgorodoff is a writer, painter, photographer, and comics artist who now lives in New York City where she works as a graphic designer for First Second Books. She has also worked as a horse trainer in Virginia, an assistant to photographer Sally Mann, and an artist review writer for galleries in Chelsea and SoHo. In 2006 she won the Isotope Award for her mini-comic, “A Late Freeze”, which was later nominated for an Eisner Award.
Official Danica Novgorodoff Website
Order “Slow Storm” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read Reviews HERE
Read An Interview HERE
“The First Escape” by G.P. Taylor. Release Date: August 20, 2008. Published by SaltRiver.From the best-selling author of the Shadowmancer books and Mariah Mundi comes an enthralling new series of illustra-novellas. “The First Escape” is the first book in The Dopple Ganger Chronicles, a six-book series following three children—Sadie & Saskia Dopple and Erik Morrissey Ganger.
At Isambard Dunstan’s School for Wayward Children, life is trouble for 14-year-old identical twins Sadie and Saskia Dopple and their friend, former thief Erik Morrisey Ganger. But what starts out as a perfectly normal day of food fights, rioting classmates, fires, and (yawn) threats of expulsion goes suddenly and horribly wrong when a mysterious, wealthy woman appears at the school and adopts Saskia . . . without her sister.
On her own in a mansion full of dark secrets, Saskia stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens her very life. Meanwhile, in a desperate attempt to find her, Sadie and Erik escape from the orphanage with a gang of enemies in hot pursuit. Faced with madmen, wild dogs, treasure seekers, and an otherworldly visitor with a secret message, the trio must decide who to trust—and what to believe—if they are to survive long enough to find each other again…
This book is in an exciting new format called an “illustra-novella,” in which the story is told alternately in graphic novel format and plain text with occasional illustrations. Features collaborations with Tony Lee (Marvel Comics, Shadowmancer), Dan Boultwood, and Harry Potter artist Cliff Wright.
Official The Dopple Ganger Chronicles Website
Order “The First Escape” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “The First Escape” was originally published in the UK under the title, “The Tizzle Sister’s and Eirk”.
“Icarus at the Edge of Time” by Brian Greene. Release Date: September 2, 2008. Published by Knopf.From one of America's leading physicists, “Icarus at the Edge of Time” is a moving and visually stunning futuristic reimagining of the Icarus fable written for kids and those journeying with them toward a deeper appreciation of the cosmos. With a minimum of words set on 34 full color boardbook pages, Icarus travels not to the sun, but to a black hole, and in so doing poignantly dramatizes one of Einstein's greatest insights.
Unlike anything Brian Greene (The Elegant Universe, The Fabric of the Cosmos) has previously written, “Icarus at the Edge of Time” uses the power of story, not pedagogy, to communicate viscerally one small part of the strange reality that has emerged from modern physics. Designed by Chip Kidd, with spectacular images from the Hubble Space Telescope, it's a short story that speaks to curiosity and wisdom in a universe we've only begun to fathom…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Greene
Order “Icarus at the Edge of Time” HERE
Read An Author Q&A HERE
“Under the Blood Red Moon” by Mina Hepsen. Release Date: September 30, 2008. Published by Avon Books.Cursed with the ability to hear the thoughts of others, beautiful Angelica Shelton Belanov feels most comfortable when hidden away in the library of her father's English country estate. Now family duty requires that she make an appearance at a glittering gala, mingling with the cream of London society in hopes of finding a suitable husband. Assailed by the unwanted “chatter” of many minds, Angelica finds relief in the company of a handsome aristocratic stranger who remains, refreshingly, an enigma.
But Prince Alexander is not like other men. The powerful leader of an Eastern clan of immortals, he has come to London to hunt down a rogue vampire who threatens the survival of his dwindling kind. Angelica can sense that Alexander is dangerous, a mystery to be unraveled at her own peril. Yet desire sears them both—she, the bewitching telepath, and he, the fearless leader who must learn to trust his heart. And unrestrained passion has strict demands that could cost them both their lives and their souls…
Order “Under the Blood Red Moon” HERE
Browse Inside HERE
“River Runs Red” by Jeffrey J. Mariotte. Release Date: September 30, 2008. Published by Jove.A CNN journalist kidnapped by insurgents in Iraq is held in a cavern prison, where he sees strange glowing images on the wall at night…
A reporter for a local independent weekly in El Paso, TX, finds herself strangely thrilled to cover murder stories, even while her beloved brother is dying in a nearby hospital room…
A CIA agent assigned to run Operation Moon Flash, the agency’s covert psychic investigations program, has to step in when his psychics start to die, one by one…
An anthropologist searches an ancient rock art site near a small Texas town on the Rio Grande, hoping to find clues to her father’s disappearance…
When these characters come together, they will confront their own pasts and each other, as combatants in a supernatural war spanning the eons and the continents, all linked by the raging currents of the world’s rivers…
Jeffrey J. Mariotte’s “River Runs Red” is the second book in a loose trilogy, linked by theme and setting, following “Missing White Girl” and coming before 2009’s “Cold Black Hearts”. Character-driven and fast moving, “River Runs Red” is an ambitious epic of a supernatural thriller combining elements of spy fiction—and fact—with flat-out horror…
“In River Runs Red, Jeff Mariotte seamlessly weaves our modern and ancient terrors into a breathless, fascinating novel of magic, murder, and friendship. Mariotte's one hell of a writer, and this is his best work yet!” —Christopher Golden, author of The Veil Trilogy and Mind the Gap
Official Jeffrey J. Mariotte Website
Order “River Runs Red” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Hundred-Towered City” by Garry Kilworth. UK Release Date: May 1, 2008. Published by Atom Books.What awaits Jack, Annie and Davey when they are transported back in time to the gothic city of Prague, to search for their missing parents? Trying to avoid capture by the secret police, they find themselves running through dark and dangerous cobbled streets and meet some very shady characters.
Where are their parents and who has stolen the key to the time machine? Alchemists, mythical creatures and a man with a hook for a hand hold the answers they’re looking for. Will our young heroes be in time to save their parents from eerie Karlstein Castle? And even if they do, how will they return to the present day without the key?
“An excellent book, good and original and, in all the best ways, strange.” —Neil Gaiman, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sandman, American Gods and Stardust
Official Garry Kilworth Website
Order “The Hundred-Towered City” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via NextRead + The Bookbag
The first time I heard of Jonathan Carroll was almost twenty years ago, when a friend of mine let me borrow “Outside the Dog Museum”. At that time I was strictly a SF buff, with no time for that “nonsense Fantasy stuff”, as I used to say then.
Little did I know then.
“Outside the Dog Museum” was a real eye-opener to me. It was then that I discovered that a Fantasy book didn’t need to be all about Tolkien-like fantasy, or even epic, heroic fantasy. (Even though, in all those years since, I learned to enjoy these other kinds of Fantasy as well, but that’s another story.)
I liked that book so much that my friend let me borrow another one—“After Silence”. This time I was deeply moved, so moved that tears would fall without control from my eyes for at least half the book (you can imagine how I felt at the tragic story ending, then).
As Neil Gaiman very aptly puts it in an introductory text to Carroll’s website:
Jonathan Carroll's a changer. He's one of the special ones, one of the few. He paints the world he sees. He opens a window you did not know was there and invites you to look through it. He gives you his eyes to see with, and he gives you the world all fresh and honest and new.
Despite this very true fact (or maybe because of it—a Freudian slip may be lurking in the shadows as I write this review), I never read Carroll again. Until “The Ghost in Love.”
We’ve all seen this plot before—the person who dies before his/her time and then is forced to come back to Earth. This slight variation is not unheard of as well—the person who doesn’t die but should have died—and then all Heaven breaks loose for it. The ghost who is called to tie the loose ends of Ben Gould’s life discovers, appalled, that he is very much alive, even if he had fallen down in the street and was supposed to have died after hitting his head on the curb.
Carroll presents us with a different kind of ghost—a kind that is an autonomous entity and, at the same time, a piece of the soul of the deceased. The ghost (an invention of an ancient Chinese author which God, in a fit of retcon-ness, decided to incorporate to his creations ex post facto) is charged of the logistical, bureaucratic part of the afterlife—to make amends for the recently deceased person and tie up loose ends.
This ghost, called Ling (because all the ghosts are given Chinese names, in homage to the original creator of the concept), simply begins to be a part of the routine of Gould’s life, and, maybe because it is part of Gould after all, falls in love with his girlfriend, German Landis. And suffers terribly when they break up.
But the story is not limited to this plot (things are never so simple in Carroll’s stories): Ben Gould’s “exaggerated death” affected deeply the great scheme of things—as Ling learns from her superior, the Angel of Death, Gould’s case is not the only one, and that means humankind is at last really discovering free will—humans are gaining the right to choose when to die and how, instead of putting themselves in the hands of fate. It’s an extreme landmark for the universe—but it isn’t necessarily good for everyone, because there are forces that are very much against this change, and will do everything in their power to make things come back to “normality”.
And that’s where Ling must make herself known to Gould, and also to Landis, because she must warn and protect them from this threat—and she definitely would, if it wasn’t for the fact that she unknowingly is turning herself into a common human being, and, therefore, is powerless to help them. But are they powerless?
With “The Ghost in Love”, Carroll recaptured my attention, and made me think that he is really one of a kind: he’s the only writer I know who can give this kind of story a really different spin—the plot becomes at the same time both less and more. Less in the sense that he sort of de-epicisizes the story, giving it a quotidian, everyday quality that makes it all the more believable. (One could almost think of the American Splendor comics, but without the mordacity.) More in the sense that he gives us readers the feeling that real magic can happen all the time around us even if we’re not aware of it. And we end the book changed, as in an alchemical process. That’s it: Carroll is a true alchemist of the spirit.
Little did I know then.
“Outside the Dog Museum” was a real eye-opener to me. It was then that I discovered that a Fantasy book didn’t need to be all about Tolkien-like fantasy, or even epic, heroic fantasy. (Even though, in all those years since, I learned to enjoy these other kinds of Fantasy as well, but that’s another story.)
I liked that book so much that my friend let me borrow another one—“After Silence”. This time I was deeply moved, so moved that tears would fall without control from my eyes for at least half the book (you can imagine how I felt at the tragic story ending, then).
As Neil Gaiman very aptly puts it in an introductory text to Carroll’s website:
Jonathan Carroll's a changer. He's one of the special ones, one of the few. He paints the world he sees. He opens a window you did not know was there and invites you to look through it. He gives you his eyes to see with, and he gives you the world all fresh and honest and new.
Despite this very true fact (or maybe because of it—a Freudian slip may be lurking in the shadows as I write this review), I never read Carroll again. Until “The Ghost in Love.”
We’ve all seen this plot before—the person who dies before his/her time and then is forced to come back to Earth. This slight variation is not unheard of as well—the person who doesn’t die but should have died—and then all Heaven breaks loose for it. The ghost who is called to tie the loose ends of Ben Gould’s life discovers, appalled, that he is very much alive, even if he had fallen down in the street and was supposed to have died after hitting his head on the curb.
Carroll presents us with a different kind of ghost—a kind that is an autonomous entity and, at the same time, a piece of the soul of the deceased. The ghost (an invention of an ancient Chinese author which God, in a fit of retcon-ness, decided to incorporate to his creations ex post facto) is charged of the logistical, bureaucratic part of the afterlife—to make amends for the recently deceased person and tie up loose ends.
This ghost, called Ling (because all the ghosts are given Chinese names, in homage to the original creator of the concept), simply begins to be a part of the routine of Gould’s life, and, maybe because it is part of Gould after all, falls in love with his girlfriend, German Landis. And suffers terribly when they break up.
But the story is not limited to this plot (things are never so simple in Carroll’s stories): Ben Gould’s “exaggerated death” affected deeply the great scheme of things—as Ling learns from her superior, the Angel of Death, Gould’s case is not the only one, and that means humankind is at last really discovering free will—humans are gaining the right to choose when to die and how, instead of putting themselves in the hands of fate. It’s an extreme landmark for the universe—but it isn’t necessarily good for everyone, because there are forces that are very much against this change, and will do everything in their power to make things come back to “normality”.
And that’s where Ling must make herself known to Gould, and also to Landis, because she must warn and protect them from this threat—and she definitely would, if it wasn’t for the fact that she unknowingly is turning herself into a common human being, and, therefore, is powerless to help them. But are they powerless?
With “The Ghost in Love”, Carroll recaptured my attention, and made me think that he is really one of a kind: he’s the only writer I know who can give this kind of story a really different spin—the plot becomes at the same time both less and more. Less in the sense that he sort of de-epicisizes the story, giving it a quotidian, everyday quality that makes it all the more believable. (One could almost think of the American Splendor comics, but without the mordacity.) More in the sense that he gives us readers the feeling that real magic can happen all the time around us even if we’re not aware of it. And we end the book changed, as in an alchemical process. That’s it: Carroll is a true alchemist of the spirit.
On October 21, 2008, Grammy-nominated artist Matisyahu will release his new EP, “Shattered”, via Epic Records. The four-song EP features tracks from his new full-length album, “Light”, to be released in early 2009.
Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor, Sublime), “Shattered” was recorded and mixed in Jamaica, New York, Los Angeles and Virginia. Several guest artists contribute to the four-song EP: ground-breaking Jamaican reggae rhythm section Sly & Robbie, son of legendary reggae artist Freddie McGregor and among Jamaica’s youngest and most innovative young producers Stephen McGregor, Fish and Norwood Fisher of the legendary L.A. alt-punk-ska band Fishbone, and experimental turntablist Ooah from the Glitch Mob.
Matisyahu emerged in 2004 with his debut album “Shake Off the Dust…Rise”. With the release of “Live at Stubb’s” (2005), which reached #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, and “Youth” (2006), which debuted at #4 on Billboard’s Top 200 and reached #1 Reggae Albums chart, Matisyahu gained considerable critical acclaim. Both albums subsequently went Gold and “Youth” was nominated for a Grammy for Best Reggae Album. His most recent release, the EP No Place To Be (2007), reached #1 on the Reggae Album charts as well.
NOTE: I really enjoyed “Youth”, but thought the album wasn’t very adventurous. With “Smash Lies” though, the first single off of the “Shattered” EP, Matisyahu showcases his more creative side which has made me really excited for the new LP:
Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor, Sublime), “Shattered” was recorded and mixed in Jamaica, New York, Los Angeles and Virginia. Several guest artists contribute to the four-song EP: ground-breaking Jamaican reggae rhythm section Sly & Robbie, son of legendary reggae artist Freddie McGregor and among Jamaica’s youngest and most innovative young producers Stephen McGregor, Fish and Norwood Fisher of the legendary L.A. alt-punk-ska band Fishbone, and experimental turntablist Ooah from the Glitch Mob.
Matisyahu emerged in 2004 with his debut album “Shake Off the Dust…Rise”. With the release of “Live at Stubb’s” (2005), which reached #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, and “Youth” (2006), which debuted at #4 on Billboard’s Top 200 and reached #1 Reggae Albums chart, Matisyahu gained considerable critical acclaim. Both albums subsequently went Gold and “Youth” was nominated for a Grammy for Best Reggae Album. His most recent release, the EP No Place To Be (2007), reached #1 on the Reggae Album charts as well.
NOTE: I really enjoyed “Youth”, but thought the album wasn’t very adventurous. With “Smash Lies” though, the first single off of the “Shattered” EP, Matisyahu showcases his more creative side which has made me really excited for the new LP:
Previous Songs of the Week:
August 17, 2008
August 24, 2008
August 30, 2008
September 7, 2008
September 14, 2008
September 21, 2008
September 28, 2008
October 5, 2008
October 12, 2008
Andy Remic, author of such kickass military science fiction novels as Spiral, Quake, Warhead, War Machine, and the upcoming Combat K novel “Biohell”, published by Solaris Books, has decided to delve into the world of podcasting in collaboration with indie rockers, th3 m1ss1ng.
Initially, Andy will be releasing Spiral (2003) and War Machine (2007) as FREE podcasts. Spiral started airing on October 15, 2008 and a new chapter will be released weekly depending on the author’s writing commitments. Once Spiral is completed, War Machine will follow soon after. The podcasts will be linked via the author’s website on Podio Books and will be read by Andy Remic himself accompanied by the music of th3 m1ss1ng.
More information and promo downloads can be accessed at the Official Andy Remic Website while updated information will appear regularly on the author’s blog. To find out more about th3 m1ss1ng, please visit their Official Myspace Page. Listen to a sample of the podcasts below:
In other news, Tinars in association with the SPACE TV Channel and Hardcore Nerdity presents Neal Stephenson at the Ryerson Theatre. In this exclusive Toronto appearance, legendary science fiction writer Neal Stephenson will discusses his new novel, “Anathem” and other philosophical chestnuts with Mark Askwith, producer of SPACE. Stephenson will also address five video submissions by readers from across Canada who have answered the question, “What one piece of knowledge would you preserve for 1000 years?” Want your video to be one of the lucky five to be featured at this event? Record your answer to the question, and email your video link HERE. All videos will be featured on Hardcore Nerdity and five lucky winners will not only be featured at the event but will also receive a Neal Stephenson library! Details on the event are included below:
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30TH
RYERSON THEATRE - 43 GERRARD ST. EAST, TORONTO
7:30 PM (Doors open at 7 PM)
Tickets $10 (book rebate)
FOR MORE INFO/TO PURCHASE TICKETS:
Pages Books & Magazines (256 Queen St. West, Toronto)
416.598.1447 or tinars@pagesbooks.ca
Initially, Andy will be releasing Spiral (2003) and War Machine (2007) as FREE podcasts. Spiral started airing on October 15, 2008 and a new chapter will be released weekly depending on the author’s writing commitments. Once Spiral is completed, War Machine will follow soon after. The podcasts will be linked via the author’s website on Podio Books and will be read by Andy Remic himself accompanied by the music of th3 m1ss1ng.
More information and promo downloads can be accessed at the Official Andy Remic Website while updated information will appear regularly on the author’s blog. To find out more about th3 m1ss1ng, please visit their Official Myspace Page. Listen to a sample of the podcasts below:
In other news, Tinars in association with the SPACE TV Channel and Hardcore Nerdity presents Neal Stephenson at the Ryerson Theatre. In this exclusive Toronto appearance, legendary science fiction writer Neal Stephenson will discusses his new novel, “Anathem” and other philosophical chestnuts with Mark Askwith, producer of SPACE. Stephenson will also address five video submissions by readers from across Canada who have answered the question, “What one piece of knowledge would you preserve for 1000 years?” Want your video to be one of the lucky five to be featured at this event? Record your answer to the question, and email your video link HERE. All videos will be featured on Hardcore Nerdity and five lucky winners will not only be featured at the event but will also receive a Neal Stephenson library! Details on the event are included below:THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30TH
RYERSON THEATRE - 43 GERRARD ST. EAST, TORONTO
7:30 PM (Doors open at 7 PM)
Tickets $10 (book rebate)
FOR MORE INFO/TO PURCHASE TICKETS:
Pages Books & Magazines (256 Queen St. West, Toronto)
416.598.1447 or tinars@pagesbooks.ca
Official Brad Meltzer WebsiteOfficial The Book of Lies Website
Order “The Book of Lies” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
What happened if you found out that the story of Cain and Abel—or, at least, a very important part of it—was true? That, when Cain murdered Abel, he used a weapon that may still exist and, according to the Bible and other sources, may confer to its user a great power?
That is the premise of Brad Meltzer’s new novel, “The Book of Lies”. A lightweight conspiracy story, “The Book of Lies” presents us with interesting, enjoyable characters, though more biased to the bi-dimensional end of the spectrum. The protagonist, Calvin Harper, is a social worker who still lives in sorrow and guilt years after he witnessed the “accidental” murder of his mother by his own father, and is a skeptical guy who can’t bring himself to believe in anything or anyone. The only guy who he considers a real friend is former priest Roosevelt, a peaceful, hippie-like man who helps him pick up homeless people out of the streets and takes them back to shelters.
So, when he learns that his father Lloyd got out of jail a long time ago, but didn’t even try to contact him until now when he needs Cal to find this artifact, you already know what will happen. An unhealthy (and sometimes predictable, boring) family fight, complete with car chases, and the occasional murder by Ellis, an independent agent tattooed with the marks of Cain but perpetually disguised as a cop who, with his faithful dog Benoni, tracks Cal and his father until he can get the artifact and bring it to the secret society of which he is an acolyte.
This search will take them from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to a certain house Cleveland, more specifically the former home of Jerry Siegel, who happens to be the creator of Superman. When Jerry was a child, his father Mitchell died of a heart attack—or did he? They will uncover a somber truth: Mitchell was murdered because he knew too much. He knew about the artifact and was confronted by the secret society. But not before he passed on the secret to Jerry…
Now, seventy years later, it’s up to Cal, Lloyd and his lady friend Serena to find the artifact before Ellis does.
Even though Meltzer is an accomplished writer, “The Book of Lies” has a comic book feeling all over it. Of course, one can easily think that this feeling is due to the fact that Meltzer indeed deals with comic book culture in the story, and this is where things work best.
The references to comics and pop culture are very well plotted and keeps us interested throughout the book. It’s like seeing an alternate version of Umberto Eco´s Foucault´s Pendulum, writing for the sake of entertainment instead of intellectuality—which is also an excellent thing to do, make no mistake; but Meltzer chose what I would call an upgraded version of the Robert Ludlum Approach (and that’s a compliment): an action-packed story but with plenty of well-thought.
One of the big attractions of the story is the relation to Jerry Siegel and Superman. It’s interesting to know that the story of Siegel is much more related to Batman (his father was murdered, though in all probability not in front of him, like Bruce Wayne’s parents). And Meltzer uses this fact very cleverly.
Another interesting thing is to find out that the 1938 Superman wasn’t the first one—Siegel & Shuster wrote two previous versions before the one we all know, and, in a way not dissimilar to what Umberto Eco does in another book of his, The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, Meltzer fills the pages with fac-similar reproductions of some pages (though some of them are fake, drawn exclusively for Meltzer’s story), thus offering to the readers a visual mapping of the conspiracy territory in which he enfolds them.
But the thing that can be very bothersome is the use of language. It’s as if Meltzer was writing this book already with an eye on a movie or TV adaptation. In a story that features deceit and murder, it doesn’t stand to reason that all the characters should avoid at all costs the use of profanity. “Craparoo”, “bullcrap”, and all crap-related words you can possibly think of abound in the book.
All in all, however, “The Book of Lies” is a good book. Not an excellent one, but an intriguing, theme-oriented narrative which delivers to the readers what it promises. Thinking of The Book of Fate (which is not related to The Book of Lies, except for the choice of theme) I wonder if there will be a third installment and what kind of book it would be.
That is the premise of Brad Meltzer’s new novel, “The Book of Lies”. A lightweight conspiracy story, “The Book of Lies” presents us with interesting, enjoyable characters, though more biased to the bi-dimensional end of the spectrum. The protagonist, Calvin Harper, is a social worker who still lives in sorrow and guilt years after he witnessed the “accidental” murder of his mother by his own father, and is a skeptical guy who can’t bring himself to believe in anything or anyone. The only guy who he considers a real friend is former priest Roosevelt, a peaceful, hippie-like man who helps him pick up homeless people out of the streets and takes them back to shelters.
So, when he learns that his father Lloyd got out of jail a long time ago, but didn’t even try to contact him until now when he needs Cal to find this artifact, you already know what will happen. An unhealthy (and sometimes predictable, boring) family fight, complete with car chases, and the occasional murder by Ellis, an independent agent tattooed with the marks of Cain but perpetually disguised as a cop who, with his faithful dog Benoni, tracks Cal and his father until he can get the artifact and bring it to the secret society of which he is an acolyte.
This search will take them from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to a certain house Cleveland, more specifically the former home of Jerry Siegel, who happens to be the creator of Superman. When Jerry was a child, his father Mitchell died of a heart attack—or did he? They will uncover a somber truth: Mitchell was murdered because he knew too much. He knew about the artifact and was confronted by the secret society. But not before he passed on the secret to Jerry…
Now, seventy years later, it’s up to Cal, Lloyd and his lady friend Serena to find the artifact before Ellis does.
Even though Meltzer is an accomplished writer, “The Book of Lies” has a comic book feeling all over it. Of course, one can easily think that this feeling is due to the fact that Meltzer indeed deals with comic book culture in the story, and this is where things work best.
The references to comics and pop culture are very well plotted and keeps us interested throughout the book. It’s like seeing an alternate version of Umberto Eco´s Foucault´s Pendulum, writing for the sake of entertainment instead of intellectuality—which is also an excellent thing to do, make no mistake; but Meltzer chose what I would call an upgraded version of the Robert Ludlum Approach (and that’s a compliment): an action-packed story but with plenty of well-thought.
One of the big attractions of the story is the relation to Jerry Siegel and Superman. It’s interesting to know that the story of Siegel is much more related to Batman (his father was murdered, though in all probability not in front of him, like Bruce Wayne’s parents). And Meltzer uses this fact very cleverly.
Another interesting thing is to find out that the 1938 Superman wasn’t the first one—Siegel & Shuster wrote two previous versions before the one we all know, and, in a way not dissimilar to what Umberto Eco does in another book of his, The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, Meltzer fills the pages with fac-similar reproductions of some pages (though some of them are fake, drawn exclusively for Meltzer’s story), thus offering to the readers a visual mapping of the conspiracy territory in which he enfolds them.
But the thing that can be very bothersome is the use of language. It’s as if Meltzer was writing this book already with an eye on a movie or TV adaptation. In a story that features deceit and murder, it doesn’t stand to reason that all the characters should avoid at all costs the use of profanity. “Craparoo”, “bullcrap”, and all crap-related words you can possibly think of abound in the book.
All in all, however, “The Book of Lies” is a good book. Not an excellent one, but an intriguing, theme-oriented narrative which delivers to the readers what it promises. Thinking of The Book of Fate (which is not related to The Book of Lies, except for the choice of theme) I wonder if there will be a third installment and what kind of book it would be.
Order “Winterstrike” HERE
INTRODUCTION: “Winterstrike” is the first novel that I’ve read by Liz Williams. I bought it based on a recommendation in the SFFWorld Forum and enjoyed it so much that I ordered four more novels by Ms. Williams that I intend to read as soon as they arrive at my door. I’m also eagerly looking forward to the next installment in the trilogy that was started in “Winterstrike”.
SETTING: In the far future Mars and Earth have been changed almost beyond recognition due to many upheavels with biotech and nanotech. On Mars men have been edited out of the genetic code for a while now, while women live in city-states with Winterstrike one of the most powerful. Led by a Matriarchy, Winterstrike is often in conflict with nearby Caud. There are also many genetically created races, mostly from humans and various animal species, called The Changed which includes “men revenants” like vulpen, awts, and hyenae as well as such powerful and feared creatures like the demotheas of legend. The Changed are barely tolerated in the cities of Mars which are policed by the fearsome semi-artificial women warriors known as Excissieres, so they tend to congregate underground or in unpopulated wastes, mountains and swamps...
The story follows the adventures of three young women from the aristocracy of Winterstrike. The two sisters, Essegui and Leretui Harn, are daughters of Allegheta who is a very ambitious woman that wants to become a Matriarch. So, she makes some secret deals with Generra, a shady but well connected sorceress/spymaster, and the Matriarchy in return for advancement. Allegheta and her partner, Thea, also have a third daughter, the young child Cantelei who resembles the strange Leretui quite a lot.
Hestia Mar, the cousin and childhood friend of Essegui and Leretui, is the daughter of a Matriarch, but she has always been adventurous and resented the strict upbringing typical of Winterstrike aristocracy. Since Hestia has psychic powers, including the ability to steal/return souls, she left her rigid home and found employment as an operative of Generra, undertaking undercover missions in various Martian cities. In her latest mission, Hestia visits the city of Caud—which is on the verge of war with Winterstrike—in search of blueprints to a secret weapon that are rumored to exist the ruins of the city’s great library…
FORMAT/INFO: The hardcover edition of “Winterstrike” stands at 358 pages divided over thirty-seven numbered chapters which are titled by narrator and location. The narration is mostly first-person present tense alternating between the voices of Essegui Harn and Hestia Mar, while the several ‘Interludes’ that appear in the book are presented in the third person via Leretui/Shorn or the Centipede Queen and her entourage. The ending nicely wraps up the main thread of the novel while setting up the next installment in the trilogy. The trilogy itself is set in the same world as Liz Williams’ “Banner of Souls” which was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award.
September 5, 2008 marks the UK Hardcover publication of “Winterstrike” via PanMacmillan. The cover art is provided by Lee Gibbons.
PLOT HINTS AND ANALYSIS: “Winterstrike” takes a while to get into, especially for a novice to the universe—Banner of Souls, which I intend to read next, takes place in the same setting as this book, though at an earlier time—but once you start understanding the workings of the world and start following the adventures of our heroines, it’s easy to get hooked by the story that Ms. Williams has crafted and her very well-imagined fantasy-like setting…
At the annual Martian festival of Ombre, Leretui transgresses the moral codes of Winterstrike by publicly consorting with a vulpen, putting a kink in Allegheta's status plans, which gets Leretui imprisoned in her room and stripped of her name—from then on she is called Shorn. A year later, after the same festival, Leretui/Shorn mysteriously disappears and both the sheltered Essegui Harn and the adventurous Hestia Mar are tasked to find her.
In the meantime on Earth, a powerful ruler known as the Centipede Queen—some of “The Changed” live in peace with humanity on Earth—prepares to journey to Mars in search of Leretui since the missing girl is connected with omens about the stirring of ancient and dark powers…
Back on Mars, as Essegui tries to follow Leretui's path from Winterstrike, we see through Harn’s eyes an assortment of strange—sometimes wonderful, sometimes dark, always interesting—places and imagined creations that inhabit the planet. There are ghosts, wards, haunt-tech—which is dark magic by another name—as well as computers/phones called scribes, flying ships, starships that travel the “Eldritch Realm” between planets, and much more.
Hestia meanwhile, hooks up with the “spirit” of an archive from the destroyed Caud library that manifests itself as a strange warrior. Later, Hestia also encounters a mysterious warrior/pirate/marauder named Rubirosa whose loyalties are uncertain, but is very useful in a scrap.
Since Leretui is the key in the plans of several quite powerful factions for reasons we come to slowly understand, the two cousins are involved in many different adventures that occur on both Mars and Earth.
Also involved in the mix are the aforementioned Centipede Queen; her subjects; and The Changed, some of whom start following a “reborn” mythical leader called Mantis who supposedly will lead them to their “rightful” position on Mars and overthrow the oppressive Matriarchies; but the central theme of the novel always revolves around the enigmatic Leretui/Shorn and her destiny.
The one small niggle I have with the book is that the voices of the two narrators, Essegui and Hestia, are barely distinguishable from one another, though they do grow on you. Otherwise, Liz Williams’ “Winterstrike” was a very pleasant surprise and comes highly recommend…
SETTING: In the far future Mars and Earth have been changed almost beyond recognition due to many upheavels with biotech and nanotech. On Mars men have been edited out of the genetic code for a while now, while women live in city-states with Winterstrike one of the most powerful. Led by a Matriarchy, Winterstrike is often in conflict with nearby Caud. There are also many genetically created races, mostly from humans and various animal species, called The Changed which includes “men revenants” like vulpen, awts, and hyenae as well as such powerful and feared creatures like the demotheas of legend. The Changed are barely tolerated in the cities of Mars which are policed by the fearsome semi-artificial women warriors known as Excissieres, so they tend to congregate underground or in unpopulated wastes, mountains and swamps...
The story follows the adventures of three young women from the aristocracy of Winterstrike. The two sisters, Essegui and Leretui Harn, are daughters of Allegheta who is a very ambitious woman that wants to become a Matriarch. So, she makes some secret deals with Generra, a shady but well connected sorceress/spymaster, and the Matriarchy in return for advancement. Allegheta and her partner, Thea, also have a third daughter, the young child Cantelei who resembles the strange Leretui quite a lot.
Hestia Mar, the cousin and childhood friend of Essegui and Leretui, is the daughter of a Matriarch, but she has always been adventurous and resented the strict upbringing typical of Winterstrike aristocracy. Since Hestia has psychic powers, including the ability to steal/return souls, she left her rigid home and found employment as an operative of Generra, undertaking undercover missions in various Martian cities. In her latest mission, Hestia visits the city of Caud—which is on the verge of war with Winterstrike—in search of blueprints to a secret weapon that are rumored to exist the ruins of the city’s great library…
FORMAT/INFO: The hardcover edition of “Winterstrike” stands at 358 pages divided over thirty-seven numbered chapters which are titled by narrator and location. The narration is mostly first-person present tense alternating between the voices of Essegui Harn and Hestia Mar, while the several ‘Interludes’ that appear in the book are presented in the third person via Leretui/Shorn or the Centipede Queen and her entourage. The ending nicely wraps up the main thread of the novel while setting up the next installment in the trilogy. The trilogy itself is set in the same world as Liz Williams’ “Banner of Souls” which was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award.
September 5, 2008 marks the UK Hardcover publication of “Winterstrike” via PanMacmillan. The cover art is provided by Lee Gibbons.
PLOT HINTS AND ANALYSIS: “Winterstrike” takes a while to get into, especially for a novice to the universe—Banner of Souls, which I intend to read next, takes place in the same setting as this book, though at an earlier time—but once you start understanding the workings of the world and start following the adventures of our heroines, it’s easy to get hooked by the story that Ms. Williams has crafted and her very well-imagined fantasy-like setting…
At the annual Martian festival of Ombre, Leretui transgresses the moral codes of Winterstrike by publicly consorting with a vulpen, putting a kink in Allegheta's status plans, which gets Leretui imprisoned in her room and stripped of her name—from then on she is called Shorn. A year later, after the same festival, Leretui/Shorn mysteriously disappears and both the sheltered Essegui Harn and the adventurous Hestia Mar are tasked to find her.
In the meantime on Earth, a powerful ruler known as the Centipede Queen—some of “The Changed” live in peace with humanity on Earth—prepares to journey to Mars in search of Leretui since the missing girl is connected with omens about the stirring of ancient and dark powers…
Back on Mars, as Essegui tries to follow Leretui's path from Winterstrike, we see through Harn’s eyes an assortment of strange—sometimes wonderful, sometimes dark, always interesting—places and imagined creations that inhabit the planet. There are ghosts, wards, haunt-tech—which is dark magic by another name—as well as computers/phones called scribes, flying ships, starships that travel the “Eldritch Realm” between planets, and much more.
Hestia meanwhile, hooks up with the “spirit” of an archive from the destroyed Caud library that manifests itself as a strange warrior. Later, Hestia also encounters a mysterious warrior/pirate/marauder named Rubirosa whose loyalties are uncertain, but is very useful in a scrap.
Since Leretui is the key in the plans of several quite powerful factions for reasons we come to slowly understand, the two cousins are involved in many different adventures that occur on both Mars and Earth.
Also involved in the mix are the aforementioned Centipede Queen; her subjects; and The Changed, some of whom start following a “reborn” mythical leader called Mantis who supposedly will lead them to their “rightful” position on Mars and overthrow the oppressive Matriarchies; but the central theme of the novel always revolves around the enigmatic Leretui/Shorn and her destiny.
The one small niggle I have with the book is that the voices of the two narrators, Essegui and Hestia, are barely distinguishable from one another, though they do grow on you. Otherwise, Liz Williams’ “Winterstrike” was a very pleasant surprise and comes highly recommend…
INTRODUCTION: I discovered Michael Flynn when I read and was very impressed by his Hugo-nominated novel, “Eifelheim”, released back in 2006. Before that I vaguely remember some near-future political SF about colonization of space, but that is not really my cup of tea. Because of “Eifelheim” though, I went out and got “The Wreck of the River of Stars” which is loosely tied with that series and thoroughly enjoyed the novel. So when “The January Dancer” was announced, it immediately became one of my most anticipated books of the year. And what a novel it turned out to be! In the tradition of M.J. Harrison’s “Light” and told with the detached ironical tone of the author's “The Wreck of the River of Stars”, “The January Dancer” is a superb literary space opera that has a good chance to be in the running for all major SF awards next year…
SETTING: “The January Dancer” takes place in a far-future setting where humanity has colonized the stars using superluminal highways with names like Palisades Parkway, Silk Road, The Long March, and Champs Elysee. These are actually regions of space generated by the enormous electrical currents of the stars in which “space itself moves faster than light”, or if you want, where the local speed of light is much higher than our ‘c’. The walls of the “roads” are laminates of space-time whose local-c decreases stratum-by-stratum to what they call “Newtonian-c” or “the flats.” And the galaxy is Irish…
Sort of, but enough to have a Celtic laden idiom for the novel, giving “The January Dancer” a quite archaic feel that complements the far-future setting very nicely. Darwin, Newton, Einstein, and Maxwell are ancient gods of legend since old Earth is no more, or more precisely its original starfaring civilization called The Commonwealth of Stars was overthrown thousands of years ago by the cruel Dao Chettians—The Named Ones—in the Great Cleansing. The cream of the Commonwealth has been exiled across the huge empty volume of space called the Rift, though in time they recreated a vibrant civilization with Celtic overtones, very loosely united in the United League of the Periphery. The original exile planets that are close to the Rift are called the Old Planets and have distinct and quite Vancean civilizations, while the newer more vibrant colonies are nominally led by the Ardry—affectionately known as the Little One—who governs from High Tara using his all-purpose super-agents called Hounds to enforce the law. But space is large so ULP has its share of pirates like the Cynthians, predatory corporations like ICC, local wars, and civil wars.
Across the Rift stands the powerful and feared Commonwealth of Central Worlds, though an uneasy truce/cold war is still in existence with spies and intrigue but no shooting so far. The Terrans, as the people that claim descent from Earth are known, live in special ghettoes on the ULP planets and are sort of despised, used as cheap labor and feared as enemy agents since Terra is still under Dao Chettian rule and generally have a more complex relationship with the rest of the ULP society. But they also tend to stick together and help each other as the marginalized groups always did throughout human history.
FORMAT/INFO: The ARC copy I have stands at 350 pages divided over sixteen alternating main chapters and eighteen interlude chapters, all with Celtic names. There is a turnover at page 260 where the interlude chapters actually start taking over the story and the novel starts and ends with one such, which accounts for the difference in numbers. The interlude chapters take place in the novel’s present in a bar on Jehovah, a very important interchange planet of ULP where a harper comes to find out and compose a song about the story of the January Dancer which is a famous prehuman artifact. There she finds a mysterious old man called the scarred one who tells her the story claiming he knows it from the surviving protagonists whom he talked with across the years. In the main chapters the story of the Dancer is told through multiple POVs including several Hounds and one Pup—that's a senior apprentice to a Hound—a mysterious Terran, the crew of the unlucky freighter that actually finds the artifact, a rebel leader/planetary manager, and several others. It takes a while to figure out who our main characters are, but slowly they reveal themselves and we get glimpses of their relationship with the harper and the scarred one. The novel is self-contained though there is an obvious sequel dangle with the next book, “Up Jim River”, scheduled for 2009 release. That is another book I will want to read ASAP since “The January Dancer” was so good :) Also included in the book are a list of characters in order of appearance, a time-keeping convention chart, and a star map.
October 14, 2008 marks the North American Hardcover publication of “The January Dancer” via Tor Books. Cover art provided by Sparth.
PLOT HINTS AND ANALYSIS: Due to its intricate structure, Celtic idiom and literary style, “The January Dancer” takes a little getting used to, so hopefully the longer-than-usual “Setting” part of the review will help readers get into the action faster. Because once you figure out what the novel is about, you won’t want to put it down and following our heroes through the numerous twists & turns of this superbly plotted book is extremely absorbing…
Discovered by chance, the January Dancer artifact has the potential to “turn the universe insane”, and when important people realize this, everyone starts wanting it for their own purposes, be it noble or nefarious. But there is much more going on including pirates, civil wars, local wars, and the mysterious disappearances of ships inside the Rift.
Slowly a central thread reveals itself and our main characters step up from the pack of the numerous POV characters and take center stage in their unlikely banding together. As one of these characters—Little Hugh O'Carroll aka Ringbao della Costa, planetary manager, rebel leader and all around survivor—puts it, it is as the Fates conspired to bring this unlikely group of people together to investigate several strange events.
Speaking of characters, there are so many colorful names like Amos January the freighter captain after which the artifact is named, Handsome Jack Garrity, na Fir Li, Greystroke aka Tol Ben lever, the Molnar khan Matsumo, the Fudir aka Kalim de Morsey, Brigit ban aka Julienne Lady Melisonde, Grimpen, Olafsson Qing and the other Olafsson that mere enumeration should make you want to read the novel. This list by itself conveys something of both the unusual flavor and the intricacy of the book and once you start reading the novel you realize that a lot of these names are not arbitrary.
Though it stands at only 350 pages, including the list of characters, “The January Dancer” packs so much inside—action, both space and planetary battles, romance, intrigue, mystery—that you feel you are reading a much larger novel. And indeed, you really need to pay attention to every phrase since you never know when a subtle but quite important plot point will be revealed, sometimes quite offhandedly. When I got to the end of “The January Dancer”, I exhaled that the increasingly building tension had finally been resolved, at least for now, and then I immediately started to reread the book to appreciate its full flavor now that I knew how it ended. And of course I want more so “Up Jim River” can’t get here fast enough!
In conclusion, not only is Michael Flynn’s “The January Dancer” highly, highly recommended, but it is also one of the best science fiction novels that I’ve read this year…
SETTING: “The January Dancer” takes place in a far-future setting where humanity has colonized the stars using superluminal highways with names like Palisades Parkway, Silk Road, The Long March, and Champs Elysee. These are actually regions of space generated by the enormous electrical currents of the stars in which “space itself moves faster than light”, or if you want, where the local speed of light is much higher than our ‘c’. The walls of the “roads” are laminates of space-time whose local-c decreases stratum-by-stratum to what they call “Newtonian-c” or “the flats.” And the galaxy is Irish…
Sort of, but enough to have a Celtic laden idiom for the novel, giving “The January Dancer” a quite archaic feel that complements the far-future setting very nicely. Darwin, Newton, Einstein, and Maxwell are ancient gods of legend since old Earth is no more, or more precisely its original starfaring civilization called The Commonwealth of Stars was overthrown thousands of years ago by the cruel Dao Chettians—The Named Ones—in the Great Cleansing. The cream of the Commonwealth has been exiled across the huge empty volume of space called the Rift, though in time they recreated a vibrant civilization with Celtic overtones, very loosely united in the United League of the Periphery. The original exile planets that are close to the Rift are called the Old Planets and have distinct and quite Vancean civilizations, while the newer more vibrant colonies are nominally led by the Ardry—affectionately known as the Little One—who governs from High Tara using his all-purpose super-agents called Hounds to enforce the law. But space is large so ULP has its share of pirates like the Cynthians, predatory corporations like ICC, local wars, and civil wars.
Across the Rift stands the powerful and feared Commonwealth of Central Worlds, though an uneasy truce/cold war is still in existence with spies and intrigue but no shooting so far. The Terrans, as the people that claim descent from Earth are known, live in special ghettoes on the ULP planets and are sort of despised, used as cheap labor and feared as enemy agents since Terra is still under Dao Chettian rule and generally have a more complex relationship with the rest of the ULP society. But they also tend to stick together and help each other as the marginalized groups always did throughout human history.
FORMAT/INFO: The ARC copy I have stands at 350 pages divided over sixteen alternating main chapters and eighteen interlude chapters, all with Celtic names. There is a turnover at page 260 where the interlude chapters actually start taking over the story and the novel starts and ends with one such, which accounts for the difference in numbers. The interlude chapters take place in the novel’s present in a bar on Jehovah, a very important interchange planet of ULP where a harper comes to find out and compose a song about the story of the January Dancer which is a famous prehuman artifact. There she finds a mysterious old man called the scarred one who tells her the story claiming he knows it from the surviving protagonists whom he talked with across the years. In the main chapters the story of the Dancer is told through multiple POVs including several Hounds and one Pup—that's a senior apprentice to a Hound—a mysterious Terran, the crew of the unlucky freighter that actually finds the artifact, a rebel leader/planetary manager, and several others. It takes a while to figure out who our main characters are, but slowly they reveal themselves and we get glimpses of their relationship with the harper and the scarred one. The novel is self-contained though there is an obvious sequel dangle with the next book, “Up Jim River”, scheduled for 2009 release. That is another book I will want to read ASAP since “The January Dancer” was so good :) Also included in the book are a list of characters in order of appearance, a time-keeping convention chart, and a star map.
October 14, 2008 marks the North American Hardcover publication of “The January Dancer” via Tor Books. Cover art provided by Sparth.
PLOT HINTS AND ANALYSIS: Due to its intricate structure, Celtic idiom and literary style, “The January Dancer” takes a little getting used to, so hopefully the longer-than-usual “Setting” part of the review will help readers get into the action faster. Because once you figure out what the novel is about, you won’t want to put it down and following our heroes through the numerous twists & turns of this superbly plotted book is extremely absorbing…
Discovered by chance, the January Dancer artifact has the potential to “turn the universe insane”, and when important people realize this, everyone starts wanting it for their own purposes, be it noble or nefarious. But there is much more going on including pirates, civil wars, local wars, and the mysterious disappearances of ships inside the Rift.
Slowly a central thread reveals itself and our main characters step up from the pack of the numerous POV characters and take center stage in their unlikely banding together. As one of these characters—Little Hugh O'Carroll aka Ringbao della Costa, planetary manager, rebel leader and all around survivor—puts it, it is as the Fates conspired to bring this unlikely group of people together to investigate several strange events.
Speaking of characters, there are so many colorful names like Amos January the freighter captain after which the artifact is named, Handsome Jack Garrity, na Fir Li, Greystroke aka Tol Ben lever, the Molnar khan Matsumo, the Fudir aka Kalim de Morsey, Brigit ban aka Julienne Lady Melisonde, Grimpen, Olafsson Qing and the other Olafsson that mere enumeration should make you want to read the novel. This list by itself conveys something of both the unusual flavor and the intricacy of the book and once you start reading the novel you realize that a lot of these names are not arbitrary.
Though it stands at only 350 pages, including the list of characters, “The January Dancer” packs so much inside—action, both space and planetary battles, romance, intrigue, mystery—that you feel you are reading a much larger novel. And indeed, you really need to pay attention to every phrase since you never know when a subtle but quite important plot point will be revealed, sometimes quite offhandedly. When I got to the end of “The January Dancer”, I exhaled that the increasingly building tension had finally been resolved, at least for now, and then I immediately started to reread the book to appreciate its full flavor now that I knew how it ended. And of course I want more so “Up Jim River” can’t get here fast enough!
In conclusion, not only is Michael Flynn’s “The January Dancer” highly, highly recommended, but it is also one of the best science fiction novels that I’ve read this year…
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