WOW I know that I like the artist John Picacio’s work.... he has done some excellent covers including the cover for Fast Forward 2... this one lives up to his standards... its the kind of cover I would love to see on Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson... if it a book that you have missed check it out then grab something by Angry Robot....
I;m sometimes so easy but I feel I have to get this one on cover alone... read good things about the author ....

Racing the release of ....

I am currently reading Angry Robots upcoming release of The Bookman From Lavie Tidhar a "steampunk" adventure set in London. I feel privileged to get the chance to read it and to comment on it for people curious about the novel. I'm getting my first real experience of reading a novel on an itouch (should the I there e a capital) with the application Stanza. Pretty odd reading a steampunk novel on a hand held tablet; the formatting is taking a little getting used to (chapter titles chapter quotations and chapter beginnings are not separated by more then a space.)
The Bookman so far has a great amount of atmosphere to it; I am reminded of my imaginings of victorian London from descriptions in history classes of a sooty, dark and crowded city. Lavie Tidhar opens his world to the reader through the eyes of Orphan and you never get the infodump feeling or a feeling like you are lost or confused just intrigued and wanting more. I will leave the review till I finish
here is the cover of the aforementioned victorian novel....

Take care all

Got some notice...

Ok....

Its self congratulations but I was happy to see that the Angry Robot noticed my review for Kell's Legend and posted some quotes from it.

In the next month I am trying to write 500 words of fiction a day and will attempt to get a review up for the Bookman novel from Angry Robot in the next two weeks. I am enjoying the Victorian Era of Lavi Tidar and can't wait to get deeper in the novel but the prose of Joe Hill is keeping me in his world of Heart Shaped Box right now....

Later....
Take care

g

A Legend for 2010

Though Andy Remic is the author of six novels, three of them military science fiction - a favorite sub genre of mine; - the first book of his I have read is Kell’s Legend from Angry Robot Books. I got a copy of the novel sent to me for review; the print version has a very entertaining interview with Mr Remic included that I much recommend reading I read it prior to the novel - no spoilers.
Kell’s Legend is an admitted homage to the tradition of David Gemmel’s Druss novels and the Sword and Sorcery stories that proceeded it. Andy treats us to a bit of the modern tendency for multiple narrators ala GRR Martin in his Sond of Ice and Fire .

In an effort to keep some of the plot points a secret I will keep the review to just two of the male protagonists; I will let you meet the nations queen, the clockwork general, a clockwork outcasts and the daughter of a legend in their own voices.

Kell, the man of the legend (there is a poetic epic you get a bit of across the novel), is a retired warrior of many campaigns and skirmishes and know smore then he often lets on. He has raised and lost a family since his bloody war years; only his Granddaughter remains of his blood and he means to have her outlive him. He has another female motivator in his life; she actually means well but she is what you might call a bitch. The other part of this odd couple, Saark, is a self admitted leacher and thief who’s past is something of a surprise as are his fighting skills. He makes a good foil for his older more grizzled buddy. Saark enjoys the better things in life, a thief and is quite fun to read as embarrassing as that is to admit.
The relationship between Kell and Saark the story reminds me of the buddy film from the eighties - mostly of the movie They Live - the buddies in that film get into a throw-down that leaves both of them bloodied and battered - likewise these two.
The Clockwork Vampires (The Army Of Iron) invade of the Nation of Falanor, a martial country of humans to their south. They may not completely outnumber the humans but they more then makeup for that through their use of magic and their Clive Barker worthy allies the Harvesters. When Andy crafted his enemies he did possibly too good a job; between the Harvesters magic and the devious twisted clockwork freaks - the cankers - humanity may just end up as food and grist for the Clockwork Vampire mills.
The action follows the differing narrators as they attempt to escape from the brutality of their foes that range from the mentioned Army of Iron, clockwork vampire assassins, clockwork and flesh chimeras, human monsters (sometimes the worst of all) , and creatures of magic and out of legend. Andy plays free and loose with the readers familiarity with the tropes of the genre to surprising and entertaining effect. Kell’s Legend would make a really good start to a series of fun bloody minded action flicks and... well... it is the beginning of a series of novels so you dont have to put up with shoddy effects or years of wait between parts…. I am chomping at the bit for the second novel since he leaves you with some good cliffhangers and namy lingering questions.
There are hints at a greater history in the course of the novel. Sometimes I felt that Mr Remic was getting ahead of himself. In telling the story his writing is crisp and not over descriptive but at times the ideas seem to come at you fast. As a reader you have to be willing to go along with him - he may make you wonder if you missed something so sometimes you have to be patient... he will explain there is just some violence that needs be dome first.

Angry Robot has hit another genre nail on the head here and they have found something worthy of a read.
Now I’ll have to find his other books….

Last Book I'll read in 2009

Here is a Link to the authors really cool website if you have not looked at it yet (hell I had not seen it till now)

And the Book is:


Heart Shaped Box By Joe Hill...


and the image should be a link to the Powell's website...

Read in 2009

(In no particular order)

Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
Reapers Gale by Steven Erikson
Night of Knives by Ian Esselmont (review coming in 2010)
Lightbreaker by Mark Teppo review
Sixty one Nails by Mike Shevdon (ARC from Angry Robot) review
Winters Song by Colin Harvey (ARC from Angry Robot) review
Kell's Legend by Andy Remic (review copy from AR) review
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
Looking for Jake by China Mieville
Contagious by Scott Sigler
The Rookie by Scott Sigler (review coming in 2010)
Mainspring by Jay Lake
Rocket Science by Jay Lake
The Burning Girl by Mark Billingham (Police procedural)
Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson (crime)
As Above so Below by Rudy Rucker
The Steel Remains by Richard Morgan
Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd
Veniss Underground by Jeff Vandermeer
Black Brillion by matthew Hughes
Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill (review coming in 2010)
Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill




Books I wish I had gotten to:
Personal Effects:Dark Arts by JC Hutchins
7th Son also by JC Hutchins
Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson (reading it now but wont finish before new years)
Dust of Dreams also by Steven Erikson (have to get a copy)
Return of the Crimson Guard by Ian Esslemont (seeing a pattern)
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
Soulless by Gail Carriager
Lamentation by Ken Scholes
You Might Sleep by Nick Mamatas

Realm of Legends

Ok...

This week I will be posting reviews of Andy Remic's Kell's Legend and my reflections on my speculative fiction readings this year - what I loved and what I could have passed over (but I think the latter may amount to few or zero...)... Anyhow hope that you all had a great christmas....
Take Care...