SF/Fantasy Reviews, December 2010
Dec 15, 2010Barclay, James. Shadowheart. Pyr: Prometheus. (Legends of the Raven, Bk. 2). Dec. 2010. c.398p. ISBN 9781616142506. pap. $17. FANTASY
The elite mercenaries of the Raven go from heroes to fugitives when one of their number is condemned to death. In the meantime, a war that pits the four magical colleges against one another leaves the lands of western Balaia vulnerable to attacks from their enemies to the east. The sequel to Elfsorrow delivers more action-packed fantasy adventure with a deeper focus on the characters’ interpersonal relations. Barclay’s talent for depicting the carnage and frenzy of war gives his battle scenes a realism that brings home both the horrors experienced and the courage of its participants. VERDICT Military fantasy of the highest quality informs this powerful novel, which will appeal to fans of Glen Cook’s classic “Black Company” novels.
Buchanan, Col. Farlander. Tor. (Heart of the World, Bk. 1). Jan. 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9780765331052. $24.99. FANTASY
The Holy Empire of Mann, a bloody, hedonistic religion worshipping self-indulgence and excess, rules much of the world. Yet when the son of the Holy Matriarch callously murders a young woman, a member of the elite group of assassin-protectors known as the Ro¯shun vows to avenge her death by slaying the murderer. Sent to accomplish the task, an aging veteran and his young apprentice face the wrath of a vicious empire and must make decisions that lead to justice and bloodshed. Buchanan depicts a dark, brooding world in which men and women struggle to live lives of moral integrity in a society that encourages cruelty and nihilistic pleasures. VERDICT Strong storytelling underpins this grim fantasy debut, the beginning of a series that promises more powerful tales set in an unusual world.
Collins, Nancy A. Right Hand Magic: A Novel of Golgotham. ROC: NAL. Dec. 2010. c.304p. ISBN 9780451463661. pap. $6.99. FANTASY
When Tate moves into an apartment in New York City’s Golgotham neighborhood, she tries to fit in among that area’s supernatural inhabitants—including her fae-like Kymeran landlord, Hexe, a sorcerer who practices only “Right Hand,” or benevolent, magic. Tate’s forays into her new stomping grounds bring her into a magical tangle of werewolves, vampires, and witches who fear that the presence of a mere mortal signals the end of the neighborhood. The author of the Sonja Blue series (Sunglasses After Dark; In the Blood) introduces a new urban fantasy heroine, a resourceful artist whose true colors shine in her relationships with those around her. VERDICT Collins’s latest novel should attract fans of Sherrilyn Kenyon, Tanya Huff, and Laurell K. Hamilton.
DeFino, Terri-Lynne. Finder. Hadley Rille. Dec. 2010. c.344p. ISBN 9780982946732. $28.95; pap. ISBN 9780982946725. $15.95. FANTASY
As a Finder, Ethen is able to locate missing things and people. Hired to track down a musically gifted slave girl named Zihariel, Ethen undertakes a journey that leads him first to his target and then to the realization that some things must not be found. DeFino’s first novel creates an exotic desert environment as a backdrop to the story of a young man’s coming-of-age and a young woman’s search for the only family she has left. VERDICT Compelling characters and a fascinating world background make this a good addition to most fantasy collections.
Finding the Way and Other Tales of Valdemar. DAW, dist. by Penguin. Dec. 2010. c.352p. ed. by Mercedes Lackey. ISBN 9780756406332. pap. $7.99. SF
A Companion seeks out one of the lizardlike hertasi to act as a guide through the treacherous swamplands of the Gripping Mire in “Finding the Way,” cowritten by Lackey and Larry Dixon, while in “The Groom’s Price,” by Michael Z. Williamson and Gail Sanders, a young warrior from the Plains must come to terms with the magic he has inherited. The sixth collection set in Lackey’s world of Valdemar presents stories of Heralds and their telepathic horselike Companions and of Bards and Healers, and provides glimpses of the many other aspects of a setting that has a large and avid readership. VERDICT The 15 original tales in this volume will appeal primarily to series fans.
Grimwood, Jon Courtenay. The Fallen Blade: Act 1 of the Assassini Trilogy. Orbit: Hachette. (Vampire Assassin Trilogy). Jan. 2011. c.432p. ISBN 9780316074391. pap. $14.99. FANTASY
Lady Giulietta di Millioni, the teenaged cousin of the duke of Venice, attempts to flee her enforced marriage to King Janus of Cyprus, a man rumored to be cruel and interested only in acquiring an heir. Preventing her escape is Atilo il Mauros, the Moor who has protected her since her childhood and who leads the Assassini, Venice’s elite group of enforcers. Her fate, however, and the fate of the city lie in the hands of a young man who stalks the streets at night—and who is said to exist on blood. The author of “The Arabesk Trilogy” (Pashazade; Effendi; Felaheen) turns to historical fantasy in this tale of politics, love, and the supernatural. In his capable hands, 15th-century Venice springs to life, along with a varied cast of nobles, pirates, and supernatural creatures. VERDICT This well-written book should appeal to fans of both period fantasy and vampire fiction.
Kittredge, Caitlin. Bone Gods: A Black London Novel. St. Martin’s. Dec. 2010. c.352p. ISBN 9780312388201. pap. $7.99. FANTASY
Faced with a bizarrely mutilated body found in the British Museum, London investigator Ollie Heath calls in a former colleague, Pete (Petunia) Caldecott, an expert on occult crimes. However, Pete’s source for magical knowledge, punk rocker Jack Winter, is trapped in Hell, payment for a bargain with the dark powers in return for bringing him back from the dead 13 years earlier. When Jack’s help against a coven of necromancers finally arrives, Pete discovers that she may be too late to save London from falling into the clutches of darkness. The third novel in Kittredge’s “Black London” urban fantasy series (Street Magic; Demon Bound) focuses on Pete’s struggle to protect the unknowing populace of her city without the love and support she once enjoyed. VERDICT Strong characters make this attractive to fans of the series as well as Jim Butcher’s “Dresden Files.”
Marillier, Juliet. Seer of Sevenwaters. ROC: NAL. Dec. 2010. c.432p. ISBN 9780451463555. $24.95. FANTASY
Sibeal, a druid in training, visits the warrior’s island of Inis Eala preparatory to her final pledge. When her Sight leads her to the survivor of a shipwreck, a Norse scholar named Felix, the two form a bond despite Felix’s amnesia. Soon Sibeal and Felix embark on a perilous journey that brings the young druid into conflict with her beliefs and her growing feelings for the man whose life she saved. This stand-alone novel set in the world of Marillier’s “Sevenwaters” series (Daughter of the Forest; Son of the Shadows; Child of the Prophecy) combines adventure with quasihistorical detail in a Celtic-based story of love and sacrifice. VERDICT This well-written tale by a top-notch storyteller will appeal to the author’s fans.
Martin, Gail Z. The Sworn. Orbit: Hachette. (The Fallen Kings Cycle, Bk. 1). Feb. 2011. c.576p. ISBN 9780316093576. pap. $7.99. FANTASY
Already beset by plague and famine, the Winter Kingdoms now face an invasion spurred on by dark practitioners of blood magic. To counter this threat, the Summoner-King Tris Drayke needs the power of the Sworn, a nomadic warrior tribe dedicated to the protection of a great power known as the Dread. The first novel in a new series in the world of Martin’s “Chronicles of the Necromancer” (The Summoner; The Blood King; Dark Haven; Dark Lady’s Chosen) sets the scene for an epic tale of warfare and magic in which ancient forces come into play and men and women struggle to live meaningful lives in the face on encroaching darkness. VERDICT Fans of Martin’s previous series as well as those who enjoy the large-scale fantasy of George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan should enjoy this series opener.
McKillip, Patricia A. The Bards of Bone Plain. Ace: Berkley. Dec. 2010. c.336p. ISBN 9780441019571. $24.95. FANTASY
Phelan Cle, needing to write one more paper to graduate from the bardic school on the hill, decides to focus on the enigmatic tale of Bone Plain and the life of Nairn, the legendary Wandering Bard. At the same time, Phelan’s alcoholic father, Jonah, spurred on by the king’s youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice, conducts archaeological forays throughout the city, seeking bits of lost history and something that just escapes his grasp. McKillip’s (The Bell at Sealey Head) finely tuned feel for the mythic aspects of stories informs her fantasies with the underpinnings of archetypal power, yet her characters remain endearingly human, with recognizable flaws and strengths. VERDICT This masterfully told tale by an author sensitive to nuance and detail will please McKillip’s many fans.
McKitterick, Christopher. Transcendence. Hadley Rille. 2010. c.408p. ISBN 9780982946701. $29.95; pap. ISBN 9780982725696. $16.95. SF
In the near future, technology pushes the world toward self-destruction. As a teenage hacker attempts to use his skills to find a girl he once loved and unwittingly betrayed, a supertycoon uses his artificial constructs to increase his control over the world. Actors in a virtual reality drama start a real-time war in space, while an artificial intelligence decides to try on a physical form and live as a human. Short story writer McKitterick’s first novel tells a larger-than-life cautionary tale of men and women in crisis and of the dangers posed by an out-of-control technology. VERDICT Readers who enjoyed the cyberpunk feel of Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash as well as the cosmic fiction of James Blish’s Cities in Flight should welcome the author’s full-length sf debut.
Parks, Richard. On the Banks of the River of Heaven. Prime. Dec. 2010. c.256p. ISBN 9781607012269. $24.95. FANTASY
In the title story, characters from Japanese mythology face a dilemma as the wrath of the Rain God separates a pair of Celestial lovers and Otter must solve their problem. A young man learns the difficult truth behind his father’s profession in “The Man Who Carved Skulls.” The 14 stories in this collection, many with Asian themes, demonstrate the distinctive storytelling abilities by the author of The Ogre’s Wife. VERDICT At once filled with restraint and passion, Parks’s stories, some previously published in magazines, should delight short fiction lovers and belong in most libraries.
Ringo, John. Citadel. Baen, dist. by S. & S. Jan. 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9781439134009. $26. SF
Earth has recaptured the Solar System from the alien Horvath, but the destruction of humanity’s allies by the encroaching Rangora Empire presages the beginning of an ugly and lengthy galactic war. The gigantic Troy battle station uses all its resources to meet the oncoming threat in a struggle that will come to be known as The Spiral Arm Wars. This sequel to Ringo’s Live Free or Die again proves the author to be one of the most knowledgeable and capable writers of military sf. The author of the Posleen War series (Eye of the Storm; A Hymn Before Battle) has a practiced eye for describing battles in space and on the ground as well as injecting a soldier’s humor into his snappy dialog. VERDICT Veteran fans of military sf will enjoy the latest book by one of the genre’s foremost contributors.
Wolfe, Gene. Home Fires. Tor. Jan. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780765328182. $24.99. sf
Now a successful defense attorney, Skip eagerly awaits the return of his wife, Chelle, from her tour of duty fighting a war in space against hostile aliens—and realizes that the months of service have translated into years. While Skip is now in his forties, his wife is still in her twenties, and their attempts to re-create a life together devolve rapidly into a series of ever more bizarre confrontations that hint at dark doings beneath the surface of normality. Though known primarily for his groundbreaking “Book of the New Sun” series and its spin-offs, Wolfe also excels at infusing seemingly everyday stories with layers of complexity while never losing track of his characters’ individual dramas. VERDICT Part cyber-thriller, part love story, part sf adventure, Wolfe’s latest novel should appeal to his many fans as well as to general readers.
ADDITIONAL SF & FANTASY
Ford, Michael Thomas. Jane Goes Batty. Ballantine. Feb. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780345513663. pap. $14. FANTASY
Born Jane Austen but turned into a vampire by Lord Byron, our heroine has finally published a new book under her current name, Jane Fairfax. Now her focus has turned to a horribly overdue second novel she can’t seem to start and a new editor who believes Jane stole the plot of her best seller from a lost Brontë manuscript. The cherry on top is her boyfriend Walter’s mother, Miriam, who has come for a visit and believes Jane is converting to Judaism for him. But that’s not Jane’s biggest problem with her potential mother-in-law. Miriam seems to know the secret of her true nature and has a wooden stake she’s not afraid to use. Ford’s follow-up to the acclaimed Jane Bites Back doesn’t just provide another chance to hang out with one of the most likable vampires ever created; there are also unexpected plot twists to keep readers engaged to the end. Verdict References to classic and contemporary books will appeal to bibliophiles, pop culture asides will catch trend watchers, and classic physical comedy scenes could make anyone chuckle. This story could be read on its own, but some continuing plot points will make more sense to those who have read Jane Bites Back. [Library marketing.]—Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH
Weston, Lucy. The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer. Gallery: S. & S. Jan. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9781439190333. pap. $15. FANTASY
In recent years, we’ve seen famous literary and historical characters jump on the monster-killing bandwagon. Elizabeth Bennet stomps zombies, and Abe Lincoln spears vampires—apparently when not tending to affairs of state. The latest entry in this subgenre of urban fantasy/paranormal romance/historical fiction is none other than Elizabeth Tudor, the Virgin Queen. Author Weston (yes, that Lucy from Bram Stoker’s Dracula) crafts an amusing yarn about the queen’s destiny aside from ruling England. Borrowing from Arthurian legend, British history, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the novel is told in alternating chapters by Elizabeth and her supernatural enemy, Mordred, the vampire son of King Arthur. No previous knowledge of the Tudors is needed; Weston name checks important historical figures like Elizabeth’s adviser William Cecil, and important events are mentioned, along with approximate dates. While it’s obvious that this is all fiction, there’s just enough weight behind Elizabeth’s memories of her mother, Anne Boleyn, and her father, Henry VIII. Verdict This fun fictional account of the famed monarch will please fans of Seth Grahame-Smith or those in search of a paranormal Alison Weir. —Stacey Rottiers Comfort, Dexter Dist. Lib., MI
CORRECTION In LJ 10/15/10, we inadvertently misspelled the surname of the writer of the zombie fiction roundup (“Blood, Brains, and Books”). We thank Karl Siewert for his contribution and apologize for the error.
