Grasping for the Wind: Inside the Blogosphere
The man behind the most innovative blogosphere memes the internet has ever seen (in my opinion) has started a new series called ‘Inside the Blogosphere’; John Ottinger III has been running these features for a while now (it started with ‘Ask the Bloggers‘ and became ‘Inside the Blogosphere‘) and the latest edition asks the question, Who Introduced You to the Love of Literature?
John asked a couple of bloggers to share their ‘Introductions’ and I offered my thoughts; mine is the last of the bunch, but do read the entire post – many of the best bloggers / reviewers in the blogosphere offered their thoughts, too. 
Be EPIC!
An Interview with Brian Libby
Hey everyone, yes, I’m finally back! After some CRAZY problems with the internet and the bank, everything has been sorted out. I’m really sorry that I haven’t been able to update the blog so far this week! 
Anyway, back to the interview!
Brian Libby is the author of the Epic Fantasy novel, Storm Approaching (reviewed here) that uses practically nothing that we’ve come to take for granted in the Epic Fantasy we’re used to and still stands as a proud example of the genre.
I interviewed Brian via email, wanting to get a bit more info about him and the novel, and here’s the result:
Please tell us a bit about yourself and your work:
I’m a historian, age 60, single, who has taught at a prep school in southern Minnesota for many years. I attended Johns Hopkins, UMass, and Purdue (Ph.D. 1977); my fields are European military and diplomatic history and modern Germany.
I have always enjoyed writing; I have a fantasy “trunk novel” tucked away, along with the nice letter Lester del Rey wrote me when Ballantine rejected it in 1978. I don’t really know why I did not continue to try writing for publication, but it was probably because I was too busy teaching. In the late 90’s I published (POD) And Gladly Teach, a satirical novel about life at a (fictional) prep school, which has been well received by a discriminating (i.e. small) audience. But having loved fantasy since I read Tolkien, and many others, in my teens, I decided I wanted to try something along those lines again, so I went part-time in 1999 and took up a pen (literally). The result is four books in the Mercenaries series, the first of which, Storm Approaching, is now out. I was fortunate to get a very good agent for it (the same agent Patrick Rothfuss has, in fact) and unfortunate in his not being able to place it, despite a good recommendation from the first reader at DAW. I decided to publish it myself. I hope to publish Gold and Glory in the next few months, and the others later.
I also write occasional humorous items for the amusement of colleagues, and am now posting these on a blog. (Humor and satire are my favorite genres, although you might not guess it from my answers to these serious questions.)
Will you please give readers an introduction to Storm Approaching?
The first three books—Storm Approaching, Gold and Glory, and Resolution—are a trilogy; the fourth, The Free Lands, is a stand-alone. They are set in a pre-gunpowder world whose society and technology roughly correspond to late-Medieval/early-Renaissance Europe. Storm Approaching concerns a young orphan, Andiriel, who wants to see the world; she winds up being sent on an espionage mission, which gives her more excitement than she bargained for, and getting involved with a broken-down mercenary infantry regiment. (There are no standing armies in the New Empire, so mercenaries are the usual military forces.) Her adventures are set against a backdrop of growing friction between the New Empire and a foreign state, Sarenia. Although Andiriel and her surroundings are the focus of the book, some chapters are set at the Imperial court and do not concern her.
What was the spark, the idea, which gave birth to Storm Approaching?
About fifteen years ago I wrote on a slip of paper, “She was running as fast as she could, but it wasn’t fast enough,” and I said to myself, this will be the opening line of a novel. I do not know why I did this, but I kept the slip of paper. I knew I wanted to try writing something extensive; I did not know exactly what would happen when I started writing. (And that first line was changed, of course, in one of my later edits.)
What themes did you want to explore in Storm Approaching?
I wanted to deal with war and diplomacy more accurately than, so far as I am aware, these topics are usually treated in speculative fiction. I wanted to explore the inner workings of a mercenary regiment. I wanted to look at the importance of friendship, honor, education, and intelligence. I wanted a book that was character-driven, not plot-driven. (The trilogy has a story arch and develops plots, but there is no “main quest”—as I say on the back cover, there are no prophecies or magical trinkets in sight.)
What kind of research did you do for the novel, and how do you approach research?
As a historian, I was trained to do research. But I have not had to do much for the books. I’m conversant enough with my field so that I have little trouble “designing” countries, royal courts, or military units, or including logistics and economics. The polity of the New Empire, for example, bears a resemblance to that of the Holy Roman Empire. The Internet is a very handy source for minor but important matters like the parts of a horse or some detail of heraldry,.
You’ve given readers a fantasy novel that is practically devoid of the usual tropes found in Fantasy – why did you take this risk, and why was it important for you to write this way?
I am very glad you perceive the book that way, because prospective readers, hearing that it centers on an orphan who goes looking for adventure, might well groan, and exclaim, “Ick. Pooh. Not again.” After all, the number of adventurous orphans in Fantasy could populate a small town; they should form a union. But “fantasy” to me means a created world not requiring the inclusion of non-human races or much magic. (Surely dwarfs, elves, etc. have been comprehensively covered by others. None of my major characters is a mage, though magic does exist.) New novelists are told they must do something different, so I tried. They also say to write what you know, and what I know is history: military, diplomatic, political. (And I keep nearby Diana W. Jones’s Tough Guide to Fantasyland, a wonderful prophylactic against clichés.)
I hope that Mercenaries is written with a lightness of touch—not zany or satiric, but with a certain joie de vivre, jeu d’esprit, or other quality we sober English-speakers often use foreign words to describe. My books, though their theme be war and politics, are not meant to be depres-sing. There are enough novels like that in circulation. Good actors, jewellers, farmers enjoy their work. Why shouldn’t good soldiers?
As it happens, I’m writing this on the 203rd birthday of Robert E. Lee, who embodied all that a good soldier can be.
In Andiriel, you’ve created a strong female lead that surprised in more ways than one – what about Andiriel impresses you the most, and has she surprised you in any way, deviated from the path you planned for her?
There are more characters in the books than I expected. All except Andiriel appeared as I wrote; she is the only (human) character I knew about when I started. So her actions have not been too surprising to me, although her, um, friendship with Lana took me a bit by surprise. Andiriel’s sex was not vital; my wish to write about a decent, well-educated person who proves to have talent as a leader could have been done with a man. But I thought that having a young woman in her position, in a society where women are rarely (but not uniquely) found as soldiers, would make things more interesting. Andiriel is not a natural fighter (although she’s good with a bow), nor boisterously aggressive (except on a battlefield), and certainly not like the usual mercenary in a fantasy novel; her strength comes from her intelligence, quickness, and courtesy. Baron Gurlarga sums up her attitude when he uses the famous quotation “No glory without honor.”
The characters who most surprised me in Volume I—first by appearing at all, then by their development—are Lana and Dagget. I’m still learning about them after four volumes.
Lastly, can you give us some info about the sequel to Storm Approaching?
Why yes, I can. Gold and Glory finds the Pelicans Mercenary Regiment looking for a contract and getting more than one. Readers who might have been a bit disappointed that Storm Approaching did not contain more war will not be further disappointed. And affairs in distant Sarenia develop in ways that involve some subjects of the New Empire. Gold and Glory is considerably longer than Storm Approaching, and, I guess, contains more “action.”
————————
Thanks very much for this opportunity to speak to a large audience. I hope that your readers will investigate my books, and my blog (http://andiriel.blogspot.com) and website (http://www.blibby.com), or drop me a line if they have questions (brnlbb(at)gmail.com.)
You can order your copies of Storm Approaching from the publisher, Author House, or from Amazon (US/UK). South Africans reading this can also order the book from Kalahari and Exclusive Books.
Brian has also kindly agreed to let me post excerpts from Storm Approaching, which should start appearing on the blog from next week onwards.
Until then,
Be EPIC!
P.S. I’m meeting Liz and Mark De Jager tomorrow, the fine folk who run the awesome blog My Favourite Books! They’re in South Africa for a visit! Looking forward to it!
Angry Robot Books: When last were you scared?
The awesome SF/F/WTF? publisher, Angry Robot, have signed a new author!
ANGRY ROBOT PUTS THE HORROR BACK INTO HORROR FICTION
Angry Robot, HarperCollins’ imprint focussing on innovative fantasy and science fiction, has turned its attention to reinvigorating horror.
Gary McMahon’s Pretty Little Dead Things and its sequel promise an
astonishing mix of David Peace and modern Japanese horror cinema to
create a truly unique fusion of intense writing and sheer terror.
Marc Gascoigne, Angry Robot’s publishing director, said: “Horror thrives in movies and graphic novels. Like our other recent discovery, Kaaron
Warren, Gary is at the forefront of a new generation of writers bringing
that energy back to horror fiction.”
McMahon added: “Working with the Angry Robot family, it feels as if I’m
participating in something fresh and vital. Exciting times lie ahead.”
Pretty Little Dead Things will be published in the UK and Australia this
July, and in the US (also by Angry Robot) in winter 2010. Its sequel, Dead Bad Things, follows in the Spring of 2011, with US publication shortly thereafter. All Angry Robot titles are available in paperback, eBook and audio formats.
About Angry Robot:
Angry Robot is the new genre imprint from HarperCollins, bringing you the best in new SF, F and WTF?! Our first titles hit the stores in the UK and Australia on 1st July 2009. We debut in the US in May 2010.
Want some info on what you can look forward to from Gary> Head over to the Pretty Little Dead Things page at Angry Robot, and get yourself introduced to Thomas Usher; I’ve got a feeling we’ll be hearing plenty about him…
Be EPIC!
South African Release Date for The Desert Spear by Peter V Brett
I got some good news today. Well, adequate news (but still good, in the sense that The Desert Spear by Peter V Brett will be in SA soon).
Book 2 of the Demon Trilogy (see awesome cover art by awesome Larry Rostant) will be available in May 2010 in South Africa. I know, I know, it’s being released in April, but we have to wait, unfortunately. I’m not sure why, either; The Painted Man was published on the 1st of September 2008, and we had it in South Africa about a week later, so I don’t know why the same couldn’t be done with The Desert Spear’s publication… Anyway, the important thing is that it’s on its way!
Hopefully I’ll be getting an ARC, so I hope to have a review up in time for SA readers.
Until then, pre-order your copies at this link through Exclusive Books.
Be EPIC!
Angry Robot Review: Obsidian and Blood Book 1: Servant of the Underworld by Aliette de Bodard
I finished Aliette’s debut (an what a debut it is!) a couple of days ago (as everyone who Follows me on Twitter can attest to), and have finally had some time to post this review – it would have been up yesterday, but problems with the internet on Monday pushed all my posts up by a day. Anyway, into the review:
Servant of the Underworld is a murder mystery, a clashing of wills between mortals and immortals, and an example of world-remembering that astonished me. For a time, I was a willing visitor behind the eyes of a man that lived and breathed in the beauty and danger of Mexica (Aztec) Empire of the 15th century, and what a ride it was!
Servant of the Underworld follows a High Priest, Acatl, and his investigation into the apparent abduction of a priestess; Acatl has been tasked with getting to the truth behind the priestess’ disappearance at an extremely critical time in the Empire – even the myriad gods of the Mexica are taking an interest, and you just know that everything hits the fan when gods take an interest in mortal affairs…
The first thing that struck me about Servant of the Underworld was how utterly smooth it was; the tale flowed on and on without any jarring, which is no mean feat considering how well Aliette managed to keep up the pacing and intrigue, as well as the constant building of the narrative as more and more about Acatl’s world was revealed. It’s really subtle, the way Aliette reels the reader in, revealing the culture and beliefs and way of life of the Aztecs without once making you feel as if you’re reading an essay about them.
Another aspect of the tale that surprised me was how it was layered; I expected the first mystery -that of the priestess that had disappeared- to be the only mystery that would be dealt with and explained, but it was just the first of many mysteries that tie- together before climaxing in a weird, otherworldly confrontation, finally revealing all. I’ll also admit that I tried to figure out who was behind all the mischief -you know, sometimes you get an idea because you try and imagine the person who seems most likely and least likely- but I was dead wrong! I don’t think anyone will make the correct guess!
The magic-system is refreshingly new and thoughtful; Aliette builds the magic that her characters use bit by bit, giving each spell it’s own ritual, words and effects, a job very nicely done since the tale takes place in the past of our own world and not in a different place entirely (ok, sure, artistic license and all that, but Aliette left me believing in the magic, thinking that it may just have been real).
If there’s one problem that I had with the book, it’s that I really struggled to believe Acatl’s gender; for the first 4 or 5 chapters, I believed that Acatl was a woman; I’m not entirely sure why – perhaps because of Jo Graham’s character from Black Ships, Gull – and I was a bit shook up when I realized my error. It didn’t affect the reading of the novel, though; it’s not like I was jolted out of it, it was more like a “Ohhh, okay, now I’m with you, now I understand.” moment. Anyway, I don’t think you’ll see a similar observation in any other review of Servant of the Underworld, so don’t expect this to color the novel in any way.
All in all, Aliette’s Servant of the Underworld is an incredibly strong and promising debut, showing her talents at full effect – she can create amazing, believable worlds; her characters are solid and relatable, and she knows how to do interesting magic, great action and creepiness in spades. I’m definitely looking forward to Aliette’s next two books – now that the main players have been introduced and the scene set, I can’t wait to see what Acatl gets up to next!
8 / 10
To order your copies of Servant of the Underworld, click here and here for those of you in the UK; as soon as I’ve got an expected SA-release date, I’ll let you all know.
Also, follow this link to Aliette’s official website; not only will you find some free fiction to read, but Aliette also did a 4-part exploration of the Aztecs, giving readers more background to the Empire of that time (the link will take you through to part 1). Serving as another introduction, here’s the book trailer (yes, I stole it from Angry Robot) :
Aliette also has a presence on LiveJournal, and click the links to check out her author-page at Angry Robot, as well as the Servant of the Underworld page, where you can get yourself an extract to read!
Be EPIC!
Book Trailer: Fires in Eden Book 1: Crown of Vengeance
This is the first book trailer that’s been done for Stephen’s work, and it’s excellent! Will be diving into this as soon as I’ve finished Stephen’s The Exodus Gate!
Crown of Vengeance is the first book in Stephen’s Epic Fantasy series, Fires in Eden. To order your copies, click here to head over to Stephen’s official website; you’ll find all the info and order-links you need! Also, check out the Fires in Eden website for more info about the series.
Be EPIC!
Review: Star Wars Fate of the Jedi – Abyss by Troy Denning
Hey everyone! I’m back, after some trouble with the internet; seems that my service provider thought that it was high-time to ‘reset the ports’… what ever that means. Suffice it to say that I couldn’t do a damn thing, but it’s all working again now.
Anyway, let’s get into the review!
Abyss is the third book in the 9-Book Fate of the Jedi series, and the first book of the series by Troy Denning. The main plots that unfurl in this book are Luke and Ben Skywalker’s time in the Maw, the discoveries of Vestara Khai and her fellow Lost Tribe-Sith, and the continuing battle of wills between the Jedi and Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance, Daala.
If you haven’t yet read Book 1, Outcast (audio book reviewed here) and Book 2 (Omen, reviewed here), then don’t pick up Abyss. You wont know what’s going on, who’s who (especially the new characters such as Vestara) and you’ll end up feeling a bit bewildered. In fact, if you haven’t read at least the Legacy of the Force series, don’t read Fate of the Jedi; there’s just too much that has happened in the Expanded Universe that you missed, and that you need to know about in order to understand the character’s motivations in this series.
Abyss was, while not remotely the best work that Troy has done, both better than Outcast & Omen, and at the same time, not as good.
You see, Outcast set the tone for the series, introducing some of the major plot lines, and Omen introduced yet another plot line (that of John Jackson Miller’s Lost Tribe of the Sith); Abyss changes the game up a bit, bringing in a new character, but not much else changes – on Coruscant, the Jedi are still floundering their way through Daala’s unwholesome attentions, and the Jedi Knights are now dropping like flies (not dying, going insane), while Luke and Ben begin to take a closer look at the Maw, the roiling mass of black holes close to Kessel, because of a discovery made in their time with the Aing-Tee monks. It’s more of the same, in my opinion, and the new storyline-additions don’t offer much in the way of variety or newness.
Is this a case of being careful with the story, and not throwing in too much, or a case of being too careful, and taking too long to move tha tale forward? Only hindsight will tell.
I am, I’ll admit, curious about the direction that Fate of the Jedi is taking – the Jedi are really being shaken up and rattled around, and I can’t see the Order regaining their balance and status any time soon, if at all, after this series. If the Order did somehow manage to come back from the anger and distrust facing it now, it would have to be something incredible. I’m also intrigued about what is being discovered about Jacen Solo / Darth Caedus by Luke and Ben Skywalker; on the one hand, it seems that Jacen / Caedus just didn’t really use what he learned to do on his 5 year journey (during the Legacy of the Force series), and on the other hand, we are being shown a side of Jacen that paints him, and this is weird, as a better person and Jedi than Luke Skywalker. There’s just something about the way Jacen is remembered in Abyss by the various characters that Luke and Ben meet that doesn’t gel properly – sure, I know that he only embraced the name Caedus after murdering Mara Jade Skywalker, but it just seems that something else, other than Verger and Lumiya, happened to Jacen.
The case being made at the moment suggests that Jacen was preparing for a threat that Luke and Ben are only now discovering – and this, unfortunately, just doesn’t gel for me. The reason that Jacen become Caedus was to attain and use power so that he could bring peace to the galaxy; so far in Fate of the Jedi, it seems that Jacen discovered an actual, looming threat which has nothing to do with governments pulling out of the GA (in Legacy of the Force).
Anyway, I hope these weird inconsistencies are addressed in the next couple of books.
But how was the book itself?! I hear you asking. Well, anyone who’s read Troy Denning’s work knows that the man writes a tight, pacey, thrilling tale, that his work is filled with excellent lightsaber battles as well as important philosophical ponderings, and that the man really loves Star Wars. Nothing has changed!
Troy pushes many of the characters to their limits, throws some great action set pieces our way, and takes us a bit deeper into the politics, scheming, and increases the stakes by showing us how the events taking place around the Jedi are leaving them more frantic and reactionary that they’ve ever been – after Order 66, there wasn’t an Order left, and the Order was way more capable during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion that what it seems to be now.
Troy also has some major surprises in store (in the Luke-Ben storyline) that might bring a tear to your eye (and plenty of goose flesh).
All in all, while I enjoyed Abyss and am still intrigued by Fate of the Jedi, it seems that the story hasn’t yet completely found its feet; it’s not something you can really blame on Troy or Aaron or Chistie (considering how such a series is put together in the first place), but it does have me concerned. I wouldn’t want to see the madness plaguing the Jedi or the information revealed about Jacen’s journey become a plot point that is readily cast aside – as happened with the Second Galactic Civil War in Legacy of the Force.
I’ll definitely be reading the next book in the series, Aaron Allston’s Backlash (a nicely ominous title) as soon as I can (yes I know, still have to wait for it to be published), and hoping that things pick up momentum – going from the blurb I’ve read for Backlash, it seems that we won’t be disappointed.
8 / 10
To order your copy of Abyss, click here for USA, here for UK, and for those in South Africa, order your copy here or visit your closest Exclusive Books branch. And if you want some for information about Fate of the Jedi, click here for the Wookieepedia page.
Be EPIC!
John Jarrold’s Corner: Novels Coming in 2010
Thanks to John Jarrold I got this list of novels that’ll be hitting the shelves this year from his agency-clients. Some awesome novels coming up, some of which I’ve read, one of which I’m reading at the moment.
Debut novels marked (*)
JANUARY
TWELVE – JASPER KENT (BANTAM UK) SUPERNATURAL HISTORICAL NOVEL, PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – SUSSEX * Reviewed here, and interviewed here.
THE RED WOLF CONSPIRACY – ROBERT V S REDICK (DEL REY US) FANTASY NOVEL, PBK. US AUTHOR *
FEBRUARY
SECRETS OF THE FIRE SEA – STEPHEN HUNT (HARPERCOLLINS UK) FANTASY NOVEL. BRITISH AUTHOR – SURREY
THE ADAMANTINE PALACE – STEPHEN DEAS (GOLLANCZ UK/BERKLEY ACE US) FANTASY NOVEL, PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – ESSEX. *
JADE MAN’S SKIN – DANIEL FOX (DEL REY US) FANTASY NOVEL. BRITISH AUTHOR (PSEUDONYM).
THE RULING SEA – ROBERT V S REDICK (DEL REY US) FANTASY NOVEL. US AUTHOR (US TITLE FOR THE RATS AND THE RULING SEA)
MARCH
THIRTEEN YEARS LATER – JASPER KENT (BANTAM UK) SUPERNATURAL HISTORICAL NOVEL. BRITISH AUTHOR – SUSSEX
APRIL
KING OF THE CRAGS – STEPHEN DEAS (GOLLANCZ UK) FANTASY NOVEL. BRITISH AUTHOR – ESSEX.
THE SWEET SCENT OF BLOOD – SUZANNE MCLEOD (BERKLEY ACE US) SUPERNATURAL THRILLER, PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – SUSSEX*
CIRCUS OF SINS – NATASHA RHODES (SOLARIS UK/US) SUPERNATURAL THRILLER, PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – LOS ANGELES
MAY
APARTMENT 16 – ADAM NEVILL (PAN UK) HORROR NOVEL, PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – LONDON
THE NOISE WITHIN – IAN WHATES (SOLARIS UK/US), PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – CAMBRIDGESHIRE *
JUNE
CITY OF RUIN – MARK NEWTON (TOR UK) FANTASY NOVEL. BRITISH AUTHOR – NOTTINGHAM
NIGHTS OF VILLJAMUR – MARK NEWTON (TOR UK/BANTAM US) FANTASY NOVEL, PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – NOTTINGHAM Reviewed here.
JULY
THE COLD KISS OF DEATH – SUZANNE MCLEOD (GOLLANCZ UK) SUPERNATURAL THRILLER, PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – SUSSEX
CONSORTS OF HEAVEN – JAINE FENN (GOLLANCZ UK) SF NOVEL, PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – HAMPSHIRE
THE HOLY MACHINE – CHRIS BECKETT (GROVE ATLANTIC/CORVUS UK) SF NOVEL. BRITISH AUTHOR – CAMBRIDGE*
KING ROLEN’S KIN, VOLUME 1 – ROWENA CORY DANIELLS (SOLARIS UK/US) FANTASY NOVEL, PBK. AUSTRALIAN AUTHOR.
AUGUST
THE THIEF-TAKER’S APPRENTICE – STEPHEN DEAS (GOLLANCZ UK) YA FANTASY NOVEL. BRITISH AUTHOR – ESSEX
KING ROLEN’S KIN, VOLUME 2 – ROWENA CORY DANIELLS (SOLARIS UK/US) FANTASY NOVEL, PBK. AUSTRALIAN AUTHOR.
MONARCHIES OF GOD OMNIBUS, VOLUME 1 – PAUL KEARNEY (SOLARIS UK/US) FANTASY NOVELS, PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – COUNTY DOWN, N.I.
SEPTEMBER
THE QUANTUM THIEF – HANNU RAJANIEMI (GOLLANCZ UK) SF NOVEL. FINNISH AUTHOR (LIVING IN SCOTLAND) *
GUARDIANS OF PARADISE – JAINE FENN (GOLLANCZ UK) SF NOVEL. BRITISH AUTHOR – HAMPSHIRE
THE BITTER SEED OF MAGIC – SUZANNE MCLEOD (GOLLANCZ UK) SUPERNATURAL THRILLER. BRITISH AUTHOR – SUSSEX
SECRETS OF THE FIRE SEA – STEPHEN HUNT (HARPERCOLLINS UK) FANTASY NOVEL, PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – SURREY
TWELVE – JASPER KENT (PYR US) SUPERNATURAL HISTORICAL NOVEL, PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – SUSSEX *
KING ROLEN’S KIN, VOLUME 3 – ROWENA CORY DANIELLS (SOLARIS UK/US) FANTASY NOVEL, PBK. AUSTRALIAN AUTHOR.
MONARCHIES OF GOD OMNIBUS, VOLUME 2 – PAUL KEARNEY (SOLARIS UK/US) FANTASY NOVELS, PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – COUNTY DOWN, N.I.
OCTOBER
THE RATS AND THE RULING SEA – ROBERT V S REDICK (GOLLANCZ UK) FANTASY NOVEL, PBK. US AUTHOR
VERSION 43 – PHILIP PALMER (ORBIT US/UK) SF NOVEL, PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – LONDON
NOVEMBER
GUARDIANS OF THE PHOENIX – ERIC BROWN (SOLARIS UK/US), PBK. BRITISH AUTHOR – CAMBRIDGESHIRE
DECEMBER
STONEWIELDER – IAN CAMERON ESSLEMONT (BANTAM UK) FANTASY NOVEL. US AUTHOR.
Plenty of awesome, awesome novels coming up for Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror and Urban Fantasy fans to enjoy! Mark your calendars!
Be EPIC!
Review: Star Wars – Crosscurrent by Paul S Kemp
This is the first time I got to review a new Star Wars novel BEFORE its publication, and not only was I lucky in that regard, but Paul’s Star Wars debut turned out to be one of the strongest Expanded Universe debuts I’ve read to date.
I’m not going to tell you what the plot of the novel revolves around – Star Wars fans the world over have known since the 17th of July 2009 when the Official Site posted its First Look. I’ll dive right into what made Crosscurrent such a strong debut.
Now, let me state from the outset that I’ve yet to read any of Paul’s other work (though I do have the first Erevis Cale book lined up to review), so I had no idea what to expect concerning his writing style. Would it suit Star Wars?
I’m happy to report that it does.
Paul gives us an intimate focus, character- and action-wise, and his action scenes are as cinematical as would be expected from any Star Wars EU novel.
Paul gives us starfighter dogfights that, while not the equal of what Mike Stackpole or Aaron Allston can do, are still tense and well-suited to the situation. He even manages a great nod at a scene from Return of the Jedi.
Paul’s lightsaber duels are not as descriptive as I would have liked, but what I did like was the fact that the duels were intense and brutal, something that suited both time-periods that Paul uses in Crosscurrent as well as the characters.
Paul’s handling of the characters in Crosscurrent was excellent! Our protagonist, Jaden Korr, comes across as fully-fleshed, as if we’ve met him countless times in the EU instead of just glimpsing him in Centerpoint Station. (I haven’t mentioned Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy -Jaden’s first appearance in Star Wars- because I haven’t played the game) I trusted Jaden to take me through Crosscurrent, something that I believe any protagonist needs to create in a reader; Jaden was likable and I could relate to his situation (not being a Jedi or having a Force-vision, of course, but going through periods of being unsure of myself and having a need to strip away the clutter) and thoughts.
Paul also has a great supporting cast;
Khedryn, a human male who manages to emulate Han Solo and be a better character (considering the way Han has being relegated to comic-relief post-New Jedi Order), and Khedryn plays an awesome game of sabbac, too!
Marr, Khedryn’s co-pilot and friend, a Cerean (think Ki-Adi Mundi) who is at his most calm when taking on a navicomputer to calculate a hyperspace jump;
Kell, a creepy Anzat who is searching for the Revelation that will give his existence meaning,
Relin, a Jedi trying to accomplish the impossible while fighting incredible odds,
and Saes, a Sith who finds himself is either the best or worst possible situation.
The dynamic between Jaden, Khedryn and Marr was great; Not only did Paul manage, by using Khedryn and Marr, to give Jaden a much-needed perspective that didn’t involve the Jedi, but he also used them as a vehicle to explore the kind of questions that we all face – being afraid and dealing with it, seeing the comedy in against-the-odds situations, gathering the courage to do what needs to be done… This interplay between the characters really gave the novel that relatable feel, something that’s been missing from the Star Wars EU for a while now.
Relin I’m not going to say anything about, nor Saes; but go ahead and read the excerpts that have been posted (the first glimpse, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2) to get a taste (not telling you of who, either).
Kell is, well, utterly creepy. Here’s a character that has a need, a hunger that must be fulfilled, and if you know something about Anzati, you can imagine where you’ll travel with Kell. Genuinely creepy!
What made this such an excellent Star Wars debut? Well, part from the awesome characters –
Handling two different eras and not getting me confused, keeping the action and suspense constant with short, to-the-point chapters that rocket along, and crafting a story that can stand proudly and strongly on its own without even a glimpse of Canon characters. This is a Star Wars novel that fans of the EU will love, but it’s also a novel that will get someone who has never read a Star Wars novel before hooked; it has all the hallmarks of Episodes 1 through 6 – the beautiful and strange scenery of distant planets, the wisdom and valor of the Jedi, exciting space battles and lightsaber duels, and the kind of philosophical questions that make Star Wars great. Crosscurrent ranks right up there with the debuts of Troy Denning, Matthew Stover and Karen Traviss for me – it’s enjoyable, exciting, leads to questions and more mysteries, and that spark that sets it above the current EU choice-list.
I’m very excited to see where Paul will take Jaden, Khedryn and Marr, not least because of the links to other Star Wars EU projects going at the moment (and there are plenty of those, and they all work beautifully!).
9 / 10
If you’d like more info about Paul and his work, click here for his official website and here for his LiveJournal blog. Need some more info about Jaden? Click here for his listing on Wookieepedia.
To pre-order Crosscurrent, click here for US, here for UK, and for those in South Africa (the book will be out in March), here.
Be EPIC!
P.S. Stay tuned for an interview with Paul and John Jackson Miller, coming up soon!
The David Gemmell Legend Award 2009 Nominees
It’s been too damn long since I’ve posted anything regarding the DGLA, a crying shame considering that I’m a member! So I thought I would put together this post. There are plenty of awesome titles -and this year, artists- that are in the running for this excellent award, so get a cup of your favorite beverage (whether its alcoholic or not), and have a look at the list.
The award-nominations have been divided into 3 categories and each category has it’s own section on the site where members can discuss the merits of each nominee.
Here are the categories, with the nominations:
The Legend Award Nominees:
PYR
Blood of Ambrose – James Enge
Midwinter – Matthew Sturges
ANGRY ROBOT
Kell’s Legend – Andy Remic
VOYAGER
Rides a Dread Legion – Raymond E Feist
The Dragon Keeper – Robin Hobb
The Silver Mage – Katharine Kerr
The Rise of the Iron Moon – Stephen Hunt
Tyrant’s Blood – Fiona McIntosh
ABADDON
Night’s Haunting – Matthew Sprange
Crucible of the Dragon God – Mike Wild
SOLARIS
The Lord of Silence – Mark Chadbourn
The Laurentine Spy – Emily Gee
Archwizard – Ed Greenwood
Dark Haven – Gail Z. Martin
Dragonseed – James Maxey
Irons in the Fire – Juliet E. McKenna
THE BLACK LIBRARY
Empire – Graham McNeill
Shamanslayer – Nathan Long
Reiksguard – Richard Williams
GOLLANCZ
Chronicles of the Xandim – Maggie Furey
White Star – Beth Vaughan
The Adamantine Palace – Stephen Deas
Best Served Cold – Joe Abercrombie
Retribution Falls – Chris Wooding
Destroyer of Worlds – Mark Chadbourn
Fire – Kristin Cashore
The Rats and the Ruling Sea – Robert V.S. Redick
The Cardinals’ Blades by Pierre Pevel
SPECTRA
The Island – Tim Lebbon
Shadow Magic – Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett
DEL REY
Pretender’s Crown – C.E. Murphy
Kings and Assassins – Lane Robins
TOR (UK)
Nights of Villajamur – Mark Charan Newton
Blood of the Mantis – Adrian Tchaikovsky
God of Clocks – Alan Campbell
Heart’s Blood – Juliet Marillier
TOR (US)
Bones of the Dragon – Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
Lamentation – Ken Scholes
Canticle – Ken Scholes
Imager – L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
Imager’s Challenge – L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
The Dame – R. A. Salvatore
Green – Jay Lake
The Phoenix Transformed – Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
Chaosbound – David Farland
Servant of a Dark God – John Brown
Warbreaker – Brandon Sanderson
The Gathering Storm – Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
By the Mountain Bound – Elizabeth Bear
TRANSWORLD
The Other Lands – David Anthony Durham
Dust of Dreams – Steve Erikson
ORBIT
The Judging Eye – R. Scott Bakker
The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart – Jesse Bullington
Magician’s Apprentice – Trudi Canavan
The Prodigal Mage – Karen Miller
The Drowning City – Amanda Downum
The Edge of the World – Kevin J. Anderson
The Dwarves – Markus Heitz
Best Served Cold – Joe Abercrombie (joint Nomination Orbit US & Gollancz in UK)
GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING
Naamah’s Kiss – Jacqueline Carey
The Morningstar Award Nominees:
Best Newcomer / Debut of 2009
PYR
Blood of Ambrose – James Enge
Midwinter – Matthew Sturges
GOLLANCZ
The Adamantine Palace – Stephen Deas
The Cardinals’ Blades – Pierre Pevel
TOR (US)
Servant of a Dark God – John Brown
Lamentation – Ken Scholes
ORBIT
The Dwarves – Markus Heitz
The Drowning City – Amanda Downum
The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart – Jesse Bullington
The Ravenheart Award Nominees:
Best Fantasy Book Jacket Artist
PYR
DOMINIC HARMAN, for the cover of Blood of Ambrose by James Enge
CHRIS MCGRATH, for the cover of Midwinter by Matthew Sturges’
TODD LOCKWOOD, for the cover of The Twilight Herald by Tom Lloyd
VOYAGER
DOMINIC FORBES for Illustration and Art Direction, for the cover of ‘Rides a Dread Legion’ by Raymond Fiest
JACKIE MORRIS for Illustration, and Dominic Forbes for Art Direction, for the cover of ‘The Dragon Keeper’ by Robin Hobb
GEOFF TAYLOR for Illustration, and Dominic Forbes for Art Direction, for the cover of ‘The Silver Mage’ by Katherine Kerr
MAX SCHINDLER for Illustration and Lee Motley for Art Direction, for the cover of ‘The Rise of the Iron Moon’ by Stephen Hunt
NICK SHAH for Illustration and Art Direction, for the cover of ‘Tyrants Blood’ by Fiona McIntosh
ABADDON
GREG STAPLES for the cover of Night’s Haunting by Matthew Sprange
MARK HARRISON for the cover of Crucible of the Dragon God by Mike Wild
SOLARIS
JOHN PICACIO for the cover of The Lord of Silence by Mark Chadbourn
LARRY ROSTANT for the cover of The Laurentine Spy by Emily Gee
JON SULLIVAN for the cover of Archwizard by Ed Greenwood
MICHAEL KORMARCK for the cover of Dark Haven by Gail Z. Martin
MICHAEL KORMARCK for the cover of Dragonseed by James Maxey
DAVID PALUMBO for the cover of Irons in the Fire by Juliet E. McKenna
THE BLACK LIBRARY
JON SULLIVAN for the cover of Empire by Graham McNeill
CLINT LANGLEY for the cover of Reiksguard by Richard Williams,
CLINT LANGLEY for the cover of Iron Company by Chris Wraight,
CLINT LANGLEY for the cover of The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade Volume Two, by Dan Abnett
GOLLANCZ
DOMINIC HARMAN for Illustration, and Sidonie Beresford-Browne for Art Direction, for The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas
DIDIER GRAFFET (sword) and DAVE SENIOR (mapwork) for Illustration, and LAURA BRETT for Art Direction, for Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
STEPHAN MARTINIERE For Illustration, and NICK MAY for Art Direction, for Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding
LARRY ROSTANT for Illustration, and LOULOU CLARKE for Art Direction, for Fire by Kristin Cashore
JON SULLIVAN for Illustration, and SUE MICHNIEWICZ for Art Direction, for The Cardinals’ Blades by Pierre Pevel
LARRY ROSTANT for Illustration, and LOULOU CLARKE for Art Direction, for Graceling by Kristin Cashore
GHOST for Cover Design, for Heritage of the Xandim by Maggie Furey
KEEVIL DESIGN for Cover Design, for White Star by Beth Vaughan
SUE MICHNIEWICZ for Cover Design, for Destroyer of Worlds by Mark Chadbourn
EDWARD MILLER for Illustration, and NICK MAY for Art Direction, for The Rats and the Ruling Sea by Robert V.S. Redick
SAM GREEN for Illustration, and JAMES JONES for Art Direction, for The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
SAM GREEN for Illustration, and JAMES JONES for Art Direction, The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
CHRIS MCGRATH for Illustration, and LAURA BRETT for Art Direction, for The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (reissue)
RICH CARR for Cover Design, for Orcs Bad Blood 2 by Stan Nicholls
LARRY ROSTANT for Illustration, and LAURA BRETT for Art Direction, for The Steel Remains by Richard Morgan
TOR (UK)
DOMINIC HARMAN For the cover of God Of Clocks
JON SULLIVAN For the cover of Dragonfly Falling
JON SULLIVAN For the cover of Blood of the Mantis
TOR (US)
MICHEAL KORMACK for the cover ofBones of the Dragon
DANIEL DOS SANTOS for the cover of Green
ORBIT (UK & US)
Lee Gibbons for the cover of Furies of Calderon
Lee Gibbons for the cover of The Edge of the World
Bob Lee for the cover of The Dwarves
Larry Rostant for the cover of The Drowning City
Istvan Orosz for the cover of The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart
So, how do you vote? Well, you don’t even have to be a member! When you visit the site, hover your mouse icon over the Award name you would like to consider voting in, and a page will come up that will let you make your vote.
But I totally reccomend becoming a member! Not only are there over 1000 memvers to chat with and share thoughts with about the nominated books and Fantasy in general, but many of the nominated authors are also members of the site. No stalking, though, please! 
The David Gemmell Legend award was created to recognize the novels (and now, illustrators and artists) who best signify the what David Gemmell meant, and still means, to Fantasy, and as such, is an Award that readers and fans of Fantasy can vote for – there are no judges here that decide for you what is the best. YOU DECIDE.
So what are you waiting for? Head over, become a member, and cast your vote!
The Polls will close on the 31st of March, so there’s still plenty of time to vote, and then a Short List will be made available to VOTE ON AGAIN, after which the winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in the Magic Circle Headquarters in June 2010. You can even buy tickets to attend the award ceremony, how awesome is that?!
You’re armed with the info you need, so go ahead and check out the site. There are a host of incredible titles to vote on, so make your choices and vote.
Be EPIC!
