Angry Robot Review: Angel of Death by J. Robert King
There is a drought, at the moment. Not the kind of drought that kills people and livestock, but the kind of drought that leads to the cessation of questions being asked, of deep, terrible thoughts being entertained, of people really looking deeply into life and wondering just what the hell is going on. We live, sure, but we are also controlled by mass media – most of the time, we have opinions that were carefully created for us, or even in an offhanded way – and mass media dampens those moments of “….”, those moments when you are just stunned into silence, even though your mind is racing.
Thank goodness for J. Robert King‘s Angel of Death, and Angry Robot for bringing us this novel.
As I mentioned to Rob on Twitter, this book is brutal, uncompromising, unsettling… I felt slightly abused at the end of it, rough around the edges and shaken.
Angel of Death is a difficult book to pin down – it has touches of the supernatural (or does it?), it is a murder mystery viewed from the intimacy of the minds of killers, it is a love story, and it is a meditation on the myriad meanings that we, as human beings, push onto the struggle of living.
I found everything in this book – horror that really creeped me out, beauty in the style and simple evocative use of words that Rob employed, moments of utter revulsion and anger and misery (my roller coaster of emotions while reading), and much more besides. I found myself rooting for every character – the victims, the two characters around which the story revolves, even the characters that made my bile rise in my throat, but I hated them all, too, for reasons I can’t really explain. I mean, you can really like being around someone, enjoy their company and enjoy getting to know them, but some thing starts scratching at you, some thing draws your attention and before you know it, you loathe and like the person in equal measure.
But Angel of Death also has some incredibly uplifting moments, moments that helped me see past the brutality of the book, through the shocks and violence, and the even these hectic, cringe-inducing moments had their own stark kind of beauty – I can only liken this to the kind of brutal beauty an explosion seen from a distance has, the kind of thing that you wish you had never seen or experienced but miss, all the same.
This is also a novel that played with my expectations – Rob divided Angel of Death into three ‘Books’, and each book could be a full-length novel in its own right; not in terms of the length of these Books, but in terms of the events -the twists and turns and the paths the characters take – and led me down paths were I thought, more than once, “Okay, I think this’ll happen, yep, seems logical, seems right,” only to be punched in the gut with a turn I never expected.
I found Angel of Death to be an utterly masterful novel – one of those novels that truly only comes along very, very rarely. And it’s still echoing through my head – I replay scenes, hear the dialogue, see the imagery, feel the emotions… I haven’t read anything quite like this before; it stunned me completely, and I truly hope that this book finds its way into the hands of many, many people.
It’s the kind of book that changes you on the inside, that really leaves you shaken, but at the same time, brings into in sharper focus that which gives our lives meaning, and as such, I just can’t give this book a rating.
Do yourself a favour and read this.
Order your copies at the following links:
Amazon UK, Exclusive Books (SA), Kalahari (SA)
Check out Rob’s site here. It goes without saying that I’m trembling while awaiting Rob’s next Angry Robot novel, Death’s Disciples. Stay tuned for details!
An Interview with Paul S. Kemp and John Jackson Miller
Reading John’s Lost Tribe of the Sith stories, the Fate of the Jedi novels and then Paul’s Crosscurrent brings it home that Del Rey has a pretty comprehensive plan for the Star Wars Expanded Universe, post-Yuuzhan Vong and post-Darth Caedus. Not only does each story arc link together, but each story is made better by these links, in my opinion.
In the New Jedi Order, we were treated to a story that stretched over five years, included hundreds of characters and events, but which, ultimately, revolved around the Core characters; what Del Rey and its authors are doing now is going one step further – Fate of the Jedi focuses on the Core characters, but both Crosscurrent and Lost Tribe of the Sith work alongside FotJ, and work well, without having the Core characters in them. Sure, Lost Tribe is set 5000 years before the Battle of Yavin and Crosscurrent was set after the events of the Legacy of the Force, but didn’t bring in the characters we are used to reading about and expecting. How these story lines mix and intertwine (and they will probably continue to do so, with Paul’s sequel to Crosscurrent and the rest of the Fate of the Jedi novels still on the way) perked my interest mightily, and I decided to get Paul and John together for a kind of round-table interview. 
Here’s the result!
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Please tell us a bit about yourselves, how you got into writing, etc?
John Jackson Miller:
I started writing comics and prose stories about the same time I started reading them. Reading good stories inspired me to try my own hand at it, and I kept at it over the years, writing my own short stories and producing my own small press comics and magazines. It’s funny, but later on, when I started writing professionally, I found I was drawing on a lot of those experiences when I was just writing things for myself. You need to write for more than just yourself, but you’ve also got to be happy with the work you’re doing, or nobody else will be.
Paul Kemp:
I’m Paul S. Kemp. I’ve been married for seventeen years to a lovely redhead (think Mara Jade, peeps) and we have twin five year old sons. We live in Michigan with a couple cats. My day job is corporate lawyer, which makes me evil. My night job is entertaining writer, which makes me good. So on balance, I guess that makes me about a neutral.
I started writing in law school, when I realized that law was for suckers…er…when I realized, rather, that only practicing law would not lead to a fulfilling life for me. So, I submitted some material to Wizards of the Coast (they had an open submission policy at the time), they liked it, and asked me to submit to an closed call they were having for what would become The Sembia Series. I pitched them Erevis Cale, priest and assassin, they dug that, and here we are.
What does Star Wars mean to you?
John Jackson Miller:
Quite a lot. The movies and the comics based on them were a big part of my childhood and teenage years, and obviously the whole milieu has been a big part of my working life. I even edited a Star Wars collectibles magazine in there somewhere.
Paul Kemp:
Setting aside the fanboy glee I feel for being able to participate in a small way in Lucas’s brainchild, (and here speaking of the movies) I think it’s one of the best fictionalized demonstrations of the Campbellian Hero’s Journey ever made. It’s really a modern myth, which explains why its such a phenomenon from generation to generation.
Considering that Fate of the Jedi, Lost Tribe of the Sith, Legacy and Crosscurrent all borrow characters and share intersecting plots, can you tell us about how this all began – who decided what, and what your roles were in creating these tales? (Without spoiling us, of course)
John Jackson Miller:
I’d been doing more writing in the EU, including some short fiction, and I was always looking for an opportunity to do more. Del Rey and Lucasfilm approached me in early 2009 about creating a supporting storyline that would fill in background about the Lost Tribe of the Sith, right from their beginnings.
The authors of the Fate of the Jedi series had come up with a fairly detailed look at what the Lost Tribe was like today, along with details about how they got stranded in the first place. Most of the intervening years were left available to interpret. We did some coordination to make sure that nothing we came up with caused problems later on, and that “Crosscurrent” and “Lost Tribe” worked together properly.
Since I was starting back five thousand years earlier and working forward, I saw part of my role as illustrating how the Sith got from Point A to Point B. The Sith we saw in the Golden Age of the Sith stories really didn’t have complicated infrastructures or military bureaucracies that we saw — but they needed underlings to be able to run missions like bringing back the Lignan crystals, and of course, the Lost Tribe evolves a fairly detailed command structure. There was also the matter of species to deal with, since the Tribe that we saw was not just human, but also striving for human physical perfection. Both of those things suggested that there was a lot more differentiation in the Sith than we initially saw in the comics — there had to be humans in the mix with some level of contact with outside cultures, even in the “hidden empire” years. The Lost Tribe had lightsabers without power packs; they had to get them from somewhere.
That was the sort of thing I’ve sought to address, while trying to tell an engaging story. Many of the changes that help make the Tribe what it is spring from choices — and unintentional consequences of choices — that our characters made in the past. “Paragon,” the upcoming story, is pretty pivotal in this regard.
Paul Kemp:
My contribution here is pretty small. In my original pitch for Crosscurrent, I had included the existence of an ancient Sith ship carrying Force-enhancing ore (what would later become Lignan) that found itself flung into the future due to a relativity shielding malfunction. My editor (I think), saw some possible connections in that to the story the team was developing for Fate of the Jedi. So she asked me if I could include a second ship that doesn’t jump into the future but instead just misjumps in some way — all of this became Lignan, Harbinger, and Omen, which are the “connectors” between Crosscurrent and the much larger story in Fate of the Jedi.
After that decision was made, I traded emails with some of the authors doing FotJ and JJM (John Jackson Miller), just to keep the various details correct. It was a great experience. Christie, Troy, and JJM (not to mention Sue, Leland, and my editor) were awesome to this Star Wars newbie.
The stories you write are separated by thousands of years of history – how do you give a tale the hallmarks of the Star Wars universe while also giving the tale its own era-specific flavor?
John Jackson Miller:
Oh, I think the trappings of Star Wars are always there. Beyond the physical things like the lightsabers and phenomena like the Force, a lot of the same themes are in play —good versus evil, redemption and betrayal, etc. Whatever the time period, it’s all Star Wars.
Paul Kemp:
Historical touchstones, mostly. Obviously there are some technological differences that get highlighted (ancient lightsabers are not “modern” lightsabers, for example), but little references to current events in the particular timeline can also ground the narrative in an particular era.
When you sit down to write tales in the Star Wars galaxy, what’s the most important aspect of the Galaxy Far, Far Away that you want to capture?
John Jackson Miller:
As I’ve said above — you want to make sure it feels all of a piece with the movies. It’s OK to branch out and explore new kinds of stories, but you don’t want the story to feel completely out of place and unconnected. The feel of stories is pretty important; Star Trek stories have a different feel from Star Wars stories, and so on. Readers tend to know when something feels like it belongs in a particular milieu.
Paul Kemp:
For me, the sense that Star Wars (and the EU) is a setting for myth-making. What I mean by that is that Star Wars touches on foundational moral questions by exploring through the lens of the Force (a kind of Manichean moral construct, really). Its themes are universal. I wanted to at least try and take a stab at that with Crosscurrent.
Also, blasters. And lightsabers.
Coming back to the current EU: with opinions divided on whether or not the Legacy of the Force series worked –comparing it to the New Jedi Order- do you think that the editors and authors of the EU now have a better understanding of how to handle these complex storylines?
Paul Kemp:
Dave, my experience is so limited that I can’t speak to that at all. I’ll say only that the folks I’ve worked with have been extraordinarily knowledgeable and helpful. It’s been a real treat.
What would you say to writers out there who want to someday write in the EU? Any advice or warnings?
John Jackson Miller:
Most licensed properties are invitation-only and don’t look at unsolicited submissions, and Star Wars is no exception. So the important thing is to get established — and that means writing for a variety of places and really polishing your skills. As a former journalist, I think all kinds of writing are important practice, from blogging to covering the sports for your local paper. It’s all about learning to communicate clearly, and to hit your deadlines.
Paul Kemp:
The same thing I say to any aspiring writers: read widely (and not just in genre), and learn what you can from great writers. Then, stop talking/thinking about what great ideas you have. Instead, put yourself in a chair and just friggin’ write. This is a craft. You only get better by doing it.
Finally: what would be the one EU story you would like to tell, if you could?
John Jackson Miller:
Heh! I don’t know – maybe a reality show following Lando’s life might be entertaining!
Paul Kemp:
I mentioned this in one other place, but I’d love to write Luke’s epic finale in the EU (if that finale were ever to come).
::
There we go, hope you all enjoyed that. It goes without saying that the guys took time out of their busy schedules, and I thank them for that.
Want more info on the authors and their work? Click on the links to head over to their websites: John Jackson Miller, Paul S Kemp.
I’ll be reading John’s third Lost Tribe of the Sith story, Paragon, this week or next week, and then I’ll post a review of all three stories.
Until then,
Be EPIC!
The Cover to Philip Palmer’s Version 43!
Just released on Twitter by Phil, care of Orbit:
Looks awesome! Love the cover!
I’ll be reviewing Red Claw in the next couple of months, keep an eye out for it.
Be EPIC!
P.S. The cover came about due to the awesome photography of Eric Westpheling.
Review: Star Wars: Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber
I’m sure you all remember when the cover for this novel appeared on the internet – it spread like wildfire, getting spotlights on many, many blogs and websites. Remember? No? this should refresh your memory:
Let’s launch into the review:
Death Troopers tells the story of what happens when an Imperial Prison barge, travelling to a prison planet, breaks down, stranding the guards, the Warden, the inmates and the prison barge’s medical officer. A Star Destroyer is discovered, floating nearby, and travelling to the Destroyer to find parts to repair the barge’s systems, events are set in motion that plunge the characters, and you, the reader, into a creepy-as-all-hell nightmare…
First thing: is Death Troopers scary? Definitely! There are moments in this novel where I literally felt my skin crawling or cover my eyes; the images Joe creates really stay with you, not the least of which was a scene that involved a young Wookiee… *shudder* I’ve read scarier stuff, sure (Stephen King’s The Shining is the scariest I-crapped-my-shorts novel I’ve ever read), but Joe does a damn good job! He lends the barge a dark atmosphere -I’m not talking about power outages and shadows here, I’m talking about that oppressive pressure you’ve felt when you’ve walked into a place that isn’t all the way right, you know what I mean? The lights can be on, the TV, too, but there’s just something you feel that creeps you out. Joe did this, and more.
Getting to the characters, Joe gives us two brothers, a prison-guard captain, the medical officer, and two surprises later down the line.
The two brothers, Trig and Kale Longo, worked well together in scenes, and Joe managed to make me sympathetic to their situation, though I have to admit, after the first chapter, I guess which one of the brothers would die (as you’ve all guessed, while watching slasher- or zombie-movies, who out of the group will be the first to go); the fact that I was right didn’t negatively affect the tale, however.
The prison-guard captain was my favourite character, by far; the man begins as a certain kind of man and evolves into someone completely different, and the fact that he does so without coming across as shallow and prone to changing his mind and opinions on a whim speaks volumes about Joe’s ability to create engaging characters that will surprise you, as any personality does. When I met the guy (the character, not Joe) I hated him (for reasons that’ll become clear to you as you read), but I really came to respect him and admire him.
The medical officer was the weakest of the characters, in my opinion. Why? Well, I just really didn’t connect with her, to be honest. Her history and backstory were great and made sense, but there was just something there that kept me from really sympathizing with her.
The other characters are all great, including the two surprises – very well written as well as offering us insights into their personalities that haven’t been explored in any other EU novel.
But the burning question, I suppose, is the following: is Death Troopers a Star Wars tale? Well, that’s difficult to answer.
If you look at Star Wars (the entire saga) and compare it to Death Troopers, then no, it’s not a Star Wars novel. There are no dogfights between starfighters (that sounds wrong, reading it aloud), there are no lightsaber duels; but is this what makes a Star Wars tale? I disagree. Sure, having starfighters and lightsaber duels in a Star Wars novel makes it more Star Wars, but there is room in the Galaxy Far, Far Away to play in, considering just how massive the Galaxy is. I never thought I’d say this, but it would be great to see more experimentation happening in the Star Wars EU (just not this, please, not this!)
We’ve already seen what I consider to be Military Star Wars with Karen Traviss’ Republic Commando series (which KICKED ASS, btw), and we’ve seen some decidedly introspective and deep Star Wars novels (Shatterpoint and Traitor spring to mind), so why not explorations of other sub-genres? It’ll be interesting, to say the least.
So, even though Death Troopers doesn’t have the normal Star Wars fare, I consider it to be a Star Wars novel; Joe captures everything that matters, from the ineptitude of Stormtroopers to the hulking mass of a Star Destroyer, and he also involves his characters (and the reader) in the kind of philosophical questions that only Star Wars can pull off so well.
I’m giving this a 7 / 10.
Order your copies of Death Troopers at the following links:
Amazon US, Amazon UK, Kalahari (book, audiobook), Loot, Exclusive Books. And head over to Joe’s blog, too.
Be EPIC!
P.S. The title of Joe’s second Star Wars novel (and prequel to Death Troopers) has been revealed: Black Orchid! Looking forward to it!
P.P.S. The awesome cover was designed by Indika and David Stevenson.
John Jarrold’s Corner: William King & Curtis Jobling
Some more great news from John Jarrold that most of you have no doubt already seen, but I thought I’d repost it here for those who haven’t heard the news.
First up, William King has returned to Black Library! Here are the details:
BLACK LIBRARY ARE DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THE RETURN OF BEST-SELLING FANTASY WRITER, WILLIAM KING
William King has signed a major new deal with the Black Library, for a trilogy based on the high elf characters Tyrion and Teclis.
Twin brothers Tyrion and Teclis are the greatest heroes of an age, and their like will never be seen again. Prince Tyrion’s skill with a blade unmatched by any living swordsmen, whilst Teclis is the most powerful mage of his generation. Set over two hundred years before the current Warhammer timeline, the new trilogy tells an origin story of these two phenomenal champions.
Head of Black Library, George Mann, said of the deal: “I’m overjoyed to be welcoming Bill King back to the Black Library, particularly with such an exciting and auspicious series. Bill has a real flair for a good story and his writing really brings the Warhammer world to life. I know people are going to adore these books.”
William King was born in Stranraer, Scotland, and is one of Black Library’s best-selling authors, with sales in excess of half a million books. He started writing for Games Workshop in 1988, and later he worked in the design studio. His swords and sorcery series Gotrek & Felix and his Space Wolf novels have become a staple in the Black Library range. His short fiction has appeared in Interzone, Zenith, and a Year’s Best SF collection. He currently lives in Prague.
The deal was conducted with agent John Jarrold, and the first novel in the trilogy will be published in 2011.
Awesome stuff – I’ve still got plenty Black Library stuff to read, and I’m glad that the universe is continuously growing!
Check out more info about William here.
Next up, an intruiging-sounding YA series from Curtis Jobling:
TWO-BOOK DEAL FOR YA FANTASY NOVELIST
Puffin are very excited to announce that we have acquired two fantasy novels in a new series entitled Wereworld by British author and artist Curtis Jobling. Shannon Park, Executive Editor at Puffin secured world rights for the series from the John Jarrold Literary Agency, for an undisclosed five-figure sum. The Wereworld novels are due for publication in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
WEREWORLD follows the story of fifteen-year-old Drew, a shepherd’s son, as he comes of age and discovers he’s the last of the long line of Werewolves, and rightful (yet reluctant) ruler of the land of Lyssia, where lycanthrope ‘Werelords’ reign. Before long he’s hurtling headlong into an epic journey of fantasy and horror, from one deadly encounter to the next, meeting exotic Werelords at every turn as he’s drawn inexorably towards his destiny.
‘When Curtis approached me with the first volume of this series, I could immediately see the strength of his imagination and invention,’ said John Jarrold. ‘Much respect to Shannon for seeing how wonderful the idea was and getting it through the system at Puffin, including giving editorial guidance even before she could formally present it in-house.’
Shannon Park says, ‘I am so thrilled to sign up this series, which blends themes of traditional fantasy and contemporary horror within an action-packed story. Werewolves are hot property right now, and this series has huge appeal for the 10+ fantasy market.’
Curtis Jobling designed the Bafta winning BOB THE BUILDER and is also the creator of FRANKENSTEIN’S CAT, the BBC’s hit children’s animation series based upon his book of the same name. In addition he has numerous shows in development with Disney, the BBC and others.
The first novels in the Wereworld series are due for publication in 2011 and 2012.
Sounds interesting, right? I’ll take a look at this when the first book is released and let you all know if the kids’ll enjoy it (I’m a big kid, after all).
That’s it for now. I’ll be back tomorrow with my review of Joe Schreiber’s Star Wars EU debut, Death Troopers! Until then,
Be EPIC!
Exclusive Extract: Shadowrise by Tad Williams
Aren’t I just a lucky guy? Thanks to the generosity of Deborah and Tad, I have an extract of Tad Williams’ third novel in the Shadowmarch Series for you! The extract will be at the top of the blog for the whole of today and the whole weekend, so make sure you spread the word!
As you may probably have heard by now, Shadowrise will be 2 books; Tad spread the news on Facebook a while ago and it has been confirmed by Pat over at his Hotlist, but before you start hissing and spitting, don’t worry – we wont have to wait too long to read the book that will finish the series! Shadowheart will be along shortly!
Here’s the extract:
Barrick supposed that more than half a tennight had passed since Gyir and Vansen had fallen and he had escaped the demigod Jikuyin’s twisted underground kingdom. It was always hard to guess at time’s passage in the endless Shadowline twilight, but he knew he had slept more than half a dozen times – those long, heavy, but somehow enervating sleeps that were almost all he ever had here. Kerneia had come and gone in the outside world while they had been held underground – Barrick knew that because it had been the monstrous Jikuyin’s intention to celebrate the earth lord’s day by sacrificing Barrick and the others. Since he knew that he and the others had left Southmarch in Ondekamene to fight the fairy armies, that meant he had not seen his home in over a quarter of a year. What could have happened in so much time? Had the fairies reached it? Was his sister Briony under siege?
For perhaps the first time since that terrible day at Kolkan’s Field, Barrick Eddon could plainly see the divide in his own thoughts: he still felt a mysterious, almost slavish loyalty to the terrifying warrior woman who had plucked him from the field and sent him across the Shadowline (although he still could not remember why, or what she had charged him with) but at the same time he knew now that the dark lady was Yasammez the Porcupine, war-scourge of the Qar, single-minded in her hatred of all Sunlanders…Barrick’s own people. If the Qar were now laying siege to Southmarch, if his sister and the rest of the inhabitants were in danger, or even murdered, it was by that lady’s pale and deadly hand.
And now he had inherited a second mission for Yasammez and the Qar. He could not recall the first, which she had given him the day she spared him on the battlefield: it felt as though Yasammez had poured it into him like oil into a jug, then pushed the stopper in so tight that he himself could not take it out. The other mission he had accepted solely on the word of her chief servant Gyir, who had sworn it was for the good of humans as well as fairies, shortly before the faceless fairy had sacrificed his life for Barrick’s. So now that he was finally free, instead of doing what any sensible creature would do (which would be to make his way as swiftly as possible to the borders of the Shadowlands and back into the light of the sun) Barrick was instead plunging deeper and deeper into this land of mists and madness.
Mists, he could not help noticing, which appeared to be returning. The world had grown colder since the bird had flown away and curls of the stuff were now rising from the ground. Barrick seemed to be sitting in a field of swaying, ghostly grass; in a few moments the mist would be as high as his head. Barrick didn’t like that thought, so he scrambled onto his feet.
The fog was thickening along the ground, swirling around the trunks of the gray trees like water – even climbing the trunks themselves. Soon the mist would be everywhere, below and above. Where was that cursed bird? How could he simply fly off and leave a companion this way – what kind of loyalty was that? When was he coming back?
Is he even going to come back?
The thought was a cold fist clutching his heart in mid-beat. The old bird had not made a pledge to Gyir as Barrick had. Skurn cared little for the desires of either the Sunlanders or the Qar — little for anything, in fact, except cramming his belly with the disgusting things he liked to eat. Perhaps the raven had suddenly decided he was wasting its time here.
“Skurn!”
His voice seemed weak, fluttering out like an arrow from a broken string and disappearing into the eternal, murky evening. “Curse you, you foul bird, where are you?” He heard the anger in his voice and thought better of it. “Come back, Skurn, please! I’ll…I’ll let you sleep under my shirt.” He had forbidden this before when the weather had turned cold: the thought of having that stinking old carrion-bird and whatever lived in its feathers against his chest had been enough to make his skin crawl and he had told the raven so – told him very sternly.
Now, though, Barrick was beginning to regret his bad temper.
Alone. It was a thought he had not dwelt on, for fear of it overwhelming him. He had spent his entire childhood as half of “the twins,” an entity his father and older brother and the servants had spoken of as though they were not two children but one tremendously difficult, two-headed child. And the twins had also been surrounded at nearly all times by servants and courtiers, so much so that they had been desperate to escape and find time alone; much of Barrick Eddon’s childhood had been spent trying to find hiding places where he and Briony could escape and be alone. Just now, though, a crowded castle seemed like a beautiful dream.
“Skurn?” It suddenly occurred to him that perhaps shouting his solitude was not the best idea. They had met almost no other creatures in the past days of travel, but that had been largely because Jikuyin and his hungry army of servants had emptied the area of anything bigger than a field mouse for miles in all directions. But he was far from the demigod’s diggings now…
Barrick shivered again. He knew he should stay in one place, but the mist was rising and he kept thinking he saw signs of movement in the swirling distance, as though some of the pearly white strands moved not by the pressure of the wind but through some choice of their own.
The breeze quickened, chilled. A mournful whisper seemed to pass through the leaves above his head. Barrick clutched the spearhead by its broken haft and began to walk.
The mist limited his vision, but he was able to walk without too much stumbling, although from time to time he had to test with his spear to make sure a dark place in the undergrowth at his feet was not a hole into which he might step and wrench his ankle. But the path before him seemed surprisingly clear, easier to travel by far than the choked and tangling way of the past hours. It only occurred to him after he had traveled a few hundred paces that he was no longer choosing a path, he was following one: because the way was clear, he walked where he was led.
And what if someone…or something…wants me to do just that…?
The question and its implication had only just sunk in when something darted past the edge of his sight. He whirled, but now the space between the trees was empty except for a tendril of mist swirling in the breeze of his own movement; as he turned back something the color of fog flitted across the path in the distance before him, but was gone too quickly for him to make out its shape.
He stopped. Hands trembling, he raised the pitted head of his spear. Things were definitely moving in the mist between the farthest trees, shapes tall as men but pale and maddeningly hard to see. The whisper passed over him again, sounding now less like the wordless voice of the wind and more like the hissing of some incomprehensible, breathy language.
A rustle behind him, the dimmest, softest pad of footfall on leaf — Barrick spun, and for a moment saw a thing that made no sense: the figure was nearly as tall as a man but crooked as a mandrake root, wrapped from head to foot like a royal corpse in threads and tatters white as the mist – perhaps it even was the mist, he thought in superstitious horror, taking on some vaguely human shape. In places the mist-wrappings did not quite cover, and what was beneath them bulged and oozed a shiny gray-black. Although it had no visible eyes the apparition seemed to see Barrick well enough; an instant after he saw it the pale thing vanished back into the mist beside the path. More whispers floated past and echoed above his head. Barrick wheeled toward the front again, fearing to be surrounded, but for the moment the creatures of tangled thread had dropped back into the shrouding fog.
Silkins. That was what the bird had called them, and he had named this poisonous place Silky Wood…
:::
Hope you enjoyed that, I know I did!
You can pre-order your copies of Shadowrise at the following links:
Amazon US, Amazon UK, Kalahari, Exclusive Books, Loot
If you’d like some more info about Tad and his work (not that you would need more info, I’m sure), check out Tad’s website, and you can also read this interview with Tad.
Be EPIC!
Just in: A New Star Wars series coming from John Jackson Miller!
Just received the press release from Dark Horse Comics – as the adventures of Zayne Carrick come to a close in Knights of the Old Republic, John Jackson Miller will take us to a new era in the Star Wars Expanded Universe:
DARK HORSE ANNOUNCES ALL-NEW STAR WARS™ SERIES, KNIGHT ERRANT!
AS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC DRAWS TO A CLOSE, WRITER JOHN JACKSON MILLER MOVES TO AN UNCHARTED CORNER OF THE GALAXY!
FEBRUARY 11, MILWAUKIE, OR—Coming off the heels of penning the breakout hit Mass Effect: Redemption and the gripping finale of Knights of the Old Republic, writer John Jackson Miller introduces us to Kerra Holt, a young Jedi who’s about to realize that her role in the galaxy is far more important, and vastly different, than she could have ever imagined.
Set one thousand years before Episode I, in a time referred to as the “Dark Age of the Republic,” this story takes place in an era when the Sith were legion and the Republic was strained to the breaking point, leaving large swaths of the galaxy with no one to turn to. This pivotal time in the history of Star Wars has been largely unexplored, until now.
Additionally, for the first time ever, the writer of this new comics series will also be authoring a novel for Del Rey Books, set in the same era and involving the same cast of characters in an all-new adventure. It’s going to be a unique event for Star Wars, and one that will give fans a whole new perspective on the galaxy.
“There’s such wonderful chaos going on in the galaxy in this period,” said writer John Jackson Miller. “More than a generation before Darth Bane introduced the Rule of Two, Sith Lords are colliding not just with the Republic, but with each other. Kerra’s going to find that good intentions just may not be enough in a galaxy gone mad! This is a wide-open area to explore, and I’m thrilled that Dark Horse and Del Rey have given me this opportunity to do so.”
“With John writing both the comics and the novel, Knight Errant will be a Star Wars story on a scale we’ve never undertaken before,” said comic-series editor Dave Marshall. “This will be a first-of-its-kind opportunity to introduce the Expanded Universe of the Dark Horse comics to the fans of the Del Rey novels and vice versa!”
With more news in the coming months, look for Star Wars: Knight Errant to arrive on shelves later this fall!
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This is really awesome news! I’m a big fan of John’s Lost Tribe of the Sith stories (eagerly awaiting the next story, Paragon), and I cannot believe the man’s luck! Writing a new Star Wars series AND a novel set in the same period, with the same characters?! For once, I’m glad that I found out when everyone else did – it would have been hell sitting on this information!
Congratulations, John! Looking forward to the new series and to the novel! While we wait for Knight Errant, let me point you to John’s excellent Lost Tribe of the Sith series – each story is free to download and ties into the Fate of the Jedi series as well as Paul S Kemp’s excellent Crosscurrent!
Book 1 – Precipice
Book 2 – Skyborn
And Book 3 – Paragon, was released today!
Be EPIC!
Foxit eSlick eBook Reader available in South Africa
I have to say that I was pretty excited when I saw this news today. What with eBook-reader news being dominated by looks at the Kindle and the Nook (I would go with the Nook), I was hoping for an affordable eBook reader to enter the South African market so that we, too, could finally enter the digital age…
I mean, books here are expensive, and the 60000-odd regular book-buyers and readers can afford two, or at the most 4, books a month. At an average paperback price of R130, it takes a major bite out of the wallet and is one of the reasons that such a tiny percentage of our population can afford to read. To get more people reading, you need to a) be able to supply want they want to read (which in the main, isn’t a problem) and b) try to keep it affordable. Buying books online is usually cheaper than going into a shop (as almost everything is cheaper online – I mean, there’s no shelving, no walls, no lights to drive up costs to cover overheads, at least nowhere near the costs that online retailers have to take into account, as far as I know), but here I’ve broken it down for you, so you can get an idea for yourself:
Average Salary: between R2500 and R4000 a month. That’s all I really need to put there. See? If that’s the average of what people are earning, it’s a miracle people read at all (though it does explain why second-hand booksellers do so well); how is the average person going to afford a Kindle or a Nook? There’s no chance of that, at least not without swiping a credit card or selling your Playstation 3. You see, the Foxit costs R2996
It’s too damn expensive. Well, for me, at least. Three Grand is fully more than half of what I paid every month (after deductions), so there’s no way in hell I’ll be buying this, not even if I could afford to. Why not even if I could afford it? The fact that we can’t buy eBooks in our own currency from our own online retailers. (not on Kalahari nor Exclusive Books nor Loot). So let’s say you buy yourself a Foxit and you’re ready to start reading – oops, sorry, you can’t by anything from a SA online retailer. Okay, sure, it might not be such an issue at first glance, but come on, doesn’t it seem as if this is just a run-to-catch-up-to-make-money thing? We’re already paying a lot, as a country, to read – now you want me to take half of my salary to buy something that I can only read on, when I can buy a paperback off a shelf (nothing virtual about it) for R130?
Let me add something else: I’ve got a really old Blackberry (polyphonic ringtones-old) and a MP4-Player; the Blackberry cost me R300 second-hand, and the MP4-Player cost me R350; I can read eBooks on both.
Sure, Mobipocket (on the Blackberry) gives me a lot of problems, but it works, and the MP4-Player can display text-documents (not Word or PDF).
My MP4-Player can also tune into radio stations, I can load it with music, I can watch videos on it, do voice-recording, and read eBooks that I converted to text. For R350. It doesn’t have a great screen; it doesn’t look spiffy. But I can read ebooks on it, the same as with my Blackberry (the reading part).
So when you buy an eBook reader, you’re buying the way it looks, the namebrand, etc. And you’re spending so much money on something to READ ON? Nope, sorry, not me. I’d love an eBook reader, but hell, not at such a price. Charge me R300, R400 or even R500, but not Three Grand.
A part of me knew this would be the case, but I was hoping for a miracle anyway. The reader will be retailing for R2996 – yes, you heard that correctly. Three Grand for a device on which to read. I’m sure there are thousands of South Africans who will buy the Foxit, but I’m not going to be one of them. And I really hope you all enjoy the reader (I’m still jealous, believe me – reading on a Blackberry gets old) and read plenty of books on it, but right now, this thing is geared for the rich, not the average joe.
If you are interested, head on over and read the news – you’ll get enough info to make an informed decision.
Cheers for now, and check out this poll while you’re here.
Be EPIC!
P.S. This is just damn cheeky – visit the eBook site for the Foxit and you’ll see Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Skyborn by John Jackson Miller – buy it for a dollar, and then head on over to the Star Wars website where you can also get it… by downloading it for FREE.
What to expect for the next couple of months
Hey everyone, I thought that I should let you know that over the next couple of months, up until probably the second week in April, you wont be seeing as many posts as usual on the blog.
The reason for that is that I’m taking part in a Creative Writing Course presented by Random House Struik (The South African arm of Random House), GetSmarter and Ron Irwin. It’s a ten-week online course consisting of ten modules and 5 assignments, so I will, necessarily, be focused on the course.
There are a couple of posts coming up, don’t worry, and I wont completely dissappear; I’ve still got an interview with Paul Kemp and John Jackson Miller coming up, reviews (at least four in the next couple of weeks) and something pretty exciting, and a first for this blog, in this week. I’ll give you a hint – it has to do with excerpts and Epic Fantasy.
I would point you over to David’s blog, but it seems he’s busy getting things organized in a big way – expect a shiny, beautiful new blog soon!
Anyway, that’s me for today! I’m off to finish an outline for a friend in Los Angeles and to work on the synopsis that suits the Epic Fantasy I’m writing.
Until next time,
Be EPIC!
Angry Robot: Steampunk to Ally with the Robot Army
Wonderful news from the guys at Angry Robot! Really looking forward to this!
The Father of Steampunk Signs With Angry Robot
KW Jeter coined the term Steampunk, but unbelievably his classic novels Infernal Devices and Morlock Night have been out of print since the early 1980s. Angry Robot are delighted to announce that we are bringing them back to a new generation of readers in paperback, audio
and eBook formats.
Infernal Devices tells the story of George – a Victorian watchmaker who has inherited his father’s shop, though not his talent. A tale of time travel, music and sexual intrigue, Infernal Devices is a true classic.
Morlock Night, meanwhile, is a wild sequel to Wells’ The Time Machine – having acquired a device for themselves, the brutish Morlocks return to invade sleepy old England…
So, don your brass goggles, wind your mechanisms and sit back with a couple of true classics from a steam-driven Angry Robot. Infernal Devices and Morlock Night will be published worldwide by Angry Robot.
UK/Aus: October 2010 (ISBNs: 9780007365753 / 9780007365760)
Infernal Devices / Morlock Night
US/Can: December 2010 (ISBNs: tbc)
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More information on Angry Robot can be found at angryrobotbooks.com.
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.
Now, other that John Marco’s Starfinder (with its touch of Steampunk), I’ve yet to read a proper Steampunk-novel; I’ve had Stephen Hunt’s work on my TBR-list for a while now but just haven’t had the time to get to the books. So I’m very glad that Angry Robot is not only delving into Steampunk, but bringing back work that was not available; I’ve read some of KW Jeter’s work (only the Star Wars novels), but not enough to have formed a proper opinion. Looking forward to this!
Be EPIC!
