Talking About Endings
So, this is me pondering the need to keep on running a review-blog.
Since September 2010 I’ve witnessed a steady decline in visitors to the blog, for whatever reasons that may be. From around May 2009 until August 2010 the log was averaging 7000 hits a month, and since September the decline has been so drastic that in the past three months the blog is averaging around 2000 hits.
Now, I’m not usually a guy that follows trends and keeps an eye on numbers, but lately it’s been so in-my-face that I can’t exactly ignore it. There are probably many reasons, which I’ll spend some time going into here, but the fact of the matter is that this blog’s day is done and I’m seriously considering ending this particular ear in my life.
Now to the reasons: Content.
I’m a SFF lover and reader from South Africa who is also a bookseller who is also a struggling (emphasis on the struggling) writer. The main point, though, is that I’m in South Africa. Lemme explain – our industry supports an average of 60000 readers. That’s it. Our publishers must source books from the Uk, primarily, and then the US (if UK publishers don’t have rights); because of where we source books from we have to deal with a general lag of around 3 months. Sometimes we get lucky and are able to luck in with world-wide releases (Harry Potter, Dan Brown) and sometimes we wait 2 months or even only 1 month, but books aren’t available in SA when they’re available in the UK. FACT. That means that we’re behind, and since we’ve got so many readers in SA, we don’t get to see a fraction of what UK and US markets get to see and enjoy and sell.
Because we source from the UK, books are incredibly expensive – we have (as close as can be counted) just over 50 million people in the country, the vast majority of which don’t pay taxes because they are unemployed or can only get part-time work; this means that tax is king. Which makes books more expensive, year after year. Which means less people read, year after year. Which means less books come to SA, year after year.
What bearing does this have on the blog’s content? Well, I started this blog to give South African SFF readers somewhere to go to get their information, and I tried to provide that information. Let me put it this way – if I’ve had 2000 South Africans visiting this blog since I began it in 2008, that’s plenty. In fact, I’m probably being very generous with that number. So, tailoring the blog’s content to South African readers (those who, by absolute chance, stumble upon the blog) means blogging old, outdated information, which means losing readers from the UK and US and everywhere else because the information is old and outdated. BUT if I keep the blog’s content fresh and constantly updated I lose South African readers – because I’m ahead of the industry here. Not in any substantial, incredible way, not even in a measurable way, probably, but when you have to tell the publishers here that Brandon Sanderson was chosen to finish The Wheel of Time, you’re ahead. And if I’m ahead of the publishers, what does that say about the public? The public that can afford an internet connection, that is. 
So, I sit with problems – tailor the content to a South African readership (which hardly exist) and I lose; tailor the content to an international readership (which exists in an AWESOME way), and I lose the few South African readers I do have. But that’s not all:
If I completely forgot about South African readers and concentrated on international readers, how do I keep up the content? If someone posts info about George RR Martin’s marriage before I do, should I still post the news? If someone posts the latest cover art for a eagerly-awaited novel, should I go ahead and post it, too? Let’s say that I don’t; let’s say that I post my thoughts on Smallville, for instance, and how I think the show will end on a high-note because Tom Welling will finally be putting on the suit. I’ll get a minimum amount of readers, that’s what will happen. Because, in my honest opinion, I’m going against what SFF blogging has become – a “I’ll post it as soon as it hits my RSS Reader!’ pass-time. Why do people still visit Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist, even though there’s been pretty vocal gripes against him and how he does things? Because HE GET’S THE SCOOPS . Plain and simple. Argue all you want, but it’s a fact. So why is anyone else blogging?
Because they offer their opinions, that’s why. And most opinions in SFF are well-informed; they are the opinions of fans, people who have been reading SFF for decades, at least, and each and everyone knows what they’re talking about even if they say different things. Here’s the thing – and probably the reason I’ve seen a decline in readers / visits: I’m too behind (news-wise and connection-wise) to keep up. Everything you see on the blog you’ve seen somewhere else first. That’s a fact. So, what if I give you news from the South African SFF scene? Hehehehe I made a joke. It doesn’t exist. The scene is trying to exist, though, trying it’s damndest – there are plenty of SFF-authors that are South African, I won’t argue that at all. BUT THEY DON”T GET SOUTH AFRICAN PUBLISHER-SUPPORT. And when I do post news about South African SFF authors almost no-one readers the posts: international readers haven’t heard of these authors and local readers can’t read their work because South African publishers don’t carry / distribute their work. 
So do I carry on blogging and 1) hope that SA SFF readers / fans will start using the internet to find out about SFF (because, and let’s be honest, booksellers in SA don’t have a clue), or 2) try and get a blog-post out before anyone else? My point of view doesn’t even matter, if we’re all being totally honest – I’m a fan / reader that is too far away from the scene to have a point of view that actually has merit.
So, the logical conclusion? Become a reader again. Stop blogging. Or agonize over what to blog so that I can try and tell myself I’m actually contributing something. Either way, I’ve got some deep thinking to do about the future of the blog.
And I’m also not the only SFF blogger in South Africa – Lauren runs an excellent blog. 
Be EPIC!
Michael Sullivan’s ‘The Riyria Revelations’ Picked Up By Orbit
Orbit is pleased to announce that it has acquired rights to publish the Riyria Revelations series by self-published author Michael J. Sullivan. Orbit will be publishing the complete series in three volumes in consecutive months in Fall/Winter 2011-2012. The first volume, Theft of Swords, will be published in November 2011; the second volume, Rise of Empire, in December 2011, and the final volume, Heir of Novron, in January 2012.
Michael J. Sullivan has already self-published the series in ebook and print-on-demand editions, and each volume has been prominent on the ebook fantasy bestseller charts.
Senior Editor Devi Pillai says: “This is the kind of fabulous new adventure fantasy that readers of Terry Brooks and Brent Weeks can fall in love with. Michael really delivers a great story that keeps to the idea of great epic fantasy while taking on fantasy clichés and having fun with the idea of two thieves caught in the wrong place, at the wrong time. I read the first book – and I was hooked.”
Michael J. Sullivan says: “”I couldn’t be happier to have The Riyria Revelations released by Orbit. Of all the fantasy imprints, they have shown an unsurpassed eye for quality and I’m both excited and humbled to be included in a select group of authors as talented as Brent Weeks, Gail Carriger, and so many others.”
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Michael J. Sullivan has lived in Vermont, North Carolina, and Virginia. He worked as a commercial artist and illustrator, founding his own advertising agency in 1996, which he closed in 2005 to pursue writing full-time. He currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia with his wife and three children.
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I am incredibly happy about this! 
I’ve always said that The Riyria Revelations deserves a bigger readership, and now that Orbit has picked up the series, it will damned well get that readership! The series kicked off with a bang and has grown in strength, complexity and sheer readability with every following title; it’s fun, serious when it needs to be, doesn’t suffer from info-dumps and world-building-itus, and can stand tall with every other major Epic Fantasy series out there. The fact that Orbit will be bringing it to the wider world is soooo damned awesome! For our neck of the woods, it means that the books will also finally be available in South Africa! As a bookseller I absolutely cannot wait to get all my customers hooked on this series!
Massive congratulations to Michael and Robin – all their hard work has paid off ! It’ll be interesting to see whether Larry Rostant incorporates Michael’s illustrations for these Orbit-releases (Michael did the cover artwork for each and every novel, if you didn’t know that), and I can happily wait to read the series-finale, Percepliquis.
I first saw the news over at Fantasy Book Critic (thanks to Liviu), and then checked out the news over at Orbit before reading the announcement-posts on Michael’s and Robin’s blogs.
CONGRATS!
Be EPIC!
P.S. Haven’t heard of the series yet? Check out my reviews so far to get a taste of what you can expect:
The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha (making up Orbit’s first volume – Theft of Swords),
Nyphron Rising and The Emerald Storm (making up Orbit’s second volume – Rise of Empire),
and still to be reviewed: Wintertide and Percepliquis (making up Orbit’s third volume – Heir of Novron)
The Zombie Feed presents: Dead Stay Dead by Paul Jessup
Hey everyone, I just wanted to bring to your attention a great new novella for zombie-fiction lovers that’ll be available soon.
Paul Jessup will be bringing us ‘Dead Stay Dead’on the 22d of Feb; here’s the sinister cover:
As I said, the novella will be available on the 22nd of this month, but you can pre-order your copies and get it signed by Paul. There’s also a cool extract for you to read, just follow this link. For more info about Dead Stay Dead and other The Zombie Feed projects, check out their website here.
There’s also be more zombie-related news coming from The Zombie Feed that’ll appear on the blog, so if you dig zombie fiction, you know which blog to keep an eye on. 
To get more info about Paul and his work, head on over to his website here.
Be EPIC!
Review: Shadow’s Son by Jon Sprunk
There’s a certain character-type in literature of any genre, especially Epic and Heroic Fantasy, that can be very easily over-used; they’re also, in my opinion, the most dangerous (at least for the writer) kind of character to write – an assassin. Think about it – we know what an assassin does, we know that the assassin invariably works alone, i.e. we know what to expect. Assassin’s need to be really different, really wayyy out there, to be able to capture our attention.
Caim, the protagonist of Shadow’s Son, does just that, and and in spades!
Caim is loner, a guy who does what he’s good at and tries to keep a low profile. Yes, he’s had a crap, difficult life; yes, he’s got issues, and yes, he can kill a man very quickly, but he’s the kind of guy who tries to keep friendships when he decides to take the step of allowing someone in, he’s the kind of guy who makes bad judgement calls and mistakes, and he’s also the kind of guy who’s view of life is apt to change, as our views do. He’s pretty much down to earth, stubborn, and hell on earth when wronged – in short, he’s like you and me, and that’s what made him such an enjoyable character to read. Sure, he’s got some weird -yet still kickass- thing he can do that sets him apart, and he has an invisible friend (C’mon, who doesn’t?!) that gives him that edge, but take that away and he’s just a guy trying to survive.
Putting myself in his position, living his life while reading Shadow’s Son, happened entirely without effort – Jon’s writing style is very focused and wonderfully descriptive, so much so that I found myself devouring chapters while not actually realizing that I was steaming through the book. The city of Othir (where most of the story plays out) really comes alive, with practically minimal effort, and at first I thought that the scope of the novel was pretty limited – Jon would describe sections of the city, streets, taverns and apartments, churches and mansions, in such a way that there was a continuous stream of imagery in my mind, pushing the story onwards, and I found myself hoping for more; not in the sense that it wasn’t enough, but because I was actually so into the book that the thought of finishing it was really starting to bug me. And then Jon starts dropping hints of the wider world, of which Othir is only a small section, and I began to get a glimpse of the world that he had created.
I can only describe Jon’s world-building as sneaky. Yep, you read that right. Sneaky.
You see, what he managed to do was pretty damned cool – Firstly, he created a setting that resonated; architecture, rich and poor districts, the type of clothing people wore, the places they frequented, the differences in speech, etc. Secondly, he dropped hints as to what else was happening in his world, and those hints included other peoples and places that we’ll (hopefully) get to meet. Thirdly, he subtly included all the extraneous info, and here I’m talking about historical events, I needed to place the story he was telling in context against everything else that had happened. The effect was that I didn’t once feel I was being info-dumped upon, or being given information that wasn’t needed; It’s clear to me that Jon really feels comfortable and at home in the world he created, and the world-building also gave me the feeling that there are plenty of stories happening all around his world. A damned awesome achievement!
The action in the book is fast, furious and brutal – Caim is an assassin, after all, and there’s certain things he does that actually made me wince from time to time; there are some scenes that made me think, “Whoa, that was a bit hectic!”, especially involving Josey, but those scenes served a purpose and weren’t included for the hell of it.
The rest of the characters in Shadow’s Son complement Caim awesomely – Caim’s invisible friend was decidedly underused (but I’m pretty sure that she’ll be getting much bigger slices of the action as the story continues) and she was also an excellent foil to Caim; she basically wants him to be happy, not to stress, to have an easy, wonderful life but, Caim being Caim, struggles her ass off, leading to great conflicts between her and Caim. Josey was also excellently written – I will admit to being irritated with her in the beginning, but who wouldn’t be irritated with a pampered, naive high-born young woman? As she grows she becomes yet another great foil for Caim; what she wants from life isn’t what he wants and that sets up some great, and humorous, conflicts throughout the book. The novel is also populated with some decidedly nasty characters, and these guys turned out to be one of the novels greatest surprises for me.
The bad guys in the novel are excellent – they’re unique enough to stand out, alive enough that they kept me interested, and nasty enough that they kept me cheering for Caim. And it’s with the bad guys that Jon really let himself have some fun, plot-wise; there were certain events that I expected to happen and Jon neatly side-stepped those events, pointing the story in new and more interesting directions without making me feel that where I thought things were heading was a waste of reading-time. Misdirection and sleight-of-hand a-plenty! And then Jon managed to bring all the various threads to a satisfying conclusion, too. Not so satisfying that I’ve had enough, but satisfying in terms of, “Okay, this story was awesome, gimme the next one already!”
All in all, Shadow’s Son is a damned fine debut – Jon created some very cool, yet satisfyingly like-us characters; his setting added flavor and nuance to the story and made me more curious about the world he’s created, the action was brutal and very close-in, and the plot sped along, keeping me interested and invested. In fact, Shadow’s Son didn’t make me think in terms of ‘debut’ – Jon knows what he’s doing, and he enjoys doing it. I can’t wait to get stuck into Shadow’s Lure!
I give this novel a hearty 9 / 10
UK Cover by Chris McGrath
US Cover by Michael Komarck
Shadow’s Son is available in the US from Pyr and can be ordered here; in the UK from Gollancz and can be ordered here, and in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers and can be ordered here. You call also pre-order book 2 in the trilogy, Shadow’s Lure, here (for US readers).
Head on over to Jon’s official website for more info – you can also read the first chapter of Shadow’s Son. And he also runs this blog.
Be EPIC!
John Jarrold’s Corner: Curtis Jobling’s Well-Deserved *next* Two-Book Deal
Some absolutely wonderful news from John Jarrold!
Curtis Jobling has gotten a two-book deal from Puffin, due to the success of the first novel in his Wereworld series, Rise of the Wolf. Check out my review here and then get yourself a copy!
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PUFFIN SNAPS UP A SECOND TWO-BOOK DEAL FOR THE WEREWORLD SERIES
Due to the instant success of Rise of the Wolf published on 6th January 2011, the first volume in the Wereworld series by British author and artist Curtis Jobling, Puffin is very excited to announce that they have moved fast and acquired a further two titles in the fantasy YA series.
As a result of the fantastic initial performance of the first book, shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize, Puffin is moving the second volume from an early 2012 publication date to the summer of 2011. The two new novels will follow in 2012.
Following on from the initial two-book deal early in 2010, Shannon Park, Executive Editor at Puffin secured world rights for books three and four in the series from the John Jarrold Literary Agency, for a five figure sum.
Curtis Jobling says: ‘I am absolutely thrilled at the support and the belief Puffin has in Wereworld and am delighted to see how well received the first book has been. With book two already written and book three plotted, I’m looking forward to the busy adventure that lies ahead!’
‘I was delighted to hear so early in the game from Shannon with another two-book offer,’ said John Jarrold. ‘Having been a publisher for fifteen years before setting up the agency, I know all too well how unusual that is. Congratulations to her and the team at Puffin who have got behind Curtis so strongly.’
Shannon Park, Executive Editor, says: ‘From the first moment I read Wereworld I was completely bowled over by the inventiveness of the world Curtis has created. To know that we have another two opportunities to explore it is an editor’s dream come true. I can’t wait!’
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. Please visit the Wereworld website here.
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I’m soooo chuffed with this news! That I’m looking forward to finding out what’s coming our way in book 2 is a no-brainer, and it’s great to see Curtis doing so well! A massive congrats to him, to Puffin, to John, and to all the readers out there who were sucked into Drew’s world – awesome news!
Be EPIC!
Review: The Mall by S.L. Grey
Get ready to be creeped the hell out – come June, you won’t experience a shopping mall in the same boring way again.
The Mall follows two distinctly different characters:
Daniel is a bookseller for Only Books in Highgate Mall; he puts up with terrible customers and condescending colleagues and doesn’t yet actually know what he wants. Rhoda is damaged goods, highly opinionated and quick to lose her temper. As events spin out of control, these two wildly different people find themselves sucked into a world that they would never have believed could exist.
Character-wise, both Daniel and Rhoda were extremely entertaining in their own right – Daniel is quiet, keeps mostly to himself, tries not to ruffle anyone’s feathers and keeps his head down and does what’s expected of him. Rhoda is practically a polar opposite: she’s loud, unafraid (on the surface), impulsive and, as a consequence, in a really crap place in her life. When Daniel and Rhoda come together, the sparks do fly, and as the tensions rise more is revealed about the characters so that, at the novel’s climax, Daniel and Rhoda that you travel with are in their raw, almost elemental form, which makes the climax that much more devastating.
Horror-wise, The Mall is utterly brilliant. Thanks to this book, shopping malls now have a sinister, slightly off-kilter atmosphere; I work in a mall and in a bookshop, so for me the effect will be doubly unsettling. Every mall has its creepy corners – that section of the parking lot you stay away from, the service-door that you’ve never seen anyone leave from or enter. But after you read this, you may want to lay off mall-visits for a while. There is also incredible world-building is this novel – an entire world and way of life, and entire culture, that is scary as hell and deeply unsettling. The Mall has the kind of horror that makes you want to hide under the thickest blanket you can find, but also the kind of horror that changes the way you view the world; it certainly changes both Daniel and Rhoda, and when you read their story, you’ll understand why, and be changed because you understand.
What makes the story even more creepy and scary is that it takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa. The descriptions of the mall and the surrounding areas, the characters we come into contact with, the kind of language used, all ground this book in Jo’burg without overwhelming the story – you know exactly where you are, and that makes it really unsettling. I’m sure the readers in the UK who come to SA after reading The Mall will have an… interesting experience while shopping.
This definitely isn’t a book for the squeamish – the descriptions are extremely vivid and it’s impossible not to have a mental-picture flash through your mind; there are plenty of cliffhangers and ‘Holy shit!’ moments, and just enough cutting humor so that you don’t end up losing your mind from continuous onslaught of creeping fear. Seriously, what Stephen King did for the US and Maine, SL Grey is doing for South Africa and Jo’burg; there are some places people probably think a bit differently of, and I know I’ll be staying far away from service-doors and mall alley-ways, that’s for sure.
This book isn’t only for lovers of Horror – if you want to read something smart, absolutely current, funny and scary, then I’m pretty sure you’ll love The Mall. This is definitely the kind of book that starts things and twists things, so that your perspective won’t be the same after reading it. But it is an incredible Horror novel and definitely the start of something awesome in the publishing world! I’m really looking forward to The Wards (hell, after what I now know about The Wards, maybe looking forward to it isn’t the perfect way to say it) and I can’t wait to sell this book to unsuspecting Mall shoppers! *evil grin*
9 / 10
To pre-order your copies (the hardcover will be available in June), click here for Amazon UK, or if you have a Kindle, click here to get your copy. To read more about SL Grey and The Mall, click here, here and here.
Review: The Riyria Revelations – Book 4: The Emerald Storm by Michael J Sullivan
Four books in and The Riyria Revelations can definitely be counted among the best Fantasy series out there.
From book 1, The Crown Conspiracy, Michael has been methodically built his world and revealed his characters, and everything starts to come nicely together in The Emerald Storm.
The book opens with an event I never expected to happen, which sends shock waves through the rest of the book (and, I’m sure, the two books to come, Wintertide and Percepliquis), and also sets the tone for the book. The Emerald Storm is an altogether darker and more intense novel than the other books in the series – our characters go though much more than they’ve previously been subjected to, which not only heightens the tension of the book but also reveals more about the characters themselves.
Royce and Hadrian really go on an adventure in this book – they go through everything from working on a ship to plunging through a dangerous jungle to having to stop the complete and utter destruction of an entire city, and in this book we catch glimpses of a Royce that can make mistakes and can be hurt, and we also find out a bit more about Hadrian’s past; the characters gain much more, for and about themselves, in this book. Arista, too, does a lot of growing, learning to settle herself even more comfortably in her skin even as she has to deal with not having Royce and Hadrian around to save or protect her, and the Empress begins to realize that she lives in a world where taking part is the only way to survive; I won’t be surprised if Modina becomes one of the strongest and most memorable characters of The Riyria Revelations.
Michael also takes us to parts of his world that have previously only been mentioned, and manages to not only not bog down the narrative with descriptions and info-dumps, but keeps the pace of the story up, too, as well as giving us deeper glimpses into his characters and hints as to the direction the remaining books might take. The first chapter is not the only chapter that surprises and stuns – every arc throughout the book begins as a mystery and them steams ahead to the conclusion – a cliffhanger of such proportions that I’ve had to restrain myself from diving into Wintertide immediately (have got a couple of books I need to finish first!) .
The kind of story telling we’re used to from Michael and the quality of his writing doesn’t falter – but it is clear from The Emerald Storm that Michael was really flexing his muscles, and it shows; a bigger story, bigger thrills, and bigger consequences for the characters to deal with. It’s another excellent book that continues to reveal the world that Michael has been building since The Crown Conspiracy and also continues to evolve the great cast of characters. I’ve said it many times already, but if you haven’t yet started reading The Riyria Revelations, you’re definitely missing out! Michael proves that you don’t need overly convoluted plots, persistent magic, and battles to write Fantasy.
The Emerald Storm not only is a great addition to the series, upping the tension considerably and taking the characters in new, interesting and it-makes-sense directions, but it’s also a the book that begins to moves us toward the ultimate climax of The Riyria Revelations, which I’m really excited about!
9 / 10
To find out more about Michael and The Riyria Revelations, check out Michael’s website here; to order your copies, click here for Amazon US and here for Amazon UK, or check out this page on Michael’s site to order the previous books in the series.
Be EPIC!
Craig Smith Interviewed on Good Hope FM
Hey guys and girls, posting this from Australia! Hope you’ve all been well!
I heard that Craig would be on Good Hope FM, the radio station for Cape Town listeners, and was lamenting the fact that I wouldn’t be able to hear the interview – I live in Gauteng, so the radio signal gets a bit spotty up here. But a big chunk of the interview (conducted by JP Naude) was recorded (by Brandon Smith) and put on You Tube; Craig talks about his two novels, The Red Stone and Zoolin Vale and the Chalice of Ringtar, as well as the writing process and many other interesting topics. Here’s a link to Craig’s blog where he talks a bit about the interview.
Check out Craig’s website here, and click here to order The Red Stone and here to order Zoolin Vale and the Chalice of Ringtar.
It’s damned awesome of Good Hope FM to do this interview – not only does it give Craig some wonderful publicity but it also lets other South African Fantasy writers know that they’re not alone and that they can get their work published. Awesome stuff, and I hope to bring you more news of similar events / interviews!
Be EPIC!
Book Trailer: The Mall by S. L. Grey
Just saw this on Twitter and it’s pretty damned awesome and creepy as hell!
Guess what I’m reading on the plane tonight? Guess who’s gonna freak the hell out over the Indian Ocean?
Pre-Order your copies here (hardcover) and here (Kindle Edition, which is already available). The hardcover will be available in June.
Be EPIC!
P.S. The trailer was done by this man – awesome work!
