Marked - PC &Kristin Cast & Undead and Uneasy MJD

Zoey is a teenage girl, dealing with boyfriend trouble, high school and a nut job step father she hates. She doesn't feel she quite fits in anywhere, but things have been going along ok for ages. Then she is marked, she must move to the House of Night and hope she survives whatever it is that turns some kids into vampires at puberty.
Marked is nothing spectacularly new, it lacks the originality of Sarah Rees Brennon or Richelle Mead and the terrifying claustrophobia of Kelley Armstrongs YA novels. A part native american girl who turns out to not only be marked but chosen and to have a Destiny is nothing new, neither is the romance element or the whole good vamps vs evil vamps and no doubt forthcoming major betrayel set up.
The writing is really very good though. The book is absorbing and enjoyable and a pretty solid start to what no doubt is a pretty good series.
If you want something a bit better put together than oh say Twilight and with characters that at least manage two dimensional and sometimes better then this is a good place to start and i think it may get better.

Undead and Uneasy - Mary Janice Davidson
Queen Betsy has finally persuaded Sinclair to submit to a traditional wedding an dshe is busy party planning. So busy that it doesn't occur to her anything is odd about everyone dissapoearing at the same time until she can't reach some of them. Oh and then the werewolf pack she knows nothing about burst in and demand answers she can't give, and Sinclair isn't answering urgent messages from Tina which hasn't happened in about , oh ever and she can't find a dress she likes and....,. well you know how it is.
As always MJD manages to blend the frivolity and snarky wit of her heroine with a genuine sense of threat and plotting. It was another fun read, perfect for this sunny weather.

It's Superman - Tom de Haven

Can I step into the Un:Bound Confessional Booth for a minute (yes, we have one - not as large or comfortable as you might expect, and there's the man-eating rats to consider...)? I've got to get something off my chest, and it's a doozy:

I am a comic book nerd.

I know: "shocked" may be the exact opposite response you're having right now. I've never made an effort to hide my deep, dark secret. If there's a secret in my confession at all, it's that as I get older the comics I gravitate toward tend to get younger. And what I mean by that is, while I do love me some adult, independent B&W graphic "art" (see the recent I Kill Giants, or pretty much anything published by Oni Press or Alan Moore), lately my heart has firmly been captured by the mainstream superheroes - specifically the iconic characters of the DC Universe.

All that being said, I usually tend to stay away from books based on existing properties, such as films, television shows, or comic books. No real prejudice towards them, it's just I prefer the stories in the context they were originally conceived so, as much as I'm enjoying the current iteration of Doctor Who (an I am, eversomuch!), it's enough for me to have the show.

So if it wasn't for the praises heaped upon Tom de Haven's It's Superman by my good friend Ken as well as a nice mini episode on the book (which you can watch here) from the gang over at iFanboy, it's unlikely I would have read this. And that probably would have been a shame, because It's Superman proves to be a fun and surprising take on the Man of Steel.

So what's It's Superman, and what makes it a refreshing take on a pretty well-tread path? de Haven tells the story of Clark Kent's early years and gradual transformation into the Man of Steel using the actual world as a backdrop and injecting a more human perspective to Clark's development. In other words, Clark has sex, drinks and smokes, harbors feelings of inadequacy and guilt over leaving his parents...basically transforming him into a Holden Caufield that can jump over building and deflect bullets. The plot revolves around the rise of Lex Luthor as an alderman in New York City, and after he frames a young photographer named Willie Burg (sorry - no Jimmy Olsen to be found), Willie travels the country in hiding with Clark, which leads to adventures as a stuntman in Hollywood, an affair with an ex-actress, a jail breakout, and finally a home in New York City (Metropolis is referenced as the title of an art exhibit of the city), where Clark must stop Luthor's scheme involving killer laser beam robots.

Okay, so the "reality" things takes a bit of a left turn there.

By the end de Haven gradually forsakes the grounded reality of the novel for the more fantastic tenets of the comic, and things as a whole play out rather well. He takes a few shortcuts that feel forced (Kent falls for Lois within one sentence, basically "And with that he is utterly in love.") and Lois Lane in general is so unlikeable that you're left to wonder why the hell anyone would be taken with her. Lex Luthor is okay, but de Haven makes the mistakes of giving his henchmen (and women) more character and depth, so they ultimately become more interesting.

However, all of that is secondary to the main character, and It's Superman's real strength is in it's depiction of Clark: a troubled, awkward boy who is every day reminded of his differences from the rest of the world, and must come to grips with his feelings of alienation and supposed inadequacies. One of my favorite points is his constant fear that's he's not intelligent, especially in relation to his massive strength.

In that regard, maybe It's Superman succeeds more as a coming of age story than it does as a superhero story, and that's perfectly okay, too.

Steven Savile - Interview

British born writer, editor and self confessed fan boy geek, Steven Savile has written books in a number of popular universe's and a number of formats. He lives in Stockholm now and works pretty much constantly as far as I can tell.

We reviewed one of Steve's Black Library titles, Curse of the Necrarch here and rather liked it.
I was delighted when Steve consented to an interview and here it is.

--------------------
You have quite a body of work behind you including graphic novels and Dr Who books, do you have a particular favourite to work on, such as short stories or the Black Library novels?
That's a much tougher question than you'd expect, I mean looking at
the roster of work I've done only in the last 2 years it means
choosing between Primeval, Torchwood, Doctor Who, Stargate SG-1,
Warhammer, and a couple of my own creations, the thriller I just
finished writing, Silver, and this weird sort of steampunk fantastic
victoriana with a splash of horror that revolves around this group of
rather curious gentlemen in 1880s London, The Greyfrair's Gentleman's
Club. I had an absolute blast writing the very first Black Library
novel, Inheritance, for instance. The editor said 'okay we want these
boys to be like Hammer House of Horror vampires' and my grin just
spread slowly as my offered the writer's mantra: 'I can do that.' I
literally wrote a list of every aspect of vampire mythology I could
come up with, from every cliche to every interesting twist or take
from other cultures and decided somehow I'd make sure over the course
of the trilogy that I'd use all of them. Terrible I know... or with
Doctor Who there was that moment telling my mother on the phone 'So
guess what I am writing now?' and her response of 'Well honey I guess
that means you're a real writer now' when I said the Doctor.

In truth I would say I am one lucky guy because I'm a happy nerd, I
used to roleplay when I was younger, I love genre tv, and I think it
is so cool I get to play around in these playgrounds, you know? But if
you ask me today my favourite thing, I'd say the Greyfriar's Gentleman
because I am about 100 pages into my first fully fledged Greyfriar's
novel, London Macabre. If you asked me last week it would have been
Stargate because I was polishing off the edits on Shadows, my first
SG-1 novel, and a month ago it would have been Silver because that
book had been drowning my life for 12 months. Pretty much anything I
am working on actively I'll say is my favourite thing to be working
on, and I'll mean it. I am an immersive writer. I sink completely into
a project body and soul, then when it's done, I dive into the next one
with equal abandon. I guess I am the literary equivalent of a serial
monogamist. As long as I am working I am happy. Sad but true.

You've written a number of books for the Black Library and quite a few novels linked to popular sci fi series (Dr Who, Star Wars). What are the particular challenges of writing books set in a well established gaming world / tv universe?

I think the first thing is that you have to be authentic. You have to
love the show and the characters you're working on, not just know the
mechanics of how it works, you know? If you're anything less than in
love with it, it'll show and the fans will know. The hard part is that
say with Warhammer because it's a roleplaying game and a table top
battle game and a computer game and a slew of books, there are so many
different ways to experience the adventure that every real fan in some
way owns the world inside their head, and that world is going to be
unique every time because that's what is so great about roleplaying in
the first place, so as long as you know that going in and can accept
the fact that at least 20% of the readers are going to be screaming
and shouting and telling you you're an idiot, you're good.

I took on Slaine a few years ago because I loved the old Pat Mills
comic strips from 2000AD when I was growing up, but long before the
first word was on the screen let alone book on the shelf, I was the
subject of some slightly more than spirited conversations on the
internet. I seem to remember words like moral parasite, hack, etc. Now
worse, for me, I knew the publishers had asked for a 'reinvention' of
the story which meant of course the day it came out the first reaction
was 'man he doesn't even get THIS right! idiot! Couldn't even be
bothered to read the comics...' which was, of course, nonsence. I'd
read them inside and out probably a dozen or more times, every single
issue. I was doing what I was paid to do. Curiously, as I mentioned to
a friend the other day, I get more fan mail now for the Slaine novels
than any other thing I have done, and the most frequent question I get
asked is 'When's volume three coming out?' It's ironic, but gratifying
at the same time because it means I didn't let the franchise down.
Readers are identifying with the books and enjoying them enough to sit
down and write. That, believe me, is a big thing. You write into a
void. That kind of feedback after the moral parasite stuff and wanting
to stick a knife in your face and all that fun stuff, well that makes
the writing worth it.

I won't do a job if I don't love the show, or the game, or the comic
strip - because it may only be a few hours or a day for you to read,
but look at Slaine, it was meant to be 1200 pages of adventure, three
novels, 300,000 words. That's an entire year of my life, not counting
research, planing etc. You can't make that kind of commitment without
really loving something. At least I can't.

While we are on the subject of Warhammer are you a gamer and if so original or 40,000?

I was. I used to work in the GW store in Newcastle when I was at
University there. That was back before the GW store only sold GW
stuff. We had all the old Avalon Hill games, and Rolemaster,
Traveller, Runequest, red box D&D, AD&D, Cyberpunk, Talislanta, you
name it, we had it, and the guys there, Lawrence, Ian, David and Chris
were the most fascinating guys, so inventive, so in love with the
hobby. These were old school gamers. I was working there when GW
released Titanicus, Dark Future, Space Marine, we played Rogue Trader,
all sorts of stuff, but to answer your question I never ever played
40k, had no interest in the miniature game. I did however play the
entire Enemy Within Campaign with friends, sat up all night playing
Call of Cthulu, and was Secretary of the Uni Roleplaying society for 3
years. Every Sunday round at my house we had a ritual, the guys
descended at 10 and we played through til 6 or 7 when we ate, then
went out to Trillians in Newcastle and drank far too much. I think I
was probably the quintessential gamer. Hell, the ice cream man once
told us we were lowering the tone of the neighbourhood. I think that
was a high point in my life.

You are a writer and an editor, so obviously a bit busy. How do you balance the two roles and y'know, having a life?

Well the ex's would say I don't... or didn't. I am much better now, I
think. Erm. Kind of. I have my own office. I work from around lunch
til 3 in the office then go to a local cafe where I sit and work and
sip copious amounts of coffee. Yep, I'm that guy. I usually leave the
cafe around 6 and walk home for a bit of exercise, then at night, say
around 11 I'll settle down and do the other side of being a writer -
interviews, answering emails, redesigning the website, that sort of
stuff. So from 6 til 11 I get to be a normal guy, which is about as
good as most normal guys get, I suspect. It was harder when I was a
full time teacher, part time novelist, part time husband... something
had to give. I'm lucky I get to pay the mortgage with my words and I
get to tell all sorts of stories. Some days I forget, but most days I
remember.

Ok, I have to ask, you were born in Newcastle (my university city, i loved it) an dnow live in Stockholm, can you give us one really good reason to visit each of them?

Well I didn't head back to Newcastle until college, I actually grew up
in London, and I haven't been back to Newcastle for more than 36 hrs
since 1997, but from what I remember it was a hell of a place to go to
University, but post university it really started to drag me down
mentally. It was a hard place to live in that sort of post-Thatcherite
Britain. I remember signing up with temp agencies, pretty much doing
anything that came along, a day here, two days there, picking up the
dole cheques when there was no work. Considering I came out of uni
with a good degree in Politics and later added an Mphil to it it was
bloody depressing not being able to even get a job in a store. I
remember when Virgin opened there I didn't even manage to get an
interview. Still, it's like those rings on a tree, you know? When
there are good years the tree grows a lot and you can see it in the
rings, and likewise you can see the hard years, but it isn't until you
look at them all together you see the tree. I wouldn't be the guy I am
now without those years, and truth be told I did kind of enjoy them.
It was a fun place to party.

Stockholm was a different animal all together. I came over on vacation
in '97, February, in the height of the worst winter in years, snow
storms, blizzards the lot, and I fell in love with the place. They
call it the Venice of the North, because it's on lots of little
islands, which of course means there is lots of water. The
architecture shifts between this really ugly 1950s functionalism and
this almost serene 1700s gothic. I love it. I am absolutely at home
here. Hell, even the air is clean and we're in a capital city!

So, what have you got coming up next?

In terms of tie-ins the next thing I am sitting down to write is a
novel for Simon & Schuster and Arena.Net based in the Guild Wars MMO
world, which I should be finished with around Novemeber. In terms of
new books out on the shelves, it's been a quiet year so far but the
Stargate novel, Shadows, should be sneaking out in a few months, and
then in January it's the big one, Silver... the biggest, most
ambitious and by far the best thing I have ever written. I think. I'm
sure people will tell me if they agree, or if I am way off base. It's
a radical departure though, from fantasy and sf into mainstream
thriller. It was a hell of a lot of fun to write. And it's selling
into a lot of countries right now, most recently Poland and Spain, so
I am hoping that means I did something right.

So, Necrach, what I really want to know is What happened in the cut scenes? You said it was some of the character development that got cut and I am curious as to which characters you developed further and what you did with them.

Hah! I'm probably contractually obliged not to say anything but it was
a long time ago now, so I don't see it as a problem. Basically, I
really wanted the old man to be an atypical hero, sixty years old,
heart condition, loved by the people he protected and because of that
love, obliged... but there's a balance in Warhammer, so for instance I
wanted a closer relationship with his housekeeper and a more friendly
dynamic, some of it was stupid stuff like the funeral pyres and going
around to greive with each of the villagers and being told, he's
Knight Protector, he wouldn't do that... it was that clash of
stereotypes that made it tough with Necrarch... the whole thing is
meant to be about the futility of war, ironic in a game all about
war... some guys complained about Mammut's fate, but I thought that
was hilarious ahem... all of this scheming and plotting and it's
undone when the dracolich takes to the air. Others were annoyed about
the Hand of Nagash - and actually this was one of the parts that
pained me the most, because instead of being some lumbering zombie
that guy was meant to be a serious threat, a brilliant swordsman who
can't die again because his heart is in the clutches of the hand of
Nagash, pumping for ever. So in the first drafts Metzger and Bohme
were facing one of their best friends suddenly, dead but alive,
knowing how they would think and fight and using that to break them,
but a sharp intake of breathe and an oooh zombies can't do that killed
huge chunks of that stuff. Shame really because I really rather liked
those parts. I found it ironic they wanted the necrach to create his
own 'uruk hai' and then have this guy as some sort of lord of the
undead, then when it was written changed their minds. It happens
though, and of course, they know their world and what works best, but
sometimes it's tough as the creator to watch it go in directions you
know just aren't as powerful...

Will we ever see a book about Bohme, either before or after Necrarch, he's an interesting chap?

Nope, well, erm... I doubt it. I won't be doing it at least. Necrarch
was my last book for Black Library. I know we're never supposed to say
never, but I've said all I've got to say about vampires in their
world, and I am not a fan of repeating myself or treading the same old
ground, you know?

There were plans for a second at one point - indeed there was an
epilogue that basically had Radu's sire screaming with rage as he
suffered the loss of his underling - there's a link between sire and
sired, he's debilitated with the death - and coming after Bohme and
the surviving thrall, but I cut that part because I wanted the book to
end where the book ended, that took away all of the old man's courage,
and this was always one old man's war. He won. That was how it had to
be for me.

What happened to the town after all it's warriors went marching off to fight a hopeless war? who took charge and did they do a good job? What happened to the woman Metzger took in at the beginning and the rest of his household?

Hah, well I had plans. It's hard to remember them almost 3 years on,
but I seem to remember thinking that when Bohme came back he'd take
responsibility for her. I don't know how many readers picked up on it,
but Kasper was pretty much always gay in my mind. He was Metzger's
companion. I kept it ambiguous because I didn't want any outright
mention of sexuality being cut, and because I wanted individual
readers to make up their own minds.

Thanks for joining us Steve, it's been a huge pleasure to have you here. "

Please, hope I wasn't too boring.

-----------------

You can find out more about Steve's work on his website here, he also somehow finds time to Twitter. Of course you can find his books in stores and online and he's a great writer.

Blood Water - Winner

Well done Gaby317 Randomiser picked you

Bookmarky Love.

Ok, a while ago I had some cute white bookmarks produced. This time I went for laminated black and much higher numbers. Once again I am in debt to Andy Cryer andy(at)thin-kingmedia(dot)co(dot)uk for his brilliant design work and generally being such a sweetheart.

Anyway, they are here and you can have some if you'd like some. Just drop me an email at unbound(at)unboundblogzine(dot)com and i'll be glad to post them anywhere in the world.

Take a look and drop me a line.

The top pic is for scaling, they are on an A4 magazine.

Glass House and Dead Girls Dance - Rachel Caine

I first read Rachel Caine when I tried her weather warden series. I loved the first book, like the second and stopped halfway through the third. She's an excellent writer but the romantic peril based around the fragility of genie freedom became the core of all the novels to my mind. I will finish book three eventually, i just needed a break.
As a result I left the Morganville Vampires alone for a while. That was a mistake. As I say Caine is an excellent writer and this YA series makes for quicker reading. There is tons of peril and tension in these books, but they are shorter and quicker to read so less agonising frankly.
I read the first and second books back to back in one day and could not put them down. I liked the protagonist Claire and I loved Eve. The first book had a few places that stretched tested my abiulity to suspend disbelief but they were neccessary to keep the story on track, by the second novel the characters had hit their stride and the set up in the town was more settled.
Basically this is solid vamp based urban fantasy, extremely enjoyable and one of the better authors in the field. I have found that most of the YA authors I really enjoy also write adult fiction. Not all, just most.
If you like the sookie stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris then you will probably enjoy these too. Another solid non sparkly offering. Now of course I have to read the rest, it should be noted, Caine is eeeevil. The books are addictive.
Also worth noting, my copies have glow int he dark covers, how cool is that!

Coraline - Neil Gaiman.

That's Coraline, not Caroline, Coraline.
I wen to see the movie and although it was beautifully done and quite creepy it was no where near as genuinely bone chilling as the book.

Coraline moves into a new flat with her parents, the flat downstairs is occupied by two fat old ex-actresses, the one upstairs is home to a crazy man who believes the mice talk to him. The mice of course get Coraline's name right.

Her parents are a little vague and busy and Coraline is bored, and so the trouble begins. After all the idea of an Other Mother who will pay more attention and cook better food, who of us didn't think of that once or twice as a child (oh I was an ungrateful brat).

Coraline is a nicely balanced kid, she loves her parents but wants more attention, she is bright and bores easily and of course if mum says no, she asks dad. The evil is truly creepy and frightening and first time I read the book I stayed up until it was finished so I wouldn't lie awake anxious about the ending. The cat of course is brilliant!

They changed quite a lot int he film really, more than I had remembered and I have to say the book is much better and creating and maintaining the atmosphere. Give yourself and your kids a good traditional scare and give Coraline a try.

What the fek is a Wovel?

Turns out it's this...

EXIT VECTOR

http://www.underlandpress.com/wovel.cfm

A wovel from Underland Press

by simon drax

Start date: June 22, 2009

Mori Kim Marr’s personal force-field of drugs and drink has worn thin: she’s a burned-out teenager in a burned-out world, an Earth wracked by wars and rumors of wars, plagues and disasters, the hopelessness of every human heart. Mori couldn’t care less; just bring her the next fix, please. But when an artificial woman from the 19th century and a boy with psionic powers wander into the smoke and squalor of Mori’s favorite watering hole, gore-drenched violence and city-wide destruction erupts, catapulting Mori and her new-found “friends” into the thick of a battle that began long ago, a war that has raged since before the dawn of civilization, a blood-feud fought and overseen by the sole-survivor of an ancient, pre-human race: Trista Ska Shearn, last of the Cantarans. Trista has been waiting 65,000 thousand years for this, the final battle; she has waited millennia for the glum, sallow teenager, Mori Kim Marr. For Mori is . . . the Exit Vector.

Ancient enemies will clash. Worlds will crumble. The fate of the very universe will be decided in Exit Vector.

About Simon Drax:

SIMON DRAX was born in Gloomy, Massachusetts in 1965. He began the serious pursuit of writing fiction at 14. Drax has worked as a typesetter, graphic artist, bouncer, steel cutter, counselor to severely handicapped children, building supervisor, film critic, and art director. His stories and essays have been published in The Quarterly, Bonesaw, Midnight Zoo, Fever, After Hours, and VideoScope. His novel, A Very Fast Descent into Hell, will be published in 2010 by Underland Press.

About Underland Press’ Wovel:

Combining the pace of print journalism, the creativity of fiction, and the interactivity of web 2.0, the wovel is a weekly serial with a vote button at the end of each installment. Every Monday, the author posts an installment, usually about five to seven pages in length. At the end of the installment, readers vote on which direction they want the story to take, and the author incorporates the readers' decision into the narrative.

Past wovels by Kealan Patrick Burke and Jemiah Jefferson have drawn more than 1,000 readers and 14,000 page views a month. Read the first installment of EXIT VECTOR on June 22 at www.underlandpress.com.

so now you know.

The Demon's Lexicon - Sarah Rees Brennon

Ok first of all. Love the cover, beautiful, broody, slightly sneering boy, all black and red and jaggedy and aggressive, it's just right for this YA novel.

Nick is 16, he lives with his mum, who is umm, not quite right and hates him, and his brother Alan who is a couple of years older and has a limp. Nick does the heavy lifting, plumbing and sword wielding. Occasionally he goes to school.
Alan reads a lot, gets on with people, organises things and prefers a gun.

Their mother stole something valuable from a magician when Nick was just born and they have spent the rest of their lives moving from house to house, trying to stay one step ahead. Then the girl with the pink hair and her demon bitten brother turn up on Nick's doorstep and Alan wants to help them (of course he does, he's a people person and an idiot). One way and another Nick and Alan find themselves having to take a stand at last.

It's pretty much urban fantasy, set in the UK in various locations and with a well imagined world of magicians and demons. The goblin market (no actual goblins, all human) manages not to be too cheesy and the dancing is a wonderful idea and beautifully executed.
Nick and Alan are believable and consistant, I really felt for them both at times and the layers of their relationship are handled realistically given their situation and their ages. Nick is sullen and cynical and fits in well with the other kids behind the bike sheds smoking. There are enough moments to keep us grounded in the real world without breaking the fantasy and it's pretty creepy an dgrim without being too graphic.

Seriously, why are people still reading Twilight when there are books like this on the market? The characters actually have dimensions, even the demendted ones, the plot is darker, the threat more real and it's every bit the fast easy read that the other book is. Best of all, no one freaking sparkles.

I would agree with the cover praise on this one. "Witty, dark and moving" is dead right. More please Brennon.

Crooked Little Vein - Warren Ellis

A slew of nonfiction reading, Ghostbusters on the Xbox360, and being a Dad (Happy Fathers Day to any and all Dads out there) has kept me from any genre reading. So I dug way back to unearth this little gem of a novel from Warren Ellis, mainly known as a seriously great comic writer. If you haven't read Transmetropolitan or Global Frequency, I heartily recommend them both.

---------------------------------

Crooked Little Vein is a dirty, dirty little book.

You're exposed to the vices of the new millennium, the decadence and filth that could only come about in an age where worldwide communication is instantly gratified, where the entirety of the World Wide Web can be downloaded to your cell phone.

Warren Ellis, the author of Crooked Little Vein, is a dirty, dirty man, taking the conventions of a hard-boiled detective story and gleefully shoving it up the ass of normality. After making a giant name for himself in the comic book field as the creator of the subversive Transmetropolitan and Fell among others, his decision to try his hand at straight prose succeeds almost in spite of itself. Being simultaneously a outsider's commentary on life in post 9/11 America, a look at what "mainstream" and "underground" mean in a world where everything is readily available via the Internet, and a firmly entrenched detective story isn't easy to balance for 300 pages, but Ellis manages to keep things from tottering by injecting a large shot of humor with each horrifying escapade witnessed by detective Mike McGill and his lover/assistant Trix as they go in search of an "alternate" version of the U.S. Constitution, one supposedly wrapped in the skin of an alien and with the ability to literally re-shape the minds of America.

Like thousands of good detective stories, the object of Mike and Trix's search is just the MacGuffin to lead them through the seedy underbelly of the great U.S.A, where people routinely inject their private parts with saline, get off watching Godzilla movies, and perform the most hideous version of "Russian Roulette" I've ever come across. McGill, a great detective with the worst luck in the world works great as the novel's narrator, and his best moments come from his analysis of love and relationships via his blossoming relationship with Trix. Ellis uses each character to represent a different side of the coin - one embracing the world as it is and one refusing to see. How they come to balance serves as an answer for what Crooked Little Vein explores during its journey.

Despite some too-obvious emphasis on the theme, and some definite cringing during some of the more graphic scenarios (part of Ellis' point is to shock you with what readily goes on in what you suppose is your "normal" world) Crooked Little Vein provides a nice mix of character and action. It's a quick read, too, so if you're into a little wackiness and don't mind some cheerful depravity you'll probably enjoy this book.

I did, and shame on me.

Second Skin - Caitlin Kittredge

Luna Wilder has moved to SWAT, her boyfriend Dmitri is being stifling, pushing Luna to accept a position in the back. Someone is killing Were's and Luna finds herself drawn into the mess once again.
I love Caitlin's books, I loved the first two in this series and Street Magic, which I was lucky enough to review as an e ARC some time ago. I was not disappointed by the third Nocturne City novel.
As this book kicks off, if you were new to this series you would probably wonder why Luna couldn't clamp her mouth shut for ten seconds and why she was with the incredibly controlling obsessive boyfriend. Of course if you have read the others you know why, but even so it doesn't take long fo rjust the necessary bits of info to feed through so it's a bit more obvious. For starters we can forgive a lot if we can blame it on a demon bite.
This book really kicks up the action and it's awesome! It has sort of vamps and sort of vampires, lots of were's and something i'm not going to tell you about, but it's pure genius! In some ways there is a little too much and the book lacks the in depth consideration that the previous volumes int he series had, on the other hand, once in a while we like our favourite characters to stop being deep and kick ass. Delivered.

If you are coming to this series, go back to the begining, it's only three books in, you'll catch up in no time. If you read the previous books you should carry on. The best thing about this novel for me right now.....I am such a lucky creature that I have an arc of the next one just waiting to be read. *happy dance*

Curse of the Necrarch - Steven Savile

When I was at school I had a couple of mates who played bloodbowl and lent me X-Men comics and Warhammer books. I loved them, but A Levels happened and then we all left and I haven't read any Warhammer since, nor did I ever find out how the whole Psylocke and Revanche (sp?) story line ended.
Anyway, my husband recently hurt his back and I was trying to think of things we could do together that were challenging enough to be interesting but light and fun too. I came home with Warhammer 40,000 and the first Black Library book I have read in over 13 years.

Curse of the Nerarch sees the men of Grimminhagen take on the vile Necrarch and his army of the dead. There are vampires in this book, vile rotting things, controlling mindless zombies and marching across the lands of man in search of a hidden treasure. The Thralls have their own agendas and aging warrior Reinhardt Metzger has decided that beating them back from the town is not enough, he must ensure they never return.

I really enjoyed it. It took me right back to curling up on my bed devouring borrowed books when I was at school. Saville is an excellent writer and the story was gripping. It's a grim and hopeless tale and somehow, knowing that it is not going to end at all well, for anyone, I still couldn't wait to know what happened. The characters are just deep and complex enough for a book essentially about a load of soldiers trying to kill a load of zombies. There were people it was possible to care about and creatures is was easy to despise and a whole bunch of nameless cannon fodder. Saville also supplied a satisfying ending which I will say no more about. Even if you have never hung out, or wanted to hang out, in Games Workshop working on your strategy then you can still enjoy this book. Now if you'll excuse me, I have orcs to build.

Blood Water - Giveaway

I was luke warm over Blood Water by Dean Vincent Carter but other bloggers have given it great reviews. If you fancy a chance to try it for yourself then just leave a comment.
Open to all until next friday at midnight.

Check out my review here.

Buddyt, you just missed the last one and I promised ot enter you in this one, i'll put a comment in for you tomorrow so it's fairly random.

The Thornthwaite Inheritance - Gareth P Jones

Many thanks to Bloomsbury for this review copy.

Young, orphaned and incredibly wealthy twins Lorelli & Ovid Thornthwaite have
grown up in a morose manor that belonged to their dead parents, under
the care of Mr Crutcher. They have spent much of their lives trying to
kill each other, but on their 13th birthday the twins call a truce.
Shortly afterwards it becomes evident that someone isn’t sticking to
the truce, or more alarmingly someone else wants them dead.

This is a fun kids story, an element of danger, a mystery and an
awakening for the Thornthwaite twins. It’s well written and leads the
reader through quickly, making a light entertaining read for an adult or
a brilliant adventure, with an element of peril for kids.

My only minor complaints of this one are that I keep wanting to call Lorelli
Wednesday, because she reminds me strongly of Morticia Adam’s dark
haired daughter and that some of the devices used to reach the
conclusion were a little unlikely. The whole thing could have unravelled
neatly enough without the slightly forced addition of the unfinished
musical score. Neither of these things detracted especially though and I
spent a pleasant afternoon with the novel, occasionally snorting
(inelegantly) with amusement at some particularly dark moment.

D&D

Ok just a quickie, but Deepeight tweeted this link about pastors playing D&D and since I used to play this on the bus to school and have fond memories I wanted to share it too.
http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=13290576&postcount=60
enjoy.

Shared Worlds

I recieved a lovely email this morning from Enter the Octopus asking if i'd post something about this, so I am posting the whole thing. I thought it sounds great.
Hagel.

Shared Worlds asked Elizabeth Hand, Nalo Hopkinson, Ursula K. LeGuin, China Miéville, and Michael Moorcock: “What’s your pick for the top real-life fantasy or science fiction city?”

At Shared Worlds our students create fantasy and science fiction worlds to fuel their art and writing projects. But even the strangest made-up place can have some real-world spark, and some of the real world’s cities can be stranger than anything found in fantasy and science fiction.

With this in mind, we asked some of speculative fiction’s brightest minds to tell us their own picks for real-life fantastic cities, and you can read their answers here:

http://sharedworlds.wofford.edu/top5.aspx

“Our own planet is often surreal, alien, and beautifully strange—and cities tend to focus our fascination with these qualities,” said Shared Worlds Assistant Director Jeff VanderMeer. “Sometimes the exoticness comes from finding the unexpected where we live, and sometimes it comes from visiting a place that’s foreign to us.”

Want to join the discussion? Help one of the most unique teen "think tanks" in the country by posting the above link on your site or blog and asking your readers what cities they would choose.

Shared Worlds is also proud to announce Tor Books, Wizards of the Coast LCC, and Realms of Fantasy magazine as major sponsors. Thanks to them for their enthusiasm and support.

More information about Shared Worlds:

Now in its second year, Shared Worlds is a two-week unique summer camp for teens ages 13 to 18, held at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. This year the camp runs from July 19 to August 2, with registration still open to the end of June. Creative and fun, Shared Worlds emphasizes writing fiction, game development, and creating art—all in a safe and structured environment with award-winning faculty. Participants in this “teen think tank” meet like-minded students and learn how to work together and be proactive on their own. The first week, the students form teams and create their own worlds; the second week, they create in them. Faculty for 2009 will include Holly Black, co-creator of the Spiderwick Chronicles, Hugo Nominee Tobias Buckell, White Wolf game developer Will Hindmarch, World Fantasy Award winner Jeff VanderMeer, Weird Tales fiction editor Ann VanderMeer, and more.

Some Links

Related SF Signal MindMeld feature:

Main Shared Worlds page:

Registration page:

Video from last year's camp:

Short - Fuse Leicester

On Tuesday 16th June a friend and I did something neither of us has
ever done before. We attended an evening of short story readings. The
event was held at the Y theatre in Leicester and the focus was Idols for
June.
Short Fuse is a monthly event which breaks for a couple of months over
the summer. Every month a topic is chosen and a number of writers will
read works on the theme to a small audience. The set up is cabaret
style, with round tables set out in the area before the stage, low
lighting and candles on the tables.

One of the organizers, Polly Tuckett introduces the evening, explains
the running order for newbies (that would be me) and introduces each
reader.
Poly is a charming host, honest and enthusiastic, her joy in what she
has created is evident and everyone settles in.

The first reading in this case was a long poem by Karen Buckley called The
Choosing. The Idol in this case was a Panther. It was read well and clearly
demonstrated the benefit of having someone who really knows their work
to read poetry. The use of language was skilled, selecting words and
rhythm to evoke a particular response, the subject matter did not
particularly grip me though and the whole thing became a little odd. Not
to my taste, but poetry more than most things is incredibly personal and
my tastes run to the long dead poets.

Second up Polly read one of her own pieces, essentially about two kids
trying to leave a cult of personality out in the desert. This was much
more the sort of story I might read and Polly’s style, though less
slick was entertaining and infectious, complete with accents. It was
this performance that my friend and I were still talking about the next
morning, how much we enjoyed it. Polly brought the sites and smells to
life and when the revelations came they were somehow inevitable, but it
felt as though was as it should be.
After a short break we were treated to some unscheduled flash fiction
which was a little light entertainment after the first third of the
evening and before the rest of the official readers.

Norwegian writer Stian Gustavsen then read his dark tale, presented as a letter
from a recently released inmate to a childhood friend. It wandered a
little in the middle but the sudden shift to sinister at the end amused
me and Gustavsen’s voice and confidence made this a real pleasure to listen
to.

Sheffield GP Jo Cannon read a slightly odd and strangely disconnected tale
of someone travelling on a ship, again under the care of a fanatic. The
voice of the story though was less enchanted with the cult leader and
rather idolised the girl he had followed ob board. The reader seems an
interesting character and she read well although this is not something
I’d seek out to read.

The whole experience of listening to the stories read was a strange
one, it’s my first time and I enjoyed it. I’d go again if the topic
interests me and have already penciled in the Halloween event.

The headline act was Ian Breckon. Before his reading Polly interviewed
him and after an interesting discussion of art and politics in writing
(somewhat reminiscent of Milan Kundera) Polly raised the issue of genre.
Ok, now maybe I’m a little touchy about this one and in fairness to
Breckon his book probably isn’t fantasy, but he seemed offended that
anyone had described it as such. He didn’t know why it was fantasy as
it didn’t have any “goblins” in it. Seriously? He dismissed a
hugely popular genre as goblins. This from someone who could quite
fairly be described as speculative fiction. My hackles were obviously
up. I was so stunned I don’t really remember much more of the
interview, except that he seemed to contradict himself on the subject of
short stories. I thought Polly did a pretty good job of interviewing,
it’s not the easiest thing to do.

I may be being entirely unfair to Breckon, I didn’t stop to speak to
him afterwards, although I could have done, which is my fault and if
he’d like to clarify his position on goblins and his view of the
fantasy genre I promise not to be savage.
He read his short story extremely well although it was not one that
grabbed my attention as a story. Indeed it as entirely down to his skill
in reading that my attention was held at all. Especially since I was
already cross with him.

All in all a successful evening for me, and I am delighted that
Leicester can offer this experience. I am going to be interviewing Polly
soon about Short Fuse, her involvement and her writing.

Devilish Fun with Ravenous Romance Author Keta Diablo!

Inara LaVey here, hosting the second Ravenous Romance day at Un:Bound! It's been a busy two weeks for me: work, writing, work, writing, with breaks to play laser pointer with the kitties. Seriously, laser pointer + felines = hours of fun for the whole family. I'm trying to use my power for good instead of evil...but is it so wrong to track the light over to my unsuspecting boyfriend's leg when the cats are on the hunt?

Don't answer that. :-)

Today we have erotic romance author Keta Diablo sharing some of her thoughts on writing and the writer's lifestyle. Keta is the author of Ravenous's best-selling historical romance Land of the Falling Stars set against the backdrop of the Civil War. Definitely not your mother's Gone with the Wind, although I suspect Scarlett would have enjoyed the read! Please make yourself at home and enjoy the buffet - we have a fine array of cheeses, crusty French bread straight from the oven, top quality olive oil, wine (red, white AND sparkling) and, as a special drink in honor of our guest, mint juleps! At Adele's insistence, we also have cheese and pineapple cubes, along with water crackers. Something for everyone! Dessert is decadent chocolate mousse cake.

Please join me in welcoming Keta!

So, Ms. Diablo! Welcome to Unbound! How about a few words on your current release and the inspiration behind it?

I’m happy to be here. Land of Falling Stars is my most current release in male/female erotica. The novel was the brain-child of an article I read about two cousins who fought on opposite sides during the Civil War. A true story, ironically, the county border ran between their properties. One county was partial to the North, the other to the South. That launched a tiny seed and sent me down a path of “what-ifs”. What if two men who loved the same woman fought for opposite sides; and what if one was killed on a smoke-filled battlefield by the other. And what if the man who shot his best friend had to deliver the horrific news to the woman they loved? You can see where there is going. Of course, there are numerous subplots and external conflicts in Land of Falling Stars because without those I wouldn’t have much of a story.

You've written quite a few books. How about some advise for first time authors? For instance, what do you feel is the most important thing a first-time author should know?

I think first-time authors should realize writing is hard, hard work, just like promoting and marketing is after it’s released.

In regards to your own writing career, any goals that you have yet to obtain that you have set for yourself?

I try not to set goals so I won’t be disappointed. Publishing is a fickle arena, and I plug along; write the best books I’m capable of and enjoy the accomplishments if they come my way. I think so much of it has to do with timing, being in the right place at the right time, whether that’s with a publisher or an agent. I don’t like that aspect of it. I think writers should be rewarded by the hard work they’ve put into their novels and not by the fickle finger of fate.

Sometimes people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. Y'know, lounging around in satin peignor sets and eating chocolates, jetting around to booksignings, being feted and made much of by all and sundry. We all know that's not true unless you're Jackie Collins or Stephen King (although I doubt he weards peignor sets). Let's do a reality check here: tell us what’s the most unglamorous thing you’ve done in the past week?

I’m with you. Many readers think we ride around in limos and eat bonbons every day. Not me; that’s for sure. Writing embodies a solitude existence; most often it’s me and my computer day after day . . . unless you count the fat cat curled up on my desk or the Sheltie at my feet. The most unglamorous thing I do three times a week is empty “Emma’s” litter box. How’s that for unglamorous?

There is nothing glamorous about emptying out cat boxes, but better than the alternative! They say all work and no play make Jack and Jill dull and grumpy. Are you currently reading or watching anything entertaining on television?

I seldom watch television – no time. I do, however, catch American Idol every week. I don’t have much time for reading either, but I try to read one chapter each night of the current book I’m into. Right now that’s Price of Desire by Leda Swann.

Another myth is that all writers make enough money to support themselves through their writing income. Many authors I know (myself included) have full or part-time jobs to pay the rent while they work on their writing after work hours. How about you? Do you have a pesky day job? Or am I about to do some serious seething with envy here? :-)

I’m very fortunate I don’t, however, that’s only recently come about. I can’t imagine working full-time and keeping up with the writing, marketing, and e-mails. I write for four publishers under Keta Diablo and for two others under a pen name. Getting a picture of my life now? (Keta laughs)

One of my boyfriend's favorite games is 'if you could have one superpower, what would it be?' Mine would be the ability to find lost pets. So if you were to write yourself as a superhero, what kind of power would you choose?

I’m quite a feminist and therefore have paid attention throughout the years to women’s issues. One thing that greatly concerns me is the violence against women and children. So in this vein, if I could be a superhero, I’d have the power to ignite objects with my fingers. I think it would a relief to know that when you walk to your car at night in a darkened parking lot or enter an elevator in a secluded ramp, you have protection. If anyone messes with you, you start them on fire. Hmm, maybe I should write horror instead of erotica.

So if you were the heroine of a book, why would you fall in love with the hero?

Because he makes me laugh. Of course, he’s handsome and dashing and can slay dragons and villains without batting on eye. But when he falls off his horse, I want him to laugh at himself. He can be the most gorgeous creature God ever breathed life into, but if he’s missing a sense of humor; he’ll soon be missing me.

And let's try gender reversal here: If you were the HERO of your book, why would you fall in love with the HEROINE?

Because she’s not only beautiful, but she’s self-reliant and can hold her own against a scoundrel like me. In fact, there has been quite the controversy from reviewers about Sophia, the heroine in Land of Falling Stars. She was/is a spoiled Southern brat and then the war came and her world crumbled. So many tragic things happened to Sophia, and I think people don’t stop and ask themselves how they would react to all these horrific events. Despite Sophia’s temperament, Land of Falling Stars has received rave reviews across the board.

Before we go, tell us what you're up to now with your current writing projects, Ms. Diablo? (twists Keta's arm)

What author doesn’t like to talk about their current releases? Land of Falling Stars is now in print on Amazon and Ravenous Romance has asked me to write a full-length sequel, along with another Civil War novel themed around two male characters.

Namaste, Keta

So here’s to Land of Falling Stars – Slainte – Four Martinis, Girls on Books Reviews

Keta Diablo writes erotic historicals for Ravenous Romance and Noble Romance. She also writes gay fiction for Phaze and the Dark Roast Press. You can find her on the web at the following places:

http://ketadiablo.blogspot.com/

http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com/

http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com

Please stop by and enter her contest to win free books or sign one of her guest books.

The Strain - Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan

It's a distinct possibility I'll get slagged for the following comments, but it feels right: it's a place I have to go to if I'm going to be honest about this review. Please stave off your pitchforks until the end - it'll give me a head start up the path.

The Strain is, finally, thankfully, a modern vampire novel for guys. (***updated - and girls, apparently. from the comments it appears I'm not the only one relishing an honest-to-goodness frightening vampire tale)

Everywhere I go I'm confronted by the Sweet Valley High-ification of the Vampire myth, thanks in large part to the marketing juggernaut that is the Twilight industry. The original creatures of the night are fast becoming de-fanged: they brood, they glower in model poses, they go to high school and they sparkle in the frickin' sunlight, ferchrissakes! A world of 16-year old girls (and their mothers - the most incredible thing about the Twilight phenomenon as I've experienced it is that mothers and daughters appear to both be under the swooning spell of broody Edward Cullin) now have the image of a young 20-something boy/man as the new Prince of Darkness.

Maybe I was premature to worry so quickly. Guillermo del Toro, known for the visual feasts of PAN'S LABYRINTH, THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE and the HELLBOY films has together with thriller writer Chuck Hogan (Prince of Thieves), taken some of the undeveloped ideas he tried to put forth in the second BLADE film (bet you forgot he directed that one, huh?) and combine it with more recent global fears to create The Strain, where vampirism is a deadly virus, one that takes no prisoners - alive or dead, if you're been bit the disease has been transmitted, and you'll be up and about, thirsting for blood.

There are seven of them. Ancient, living for thousands of years, they have always been here, living across the world in tentative alliances with one another. One, however, has gone rogue, and with the help of a rich industrial has come across the waters to America where it plans to begin the eventual destruction of humanity and set itself up as the Supreme organism on this planet. A plane lands at JFK completely dark, when the CDC arrive all the passenger save four are dead. And what looks like a terrorist threat becomes so much worse when not only do the four survivors begin their horrible transformation, but all the "dead" passengers suddenly up and leave the morgues, thirsting just as much as the four apparent survivors.

The vampires themselves has a close similarity to the "reaper" vampires in del Toro's BLADE II - nasty, savage beasts who jaws unhinge. Instead of fangs, they have a sort of "second tongue" capable of shooting out from their mouths up t o six feet. There is nothing remotely romantic about these creatures - indeed, part of their final transformation is losing their sex organs altogether. Aligned against these forces of darkness are members of the CDC, a old pawn shop keeper who has been hunting the Rogue since surviving the concentration camps in WWI, a Russian exterminator, and a young Latino thief, caught up in a power-struggle between the Rogue and the other Ancients.

It's a somewhat unwieldy cast, but del Toro and Hogan keep things moving along a quick clip, alternating between the pairs of characters and smaller, sketch passages designed to show the impact the vampire threat is having around the city. Nothing is spared in their descriptions of what happens the beasts' victims - be prepared for small children, animals, and even babies to not be spared. The best passages are those t hat attempt to investigate and explain just how the vampire virus works to turn its victim into one of the supernatural devils. In other areas the writing's a bit clunky, but it never took me out of the action and pacing of the book.

When it all ends you're set up for an even bigger battle as the threat, even while escaping the city and seemingly bent on taking over the country, suddenly finds dubious help in a mysterious group aligned with the remaining Ancients. del Toro and Hogan look to be making a global adventure here, and in their new, radical presentation of the Vampire it's one I'm looking forward to continuing investigating.

All this Vampire talk got me nostalgic for some of the vampire stories I've enjoyed over the years that might have some bearing on the influences of The Strain. Check 'em out below:

• Starting with del Toro, check out BLADE II - it's by no means a great movie, but the "Reaper Vampires" seem to be a direct influence based on the descriptions in the book. When I read The Strain, this is what I envisioned.
• Strangely, BLADE II isn't del Toro's first crack at his version of the Vampire myth. For a vastly different take on things, check out his first film CRONOS - a very good film that is a far cry from anything I've ever read or seen about vampires.
• I wasn't a huge fan of where the book series went, but Neil Jordan's film version of INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE is my pick for the best "Vampire as Dandy" film in recent memory. Capping off films, check out NEAR DARK for another off-the-beaten-path Vampire flick.
• Books, books, books...I would be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite vampire book of all time: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. 'Salem's Lot is a great look at the traditional Vampire myth transplanted to the time capsule America that is the setting for much of Stephen King's best work. And I would be played if I didn't give at least passing mention to Ann Rice's incredibly popular series of Lestat novels, the best (IMHO) being The Vampire Lestat, Queen of the Damned, and Memnoch the Devil. I'm sure there are a host of others, but those were the ones that readily to mind.
  

* Since it may come up, yes, I'm well aware of the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse novels. I have the first four books in a box set that are currently unread, as they were a gift to my wife. I am, however, watching at this moment the first season of True Blood, based on the series. Pretty good, even if it so far (I'm only four episodes in) seems like a quirky twist on the brooding, sultry vampire that Twilight also uses, the quirk ( a good one) being the world the show is set in, where vampires are "coming out the closet" as it were.

Nights of Villjamur - Mark Charan Newton

This book was courtesy of Tor/Panmacmillan. Many thanks

An ice age is coming and the city of Villjamur is surrounded by refugees. There are troubles internally and beyond the city walls in the kingdom. Those truly loyal to the city and it's rightful ruler are few and far between and there are traitors everywhere.

This has some of the trappings of trad fantasy, it's an empire with a council and the usual mix of intrigue. The good guys are mostly decent and principled, the bad guys are ruthless scheming and just plain evil. The dominant species appears to be humans but there are others in the mix and none of this is anything new and groundbreaking in the genre.

The things that stand out about this book are the characters and their relationships to each other, there is nothing standard about those at all. The plot is beautifully drawn through, I could anticipate aspects of it, but never all it's turns and twists, which was wonderfully refreshing and I caught myself biting my lip in anxiety more than once.

There is strong character development through the novel and although everything happens over a matter of weeks the situation changes the people in it, as it would. The suicide of the emperor leaves his daughters in charge and they are forced to adapt to a completely new situation, but they are young and niaive and assume loyalty where they should not, while the Rumel's inquisition aide resents the rules and his superiors refusal to defy them. The motivations and situations are utterly believable and that makes this a strong book, pulling you in and holding you in a world of cultists and Rumels.

A beautiful, brilliant, dramatic peice of work. Excellently done Newton!

Coming up on Wednesday...

Coming up next Wednesday, it's time for another Ravenous Romance day! We will be featuring Keta Diablo, author of Land of the Falling Stars and many other works as well. I mention Land of the Falling Stars 'cause it's her Ravenous Romance release (gotta love all this alliteration) and it also happens to be featured on the cover of MY book, Ripping the Bodice. Does my book belong to Keta or her book belong to me? Either way, we both won the Cover Art lottery as far as
I'm concerned. See?



Just a few snippets of reviews for LotFS:

The author pens a story unlike any other. Land of Falling Stars makes you believe in the possibility of retribution and the hope of finding your brass ring in the last place you look. You Gotta Read Reviews

I loved the character of Gavin Langdale and thoroughly enjoyed Land of the Falling Stars. I hope to read more of the people of Arbor Rose and Fredericksburg . Whipped Cream Erotic Reviews

A story that has the ups and downs of a roller coaster and keeps the reader hanging on with bated breath, Land of Falling Stars is captivating. The Book Wenches

Diablo has a great knack for weaving words together to bring a vivid picture to the reader’s mind. She tells a wonderful story. Reader, Alaine, Goodreads

And these are just a few! So come join us Wednesday and meet Keta; I will be doing my hostessy duties as per usual and promise to have wine and cheese on hand for the event. Nothing but the best for our readers!

Inara LaVey

Hunters Prayer Giveaway

WE have a winner, the great and mighty randomizer gave me number 6/22 so Morgan, you're it.
I'll email you.

The Last Colony -- John Scalzi

This post is redundant.
Go on, check the Scalzi label, read and substituting the actual book that's what I think of this.

Oh ok i'll do it anyway.
The Last Colony is the third and sadly final John Perry book (except for Zoe's tale, which technically is a Zoe book anyway).
The events in this book take place at the same time as those in Zoe's tale and are to a point the same events. The perspective is different and the emphasis is shifted.

In The Last Colony we see John Perry and Jane Sagan trying to do what is right for there odd little family and trying to run the new colony on Roanoke and keep everyone alive. There are conversations that are told from the other side in Zoe's tale, but for the most part this is it's own book. The overlaying of the two is seamless and brilliant.

John and Jane agree to take on the role of colony leaders for a special new colony and quickly realise they are pawns in someones game. What takes a little longer to realsie is that they are basically pawns in everyone's game. The wrong decision by these two or Zoe could not only be disasterous for the colony but for the whole human race.
Once again this is a tightly written, easy to read, thoroughly entertaining sci fi adventure. I am a little bereft now I have no more books in this series to read.

Points of interest

I haven't finished any of the four books i'm presently reading so no review today (perhaps I should read one at a time?) but there were a couple fo things I wanted to post about.

This time last week we had a post by one of the Ravenous Romance authors who have come on board, we will have another one this time next week.
I would like to see this become a weekly event and there has been some discussion on that line. If you are missing the post this week then it is a good time to shout out and let it be known. Also, go to the frontpage www.unboundblogzine.com, scroll to the bottom and visit some of the individual author sites until we get back to you next week.

Also, it appears that Leicester has previously unplundered depths of culture. I am going to an regular (except in summer) event that I had no idea existed next tuesday where fiction writers are showcased.
Check it out at www.shortfuseleicester.com if you are half as curious about this as I am. I shall tell you all about it on next thursday. Hopefully with pictures.

I kill Giants - Joe Kelly , JM Ken Niimura

I read Chris' review of this and immediately ordered a copy from amazon. They said it would be three to four weeks so I cancelled that and went to my local Forbidden Planet (previosuly Another World) where the lovely people had one copy in stock. Yay.
I then waited impatiently to get home and once home I read it cover to cover before consenting to speak to my husband. I think I may have fed him first.
It's always a risk when you get that excited about something that it won't live up to expectation. Well that was not a problem. It blew me away. I giggled to myself and at one point burst into tears (that freaked the husband out).
As Chris explained before, this is the story of a girl who has an ancient Nordic hammer in her little fabric purse and kills giants to save mankind. She is also dealing with bullies at school, being pretty much smarter than her peers and her family falling apart as the result of what's happening upstairs (where she does not go anymore).
Although there is always the question of what's real and what's fantasy in her giant killing, it really doesn't matter, so I like to think she's seeing things as they really are and everyone else is just missing it. Life is more interesting if you believe in giants.
Niimura compliments Kelly's tale wonderfully with his art, making our heroine sufficiently different and quirky to be believable.
I have been completely charmed by this story and the characters and it has won it's place in my small GNov collection.

Fool - Christopher Moore

At this point I have very few Christopher Moore books left in my "need for a rainy day" stockpile. But if you happen to live on the East coast of the United States, specifically the Northeast, more specifically New York, you know that it has been raining almost non-stop for over two weeks (barring two days, which happened to coincide with my son's birthday party barbecue and my own. Thanks, Higher Being to be Named Later). Moore's on that short list of writers I love but don't don't devour everything right away, preferring to squirrel away books for those days where even when it's not physically raining, it feels like it, you know? The past two weeks have been a combination of the two (the physical raining and the, uh, mental one), so I busted out some Fool.

As much as I love Christopher Moore's books, there were some reservations with this one. Both my wife and a close friend - confirmed Moore fanatics - started the book only to leave it after about 40 pages saying it was "meh". Being a huge Shakespeare nut, I was looking forward to it, but the "meh" lingered in the front of my mind as I opened the book.

Shame on me for buying into the "meh" - Fool is a wonderfully ribald take on Shakespeare's King Lear, told from the King's fool's perspective, and slightly (okay - mightily) amended to incorporate Moore's gift for slapstick, bawdy humor. There's dashes of other plays in here - the witches of MacBeth, a ghost in the vein of Hamlet - but the point of Fool isn't to adhere to the bones of the play, but to delight in the melodrama and plot intricacies that made the Bard so much fun, and subvert it by transforming it into a classic Christopher Moore story.

Nun shagging, love potions, ghost shagging, poisons, princess shagging...you get the picture. Typical Moore goodness, and nothing to shy away from.