After the Christchurch Quakes Kiwi author JC Hart has pulled together an anthology. All the stories and the artwork were donated.
You can find out more about the book and pre order it here.
and Cat Connor has blogged more about it here.
The site:
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Unholy Ghosts | Stacia Kane
by Stacia Kane
pub: Harper Voyager
Out now.
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Personal Demons, which is right on the Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy border, I grabbed this one as soon as it hit the shelves, stashed it in my TBR pile and there it has sat ever since. I'm an idiot. The urge to grab it fast was the right one. This is excellent.
I thought it would be more light UF, enjoyable and a bit fluffy. Three pages in it was already obvious I was wrong. Unholy Ghosts is much darker, real full on urban fantasy, grim and exciting and perfectly paced with tension, violence and mystery.
The world as we knew it ended the night the ghosts came. Faith isn't allowed anymore because the church has the Truth on it's side. Chess has grown up in the church, is one of their witches, helping hold back the spirits of the dead.
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Personal Demons, which is right on the Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy border, I grabbed this one as soon as it hit the shelves, stashed it in my TBR pile and there it has sat ever since. I'm an idiot. The urge to grab it fast was the right one. This is excellent.
I thought it would be more light UF, enjoyable and a bit fluffy. Three pages in it was already obvious I was wrong. Unholy Ghosts is much darker, real full on urban fantasy, grim and exciting and perfectly paced with tension, violence and mystery.
The world as we knew it ended the night the ghosts came. Faith isn't allowed anymore because the church has the Truth on it's side. Chess has grown up in the church, is one of their witches, helping hold back the spirits of the dead.
Chess is not a clean living heroine, she's a churchwitch with addiction problems and that makes her useful to certain parties, which is how she finds herself in way over her head with ghosts, dealers, a possible conspiracy and something.... else. If she can't figure it all out she's dead.
I love Chess, her rough edges and her addiction, her moments of weakness, all make her a whole person, right from the beginning. The supporting characters and the descriptions, particularly of Downside and Terrible, fill the world out in colour, texture, smell. The magic system, the world mythology and the characters all work beautifully to create a richly detailed, grim and hugely entertaining story.
If you think, maybe you might like Urban Fantasy, even a little, or you just want your heroine's with a teensy bit more bite, this is an absolute must read. Book number two is going on the must have list.
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Writer Wednesday | Steven Savile #3
I know it's Thursday but it's still Wednesday if it's Savile's post. ;p
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The importance of Being
By
Steven Savile
Thanks to the crunch of promises and an inability to say no, there really wasn’t a lot of time to prepare a blog entry this month – I finished a brand new novella about 4 hours ago and feel like doing nothing more than curling up on the couch and either reading a good book, or more likely falling fast asleep after about half a page. But when you make promises, you honour promises. People are relying on you. That does, however, mean that this one’s going to be briefer than last month’s monster.
A few days ago I had a long and pretty forthright conversation with one of my co-writers. Here’s the thing, this guy’s one of the most impressive ‘ideas guys’ I’ve ever worked with. But there’s a curse that goes along with that blessing, too. It’s like the monkey’s paw thing. Be careful what you wish for. Because the ideas won’t leave him alone. That means he’s got a problem with finishing what he starts, because long before he can something brighter and shinier comes along demanding his attention until something else even brighter and shinier comes along. It was a pretty tough talk because essentially it came down to me yelling at him a lot to follow Writer Advice #1 – finish what you start.
At first I thought it was just a writer version of ADHD, but the more I thought about it the more I realised there was more going on. First and foremost, the most surprising one isn’t a fear of failure stopping him from finishing something, or not only a fear of failure, there’s a fear of success too. And that’s even more powerful. The only way he doesn’t risk either is to finish nothing. Think about it. These new bright shiny ideas are his brain’s way of throwing a spanner in the works. That’s pop psychology 101.
Not finishing something is a bad habit – and like all bad habits, it’s too easy to get into. What that means effectively is you’re giving yourself permission not to finish every time the going gets a bit rough. You’re going to hit tricky patches in stories, in books where you hit that ‘middle book drag’, in screenplays where your scenes just aren’t connecting or you’re not getting it out on paper the way it is in your head, and because you’ve got into the habit of not toughing it out and working through the hard stuff, you leap to something else that’s fresh and new and exciting and the odds of you leaping the next time when it gets tough with this new thing, they’re good.
There’s another reason why finishing what you start is important – it’s that sense of completion and the satisfaction that comes with it. Because here’s the thing, writing really is an isolated business. You need these little victories that come with finishing something to sustain you through the tough times when it isn’t going well. I primarily write novels these days, but in between novel projects I tend to write a flurry of short stories, two, three, five, even ten, not just as palate cleansers but to stockpile that sense of achievement and satisfaction that comes with writing the words THE END to get me through the 9 months it can take to write something like London Macabre, which at times felt like it would never end, and with about 40 concurrent storylines felt like it’d never even offer a glimmer of satisfaction until some unknown date always many many months into the future.
It’s all pop psychology, but you need to savour the small things.
____________________________________________
The importance of Being
By
Steven Savile
Thanks to the crunch of promises and an inability to say no, there really wasn’t a lot of time to prepare a blog entry this month – I finished a brand new novella about 4 hours ago and feel like doing nothing more than curling up on the couch and either reading a good book, or more likely falling fast asleep after about half a page. But when you make promises, you honour promises. People are relying on you. That does, however, mean that this one’s going to be briefer than last month’s monster.
A few days ago I had a long and pretty forthright conversation with one of my co-writers. Here’s the thing, this guy’s one of the most impressive ‘ideas guys’ I’ve ever worked with. But there’s a curse that goes along with that blessing, too. It’s like the monkey’s paw thing. Be careful what you wish for. Because the ideas won’t leave him alone. That means he’s got a problem with finishing what he starts, because long before he can something brighter and shinier comes along demanding his attention until something else even brighter and shinier comes along. It was a pretty tough talk because essentially it came down to me yelling at him a lot to follow Writer Advice #1 – finish what you start.
At first I thought it was just a writer version of ADHD, but the more I thought about it the more I realised there was more going on. First and foremost, the most surprising one isn’t a fear of failure stopping him from finishing something, or not only a fear of failure, there’s a fear of success too. And that’s even more powerful. The only way he doesn’t risk either is to finish nothing. Think about it. These new bright shiny ideas are his brain’s way of throwing a spanner in the works. That’s pop psychology 101.
Not finishing something is a bad habit – and like all bad habits, it’s too easy to get into. What that means effectively is you’re giving yourself permission not to finish every time the going gets a bit rough. You’re going to hit tricky patches in stories, in books where you hit that ‘middle book drag’, in screenplays where your scenes just aren’t connecting or you’re not getting it out on paper the way it is in your head, and because you’ve got into the habit of not toughing it out and working through the hard stuff, you leap to something else that’s fresh and new and exciting and the odds of you leaping the next time when it gets tough with this new thing, they’re good.
There’s another reason why finishing what you start is important – it’s that sense of completion and the satisfaction that comes with it. Because here’s the thing, writing really is an isolated business. You need these little victories that come with finishing something to sustain you through the tough times when it isn’t going well. I primarily write novels these days, but in between novel projects I tend to write a flurry of short stories, two, three, five, even ten, not just as palate cleansers but to stockpile that sense of achievement and satisfaction that comes with writing the words THE END to get me through the 9 months it can take to write something like London Macabre, which at times felt like it would never end, and with about 40 concurrent storylines felt like it’d never even offer a glimmer of satisfaction until some unknown date always many many months into the future.
It’s all pop psychology, but you need to savour the small things.
Sunday, 20 March 2011
Charlaine Harris | Shakepeare's Landlord
by Charlaine Harris
pub: Gollancz
Contains:
Shakespeare's Landlord
Shakespeare's Champion
Shakespeare's Christmas
Shakespeare's Trollop
Shakespeare's Counselor
I have enjoyed all Charlaine Harris' series and although the Aurora Teagarden books were a little silly even by cozy mystery standards, they were great fun and a light, entertaining read. I came to the first book in the Lily Bard omnibus with high hopes for light entertainment.
Lily moved to Shakespeare four years ago, took up martial arts and took cleaning jobs, trying to keep her life low profile. On one of her late night walks Lily sees a body being dumped and can't just leave it at that. Of course the investigation risks what Lily truly doesn't want to happen, her past being revealed.
I breezed through book one, enjoying the fun of trying to guess who the killer was (succeeded shortly before the reveal) and loving the little bits of gossip that filled the book and the characters out. It is, as anticipated, light, fun, a pleasure to read and clever enough to maintain interest. The characters are filled out enough to be fun, and the feel of small town life and it's intertwined private lives is a joy.
Perfect sunny Sunday reading and I am so glad to finally have got my hands on this series!
Book Trailer | Alyson Noel's Shimmer
This weekend seems to be all about the book trailers. Here is another one, from an author I have really enjoyed in the past.
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________________________________________
Alyson Noël, author of the Immortals series, continues her new series about Ever's younger sister, Riley.
Having solved the matter of the Radiant Boy, Riley, Buttercup, and Bodhi are enjoying a well-deserved vacation. When Riley comes across a vicious black dog, against Bodhi's advice, she decides to cross him over. While following the dog, she runs into a young ghost named Rebecca. Despite Rebecca's sweet appearance, Riley soon learns she's not at all what she seems. As the daughter of a former plantation owner, she is furious about being murdered during a slave revolt in 1733. Mired in her own anger, Rebecca is lashing out by keeping the ghosts who died along with her trapped in their worst memories. Can Riley help Rebecca forgive and forget without losing herself to her own nightmarish memories?
Find out more about Shimmer here, including audio excerpts and Riley's diary:
Saturday, 19 March 2011
Book Trailer | Sherrilyn Kenyon's Invincible
A little something for you paranormal romance fans. :)
_________________________________________
**Note to Dark-Hunter fans. The Chronicles of Nick *is* Nick's real and true past.
"Nick Gautier?s day just keeps getting better and better. Yeah, he survived the zombie attacks, only to wake up and find himself enslaved to a world of shapeshifters and demons out to claim his soul.
His new principal thinks he?s even more of a hoodlum than the last one, his coach is trying to recruit him to things he can?t even mention and the girl he?s not seeing, but is, has secrets that terrify him.
But more than that, he?s being groomed by the darkest of powers and if he doesn?t learn how to raise the dead by the end of the week, he will become one of them..."
The New York Times-bestselling with over 19 million books in print, Sherrilyn Kenyon is renowned the world over as "the reigning queen of the paranormal genre that she pioneered long before the world had heard of Twilight."
EMBED CODE:
_________________________________________
**Note to Dark-Hunter fans. The Chronicles of Nick *is* Nick's real and true past.
"Nick Gautier?s day just keeps getting better and better. Yeah, he survived the zombie attacks, only to wake up and find himself enslaved to a world of shapeshifters and demons out to claim his soul.
His new principal thinks he?s even more of a hoodlum than the last one, his coach is trying to recruit him to things he can?t even mention and the girl he?s not seeing, but is, has secrets that terrify him.
But more than that, he?s being groomed by the darkest of powers and if he doesn?t learn how to raise the dead by the end of the week, he will become one of them..."
The New York Times-bestselling with over 19 million books in print, Sherrilyn Kenyon is renowned the world over as "the reigning queen of the paranormal genre that she pioneered long before the world had heard of Twilight."
EMBED CODE:
URL:
WEBSITE WITH EXCERPT:
Friday, 18 March 2011
The Viking Dead – Toby Venables
The Viking Dead
By: Toby Venables
Pub: Abaddon Books
351 Pages.
The crew of a Viking raiding ship put their trust in their weapons, their gods, and their leader. Bjolf, son of Earling, and captain of the Raven, feel that trust keenly, as he leads his men into strange waters indeed.
When a raid goes sour Bjolf chooses to retreat rather than face nigh impossible odds. In their flight, the crew ends up at the mercy of the sea and the gods, and find themselves sailing through what seems to be the very realm of Hel herself.
Within this benighted land of trackless forest and perpetual mist lies a settlement besieged by the living dead. Creatures Viking legend names the Draugr. Bjolf leads his men against the undead and hatches an audacious plan to strike at their foul masters.
One of Abaddon Books “Tomb of the Dead” books, The Viking Dead provides the reader with a fantastic mix of history, violence and horror.
The overarching plot of the book unfolds like a Norse saga, a tale of heroes, honour, blood, and battle, as the Viking’s fight to survive against supernatural foes and increasingly worse odds. A number of twists also help the tale along.
The story is delivered from multiple viewpoints, most notably that of the ships newest crewmember. This interweaving propels the story along well, and also provides a window on the life of a Viking warrior. Stepping aside the undead the book feel historically solid. From the eclectic crew of the Raven, to religion, to shipboard like and even a smattering of politics there are numerous little bits anchoring the story in known history. The writing conveys a love for the subject (or at least copious research) which is all for the good. Even the appearance of the zombies is folded neatly into Norse mythology. Talking of zombies it is refreshing to come across protagonists blind to their existence, rather than the characters of the modern era that have been bought up on pop culture law and know their foe.
Bjolf and his crew all stand out as full realized character, with their own distinct personality and background, and combined with the aforementioned weight of history really draws the reader into their struggle. It certainly provides a deeper view of the Vikings than simple Norse raiders.
The action scenes feel realistically nasty, from the initial retreat to the fights against the restless dead the writing doesn’t shirk from the violence. There’s even a fishing scene that manages to gripping due to the well written action (I know it doesn’t sound like it would be, but trust me). While not as stuffed with fighting as might be expected given the subject matter the book benefits from this, bringing far more to the table than just an axe. It also steers well clear of the well-trodden paths of gorn, providing horror through a level grim reality rather than lashings of blood.
My only slight reservations are over the prologue and the book’s conclusion. The prologue throws the reader a bit of a curve ball to begin with, as it deals with men that are not Vikings (mutter, crossbows, mutter) but this is resolved later, and more than absolved by the rest of the book. The ending however is going to be somewhat divisive. I wasn’t quite satisfied, so it’ll be interesting to see what any of you folk think.
Anyone looking for twisted historical fiction is advised to go grab a copy when it hits shelves (and e book shelves) on the 14th April. You won’t be disappointed.
By: Toby Venables
Pub: Abaddon Books
351 Pages.
The crew of a Viking raiding ship put their trust in their weapons, their gods, and their leader. Bjolf, son of Earling, and captain of the Raven, feel that trust keenly, as he leads his men into strange waters indeed.
When a raid goes sour Bjolf chooses to retreat rather than face nigh impossible odds. In their flight, the crew ends up at the mercy of the sea and the gods, and find themselves sailing through what seems to be the very realm of Hel herself.
Within this benighted land of trackless forest and perpetual mist lies a settlement besieged by the living dead. Creatures Viking legend names the Draugr. Bjolf leads his men against the undead and hatches an audacious plan to strike at their foul masters.
One of Abaddon Books “Tomb of the Dead” books, The Viking Dead provides the reader with a fantastic mix of history, violence and horror.
The overarching plot of the book unfolds like a Norse saga, a tale of heroes, honour, blood, and battle, as the Viking’s fight to survive against supernatural foes and increasingly worse odds. A number of twists also help the tale along.
The story is delivered from multiple viewpoints, most notably that of the ships newest crewmember. This interweaving propels the story along well, and also provides a window on the life of a Viking warrior. Stepping aside the undead the book feel historically solid. From the eclectic crew of the Raven, to religion, to shipboard like and even a smattering of politics there are numerous little bits anchoring the story in known history. The writing conveys a love for the subject (or at least copious research) which is all for the good. Even the appearance of the zombies is folded neatly into Norse mythology. Talking of zombies it is refreshing to come across protagonists blind to their existence, rather than the characters of the modern era that have been bought up on pop culture law and know their foe.
Bjolf and his crew all stand out as full realized character, with their own distinct personality and background, and combined with the aforementioned weight of history really draws the reader into their struggle. It certainly provides a deeper view of the Vikings than simple Norse raiders.
The action scenes feel realistically nasty, from the initial retreat to the fights against the restless dead the writing doesn’t shirk from the violence. There’s even a fishing scene that manages to gripping due to the well written action (I know it doesn’t sound like it would be, but trust me). While not as stuffed with fighting as might be expected given the subject matter the book benefits from this, bringing far more to the table than just an axe. It also steers well clear of the well-trodden paths of gorn, providing horror through a level grim reality rather than lashings of blood.
My only slight reservations are over the prologue and the book’s conclusion. The prologue throws the reader a bit of a curve ball to begin with, as it deals with men that are not Vikings (mutter, crossbows, mutter) but this is resolved later, and more than absolved by the rest of the book. The ending however is going to be somewhat divisive. I wasn’t quite satisfied, so it’ll be interesting to see what any of you folk think.
Anyone looking for twisted historical fiction is advised to go grab a copy when it hits shelves (and e book shelves) on the 14th April. You won’t be disappointed.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Giveaway | Black Chalice!
So I have a copy of this brilliant Arthurian tale for one lucky commenter. It's open worldwide, until next friday. I love this book, I was a first reader for it (it's in the acknowledgements and everything) and am really pleased to be able to share it with you guys.
So just comment below, make sure you are contactable and I will draw someone at random next Friday.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Waterstones Signing
In Leeds this weekend four SFF authors descended on an unsuspecting Waterstones, so obviously Un:Bound went along to say hi to Andy Remic, Gary McMahon, Justina Robson and Adrian Tchaikovsky.
Gary McMahon, author of Pretty Little Dead Things, Rough Cut, All Your Gods are Dead and more.
Andy Remic author of Kell's Legend, Soul Stealers, The Combat K series, and more and also the force behind Anarchy Books.
With Justina Robson author of the Quantum Gravity series, starting with 'Keeping it Real'
Adrian Tchaikovsky author of the Shadows of the Apt series. (you can see Adrian talking about the series in UBVE #1)
The signing seemed to be going well when we were there and the table was significantly emptier when we left, which is always a good thing. Check out the authors sites and their books if you haven't already.
Andy Remic author of Kell's Legend, Soul Stealers, The Combat K series, and more and also the force behind Anarchy Books.
With Justina Robson author of the Quantum Gravity series, starting with 'Keeping it Real'
Adrian Tchaikovsky author of the Shadows of the Apt series. (you can see Adrian talking about the series in UBVE #1)
The signing seemed to be going well when we were there and the table was significantly emptier when we left, which is always a good thing. Check out the authors sites and their books if you haven't already.
Traitors Gate by Kate Elliot
Published by Orbit
Having finished reading the excellent Cold Magic (Review Here: ), I was expecting great things from this book. And it delivered. Mostly. I will say, it was harder to follow then Cold Magic however I was coming in to a very complex world on the third book of the series (the others are Spirit Gate and Shadow Gate) so I think its probably my fault.
The complexity of the world is certainly not a negative thing. It displays depth to the book, with several cultures each with their own agenda operating on a global scale. However, the book primarily focuses on the telling of the tale of the invasion of The Hundred by the Twisted Star army. What is interesting is that this army is lead by the Guardians, once the lands protectors and keepers of the law but now operating using their powers to their own ends. This brings into question the entire religious system of The Hundred which was focused around the veneration of gods that the Guardians represented. Also changing the face of The Hundreds culture is the arrival of the Quinn, arriving as saviour but bringing change to the previously stable culture of the hundred in their wake.
These levels of plot are told from a variety of viewpoints which help unpack it’s depth, whilst probably explaining why I found the book heavy going. The main players vary from the merchant Mai and her infant son to her conquering husband Anji who arrived with the Quinn in exile from his own homelands. Both of these two originate from outside of the hundred, so form an interesting contrast with others such as the Reeve* Joss who has been raised in the hundred and is left watching the changes in the Quinns wake with concern, despite their arrival as liberators.
It is this depth and range of characters that made me stick with the book despite the difficulty of tracking the large number of key characters who each have their own place and viewpoint in the world. This isn’t a criticism and each character was described well enough that I felt that I knew them despite not having read the preceding two books. The book is also engaging for its well-written description of the impacts of war on those involved, whether they be warriors fighting on the frontline, priests of a religion opposed by the invaders in occupied land or just peasants in the fields whose lands are being fought over, destroying crops and taking away the young men to fight, possibly never to return. This is complemented by the book remaining at a very human scale. Yes, there is some magic, there are the immortal guardians and giant eagles but the book is kept at a fundamentally human level, with each character dealing with the situation around them in a way that can be empathised with, drawing you into the book from start to end in a very satisfying fashion.
So, to conclude, I recommend this book as a clever, thought provoking read written by the hand of master author.
Regards to all,
Kerl
*Incidentally, I love the reeves! Policemen carried by giant eagles? Yes please! (I like birds of prey :-) )
If you enjoyed reading this consider reading:
Harry Turtledoves The Darkness Series
This substantial series is a fascinating retelling of the Second World War but with fantasy creatures and countries. So instead of fighter planes and tanks, the book has dragons and behemoths, to name but a few. However, the fantasy world isn’t what gives the book its punch. The trues strength of the series is the perspectives of the characters with people from all sides and stations represented, each with their own lives of triumph and tragedy as only a war can bring, told by an author who pulls no punches and, like Kate Elliot, brings home the impacts of large-scale war on those caught up in it, whether they want to be or not.
Having finished reading the excellent Cold Magic (Review Here: ), I was expecting great things from this book. And it delivered. Mostly. I will say, it was harder to follow then Cold Magic however I was coming in to a very complex world on the third book of the series (the others are Spirit Gate and Shadow Gate) so I think its probably my fault.
The complexity of the world is certainly not a negative thing. It displays depth to the book, with several cultures each with their own agenda operating on a global scale. However, the book primarily focuses on the telling of the tale of the invasion of The Hundred by the Twisted Star army. What is interesting is that this army is lead by the Guardians, once the lands protectors and keepers of the law but now operating using their powers to their own ends. This brings into question the entire religious system of The Hundred which was focused around the veneration of gods that the Guardians represented. Also changing the face of The Hundreds culture is the arrival of the Quinn, arriving as saviour but bringing change to the previously stable culture of the hundred in their wake.
These levels of plot are told from a variety of viewpoints which help unpack it’s depth, whilst probably explaining why I found the book heavy going. The main players vary from the merchant Mai and her infant son to her conquering husband Anji who arrived with the Quinn in exile from his own homelands. Both of these two originate from outside of the hundred, so form an interesting contrast with others such as the Reeve* Joss who has been raised in the hundred and is left watching the changes in the Quinns wake with concern, despite their arrival as liberators.
It is this depth and range of characters that made me stick with the book despite the difficulty of tracking the large number of key characters who each have their own place and viewpoint in the world. This isn’t a criticism and each character was described well enough that I felt that I knew them despite not having read the preceding two books. The book is also engaging for its well-written description of the impacts of war on those involved, whether they be warriors fighting on the frontline, priests of a religion opposed by the invaders in occupied land or just peasants in the fields whose lands are being fought over, destroying crops and taking away the young men to fight, possibly never to return. This is complemented by the book remaining at a very human scale. Yes, there is some magic, there are the immortal guardians and giant eagles but the book is kept at a fundamentally human level, with each character dealing with the situation around them in a way that can be empathised with, drawing you into the book from start to end in a very satisfying fashion.
So, to conclude, I recommend this book as a clever, thought provoking read written by the hand of master author.
Regards to all,
Kerl
*Incidentally, I love the reeves! Policemen carried by giant eagles? Yes please! (I like birds of prey :-) )
If you enjoyed reading this consider reading:
Harry Turtledoves The Darkness Series
This substantial series is a fascinating retelling of the Second World War but with fantasy creatures and countries. So instead of fighter planes and tanks, the book has dragons and behemoths, to name but a few. However, the fantasy world isn’t what gives the book its punch. The trues strength of the series is the perspectives of the characters with people from all sides and stations represented, each with their own lives of triumph and tragedy as only a war can bring, told by an author who pulls no punches and, like Kate Elliot, brings home the impacts of large-scale war on those caught up in it, whether they want to be or not.
Friday, 11 March 2011
More Anarchy
There are haunted places. Haunted houses. The metropolis of Punktown, on the planet Oasis, is a haunted city.An unassuming young man perceives the city's dark tentacles in the lay of the streets, its roots in the labyrinth of subways, a polluted taint in the eyes of people around him. And this evil is building toward an apocalyptic culmination...
The city is not only haunted... maybe it's alive...
Meet Justice D, a Justice SIM umbilicated since birth who killed his own mother. Used by GOV as a hardcore merciless killer hunting out REBS in the Dregs, Justice D has little emotion, and his biggest hobby is upgrading his armour, weapons and augmentations.
For decades now, humanity has been colour-blind, a disability inflicted - so GOV believes - by a disease named Canker carried by all animals on the planet. This led to mass-destruction of all animals on Earth, which are now considered illegal - on pain of death.
On a patrol out in the Dregs, Justice D finds a cat which he names Emmy, after her emerald-coloured eyes. He soon learns to love his cat, until GOV discover his secret and send the Battle SIMs to shut him down...
Callaghan's in way too deep with Mia, his Mexican stripper girlfriend... and even deeper with Sophie, estranged wife to Vladimir "Vodka" Katchevsy, infamous Romanian gun-runner and self-eulogising expert at human problem solving. People start to die. And Callaghan's caught in the middle. A situation even his Porsche GT3, Canary Wharf Penthouse suite and corrupt politician contacts can't solve.
At the nadir of his downward spiral, Callaghan is approached by a man: a serial killer who brings him a very unique and dangerous proposition...
Weird tales of twisted imagination by Neal Asher, Lauren Beukes, Eric Brown, Ian Graham, Vincent Holland-Keen, James Lovegrove, George Mann, Gary McMahon, Stan Nicholls, Andy Remic, Jordan Reyne, Ian Sales, Steven Savile, Wayne Simmons, Jeffrey Thomas, Danie Ware, Ian Watson, Ian Whates, Conrad Williams, and artwork by Vinny Chong.In the tradition of Poe, Kafka, Borges and H. G. Wells, this collection of stories are written with the primary drive of presenting twisted deviations of normality. Whether it's the deviant factory workers of Neal Asher's Plastipak, the pus-oozing anti-cherub of Ian Graham's Rotten Cupid, the acid-snot disgorging freak of Andy Remic's SNOT or Ian Watson's alternate zombie-crucifixion, each story will drag your organs up through your oesophagus and give your brain a chilli-fired beating with the dangly bits.
Anarchy!
Well, if Remic is involved it's bound to be.
Actually really excited about this, partly because it's really exciting, partly because of the people involved (one of the cover artists is Un:Bound Video Editions director Vincent Holland-Keen) and partly because I'm quite excitable.
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Actually really excited about this, partly because it's really exciting, partly because of the people involved (one of the cover artists is Un:Bound Video Editions director Vincent Holland-Keen) and partly because I'm quite excitable.
_______________________
Are you feeling lucky, punk?
ANARCHY BOOKS
A fusion of writing, music, game and film
ANARCHY BOOKS is a radical new publishing company. Our focus is on multi-strand publishing projects, concepts which combine different media to present a wider experience for the entertainment junkie.
Our first project, SERIAL KILLERS INCORPORATED, is a thriller novel by Andy Remic, author of Spiral, Quake, Warhead, War Machine, Biohell, Hardcore, Cloneworld, Kell's Legend, Soul Stealers and Vampire Warlords, with the music album provided by th3 m1ss1ng (featuring Jon Bodan from Atlanta's Halcyon Way) and short film shot and chopped by Grunge Films. The novel and album release 1st April 2011, with the SERIAL KILLERS INCORPORATED short film June 2011.
Following SKINC comes SF novel SIM by Andy Remic, SF/horror novel MONSTROCITY by Jeffrey Thomas, the anthology VIVISEPULTURE featuring such notable authors as Neal Asher, Lauren Beukes, Eric Brown, Ian Graham, Vincent Holland-Keen, James Lovegrove, George Mann, Gary McMahon, Stan Nicholls, Andy Remic, Jordan Reyne, Ian Sales, Stephen Saville, Wayne Simmons, Jeffrey Thomas, Danie Ware, Ian Watson, Ian Whates, Conrad Williams, and with artwork by Vincent Chong, then horror novel RAIN DOGS by Gary McMahon. Each "project" is a work in progress, and will ship with varying degrees of album, game and film components.
ANARCHY BOOKS is looking to collaborate with musicians, video game creators (any platform) and filmmakers. Please read our SUBMISSION guidelines.
Welcome to our little corner of ANARCHY...
www.anarchy-books.com
Finally, there's ANARCHY in the UK!
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Black Chalice | Steven Savile
A young knight, confused about his place in the world, sets out on a quest to prove himself. Of course there is witchcraft, corruption, some old fashioned good triumphing over evil and plenty of sword play. All the trademarks of the sub genre are present and correct.
There is more to Black Chalice than that though. The characters have a little more subtlety to them, the emotional interplay has more depth, the writer successfully bewitching the reader as effectively as the young knight is taken in.The traditional trappings have some unusual twists making this a compelling tale. In among the usual Arthurian melodrama Savile has successfully created a wonderfully written fantasy with a real feel for the complexity of human emotion.
(I'm just going to take this chance to point out that a number of Savile's other books are available in e formats for insanely low prices at the moment.)
Friday, 4 March 2011
Caiphas Cain; Hero Of The Imperium – Sandy Mitchell
Caiphas Cain; Hero Of The Imperium
By: Sandy Mitchell
Pub: Black Library
756 Pages
Hero Of The Imperium collects the novels For The Emperor, Caves of Ice, and The Traitor’s Hand, as well as the short stories, Fight or Flight, Echoes in the Tomb and The Beguiling.
The Warhammer 40,000 universe is somewhat renowned for providing a overwhelmingly grim vision of the future. Happily the Caiphas Cain books are something of a break from this trope. The seven books of the series (and an audio drama out later this year) provide a more humorous view of the universe.
Cain is a Commissar in the Imperial Guard, the galaxy spanning force that battles every threat to humanity conceivable. Commissar’s are known for being hard men, tasked with enforcing discipline both on and off the battlefield they hand out punishments and executions for the most minor of infractions. Cain is from a different mould however. Lauded for heroism and for concern with the welfare of his men, his reputation sweeps before him, as he is assigned more and more dangerous assignments.
The truth is a different beast however, as the books make clear. Presented as Cain’s memoirs, written in retirement, and subsequently collated into “The Cain Achieves” they lay bare the truth behind the legend. Rather than a hero Cain is a coward. His overwhelming desire to save his own skin combined with a strange blend of luck to ignite then further his undeserved reputation.
Caustic, conniving and cowardly, Cain is the 40,000 universe’s Blackadder (a likeness the author admits in the introduction) or, more currently, Dan Abnett’s Triumpff. His memoires carry the story remarkably well, building an extremely likable character. At the heart of him is a question of duality. Is he the hero he’s made out to be, or the unlucky coward he claims to be?
Cain’s remembrances are littered with footnotes (something for which I have a fondness) by the achieves supposed compiler, and these provide an objective counterpoint to his ramblings. At points Cain’s narrative is cut through with supplementary chapters that provide a wider view of the situation Cain finds himself in. The story stories placed before each book provide a further insight into the character.
The three books contained in this omnibus are very well written. The overarching narrative stretches across Cain’s career and each tale tells an original story around the main character. The first person narrative carries the reader along, and engages them completely with Cain, but there is also room for a host of ancillary characters which are no less well fleshed out than the lead. Jurgen, Cain’s aide, stands out as chief amongst these.
Of note is the actions scenes, which are some of the best I’ve read in a long time. Unlike some combat writing Cain’s weapons and items always remain accounted for, and in the right hands (pet peeve – characters who’s armaments are apparently magical, changing from drawn, and from hand to hand within the space of a full stop, in particular if the weapon was dropped, ran out of ammo, or broke at an earlier point).
The omnibus edition is something to read a leisure, rather than at the speed which I did (although this may be hard as the story does drag you in). As noted above the writing is excellent, but because of three years of writing being compressed into one volume there is an unavoidable feeling of repetition at times. Plot points that happen in earlier books get retold in later books, and at times there is grating repetition of words. Although in all honest it’s not something anyone else will notice, I’m just being petty here. The flip side of this is the consistency with which Cain is portrayed. Cain feels realized to a deep level because of the references made to (for example) his augmented fingers, that are repeatedly mentioned. Further evidence of this is the asides made by Cain to other points in his career, these casual comments enhancing the writing.
The books add a more humorous, and human tone, to the Warhammer 40,000 universe, while staying true to the elements of darkness and horror, and does this to great effect. Certainly recommended for fans and the uninitiated alike.
By: Sandy Mitchell
Pub: Black Library
756 Pages
Hero Of The Imperium collects the novels For The Emperor, Caves of Ice, and The Traitor’s Hand, as well as the short stories, Fight or Flight, Echoes in the Tomb and The Beguiling.
The Warhammer 40,000 universe is somewhat renowned for providing a overwhelmingly grim vision of the future. Happily the Caiphas Cain books are something of a break from this trope. The seven books of the series (and an audio drama out later this year) provide a more humorous view of the universe.
Cain is a Commissar in the Imperial Guard, the galaxy spanning force that battles every threat to humanity conceivable. Commissar’s are known for being hard men, tasked with enforcing discipline both on and off the battlefield they hand out punishments and executions for the most minor of infractions. Cain is from a different mould however. Lauded for heroism and for concern with the welfare of his men, his reputation sweeps before him, as he is assigned more and more dangerous assignments.
The truth is a different beast however, as the books make clear. Presented as Cain’s memoirs, written in retirement, and subsequently collated into “The Cain Achieves” they lay bare the truth behind the legend. Rather than a hero Cain is a coward. His overwhelming desire to save his own skin combined with a strange blend of luck to ignite then further his undeserved reputation.
Caustic, conniving and cowardly, Cain is the 40,000 universe’s Blackadder (a likeness the author admits in the introduction) or, more currently, Dan Abnett’s Triumpff. His memoires carry the story remarkably well, building an extremely likable character. At the heart of him is a question of duality. Is he the hero he’s made out to be, or the unlucky coward he claims to be?
Cain’s remembrances are littered with footnotes (something for which I have a fondness) by the achieves supposed compiler, and these provide an objective counterpoint to his ramblings. At points Cain’s narrative is cut through with supplementary chapters that provide a wider view of the situation Cain finds himself in. The story stories placed before each book provide a further insight into the character.
The three books contained in this omnibus are very well written. The overarching narrative stretches across Cain’s career and each tale tells an original story around the main character. The first person narrative carries the reader along, and engages them completely with Cain, but there is also room for a host of ancillary characters which are no less well fleshed out than the lead. Jurgen, Cain’s aide, stands out as chief amongst these.
Of note is the actions scenes, which are some of the best I’ve read in a long time. Unlike some combat writing Cain’s weapons and items always remain accounted for, and in the right hands (pet peeve – characters who’s armaments are apparently magical, changing from drawn, and from hand to hand within the space of a full stop, in particular if the weapon was dropped, ran out of ammo, or broke at an earlier point).
The omnibus edition is something to read a leisure, rather than at the speed which I did (although this may be hard as the story does drag you in). As noted above the writing is excellent, but because of three years of writing being compressed into one volume there is an unavoidable feeling of repetition at times. Plot points that happen in earlier books get retold in later books, and at times there is grating repetition of words. Although in all honest it’s not something anyone else will notice, I’m just being petty here. The flip side of this is the consistency with which Cain is portrayed. Cain feels realized to a deep level because of the references made to (for example) his augmented fingers, that are repeatedly mentioned. Further evidence of this is the asides made by Cain to other points in his career, these casual comments enhancing the writing.
The books add a more humorous, and human tone, to the Warhammer 40,000 universe, while staying true to the elements of darkness and horror, and does this to great effect. Certainly recommended for fans and the uninitiated alike.
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Ravenous Wednesday with Special Guests Karla and Jeanine!
After a month long hiatus, RR Wednesday is back! And to help us celebrate our return we have not one but two special guests, Karla and Jeanine from one of my favorite review blogs ever: Get Your Bodices Ripped Here,"Dedicated to those maligned romances of the 70s and 80s that are now decomposing in your mom's garage."
I discovered this wonderful blog via Google Alert. Google Alert has brought me many interesting links (the ones for my mystery MURDER FOR HIRE are especially varied, not to mention gruesome). When my humorous romance RIPPING THE BODICE was published by Ravenous Romance, I set up a Google Alert and one day, Get your Bodices Ripped Here popped up on it, with a little excerpt from one Karla's reviews. I don't remember which book she was reviewing at the time, but I did recognize the name as one I'd read in my teen years when I spent many hours reading about alpha heroes and ... well... literal ripped bodices. I clicked through to the blog, read the entire review, which had me laughing out loud, and fell in love with the site. I've read the archived reviews, as well as many of the Harlequin reviews on their sister blog Harley Hell.
Not only did the reviews just crack me up, but I share the same fondness for the bodice rippers of yore and have also experienced the same disdain from modern romance writers/readers when mentioning them. Hell, using the term 'bodice ripper' in the thread of a romancelandia review site caused several readers to descend on me like blood-thirsty harpies, claws extended to rend flesh and tell me why I was politically incorrect and basically a bad, bad woman. Feh, says I. So when I found GYBRH, I was delighted. And I am equally delighted to introduce you all to Karla and Jeanine, their senses of humor and their wonderful blogs!
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KARLA:
“Shocking!” “Horrible!“ “Disgusting!“ “Oh my God, MY EYES!“
No, that's not the reaction to the latest trash reality star du jour but rather an all too-common response by those in the current romance scene to the romances of the past. It’s a prevalent mindset, and you’ll find it all over the internet in forums, very popular romance blogs, and book-centric community websites.
Well, there came a point where I’d had enough of it. These were the books I devoured in high school! There was such romance and adventure and, yes, rape. But there was sweeping action and derring-do and history, as well as evil and hardship to overcome for that HEA! So seeing the entire generation get dumped on - usually because of selective quotes held up for ridicule - got my dander up. The Bodice Ripper was a victim of Groupthink.
I hadn’t read a romance in nearly 15 years and hadn’t given the genre much thought for a good long while, but my fond recollections of the old bodice rippers had me itching to get back into them. Were they as bad as so many insisted? Was the current crop of romance (say, mid-1990s onward) eons better than those neanderthal artifacts from the 70s and 80s that were allegedly wretched, horrible, offensive, better-left-unpublished, and eye-rapeingly awful?
It was food for thought. Memory being what it is, I thought back and tried to remember just why I gave up on the romances around the time I got out of college. Lack of reading time wasn’t an issue - I read more post-graduation than I had in years.
And then it hit me.
The lack of bite and flair in the heroes and plots. The obsession with Jane Freakin’ Austen so that I couldn’t pick up a romance without it being about the bloody ton and rakes who weren’t rakes. The intrusion of late 20th century values and expectations in stories that spanned Ancient Rome to late-Victorian London. It was bland, it was pandering, and I got bored. So out the genre went and I moved on to others.
Until I kept coming across the whining and high-pitched outrage/derision of the old bodice rippers I recall loving so well. It has brought me back to where I first obsessed whole-heartedly over a genre and it has been a grand reunion so far. Misery loves (and eventually finds) company, and it was a pleasant surprise to find romance readers of similiar tastes. The group at Goodreads was set up as a haven for fans of yesteryear’s romances, and I (along with Jeanine at GR) set up our own blog, to archive reviews and ponder the aspects of the genre. A familiar comment at the GR group by new members is that they are tired of being judged elsewhere for liking the old un-PC romances, judged by readers who deride the bodice rippers but often don’t bother to actually read one.
Are there turkeys in the massive, approximately twenty-year output? Oh, plenty! My Favorites list is missing a few classic authors of the genre like Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, whose dense, adjective-heavy prose is a chore. But there’s more infinite variety and quality in the ol’ BRs than they are given credit for. Reading one can sometimes require a strong stomach and a willingness to suspend disbelief, two traits that I would think the massive fanbases of paranormals and erotica have in spades! As I’ve discovered, the charges made against the old bodice rippers are more overdramatic hysteria than substance and an abject failure to read the books in the historical context of the then-nascent feminist movement.
If you’ve heard a lot about these early romances and wondered at the negativity, it would make for a fine New Year’s experiment to pick one up and give it a whirl. If not one by classic trailblazers like Woodiwiss, Valerie Sherwood, Rosemary Rogers, or Bertrice Small, then one from the crop of writers that rode on their coattails like Sylvie Sommerfield, Connie Mason, Rebecca Brandewyne, or Shirlee Busbee. There’s plenty to choose from in the span from 1973 through 1990, the heyday of the bodice ripper, and discovering a gem lost in the out-of-print black hole is immensely satisfying.
All that’s required is an open mind and a love for the outrageous and unexpected. It also doesn’t hurt if you don’t mind getting figuratively grabbed and shook once in a while!
JEANINE
For me the path of Bodice Ripper love came in a meandering way - I’ve always loved to read and I think I was the only kid in 4th grade that was reading Stephen King’s IT. My first love was horror novels and I read pretty much everything from Stephen King, Clive Barker and one of my obscure cheee ball favorites - Ruby Jean Jensen. From there I dabbled in mysteries and some sci-fi but then by accident stumbled upon old Gothics. I would say for about ten years I became the biggest Gothic romance nerd ever and at one point had over 1000 vintage paperbacks in my collection. Then, like every flighty Gemini, I spontaneously decided to change - sold off all my Gothics and decided that I would try some regular old historical romances.
I had no idea what I was looking for or what I wanted. I remembered reading a sordid romance when I was 15 that was given to me by a friend who said “You have GOT to read this!” I had fond memories of a girl getting separated from her traveling party, being extremely sick and feverish and winding up in a brothel. There, one of the customers mistakes her for one of the ladies and has his way with her in great OTT graphic prose.
So when I started on my quest to RomanceLand this is what I wanted. I wanted alpha males, forced seduction, mistaken identities and wonderful soap opera plots. I started commenting on the boards on Paperbackswap and soon found myself pretty much ridiculed and run off. How could I want something like that? How could I enjoy something like that? Well, from years of reading fanfic, “THAT” seemed pretty tame in comparison. Soon I was getting quite ticked off because the same people that would spit upon ye poor Bodice Ripper would proclaim the greatness of some really bad erotica.
Hiding upon the fringes I soon learned that any book they hated - I would love. And I began to compile a list of titles. The pinnacle of the list - the book that seemed to be the most hated was the notorious Stormfire. I had to have a copy
of it and I finally succeeded by stalking Ebay for weeks. I devoured the book - and loved every bit of its sick and twisted romance. This is still the only book in the past ten years or so that made me cry! For those of you who are in the “know” - the damn horse jumping scene. Wow, so very powerful. After I was done with it, I wanted to share the book but knew that its much loved condition made it “ineligible” for posting on PBS so instead I looked over the people who were wishlisting it. That is how I stumbled upon Karla. I asked her if she would like the book and our friendship started. Then being two crazy Geminis (or are we now Tauruses?) we immediately started to feed off of each other. Sending each other duplicates, comparing notes and just gleefully celebrating a genre that most people mocked.
From there she led me to the joys of Goodreads from the boredom of librarything and then the great Bodice Rippers Readers Anonymous group was started - we had finally found a place to fit in, a place where our tastes would not be judged and where we could proclaim the awesomeness that is a Bodice Ripper. During this whole time, Karla wrote wonderful reviews for every book she read that even non-romance readers enjoyed. And I kept poking her - start a blog - do it! - the world needs a place where jaded readers can stumble upon your great reviews and also find book/author/cover artist info for these often forgotten treasures. Finally she caved and let me come along for the fun and mayhem and we have never looked back.
Hopefully more romance readers that are guiltily hiding those books with the Fabio covers will find us and realize that they are not alone.
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