Mysteries abound, especially in Two Castles.
A handsome cat trainer, black-and-white cats, thieves on four legs and two, suspicious townsfolk, a greedy king, a giddy princess, a shape-shifting ogre, a brilliant dragon. Which is the villainous whited sepulcher?
SFF Quotes
If the real world were a book, it would never find a publisher. Overlong, detailed to the point of distraction-and ultimately, without a major resolution.
Jasper Fforde, Something Rotten.
Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.
The threat of a zombie apocalypse has become a serious concern for many people and the U.S government is not taking this danger lightly either. At the CDC website you can now find specific instructions for what to do in case the dead come back to life, and try to eat you:
There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.
The CDC also provides assurances that if zombies do start wandering the streets, they will provide technical assistance to all cities and launch a detailed investigation.
If zombies did start roaming the streets, CDC would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak. CDC would provide technical assistance to cities, states, or international partners dealing with a zombie infestation. This assistance might include consultation, lab testing and analysis, patient management and care, tracking of contacts, and infection control (including isolation and quarantine). It’s likely that an investigation of this scenario would seek to accomplish several goals: determine the cause of the illness, the source of the infection/virus/toxin, learn how it is transmitted and how readily it is spread, how to break the cycle of transmission and thus prevent further cases, and how patients can best be treated. Not only would scientists be working to identify the cause and cure of the zombie outbreak, but CDC and other federal agencies would send medical teams and first responders to help those in affected areas (I will be volunteering the young nameless disease detectives for the field work).
To find out how to prepare for the zombie apocalypse visit the CDC blog.
(just a warning that this page takes a bit of time to load. It's apparently very popular.)
And for those of you who would like a little bit more protection against those invading zombies, you can now build for yourself a zombie-proof house, such as the one designed by KWK Promes. With movable concrete walls and a retractable footbridge, this elegant glass house can be quickly transformed into an impregnable fortress.
(This is my favorite part. I've always wanted a draw bridge)
I'm not much for genre shows or movies but this new show from ABC (which I just read about on SF Signal) sounds really fun. It will be on in the fall and I can't wait to check it out
From the inventive minds of Lost executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis comes a bold new imagining of the world, where fairy tales and the modern-day are about to collide.
And they all lived happily ever after – or so everyone was led to believe. Emma Swan knows how to take care of herself. She's a 28-year-old bail bonds collector who's been on her own ever since she was abandoned as a baby. But when the son she gave up years ago finds her, everything starts to change. Henry is now 10 years old and in desperate need of Emma's help. He believes that Emma actually comes from an alternate world and is Snow White and Prince Charming's missing daughter. According to his book of fairytales, they sent her away to protect her from the Evil Queen's curse, which trapped the fairytale world forever, frozen in time, and brought them into our modern world. Of course Emma doesn't believe a word, but when she brings Henry back to Storybrooke, she finds herself drawn to this unusual boy and his strange New England town. Concerned for Henry, she decides to stay for a while, but she soon suspects that Storybrooke is more than it seems. It's a place where magic has been forgotten, but is still powerfully close… where fairytale characters are alive, even though they don't remember who they once were. The epic battle for the future of all worlds is beginning, but for good to win, Emma will have to accept her destiny and fight like hell.
While putting this list together I was really excited to see that Stephen Deas's newest Memory of Flames book will be coming out this weeksince I have really been enjoying this trilogy and can't wait to see how it concludes.
Also high on my to-read list is China 's newest novel, Embassytown, which sounds a bit different from his other books but is defiantly intriguing.
Fans of Melissa Marr may enjoy her upcoming book, Graveminder, a dark fantasy for adults. Though I'll be staying away from that one which looks too eerie for my taste.
I have actually been pretty engrossed for the past couple of weeks in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, and those should keep me busy for a little while longer.
Dancing With Bears Michael Swanwick Genre: Science Fiction Publisher: Night Shade Books Release Date: May 17
Dancing With Bears follows the adventures of notorious con-men Darger and Surplus: They've lied and cheated their way onto the caravan that is delivering a priceless gift from the Caliph of Baghdad to the Duke of Muscovy. The only thing harder than the journey to Muscovy is their arrival in Muscovy. An audience with the Duke seems impossible to obtain, and Darger and Surplus quickly become entangled in a morass of deceit and revolution. The only thing more dangerous than the convoluted political web surrounding Darger and Surplus is the gift itself, the Pearls of Byzantium, and Zoesophia, the governess sworn to protect their virtue.
The Dark City (The Book of the Crow #1) Catherine Fisher Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Publisher: Dial Release Date: May 17
Welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. The only hope for the world lies in Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his sixteen-year-old apprentice, Raffi. They know of a secret relic with great power that has been hidden for centuries. As they search for it, they will be tested beyond their limits. For there are monstersÑsome human, some notÑthat also want the relic's power and will stop at nothing to get it.
Embassytown: a city of contradictions on the outskirts of the universe. Avice is an immerser, a traveller on the immer, the sea of space and time below the everyday, now returned to her birth planet. Here on Arieka, humans are not the only intelligent life, and Avice has a rare bond with the natives, the enigmatic Hosts - who cannot lie. Only a tiny cadre of unique human Ambassadors can speak Language, and connect the two communities. But an unimaginable new arrival has come to Embassytown. And when this Ambassador speaks, everything changes. Catastrophe looms. Avice knows the only hope is for her to speak directly to the alien Hosts. And that is impossible.
Graveminder Melissa Marr Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Horror Publisher: William Morrow Release Date: May 17
The New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series delivers her first novel for adults, a story about the living, the dead, and a curse that binds them.
Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn't a funeral that Maylene didn't attend, and at each Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words "Sleep well, and stay where I put you."
Now Maylene is dead and Bek must go back to the place--and the man--she left a decade ago. But what she soon discovers is that Maylene was murdered and that there was good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in placid Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected. Beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D--a place from which the dead will return if their graves are not properly minded. Only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.
Mercy Rebecca Lim Genre: Young Adult Publisher:Hyperion Book CH Release Date: May 17
A fallen angel haunted by her past. Yearning for her immortal beloved. Forever searching for answers. Who will show her Mercy?
Mercy has lost herself. She can’t count how many times she’s “woken up” in a new body, and assumed a new life, only to move on again and again. During the day she survives in the human world on instinct and at night her dreams are haunte...moreA fallen angel haunted by her past. Yearning for her immortal beloved. Forever searching for answers. Who will show her Mercy?
Mercy has lost herself. She can’t count how many times she’s “woken up” in a new body, and assumed a new life, only to move on again and again. During the day she survives in the human world on instinct and at night her dreams are haunted by him. Mercy’s heart would know him anywhere. But her memory refuses to cooperate.
But this time is different. When Mercy wakes up she meets Ryan, an eighteen year old reeling from the loss of his twin sister who was kidnapped two years ago. Everyone else has given up hope, but Ryan believes his sister is still alive. Using a power she doesn’t fully comprehend, Mercy realizes that Ryan is right. His sister is alive and together they can find her. For the first time since she can remember, Mercy has a purpose; she can help. So she doesn’t understand why the man in her dreams cautions her not to interfere. But as Ryan and Mercy come closer to solving the dark mystery of his sister’s disappearance, danger looms just one step behind.
Will Mercy be able to harness her true self and extraordinary power in time?
Mirror Sword and Shadow Prince Noriko Ogiwara Genre: Young Adult Publisher: VIZ Media Release Date: May 17
Oguna is an orphan with a secret even he doesn’t know—he’s a prince and heir to a terrible power. His best friend Toko is a member of the Tachibana clan and a potential high priestess able to tame that power...or destroy it.
The Order of the Scales (The Memory of Flames, Bk 3) Stephen Deas Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Gollancz Release Date: May 19
As the various factions fight for control of the Adamatine Palace mankinds nemesis approaches. The realms dragons are awakening from their alchemical sedation and returning to their native fury. They can remember why they were created and they now know what mankind has done to them. And their revenge will be brutal. As hundreds of dragons threaten a fiery apocalypse only the Adamantine Guard stand between humanity and extinction. Can Prince Jehal fight off the people who want him dead and unite their armies in one final battle for survival? Noted for its blistering pace, awesome dragons and devious polticking Stephen Deas's landmark fantasy trilogy moves to a terrifying epic conclusion in The Order of the Scales
Pax Britannia: Anno Frankenstein (Pax Britannia #10) Jonathan Green Genre: Science Fiction Publisher: Solaris Release Date: May 17
In 1998 Magna Britannia remains the undisputed superpower of the world whereas, since the Second Great European War, Hitler's Nazi party has been reduced to the status of an underground terrorist movement. But fifty-five years ago... The Nazis are at the height of their power. Much of Europe has fallen beneath their inexorable march, but with the automaton armies of Magna Britannia poised to invade and bring about a swift end to the war, Germany finds its resources stretched to the limit. What Hitler's legions need now is a miracle. And a miracle may be what they are about to receive; a gift from the future, something that should not exist in the year 1943, for one man has stolen fire from heaven. But another has followed him back from the future to ensure that history follows its pre-determined course. Ulysses Quicksilver finds himself in Anno Frankenstein where the bodies of the fallen are reconstructed and resurrected that they might fight again. Behind enemy lines, Ulysses Quicksilver must infiltrate the most heavily-defended fortress on the planet, and there face an age-old enemy one last time. Should he fail, history will be re-written and Ulysses Quicksilver will cease to exist, having never even been born at all.
Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.
Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.
Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.
The False Princess starts off as a sort-of reversal of the Cinderella story, with the Princess being stripped of her royal status and sent to live in a humble cottage in the village, with an aunt who resents this intrusion of her solitary life. Sinda's education as a princess proves to be useless to her as a village girl and Sinda is left feeling incompetent and lonely.
After suddenly discovering that she possesses strong magical abilities, Sinda heads back to the city to find someone to train her, and there she accidental uncovers a plot against the throne, and against the real Princess Nalia. Sinda takes it upon herself to save the princess, along with the help of her best friend Kiernan.
The False Princess was a wonderful story that I throughly enjoyed, from beginning to end. The characters were engaging and well developed and the story was exciting and well paced, making it impossible for me to put the book down.
I really enjoyed seeing Sinda develop from the meek and quiet young woman in the beginning of the story, to someone confident and strong, willing to take control of her own destiny. And I loved Sinda's relationship with her best friend, Kiernan, and seeing it develop into something more, as the two characters struggle to adjust to the new circumstances they each find themselves in. I'm a sucker for a good friendship story, as well a good romance, and O' Neal manages to incorporate both.
The story itself kept me riveted with all of it's unexpected twists and turns, making it so much more than the simple fairy tale it had reminded me of in the start. The only fault I found with the book is the way that Sinda so accurately guesses at several of the key pieces to the mystery, based on very little evidence. The mystery seemed to come together for her a little too easily, which disappointed me a bit.
The False Princess is Eilis O'Neal's first novel and I sincerely hope that there will be many more to follow.
A handsome cat trainer, black-and-white cats, thieves on four legs and two, suspicious townsfolk, a greedy king, a giddy princess, a shape-shifting ogre, a brilliant dragon. Which is the villainous whited sepulcher?
Elodie journeys to the town of Two Castles to become a mansioner—an actress—but luck is against her. She is saved from starvation by the dragon Meenore, who sends her on a dangerous mission inside the ogre's castle. There, disguised as a kitchen maid at an ogre's feast, she finds herself cast in the role of a lifetime and pitted against a foe intent on murder.
Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine weaves an entrancing tale of a fearsome ogre, a dragon detective, and a remarkable heroine, who finds friendship where she least expects it, learns that there are many ways to mansion, and discovers that goodness and evil come in all shapes and sizes.
Twelve year old Elodie is off to seek her fortune in the town of Two Castles. Her parents believe they are sending her to become an apprentice weaver but Elodie has her own plans- she wants to join the mansioners and become an actress.
But Elodie’s plans soon go awry and she finds herself in an unfamiliar city with no money and no job. Luckily for Elodie the intelligent, mystery-solving dragon has taken an interest in her and offers Elodie a position as her apprentice. And as the dragon’s apprentice Elodie has her first mystery to solve involving the local Ogre, who everyone hates, and his missing cat. But Elodie quickly discovers that this mystery is a lot more sinister than her and the dragon had at first suspected and it will take all of her skill to get to the bottom of it.
A Tale of Two Castles is a charming and enjoyable story with a delightful cast of characters that really brings the story to life. Levine has a knack for creating young protagonists that endear themselves to readers of all ages, and Elodie is no exception. She’s spirited and smart and eager for adventure, and soon Elodie has all the adventure she can handle. There is also M, an intelligent dragon that makes its living selling skewers of cheese and bread to the townspeople, and solves mysteries on the side. And finally, there is the shape-changing Ogre who just wants to be liked by the townspeople but is instead hated and feared because of his cruel father.
I enjoyed following along with Elodie as she works to unravel the mystery, using the lessons that the dragon had imparted to her. Along the way she makes some new friends and even gets a slight crush on the handsome cat-trainer, though Elodie remains unentangled by romance, which I found refreshing. Towards the middle of the book, as Elodie visits the different townspeople to question them, the pace did slow a bit too much for me and I had some trouble staying focused. I think this is something that Levine is going to have to work on when writing more children's mysteries. I was also a bit distracted by the fact that the dragon is constantly referred to as IT (since dragons keep their gender a secret). I don’t know why but my gaze kept snagging on those two capitalized letters, pulling me out of the story.
A Tale of Two Castles is a book that most kids will enjoy and which will appeal to many adult readers as well. After finishing it I was glad to see that Levine plans to follow it up with more books featuring this unlikely mystery- solving team and I for one will be looking forward to reading them, as well as sharing them with my own children.
This is a bit of a slow week for new genre releases and I can't say that there are any titles here that will have me rushing to the bookstore but there are a few books here I thought would be worth mentioning.
There are a couple of YA books that look cute, including The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente and Gail Levine's A Tale of Two Castles, which I have already read and really enjoyed (look out for that review).
I have heard good things about The Quantum Thief, which does sound like a book I might want to try, if I can get past the intimidating title. (I still haven't recovered from The End of Mr. Y)
A Tale of Two Castles Gail Carson Levine Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Publisher: HarperCollins Release Date: May 10
Mysteries abound, especially in Two Castles.
A handsome cat trainer, black-and-white cats, thieves on four legs and two, suspicious townsfolk, a greedy king, a giddy princess, a shape-shifting ogre, a brilliant dragon. Which is the villainous whited sepulcher?
Elodie journeys to the town of Two Castles to become a mansioner—an actress—but luck is against her. She is saved from starvation by the dragon Meenore, who sends her on a dangerous mission inside the ogre's castle. There, disguised as a kitchen maid at an ogre's feast, she finds herself cast in the role of a lifetime and pitted against a foe intent on murder.
Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine weaves an entrancing tale of a fearsome ogre, a dragon detective, and a remarkable heroine, who finds friendship where she least expects it, learns that there are many ways to mansion, and discovers that goodness and evil come in all shapes and sizes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fuzzy Nation John Scalzi Genre: Science Fiction Publisher: Tor Release Date: May 10
It's a classic case of good news, bad news. Independent contractor Jack Holloway helps cause a cliff collapse, which gets him fired from his partnership; but the accident reveals a vein of valuable jewels, which gets him rehired and promises to make him rich. Of course, there's a catch: To maintain the claim on his newfound wealth, the partners must be able to certify that the planet is not inhabited by any sentient beings—and that, of course, is the cue for the small, lovable, furry little creatures to appear. A superbly plotted spin across the fantasy floor by the author of Old Man's War. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Central Park Knight C. J. Henderson Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Tor Release Date: May 10
Professor Piers Knight is the Brooklyn Museum’s very own Indiana Jones. His specialties include lost civilizations, arcane cultures, and more than a little bit of the history of magic and mysticism. What his contemporaries don't know is that in addition to being a scholar of all these topics, he is also proficient in the uses of magical artifacts. Knight receives a chilling message from Tian Lu, a former lover and an agent for the Chinese government. Years ago, they made a frightening discovery at an archeological dig when out of the depths rose… a living, fire-breathing dragon. Now, the dragons are waking from their slumber before their scheduled time. And one particularly diabolical dragon is set on eliminating the others and taking over the world. As civilization plunges into panic, Knight, Lu, Knight’s seventeen-year-old techie intern George Rainert, and an untrustworthy dragon ally must use all their resources-- magical and otherwise--to stop the destruction before it’s too late. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Chaos Crystal Jennifer Fallon Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Tor Release Date: May 10
The magical Tide has turned and the Immortal Lords once again have their full power. The Immortal Lord Cayal welcomes this power as a means to an end--his end, preferably. Cayal has wanted to cease his existence for longer than human history and it looks like he might finally get his wish. Rumors swirl that the Chaos Crystal, the mysterious prism that brought the Immortals to the world, has been found. Cayal is determined to seize the gem. Among those who search for this long-lost object is Cayal’s former lover, the very mortal Lady Arkady. She’s been captured by Jaxyn, a Tide Lord who is decidedly against Cayal and is seeking the Crystal for his own nefarious schemes. Arkady escapes, and is off on her desperate search…for if the gem falls into the hands of the Immortals, what will become of humanity? The stakes are high, with mortal and immortal fighting to grasp this ultimate prize. Whoever holds the Crystal can decide the fate of the world.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making Catherynne M. Valente Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Release Date: May 10
Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hell's Bells John Connolly Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Release Date: May 12
Samuel Johnson -- with a little help from his dachshund Boswell and a very unlucky demon named Nurd -- has sent the demons back to Hell. But the diabolical Mrs Abernathy is not one to take defeat lying down. When she reopens the portal and sucks Samuel and Boswell down into the underworld, she brings an ice-cream van full of dwarfs as well. And two policemen. Can this eccentric gang defeat the forces of Evil? And is there life after Hell for Nurd? -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mind Storm K.M. Ruiz Genre: Science Fiction Publisher: Thomas Dunne. Release Date: May 10
The first in an exciting new sci-fi series that’s being described as Blade Runner meets X-Men Two hundred and fifty years after the world was nearly wiped out by nuclear war, what’s left of society fights over the scraps of the Earth as the rich and powerful plan to ascend in secret to another planet. But the deadly new breed of humanity that the rulers have enslaved to protect their interests are about to change everything.
K.M. Ruiz’s Mind Storm is the rip-roaring tale of Threnody Corwin, a “psion” with the ability to channel electricity like lightning through anything she touches. As a solider-slave for the human government, Threnody is recruited by an unknown enemy: the scion of Earth’s most powerful (and supposedly human) family, the Serca Syndicate. But Lucas Serca is far from human and he intends to make Threnody and her fellow psions meet their destiny, no matter how many people he has to kill to do it.
Mind Storm is the first of two books chronicling the fight for survival by the psions and other “gene-trash” humans, before they’re killed by the racist world government, or left to die on a crumbling Earth. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Quantum Thief Hannu Rajaniemi Genre: Science Fiction Publisher: Tor Release Date: May 10
Jean le Flambeur is a post-human criminal, mind burglar, confidence artist, and trickster. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his exploits are known throughout the Heterarchy— from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of Mars. Now he’s confined inside the Dilemma Prison, where every day he has to get up and kill himself before his other self can kill him.
Rescued by the mysterious Mieli and her flirtatious spacecraft, Jean is taken to the Oubliette, the Moving City of Mars, where time is currency, memories are treasures, and a moon-turnedsingularity lights the night. What Mieli offers is the chance to win back his freedom and the powers of his old self—in exchange for finishing the one heist he never quite managed.
As Jean undertakes a series of capers on behalf of Mieli and her mysterious masters, elsewhere in the Oubliette investigator Isidore Beautrelet is called in to investigate the murder of a chocolatier, and finds himself on the trail of an arch-criminal, a man named le Flambeur….
The Quantum Thief is a crazy joyride through the solar system several centuries hence, a world of marching cities, ubiquitous public-key encryption, people communicating by sharing memories, and a race of hyper-advanced humans who originated as MMORPG guild members. But for all its wonders, it is also a story powered by very human motives of betrayal, revenge, and jealousy. It is a stunning debut. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Queen of Kings Maria Dahvana Headley Genre: Historical Fantasy Publisher: Dutton Release Date: May 12
A thrilling, chilling reimagining of the story of the most famous woman in history.
Once there was a queen of Egypt…a queen who became through magic something else…
The year is 30 BC. Octavian Caesar and his massed legions are poised to enter Alexandria. A messenger informs Egypt’s queen, Cleopatra, that her beloved Mark Antony has died by his own hand. Desperate to save her kingdom, resurrect her husband and protect all she holds dear, Cleopatra turns to the gods for help. Ignoring the warnings of those around her, she summons Sekhmet, goddess of death and destruction, and strikes a mortal bargain. And not even the wisest of Egypt’s scholars could have predicted what would follow…
For, in return for Antony’s soul, Sekhmet demands something in return: Cleopatra herself. And so Egypt’s queen is possessed. She becomes an immortal, shape-shifting, not-quite-human manifestation of a deity who seeks to destroy the world. Fighting to preserve something of her humanity, Cleopatra pursues Octavian back to Rome: she desires revenge, she yearns for her children…and she craves human blood.
It is a journey that will take her from the tombs of the Pharaohs to the great amphitheatres of imperial Rome and on, to Hell itself where, it seems, the fate of the world will finally be decided.
Blending authentic historical fiction and the darkest of fantasy, Queen of Kings is a spectacular and spellbinding feat of the imagination that fans of Neil Gaiman, Diana Gabaldon, George R.R. Martin, Patricia Briggs, Philippa Gregory, and Ridley Scott's Gladiator won’t want to miss.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Rogue (The Traitor Spy Trilogy, Book Two) Trudi Canavan Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Orbit Release Date: May 11
Sonea, Black Magician of Kyralia, remains deeply concerned about her son Lorkin, who has gone missing on assignment in the foreign land of Sachaka. Her problems at home remain as well, for there is a rogue magician on the loose, threatening the life of her friend Cery, leader of the Thieves.Lorkin, living among the Sachakan rebels, does his best to learn about them and their unique magic. But the Traitors are reluctant to trade their knowledge for the Healing they so desperately want, and while he assumes they fear revealing their existence to the world, there are hints they have bigger plans. In Sachaka, Dannyl has lost the respect of the Sachakan elite for letting Lorkin join the Traitors. The Ashaki’s attention has shifted, instead, to the new Elyne Ambassador, a man Dannyl knows all too well. And in the University, two female novices are about to remind the Guild that sometimes their greatest enemy is found within. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stonewielder(A Novel of the Malazan Empire) Ian C. Esslemont Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Tor Release Date: May 10
Greymane believed he’d outrun his past. With his school for swordsmanship in Falar, he was looking forward to a quiet life, although his colleague Kyle wasn’t as enamoured with life outside the mercenary company, the Crimson Guard. However, it seems it is not so easy for an ex-Fist of the Malazan Empire to disappear, especially one under sentence of death from that same Empire. For there is a new Emperor on the throne of Malaz, and he is dwelling on the ignominy that is the Empire’s failed invasion of the Korel subcontinent. In the vaults beneath Unta, the Imperial capital, lie the answers to that disaster. And out of this buried history surfaces the name Stonewielder. In Korel, Lord Protector Hiam, commander of the Stormguard, faces the potential annihilation of all that he holds dear. With few remaining men and a crumbling stone wall that has seen better days, he confronts an ancient enemy: the sea-borne Stormriders have returned. Religious war also threatens these lands. The cult of the Blessed Lady, which had stood firm against the Riders for millennia, now seeks to eradicate its rivals. And as chaos looms, a local magistrate investigating a series of murders suddenly finds himself at the heart of a far more ancient and terrifying crime – one that has tainted an entire land.... Stonewielder is an enthralling new chapter in the epic story of a thrillingly imagined world that takes place in the timeline right after the New York Times bestseller Dust of Dreams left off.
Reviewed by Esther (you can follow Esther's other reviews at Goodreads)
Kara O'Keefe is a talented violinist but her father has cancer and her parents are suffering financial difficulties. In order to help them she has given up a promising music career and now she is contemplating pawning her grandfather's violin Quicksilver.
In another part of New York Lucien Blank is using his magical talents to draw to himself every powerful magical object and person he encounters. He loves power for power's sake and he doesn't care what he has to do to get it.
When Kara finally makes the heartbreaking decision to pawn her beloved violin she discovers the pawn shop Yesterday's Dreams and while she is there realises that her family seems to already have some connections to the shop's mysteriously ageless owner.
My Thoughts:
Although I have read a lot of genre fiction it has mostly been scifi, urban fantasy or dystopian. I haven't read a great deal of fantasy based on magic or traditional myths and legends. I really wasn't sure if I would like the genre and to be honest after reading this book I am still not sure.
I liked the descriptions of pulling in the feral magic as a spider's web to weave spells and create protections. I also enjoyed the recounting of the Irish faery tales and traditions and although the book was set in the streets of New York the writing frequently evoked mental images of the Emerald Isle.
I found the characterizations strong with many distinct personalities. However I was more than slightly disturbed by the fact that the characters were so quick to anger. There was little joy in their lives but on one wrong word they instantly raged from sad to furious. I also had a problem with the main magical character. I do understand that magic has to cost something but with such a pivotal character constantly exhausted from casting spells the pace became slower than a snail. And although I was sure she was meant to seem in her 30s her constant fatigue left me with the impression of a woman in a her late 60s. Over-use of adjectives and descriptive nouns also slowed the paced with everyone experiencing at least three emotions at one time. There were just too many words to read through.
On a more personal note, I was looking forward to a musical aspect to the story. Unfortunately Kara's music was mainly used as a connection to her grandfather and there was little about the joy of the music itself while the musical magic was little different from any other magic.
I did like characters of Demne and the henchman Tony and found the story strongest when told from their points of view. Though I did find it strange that I preferred the male characters of a female author.
The conclusion was well thought out and fitted smoothly with the rest of the story – no suddenly appearing supermen or people acting out of character. The ending was both believable and satisfying.
Conclusion Although I found this book a slow read and repetitive I think it will be enjoyed by those who like well defined characters and stories based on Celtic magic and legends.
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