SF/Fantasy

By Jackie Cassada, Ashville Bumcombe Lib. Syst., NC -- Library Journal, 4/15/2007

Brenchley, Chaz. River of the World. Ace. Apr. 2007. c.384p. ISBN 0-441-01478-X [ISBN 978-0-441-01478-1]. $24.95. FANTASY

For 20 years, a magical bridge has joined the rival cities of Maras and Sund, serving to ensure that the conquering Marasi maintain their power over the conquered Sundain. Rebellion arises, however, in the form of an alliance between untested Sundain water mage Issel and resourceful Marasi noblewoman Jendre, the daughter of a general, who finds herself a slave in the palace of the newly crowned boy-sultan of Maras. Brenchley's sequel to Bridge of Dreams makes good use of its Arabian Nights-like ambience to create a visually stunning background for a story of courage, loyalty, and great sacrifice. The author of the "Outremer" series brings the tales of some characters to a satisfying conclusion while leaving open the possibility of future explorations into the world of Maras-Sund. A strong addition to most fantasy collections.

Life in rural Tennessee is rough for 12-year-old Joel Biggs, whose alcoholic father regularly takes out his anger on his son, until the day Joel and two friends follow a meandering creek from their own time into the strange, lawless world of early 19th-century Tennessee. Set upon by river pirates, the boys attempt to escape with their lives and find their way back to their current time. This collaborative effort among Clark (coauthor, Siren Promised), Stephen C. Merritt, and Lorelei Shannon (Rags and Old Iron) combines time travel with a coming-of-age story, making for a book that should appeal to lovers of historical fantasy and time-travel literature. A good selection for most libraries.

Defying the laws of the Dragon Temple that rules her people, Zarq Darquel has acquired a dragon estate of her own as a safe harbor from those who wish to imprison her for her actions. Pursued relentlessly by her former overlord, however, Zarq abandons her sanctuary and flees with some of her female dragons into the jungle, where she hopes to uncover an ancient secret of the dragons that will help her bring down the oppressive Dragon Temple and her corrupt overlord. Wrapping up the tale started in Touched by Venom and continued in Shadowed by Wings, Aurora Award nominee Cross combines an unusual approach to dragons and dragon lore with strong characters and an exotic, tribal culture. With particular appeal to fans of dragon-based literature, this book, along with its series predecessors, belongs in most libraries.

Fifteen years after the conquest by Bloodlord Stralg of the city of Celebre and the kidnapping of its four potential heirs, Stralg's troops are ensconced in the city as the humiliated wife of its former doge rules as a figurehead until her ailing husband's death. But resistance is building as a hero known as the Mutineer plans to retake his city and the doge's children make their tortuous way back home from the other side of the world. Set on a dodecahedron-shaped world, Duncan's sequel to Children of Chaos builds to a surprising but inevitable conclusion. A solid addition to any library's fantasy collection; for fans of fantasy adventure.

Merlin, a.k.a. the Wanderer, prophesies the fall of Rome and the movement of greatness westward to the land of Alba. In Alba itself, forces are stirring. The Argos now lies beneath the fortress of Urtha, also called Uthur; Jason and his Argonauts lie aboard her in an enchanted sleep. Hostels have opened up throughout the land, serving as gateways between the lands of the living and the dead, and on everyone's lips is a name: Pendragon, the Unborn King. In his gripping conclusion to the story he began in Celtika and expanded in The Iron Grail, World Fantasy Award winner Holdstock combines the myths of ancient Rome and Greece with those of the Celts and Norse. Even as he explores the deeds of heroes, he uncovers the commonality behind eternal truths. Lovers of myths in general and the underpinnings of the Arthur cycle should enjoy.

The world is a giant clockwork mechanism powered by hidden gears and moving along a track through the sky. When the Archangel Gabriel visits apprentice clockmaker Hethor, instructing him to take the Key Perilous and use it to rewind the Mainspring of the Earth lest the world come to an end, Hethor embarks on a journey that takes him to unexplored lands and sets him against many in high places who believe him to be deluded or heretical. Lake's first trade hardcover novel presents an original and intriguing vision of an alternate Earth during its period of Enlightenment. As Hethor and his companions find their faith in the Divine Clockmaker both challenged and justified, so, too, do they discover the humanity that both blesses and curses them in a mechanistic world. All but the smallest libraries should consider this for their sf or speculative fiction collections. Highly recommended.

Blessed with eternal life but cursed to consume human flesh, a beautiful young woman receives training as a witch from Ghastly Edna, who teaches her to hide her beauty beneath the disguise of a crone. When Edna is cruelly murdered, her student sets out in search of the killer and instead finds the White Knight known as Wyst of the West. The pair, an unlikely alliance, aims to find and defeat an insane sorcerer, but the challenges each poses to the other present almost insurmountable odds. Alex Award winner Martinez (Gil's All Fright Diner, recently optioned by New Line Cinema) tackles witches, romance, and cannibalism in his third comic fantasy, suitable for most libraries.

In 2006, TV producer Marcelina embarks on a search for the next big reality show; instead, she tracks down an elusive former soccer star and unearths a conspiracy. In 2032, talent scout Edson comes into contact with an illegal technology that traverses the realms of probability and parallel universes. In 1732, Jesuit missionary Father Luis Quinn seeks out an errant priest who has created his own empire in the Brazilian jungle. The stories of three people at three different time periods and in three unique Brazils come together in a grand novel spanning centuries and realities. Philip K. Dick Award winner McDonald (Desolation Road) imagines a history of Brazil that challenges all preconceptions, and he has a gift for wordsmithing, creating lyrical passages of superb storytelling that move with the times while remaining both current and timeless. Libraries of all sizes would benefit from adding this title to their sf collections.

When the cruel Earl of Last reclaims his bastard son, Janus, from the slum district known as the Relicts, Janus's lover, Miranda, takes an oath of vengeance in the ruined temple of black-winged Ani, the supposedly dormant goddess of revenge and love. Miranda assumes the identity of a young man named Maledicte, making her way to the city and, with the help of a patron, insinuating herself into the highest rungs of society, where she reunites with Janus. Though she seems to have gotten what she wanted, Maledicte finds herself falling more and more under Ani's influence, and through her, the dark goddess threatens to destroy the kingdom. Robins's first novel makes good use of the romantic figure of the woman disguised as a boy in a story of personal discovery that is also sensual and seductive in its prose and its imagery. Highly recommended.

Nearly 40 years have passed since Dr. Sarah Halifax cracked an encoded message from an alien intelligence. A second encoded message presages the start of a human-alien dialog, and Sarah, now in her eighties, is offered a rare rejuvenation procedure to enable her to live long enough to usher in a new era. When the process succeeds for her husband but fails for her, she must continue her efforts at breaking the new code while coping with a husband with whom she can no longer grow old. Sawyer (Calculating God), winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards, is no stranger to controversial issues. This tale raises many questions about the ethics of life extension. Above all, the author's characters bear their human strengths and weaknesses with dignity and poise. An elegantly told story for all libraries; highly recommended.

In the latter half of the 21st century, the United States has devolved into a depleted continent of Balkanized nations: Redwood, Sierra, Olympia, Rocky Mountain, and others, all ruled by local chiefs or warlords. Rica Marin makes her living as a mercenary. Sent to Sierra to spy on the powerful Coleman "casino" clan, she insinuates herself into the heart of the family only to realize that for once, she might have chosen the wrong side in a political situation that could make or break the future of the no-longer-united America. Fast-paced action and a decisive, strong-minded heroine make this a good choice for fans of postapocalyptic thrillers.

Tradition dictates that the Wizard Lord keep the world in balance; if he should stray from the true path, eight mortals will rise to oppose him, infused with the power of their callings and known individually as the Leader, the Seer, the Swordsman, the Beauty, the Thief, the Scholar, the Archer, and the Speaker. Collectively, they are the Chosen. When the current Wizard Lord displays a penchant for encouraging the replacement of magic with technology and other tools of modernization, the Chosen face a new dilemma: Does the Wizard Lord truly mean the best for his people, or will his new directions threaten the world balance and the Chosen themselves? Veteran sf and fantasy author Watt-Evans (The Obsidian Chronicles) displays his command of the fantasy genre in this fast-paced, fluidly told sequel to The Wizard Lord. A good choice for most fantasy collections.

Five young people raised in a strict British boarding school have discovered that they are not what they seem—human. Amelia comes from the fourth dimension; Victor is a synthetic being with control over the molecules of matter; Colin possesses psychic powers; Vanity can find ways to walk through walls; and Quentin is a warlock. As the five bond through shared adversity, they learn to control their own paradigms of reality and escape the confines of their "school." Now, they must battle the gods, as the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. Wright concludes his "Chronicles of Chaos" trilogy (Orphans of Chaos; Fugitives of Chaos) with the inevitable confrontation between these five young heroes and their elders, the powerful creatures known as the Olympians. He delivers a fast-moving story that's panoramic in scope and filled with characters that could be drawn from the pages of superhero comic books yet are nonetheless appealing and believable. A good choice for both adult and YA sf collections.

Morjin, the Lord of Lies, wages war to enslave the continent of Ea to his will. The island's only hope lies in the discovery of an artifact called the Lightstone. Valashu Elahad, the seventh son of one of the princes of Ea, has answered the call to search for the stone. Now that the end of his journey is almost upon him, the prince wonders whether his efforts may have come too late. Zindell's sequel to The Lightstone borrows its seriousness of purpose and its grand scale from Tolkien while retaining the unique quality of his richly detailed world. Strong characters and solid storytelling make this a good addition to most libraries' fantasy collections.

In a time when most humans believe vampires to be extinct, Special Deputy Jameson Arkeley of the U.S. Marshall Service knows otherwise. Twenty years earlier, he led a SWAT team in a gory confrontation with Lares, a vampire responsible for a string of vicious murders. Lares had used his superhuman strength to murder everyone on the team but Arkeley, who managed to escape. Arkeley eventually destroyed Lares and finished off this ruthless species, with one exception: the imprisoned leader Malvern. Fast-forward 20 years, and Malvern, despite his confinement, has mysteriously found a way to create new vampires, setting Arkeley once again on the trail of the undead. To help his search, Arkeley demands the aid of Pennsylvania State Trooper Laura Caxton. In this first installment in a trilogy (following the "Monster Island" trilogy), Wellington's vampires have no redeeming virtues: they show no mercy and take great delight in tearing apart their victims. There is plenty of gripping, fast-paced action and enough carnage here to delight the hearts of horror buffs (or turn some readers away). Recommended for libraries with horror collections. [Prior to publication, the book was serialized in its entirety on Wellington's blog: www.brokentype.com/thirteenbullets.—Ed.]—Patricia Altner, BiblioInfo.com, Columbia, MD