SF/Fantasy Reviews, November 15, 2010
Nov 15, 2010Aaron, Rachel. The Spirit Eater. Orbit: Hachette. Dec. 2010. c.429p. ISBN 9780316069083. pap. $7.99. FANTASY
After his latest successful job, professional thief and wizard Eli Monpress seeks only to relax and spend his hard-earned money, but a friend wants his help in finding her missing father. Monpress and his companions find their mission complicated by the demon that resides within Nico, whose powers have proven useful in the past. As Nico struggles to remember who she is and deny her resident spirit, she realizes what she must do to assist her true friends. VERDICT The third book in Aaron’s series (The Spirit Thief; The Spirit Rebellion) is another action-based fantasy adventure with strong male and female characters. Its standard fantasy background flavored with the feel of urban fantasy makes this an unusual addition to the fantasy romance genre and should appeal to series fans.
Akers, Tim. The Horns of Ruin. Pyr: Prometheus. Nov. 2010. c.270p. ISBN 9781616142469. pap. $16. FANTASY
When members of the Cult of Morgan, the dead god of battle, fall prey to kidnappings and murders, Eva Forge, the Cult’s last paladin and defender, must seek out allies in the mysterious city of Ash. This is a tale of a young woman’s battle to preserve her beliefs in a steampunk world where technology has become the new supplier of miracles. VERDICT The author of Heart of Veridon deals with weighty issues of faith and science while narrating a fast-paced adventure. His strong female protagonist should make this title popular among female readers as well as a general fantasy audience.
Armstrong, Jon. Yarn. Night Shade. Dec. 2010. c.310p. ISBN 9781597802109. pap. $14.99. SF
Tane Cedar, master tailor in a future where fashion and power go hand in hand with cutting-edge technology and designer drugs, fulfills a dying ex-lover’s request to create a garment from the illegal Xi-yarn, a psychotropic material that will allow her to die in bliss. His search for the illusive substance brings him to the attention of the authorities, intent on stopping traffic in Xi, as well as the criminal element that reconnects to his dangerous past. The author of Grey, perhaps the first “fashionpunk” novel, creates a stylish yet thoughtful commentary on memory and betrayal. VERDICT Ranging from the underworld of Seattlehama to the ruins of Antarctica, Armstrong’s vision of a dystopic future should appeal to fans of cyberpunk and sf technothrillers.
Barclay, James. Elfsorrow. Pyr: Prometheus. (Legends of the Raven, Bk. 1). Nov. 2010. c.430p. ISBN 9781616142483. pap. $17. FANTASY
Led by barbarian warrior Hirad Coldheart, the elite mercenaries of The Raven journey to the elven continent of Calaius in search of elven mages to help the mage college of Julatsa rebuild its ranks. Instead, they confront a hostile population and a deadly plague that threatens to destroy not only the elven race but magic itself. VERDICT Like Barclay’s “Chronicles of the Raven” (Dawnthief; Noonshade; Nightchild), this series opener, first published in Britain in 2003, packs a visceral, gritty appeal and will attract fans of Glen Cook’s classic “Black Company” novels. Pyr will publish the second volume, Shadowheart, in December, so order both titles for your fantasy collections.
Catastrophia. PS Pub. Nov. 2010. c.273p. ed. by Allen Ashley. ISBN 9781848630963. $32. SF
From David Gullen’s horrific tale of the last days of the struggle between the human race and the entities who are transforming them into something other than human (“Fade”) to Stuart Young’s cataclysmic tale of a mad scientist’s attempt to save the world by destroying it (“Crashes”), the 18 stories in this themed anthology explore new and different ways to end the world. Whether from the social demolition portrayed in Nina Allen’s “The Phoney War” or a neurological pandemic at the heart of Ian Sales’s “In the Face of Disaster,” the means of catastrophic destruction here veer far from the typical fare of most disaster fiction. VERDICT Inventive though somewhat uneven in literary quality, this volume should attract aficionados of doom and destruction, 21st–century style.
Downum, Amanda. The Bone Palace. Orbit: Hachette. (Necromancer Chronicles, Bk. 2). Dec. 2010. c.480p. ISBN 9780316069007. pap. $7.99. FANTASY
Isyllt Iskaldur, necromancer for the Crown and bound by oaths of loyalty to her king, investigates the death of a prostitute who possessed a royal signet ring. Her search brings her into the dark world of the vrykoloi, vampires who dwell beneath the city, and into the dangerous ruins of the past. This sequel to The Drowning City delves into a past filled with intrigue as the fates of protectors and prostitutes, mages and monsters, royalty and rebels collide in a night of fiery terror and supernatural danger. Downum’s sensual prose and vivid descriptions bring her characters and her world to life. VERDICT Fans of Tanith Lee, Storm Constantine, and Terry Goodkind will enjoy the storytelling and immediacy of this fantasy adventure.
Jemisin, N.K. The Broken Kingdoms. Orbit: Hachette. (Inheritance Trilogy, Bk. 2). Nov. 2010. c.416p. ISBN 9780316043960. pap. $13.99. FANTASY
Blind artist Oree Shoth takes in a homeless man out of kindness. Soon afterward, the desecrated bodies of murdered godlings begin turning up in the city, and Oree suspects that her guest, who appears as a shining figure to her sightless eyes, might be at the center of a conspiracy. Oree’s attempt to unravel the mystery of “Shiny” (as she calls her guest) endangers her and those she loves. Set in the same world as The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, where gods dwell inconspicuously among mortals and kinship does not always mean love, Jemisin’s latest novel can be read separately from its predecessor, though the two books expand on a fascinating world with an unusual cosmology. VERDICT Jemisin’s talent as a storyteller should make her one of the fantasy authors to watch in the coming years.
Modesitt, L.E., Jr. Empress of Eternity. Tor. Nov. 2010. c.336p. ISBN 9780765326645. $25.99. SF
In the far future, a mammoth and indestructible canal over 2000 miles long spans the Earth’s mid-continent and ends in a three-story structure filled with empty chambers. Scientists from three different civilizations, separated by time, study the canal, to little effect, but the Vanir Hegemony in the most distant future has internal troubles that could result in the use of a weapon capable of destroying everything on Earth except the canal. The groundbreaking author of the Recluce fantasy series as well as numerous sf novels (The Parafaith War; Viewpoints Critical) embarks on an ambitious undertaking—the telling of one story in three time periods separated by thousands of years—and succeeds in crafting the big picture without forgetting the personal stories that make that vision real. VERDICT Modesitt always surprises and usually delights, and his latest work is no exception.
Niven, Larry & Steven Barnes. The Barsoom Project. Tor. Nov. 2010. c.352p. ISBN 9780765326683. pap. $14.99. SF
Eight years ago, Eviane (aka Michelle Sturgeon) visited Dream Park, a state-of-the-art amusement park and gaming arena, where her play ended in murder when holograms proved to be flesh and blood and weapons were found to be equipped with live ammunition. Released from a mental hospital, Eviane returns to Dream Park to exorcise her ghosts, but other forces are at work as international concerns and radical terrorists bring their own “games” to the arena. The original Dream Park (1981) and its spin-offs (The California Voodoo Game; The Moon Maze Game) drew an avid audience of gamers and fans of cutting-edge sf technology. Coauthors Niven (Destiny’s Road) and Barnes (Shadow Valley) have kept the magic alive in a fast-paced technothriller that combines action and character to good effect. VERDICT Strong storytelling elevates this game-related sf above the genre standards.
Resnick, Mike. The Buntline Special: A Weird West Tale. Pyr: Prometheus. Dec. 2010. c.322p. ISBN 9781616142490. pap. $16. FANTASY
The Apache wizard Geronimo has halted American expansion west of the Mississippi River, so the U.S. government sends science genius Thomas Edison, along with writer and manufacturer Ned Buntline to Tombstone, AZ, with the mandate to use science to defeat magic. Hired as bodyguards are Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Bat Masterson. As the confrontation between mysticism and technology builds to a climax, an undead Johnny Ringo joins the fray—and the “wild West” becomes even wilder. Crafting his own steampunk version of the American West, the five-time Hugo Award winner and author of the Lucifer Jones series brings a new twist to a familiar and oft-chronicled time in American history. VERDICT Resnick’s followers and fans of the Old West will appreciate the author’s humorous take on both the Western and steampunk genres.
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded. Tachyon, dist. by IPG. Nov. 2010. c.432p. ed. by Ann Vandermeer & Jeff Vandermeer. ISBN 9781616960018. pap. $14.99. FANTASY
A photographer glimpses visions of potential alternate worlds in his photographic journeys in William Gibson’s “The Gernsback Continuum,” while newcomer Ramsey Shehadeh’s “The Unbecoming of Vergil Smythe” pays Victorian-style homage to Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. This follow-up to the best-selling Steampunk also includes stories by Steven Baxter, Tanith Lee, Jess Nevin, and other contemporary writers as well as essays by Gail Carriger and Jake von Slatt discussing the genre’s past, present, and future. VERDICT Steampunk fans will want to add this to their personal collections; libraries owning the first volume should round out their holdings.
Valente, Catherynne M. The Habitation of the Blessed. Night Shade. (A Dirge for Prester John, Vol. 1). Dec. 2010. c.300p. ISBN 9781597801997. pap. $14.99. FANTASY
In 1699, Brother Hiob of Luzern travels to the East as a missionary and comes upon proof of the existence of the legendary holy man Prester John and his fabled kingdom. From a tree that produces books rather than fruit, Hiob harvests three volumes, one penned by John himself. As Hiob uncovers more details of the holy man’s life, he learns disturbing truths about both Prester John and himself. The award-winning author of Palimpset and “The Orphan’s Tales” series begins a new series depicting the extraordinary lives of two men, separated by centuries but united by their ability to experience the wonder of the world. VERDICT Valente’s latest novel contains the richness and inscrutability of fable and allegory, infusing her storytelling with a lyrical intensity reminiscent of the literature of India and the Middle East. For select audiences.
Visitants: Stories of Fallen Angels & Heavenly Hosts. Ulysses. Dec. 2010. c.416p. ed. by Stephen Jones. ISBN 9781569758380. pap. $14.95. FANTASY
A man with fractured memories tells a story of murder in Heaven—and on Earth—in Neil Gaiman’s eerie “Murder Mysteries,” while in “Beautiful Men,” by Christopher Fowler, the nature of heavenly messengers takes on a new interpretation. Including contributions by Jane Yolen, Arthur Machen, Lisa Tuttle, and other fantasy authors, this collection of 27 stories, some original to this volume, displays a broad array of angelic beings. VERDICT The popularity of the subject matter should attract many readers and libraries should consider adding this volume to their collection.
Warrington, Freda. Midsummer Night. Tor. Nov. 2010. c.416p. ISBN 9780765318701. $27.99. FANTASY
Seeking solitude after a career-ending accident, runner Gillian Shaw rents Robin Cottage, on the grounds of Cairndonan, the estate of famous sculptor Dame Juliana Flagg. Her peaceful escape crumbles, however, when she unknowingly crosses a border into the world of the Aetherials, home of the fair folk. Her brief sojourn sets off a sequence of events that had their origins in a mysterious disappearance at the end of World War I and that had marked the destiny of a flamboyant but cursed family for decades. Set in the same world as Elfland, the second title in the “Aetherial Tales” trilogy introduces a new group of characters whose choices lead them to cross the borders between worlds. VERDICT Strong writing and superb storytelling make this a modern-day fantasy to rank with the works of Charles de Lint and Mercedes Lackey.
additional sf & fantasy
Harrison, Kim. Pale Demon. Morrow. 2010. c.448p. ISBN 9780061138065. $26.99. FANTASY
What do you get when a witch, a pixie, a vampire, and an elf go on a road trip? If the witch is Rachel Morgan (Black Magic Sanction), chaos is likely to ensue. Rachel’s headed to the annual witches convention in San Francisco to defend herself against charges of using demon magic, and her friends Ivy and Jenks aren’t going to let her travel alone. Rachel’s longtime frenemy, Trent Kalamack, needs to get to the West Coast for his own purposes—an elf quest to take back something that was stolen by his ex-fiancée. The unlikely group bands together for a cross-country trip that is anything but a cheery jaunt down Route 66. Harrison’s alternate America is creepy and desolate, with large swaths of abandoned territory and ghost towns galore. And trouble, in the form of a dangerous demon named Ku’Sox, follows them wherever they go. VERDICT As in Harrison’s previous books, this one features plenty of action and a strong central character, but it is a little bit lighter in tone than the last few installments in the series. Urban fantasy and paranormal romance fans will undoubtedly place plenty of holds, so purchase accordingly. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/15/10.] —Nanette Donohue, Champaign P.L., IL
OF SPECIAL NOTE This December Tor Books will release Songs of the Dying Earth: Stories in Honor of Jack Vance, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois (ISBN 9780765320865. $27.99), which was originally published last year in a $40 limited edition by Subterranean Press. Libraries may appreciate a second chance at this affordably priced homage to one of fantasy’s greats.
