Monday 28 January 2013

Vrin: Ten Mortal Gods - John Michael Hileman

RATING: FIVE STARS

Imagine waking up and suddenly finding that you are a god. Well, that's exactly what happened to Jason Tardin when he became Sam De'jal - the god of reason! One moment Jason was quietly reading a book in his study and the next his eyes start glowing and he has the power to mould and influence the world around him!

Jason doesn't have much time to enjoy his new-found powers however, and within moments of unlocking them his life is great danger and he is thrown into the midst of the gods' brutal war to shape and rule Vrin as they see fit. Jason knows that he has to learn to use and understand his new powers quickly if he is survive and, as he struggles to comprehend the complex politics of the Gods, he stumbles upon a shocking secret - a secret that allows him to understand the true nature of Vrin, why it exists and why it must be saved at all costs.

The Good
One of the best aspects of Vrin: Ten Mortal Gods, is in the uniqueness of the story and John Michael Hileman has used an interesting blend of science and theology to create an original and complex idea of the formation and structure of the universe, which I found was fascinating to read about.

The story itself is very complex (although this could also be considered as a negative point, I suppose), and is full of twists and turns that make any of its events very hard to predict. This, along with the book being well written and narrated with a light-hearted air that helped me to engage easily with the story and its main characters, makes Vrin an enjoyable read that is very difficult to put down.

The Bad
Throughout Vrin, sleep features prominently and (without spoiling the book by going into too much detail), is very important to the events of the story. The human sleep cycle in particular is very important, so you would think that Hileman would have invested in researching it properly. Sadly, he hasn't and there is one paragraph where he explains the human sleep cycle for the readers and gets it completely wrong. 

And although moaning about this error is slightly trivial on my part, I bring it up for two main reasons. Firstly, I am a biologist and find factual errors such as this extremely irritating. And secondly, I found that this error diminished my confidence in Hileman as an author, which slightly disengaged me from the rest of his story. This is a shame really because it marrs an otherwise superb book, but I think that it is a big deal - it is important for authors to spend time researching the backgrounds of their stories properly to give their books a greater sense of credibility!

My Thoughts
Overall though, Vrin: Ten Mortal Gods is a very enjoyable book to read and provides a gripping and imaginative telling of the celestial workings of the universe. I think that the book will be enjoyed by fantasy and science fiction fans alike, and recommend that you add it to your reading list!

Thursday 24 January 2013

The Last Four Things - Paul Hoffman

RATING: THREE STARS

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Last Four Things, which had a strong and unpredictable plot that kept me encapsulated in the story throughout. Hoffman's use of bold descriptions and sentimental quotations (though  he admits that many were 'borrowed' from other sources), help to add a richness to the language of the book, which in turn helped to immerse me in the events of the world that he has created.

As with his previous book (The Left Hand of God), Hoffman centres the story around a small handful of well-developed characters, particularly focusing on the previously featured Thomas Cale, who has now been promoted from an acolyte to the rank of an untouchable Redeemer, which have different adventures across various locations. He switches between these different sub-plots well, although it could be easier to follow if he used one 'point-of-view' character per chapter like George R. R. Martin does in his series: A Song of Ice & Fire. However, this isn't really an issue and the different sub-plots help to stop the book from developing any monotony whilst reading it - with stories ranging from grand battles through to the brutal and fear-based 'sovietesque' politics of the central Redeemer government.

However, whilst the book is undoubtedly enjoyable to read, it is not as good as its predecessor and loses some of the depth and brutality that made the earlier book stand out. Hoffman also spends less time describing the settings and cultural aspects of the story and instead gives more detailed accounts of the politics that govern Redeemer society which, despite being interesting, slow down the pace of the book and make it slightly harder to follow.

Don't let this discourage you from reading The Last Four Things however! And I would still recommend that you give it a go if you are in any doubt whatsoever, as it is both a very enjoyable read and a satisfactory sequel to its predecessor - one that leaves me looking forward to the next (and final) instalment of the saga: The Beating of his Wings, which is scheduled to be released in April 2013.

Friday 18 January 2013

Betraying Nexus - Richard L. Sanders

RATING: THREE STARS

Betraying Nexus is a short science fiction story by Richard L. Sanders that tells of a covert organisation called Nexus, which uses agents with the strange ability of mind bending to dissuade crime and protect the innocent from violence and hurt. 

When Jason, a young and naive mind bender, is raised to the rank of Wraith however, he discovers that Nexus isn't the shining beacon of humanity that he was led to believe and is distraught to learn that their hands are far from clean. As he struggles to come to terms with the dark implications of his findings, Jason decides that he must stop Nexus at any cost - regardless of any personal sacrifice that his plan might involve... 

My Thoughts 
I enjoyed reading Betraying Nexus, despite failing to notice its similarity to the Hollywood film: The Minority Report. Sanders' book is much better than the Hollywood shocker however, and reads with a flowing and bold prose that helps to bring his characters to life in an understandably short time. 

In fact there is little to fault with the story at all! Due to this (and especially since it's free as an ebook from Amazon), I would recommend reading Betraying Nexus to anyone looking to invest in a short telling of the classic struggle between good and evil.

Monday 14 January 2013

The Phoenix Rising - Richard L. Sanders

RATING: THREE STARS

As Renora, a previously peaceful and industrious human colony, collapses and tears itself apart in the chaotic violence of civil war, Calvin Cross becomes ever more convinced that the elusive Phoenix Ring is responsible for instigating the conflict and seems to be one of the only people in the galaxy to notice the politicians, warships and transport ships that are vanishing throughout the Empire!

His investigations into this matter are hindered however, because Calvin and his crew are now fugitives themselves and have had no choice but to alienate themselves from the Empire and join Raiden's mysterious organisation in their search for answers. And so, believing Calvin to be a traitor, Captain Lafayette Nimoux, Intel Wing's most successful agent, is dispatched to bring Calvin and his crew to justice - chasing them across the Empire as they seek to save it from certain destruction and preserve human dominance in the galaxy.

My Thoughts
Although I enjoyed reading The Phoenix Rising, which was packed full of action and unpredictable plot lines, I was slightly disappointed with it as a whole and didn't feel that it was quite as good as its predecessor, The Phoenix Conspiracy. This is mainly because the book reads like it had been rushed in some places and, as a consequence, I feel that Richard L. Sanders has not developed its events and characters to their full potential.

Still, The Phoenix Rising is a worthy instalment to The Phoenix Conspiracy series and has a fast-paced plot right from the off that leaves you hungry for more once you've read the last page! Thus, I recommend reading The Phoenix Rising for fans of the first book and investing in the series if you enjoy sci-fi or just want to give it a go!

Saturday 12 January 2013

'The Daylight War' release date and upcoming 'Demon Cycle' titles

Although there has been much speculation regarding the release date of The Daylight War, the third book in Peter V. Brett's stunning Demon Cycle series, it now appears to be set and the novel is due to be released on the 11th February 2013 in the UK (published by Harper Voyager) and on the 12th February 2013 in the USA (published by Del Ray).

Furthermore, Brett has made it clear that The Daylight War will not be the last instalment of the Demon Cycle and the widely held belief that the series is a trilogy stems from false information that was disseminated when The Painted (Warded) Man was first released in 2008. In fact, the series is going to consist of five books - with the remaining titles currently being listed as The Forest Fortress and The Core (although Brett has said that since these novels are works in progress, their titles could well be changed).

In addition to releasing these novels, Brett has also been commissioned to write a sixth book in the series. He says that this book is not a 'core' instalment of the Demon Cycle, but rather reads as a standalone spin-off that features some shared characters with the earlier five books. Brett also says that he has already planned this book and expects that fans of the series will enjoy it!

Brett also intends to continue writing a short story inbetween each novel (like he did with The Great Bazaar and Brayan's Gold), which are intended to add a greater sense of understanding to the overall story. The Great Bazaar and Brayan's Gold certainly did this and Brett says that Mudboy, which is set between books three and four and introduces a new character, is mostly written so may also hit the shelves soon!

Friday 11 January 2013

The Desert Spear - Peter V. Brett

RATING: FIVE STARS 

After scrupulously acquiring the Spear of Kaji, the fabled weapon of the First Deliverer, Ahmann Jardir declares himself as the first Shar’Dama’Ka since Kaji himself and vows to unite the scattered populations of mankind into one great army to finally wage the long-prophesised Daylight War against the demons that rise from the Core each night. 

But in order to do this, Jardir knows that he must first conquer the lush greenlands of Thesia, usurp their dukes and break the spirits of their people. And so, with the Spear of Kaji in his hand and the Crown of Kaji upon his brow, Jardir marches his vast Krasian army from the Desert Spear – killing the demons that prey upon mankind by night and subjugating Thesan settlements to his religious regime by day. 

The Desert Spear doesn't disappoint as the sequel to The Painted Man and makes for a captivating read that is filled with the same flowing prose, brutal violence and deep characterisation that I have come to expect from the Demon Cycle. Like its predecessor, The Desert Spear uses Arlen Bales, Leesha Paper and Rojer Halfhand as the main POV characters and tells of their adventures in the aftermath of the Battle of Deliver’s Hollow and how they plan to resist the advancing Krasian forces. 

In addition to these familiar characters, The Desert Spear also introduces Ahmann Jardir as a major POV character, particularly in the beginning of the book where Peter V. Brett ‘flashes back’ to describe Jardir’s life as a child where he trained in the brutal martial arts and war craft that his people are famed for. This fascinating account paints a vivid picture of a harsh life that is difficult to understand and sets up a good conflict of interest throughout the rest of the book – despite knowing what Jardir is doing is wrong, Brett has laid enough ground work for you to understand and empathise with his position and decisions! 

Thus, The Desert Spear incited a great cacophony of mixed feelings in me as I read it, which I found gave the book an extra dimension that many novels lack! Due to this, along with its remarkable plot lines, action and characters, I go as far as saying that it is even better than The Painted Man and, with The Daylight War due to be released in February, what better time to delve into The Desert Spear or to begin the Demon Cycle with The Painted (Warded) Man?

Wednesday 9 January 2013

GRRM releases new excerpt from 'The Winds of Winter'

The release of The Winds of Winter, the sixth instalment of George R. R. Martin's spectacular A Song of Ice and Fire series, is still a long way off and so far, hasn't even got an expected publication date. But Martin is undoubtedly making progress with his writing and has just released a new sample chapter from the novel (click here)! 

The chapter, which focuses around Princess Arianne Martell of Dorne (who was first introduced as a POV character in A Feast for Crows), is a perfect tease for the upcoming book and replaces the earlier excerpt Martin released based around Theon Greyjoy.

But I won't spoil the excerpt for you - just enjoy it! I certainly did!

Monday 7 January 2013

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

RATING: FOUR STARS 

When I first picked up The Lovely Bones, I didn't know what to expect. I’d heard that the film was good and had been advised by more than a few friends to watch it, if it ever happened to be on TV. But I'm not one for watching a book-based film without reading the actual novel first, and so (with a long train journey imminent), I decided to give Alice’s Sebold’s story a go. 

Fortunately, and despite my misgivings about a plot that I wouldn't normally gravitate to, I really enjoyed reading The Lovely Bones and found its pages to be full of emotion and tear-jerking prose as Sebold tells the heartbreaking story of Susie Salmon, a young girl who was abducted and murdered by a paedophile while walking home from school one day. 

The story itself is told through the misunderstanding and innocent eyes of a child, describing how Susie sees Earth while looking down from her Heaven. As she watches her family and the police searching for her killer, Susie has to learn to cope not only with her own death, but also with the devastation that her loss has caused on Earth – destroying the lives of her family as they struggle to come to terms with her absence and what it means for them. 

Understandably then, The Lovely Bones is full of heartbreak and makes for a captivating read that I found very difficult to put down. Due to this, I praise the book most highly and say, should you read it, that you won’t be the same person when you turn the last page as you were when you opened the first.

Resurrection - Randolph Lalonde

RATING: FOUR STARS

Picking up the Spinward Fringe saga a number of years after the conclusion of The First Light ChroniclesResurrection tells the story of Jake Valance as he wakes up scared and alone aboard the Samson - a battered and derelict cargo ship that is drifting through empty space.

Jake Valance has no memories of his past when he wakes - knowing nothing at all about his life except that he has a daughter, Alice, whom he saw waking him from cryogenic sleep before having to flee the ship on a security feed. Determined to find his daughter and unravel his past, Captain Valance turns to the only skills he has to make a living - paying his mercenary crew via privateering, repossessing illegal space ships and chasing lucrative bounties.

Resurrection then, is a faced paced novella that is full of action from start to finish. Lalonde's prose is as engaging as ever and works well to create a new host of dynamic characters that again respond to events around them in very a believable manner. This, along with the realistic social infrastructure of his universe, gives the book a sense of plausibility that added greatly to my enjoyment of it.

Thus, I would say that Resurrection is an impressive and enjoyable sequel to The First Light Chronicles and continues to make Spinward Fringe a series that is well-worth investing in.

Sunday 6 January 2013

The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss

RATING: FIVE STARS 

The Name of the Wind is a beautifully written epic fantasy by Patrick Rothfuss, who uses the English language almost like an art to craft a linguistically stunning novel of vivid, fast-flowing prose as he tells the tale of Kvothe the Arcane - the most notorious wizard to have ever lived. 

Packed full of imagination, heartbreak and adventure, The Name of the Wind is the remarkable first instalment of The Kingkiller Chronicle and, I must say, became one of my favourite books ever before I had even finished reading it! 

In The Name of the Wind, Rothfuss tells of the misfortunes that befall Kvothe as a child, when the tragic loss of his family and the troupe of Edema Ruh that they travelled with leaves him homeless and alone on the streets of Tarbean - a ruthless and cut-throat city where only the cruel survive. As Kvothe plots his revenge on the Chandrian, a group of terrors from ancient legend that he knows are very real, he decides that he must find a way to escape the city before it claims his life and sets his sights on attending the greatest university that has ever been built, where he fully intends on dedicating his life to the practice and pursuit of magic. 

This basic plot line is enough to put The Name of the Wind in a league above most other novels just by itself, but Rothfuss manages to make the story even better by telling it in a rather unique manner, which greatly added to my enjoyment of the novel. In the book, Rothfuss writes in the first person from the perspective of Kvothe himself as he tells his life’s story to a scribe, called Chronicler, who is writing a biography on the infamous wizard. 

Although this might not sound all that impressive, it added to my enjoyment of the book for two main reasons. Firstly, this first person narrative provides Rothfuss with a huge amount of creative freedom to describe Kvothe's emotions and underlying thought processes behind his decisions, which Rothfuss uses well to create a very realistic and believable character! 

And secondly, because it has allowed Rothfuss to add another plot line to the book, in which the King’s realm is on the verge of war to combat demons that have suddenly started appearing and preying upon outlying villages and towns. This story is set in the ‘current time’ and is told during the intermissions of Kvothe’s autobiography, which Rothfuss uses masterfully to control the pace of his main story. 

And so, after reading the Name of the Wind, I dare say that it's one of the best novels that I've ever read and I could actually feel myself falling more and more in love with The Kingkiller Chronicle with each turn of the page (well, I read it on Kindle, so ‘with each press of a button’ rather). Basically, The Name of the Wind and the second book in the series, The Wise Man’s Fear, are must read novels for any fan of fantasy – it’s as simple as that!

Friday 4 January 2013

The Great Bazaar - Peter V. Brett


WARNING - CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE PAINTED (WARDED) MAN


RATING: FIVE STARS

One of the key events in the The Painted Man is when Arlen Bales, a young and daring messenger, finds an ancient spear in the ruins of Anoch Sun that has been marked with the fabled 'attack' wards. These wards are needed in order to kill the hordes of demons that rise from the Core each night and have been lost for centuries, meaning that all mankind has been able to do to resist them is to repel the demons from our homes and scant remaining cities using lesser wards that cannot harm or kill them.

As Arlen explores Anoch Sun in The Painted Man, Peter V. Brett reveals that the Messenger had found the city using an old and extremely rare map that he bought from his friend, Abban, who is a common merchant in Fort Krasia. How Abban acquired this map however, is a mystery, as Brett picks up Arlen's adventure after a brief hiatus where he jumped ahead by a few years so that Arlen had matured from a teenager (when he last appeared) into a young man and fully-trained Messenger.

The Great Bazaar then, is a short story set in this hiatus and tells of how Arlen and Abban came to possess this map, describing how the pair developed a daring plan to steal it from Krasia's elite religious caste - taking it from under their very noses!

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed reading the The Great Bazaar and found it to be a valuable and insightful companion to the story told in The Painted Man, one of my favourite books ever! Due to this, I would recommend reading the story to any fan of the Demon Cycle - saying that it is an excellent warm-up before reading the second book in the series, The Desert Spear.

Thursday 3 January 2013

The Phoenix Conspiracy - Richard L. Sanders

RATING: FOUR STARS

The Phoenix Conspiracy tells the tale of Calvin Cross, the young captain of a highly advanced stealth warship, as he attempts to track-down an escaped criminal called Raiden, who has seized one of the most powerful warships in the galaxy. As Calvin investigates Raiden however, he begins to wonder why such a highly decorated hero would suddenly throw away his prospering career in the notorious and seemingly meaningless hate crime that he's responsible for, and begins to wonder if something larger and much more sinister than inter-species racism might be going on...

Due to the nature of Calvin's investigation, the Phoenix Conspiracy is relatively unique and reads more like a space-themed mystery adventure than a typical sci-fi story, which could be interesting to readers that usually steer clear of the genre and has the potential to greatly expand Conspiracy's audience base. Sanders also writes in a exciting manner that builds tension and intrigue well throughout the book, which left me desperate to find out what, if anything, was actually going on!

Sanders is also particularly good at using dialogue to tell the events of the story, which makes the book easy to follow and is perfect for 'light' reading'! His vivid characterisation also helps to add a depth to the story and Sanders' characters respond in very believable ways to the events that befall them - helping to add a rich, third dimension to his text. Saying this, Sanders' style does have a major flaw in that his prose often lacks description and he rarely describes the various environments and conditions that surround the characters, which is a shame really because he has a lot of creative freedom to play around with the myriad of colourful locations that Calvin and his crew visit.

Overall however, The Phoenix Conspiracy was very enjoyable to read and provides a fresh, rather innovative perspective on the long-established genre of science fiction. Furthermore, since Sanders is an independent author and wants to get people interested in The Phoenix Conspiracy series, the novel is free from most ebook platforms!

Tuesday 1 January 2013

Origins - Randolph Lalonde

OVERALL RATING: FIVE STARS

Origins is the first instalment of Spinward Fringe, a gripping space opera by Randolph Lalonde that tells the tale of Jonas Valent and his crew as they struggle to survive and retain their integrity as they fight to protect their homes from the industrial super-corporations that are determined to conquer them. And, as the series' opening novel, Origins sets the background of the characters - being split into its own mini-trilogy that collectively forms Broadcast 0. The complete trilogy, called the First Light Chronicles, is printed in the book so it effectively forms a must-read anthology of Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port.

Like the rest of the series, Origins is written in the first person and tells the story from the perspective of Jonas Valent (the main character), as he captains an advanced, but decrepit-looking warship called the First Light in one of the most unique science fiction sagas that I've read in a long time.

Freeground: Four Stars
As the first book in the Spinward Fringe series, Freeground tells the events that see Jonas Valent plucked from his peaceful but mundane life as a space-traffic controller after he is caught illegally taking part in naval training simulations.

Knowing that he is facing serious legal charges that will undoubtedly lead to a long prison sentence and a hefty fine, Jonas has no choice but to cooperate with the Freeground Navy as it shatters his old life and puts him through a series of gruelling challenges along with his co-hackers. The stakes are high for Jonas and his friends, and not just because their failure will cost them everything. Should they succeed, the Navy has offered them more than just a clean slate: they have an unprecedented offer that recognises their exceptional abilities - skills that are essential if the space station is to survive the noose tightening around its neck...

Limbo: Five Stars 
Following on straight from where Freeground left off, Limbo tells of the disastrous events that follow Captain Jonas Valent and his crew after they enter the Gai-Ian System. Friends are gained, friends are lost and one is changed forever as the First Light desperately struggles to rescue a dire situation before their mission crumbles to nothing more than a scant memory... 

A true testament to the saying "don't jump without looking", Limbo is fast-paced and exciting - being every bit as engrossing as its predecessor as it provides an unpredictable story that is full of twists and turns!

Starfree Port: Five Stars 
As the final instalment of Spinward Fringe: Broadcast 0, Starfree Port does not disappoint and continues directly on from the end of Limbo, picking up with Captain Valent and his crew as they enjoy some well earned leave on a space station while the First Light undergoes some much needed repairs and a major overhaul that incorporates some of their stolen technology into its systems. 

Their peace is not destined to last however, and Jonas and his friends are assailed by mercenaries seeking to claim the lavish bounties placed on their heads by Vindyne and the Triad Consortium, who are closing in on both them and Freeground. So, stuck between a rock and a hard place, Freeground Command asks Jonas and his ship to participate in a dangerous mission alongside a deranged and infamous captain that is responsible for the ruthless slaughter of millions. Having no choice but to accept, Jonas knows that he must be diligent if he wants to keep his crew alive in their toughest mission yet - suspecting that, before the end, sacrifices will have to be made...


Final Thoughts

Following a continuously improving precedent with each novella being better than the last, Origins is a remarkable collection that undoubtedly paves the way for a gem of a series, which is really brought to life by its host of dynamic characters, its well thought-out and dynamic universe and a seamless lack of a gender divide. Due to this, I would recommend that you not only add Origins to your reading list, but you experience Spinward Fringe as soon as you can by moving it near to the top!