Throne Of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)

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Official Author Website
Order “Throne Of Glass” HERE
Read the first two chapters HERE
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Sarah J. Maas was born and brought up in New York City, since her childhood she was partial to stories and began writing at age of sixteen. Throne of Glass was born out of a writing experiment wherein Sarah rethought the Cinderella fairy tale. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College with a degree in Creative Writing, and a minor in Religious Studies. She currently lives with her husband in Southern California. This is her debut.
OFFICIAL BLURB: When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King’s Champion and be released from prison.
Her name is Celaena Sardothien. The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she’d have again: a friend.
But something evil dwells in the castle–and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival–and a desperate quest to root out the source of evil before it destroys her world.
FORMAT/INFO: Throne Of Glass is 406 pages long divided over fifty-five numbered chapters. Narration is in the third-person via Celaena Sardothien, Prince Dorian, Lady Kaltain and Chaol Westfall. There is also a map of Erilea provided along with an acknowledgements section. This is book one in the Throne Of Glass series.
August 7, 2012 marks the US Hardback and e-book publication of Throne Of Glass by Bloomsbury. It was also released in the UK on August 2, 2012 by the same publisher (see below). 

ANALYSIS: I was intrigued by this book especially since the author mentioned that she had juxtaposed the Cinderella fairytale with a story of an assassin. So when given the opportunity for reviewing this book, I immediately agreed to it. I wanted to see how the author developed the story and so while doing some background searches about the book, I also found that there are four prequel novellas that were released previously:
 1) The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
 2) The Assassin and the Desert
 3) The Assassin and the Underworld
 4) The Assassin and the Empire
These four novellas provide the crucial background information about the protagonist as well as give the reader a clear cut idea as to how the protagonist came to be in the situation she is described in the book blurb. The author suggests that reading them beforehand will be helpful however I wasn’t able to and while they do reveal a lot about the background. This book can be easily understood without reading them at all. I will of course be reviewing them at a later period.
This story is set in a Young Adult setting and so I have to alter my perception for it as often I find myself disliking YA novels if they haven’t been marked or marketed as such. YA books have a different style to them and it’s the rare YA novel that transcends its genre and makes adult readers besotted fans as well. I was wondering how this book would stand. The story opens with the protagonist Celaena Sardothien languishing in a horrid prison called the Salt mines of Endovier. She has spent a year over there and has all the mental and physical scars to show for her time there. The reason for her presence there is the focus of the last prequel novella The Assassin and the Empire. She is surprised to know that there are people who are seeking her and her deadly talents. Chiefly Prince Dorian Havilliard who has brought a whole contingent of guards to force/entice her with an offer for her services and if everything goes smoothly, her freedom as well. She will however have to showcase her skills in a tournament and prove herself worthy to be called the best and bequeath upon herself the title of the King’s Champion. The biggest drawback being that this very king was the one to decimate her homeland and put her in her current predicament.
The book has a refreshing charm to it that kept me turning pages to see how the story would unfold. The story opens up quickly and introduces the main characters and the situation. The story is a very simplistic one and for most YA readers should be a fun one to follow. The pace of the story is such that it entices to reader to turn the pages to see what happens next and never truly bogs down the plot. The characterization isn’t of the level which will earn the author accolades but for a Young Adult book, it is very competently done. The main protagonist however is a bit of a Mary Sue and some readers might not be too enthralled by all her excellence at almost every skill.
The romantic angle added to the story is something which is all too predictable and for adult readers will be completely ho-hum however for a YA reader it might not be so predictable. There are some truly fun twists inserted by the author into the main story and this of course helps in setting up the climax of the story as well set pointers for the future books. I enjoyed this aspect of the book and of course with the huge dollop of back-story that’s seems to exist between the King and Celaena, it will be fun to read about their interactions in the sequels to come.
Overall this book is very much a good read and should be remembered for the genre and public it has been written for. One thing I need to point out is that I have seen many reader claims about this series being comparable to A Song Of Ice And Fire by G.R.R. Martin, this is very funny and absolutely untrue. ASOIAF cannot be truly written for a YA audience as it will lose its complexity and moral ambivalence, a more reasonable option would be to think of this series as a YA version of Robin Hobb’s Fitz Chivalry series but without its moral complexity and vivid characterizations. This is a decent debut and I’m sure the book will find its fans.
CONCLUSION: Sarah J. Maas’ debut gives us a rather pleasant read and also manages to give the audience a heroine that is neither insipid nor constantly pining for her true love (a la Twilight). It was fun to read about a strong female protagonist who can take care of herself and also provide retribution against those who wish her ill. Throne of Glass is a fun debut that might appeal heavily to its Young Adult readers however for the adult readers it might not set the same high standards.

"Midst Toil and Tribulation" by David Weber (Reviewed by Liviu Suciu)

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Official David Weber WebsiteOrder "Midst Toil and Tribulation" HERERead FBC Review of By Schism Rent AsunderRead FBC Review of By Heresies DistressedRead FBC Review of A Mighty FortressRead FBC Review of How Firm a FoundationRead FBC Interview with David WeberMap of the Planet Safehold for  Midst Toil and Tribulation

INTRODUCTION: "Midst Toil and Tribulation" (MT&T or MTAT in fan jargon) is the sixth installment in the Safehold Saga of David Weber which is now projected to be an eleven volume series. After the somewhat disappointing How Firm a Foundation (HFAF), I was wondering if Mr. Weber will continue on what I saw as a path of "diminishing returns" that sadly many long series take, when they repeat and repeat their best moments, or if, as he did quite a few times in the Honorverse, he will find a way to rejuvenate the series and get "new stuff" going and make what is clearly becoming a full planetary conflict fresh and interesting again...
While technically science fiction and indeed quite sf-nal in ethos, "Safehold" is much closer to epic fantasy in theme and world building. If Off Armageddon Reef (OAR) had as main focus adventure and naval battles, By Schism Rent Asunder (BSRA) intrigue and revelations, By Heresies Distressed (BHD) land war and consolidation, A Mighty Fortress (AMF) faith and the second round of all-out naval battles, How Firm a Foundation a lull in the action and more setup with a bit of "Empire Strikes Back" in it, Midst Toil and Tribulation is back to full scale conflict, on land, on sea and on rivers and canals...

Note that I presented an extended overview of the series and its main characters in earlier reviews, so I assume people are familiar with them here.
ANALYSIS: Reading How Firm a Foundation, I was wondering if David Weber's decision to change focus from a multi-generational saga leading to the final confrontation to the Gbaba (afaik that was the original pitch of the series) to a series focused on the transformation of Safehold in detail, so having each volume span a year or less and cover all the facets of the titanic struggle between the reformist Empire and Church of Charis and the establishment led by the Group of Four and the fearsome Grand Inquisitor  Clyntahn, would not make me lose interest as the story seemed more bounded than I usual tend to like.

Well, Midst Toil and Tribulation reiterated why David Weber is my top favorite author of today since it was a book that hit the perfect balance between novelty and continuity of older themes, between introducing and/or emphasizing new characters, and developing older ones, as well as having a great mix of intrigue, technological development and battles with a last 150 pages or so of non-stop, must turn them as fast as one can to see what happens, action on multiple fronts.
 
Midst Toil and Tribulation is the beginning of the next chapter in the struggle and ends at a good TBC point but begging for more asap. As expected from the early snippets, MT&T clearly establishes the series as one of total planetary action with characters and action starting to be spread out everywhere, all of course within the context of the great struggle for the soul of the "new" humanity on Safehold.

The novel has a lot of great scenes, many of them centered on faith and how each individual approaches his or her relationship with God. As sf tends to be agnostic and even straight-out atheistic with only some exceptions, Safehold is worth reading even only to show how you can write great stories where faith is central to story; here I would like to note that both the most admired and the most hated characters of Safehold are priests in Maikel Staynair and Clyntahn respectively.
 
After the first five volumes and a reputation for dumbness, who knew that Allayn Maigwair could be a competent army builder? Well, now we know and while this does not bode well for the Empire, it may bode even worse for Clyntahn himself as the usual tensions between the secret police and the military in a brutal repressive regime could surface here too; when the military lost as the Church navy tended to do, well it could not do too much against the Inquisition, but when it wins...

The book adds lots of little details that may or may not turn important later, while a few decisions from earlier novels pay dividends here; for example it is useful to have princes and princess of the line, even adopted ones, for alliance through marriage purposes...
As there are around 900 named characters in the table at the end, 41 pages with about 22 people on the page, the naming conventions still alternate between having fun decoding them as for example only in this volume I got the meaning of the name of Clynthan's right hand, Reyno and pure annoyance and frustrations at all the z's, h's and y's... 
There is a long glossary and a few more tidbits about the history of Safehold and its religious orders, so Midst Toil and Tribulation clocks at about 540 pages of actual text out of 600+ total. To follow the multi-front action, the included maps are a must, but the detailed online map linked also above is excellent and as you can zoom in and out at quite a high resolution, I strongly recommend using it during your read. And as a final note, a much loved character returns!
Overall, Midst Toil and Tribulation is excellent storytelling, compelling, impossible to put down, with manageable info dumps that are easy to skim for the essentials and completing the evolution of the series to its second level - all around planetary conflict. A clear top 10 of mine for 2012  and restoring Safehold to the top of the ongoing sff series. 

Clean by Alex Hughes w/ Bonus Q&A with the author (Reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)

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Official Author WebsiteOrder “Clean” HERERead an excerpt HERE
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Alexandra "Alex" Hughes was born in Savannah and grew up in Southern Atlanta. Her fascination with science fiction and fantasy began when she first read the Pern Dragonriders books. Alex majored with a European history focus and is often inspired by history. She is a graduate of the prestigious Odyssey Writing Workshop and a Semi-Finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. Her hobbies include swing dancing, cooking and music. This is her debut.
OFFICIAL BLURB: I used to work for the Telepath's Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn't entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars.
My ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it. But they had to get scary to do it--real scary. 
Now the cops don't trust the telepaths, the Guild doesn't trust me, a serial killer is stalking the city--and I'm aching for a fix. But I need to solve this case. Fast. I've just had a vision of the future: I'm the next to die.
FORMAT/INFO: Clean is 340 pages long divided over thirty numbered chapters. Narration is in the first-person via a sole character. Clean is the first volume of the Mindspace Investigations series and the author is currently working on the second book, which is titled Sharp.
September 4, 2012 marked the US Paperback and e-book publication of Clean by ROC books.
ANALYSIS: Clean comes with an interesting premise, its set in the future and features a Telepath who is also an addict trying to stop a serial murderer. This premise was what attracted me to this book and so I jumped into this noir-SF-UF procedural mix. I wanted to see how this debut was going to hold up since it's from ACE-ROC who have been coming up with some stellar stuff including the soon to be released Daughter Of The Sword that was such a terrific one.
Clean starts with an interrogation wherein the protagonist is interviewing a witness who has no clue about his abilities. As per the Guild ratings he’s classified as a level eight Telepath. That is a big deal and were it not for his drug habit in regards to Satin, he would be a very important persona in the pecking order of the Guild. Things unfortunately haven’t worked out and so he finds himself working for the Atlanta police department. His life isn’t perfect, far from it but he’s fighting hard one moment at a time.
The world this series is set in is the future but not exactly specified how much. It’s a world, which has been laid distraught by an event called the "Tech Wars”. This event was a bit similar to the rise of Skynet from the Terminator mythology, the machines did rise up but were unsuccessful in dismantling Humanity from the species table. Since then the American way of life has changed and machines and technology have become something of an anathema. The author introduces the world slowly through out the protagonist’s eyes and from information that is sparse and spread out here and there through out the story (the reason for it being so is discussed by the author in the Q&A below).
The story is then focused on the search for a killer who has been going around killing people in a brutal manner and detective Isabella Cherabino and the protagonist might be the only people who can figure him out and stop his deadly spree. One thing I have to give the author credit for, she has taken on a huge mix of genre styles and has managed to combine them with a story about identity and redemption quite successfully. This story has a very strong procedural feel to it but what differentiates also it, is its urban fantasy-thriller settings. The world that the plot focusses upon is one of the future and is dystopian to a degree but not in the way you would expect. After the Tech Wars, mankind has become very wary of technology and so the world settings feel a bit like the 70s before the advent of computers, cell phones and other tech stuff in to the common man’s life. However the moment you end up think its in the past, something crazy happens to remind you of the world and time settings.
Characterization is vital with a first person POV narrative and in this case even more so when the POV voice is an addict who’s desperately trying to balance his cravings against his moral judgment. This book could have turned out to be very depressing because of the predicament of the protagonist however to the author’s credit, it doesn’t turn out to be so much so as to turn the reader off. Plus there’s also the mystery of the main protagonist’s name that isn't revealed until the very last paragraph of the story. That was a very cool twist to the story and it doesn’t feel too weird as through out the story wherein no one refers to the main character by his name.
Lastly only a couple of factors go against this debut book, the first factor being is its pace. The book begins very very slowly and through the first 70-80 pages, the world setting as well as the character backstory is languidly set up. This really doesn’t help as many a reader might be off-put by such a beginning. Also the world settings and backstory are only given lip service but never clearly explained. For me this was a major off-putting point, I as a reader always like to know about the world. But the author reveals very little in regards to what came before that has lead to the world being in the state it’s described.
CONCLUSION: Alex Hughes’s debut is a good one, she has taken amalgamated lots of factors into a single storyline and has done it decently. There are some issues, which might pop out more depending on the reader’s choices and likes. Clean is a book that gives a different type of procedural story and one I hope that will continue to its eventual conclusion. A solid and interesting debut that promises to be worthy of your time.

Bonus Q/A with Alexandra Hughes


Q] Welcome to Fantasy Book Critic. To start with, could you tell us what inspired you to be a writer in the first place, what experience you went through in finding a publisher, how you ended up with Ace-Roc books, and anything else you’d like to share about yourself?

AH: I’ve always been a big reader from the time I was a very small kid. After awhile, I started thinking I could write one of the novels I was reading, and my parents encouraged me. Finding a publisher was a long and complex process (I received hundreds of rejections and had more than one crisis of faith), but the process encouraged me to grow and hone my craft as a writer, which I would not trade for the world. I entered Clean in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards 2011, and it reached the Semi-Finals. It turns out that Penguin reads all of the Semi-Final manuscripts, and they read mine and decided to buy it for the Ace-Roc book imprint. Which is awesome – I love their books. (Wen Spencer, for example, is one of my favorite authors.)

Q] What was the precise spark of inspiration that lead to the creation of Mindspace investigation series?

AH: I had just read Joan D. Vinge’s Catspaw, which features a tortured telepath trying to make his way in the world. I had a friend at the time who was really struggling towards health and away from severe anorexia/bulimia, and I wanted to talk about that struggle and addiction, but I knew I’d need something easier to understand, like a substance. And I’ve always been a huge fan of cop shows. So the seeds got put together into this result.

Q] Your world is tremendously shaped by an event called “The Tech Wars” though curiously not much is revealed in the book. What was your reasoning behind this move?

AH: Most people don’t talk a lot about history in the US from 60 years ago, so I didn’t think I needed to go into a great deal of depth. The world is what it is, and we try to make our way in it. Plus, one of day in the future (when I’m good enough to pull it off), I’m going to write the story of the Tech Wars, and I want to leave myself the breathing room to do it well.

Q] Your story is a curious mix of noir, SF and urban fantasy. What drew you to the subject matter of the series?

AH: See my earlier response. The idea was formed in the early 2000s, before urban fantasy was a formal genre. There was Laurell K. Hamilton, and there was Tanya Huff, and a few other authors in that space, but nothing formal. I loved the idea of taking unconventional bits and making something new – and I still do. The result is hard to categorize, but it works on its own terms, and works well, I think.

Q] Your novel had a very curious phenomenon, the main character’s name is never revealed till the very last line of the book. Why such a twist to the story?

AH: I was going through a literary faze at the time, and wanted to play with this idea of naming and identity. He’s a guy in search of his place and his identity, and when he finds it, he gets a name. It shouldn’t be in your face, but it should add to the subject matter of the book.

Q] I’ve noticed that your web presence is very gender-neutral. Even I was a bit unsure until I googled you. Any particular reasoning behind this maneuverer?

AH: Both my agent and my editor feel that the book could be more successful if people think it comes from a male author, since the protagonist is male. I also tend to get less queries about my POV choices if people think I’m a guy – which is nice. So, for this first book at least, we’re trying to keep the web presence and other marketing a little bit gender neutral. I don’t want to outright lie, but I don’t mind letting people draw their own conclusions and letting the work speak for itself.

Q] Speaking of the series, how many volumes do you think will be required for the Mindspace investigation series? What can you tell us about books two, three and the series beyond?

AH: I’ve sketched out nine books in general terms for the series, but I’m not a strict outline writer so there could be more or less in final form for the same arc. Book Two, Sharp, picks up where this one leaves off – with Cherabino and the main character having to work through new challenges and face an old enemy back in town. It will be out in April. There’s also a novella in the same universe out in March.

Q] From your website, I noticed that you count yourself as a foodie with a special interest in the Food network. So could you expound on what’s your favorite dish and what’s the toughest dish you ever had to prepare?

AH: Asking for my favorite dish is like asking for a favorite book. Today I’ll say a perfectly cooked, beautiful chicken parmesan with a nice, clean tomato sauce and fresh pasta, with a side salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

Q] What types of books do you like to read, and who are your favorite authors in the genres that you read?

AH: When it comes to books, I love everything, but particularly scifi and urban fantasy. I’ll stray into the thriller and mystery section and the romance section on occasion as well, and I love anything well written and historical with great details. Favorite authors changes depending on the day you ask me, but today I’ll call out Suzanne Brockman, David Weber, early Laurell K. Hamilton, Catherine Asaro, and Emma Bull.

Q] Lastly as a writer, what do you aspire for? What are your future plans?

AH: I’d love to do a nice long career of books and stories with several series. I’d like to keep getting better over time. And I’d like to entertain and touch readers with stories that entertain and touch me. That’s the part that makes me excited about getting up in the morning. Future plans are whatever I can do to make those things happen.

Four More 2012 Books of Interest: Miles Cameron, Emma Donoghue, Nina D'Aleo and Young-ha Kim (with comments by Liviu Suciu)

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"Twenty eight florins a month is a huge price to pay, for a man to stand between you and the Wild.

Twenty eight florins a month is nowhere near enough when a wyvern's jaws snap shut on your helmet in the hot stink of battle, and the beast starts to rip the head from your shoulders. But if standing and fighting is hard, leading a company of men - or worse, a company of mercenaries - against the smart, deadly creatures of the Wild is even harder.

It takes all the advantages of birth, training, and the luck of the devil to do it.

The Red Knight has all three, he has youth on his side, and he's determined to turn a profit. So when he hires his company out to protect an Abbess and her nunnery, it's just another job. The abby is rich, the nuns are pretty and the monster preying on them is nothing he can't deal with.

Only it's not just a job. It's going to be a war. ."

The Red Knight is a highly touted Gollancz (October, UK) and Orbit (December US) fantasy debut; it is a (sort of) pseudonymous novel by a noted historical fiction author who lives in Toronto and is a well known reenactor too and it jumped a few notches in my interest to my top-top place of the awaited books of 2012, when led by some Goodreads questions, I started checking the above information...THE fantasy debut of the year for me and an asap read the moment I manage to get a copy!

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"The fascinating characters that roam across the pages of Emma Donoghue's stories have all gone astray: they are emigrants, runaways, drifters, lovers old and new. They are gold miners and counterfeiters, attorneys and slaves. They cross other borders too: those of race, law, sex, and sanity. They travel for love or money, incognito or under duress.

With rich historical detail, the celebrated author of Room takes us from puritan Massachusetts to revolutionary New Jersey, antebellum Louisiana to the Toronto highway, lighting up four centuries of wanderings that have profound echoes in the present. Astray offers us a surprising and moving history for restless times"
Astray is a new book of interest from the author of the superb Room with a  blurb that makes me want to try it as soon as I get a chance.
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"An intoxicating blend of noir crime, science fiction and fantasy THE LAST CITY is BLADE RUNNER meets PERDIDO STREET STATION.

Scorpia – the last city of Aquais – where the Ar Antarians rule, the machine-breeds serve and in-between a multitude of races and species eke out an existence somewhere between the ever-blazing city lights and the endless darkness of the underside.

As a spate of murders and abductions grip the city, new recruit Silho Brabel is sent to the Oscuri Trackers, an elite military squad commanded by the notorious Copernicus Kane. But Silho has a terrible secret and must fight to hide her strange abilities and monstrous heritage.

As the team delve deeper into Scorpia’s underworld, they discover a nightmare truth.

Hunted by demons, the Trackers must band together with a condemned fugitive, a rogue wraith and a gangster king and stake their lives against an all-powerful enemy to try to save their world and one another"
A small press July novel, The Last City had some intriguing reviews and a great Amazon price so I got it a week or so ago despite the sample being only ok'ish, not the "I want this now" kind and its seeming resemblance to the Cast series by Michelle Sagara in which I stalled after a some 50 pages from volume 1... I plan to give it a serious try soon and will report back here!
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"In 1904, as the Russo-Japanese War deepened, Asia was parceled out to rising powers and the Korean empire was annexed by Japan. Facing war and the loss of their nation, more than a thousand Koreans left their homes to seek possibility elsewhere—in unknown Mexico.

After a long sea voyage, these emigrants—thieves and royals, priests and soldiers, orphans and entire families—disembark with the promise of land. Soon they discover the truth: they have been sold into indentured servitude.

Aboard ship, an orphan, Ijeong, fell in love with the daughter of a noble; separated when the various haciendados claim their laborers, he vows to find her. After years of working in the punishing heat of the henequen fields, the Koreans are caught in the midst of a Mexican revolution. Some flee with Ijeong to Guatemala, where they found a New Korea amid Mayan ruins.

A tale of star-crossed love, political turmoil, and the dangers of seeking freedom in a new world, Black Flower is an epic story based on a little-known moment in history."
Black Flower sounds quite interesting and as the author is a famous Korean novelist so no "cultural appropriation/lack of authenticity", I plan to give it a serious try soon.

Spotlight on October Books

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This month we are featuring 36 books. There are more than twice as many new sff and related releases this month in traditional publishing not to speak of the countless indies from Amazon and Smashwords but we are limiting ourselves to books that will be reviewed here or are similar with such. For the full schedule of October 2012 titles known to us, you can consult the Upcoming Releases page.

The release dates are US unless marked otherwise, though for books released in the UK and US in the same month but on different dates we generally use the US  date and they are first edition unless noted differently. The dates are on a best known basis so they are not guaranteed; same about the edition information. 
Since information sometimes is out of date even in the Amazon links we use for listings, books get delayed or sometimes even released earlier, we would truly appreciate if you would send us an email about any listing with incorrect information. 
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“Mage's Blood” by David Hair. Release Date: October 1, 2012. Published by Jo Fletcher Books. (FAN). “The Tainted City” by Courtney Schafer. Release Date: October 2, 2012. Published by Night Shade Books. (FAN). “Daughter of the Sword” by Steve Bein. Release Date: October 2, 2012. Published by Roc. (FAN).“Between Two Fires” by Christopher Buehlman. Release Date: October 2, 2012. Published by Ace. (FAN/MISC).“Little Star” by John Ajvide Lindqvist. Release Date: October 2, 2012. Published by Thomas Dunne Books. (HF / US Debut).“Skarlet” by Thomas Emson. Release Date: October 2, 2012. Published by St. Martin’s Griffin. (HF / US Debut).

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“Dark Currents” by Jacqueline Carey. Release Date: October 2, 2012. Published by Roc. (UF).“Three Parts Dead” by Max Gladstone. Release Date: October 2, 2012. Published by Tor. (FAN).“Fire Season” by David Weber & Jane Lindskold. Release Date: October 2, 2012. Published by Baen. (YA). “London Eye” by Tim Lebbon. Release Date: October 2, 2012. Published by Pyr. (YA).“Quantum Coin” by E.C. Myers. Release Date: October 2, 2012. Published by Pyr. (YA). “The Assassin's Curse” by Cassandra Rose Clarke. Release Date: October 2, 2012. Published by Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry. (YA).
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“The Second Ship” by Richard Phillips. Release Date: October 2, 2012. Published by 47North. (SF). “The Hydrogen Sonata” by Iain M. Banks. Release Date:  October 9, 2012. Published by Orbit. (SF).“Harvest” by William Horwood. UK Release Date: October 11, 2012. Published by Pan Macmillan. (FAN).
“The Twelve” by Justin Cronin. Release Date: October 16, 2012. Published by Ballantine. (SF/MISC).
“The Fifty Year Sword” by Mark Z. Danielewski. Release Date: October 16, 2012. Published by Pantheon. (WEIRD/MISC).“The Secret Keeper” by Kate Morton. Release Date: October 16, 2012. Published by Atria. (MISC).
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“Swimming Home” by Deborah Levy. Release Date: October 16, 2012. Published by Bloomsbury. (MISC). “Zoo Time” by Howard Jacobson. Release Date: October 16, 2012. Published by Bloomsbury. (MISC). “The Middle Kingdom” by David Wingrove. Release Date: October 18, 2012. Published by Corvus. (SF). “The King’s Assassin” by Stephen Deas. UK Release Date: October 18, 2012. Published by Gollancz. (YA).
“Tom Swan and the Head of St. George: Part 3 Constantinople” by Christian Cameron. Release Date:  October 18, 2012. Published by Orion. (SERIAL/MISC). “Red Country” by Joe Abercrombie. UK Release Date: October 18, 2012. Published by Gollancz. (FAN).

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“Luminous Chaos” by Jean-Christophe Valtat. Release Date: October 23, 2012. Published by Melville House. (STPK).
“The Art Forger” by B.A Shapiro. Release Date: October 23, 2012. Published by Algonquin Books. (MISC). “Jam” by Yahtzee Croshaw. Release Date: October 23, 2012. Published by Dark Horse. (MISC). “The Night of the Swarm” by Robert V.S. Redick. UK Release Date: October 25, 2012. Published by Gollancz. (FAN).
“The Red Knight” by Miles Cameron. UK Release Date: October 25, 2012. Published by Gollancz. (FAN).“Citadel” by Kate Mosse. UK Release Date: October 25, 2012. Published by Orion. (MISC).
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 “The Death of Light” by Peter Crowther. Release Date: October 30, 2012. Published by Angry Robot. (SF).“Krampus: The Yule Lord” by Brom. Release Date: October 30, 2012. Published by Harper Voyager. (FAN).
“Ghost Planet” by Sharon Lynn Fisher. Release Date: October 30, 2012. Published by Tor. (SF). 
“Black Flower” by Young-ha Kim. Release Date: October 30, 2012. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (MISC).
“The Lands of Ice & Fire” by George R.R. Martin. Release Date: October 30, 2012. Published by Bantam. (MAPS/MISC). “The Tangled Bridge” by Rhodi Hawk. Release Date: October 30, 2012. Published by Tor. (MISC).

PRESS RELEASE & BOOK NEWS: Snorri Kristjansson, James Rollins-Rebecca Cantrell and Peter Clines

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Jo Fletcher has recently bought a Viking trilogy by Icelandic writer Snorri Kristjansson from the Geraldine Cooke agency. The first of the series will be Swords of Good Men, published in summer 2013 by Jo Fletcher Books.
Snorri Kristjansson is currently teaching at a London primary school, but he has been at various times a journalist, web-designer, computer programmer, caretaker for ill people, cement-packer,longshoreman, musician, writer, actor and, most recently, a comedian. His Edinburgh Fringe show was the first to combine puffins, Icelandic revolutions and Jude Law – well, in recent history that is. Swords of Good Men is his debut novel.
Jo Fletcher says: "There's nothing like a good, rip-roaring Viking yarn to get the blood flowing, and when you add a recently converted warrior king determined to bring Christianity at the point of hissword and a powerful Northlands witch determined the Old Gods will triumph and, you know you're in for a good time. I'm really thrilled to welcome Snorri to JFB, as part of my commitment to publish the very best in fantasy, SF and horror."
The Swords of Good Men is a Viking fantasy novel and here's some more info about it. "Our first novel of that ilk, in fact, and it’s awesome. It’s got a mad king determined to bring the White Christ to the masses, a mysterious and beautiful woman drawing the souls of dead warriors to her cause, a gentle blacksmith with dangerous blood and a young hero, who has a lot to learn about the cruelty of the world. And they’re all converging on Steinvik, a place where your enemies do not necessarily reside outside the walls . . . It’s fast, vicious and reminiscent of Joe Abercrombie .  

James Rollins' new book is a prequel short story to his forthcoming series called The Blood Gospel – City Of Screams is the  short story to be released and is a collaborative effort between Jim and Rebecca Cantrell and gives a great look in to the Blood Gospel series world. Basic information about the series can be over in this previous FBC post.
I had previously posted about the series in regards to what it entails. This short story focuses on Sergeant Jordan Stone and his forensic team who have to go Afghanistan for a case. The blurb details can be found here and a Q&A with the authors is over here.  This short story will be released on October 30th and I’ll be reviewing as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Lastly there is some bad news for fans of the Ex-Heroes series by Peter Clines. Peter revealed yesterday that Ex-Communication will be delayed from its earlier release date of the holiday season this year to late spring/early summer 2013. This is a bit disappointing after the news about Red Country by Joe Abercrombie however I’m sure the Permuted Press folks have serious reasons for this delay. I loved Ex-Heroes and Ex-Patriots and so I hope that we do get to read it soon as I'm waiting to see whether the author ends this amazing series with it.
NOTE: Swords Of Good Men announcement provided by Lucy Ramsey. Snorri Kristjansson's picture courtesy of Smugan website and Gunnar Guðbjörnsson. Peter Clines' picture courtesy of Examiner.com and Daniel Pool.

Four More 2012 Books of Interest: Miles Cameron, Emma Donoghue, Nina D'Aleo and Young-ha Kim (with comments by Liviu Suciu)

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"Twenty eight florins a month is a huge price to pay, for a man to stand between you and the Wild.

Twenty eight florins a month is nowhere near enough when a wyvern's jaws snap shut on your helmet in the hot stink of battle, and the beast starts to rip the head from your shoulders. But if standing and fighting is hard, leading a company of men - or worse, a company of mercenaries - against the smart, deadly creatures of the Wild is even harder.

It takes all the advantages of birth, training, and the luck of the devil to do it.

The Red Knight has all three, he has youth on his side, and he's determined to turn a profit. So when he hires his company out to protect an Abbess and her nunnery, it's just another job. The abby is rich, the nuns are pretty and the monster preying on them is nothing he can't deal with.

Only it's not just a job. It's going to be a war. ."

The Red Knight is a highly touted Gollancz (October, UK) and Orbit (December US) fantasy debut; it is a (sort of) pseudonymous novel by a noted historical fiction author who lives in Toronto and is a well known reenactor too and it jumped a few notches in my interest to my top-top place of the awaited books of 2012, when led by some Goodreads questions, I started checking the above information...THE fantasy debut of the year for me and an asap read the moment I manage to get a copy!

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"The fascinating characters that roam across the pages of Emma Donoghue's stories have all gone astray: they are emigrants, runaways, drifters, lovers old and new. They are gold miners and counterfeiters, attorneys and slaves. They cross other borders too: those of race, law, sex, and sanity. They travel for love or money, incognito or under duress.

With rich historical detail, the celebrated author of Room takes us from puritan Massachusetts to revolutionary New Jersey, antebellum Louisiana to the Toronto highway, lighting up four centuries of wanderings that have profound echoes in the present. Astray offers us a surprising and moving history for restless times"
Astray is a new book of interest from the author of the superb Room with a  blurb that makes me want to try it as soon as I get a chance.
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"An intoxicating blend of noir crime, science fiction and fantasy THE LAST CITY is BLADE RUNNER meets PERDIDO STREET STATION.

Scorpia – the last city of Aquais – where the Ar Antarians rule, the machine-breeds serve and in-between a multitude of races and species eke out an existence somewhere between the ever-blazing city lights and the endless darkness of the underside.

As a spate of murders and abductions grip the city, new recruit Silho Brabel is sent to the Oscuri Trackers, an elite military squad commanded by the notorious Copernicus Kane. But Silho has a terrible secret and must fight to hide her strange abilities and monstrous heritage.

As the team delve deeper into Scorpia’s underworld, they discover a nightmare truth.

Hunted by demons, the Trackers must band together with a condemned fugitive, a rogue wraith and a gangster king and stake their lives against an all-powerful enemy to try to save their world and one another"
A small press July novel, The Last City had some intriguing reviews and a great Amazon price so I got it a week or so ago despite the sample being only ok'ish, not the "I want this now" kind and its seeming resemblance to the Cast series by Michelle Sagara in which I stalled after a some 50 pages from volume 1... I plan to give it a serious try soon and will report back here!
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"In 1904, as the Russo-Japanese War deepened, Asia was parceled out to rising powers and the Korean empire was annexed by Japan. Facing war and the loss of their nation, more than a thousand Koreans left their homes to seek possibility elsewhere—in unknown Mexico.

After a long sea voyage, these emigrants—thieves and royals, priests and soldiers, orphans and entire families—disembark with the promise of land. Soon they discover the truth: they have been sold into indentured servitude.

Aboard ship, an orphan, Ijeong, fell in love with the daughter of a noble; separated when the various haciendados claim their laborers, he vows to find her. After years of working in the punishing heat of the henequen fields, the Koreans are caught in the midst of a Mexican revolution. Some flee with Ijeong to Guatemala, where they found a New Korea amid Mayan ruins.

A tale of star-crossed love, political turmoil, and the dangers of seeking freedom in a new world, Black Flower is an epic story based on a little-known moment in history."
Black Flower sounds quite interesting and as the author is a famous Korean novelist so no "cultural appropriation/lack of authenticity", I plan to give it a serious try soon.

"Great North Road" by Peter Hamilton (Reviewed by Liviu Suciu)

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Official Peter Hamilton Website
Order Great North Road HERE
Read FBC Review of The Dreaming Void
Read FBC Review of The Temporal VoidRead FBC Review of Manhattan in Reverse
INTRODUCTION:  Peter Hamilton needs no introduction since he is one of today's leading science fiction writers and the ‘King’ of modern space opera. Even his second tier space operas are head and shoulders above most everything written in the genre. At his best like in The Night's Dawn trilogy which is my all time favorite finished sff series, or in “Pandora's Star” with its vividly described future and multilayered plotlines that converge in so many interesting and unexpected ways, the author evokes a sense of wonder that is unrivaled. 

On the other hand his standalone novel Fallen Dragon had great promise and a sweet wish fulfilling ending but ultimately lacked the sophistication of his main series as it was structurally weaker, so when another standalone, Great North Road, with the blurb below was announced, I was both very excited and a little worried how it will go.

"In Newcastle-upon-Tyne, AD 2142, Detective Sidney Hurst attends a brutal murder scene. The victim is one of the wealthy North family clones – but none have been reported missing. And the crime’s most disturbing aspect is how the victim was killed. Twenty years ago, a North clone billionaire and his household were horrifically murdered in exactly the same manner, on the tropical planet of St Libra. But if the murderer is still at large, was Angela Tramelo wrongly convicted? Tough and confident, she never waivered under interrogation – claiming she alone survived an alien attack. But there is no animal life on St Libra. 
 Investigating this alien threat becomes the Human Defence Agency’s top priority. The bio-fuel flowing from St Libra is the lifeblood of Earth’s economy and must be secured. So a vast expedition is mounted via the Newcastle gateway, and teams of engineers, support personnel and xenobiologists are dispatched to the planet. Along with their technical advisor, grudgingly released from prison, Angela Tramelo. But the expedition is cut off, deep within St Libra’s rainforests. Then the murders begin. Someone or something is picking off the team one by one. Angela insists it’s the alien, but her new colleagues aren’t so sure. Maybe she did see an alien, or maybe she has other reasons for being on St Libra ... In this stunning, standalone adventure, Peter F. Hamilton blends fast-paced narrative with vividly imagined future-worlds"
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: On finishing my first read of Great North Road, I was a little mixed: an addictive but very self-indulgent read, a new universe and a somewhat fresh take on the author's usual themes - long life, the rich, sense of wonder, detailed world building, "alien aliens" - but also same thematic repetitions becoming a bit too much; not to speak of pages after pages dedicated to the burning issue of identifying a missing taxi in the all-around surveillance world of the 2300's... 

I also thought that Great North Road was a book that should have been slimmed down considerably and could have easily done with much less from the Newcastle police investigation which takes probably about half the novel and gets very boring after a while. Similarly the parochial mannerisms from that thread are funny once or twice but get tired quite fast, with "pet" the worst offender by a lot.
On the second read when you know that you can skip a lot of the bloat and lose nothing, the novel improved in so far I knew to avoid the large chunk dealing with the Newcastle police investigation and just focus on Angela's saga which is actually excellent, so I suggest the following strategy to all the new readers, strategy that will improve considerably in my opinion your experience of Great North Road:
Read Angela's story and only browse through the Newcastle investigation; especially if you get stalled early into the book, start at page 232 and look up the first chapter with Angela in prison and then skip everything that takes place in Newcastle - no loss as anyway what happens there is updated for the heroes of the space opera part in a few lines every now and then - except towards the end when the stories converge; this way you will have one of the most gripping reads of the author as the space opera/planetary adventure part is superb.
The many details that add depth to the world building - the billionaire only planet Monaco - of course with lots of "non-citizen" help, the North clone brothers, their different paths and their many progeny which emphasize how the super rich will be always different, the personal story of Angela and of course lots more - are vintage Hamilton and I cannot emphasize enough how good are those 600 pages dedicated to the alien/Angela thread.
The tuckerization of fans and Tor people is a nice inside joke and it's good to see the coming of age of the online community expressed this way in important novels like Great North Road or Dance with Dragons; if you are not aware of this, it's worth digging a little for details.
Overall, Great North Road is a highly recommended novel of 2012, while missing my top 25 where I had expected it to place.

Spotlight on Some Recent SFF Titles of Interest (with comments by Mihir Wanchoo)

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There’s only so much time I can spare towards reading and in an ideal world I would have read all of these titles by now. However since cloning hasn’t come of age, for now I’ll be doing a quick spotlight on all of them along with a few comments as I've read a bit of all except one. I will be trying my best to review them in the coming months over here or Bastard Books.


BETWEEN TWO FIRES by Christopher Buehlman 
Book Blurb - And Lucifer said: “Let us rise against Him now in all our numbers, and pull the walls of heaven down…” 
The year is 1348. Thomas, a disgraced knight, has found a young girl alone in a dead Norman village. An orphan of the Black Death, and an almost unnerving picture of innocence, she tells Thomas that plague is only part of a larger cataclysm—that the fallen angels under Lucifer are rising in a second war on heaven, and that the world of men has fallen behind the lines of conflict. 
Is it delirium or is it faith? She believes she has seen the angels of God. She believes the righteous dead speak to her in dreams. And now she has convinced the faithless Thomas to shepherd her across a depraved landscape to Avignon. There, she tells Thomas, she will fulfill her mission: to confront the evil that has devastated the earth, and to restore to this betrayed, murderous knight the nobility and hope of salvation he long abandoned. 
As hell unleashes its wrath, and as the true nature of the girl is revealed, Thomas will find himself on a macabre battleground of angels and demons, saints, and the risen dead, and in the midst of a desperate struggle for nothing less than the soul of man. 
Thoughts: With a premise very similar to The Crucible series by the late Sara Douglass, Christopher Buehlman’s sophomore effort came under my radar a bit later than I would have preferred. Mixing a metaphysical war within the historical premise of war-torn Europe that is also under the deadly grasp of the Black Death, makes for an exciting storyline. The author’s forte is supposed to be horror and so I look forward to his mix of medieval fantasy and horror. Readers can also read this excerpt to get started on this book that releases next week. 
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LISTENING TO RAIN by Albert A. Dalia 
Book Blurb - China, 627 C.E. The Tang dynasty’s rule remains tentative after a decade of civil war. The rise of a new uncertainty in the far south thrusts the fledgling dynasty between its most powerful enemies in the north and the possible revolt of the southern aborigines. The emperor and his grand minister delegate a two-man assessment team – the Shaolin Blade, Tanzong and the Imperial Commissioner, Li Wei to travel into the southern regions and negotiate with the aboriginal leader. 
The first volume of this epic wuxia adventure tale follows the duo to the mysterious Isle of Pearls. To get there, they must use secret Taoist underground waterways, fight off the airborne attacks of the Thunder Lords, cross storm-tossed seas in a shaman’s bronze ship, and then sail aboard the Dragonfly, with the female aboriginal pirate captain, Byung Nhak, as she engages the local warlord, the Iron Shaman and his fleet of Seahawks. 
Their heroic journey continues into the center of the island through the unexplored “Land of Drifting Ghosts” mountain range in search of a legendary lost Buddhist monastery. While the long hidden Celestial Masters sect of Taoism and an enigmatic Tibetan princess pose an immediate threat, Tanzong’s internal conflicts offer the greater danger. The series, The Adventures of the Shaolin Blade Tanzong, will follow Tanzong’s adventures throughout the medieval Chinese empire. 
Thoughts: This book reminds me a lot of Barry Hughart’s Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox however this book is more grounded in history than mythology as was Barry’s seminal work. Again after reading the first few chapters, it has become apparent that the author has taken some liberties but promises a rousing story filled with action, wonder and mystery. Plus with such a stark but eye-catching cover by Jungshan Ink there’s much to admire in Albert Dalia’s historical fantasy series. Look forward to the review in the upcoming weeks of October. 
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MAGE’S BLOOD by David Hair 
Book Blurb - For years the Leviathan Bridge was a boon for prosperity and culture. But when the Rondian Emperor turned his avaricious eyes toward it, peace became war. In successive crusades the Imperial legions and their mighty battle-mages plundered the East unopposed. 
Now the Moontide has come again, the Bridge is rising from beneath the waves, and the Third Crusade is poised for release. The board is set and the pieces are moving. But three lowly pawns, barely regarded, threaten the game: A failed mage, a jaded mercenary and a lowly market-girl are about to be catapulted into the maelstrom. Their choices and their courage are about to change the world. 
Come to Urte, where the moon covers half the sky and the tides render the seas impassable. Where windships ply the skies and magi with god-gifted powers rule the earth. Where East and West are divided by colour, creed, language and the sea, but drawn to each other irrevocably in a dance of life and death. The Moontide is coming, to sweep away all in its path. 
Thoughts: I’m currently reading this book and its turning out to a good read with a sweeping world scenario that is very reminiscent of the best epic fantasy has to offer. Additionally with a liberal dose of cultures similar to those of our world, the author has managed to build an interesting world scenario and back-history. Showcasing a clash between the western and eastern parts of world, in this case literally the author has spawned a story spanning many nations and characters that will leave a mark on the reader's minds.  Look out for the review next week (hopefully). 
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GEARTEETH by Timothy Black 
Book Blurb - In 1890 a disease that turned sane men into ravenous werewolves erupted in the United States and soon spread to the rest of the world. On the brink of humanity’s extinction, Nikola Tesla and a secret order of scientists known as the Tellurians revealed a bold plan: the uninfected would abandon the Earth’s surface by rising up in floating salvation cities, iron and steel metropolises that carried tens of thousands of refugees above the savage apocalypse. The remnants of mankind huddled fearfully in the clouds, waiting for the werewolves to devour each other.
Yet twenty years later only one salvation city remains aloft, while the beasts still rule the world below. Time has taken its toll on the miraculous machinery of the city, and soon the last of the survivors will plummet to their doom. But when Elijah Kelly, a brakeman aboard the largest of the city’s Thunder Trains, is infected by the werewolf virus he discovers a secret world of lies and horrific experiments that hide the disturbing truth about the Tellurians. 
When the beast in his blood surges forth, Elijah must choose between the lives of those he loves and the city that is humanity’s last hope of survival. 
Thoughts: The blurb promises a steampunk story mixed with werewolves in an apocalyptic world setting, plus there’s the presence of Nicholas Tesla and airborne cities. How can one resist such a premise and after reading an excerpt I was hooked. Hopefully this book will deliver on its promising blurb as well as the aforementioned reasons, I will do my best to review it as well. Check out the first chapter on the author's website or download a sample from Amazon to get a better idea about the book. 
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MINDING THE HEAVENS Part I: ELECTION by James Pyle 
Book Blurb - Minding the Heavens is a series of three novellas that chronicle the intersection of four distinct stories: 1) Lawrence Fielding is in his mid-twenties, works for his uncle (whom he hates) and has recently broken up with his longtime girlfriend. He is determined to kill himself until a chance encounter with a man claiming to be the devil starts him down a path of curious, and seemingly inexplicable, incidence. 2) Michael, once an angel of the Host of Heaven, is now a drunk who has wandered North America for the better part of five decades. 3) Samuel is a reclusive assassin who, just as he decides to retire, is offered one final opportunity unlike anything he's ever done before. 4) Diedrich Markus was, at one time, a promising young physicist. That is, however, until he published a paper claiming to have found evidence that the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics work differently within the Trans-America building in San Francisco. After several unaccounted years, Markus resurfaces at a small, decidedly hippy-like, university in Western Washington. 
Thoughts: Mea culpa it was the blurb again. This is one of the most enticing blurbs I have ever read. Mixing angels with physics and assassins promises to be a mad caper and from what I have read of the beginnings of this novella, this one is looking to be a terrific story with a strong Terry Pratchett-esque vibe to it. Also originally this series was titled The Zany Misadventures of Lucifer the Fallen One, now that should be a good indicator of what the plot of the book might entail. 
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COLD IRON by Josh Loomis 
Book Blurb - Detective Morgan Everson has gotten pretty acquainted with death. She sees it all the time, especially working the Special Homicide division in Philadelphia. But this case is new. In this case, the victim of the murder is also a potential eye-witness. His name is Seth, and he was dead for thirty-five years before they found him wandering around a cemetery. 
A detective himself in the 1980s, Seth sets about putting together the pieces of the former life he can barely remember. In his wake, however, people who knew him start dying, and in particularly violent ways that put them squarely in Morgan's lap. She must discover the connection between Seth and the murders, even as Seth works to understand the whys and wherefores of his resurrection. The connection between the two may be the bullet found among his belongings. It is not jacketed in steel or made with silver, but instead has a core of cold iron. What it means, and the intent behind its creation, will change the lives of both detectives forever. 
What is the secret of Seth’s resurrection? Why are his old friends and acquaintances getting killed? And what is Morgan not telling him about this new world into which he’s awakened? 
Thoughts: I have read and thoroughly enjoyed this debut novella. I’ll be reviewing next week on Bastard books and all I can say about it is that this is a terrific story and I’m waiting anxiously to read the next book COLD STREETS. The author describes it “Law and Order meets World of Darkness” and while that estimation is pretty spot-on, there’s a lot more being left unsaid in regards to the mythology utilized and the world settings of the story. For more information about COLD IRON, hop onto HERE.

PRESS RELEASE: Nightmare Magazine and The Riyria Chronicles

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John Joseph Adams and Creeping Hemlock Press are proud to present Nightmare, the new online horror magazine, which will be launched on October 1, 2012.

Nightmare is an online horror and dark fantasy magazine. In Nightmare’s pages, you will find all kinds of horror fiction, from zombie stories and haunted house tales, to visceral psychological horror. Edited by bestselling anthologist John Joseph Adams, every month Nightmare will bring you a mix of originals and reprints, and featuring a variety of authors—from the bestsellers and award-winners you already know to the best new voices you haven’t heard of yet. When you read Nightmare, it is our hope that you’ll see where horror comes from, where it is now, and where it’s going.
It will also include nonfiction, fiction podcasts, and Q&As with our authors that go behind-the-scenes of their stories. The publication schedule each month will include two pieces of original fiction and two fiction reprints, along with a feature interview, an artist gallery showcasing our cover artist, and our monthly column about horror, “The H Word.” We will publish ebook issues on the first of every month, which will be available for sale in ePub format via our website and also available in other formats such as Kindle and Nook. We will also offer subscriptions to our ebook edition in a variety of formats. Each issue’s contents will be serialized on our website throughout the month, with new features publishing on the first four Wednesdays of every month.

Issue #1

As described above Nightmare will typically feature two original stories and two reprints in every issue. For our debut issue, however, we will be bringing you four all-new, never before published horror stories. Issue #1 will feature new fiction by the following authors: “Property Condemned” by Jonathan Maberry 
“Frontier Death Song” by Laird Barron
 “Good Fences” by Genevieve Valentine
 “Afterlife” by Sarah Langan

Future Issues

Issue #2 (November 2012) will contain an all new tale from horror legend Ramsey Campbell, along with a new story by young writer Desirina Boskovich, as well as classic reprints by award-winning authors Joe Haldeman and Poppy Z. Brite. Future issues will contain work Daniel H. Wilson, Sarah Langan (a second story!), Jeff VanderMeer, Marc Laidlaw, Ted Kosmatka, J. B. Park, Tamsyn Muir, Matt Williamson, and more!

 So you can start getting your horror fix over at the Nightmare website as well pre-order the first issue copy!

Michael Sullivan’s newest series was announced just a couple of days ago and his next book will be The Crown Tower— a full-length Royce and Hadrian novel—and the first of The Riyria Chronicles, which is scheduled for release by Orbit in August 2013 in trade paperback, electronic book, and audio formats.

Here’s what Michael had to say about the prequel series:

 “The Riyria Chronicles, as I envision them, are stories that fill in the history of the twelve years of Royce and Hadrian’s life as Riyria. They will be generally standalone novels that I imagine will center on significant events in their career together, told mostly in order, and I was thinking one book for everyone of one their twelve years. That’s not to say I will write twelve books. This isn’t that kind of series. It’s not an ongoing tale or interconnected in the sense that Revelations was, or Song of Ice and Fire is."

"It really can’t be since if you’ve read The Riyria Revelations, you already know how everything turns out. So this won’t be a single story told in parts, but rather much more episodic like The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes or maybe the Dresden Files—only with medieval thieves instead of nineteenth century detectives or modern day wizards.”

"Chronicles will likely hit on topics hinted at in The Riyria Revelations that readers have asked about like the original Drumindor job, the disaster that was Blythe Castle, the Crown Tower heist as well as others never previously touched on. While I have several additional projects under production, The Riyria Chronicles allows me a framework to put out a new Royce and Hadrian story every so often, just for the fun of it without hampering me from stretching my authorial limits by discovering new characters and worlds to explore.“

For more info on the blurb, head over to the Orbit blog and keep an eye out for The Crown Tower next year.

NOTE: Announcements provided by John Joseph Adams and Michael J. Sullivan.