Review | Turn Coat by Jim Butcher (Orbit)

Title: Turn Coat
Author: Jim Butcher
Publisher: Orbit
Date of Publication: March 2010

Reviewed by: Steve Aryan

Available from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

Harry Dresden, professional wizard, has done his best to keep his nose clean where the White Council of Wizards is concerned. Even so, his past misdeeds have cast a constant shadow of suspicion over him in the eyes of the Wardens, those wizards responsible for enforcing the Laws of Magic. Now Dresden finds himself faced with a nightmarish dilemma: Morgan, formerly his chief persecutor among the Wardens, has been wrongly accused of treason against the White Council - and has come to Harry for help. Dresden faces a daunting task: clear Morgan's name while simultaneously hiding him from the Wardens and the supernatural bounty hunters sent to find him, discovering the identity of the true turncoat and, of course, avoiding accusations of treachery of his own. A single mistake may mean that heads - quite literally - will roll. And one of them could be his own ...

This is the 11th book in the series so there will be some spoilers for previous books and minor ones about this book. Given that the next novel in the series is called Changes, I thought it would be the one that shakes everything up, but in Turn Coat there are some serious, and perhaps irreparable, changes.

Morgan, hardcore warden and one of the biggest pains in Harry’s life, turns up on his doorstep half dead and asks Harry for help. He claims he’s been framed for a murder and he needs Harry to hide him and find out who is really responsible. As a much younger man Harry was almost executed by the White Council because of some issues with dark magic. Morgan was the one who would have wielded the sword and despite Harry being put on probation Morgan never believed Harry’s innocence. He’s hounded Harry for years and has been waiting for him to slip up so that he can lop off his head.

So for him to come to Harry for help shows how serious the situation is and how desperate he must be. Morgan is like one of those hardcore marines or grey haired drill sergeants you see in the movies. A veteran who always obeys orders and has become this implacable force who you would bet on if he were pitted against a much younger man. He’s just that scary and dangerous. Straight away alarm bells started going off for me and not just because of Harry’s quandary about whether or not he should help Morgan. Harry’s not yet 40 years old, but Morgan is well over a century and that means whoever did this to him has some serious magical mojo. Then there’s the actual murder victim, one of the White Council itself, who are the top wizards in the world.

In previous books the stakes have always been high, but in Turn Coat the dial has been turned up all the way. The repercussions of proving Morgan’s innocence, or guilt, will have serious and long-lasting effects on the White Council, their war with the Red Court and their standing as a major power to be reckoned with. At the moment the White Council looks weak and ineffective and it makes the wizard community look divided as one of their most trusted is apparently the killer. Civil war is exactly what someone wants but all of this manoeuvring also points to something Harry has been talking about for a while. A Black Council. To accomplish the murder of a senior member of the White Council requires an awful lot of power, connections and patience. Other events in the past have pointed at someone behind the curtain pulling strings and manipulating some major players and this is the strongest proof that it’s not just a wild theory. I won’t say any more, but this time the topic is discussed and not just mentioned in passing.

Harry is up to his neck and almost immediately at the start of his investigation he comes up against some dark forces that are just too powerful for him. He’s getting stronger all the time, adding new skills to his toolkit and is on track to becoming one of the most powerful and versatile wizards of all time. I also think he will eventually take his place on the White Council (which would probably give the Merlin a heart attack!), but he’s still decades away from that, maybe a century, and right now he’s outclassed.

Thankfully Harry is also smart enough to realise his limits and he calls on his friends, allies and even a few enemies to help him. What unfolds is a twisted and dark tale where it’s not just Harry and Morgan’s lives on the line. I think in every single Dresden book, Harry gets beat up, physically and quite often by magic whilst investigating. In this book he takes a real emotional beating as well, just as he did in Small Favour.

I hate the phrase, nothing will be the same again. It’s overused and has become a cliché, but I think some changes in Turn Coat cannot be undone. The biggest and most surprising of these actually comes towards the very end of the book after the dust has already settled on the main story. There’s so much going on this book, it’s hard to talk about it without spoilers, but in short Butcher has apparently done the impossible yet again. This is the 11th book in the series and he’s produced something fantastic. That’s not easy to do twice in a row, never mind eleven times. In fact, Turn Coat is a contender for my favourite Dresden book to date.

I can’t wait to see what happens in Changes and I’m very glad that the series was picked up for a few more books because the story is far from over.

Review | The Amber Citadel by Freda Warrington (Simon and Schuster)

Title: The Amber Citadel
Author: Freda Warrington
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 1999

Reviewed by: Steve Aryan

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

Set in the future, humans are forced to share the world with shape-changers from Bhahdradomen, and the mysterious Aelyr. When the shape-changers start a war, two sisters and two brothers from a quiet village find themselves about to be dragged into the conflict.

The story follows four young people very much on the cusp of adulthood as they step outside their small village with noble intentions. In many ways this is a coming of age story, but it is also a hundred miles from ‘baker boy becomes wizard or legendary hero who saves the world.’ That is a familiar story which I’ve read a dozen times over. This is something completely different, something more grounded and realistic, in my opinion. The world is changing and while the main characters have some small influence on events, they do not change the course of history. Rather they are carried along with the tide and must do their best to survive and keep their head above the waves. The characters are ordinary people with no special skills or training. They do not fit into any familiar archetypes sometimes seen in fantasy books.

The beginning of the story is fairly simple one, but there are layers and deft touches added that become more important as the story progresses. A terrible change has come over the King and he requires young, skilled people to assist in his glorious project which will ensure that he is remembered for a thousand years. Unfortunately it means children are taken from their homes, most often against their parents’ wishes. At first it is done without too many problems, but as the truth about where the children are being sent starts to creep in, resistance builds and force is required. Ysomir is one such girl who is taken and her sister, Tanthe, her betrothed, Lynden, and his brother, Rufryd, set out to rescue her.

As mentioned, this is a coming of age story as Tanthe is on the cusp of womanhood and the others are almost men. More than that though, the story is about all four characters finding out the world outside their sheltered village is not nearly as bright and wonderful as they thought it would be. Adventuring and going on a quest always sounds so exciting and wonderful, but Warrington shows you the parts that make it realistic and quite often painful. That’s not to say every day of their journey is horrible or without excitement, but the youngsters are totally unprepared, and like many young people they believe, at first, they can face anything and cope with any challenge the world throws at them. Often they are shown the error of their ways, they get into trouble, they suffer and the feeling of invulnerability that many young people possess is stripped away until they have to face the truth. The world doesn’t owe them anything, people will not always help them and be nice, because the world is pretty dark and scary place. There again that’s not to say there are not acts of kindness and charity, but all the main characters do a lot of growing up in a very short space of time.

The world building is incredibly rich and yet we are not subjected to pages and pages of description ramming it down your throat. There is a lush and gorgeous depth to the world and Warrington trickles it in gradually. The world is also completely thought out and you know if the characters were to suddenly turn left instead of right at the crossroads she could tell you exactly what was there. Throughout there is mention of other lands, cultures, races, customs and all of it is distinct. Nature plays an important part in the story and some of the characters live a very druidic lifestyle. There is a strong theme throughout the story of balance, of living in harmony with your surroundings and only taking from them what you need. For that reason it made me think of Lord of the Rings a couple of times, wit the greedy orcs and dwarves greedily digging into the earth or cutting down the trees with their industry.

The Amber Citadel is the first in a trilogy but it is also a self contained story with only a few threads left dangling and a cliff-hanger ending to pull you into the next book. It is both an epic fantasy story, one that literally changes the world, but also a very small story about four young people and all of the challenges they face in going out into the world on their own for the first time. The story is unpredictable, the characterisation is wonderful throughout and the text is rich and yet very easy to read. If I’ve made it sound like a grim story then it really isn’t, as any darkness is balanced with humour, joy, love and lots of other raw and powerful emotions that help you engage with the characters and their predicaments. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will definitely be reading the next two in the trilogy. A great story from a very talented writer who knows her craft and the genre.

Review | Constantine - Red Sepulchre by Mike Carey (Vertigo Comics)

Title: Constantine Hellblazer - Red Sepulchre
Author: Mike Carey
Publisher: Vertigo
Format: Paperback
Release Date: June 2005

Reviewed by: Steve Aryan

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

With his business in America finally finished, John Constantine returns to England, much to the shock of everyone who thought hed perished in a prison riot. And as usual, his actions have had bad consequencesafter his disappearance, his niece Gemma ran away to London, leaving his sister to move into a new council building that shelters an addictive evil. Said evil provides a clue that puts Constantine on Gemmas trail, but her persistent interest in the family magic business has gotten her involved with a very bad crowdone that now thinks it can use her as a goad to make Constantine do their bidding. But Constantine has never been known for taking ordersor for his forgiving nature.

The character of John Constantine has been around for decades, ever since he was created by Alan Moore back in Swamp Thing in 1988. You might recognise the name because of the Keanu Reeves film from 2005, but the comic book is a bit different. One of the reasons I’ve not previously read a Hellblazer: Constantine comic before is because there are so many trades our there, from a dozen or more creators, and they’re not numbered. So it’s really hard to know where to start, and if you need to read them in order from the beginning. This is a reasonable complaint normally reserved for American superhero comics which are impenetrable to the casual comic book reader or a new fan who wants to get into comics. Hellblazer is published by Vertigo and they produce unique and interesting comics for an adult audience that are usually finite, but this is an exception.

So I asked my local comic shop for advice and they recommended I pick one from a writer I liked. I ended up going for Hellblazer: Constantine Red Sepulchre for two reasons, one because it was written by Mike Carey and two, because the next Felix Castor novel is more than a year away and this is a close cousin. As it turns out my comic shop was right. There was everything I needed in the trade to read and fully understand what was going on. It was obvious it was one chapter of a much larger story and there were hints at the beginning for those who had read the previous trade, but it wasn’t necessary. All you need to know going in is that Constantine is English, he knows a lot of dodgy characters and he knows magic.

Returning to Liverpool after a previous adventure, John goes to visit his sister who is living in a pretty crappy tower block. Soon after he arrives things start to go wrong. People are dying, a few even look like suicides, but not to John as he can smell a rat and a hint of magic. Saying anymore would give the story away, but suffice to say it was creepy and a bit grisly.

What I liked most about this comic, apart from the writing and how easy it was to get into, is that Constantine investigates the problem. He knows magic and is not a pushover, but he doesn’t just wave his hand, or use a wand that solves all of his problems. It’s basically a supernatural noir with him doing the leg work, investigating the case, talking to people and building up enough information to get to the bottom of the problem. Sometimes this involves a bit of magic, but it is never overt and the story is very much grounded in the real world, so most people have no clue it even exists. The trade is split into two parts, the first story is in Liverpool and the second sends him to London and, without spoiling anything, it’s connected to the first.

The artwork by Steve Dillon is also very familiar to me as I have seen a lot of his artwork over the years from reading comics like Preacher and The Punisher. So the whole creative team was a known commodity and comfortable fit for me, with Carey from the Castor novels, X-men comics and The Unwritten, his new series from Vertigo comics. This definitely helped as I knew I was in safe hands. The trade was a complete story but I know that Mike Carey went on to write two more Constantine trades after this one and the three build into a larger story, calling on some of the characters we met in Red Sepulchre.

So overall I’m really glad I finally took the plunge and read this. There were demons, magic, a dash of urban fantasy, a big helping of supernatural noir and an interesting story that kept me guessing right up until the end. I also feel confident enough to seek out some other Constantine trades by other writers I’m familiar with such as Garth Ennis, Jason Aaron, Andy Diggle and Neil Gaiman.

Review | Heretics by S. Andrew Swann (Ace)

Title: Heretics
Author: S. Andrew Swann
Publisher: Ace
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Release Date: March 2009

Reviewed by: Daniel Burton

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

After the events of Prophets, the human universe is on the brink of war while, eighty light years away, a being called Adam has arisen to set into motion an attack that has been centuries in the making. Should he succeed, he will rule all of humanity, and all sentient life, as a God.

Only a few know the truth of what is coming. But even with the aid of some unexpected allies, does the human race have any hope of resisting this seemingly omnipresent and omniscient entity?

I like action. I like suspense. I like drama. And increasingly, I like S. Andrew Swann. He knows how to write all of these into his plot, and he does it deftly, smoothly, and never lets the writing get in the way of the story.

Heretics is the second book of Swann’s Apotheosis trilogy (apotheosis means “the exultation of a subject to divine level”). While facing the risk of succumbing to “middle book syndrome,” Swann manages to keep the action on the edge, heighten the danger, and pull out an ending that, while appropriately leaving the situation more grave than at the beginning and tee-ing off the starting point for book three (the appropriately named Messiah), still follows a story arc that makes the read a satisfactory experience.

Nevertheless, Heretics still is a middle book, and at the end, its main function is to move the plot to the dénouement, and it just barely stays away from middle book syndrome. We are introduced to a few new characters, learn more about our antagonist Adam, and watch the known universe crumble before his claim as the one true god. Adam, the nanobot entity possessed of a more than slightly insane artificial intelligence, has assumed divine status. He begins each planetary invasion with a perfunctory demand of its inhabitants that they worship him by joining in his restructuring of the universe on a molecular level. “Live forever,” he promises, “or be destroyed.” Using technological powers that mankind universally considers “heretical,” he swoops through the universe remaking worlds in his own image, an image that is composed of entirely nanobots and networked artificial intelligence. It is Terminator, Battlestar Galactica, and Michael Crichton’s Prey all in one, and on a scale spanning many galaxies. It is horrifying, a destruction by our own creation, and Swann pulls no punches.

Adam never develops far beyond the villain and with good reason. He’s just the bad guy, and we readily accept that he is arrogant, evil, and non-human. The people we care about—our heroes—are who we begin to see grow and develop in the furnace of their fight for survival. In Heretics, Swann shows his characters begin to step out of themselves, grow, and connect with each other. That said, it is important to note, that Swann writes with more focus on action and plot than on internal character development. Even as the characters grow, brood, agonize, and struggle, the struggle is more against the larger than life threat to humanity, the caricatured Adam, not the inner man’s transcendence of himself. Rather, their transcendence emerges as self sacrifice for the greater good of human survival, not unlike Joseph Cambell’s “Hero of a Thousand Faces.” We don’t get too close to them—just close enough to care, to see what we expect of a hero, and then it’s back to the action. And you know what? It works great. It’s space opera, and it’s exactly what I expected when I picked up the novel.

With a villain everyone can hate and fear, heroes that everyone can empathize with, and a dire situation that pits both heroes and villains in a “Hail Mary” fight to the death, I enjoyed flipping the pages of Swann’s novel. I finished the last page of Heretics, set it down, and immediately picked up Messiah (book three, which came out just this year) and started reading. I had no desire to put off the conclusion to the Apotheosis, and I look forward to seeing the finish of the story.

A cautionary comment on content: One scene in the book bothered me. At one point, the mutant tiger begins a relationship with one of the humans (also mutated, but not quite like him) characters. While there is only brief description, there is foreplay and reference to a sexual relationship. This is science-fiction, and perhaps interspecies romance has a place there, but it was the sexual description that was a bridge too far for me. I just didn’t buy the interspecies love affair thing. Fortunately, the scene is brief, short, and not reoccurring.

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About Daniel Burton
Dan Burton lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he practices law by day and practices everything else by night. You can follow him on his blog lawafterthebar.wordpress.com where he muses on the law, current events, books, and ideas. He can be contacted at dan.burton@gmail.com.

Review | Space Captain Smith by Toby Frost (Myrmidon Books)

Title: Space Captain Smith
Author: Toby Frost
Publisher: Myrmidon Books
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 2009

Reviewed by: Steve Aryan

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

In the 25th Century the British Space Empire faces the gathering menace of the evil ant-soldiers of the Ghast Empire hive, hell-bent on galactic domination and the extermination of all humanoid life. Isambard Smith is the square-jawed, courageous, and somewhat asinine new commander of the battle damaged light freighter John Pym, destined to take on the alien threat because nobody else is available. Together with his bold crew—a skull-collecting alien lunatic, an android pilot who is actually a fugitive sex toy, and a hamster called Gerald—he must collect new-age herbalist Rhianna Mitchell from the laid back New Francisco orbiter and bring her back to safety in the Empire. Straightforward enough—except the Ghasts want her too. If he is to get back to Blighty alive, Smith must defeat void sharks, a universe-weary android assassin, and John Gilead, psychopathic naval officer from the fanatically religious Republic of New Eden before facing his greatest enemy: a ruthless alien warlord with a very large behind.

This is a book I read in early 2010 and then picking up the second in the series, and meeting the author on the weekend, prompted me to write a review of book one. Space Captain Smith is the first in a series of adventures about Isambard Smith, a civilised, bumbling, slightly silly and old fashioned, stiff upper-lipped Englishman, living in an uncivilised future full of smelly, weird aliens. In the 25th century the British Space Empire faces a new menace, the Ghast Empire, a race of space ants who want to kill everyone because they are just so very naughty and very evil.

Toby Frost has created a very entertaining sci-fi comedy romp that openly borrows and sends up some of the most well known science fiction films and TV shows. If you don’t mind poking fun at sci-fi classics, and your nose doesn’t get bent out of shape by that sort of thing, then this is a series for you. There are so many send-ups of familiar sci-fi clichés and stereotypes, it’s not a case of trying to spot them, but stop laughing long enough to follow the story. With a lot of tongue in cheek humour, and several laugh out loud moments, I spent most of the time reading this book with a grin on my face.

Isambard Smith, the new Captain of the John Pym, a battered and clapped out freighter with many similarities to Joss Whedon’s Serenity from Firefly, is given the apparently simple job of transporting a new-age woman called Rhianna Mitchell from New Francisco back to the bosom of the Empire. But of course, nothing is ever that simple and even Smith’s crew are not who they claim to be. For starter’s his pilot is a fugitive android sex toy who didn’t want to be someone’s love slave, so she ignored her programming and legged it to be a pilot. This of course leads to a sub-plot involving her being hunted down by a depressed android hunter-killer, very familiar to fans of Blade Runner. But of course she is still obsessed with sex and can’t help making lots of double-entendres and trying to bed those men who look interesting. Coming along on this spiffing adventure is Smith’s friend, Suruk, a slightly psychotic alien who collects skulls and reminds me of a civilised Predator. Suruk is a bizarre mix of the terrifying and the hilarious and he is such an odd mix you’d never mistake him for a human. Smith’s passenger, Rhianna, appears to be a flighty hippie that is simply there to annoy Smith, but in fact she too has many secrets which are revealed throughout the journey.

The crew are mostly incompetent, the ship is not up to the task and when they start being chased and attacked by void sharks, the Ghast empire and the insanely religious fanatics from New Eden, Smith has quite simply had enough. There again this is no Hollywood blockbuster as even Smith’s best efforts to show them what for and put these horribly uncivilised people in their place often backfire. Nevertheless, Smith refuses to take anything lying down (although he wouldn’t mind lying down with that Rhianna woman as she quite pretty despite being a bit of a hippy) but all of that has to wait because danger is afoot and he needs a cup of tea first. With tongue firmly in cheek, Frost shamelessly makes fun of the English as Smith is so stereotypical he can’t actually offend anyone, because no one is actually like that in real life. Only an idiot would get upset or actually think English people are like that.

This is a great, fast-paced and witty read. The humour is fairly British in places but I don’t think it’s a barrier to anyone, as long as you actually have a sense of humour. This is the perfect book to read after something a bit heavier as it is light-hearted, cleverly written and Frost weaves a good adventure story that is full of silliness and comedy that always hits the mark. It’s also something that would lend itself incredibly well to a radio play, or at a push an audio book with someone like Stephen Fry reading it and hopefully doing the voices of different characters.

After finishing the first adventure of Captain Smith I looked ahead at the titles of the other books in the series which are God Emperor of Didcot and Wrath of the Lemming Men. From the titles alone and mention of Tea and the planet Urn in book 2, you can almost hear how the Tea Must Flow, giving you an idea of what to expect. After something heavy like a Mike Carey, Felix Castor book, this is the perfect antidote to lift your spirits and put a smile back on your face.

Review | The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie (Gollancz)

Title: The Heroes
Author: Joe Abercrombie
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Hardback
Release Date: January 2011
Reviewed by: Steve Aryan

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

They say Black Dow's killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbour, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud. Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they've brought a lot of sharpened metal with them. Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his stolen honour on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted to violence, he's far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the attempt. Even if it's his own. Prince Calder isn't interested in honour, and still less in getting himself killed. All he wants is power, and he'll tell any lie, use any trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn't have to fight for it himself. Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he even tell what that is with the world burning down around him? Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the strongest arms that prevail. Three men. One battle. No Heroes.

This is the second of three standalone novels by Joe Abercrombie set in the same world as his previous First Law Trilogy. Chronologically it takes place after First Law and Best Served Cold. You can read this book independent of any of the others and it will make sense, but several of the main characters have appeared in his other novels, so there are some very nice easter eggs for long time readers. There are also references to historic figures, people long dead that have become iconic and their feats legendary, but in the First Law we met them when they were just men trying to survive. At it’s core, that’s what this book is about - a fight for survival. It’s those who come after that make up stories and inflate the facts to create new heroes and legends to inspire the next generation.

There is a wealth of grey, as there always is in a Joe Abercrombie book, because he doesn’t make it easy for the reader by saying these characters are bad and these are good. It’s more realistic that way and true to life, and while some characters act in a way we might describe as evil, each believes they are doing the right thing for the greater good. I like it when an author doesn’t lay out every single little detail for you, in essence force feeding you the story and telling you who to cheer for and who to boo, like actors in a pantomime. There were certain characters in The Heroes I couldn’t stand and others I really liked but I’m positive my choices will differ from many other readers, which is as it should be. The story isn’t open for discussion, but it’s up to each individual to make up their own mind about the characters.

There were quite a few characters to keep track of but once I got into the story I had no trouble remembering who all of them were. There is a handy guide at the front of the book though together with a lovely map. Abercrombie’s unique descriptions and characterisation helped a great deal with keeping track and the dialogue was not interchangeable, so I always knew who was speaking. Just as we had in the First Law, one of the main characters, Gorst, has an internal monologue, which was absolutely hilarious and very telling. The disparity between what was said and what he was thinking in any given situation is no doubt extremely accurate to real life, but its also not for the sensitive as no punches were pulled. But then again, this whole book is not one for those who are easily offended as it is about a very violent battle over three days where a lot of blood is spilled.

Another element I’ve realised is common in Abercrombie’s books is that none of his characters are who they appear to be and their final destinations aren’t obvious. From chinless Generals with no common sense to the farm boys who dream of becoming great warriors. You can’t map what will happen to each character which makes for interesting and unpredictable reading. There is truth in every situation though, so none of the characters acted in a way that made me think it was done to serve the plot and was out of character.

A previous issue I had with the misery in Best Served Cold, which I enjoyed but didn’t feel it was his strongest work, was addressed in The Heroes. There was also a certain level of bleakness to The Heroes, which is not unexpected given that it’s about a reasonably realistic battle with lots of death, but it was well balanced with humour and I enjoyed the destination as much as the journey. There was an ending, not a happily ever after, but a nice bookend to events that left me satisfied with some events and character arcs coming full circle.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. It had both an epic and grand scale with huge battles, but it was also told from a very local perspective at times. We saw the battle from the top, with Generals and the King of the North planning out their moves like chess players, and we experienced it what it was like on the front like with new raw recruits and veterans, fighting in the mud, hip deep in entrails. With only a vague hint of some magic here and there, I can see why my local supermarket had a little reader guide saying, ‘If you Bernard Cornwell, give this a try!’ A gripping and exciting read with excellent characters and plenty of blood. What more could you ask for?

Review | Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier (Tor)

Title: Heart's Blood
Author: Juliet Marillier
Publisher: Tor UK
Format: Paperback
Release Date: November 2010

Reviewed by: Liz Rooker

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

Whistling Tor is a place of secrets, a mysterious, wooded hill housing the crumbling fortress of a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the district in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan’s family and his people; those woods hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom. For young scribe Caitrin it is a safe haven. This place where nobody else is prepared to go seems exactly what she needs, for Caitrin is fleeing her own demons. As Caitrin comes to know Anluan and his home in more depth she realizes that it is only through her love and determination that the curse can be broken and Anluan and his people set free.

Heart’s Blood (named after a precious herb) is very much a fairytale with obvious similarities to Beauty and the Beast. Set in medieval Ireland and focused mainly around a mysterious fortress on a cursed tor, Heart’s Blood brings together elements of the supernatural, sorcery and dark magic with a coming of age romance story.

The main character, Caitrin, is an anomaly in her time in that she is a well educated woman who has training as a craftswoman and is able to make a living in her own right. She is a strong character with a mind of her own and a stubborn sense of bravery driven by the desperate need to escape from her past.

She arrives at Whistling Tor as a travelling scribe to be greeted by a whole host of colourful characters ranging from ghosts and monks to warriors and huge dogs plus a really quite creepy scarecrow. The Chieftain of the fortress, the moody and mysterious Anluan, completes the book’s cast as the “Beast” to Caitlins “Beauty”. I found all the characters to be very well written and easy to identify with. I cared about what happened to them all and shared in their humour, sadness, fear and anger. I occasionally admit to feeling the urge to slap the main characters and tell them to pull themselves together, although to be fair, I tend to have that feeling with most romance stories, so that is possibly just me rather than the writing!

From the moment she arrives on the tor we are aware that there are secrets which are not being divulged by the members of this unusual household and as the story unfolds and the relationships develop, we bear witness through old documents, conversations and magic mirrors to the disturbing events of the past. This aspect of the story could have easily been turned into a dull Dracula style diary effect with her transcribing it all but thankfully this did not happen. The history of the tor and its inhabitant’s family is revealed at a fast pace with supernatural elements which keep the reader hooked and move the tale on towards its conclusion.

I don’t want to say any more on the storyline of this novel as I do not wish to give too much away. Overall, I found the story to be very enjoyable and I was hooked from start to finish, often finding it very difficult to put down. I did predict a few aspects of the plot which I think were possibly meant to be twists but as it does follow the classic fairytale type of story, this was kind of inevitable and for me did not detract at all from the story. I found the writing style to be quick and easy to read and the characters to be well varied, interesting and easy to love. I will certainly be looking out for future novels by Juliet Marillier.

Review | Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press)

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: Hardback
Pages: 400
Release Date: September 2010

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen returns to her district, hoping for a peaceful future. But Katniss starts to hear rumours of a deadly rebellion against the Capitol. A rebellion that she and Peeta have helped to create.

As Katniss and Peeta are forced to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. Unless Katniss and Peeta can convince the world that they are still lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying...

The terrifying sequel to The Hunger Games.

Catching Fire is the sequel to The Hunger Games, a book I thoroughly enjoyed, and the second part of the Hunger Games trilogy. After putting down the first book I jumped straight into this one, desperately wanting to know where the story went and what happened to the characters, and especially the relationship between Katniss and Peeta. The Hunger Games is a very hard book to follow, and while Catching Fire was good, it didn't quite live up to the expectations I had of it.

Katniss and Peeta are the only two people to survive the same Hunger Games. Both from district 12, Peeta's confession of love towards Katniss and their relationship made the games a must-watch. The final scene of their Hunger Games becomes infamous: a young couple so in love they would rather kill themselves than survive without the other. But it is Katniss' defiance that led to the two surviving, the Capitol backed into a corner and having to allow two victors to emerge from the games. Katniss and Peeta must now show the world how true their love is, for if they cannot quell the quiet rebellion that is stirring amongst the districts President Snow is going to cause plenty of trouble for Katniss.

With the victor's tour over Katniss and Peeta return to District 12 in time for the reaping for the 75th annual Hunger Games. As a Quarter Quell there are special rules to them, only this time the tributes must be two previous victors from past games. As the only female victor from her district Katniss is once again thrown back into the arena, and joined again by Peeta. There is much more at stake than any normal games this time, and Katniss chooses to protect Peeta at all costs. But not everyone has the same idea...

As I've mentioned, I really enjoyed The Hunger Games and couldn't wait to see what Catching Fire had in store after its conclusion. I didn't really know what to expect, so following Katniss and Peeta as they put on a show for the cameras of their undying love wasn't that surprising - it was expected. What was very enjoyable was the tour of the Districts, the way each was described and the way the citizens behave and are seen through Katniss' eyes. Certain districts, like District 11 which was the home to Katniss' ally in the games, Rue, are clearly rebellious against the Capitol, and the guards within the district won't tolerate any step out of line, coming down forcefully on those that do. It's actually very grim and one scene in District 11 is very emotional and shows just how high the stakes are for Katniss.

One of the most surprising things for me was the fact that there was going to be another Hunger Games set during Catching Fire with our main characters as contenders once again. I was a little torn on this matter, on the one hand it would bring some conflict and action to the book, but on the other I felt that it was another rehash of the first book. Yes, the arena was different, the contenders were all victors and it was a clear set up by President Snow to force Katniss into a corner and stop the rebellion in its tracks, but it still recreates the same atmosphere as the first book. Now, I enjoyed the first book more than enough to want to see something similar, but the fact that it's there does detract a little from Catching Fire, especially with the build up given to the problems within the districts. As for the finale, it once again made me want to know what was happening next, and I picked up Mockingjay with barely a skipped heartbeat.

Catching Fire is going to be a book you'll want to read if you enjoyed The Hunger Games, and while there is some similarities between the two books there should be enough new developments for it to be enjoyed in its own right. It isn't as good as The Hunger Games, but that is a very hard act to follow.

Review | The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (Gollancz)

Title: The Lies of Locke Lamora
Author: Scott Lynch
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 2007

Reviewed by: Steve Aryan

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

They say that the Thorn of Camorr can beat anyone in a fight. They say he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. They say he's part man, part myth, and mostly street-corner rumor. And they are wrong on every count. Only averagely tall, slender, and god-awful with a sword, Locke Lamora is the fabled Thorn, and the greatest weapons at his disposal are his wit and cunning. He steals from the rich - they're the only ones worth stealing from - but the poor can go steal for themselves. What Locke cons, wheedles and tricks into his possession is strictly for him and his band of fellow con-artists and thieves: the Gentleman Bastards. Together their domain is the city of Camorr. Built of Elderglass by a race no-one remembers, it's a city of shifting revels, filthy canals, baroque palaces and crowded cemeteries. Home to Dons, merchants, soldiers, beggars, cripples, and feral children. And to Capa Barsavi, the criminal mastermind who runs the city. But there are whispers of a challenge to the Capa's power. A challenge from a man no one has ever seen, a man no blade can touch. The Grey King is coming. A man would be well advised not to be caught between Capa Barsavi and The Grey King. Even such a master of the sword as the Thorn of Camorr. As for Locke Lamora . . .

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch is a book I took a gamble on. At the time of purchase I’d never heard of the author or anything about the series. I saw it in the new releases section of the SFF bit of my local bookshop, read the back cover and bought it. Now, a few years later, I’m very glad I did because Scott Lynch is one of the most interesting new fantasy authors I’ve read in a long time. For me, he and Joe Abercrombie, helped to reinvigorate my interest in the genre and their novels urged me to go out and look for other new authors with unique voices. I never stopped reading fantasy, and there have been some amazing books in the last ten years, but they were not books that pushed the boundaries or created new sub-genres of their own, which I saw with both Abercrombie and Lynch. Ok, enough preamble. You get the idea that this is something different.

The Lies of Locke Lamora takes place in a Venice-like city, called Camorr, in what has been described as an analogue of 19th century Italy. It’s a fair shorthand assessment, but it also doesn’t tell you anything about some of the incredibly creative ideas crammed into this book which I’ll come on to. For a debut book it surprised me, not only at how different it was, but also how accomplished. Lynch, like some of his fantasy brethren, is a long time fan of the genre, a self confessed gamer, role-player and geek. He has created a setting without monsters, inhuman races or any familiar fantasy tropes, and if not for some of the magic and alchemy found in the story, it could almost be a historical novel taking place in some weird parallel world. His style is not overly descriptive, but where he has introduced something new he takes the time to give you just enough detail to frame it in your mind without it being a burden. Later in the story he might revisit such a piece of technology or monument in the city and add a few more flourishes, but an air of mystery always remains which kept me intrigued. In particular were the Elderglass towers and objects. Camorr was essentially built on the ruins of an older city, one created by a race of people long dead and forgotten in the annuls of history and the only thing left behind are buildings and sometimes small items that cannot be fathomed or copied. The story is not about the mystery of this forgotten race, it focuses very much on the characters living in the present, but it does add an interesting touch to the landscape. For all the accomplishments by magi and alchemists in the story, who appear to be some of the most powerful, respected and feared people in society, it is a reminder to everyone that they are still inferior in their knowledge to those who came before them. It is a very interesting backdrop. They are standing on the shoulders of giants and they are lacking.

Locke is an orphan and the story begins where he is taken in by a kindly old man who looks after street urchins. Comparisons to Oliver Twist at this point are fair as the old man is very much like Fagin, someone who is not doing it out of the kindness of his heart. The Thiefmaker, as he is known, expects the children to steal in return for a roof over their head and food. Despite being very young, Locke is an exceptional thief, so much so that he steals from the wrong people and gets the Thiefmaker in trouble, more than he can deal with in fact. Unable to control Locke the Thiefmaker sells him to Chains, a priest of the nameless Thirteenth God, who runs a temple. In fact, the temple is a front and Chains is a master thief who takes in exceptional children and trains them to become con-artists and masters of confidence games who will steal from the rich and keep the spoils for themselves. Chains calls them the Gentleman Bastards, and they truly are, because this is not a story about Robin Hood wannabes who give to the poor. They are the poor, or they would be, if they didn’t help themselves to gold from the rich.

The story moves between the past, where we see some of Locke’s exploits as a boy, and the present where he is an adult and running his own crew to rob the aristocracy. These are people who Locke has grown up and together they are a peculiar family unit. They all have their strengths and they play to them in order to confound and steal money out from under the noses of those with plenty of gold but little sense. As a fantasy novel version of the TV show Leverage, or Hustle, it could have been enough to sustain the book for one or maybe two novels, but after the first couple of stories it would have become something very episodic, and therefore easy to put down. The larger part story that adds real texture to the novel is not only that of Locke’s life, gradually moving forward as a boy as we explore his history and relationships, but also one of political intrigue and underworld wrangling. The story is about the evolution of the characters and also how their actions, direct and otherwise, change the landscape of the city and the course of their lives.

As Locke and his team start working on a new elaborate con, a mysterious figure called the Grey King turns up in Camorr and starts killing senior figures in the criminal underworld. This disrupts the status quo, throwing the criminals into disarray but also upsetting Locke and his plans to rob the rich of all their gold. What follows is an unpredictable tale of him getting pulled into the crisis and being forced to put all of his skills as a con artist and manipulator to get him and his friends out of a tangled net of blackmail and deception. It is not nearly as easy as it sounds and the title of the book itself tells you something about the main character. There are some touches of magic, but those who wield it are few and far between and they are feared. The rise and fall of people in this book is mostly by the sword, or rather, a dagger in the back as the story involves thieves and street gangs.

With this debut Scott Lynch created something unique, an interesting story about the criminal underworld in a fantasy setting that was well crafted and original. Since then, and as mentioned in an earlier review, I have come across other underworld fantasy books with a criminal as the main protagonist, but so far I have not seen any quite the same as this. This is not a story about a grey character setting out to find redemption for all his previous sins, nor is it about a broody miserable murderer who is just misunderstood. For all the darkness, murder and mayhem in the book it’s a fun action romp with real heart.

Two other great strengths of Lynch worth mentioning are his characters and the sense of humour found throughout the story. At times Lies, is an incredibly dark story, with some horrible moments, but with all of the conning, trickery and scheming, sometimes it is very funny. Not slapstick humour or forced humour where every character in the room laughs for some reason that isn’t obvious and isn’t actually funny. This book made me laugh out loud and at other times I was very worried for the characters because I was emotionally invested in their future. Locke and his team are very well rounded people and over the course of each book you find out a little bit more about them with the flashback sequences. You want them to succeed and beat their enemies, but I was also very aware of their line of work and that in the brutal and harsh world, not everyone is likely to make it out alive.

The Lies of Locke Lamora is the first of seven planned books in the series about the Gentleman Bastards. The second book, Red Seas Under Red Skies is a radical departure from the first, but it does feature some of the same characters, and while it builds on the first novel it is a standalone story like the first. The first two books came out fairly quickly and they were exceptionally well received and with very good reason. Critically acclaimed is a phrase thrown around quite often nowadays, but in my opinion it is well deserved in this case as I have not read anything like it within the fantasy genre since. It sits alongside other books in the fantasy section of a bookshop, but it is a unique animal. There was a delay between the second and third book, but I am very happy to say that the third book in the series is now scheduled for release in 2011.

With three of the biggest and most eagerly awaited fantasy books being released this year, those being The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie and The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch, I think 2011 is going to be an amazing year for the fantasy genre.

Review | Blood of the Mantis by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tor)

Title: Blood of the Mantis
Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Publisher: Tor UK
Format: Paperback
Release Date: August 2009

Reviewed by: Steve Aryan

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

Driven by the ghosts of the Darakyon, Achaeos has tracked the stolen Shadow Box to the marsh-town of Jerez, but he has only days before the magical box is lost to him forever. Meanwhile, the forces of the Empire are mustering over winter for their great offensive, gathering their soldiers and perfecting their new weapons. Stenwold and his followers have only a short time to gather what allies they can before the Wasp armies march again, conquering everything in their path. If they cannot throw back the Wasps this spring then the imperial black-and-gold flag will fly over every city in the Lowlands before the year's end. In Jerez begins a fierce struggle over the Shadow Box, as lake creatures, secret police and renegade magicians compete to take possession. If it falls into the hands of the Wasp Emperor, however, then no amount of fighting will suffice to save the world from his relentless ambition.

Blood of the Mantis is the third novel in the ‘Shadows of the Apt’ series, a fantasy epic with a unique aspect, Insect Kinden and their Art. After ‘Dragonfly Falling,’ which was a mammoth book both in terms of being a siege book full of giant battles and a hefty read, I wondered where the series would go next and if Tchaikovsky would try to top it with an even bigger battle. Thankfully he doesn’t do that but instead takes the book in a different direction, focusing on another aspect of the story; espionage. At this point in the series we already know that the Lowlands are slowly being drawn into a conflict with the Wasp Empire, piece by piece, and eventually there could be a conflict with them on a scale never seen before.

The Wasps are nothing if not flexible and clever, as they don’t always arrive with the clash of swords and the pounding of many feet. The Lowlands are a diverse and rich world where each Kinden has their own unique beliefs, strengths and weaknesses. This means to conquer some Kinden the sword is necessary as they will fight to the last man (like the Ants), but there are also those who acquiesce at the first sign of trouble and become slaves and servants. But of course nothing is exactly as it appears. For example, a slave could be someone who agreed to life of servitude because they were ordered by their spymaster in order to get closer to the enemy.

In ‘Blood of the Mantis’ the story moves to two new parts of the world we’ve not seen before, but one of them has been hinted at before; the Spiderlands. When some of the main characters arrive we find the Wasps are already there in small numbers, gathering information, trying to find weaknesses and a way to beat the cunning and erudite Spiders who have schemes within schemes. Double and even triple agents would not surprise me where the Spiders are involved. It is a matter of course for them, and they view the intelligence community and plans of others with scorn and some derision.

Without spoiling anything, the story introduces us to new Kinden who are fascinating and odd, and very alien in some ways, as are their customs and culture. Characters are thrown in at the deep end and they have to swim or sink, which makes some scenes feel odd at first, but it also makes them realistic. There are no giant data downloads or pages of exposition. We find out when the characters do, so there is no dramatic irony and sense of waiting for them to catch up with what we already know. The pace is snappy, and as mentioned this book is shorter than its predecessor, so it doesn’t hang around and is a very different animal.

As ever, Tchaikovsky does an excellent job of creating unique and distinct races that are wholly his own, and the combination of technology, hints at vast magic and demonstrations of Kinden Art makes for a fresh and interesting combination. The cast of characters continues to grow, whilst also focusing on some old favourites.

Tchaikovsky has crafted a world in delicate detail and is telling his own story in his own way . He started with a basic principle and is building on it with every book in the series. He has a unique voice in the fantasy industry and this book is a great addition to an epic and complex story.

Review | The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press)

Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: Hardback
Pages: 384
Release Date: September 2010

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

Set in a dark vision of the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called The Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her younger sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

I think I may have been one of the few that hadn't heard anything about the Hunger Games trilogy before this year. I didn't know what it was about, what sort of reaction it had garnered or even that a film was in development when I picked up the first in the series. Of course, that has now all changed, but I'm very pleased I came to the series cold, able to read it for what it was without being tainted by all the hype. But that doesn't change the fact that the book is one of the most enjoyable page-turners I've had the pleasure to read in quite a while.

The Hunger Games are a yearly event run by the Capitol with two participants (one boy, one girl) from each of the twelve districts selected by lottery, all of whom are children between the ages of 12 and 18. The games are a fight to the death in a specially created arena, the winner of which being the last one alive, viewed as entertainment for the citizens of the Capitol while those in the districts are forced to watch. It is now the 74th annual Hunger Games and it is through the eyes of Katniss Everdeen (who took her sisters place to save her) that we see them unfold, from the early Reaping to the grand finale.

I think the first thing to say was that I thoroughly enjoyed The Hunger Games. I blasted through it in only a couple of sittings and just couldn't read it quick enough. The writing was easy to read, the plot and characters interesting and it had the big 'one more page' factor. Saying that, I did have some issues with the book, but nothing major - it's just that its YA nature does impose limitations on what content can be included.

The plot is a fairly simple one, and simplicity often gives good results, but it's the characters that really help The Hunger Games to be what it is. Katniss is an avid hunter in the wilds beyond District 12's fence border (an illegal activity, but one she gets away with) and it's through her experiences hunting that allow the games themselves to be much more interesting than they could have been. However, it's her personal life that really affects the story - she's the main breadwinner for her household after her father's passing and her mother's subsequent breakdown, and it's the protectiveness that she has over her younger sister Prim that makes her volunteer for the games in her place. Peeta is the male participant from District 12, and his story grows very much throughout the events leading up to, and including, the games. It's also his relationship with Katniss that makes the novel an interesting read, and trying to figure out Peeta's true motives takes up much of the novel.

The few issues I had with The Hunger Games are minor, but they did affect my overall thoughts on the story. Firstly, there is little exploration of the world and how civilisation got to where it is. Perhaps the main point that's missing is that outside of Panem we don't actually hear or know a thing about the wider world. I found this a little strange, but within the confines of the story I was able to accept things as they were. Going into this aspect could have opened a can of worms for the story, but I think it could also have widened its scope considerably. The only other real issue I had was that as a book about a death games tournament I found it a little strange that it's also a YA one. The descriptions used were okay and weren't too over the top, but the YA nature did limit what Collins could do here. However, with the way things are nowadays she was able to include a fair amount more than I thought she would with regards to the games.

The Hunger Games was a pleasure to read. It's easy to pick at the little things, but at the end of the day I very much enjoyed The Hunger Games and the story it delivered, so much so that the following books in the trilogy (Catching Fire & Mockingjay) are promoted to my next reads - I must know the whole story!

Review | The Devil You Know by Mike Carey (Orbit)

Title: The Devil You Know

Author: Mike Carey

Publisher: Orbit

Format: Paperback

Release Date: April 2006

Reviewed by: Steve Aryan

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist, and London is his stamping ground. At a time when the supernatural world is in upheaval and spilling over into the mundane reality of the living, his skills have never been more in demand. A good exorcist can charge what he likes - and enjoy a hell of a life-style - but there's a risk: sooner or later he's going to take on a spirit that's too strong for him. After a year spent in 'retirement' Castor is reluctantly drawn back to the life he rejected and accepts a seemingly simple exorcism case - just to pay the bills, you understand. Trouble is, the more he discovers about the ghost haunting the archive, the more things don't add up. What should have been a perfectly straightforward exorcism is rapidly turning into the Who Can Kill Castor First Show, with demons, were-beings and ghosts all keen to claim the big prize. But that's OK; Castor knows how to deal with the dead. It's the living who piss him off...

The Devil You Know is the first in a series about a character called Felix Castor, an exorcist. The book was also Carey’s first prose novel, although you would never know it because it is just that good. The easiest way to describe this book in terms of genre is supernatural noir, or dark urban fantasy. This isn’t the first urban fantasy novel I’ve read, but it was the most shocking and disturbing, not because the other stories were any less adult, but because Castor lives in a grimy, seedy and dark version of London. Some might say it’s merely a copy of the real world, and all Carey has done is add a touch of the supernatural to a world I don’t know about, which is possible, but I kind of hope not. There are good people in the Castor novels, but there seem to be lot more who are much worse. Maybe it’s because of the jobs Castor has to take and sort of people he meets, but even so after reading one of these novels I have to read something lighter afterwards.

So that gives you an idea of the mood of the book, but it is also a story rich in the history of London, the culture, the melting pot of millions of people from a hundred different countries, each with their own customs and beliefs. On top of this Carey has created a world where exorcists are reasonably common and people know that ghosts and other types of spirits exist, such as the walking dead or zombies if you prefer. Some of these generic terms might put images in your mind of what to expect, but Carey has taken them and made them his own. The walking dead are not brain eating shufflers, and ghosts are not always angry poltergeists or aimless spirits that haunt old buildings. There is a complicated religious and political struggle about the rights of these beings, but it is an undercurrent in the book and not the main story. Carey delicately sets up and introduces you to a version of the world that is both familiar and also scary. The dead are rising in big numbers, no one knows why, but people like Castor and other exorcists are needed to get rid of the unfriendly ones.

Felix Castor is not particularly a nice guy. He tries to do well and has good intentions, but we all know about the famous saying and where that road leads. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot to like about Castor, Fix to his friends, and as the story develops you begin to find out why he is an exorcist, but Fix is also very flawed. He is of average height, build, and has no specialist martial art skills or a heritage that is seven generations old. Because he is weak at times, rude and loud when he should be courteous and quiet, he seems more real. He is the little guy who often gets caught up in some invisible machine and if he does nothing, it will chew him up and spit him out in pieces. So he fights to survive, he kicks off, he makes a fuss and sticks a giant spanner in the work. As a result he often gets the job done, but offends a lot of people in the process which can ostracise him. The problem is he doesn’t even get along very well with other exorcists, because they’re all people and as a rule he doesn’t really like people. He has few friends and is trying to just exist instead of living his life. The reason is because he made a terrible mistake and doesn’t know how to get past it, so he is just cruising along.

Down on his luck, going nowhere, Fix takes a job against his wishes, but he needs money to live. This kicks him out of the doldrums, and without any spoilers, he investigates a haunting at a document archive that takes him to some very dark and unpleasant places in the city. This also forces him to rub shoulders with some seedy people and stick his nose into their business to get to the bottom of what happened. They don’t want him there, kicking up dust, but he doesn’t care and more often than not he steps on a few toes. Fix is a very multi-layered and complex character. Someone to be admired for his determination and sense of justice, but also someone to be pitied for other reasons I won’t go into. The Devil You Know is a brutal story at times and we find out a bit more about Fix’s worst mistake that also it hints as other supernatural things beyond the ghosts and spirits. If you like a mystery novel, if you like crime and noir, but also urban fantasy that is down and dirty, then this is the book for you. There are currently five books in the series at present. Each is a standalone story but they are also building towards something much bigger.

Cover Art | The Ascendant Stars by Michael Cobley (Orbit)

Yesterday Orbit released the cover art for Mike Cobley's final book in his Humanity's Fire trilogy, The Ascendant Stars. I've been following the series since it's release and this is one book I have high hopes for. The first book, Seeds of Earth (review) was very enjoyable but its sequel, The Orphaned Worlds (review), suffered from middle-book syndrome at times, although it did lay the ground work for what could be a spectacular finale.

As far as this cover goes - I like it. I really like it. When you line it up with the covers for the first two books it's even more stunning and is exactly what a series should look like - uniform with a clear author style (although some tweaking wouldn't hurt). This will look very nice on my bookshelf!

Review | Sweet Tooth by Jeff Lemire (Vertigo Comics)

Title: Sweet Tooth - Out of the Deep Woods
Author: Jeff Lemire
Publisher: Vertigo
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 2010

Reviewed by: Steve Aryan

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

Following on the heels of THE NOBODY, his Vertigo graphic novel debut, writer/artist Jeff Lemire pens his very first ongoing series SWEET TOOTH. A cross between Bambi and Cormac McCarthy's The Road, SWEET TOOTH tells the story of Gus, a rare new breed of human/animal hybrid children, has been raised in isolation following an inexplicable pandemic that struck a decade earlier. Now, with the death of his father he's left to fend for himself . . . until he meets a hulking drifter named Jepperd who promises to help him. Jepperd and Gus set out on a post-apocalyptic journey into the devastated American landscape to find 'The Preserve' a refuge for hybrids.

Sweet Tooth is the story of a boy named Gus. A terrible plague called the Affliction swept across the world killing billions. In its wake the only children are hybrids, humans with animal attributes. No one knows why it's happened, but many dislike and blame these children for some reason. There is a bounty on these special children which is why many, including Gus, live in hiding. Gus has antlers like a deer and he lives in a remote forest with his father, but it’s just the two of them and there is a big bad world out there full of nastiness. Without spoiling it, Gus is forced from his home and in the company of a drifter named Mr Jepperd he sets off on an adventure across a shattered post-apocalyptic America full of horrors and dangers.

Jeff Lemire is the writer and artist on this book and he has created something that feels part fairy tale, part horror and post apocalyptic adventure with an unlikely pair of characters. Along the way we find out more about the characters, but also how it is today in this ruined world. Gus is a wide-eyed innocent, and Jepperd is at the other end of the spectrum, a man of violence who has seen it all. But both of them have a unique code, Gus with what he was taught by his father and Jepperd who is driven, but at this point we don’t know a lot about him. He’s a tough man, someone used to surviving by himself in this world, so that tells you something about what he’s probably had to do. The conversations between the two of them are sweet, touching and peculiar, with each learning a little from the other. The dialogue is short and sweet where it needs to be, giving space to let the art breathe.

Gus is also haunted by dreams and terrible nightmares, some of them terrible and others suggestive. To me they suggest there’s something behind them, some guiding hand rather than random images or flights of fancy. How they fit into Gus’ story is still to be determined but I think they could be important in the future.

Out of the Deep Woods is the first volume in this ongoing series from Vertigo comics, the adult branch of DC comics. This means you don’t need to have read anything else to enjoy this book and most of the Vertigo comic series are not connected in any way either.

As far as first volumes go, this intrigued me a great deal and I really want to keep reading. I’m a big fan of post apocalyptic stories to begin with, but there is also an unexpected sweetness to the story, despite the desperation and horror we witness. There are lots of little moments that make it feel more realistic, deft touches that show a depth of thought behind the new world order and the core premise. I won’t go into detail about what they are as it would spoil the surprise, but suffice to say I think Jeff Lemire spent a good bit of time thinking on this before writing it.

The artwork is simple but effective and there are a number of very striking images that I’ve gone back to look at again since reading it. The colours are rich and bright, perhaps not what you might expect for this type of story, but in some ways they represent Gus’ innocent point of view. I’ve read other post-apocalyptic comics where the colours are washed out to represent the desolation or are painted in specific muted tones. Here in Sweet Tooth it’s full of colour, because although the world beyond our familiar borders is a big scary place, it’s also full of wonder and joy and that’s how Gus sees everything. It’s an epic and very moving adventure that appears to be a simple tale, but there’s a lot more going on than it first appears. Once again Vertigo comics are on to a winner, a fascinating story that’s well told and it’s one that anyone can pick up and enjoy.

Review | Noble Causes Archives Volume 1 (Image Comics)

Title: Noble Causes Archives Volume 1
Author: Jay Faerber
Publisher: Image Comics
Format: Paperback
Release Date: April 2008

Reviewed by: Steve Aryan

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

The earliest adventures of the world-famous Noble family are collected for the first time in one volume. Normal girl Liz Donnelly marries super-hero Race Noble and gets a firsthand look at the inner workings of the celebrity super-heroes. Behind the glamour and wonder lie dark secrets, ruthless ambition, and twisted desires.

This is one of those series that I always meant to pick up when it was coming out but somehow I missed the boat. Now it’s been collected in a couple of massive archives and each of them has some serious heft with about 600 pages. This first archive collects a number of mini series that focus on a superhero family called the Nobles. Imagine a situation where the Fantastic Four were celebrities who often appear in magazines, at high profile events dripping with the latest fashion and are idolised and adored by millions around the world. That’s essentially who the Nobles are, but unlike other superhero comics, of which there are hundreds, this focuses almost completely on their relationships when they are out of costume. There is the occasional scuffle, but in essence this is a slice of life comic with a cast of people who just happen to be superheroes and members of the same family.

Despite all of their powers and abilities, despite the number of times they’ve saved the world, all of the characters are a real mess. Doc is the father in the family and although he loves his wife, Gaia, they have trust issues, which is not surprising given that she cheated on him and had another son with another man. Race can run at super speed and yet against the wishes of his mother he married an ordinary woman without powers who works in a bookshop. This causes all sorts of problems, initially, and Gaia works hard to spin it in a positive light so the media do not rip the newcomer to shreds or cast aspersions on the Noble name. Frost is the bastard son, unwanted and disliked by most, and yet he is desperate for attention and approval. Rusty is the eldest son and he’s having serious issues connecting with everyone and everything. Although that isn’t too surprising since he nearly died in a fight with a super villain and his body was so badly damaged everyone expected to die. However, his genius father, Doc, transplanted his brain into a robot body, which causes a lot of problems for him, and his loving and sleazy wife. And to top it all off, the youngest daughter in the family is pregnant and won’t tell anyone who the father is.

This first archive has a lot of interesting twists and turns and it covers a fairly big chunk of the Nobles life. It’s a great spotlight on them as human beings and not heroes cracking jokes while fighting their nemesis who is trying to bash in their skull. We see what the Nobles are really like when the cameras are not on them and there’s no one to fight. They have to deal with each and the results are often not very pretty because they are all very flawed individuals and far from perfect. To outsiders they might be fantastic role models who never make mistakes, but that’s just not realistic. Characterisation has to be strong for a story like this and thankfully all of the characters feel real within the superhero fantasy setting. You get caught up in their lives and petty struggles, and like any good soap opera there are cliff-hanger endings and you just have to turn the page to find out who the baby’s father is, or why a particular character was acting so peculiar and out of character. The artist changes throughout the archive because it collects a number of mini series that were published over a period of several years, but the voice is consistent in the writer and this is big plus.

Some people say there is nothing new to do with the superhero genre, but Faerber has proven that theory wrong. I really enjoyed this first archive and will definitely seek out the second as there were a number of plot threads left dangling and I just need to know what happens in the end.

Review | The Reapers Are The Angels by Alden Bell (Tor)

Title: The Reapers Are The Angels
Author: Alden Bell
Publisher: Tor UK
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 2010

Reviewed by: Steve Aryan

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God is a slick god. Temple knows. She knows because of all the crackerjack miracles still to be seen on this ruined globe...Older than her years and completely alone, Temple is just trying to live one day at a time in a post-apocalyptic world, where the undead roam endlessly, and the remnant of mankind who have survived, at times, seem to retain little humanity themselves. This is the world she was born into. Temple has known nothing else. Her journey takes her to far-flung places, to people struggling to maintain some semblance of civilization – and to those who have created a new world order for themselves. When she comes across the helpless Maury, she attempts to set one thing right, if she can just get him back to his family in Texas then maybe it will bring redemption for some of the terrible things she's done in her past. Because Temple has had to fight to survive, has done things that she's not proud of and, along the road, she’s made enemies. Now one vengeful man is determined that, in a world gone mad, killing her is the one thing that makes sense…

Zombies, much like vampires in recent years, have seen a resurgence in TV, film, novels and comics. Therefore finding something new and interesting can seem like an impossible task, but Alden Bell has accomplished it with style. The story takes place after a zombie apocalypse, and the closest story it resembles to me is The Walking Dead, a long running comic series from Image, which was recently made into a TV series by Frank Darabont. Unlike The Walking Dead, the world has been like this for 25 years and the main character, Temple, is a teenager, so this is all she has ever known, which makes for an interesting and unique perspective. Enough time has also passed that humanity has clawed back small portions of the land, barricaded sections of cities and small communities, but Temple is a traveller. When she was younger she tried the sedentary life, with something resembling a normal life, but the inevitable happened and staying on the move seems safer. She’s spent so long living with a shadow at her back that it has irreversibly changed her into an older, more brutal version of the girl she might have been if she had been born many years before the fall. The most poignant example of this divergence comes when she meets someone her own age who has grown up in a fenced community and the differences between them are shocking, touching and very telling.

The story follows Temple’s journey across this rugged new version of America, where the wolves lurking at your eye corners are now shambling zombies or meatskins as Bell names them. Creatures driven by primal urges and instinct, to be dealt with if required but also pitied because of what they have become and who they used to be. In many ways the story is not about zombies at all, but humanity, how it adapts and copes with adversity and how, even in an utterly ruined world, the greatest threat to an individual comes from their fellow man.

The Reapers are the Angels has strong echoes of I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, in the haunting beauty of the story and the horrific turn of events that come out of the blue. Temple, like Neville, is driven by demons in her past which are gradually revealed as the story progresses. These terrifying and crippling memories are another spur that keep her on the move, forever in search of something intangible, a refuge from the madness and even from herself. They eat away at her and she believes she doesn’t deserve a comfortable life and that she will never be forgiven by God for what she’s done. When the story begins she is at peace, living a very simple and isolated life, but she cannot hide from the world forever, or from herself, and unfortunately the world catches up and she is forced to move on.

Temple does whatever she has to in order to survive; scavenging food, weapons, cars and gas to stay on the move, killing meatskins and finding safe places to sleep at night to avoid being bitten and turned. This is a hard life that would take its toll on anyone and on a young girl surviving by herself it has many effects that most people can’t see and don’t understand.

The main relationship in the story is a complex one between Temple and a man named Moses Todd, who is in fact her worst enemy. Both of them live by a code, a set of rules in a world without laws, and when Temple breaks one of Moses rules, he becomes her implacable nemesis. At the same time he is not driven by anger, because he understands why she committed this crime, as he sees it, but if he lets it slide, if he ignores it then he might as well not bother with any rules and live like a savage. There has to be a line somewhere and she accepts it and doesn’t hate Moses either. So he swears to pursue her to the ends of the earth and kill her for what she has done and that decision makes sense to both of them. Moses is also the only person who understands Temple because he is a survivor like her, one who has spent more time on the road that sat still in one of the new communities. It is a fascinating and very unusual relationship, but one that somehow makes sense in a world gone mad. In different circumstances they could be friends or allies, but there’s no going back and no pretending in this world. They accept the truth and the world as they find it now and get on with it.

For all the walking dead, the murder, destruction and desolation, there is beauty in this shattered world. Real joy and brief moments of peace for Temple come in finding something amazing amidst the horror, which to her, means that God is still there watching over everyone. He shows wonderful things to those who keep looking and keep believing, but it also means he is still judging everyone by their actions, which is the splinter in her mind that can never be removed.

Another fascinating element in the story is what has managed to survive the fall and the passage of twenty five years. Music, literature, technology, art, history, much of it is now obsolete or irrelevant to most people. Entertainment still exists in the communities and even on the road, but it too has morphed into something else. With no TV or radio broadcasts Temple makes her own music, half remembered tunes passed down orally or mangled versions of real songs that have changed over the years as if passed through a meat grinder.

The style of the text is simple, clean and unpretentious and the story moves along at a solid pace. There are some quiet moments of contemplation, lulls amidst the storm in a chaotic world, but I was always conscious of the shadow at Temple’s back and had the feeling it couldn’t last very long.

The Reapers are the Angels is a haunting, beautiful and engaging story full of moments of horror, where very few of these come at the hands of zombies. It is also a very powerful story about humanity and one that I can see myself reading again. Like I Am Legend I think it will become a classic of the genre and one against which others will be measured.