More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download the omnibus comprised of all three volumes of Katherine Kurtz's The Legends of Camber of Culdi for only 3.99$ here. It's the perfect starting point for anyone interested in discovering the Deryni saga!

Here's the blurb:

Three fantasy novels of intrigue, betrayal, and magic in medieval Gwynedd by the New York Times–bestselling author of the Deryni series—bonus story also included.

Camber of Culdi: Long before Camber was revered as a saint, he was a Deryni noble, one of the most respected of the magical race whose arcane skills set them apart from ordinary humans in the kingdom of Gwynedd. Now, the land suffers under the tyranny of King Imre, whose savage oppression of the human population weighs heavily on Camber’s heart—a heart that is about to be shattered by a tragic loss that will lead him to confront the usurpers whose dark magic haunts the realm.

Saint Camber: The yoke of tyranny has finally been lifted in Gwynedd, but Camber’s job remains unfinished. The dangerous remnants of a conquered enemy still mass at the borders, and the new ruler is desperately unhappy wearing the crown. With the stability of a fragile kingdom at stake, its greatest champion must make the ultimate sacrifice: Camber of Culdi must cease to exist.

Camber the Heretic: The king’s heir is a mere boy of twelve, and the malevolent regents who will rule until young Alroy comes of age are determined to eliminate all Deryni. Suddenly, the future of Gwynedd hangs in the balance, and Camber—once adored as a saint, but now reviled as a heretic—must find a way to protect his people before everything and everyone he loves is destroyed in the all-consuming flames of intolerance and hate.

Filled with mysticism and magic, these sagas reminds us that “Kurtz’s love of history lets her do things with her characters and their world that no non-historian could hope to do” (Chicago Sun-Times).



You can also get your hands on the digital edition of Peter F. Hamilton's Great North Road for only 4.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

When attending a Newcastle murder scene, Detective Sidney Hurst finds a dead North family clone. Yet none have been reported missing. And in 2122, twenty years ago, a North clone billionaire was horrifically murdered in the same manner on the tropical planet of St Libra. So, if the murderer is still at large, was Angela Tramelo wrongly convicted? She never wavered under interrogation, claiming she alone survived an alien attack.

Investigating this potential alien threat now becomes the Human Defence Agency’s top priority. St Libran bio-fuel is the lifeblood of Earth’s economy and must be secured. A vast expedition is mounted via the Newcastle gateway, and experts are dispatched to the planet – with Angela Tramelo, grudgingly released from prison. But the expedition is cut off deep within St Libra’s rainforests, and the murders begin. Angela insists it’s the alien, but her new colleagues aren’t sure. Did she see an alien, or does she have other reasons for being on St Libra?

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on China Miéville's Embassytown for only 1.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

In the far future, humans have colonized a distant planet, home to the enigmatic Ariekei, sentient beings famed for a language unique in the universe, one that only a few altered human ambassadors can speak. Avice Benner Cho, a human colonist, has returned to Embassytown after years of deep-space adventure. She cannot speak the Ariekei tongue, but she is an indelible part of it, having long ago been made a figure of speech, a living simile in their language. When distant political machinations deliver a new ambassador to Arieka, the fragile equilibrium between humans and aliens is violently upset. Catastrophe looms, and Avice is torn between competing loyalties: to a husband she no longer loves, to a system she no longer trusts, and to her place in a language she cannot speak—but which speaks through her, whether she likes it or not.

May he rest in peace. . .


RIP Gardner Dozois

What a terrible loss for science fiction and fantasy. He will be missed. . . =(

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can download James Clavell's international bestselling masterpiece Shogun for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

A bold English adventurer. An invincible Japanese warlord. A beautiful woman torn between two ways of life, two ways of love. All brought together in an extraordinary saga of a time and a place aflame with conflict, passion, ambition, lust, and the struggle for power...

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (May 21st)

In hardcover:

Dean Koontz' The Crooked Staircase debuts at number 5.

In paperback:

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid’s Tale is down two spots, finishing the week at number 4 (trade paperback). For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Ernest Cline's Ready Player One is down three positions, ending the week at number 9 (trade paperback).

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Saladin Ahmed's Throne of the Crescent Moon for only 1.99$ here. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

A finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Crawford, Gemmell, and British Fantasy Awards, and the winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel, Throne of the Crescent Moon is a fantasy adventure with all the magic of The Arabian Nights.

The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, home to djenn and ghuls, holy warriors and heretics, are at the boiling point of a power struggle between the iron-fisted Khalif and the mysterious master thief known as the Falcon Prince. In the midst of this brewing rebellion a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms. But these killings are only the earliest signs of a plot for the Throne of the Crescent Moon that threatens to turn the great city of Dhamsawwaat, and the world itself, into a blood-soaked ruin.

Quote of the Day

"Medecine's come a long way in the last hundred years. Imagine where it'll be in a hundred more."

The young Russian woman was unimpressed. "It will be where it is now. Lagging behind war and every other way men hurt one another."

- DAVID MACK, The Midnight Front (Canada, USA, Europe)

Starless


As you know, I feel like a complete idiot for having waited for so long to finally give Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel novels a shot. Now that I've read and fell in love with the first two trilogies, I was getting ready to start the third series. But when I learned that she had a stand-alone book titled Starless getting published this spring, I elected to read that one instead.

Understandably, I had high hopes for this one. And although Starless begins in a way that makes it impossible to put down, sadly the plot sags in the middle and peters out toward an ending that did not quite live up to my lofty expectations. I'm not sure what happened along the way. From the get-go until Khai leaves the Fortress of the Winds and the desert behind, this novel is as good and engrossing as anything I've read from Carey. So much so that I believed that Starless would be the fantasy title of the year. Then things gradually took a turn for the worse and the book never truly recovered afterward. Which is a shame, for it's been a long time since I was hooked to such a degree by the first few chapters of a novel.

Here's the blurb:

Jacqueline Carey is back with an amazing adventure not seen since her New York Times bestselling Kushiel’s Legacy series. Lush and sensual, Starless introduces us to an epic world where exiled gods live among us, and a hero whose journey will resonate long after the last page is turned.

Let your mind be like the eye of the hawk…Destined from birth to serve as protector of the princess Zariya, Khai is trained in the arts of killing and stealth by a warrior sect in the deep desert; yet there is one profound truth that has been withheld from him.

In the court of the Sun-Blessed, Khai must learn to navigate deadly intrigue and his own conflicted identity…but in the far reaches of the western seas, the dark god Miasmus is rising, intent on nothing less than wholesale destruction.

If Khai is to keep his soul’s twin Zariya alive, their only hope lies with an unlikely crew of prophecy-seekers on a journey that will take them farther beneath the starless skies than anyone can imagine.

I've said it a hundred times: Jacqueline Carey's worldbuilding has always been amazing. Unfortunately, I feel that the author never received the respect she deserves in that regard. With each new book, she took us on fabulous journeys that enabled readers to discover more about her Kushiel universe and she never disappointed in doing so. Richly detailed and imagined in terms of cultures, religions, and politics, these works were textured and sophisticated novels that hit all the right buttons. Given that Starless was a stand-alone book, I figured that it wouldn't be as dense and sprawling as most of the Kushiel installments. And yet, early on Carey's worldbuilding shines again. Her depiction of life in the desert and the Fortress of the Winds was particularly well-done. The author perfectly captured the unforgiving nature of that environment, and Khai's early years and training made for a fascinating read. The Middle Eastern/Islamic setting was a welcome change from the the traditional European medieval analog. Her depiction of the city of Merabaht and the House of the Ageless and the court of the Sun-Blessed was also interesting. However, the web of murder and political intrigue that Carey wove through this novel was not as shocking as the politicking she accustomed us to in previous works. It's hard to tell if initially this was meant to be a two-installment sequence, for the subsequent journey across the currents felt incredibly rushed compared to the rest of the book. Hence, her depiction of Papa-ka-hondras and the other countries/islands visited during their quest felt cursory at best. A world away from the wonderful worldbuilding skills Carey demonstrated during the great expeditions of the Kushiel books. The same goes for the fallen gods and goddesses, whose histories and personalities were not as well-drawn as I would have liked.

The tale is told from the first person narrative of Khai. Given up as a baby to be raised and trained by the Brotherhood of Pahrkun to become Princess Zariya's shadow, this young warrior's perspective is that of a deeply flawed individual that has been betrayed by those he trusted the most. And though characterization has always been a facet in which the author usually excels, the introduction of Zariya essentially killed the story for me. Khai, who up until that point was a captivating protagonist, becomes a lovesick puppy as soon as they are introduced and remains so for the duration of the novel. It's been a while since I came across a character I found this annoying. The more so because Khai is never the same afterward. My dear, dearest, my heart, my love, yada yada yada. Zariya cannot speak to anyone without using such terms of endearment and this gets old real fast. Hence, from the moment Khai and Zariya met in the Palace of the Sun, Starless lost most of what had made it a compelling read. And since the princess' storyline lies at the heart of the plot, it made it impossible for me to get over that. Thankfully, Jacqueline Carey has a knack for creating engaging and memorable secondary characters, and once again she came up with a good cast. Chief among them Brother Yarit, Vironesh, Jahno the Seeker, and Brother Saan. In their own way, they have all left their mark on this novel. Kudos to Carey for tackling the transgender issue and doing it well.

Pace was never really an issue throughout Starless, but there is no denying that the last portion of the novel, the one focusing on the heroes' journey to save the world, felt quite rushed at times. The rhythm pertaining to the first part, the one focusing on Khai's training, was slower and covered several years. As a result, you got to know Khai and his fellow members of the Brotherhood of Pahrkun a lot more than the rest of the characters we meet later in the book. The desert truly came alive and that portion of the plot was head and shoulders above the rest of the novel in terms of quality and originality.

I often complain that works are sometimes too long, that they would have been better if a number of chapters had been excised. On the contrary, I felt that Starless probably would have benefited from a longer pagecount. Weighing in at 592 pages, it's already a big book, true. And yet, the final journey felt too rushed, the locales visited and their people not richly depicted enough, for the endgame and finale to be as memorable as they could have been.

For a while, it felt as though Starless would be the fantasy book to read in 2018. Unfortunately, as the story progressed it failed to live up to that potential. Hence, what could have been a great work turned out to be merely a good one. For many readers, that will be enough. But I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. . .

The final verdict: 7/10

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can get your hands on the digital edition of Robert Jackson Bennett's City of Stairs for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

An atmospheric and intrigue-filled novel of dead gods, buried histories, and a mysterious, protean city--from one of America's most acclaimed young fantasy writers.

The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions—until its divine protectors were killed. Now Bulikov has become just another colonial outpost of the world's new geopolitical power, but the surreal landscape of the city itself—first shaped, now shattered, by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it—stands as a constant, haunting reminder of its former supremacy.

Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov's oppressors. Unofficially, she is one of her country's most accomplished spies, dispatched to catch a murderer. But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem—and that Bulikov's cruel reign may not yet be over.


You can also download Brian Staveley's The Emperor's Blades for only 2.99$ here. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

In The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley, the emperor of Annur is dead, slain by enemies unknown. His daughter and two sons, scattered across the world, do what they must to stay alive and unmask the assassins. But each of them also has a life-path on which their father set them, destinies entangled with both ancient enemies and inscrutable gods.

Kaden, the heir to the Unhewn Throne, has spent eight years sequestered in a remote mountain monastery, learning the enigmatic discipline of monks devoted to the Blank God. Their rituals hold the key to an ancient power he must master before it's too late.

An ocean away, Valyn endures the brutal training of the Kettral, elite soldiers who fly into battle on gigantic black hawks. But before he can set out to save Kaden, Valyn must survive one horrific final test.

At the heart of the empire, Minister Adare, elevated to her station by one of the emperor's final acts, is determined to prove herself to her people. But Adare also believes she knows who murdered her father, and she will stop at nothing—and risk everything—to see that justice is meted out.

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (May 14th)

In paperback:

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid’s Tale is up four spots, finishing the week at number 2 (trade paperback). For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Ernest Cline's Ready Player One is down five positions, ending the week at number 6 (trade paperback).

Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology is down three spots, finishing the week at number 14 (trade paperback)

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can download Justin Cronin's international bestseller, The Passage, for only 1.99$ here.

Here's a blurb:

'It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born.'

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear - of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he's done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey - spanning miles and decades - towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.

With The Passage, award-winning author Justin Cronin has written both a relentlessly suspenseful adventure and an epic chronicle of human endurance in the face of unprecedented catastrophe and unimaginable danger. Its inventive storytelling, masterful prose, and depth of human insight mark it as a crucial and transcendent work of modern fiction.

Only Human


With Sleeping Giants and Waking Gods, Sylvain Neuvel came up with two interesting, thought-provoking, and entertaining novels. Waking Gods ended up on my Top 10 of 2017 and I firmly believed that Only Human would be one of my favorite reads of 2018.

Imagine my shock when I realized that this final installment was a world away from its predecessors in terms of quality and originality. I'm extremely sad to report that Only Human is, thus far at least, my biggest disappointment of the year. And due to the fact that it's such a lackluster effort, to a certain extent it killed the entire series and will make it hard for me to recommend The Themis Files in the future.

Here's the blurb:

Brilliant scientist Rose Franklin has devoted her adult life to solving the mystery she accidentally stumbled upon as a child: a huge metal hand buried beneath the ground outside Deadwood, South Dakota. The discovery set in motion a cataclysmic chain of events with geopolitical ramifications. Rose and the Earth Defense Corps raced to master the enigmatic technology, as giant robots suddenly descended on Earth’s most populous cities, killing one hundred million people in the process. Though Rose and her team were able to fend off the attack, their victory was short-lived. The mysterious invaders retreated, disappearing from the shattered planet . . . but they took the scientist and her crew with them.

Now, after nearly ten years on another world, Rose returns to find a devastating new war—this time between humans. America and Russia are locked in combat, fighting to fill the power vacuum left behind after the invasion. Families are torn apart, friends become bitter enemies, and countries collapse in the wake of the battling superpowers. It appears the aliens left behind their titanic death machines so humankind will obliterate itself. Rose is determined to find a solution, whatever it takes. But will she become a pawn in a doomsday game no one can win?

As I mentioned in my previous reviews, Neuvel's The Themis Files is reminiscent of Andy Weir's The Martian and Max Brooks' World War Z, but only as far as the format is concerned. Once again in Only Human, the tale is told through a variety of recorded interviews, mission logs, and journal entries. I had doubts regarding such a dossier-like format at the beginning of Sleeping Giants, yet one soon got used to the unconventional narrative structure. True, it remains an unorthodox way to convey the story, but it sort of gives this series its unique flavor. For some reason, though it did work well in the first two volumes, it was often off-putting in this final installment. Then again, so many facets of this books were irritating, and even exasperating, that it had to take its toll on the narrative structure as well.

Thankfully, Waking Gods did not suffer from the middle book syndrome. Sleeping Giants was released without much fanfare, with no lofty expectations. But with the critical and commercial success of his scifi debut, the second volume had to deliver in order to satisfy fans. Which it did, with the sequel living up to the potential generated by Sleeping Giants and then some! Understandably, expectations were high for the third installment and I wonder if the pressure got to Sylvain Neuvel and had a negative influence on his writing process. For, in the end, other than in a few scenes, Only Human features nothing that made the first two volumes such compelling reads.

The characterization, which was the heart and soul of both Sleeping Giants and Waking Gods, was by far the weakest aspect of this novel. Surprisingly, it was so poor and occasionally insipid that it made this book a failure to launch from the get-go. In the past, the interviews and journal entries allowed readers to delve into the psyche of every character and to get to know them on a deeper level. The debriefings and interviews used to be conducted by a shadowy figure of power whose identity was finally revealed in Waking Gods. For the most part, in Only Human he was replaced by Major Katherine Lebedev. A member of the Russian Main Intelligence Agency, it looks as though she was taken straight out of a Glee episode. Vapid in every sense of the word, she has absolutely no credibility. And as the main pillar of the entire narrative structure, she almost single-handedly killed this novel. Neuvel's gag-a-minute attempts made for some dumb and weak humor. A far cry from the brilliance and the wit which he demonstrated in the first two installments. The mission logs from Captain Bodie Hough and Lieutenant Barbara Ball are even more stupid, if you can believe that. How an author who has shown how intelligent and thought-provoking he could be fall so low as to come up with something this half-assed, I'll never know. Indeed, it often felt as though this was written by a totally different person. Dr. Rose Franklin and Vincent Couture are back, of course, but the supporting cast is vastly inferior to those featured in the prequels. The absence of the powerful, high-placed, and cold-blooded man in charge of the interviews is a game-changer as far as the narrative is concerned. Kara Resnik's death was also deeply felt in sequences that have to do with Vincent and Eva. The mysterious Mr. Burns makes a few appearances and is always as fascinating as he used to be. But overall, the characterization was a disaster.

Both Sleeping Giants and Waking Gods were strange sorts of hybrids. The books were science fiction works that explored larger-than-life concepts and their impacts on the protagonists themselves and the world at large. In addition, they were political novels that explored the geopolitical conflicts caused by the shocking appearance of numerous robots similar to Themis all across the globe. Although science played a major role in both, I don't consider them to be hard scifi books. There were just enough scientific details to satisfy purists, yet the narrative was imbued with a sense of wonder that elevated these novels to another dimension. The realization that we are not alone in the universe and that an ancient civilization is light-years ahead of us technologically had dramatic repercussions all over the world, and now Earth seems threatened by that vastly superior foe. I feel that Sylvain Neuvel did a good job portraying just how arrogant and stupid mankind can be during times of crisis. And the way Waking Gods ended set the stage for what could only be a gripping finale. Why the author decided to dumb it all down, so to speak, in Only Human, I'll never know. The Themis Files were undoubtedly one of the most captivating and engaging science fiction series of recent years and it had all the ingredients required for a grand endgame that would close the show with style and aplomb. Alas, it was not to be. . .

Unfortunately, by turning his back on everything that made the first two volumes such enthralling and entertaining reads, even though things get better closer to the end, this novel can be nothing but a major disappointment. There are a few scenes that recapture the brilliance and intelligence of the prequels, but these are few and far between. All in all, Only Human was an uninspired effort in which poor characterization and a weak plot were replaced by lame attempts at humor. All filler and no killer for most of the novel, I'm afraid. It often felt as though Sylvain Neuvel knew exactly how he wanted to end this trilogy, but he had no idea how to get readers from the moment the robot showed up on another planet to the endgame between Russia and the USA back on Earth.

The final verdict: 5/10

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale for only 1.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.


You can also download Jim Butcher's Proven Guilty for only 1.99$ here. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

There's no love lost between Harry Dresden, the only wizard in the Chicago phone book, and the White Council of Wizards, who find him brash and undisciplined. But war with the vampires has thinned their ranks, so the Council has drafted Harry as a Warden and assigned him to look into rumors of black magic in the Windy City.

As Harry adjusts to his new role, another problem arrives in the form of the tattooed and pierced daughter of an old friend, all grown-up and already in trouble. Her boyfriend is the only suspect in what looks like a supernatural assault straight out of a horror film. Malevolent entities that feed on fear are loose in Chicago, but it's all in a day's work for a wizard, his faithful dog, and a talking skull named Bob...


Finally, you can now get your hands on the digital edition of Guy Gavriel Kay's The Summer Tree for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

The Summer Tree is the first novel of Guy Gavriel Kay’s critically acclaimed fantasy trilogy, The Fionavar Tapestry. Five university students embark on a journey of self-discovery when they enter a realm of wizards and warriors, gods and mythical creatures--and good and evil…

It all began with a lecture that introduced five university students to a man who would change their lives, a wizard who would take them from Earth to the heart of the first of all worlds--Fionavar. And take them Loren Silvercloak did, for his need--the need of Fionavar and all the worlds--was great indeed.

And in a marvelous land of men and dwarves, of wizards and gods, five young people discovered who they were truly meant to be. For they are a long-awaited part of the pattern known as the Fionavar Tapestry, and only if they accepted their destiny would the armies of the Light stand any chance of surviving the wrath the Unraveller and his minions of darkness intend to unleash upon the world…

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Guy Gavriel Kay's Children of Earth and Sky for only 5.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

The bestselling author of the groundbreaking novels Under Heaven and River of Stars, Guy Gavriel Kay is back with a new novel, Children of Earth and Sky, set in a world inspired by the conflicts and dramas of Renaissance Europe. Against this tumultuous backdrop the lives of men and women unfold on the borderlands—where empires and faiths collide.

From the small coastal town of Senjan, notorious for its pirates, a young woman sets out to find vengeance for her lost family. That same spring, from the wealthy city-state of Seressa, famous for its canals and lagoon, come two very different people: a young artist traveling to the dangerous east to paint the grand khalif at his request—and possibly to do more—and a fiercely intelligent, angry woman, posing as a doctor’s wife, but sent by Seressa as a spy.

The trading ship that carries them is commanded by the accomplished younger son of a merchant family, ambivalent about the life he’s been born to live. And farther east a boy trains to become a soldier in the elite infantry of the khalif—to win glory in the war everyone knows is coming.

As these lives entwine, their fates—and those of many others—will hang in the balance, when the khalif sends out his massive army to take the great fortress that is the gateway to the western world…

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Bradley Beaulieu's The Lays of Anuskaya: The Complete Trilogy for only 2.99$ here. That's 1931 pages of awesome for not even 3$! =)

Here's the blurb:

Among inhospitable and unforgiving seas stands Khalakovo, a mountainous archipelago of seven islands, its prominent eyrie stretching a thousand feet into the sky. Serviced by windships bearing goods and dignitaries, Khalakovo’s eyrie stands at the crossroads of world trade. But all is not well in Khalakovo. Conflict has erupted between the ruling Landed, the indigenous Aramahn, and the fanatical Maharraht, and a wasting disease has grown rampant over the past decade. Now, Khalakovo is to play host to the Nine Dukes, a meeting which will weigh heavily upon Khalakovo’s future.

When an elemental spirit attacks an incoming windship, murdering the Grand Duke and his retinue, Prince Nikandr, heir to the scepter of Khalakovo, is tasked with finding the child prodigy believed to be behind the summoning. However, Nikandr discovers that the boy is an autistic savant who may hold the key to lifting the blight that has been sweeping the islands. Can the Dukes, thirsty for revenge, be held at bay? Can Khalakovo be saved? The elusive answer drifts upon the Winds of Khalakovo…

This omnibus edition of The Lays of Anuskaya is comprised of the following novels:
The Winds of Khalakovo
The Straits of Galahesh
The Flames of Shadam Khoreh

Also included are the following two Lays of Anuskaya novellas:
“To the Towers of Tulandan”
“Prima”


You can now download M. R. Carey's The Girl With All the Gifts for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her "our little genius."

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

The Girl With All the Gifts is a groundbreaking thriller, emotionally charged and gripping from beginning to end.

Quote of the Day

Religion can inspire some pretty strange things.

C. S. FRIEDMAN, The Madness Season (Canada, USA, Europe)

Though it's almost three decades old, this book is pretty damned good! =)

The Hunger


Alma Katsu's The Hunger is billed as a tense and gripping reimagining of one of America's most haunting human disasters: the Donner Party with a supernatural turn. Rave reviews abound and I was expecting something akin to Dan Simmons' The Terror. Considering how much I loved that book, I had lofty expectations for this one.

Sadly, the paranormal element is minimal and decidedly half-assed. It could have been replaced by a simple disease and that would have been it. In the end, this novel is a quick and utterly forgettable read. If you're looking for an extremely light read for your upcoming summer vacation, The Hunger could be for you. Otherwise, though it is well-written, the weak plot and subpar characterization made this one a failure to launch.

Here's the blurb:

Evil is invisible, and it is everywhere.

That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the isolated travelers to the brink of madness. Though they dream of what awaits them in the West, long-buried secrets begin to emerge, and dissent among them escalates to the point of murder and chaos. They cannot seem to escape tragedy…or the feelings that someone–or something–is stalking them. Whether it’s a curse from the beautiful Tamsen Donner (who some think might be a witch), their ill-advised choice of route through uncharted terrain, or just plain bad luck, the ninety men, women, and children of the Donner Party are heading into one of one of the deadliest and most disastrous Western adventures in American history.

As members of the group begin to disappear, the survivors start to wonder if there really is something disturbing, and hungry, waiting for them in the mountains…and whether the evil that has unfolded around them may have in fact been growing within them all along.

Effortlessly combining the supernatural and the historical, The Hunger is an eerie, thrilling look at the volatility of human nature, pushed to its breaking point.

As mentioned in the blurb, the historical backdrop for this novel is the Donner Party tragedy. It's evident that Alma Katsu did a lot of reasearch to get the details right. She embarked on a 700-mile roadtrip that followed the wagon party's route as closely as possible. This allowed the author to experience the terrain, the elevation changes, the weather, the oppressive openness, the loneliness, and the brutal indifference of nature to the needs of man. All of which helped her write an atmospheric narrative that captured the setting almost perfectly. Katsu also managed to convey the isolation, the anxiety, and the tension that plagued the Donner Party. In that regard, the author did a brilliant job.

What rapidly killed The Hunger was the poor characterization. Collectively, almost everyone involved is so dumb they make the crew of the starship in Alien: Covenant look like geniuses. It's not that bad at the beginning, but you quickly realize that most of the protagonists are not very well-drawn. Other than Charles Stanton, Tamsen Donner, and Edwin Bryant, the entire cast of characters was decidedly lackluster. Another problem is that for the most part, the protagonists' backstories are almost always more interesting than what is occurring in the present. This makes you long for the flashback sequences and care even less for what is transpiring as the Donner Party continues on its trek to California. And when mutilated corpses begin to appear, the fact that you haven't connected with most of the characters means that you can bring yourself to care about what is happening to them.

Little by little, I lost interest until I reached the point where I was just going through the motions of reading this novel. The pace is atrocious for about two thirds of the book. The Hunger is a relatively short work of fiction, but sometimes it felt as though I was wading through War and Peace. It gets better toward the end, as we finally get some answers. And yet, it was a case of too little, too late. Indeed, by then I couldn't care much for how Alma Katsu would close the show on this tale. Once again, revelations regarding the backstory of Charles Stanton turned out to be more engrossing than all the storylines that make up the book.

Given that we were promised an eerie supernatural reimagining of the Donner Party's fight for survival along the lines of what we saw in Dan Simmons' The Terror, the fact that the paranormal element was so uninspired and a bit contrived was a veritable deal-breaker for me. I'm not necessarily a big fan of historical fiction, so the mystical angle is what drew me to this novel. I would never have read The Hunger otherwise. Hence, this was a major disappointment for me and the main reason why I had a hard time getting onto it.

Still, I can appreciate how well-written and well-researched this book was. Fans of atmospheric historical fiction works who can overlook the weak characterization might enjoy it a lot more than I did. Personally, coming in expecting something similar to Simmons' The Terror in style, I felt definitely short-changed.

The final verdict: 6/10

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (May 7th)

In paperback:

Ernest Cline's Ready Player One maintains its position at number 1 (trade paperback).

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid’s Tale is up five spots, finishing the week at number 6 (trade paperback). For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology returns at number 11 (trade paperback)

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Mercedes Lackey's Winds of Fate for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Mercedes Lackey has enchanted readers since the publication of her first novel, Arrows of the Queen. Now she takes readers on another thrilling journey with the first novel in her Mage Winds series...

High magic had been lost to Valdemar when he gave his life to save his kingdom from destruction by the dark sorceries. Now it falls to Elspeth Herald, heir to the throne, to take up the challenge and seek a mentor who will awaken her mage abilities.

Win an Advance Reading Copy of Anthony Ryan's THE EMPIRE OF ASHES


I'm giving away my ARC of Anthony Ryan's The Empire of Ashes to one lucky winner, compliments of the folks at Ace. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Here's the blurb:

The third book of epic conflicts and arcane intrigue in New York Times bestselling author Anthony Ryan’s Draconis Memoria series.

For hundreds of years, the Ironship Trading Syndicate was fueled by drake blood–and protected by the Blood-blessed, those few who could drink it and wield fearsome powers. But now the very thing that sustained the corporate world threatens to destroy it.

A drake of unimaginable power has risen, and it commands an army of both beasts and men. Rogue Blood-blessed Claydon Torcreek, Syndicate agent Lizanne Lethridge, and Ironship captain Corrick Hilemore, spread to disparate corners of the world, must rely upon the new powers and knowledge they have gained at great price to halt its forces–or face the end of all they know.

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "ASHES." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.

Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.

Good luck to all the participants!

Outcasts of Order


Modesitt fans got spoiled in 2017 with two different Recluce books published; Recluce Tales and The Mongrel Mage. And although the 19th installment in the saga, this one also the opening chapter in a much bigger tale, was a good read, it felt as though the novel was not as self-contained as other similar Recluce offerings. Back then, I believed that The Mongrel Mage was the beginning of a brand new story arc, the first book in what would likely be another two-volume sequence. But it turns out that Beltur has a big story to tell. L. E. Modesitt, jr. tried to write this story arc in his habitual two-book format, yet the manuscripts soon reached a size that made it impossible for Tor Books to release them as a pair of novels.

Hence, the decision was made to split Beltur's tale into three separate installments. Which explained why The Mongrel Mage did not stand as well on its own as I expected. And now my fear was that Outcasts of Order would suffer from the middle book syndrome. Given the fact that there was never meant to be a second volume, I was afraid that all the good stuff and resolution would take place in the final chapter of the cycle and that this new Recluce offering would act as some sort of interlude. And now that I've read it, it did feel a bit incongruous compared to its predecessors.

Here's the blurb:

Modesitt continues his bestselling Saga of Recluce with his 20th book in the long-running series. Beltur began his journey in The Mongrel Mage and continues with Outcasts of Order, the next book of his story arc in the Saga of Recluce.

Beltur, an Order mage, discovers he possesses frightening powers not seen for hundreds of years. With his new abilities, he survives the war in Elparta and saves the lives of all. However, victory comes with a price. His fellow mages now see him as a threat to be destroyed, and the local merchants want to exploit his power.

There’s only one way he can remain free and survive—he’s going to have to run.

Personally, I've always felt that the worldbuilding was one of the most fascinating aspects of these new Recluce books. It's too early to tell how Beltur's story will fit in the greater scheme of things, yet I'm looking forward to discovering how he'll leave his own indelible mark upon the Recluce timeline. In The Mongrel Mage, we did learn a lot about Elparta. This continues in Outcasts of Order and we discover more about Axalt and Montgren. And while Beltur trains as a healer and as he trains both Jessyla and young Taelya, we do learn a lot about Chaos, Order, and the manner in which they can both be used for healing.

As a matter of course, Modesitt continues to explore the relationship between Order and Chaos, one of the trademarks of this series. In Cyador's Heirs and Heritage of Cyador, being able to manipulate both Order and Chaos forced Lerial to test the limits of what he could do, often with unanticipated results. The same goes for Beltur. Although trained as a White Mage, he soon finds out that he's more Black than he ever thought possible. This strange dichotomy doesn't sit well with some of his newfound allies, hence the nickname of mongrel mage. The unexpected discovery that Taelya, daughter of a Black Mage, has the potential of becoming a very powerful White Mage forces Beltur to teach her what he knows before she can hurt herself.

As was the case in The Mongrel Mage, the characterization would have benefited from more POV protagonists. In the last Recluce story arc, Lerial, a teenager with an inquisitive mind, was a sympathetic protagonist which was easy to root for. Although his heart is always in the right place, Beltur can be dense at times and he's not as endearing as Lerial turned out to be. Still, having grown on me over the course of a novel already, Beltur is easier to root for in this sequel. Once again, the supporting cast is particularly engaging, chief among them the baker mage Meldryn, the Healers Margrena and her daughter Jessyla, Jorhan the smith, as well as Lhadoraak and his wife and daughter.

Modesitt's novels are never fast-paced affairs and The Mongrel Mage was no exception to that rule. As was the case in every Recluce installment, the author needed time to establish the various plotlines. Once done, you then follow the main character as he or she must learn, experiment, and puzzle out ways to escape a number of predicaments before the endgame can take place. In that respect, The Mongrel Mage followed the classic Recluce recipe and long-time fans end up with another compelling read. Problem is, Outcasts of Order is a middle book and offers nothing in the way of resolution. So yes, the pace can be an issue at times. Its predecessor was an introduction, and this second installment builds on those plotlines to bridge the gap between the events chronicled within the pages of The Mongrel Mage and the finale to come in the final volume. To a certain extent, Outcasts of Order was only meant to give Beltur the opportunity to train more and get more powerful, and to ultimately get the characters to Montgren, where it's now evident Beltur and company will leave their mark upon the history of Recluce.

And though it suffered from middle book syndrome, Outcasts of Order nevertheless sets the stage for what should be an interesting endgame. I'm curious to see how Beltur will make history and what obstacles he'll have to overcome in order to do so.

The final verdict: 7/10

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Tad Williams' Shadowmarch for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

For generations the misty Shadowline has marked the boundary between the lands of men and the lost northern lands that are the lair of their inhuman enemies, the ageless Qar. but now that boundary line is moving outward, threatening to engulf the northernmost land in which humans still live--the kingdom of Southmarch.

For centuries, the Eddon family has ruled in ancient, forbidding Southmarch Castle, guarding the border against the Qar's return, but now this powerful royal line has been dealt a devestating blow. The monarch, King Olin, is being held captive in a distant land, and it falls to his inexperienced heirs to lead their people in a time of growing danger and dread.

It is on the two youngest Eddons that the heaviest burdens fall. The twins Barrick and Briony, who in such evil times have only each other, may lose even that bond as darkness closes over them. As the Qar's power reaches out across their land, will Southmarch Castle, the only home they've ever known, become in fact what it has long been called--Shadowmarch?

Quote of the Day

Self-accusation is a cold bedmate.

C. S. FRIEDMAN, The Madness Season (Canada, USA, Europe)

I've owned this novel for over two decades. The time has come to finally read it. . .

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


Today only, You can get your hands on the digital edition of Wild Cards I, the book that started it all, for only 2.99$ here. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

The first volume of George R. R. Martin's WILD CARDS shared-world series, back in print after a decade―and expanded with new, original material.

There is a secret history of the world―a history in which an alien virus struck the Earth in the aftermath of World War II, endowing a handful of survivors with extraordinary powers. Some were called Aces―those with superhuman mental and physical abilities. Others were termed Jokers―cursed with bizarre mental or physical disabilities. Some turned their talents to the service of humanity. Others used their powers for evil. Wild Cards is their story.

Originally published in 1987, Wild Cards I includes powerful tales by Roger Zelazny, Walter Jon Williams, Howard Waldrop, Lewis Shiner, and George R. R. Martin himself. And this new, expanded edition contains further original tales set at the beginning of the Wild Cards universe, by eminent new writers like Hugo–winner David Levine, noted screenwriter and novelist Michael Cassutt, and New York Times bestseller Carrie Vaughn.

Now in development for TV!

Rights to develop Wild Cards for TV have been acquired by Universal Cable Productions, the team that brought you The Magicians and Mr. Robot, with the co-editor of Wild Cards, Melinda Snodgrass as executive producer.


You can now download Chuck Wendig Under the Empyrean Sky for only 0.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

Fear the Corn.

Corn is king in the Heartland, and Cael McAvoy has had enough of it. It's the only crop the Empyrean government allows the people of the Heartland to grow—and the genetically modified strain is so aggressive that it takes everything the Heartlanders have just to control it. As captain of the Big Sky Scavengers, Cael and his crew sail their rickety ship over the corn day after day, scavenging for valuables. But Cael's tired of surviving life on the ground while the Empyrean elite drift by above in their extravagant sky flotillas. He's sick of the mayor's son besting Cael's crew in the scavenging game. And he's worried about losing Gwennie—his first mate and the love of his life—forever when their government-chosen spouses are revealed. But most of all, Cael is angry—angry that their lot in life will never get better and that his father doesn't seem upset about any of it. When Cael and his crew discover a secret, illegal garden, he knows it’s time to make his own luck...even if it means bringing down the wrath of the Empyrean elite and changing life in the Heartland forever.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Brian McClellan's Sins of Empire for only 2.99$ here. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

A new epic fantasy series from highly acclaimed fantasy author, Brian McClellan, set in the same world as The Powder Mage trilogy.

A world on the cusp of a new age...
The young nation of Fatrasta is a turbulent place -- a frontier destination for criminals, fortune-hunters, brave settlers, and sorcerers seeking relics of the past. Only the iron will of the lady chancellor and her secret police holds the capital city of Landfall together against the unrest of an oppressed population and the machinations of powerful empires.

Sedition is a dangerous word...
The insurrection that threatens Landfall must be purged with guile and force, a task which falls on the shoulders of a spy named Michel Bravis, convicted war hero Mad Ben Styke, and Lady Vlora Flint, a mercenary general with a past as turbulent as Landfall's present.

The past haunts us all...
As loyalties are tested, revealed, and destroyed, a grim specter as old as time has been unearthed in this wild land, and the people of Landfall will soon discover that rebellion is the least of their worries.

The Coincidence Makers


Yoav Blum's The Coincidence Makers was a bestseller in Israel when it was first published in 2011. Not sure why it took so long, but the novel is now being translated and released in eleven countries. Reading the cover blurb for the first time, I was immediately intrigued by the premise of the story.

Advance praise raised my expectations, which is seldom a good thing. In the end, though the book is a fun tale about fate and free will, The Coincidence Makers never came close to living up to the hype. It's an entertaining novel, no question. Something light, good for the morning commute or a long weekend vacation. But it's not a story that makes an impression, or something that stays with you afterward.

Here's the blurb:

In this genre-bending novel, there is no such thing as chance and every action is carefully executed by highly trained agents. You’ll never looks at coincidences the same way again.

What if the drink you just spilled, the train you just missed, or the lottery ticket you just found was not just a random occurrence? What if it’s all part of a bigger plan? What if there’s no such thing as a chance encounter? What if there are people we don’t know determining our destiny? And what if they are even planning the fate of the world?

Enter the Coincidence Makers—Guy, Emily, and Eric—three seemingly ordinary people who work for a secret organization devoted to creating and carrying out coincidences. What the rest of the world sees as random occurrences, are, in fact, carefully orchestrated events designed to spark significant changes in the lives of their targets—scientists on the brink of breakthroughs, struggling artists starved for inspiration, loves to be, or just plain people like you and me…

When an assignment of the highest level is slipped under Guy’s door one night, he knows it will be the most difficult and dangerous coincidence he’s ever had to fulfill. But not even a coincidence maker can see how this assignment is about to change all their lives and teach them the true nature of fate, free will, and the real meaning of love.

As I mentioned, the premise hooked me up from the get-go. Yoav Blum weaves a clever and imaginative story in which seemingly random coincidences turn out to be carefully orchestrated series of events meant to engender specific outcomes. In the beginning, those inventive threads make for an enjoyable read. Even though you have no idea what this novel is supposed to be about, it's fun to follow Guy and Emily as they must create coincidences to alter the lives of their targets.

Although Blum's tale is unique and quite original, the apparent lack of direction makes you gradually lose interest as the chapters come and go. The Coincidence Makers weighs in at only 291 pages, yet it often feels as though you're reading a doorstopper. The pace can be extremely slow and the plot drags along at a snail's pace. The structure of the book probably doesn't help. Indeed, some chapters occur in "real time", while others are flashbacks scenes focusing on the characters' training as coincidence makers, and some feature extracts from coincidence making manuals.

For some reason, I found it hard to connect with the protagonists. Guy and Emily take center stage and are fully-developed characters. Still, for some reason, I found it hard to root for them. Both of them are broken and flawed and genuine. But there was something missing. Something I can't quite put my finger on.

Having said that, Yoav Blum's debut is an extremely well-written and multilayered work of fiction. Had I connected with the protagonists, I reckon I would have enjoyed it a lot more. And yet, there is no denying that the ending was amazing and saved The Coincidence Makers for me. A bit more foreshadowing in the early parts would have helped the plot not feel so muddled, methinks. And it would have made the ending even more powerful.

Given the fact that Blum's The Coincidence Makers is unlike anything else on the market today, your mileage may vary. A quick perusal of online reviews shows that most people have enjoyed it more than I did. If you can overlook a somewhat drab characterization, and if you usually like a cute story with a fully satisfying ending, this one might be for you.

The final verdict: 7/10

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe

Quote of the Day

Shame, child, is for those who fail to live up to the ideal of what they believe they should be.

- JIM BUTCHER, Changes (Canada, USA, Europe)

Just finished this novel and it's the best one yet! Holy fucking shit!!! =)

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (April 30th)

In hardcover:

Daniel José Older's Star Wars: Last Shot debuts at number 15.

In paperback:

Ernest Cline's Ready Player One maintains its position at number 1 (trade paperback).

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid’s Tale returns at number 11 (trade paperback). For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

If you live within driving distance of Montréal. . .


Hey guys,

I have 6 cases of speculative fiction books to give away.

These are comprised mostly of review copies I received in the last 12 months or so, as well as some novels that spent too much time in my "Maybe" pile. They include advance reading copies, hardcovers, trade paperbacks, and mass market paperbacks of fantasy and science fiction titles (in all subgenres). All told, I figure we're talking about close to a hundred books.

I usually donate them to local libraries, but I've also given them away to fellow SFF fans in the past and they were always happy to fill the trunk of their cars with boxes full of books! =)

Spring cleaning means that I need to get rid of them in a hurry, so let me know if you are interested and could get them off my hands in the near future.

Just send me an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "BOOKS." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Cheers,

Patrick

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Richard Morgan's The Steel Remains for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

A dark lord will rise. Such is the prophecy that dogs Ringil Eskiath—Gil, for short—a washed-up mercenary and onetime war hero whose cynicism is surpassed only by the speed of his sword. Gil is estranged from his aristocratic family, but when his mother enlists his help in freeing a cousin sold into slavery, Gil sets out to track her down. But it soon becomes apparent that more is at stake than the fate of one young woman. Grim sorceries are awakening in the land. Some speak in whispers of the return of the Aldrain, a race of widely feared, cruel yet beautiful demons. Now Gil and two old comrades are all that stand in the way of a prophecy whose fulfillment will drown an entire world in blood. But with heroes like these, the cure is likely to be worse than the disease.