Promising Mystery, Sci-fi & Fantasy - November & December 2018

Well, you can guess from two months being squeezed into one post that the end of 2018 has not been great for fantasy and science fiction novels. But, nevertheless, here goes my list.

So Many Doors
Author - Oakley Hall
Publisher - Hard Case Crime

SHE WAS HIS V.
SHE WAS EVERY MAN’S V.
It begins on Death Row, with a condemned man refusing the services of the lawyer assigned to defend him. It begins with a beautiful woman dead, murdered—Vassilia Caroline Baird, known to all simply as V. That’s where this extraordinary novel begins. But the story it tells begins years earlier, on a struggling farm in the shadow of the Great Depression and among the brawling "cat skinners" of Southern California, driving graders and bulldozers to tame the American West. And the story that unfolds, in the masterful hands of acclaimed author Oakley Hall, is a lyrical outpouring of hunger and grief, of jealousy and corruption, of raw sexual yearning and the tragedy of the destroyed lives it leaves in its wake. Unpublished for more than half a century, SO MANY DOORS is Hall’s masterpiece, an excoriating vision of human nature at its most brutal, and one of the most powerful books you will ever read.

[ A new 'Hard Case Crime' book that interests me. ]

How Long ’Til Black Future Month?
Author - N.K. Jemisin
Publisher - Orbit

In these stories, Jemisin sharply examines modern society, infusing magic into the mundane, and drawing deft parallels in the fantasy realms of her imagination. Dragons and hateful spirits haunt the flooded city of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In a parallel universe, a utopian society watches our world, trying to learn from our mistakes. A black mother in the Jim Crow south must figure out how to save her daughter from a fey offering impossible promises. And in the Hugo award-nominated short story “The City Born Great,” a young street kid fights to give birth to an old metropolis’s soul.

[ I have heard so many good things about 'N.K. Jemisin', maybe her brand new short story collection is the thing for me to jump on the bandwagon. ] 

Fire & Blood (A Targaryen History #1)
Author - George R.R. Martin
Publisher - HarperVoyager / Bantam

With all the fire and fury fans have come to expect from internationally bestselling author George R. R. Martin, this is the first volume of the definitive two-part history of the Targaryens in Westeros.
Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire and Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.
What really happened during the Dance of the Dragons? Why did it become so deadly to visit Valyria after the Doom? What is the origin of Daenerys’s three dragon eggs? These are but a few of the questions answered in this essential chronicle, as related by a learned maester of the Citadel and featuring more than eighty all-new black-and-white illustrations by artist Doug Wheatley. Readers have glimpsed small parts of this narrative in such volumes as The World of Ice & Fire, but now, for the first time, the full tapestry of Targaryen history is revealed.
With all the scope and grandeur of Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Fire and Blood is the ultimate game of thrones, giving readers a whole new appreciation for the dynamic, often bloody, and always fascinating history of Westeros.

[ Would you believe me if I say that I always wanted to read more about the Targaryens history? No? Well, if its the only taste of Westeros I can get now-a-days, so be it. ]

Blackstone Fortress
Author - Darius Hinks
Publisher - Black Library

There are those in the great expanse of the galaxy that seek profit wherever it is to be found: the deal makers, the opportunists and explorers – the Rogue Traders. Granted power by an ancient charter, sanctioned by the Emperor Himself, these scoundrels, entrepreneurs and adventurers roam the galaxy in search of fortune and glory. None perhaps are as hungry for these twin-vices as Janus Draik. All but disowned by his wealthy family, regarded as a wayward son of ill repute and little potential, Draik knows he must restore his fortunes soon or his misadventures will see him destitute and discarded.
So it is then that when he finds a truly exceptional prize, one that will return him to his deserved station, Draik recruits a crew of fellow treasure seekers and sets them to the task. Draik's obsession is all-consuming, and he will risk everything to obtain his prize and its many secrets, including his life or even that of his crew…

[ The setting really intrigues me. ]

Titandeath (The Horus Heresy #53)
Author - Guy Haley
Publisher - Black Library

Horus’s armada gathers, and he has defeated all enemies sent against him, even the Emperor’s own executioner. One barrier remains before he can strike for Terra and lay waste to the Emperor’s dream.
The Beta-Garmon system occupies the most direct and only viable route to the Solar System and Terra. To break it, Horus assembles a war host of incredible proportions and Titans in untold numbers. To lose here is to lose the war and Horus has no intention of turning back. But the Imperium understands the importance of Beta-Garmon too. A massive army is arrayed, comprised of near numberless Army cohorts and a mustering of Titans to challenge even the martial might of the Warmaster.
Titans fight against Titans as the God-Machines of Loyalists and Traitors alike go to war. This conflict will be like no other before it, a world-ending battle that will determine the next phase of the war.

[ The latest 'Horus Heresy', into the fifty third entry still not ending, this one seems like quite a strong entry too. ]

Promising Mystery, Sci-fi & Fantasy - October 2018

October is yet another month that is quite lacking in terms of content. But, hat little is on offer is quality stuff to say the least.

Elevation
Author - Stephen King
Publisher - Scribner / Hodder & Stoughton

The latest from legendary master storyteller Stephen King, a riveting, extraordinarily eerie, and moving story about a man whose mysterious affliction brings a small town together—a timely, upbeat tale about finding common ground despite deep-rooted differences.
Although Scott Carey doesn’t look any different, he’s been steadily losing weight. There are a couple of other odd things, too. He weighs the same in his clothes and out of them, no matter how heavy they are. Scott doesn’t want to be poked and prodded. He mostly just wants someone else to know, and he trusts Doctor Bob Ellis.
In the small town of Castle Rock, the setting of many of King’s most iconic stories, Scott is engaged in a low grade—but escalating—battle with the lesbians next door whose dog regularly drops his business on Scott’s lawn. One of the women is friendly; the other, cold as ice. Both are trying to launch a new restaurant, but the people of Castle Rock want no part of a gay married couple, and the place is in trouble. When Scott finally understands the prejudices they face–including his own—he tries to help. Unlikely alliances, the annual foot race, and the mystery of Scott’s affliction bring out the best in people who have indulged the worst in themselves and others.

[ A new novella from the great King, I have already read and reviewed it here (link), so nothing more to say. ]

Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries #4)
Author - Martha Wells
Publisher - Tor.com Publishing

"I love Murderbot!" —Ann Leckie
The fourth and final part of the Murderbot Diaries series that began with All Systems Red.
Murderbot wasn’t programmed to care. So, its decision to help the only human who ever showed it respect must be a system glitch, right?
Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit.
But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue?
And what will become of it when it’s caught?

[ I loved the first one (review link), yet to read the rest of the series. This seems to be the last part, time to catch up, I guess. ]

Texas Hold'em (Wild Cards #27)
Editor - George R.R. Martin
Publisher - HarperVoyager / Tor Books

Perfect for current fans and new readers alike, Texas Hold ‘Em is an all-new action-filled adventure featuring a fresh cast of characters from the Wild Cards universe.
Edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin, Texas Hold ‘Em features the writing talents of David Anthony Durham (Acacia Trilogy), Max Gladstone (the Craft Sequence), Victor Milan (Dinosaur Lords series), Diana Rowland (Kara Gillian and White Trash Zombie series), Walton Simons, Caroline Spector and William F. Wu.

[ Hmm, the latest entry into the 'Wild Cards' series. ]

An Easy Death (Gunnie Rose #1)
Author - Charlaine Harris
Publisher - Saga Press

In a new trilogy that presents a chilling alternate history of the United States where everyone believes in magic—but no one is sure whether they can trust it.
Gunnie Lizbeth Rose has been hired by a pair of Russian sorcerers as both their local guide and muscle through the small towns of East Texas as they search for a distant relative of an infamous sorcerer whose bloodline can help save their emperor-in-exile as an ever-increasing number of assassins tries to stop them.
After the assassination of FDR in the 1930s, the US collapses and is picked off by the UK, Canada, Mexico, and Russia. We find ourselves in the southwestern states now known as Texoma. It is here that the gunnie Lizbeth Rose tries to piece out a life, running security on runs from Texoma, across the border to Mexico where work and prospects are stronger. When two Russian magicians come looking for a man named Alex Karkarov, they hire Lizbeth to find him or his family, but there are problems: The man they're looking for is dead, but he has a daughter they now need to find, as an ever-growing set of sorcerers and gunnies do not want them to succeed. It’s a good thing Lizbeth is a deadly gunfighter; too bad she hates sorcerers, even the ones she has to learn to rely on.

[ A new series by the great 'Charlaine Harris'. May be it's time I finally, get myself acquainted with her writing. ]

Priest of Bones (War for the Rose Throne #1)
Author - Peter McLean
Publisher - Ace Books / Jo Fletcher Books

It's a dangerous thing, to choose the lesser of two evils.
The war is over, and army priest Tomas Piety finally heads home with Lieutenant Bloody Anne at his side. When he arrives in the Stink, Tomas finds that his empire of crime has been stolen from him while at war. With his gang of Pious Men, Tomas will do whatever it takes to reclaim his businesses. But when he finds himself dragged into a web of political intrigue once again, and is forced to work in secret for the sinister Queen's Men, everything gets more complicated.
When loyalties stretch to the breaking point and violence only leads to violence, when people have run out of food, and hope, and places to hide, do not be surprised if they have also run out of mercy. As the Pious Men fight shadowy foreign infiltrators in the backstreet taverns and gambling dens of Tomas's old life it becomes clear; the war is not over.
It is only just beginning.

[ I haven't actually read anything by this author yet. But, what I read about him interests me a lot. ]

The Labyrinth Index (Laundry Files #9)
Author - Charles Stross 
Publisher - Tor.com Publishing / Orbit

The arrival of vast, alien, inhuman intelligences reshaped the landscape for human affairs across the world, and the United Kingdom is no exception. Things have changed in Britain since the dread elder god Nyarlathotep ascended to the rank of Prime Minister. Mhari Murphy, recently elevated to the House of Lords and head of the Lords Select Committee on Sanguinary Affairs (think vampires), finds herself in direct consultation with the creeping chaos, who directs her to lead a team of disgraced Laundry personnel into the dark heart of America. It seems the Creeping Chaos is concerned about foreign relations.
A thousand-mile-wild storm system has blanketed the midwest, and the President is nowhere to be found. In fact, for reasons unknown the people of America are forgetting that the executive branch ever existed. The government has been infiltrated by the shadowy Black Chamber, and the Pentagon and NASA have been refocused on the problem of summoning Cthulhu.
Somewhere, the Secret Service battle to stay awake, to remind the President who he is, and to stay one step ahead of the vampiric dragnet that’s searching for him.

[ The latest entry into the acclaimed 'Laundry Files'. ]

New Comic Review - Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1

Name - Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1
Published by - Marvel Comics
Written by - Saladin Ahmed
Art by - Javier Garron   
Coloring by - David Curiel
Letters by - VC's Cory Petit
Release Date: December 12, 2018

Well, it is quite a daunting task to write a character that has been done only by its creator ever before. So, like everyone else, I was being quite skeptic about the new 'Miles Morales: Spider-man' series. But then I saw the name of the new writer, and my huge admiration for 'Saladin Ahmed' drew me in for this first issue. And thankfully, this creative team didn't disappoint at all.

New Metal Review - "In Monochrome" by Black Sites

Album Name - In Monochrome
Band Name - Black Sites
Genre - Heavy/Progressive Metal
Label - Mascot Records
Release Date - February 17th, 2017 
Line Up -
  Mark Sugar - Vocals, Guitars
  Ryan Bruchert - Guitars
  John Picillo - Bass 
  Chris Avgerin - Drums

Trying to put the label of a specific genre on a band can be quite hard at times. 'Black Sites' is such a band, which incorporates various influences in their music, creating a mixture of many genres in their sound. But at the end of the day, music is all about enjoyment. And this band has a cast of skillful musicians producing a unique metal experience that is bound to make you head-bang like a maniac and hit the repeat button as soon as the album ends.

Promising Mystery, Sci-fi & Fantasy - September 2018

Compared to July and August, September seems rather bleak in terms of release, don't you guys agree? But then again, it has some promising new content nevertheless.

Charlesgate Confidential
Author - Scott Von Doviak
Publisher - Hard Case Crime / Titan Books

An ingenious debut-novel unraveling the heist of the century, in 1946, 1986 and present-day Boston
A group of criminals in 1946 pull off the heist of the century, stealing a dozen priceless works of art from a Boston museum. But while the thieves get caught, the art is never found. Forty years later, the last surviving thief gets out of jail and goes hunting for the loot, involving some innocent college students in his dangerous plan - and thirty years after that, in the present day, the former college kids, now all grown up, are drawn back into danger as the still-missing art tempts a deadly new generation of treasure hunters. A breathtakingly clever, twist-filled narrative that moves from 1946 to 1988 to 2014 and back again, CHARLESGATE CONFIDENTIAL establishes Scott Von Doviak as a storyteller of the first order, and will leave you guessing until the very last page.

[ Another new 'Hard Case Crime' book that interests me. I am a sucker for a good crime noir most of the time. ]

Salvation (Salvation Sequence #1)
Author - Peter F. Hamilton
Publisher - Del Rey Books

Humanity's complex relationship with technology spirals out of control in this first book of an all-new trilogy from "the owner of the most powerful imagination in science fiction" (Ken Follett).
In 2204, humanity is expanding into the wider galaxy in leaps and bounds. A new technology of linked jump gates has rendered most forms of transporation--including starships--virtually obsolete. Every place on earth, every distant planet mankind has settled, is now merely a step away from any other. And all seems wonderful...until a crashed alien spaceship is found on a newly-located world 89 light years from Earth, harboring seventeen human victims. And of the high-powered team dispatched to investigate the mystery, one is an alien spy...
Bursting with tension and big ideas, this standalone series highlights the inventiveness of an author at the top of his game, as the interweaving story lines tell us not only how humanity arrived at this moment, but also the far-future consequences that spin off from it.

[ I haven't yet had the pleasure of reading anything from this author, but I have been meaning to for a long time. May be, now is the time to finally dive in with this new series on the horizon. ]

The Dreaming Stars (Axiom #2)
Author - Tim Pratt
Publisher - Angry Robot

Ancient aliens, the Axiom, will kill us all – when they wake up. In deep space, a swarm of nanoparticles threatens the colonies, transforming everything it meets into computronium – including the colonists. The crew of the White Raven investigate, and discover an Axiom facility filled with aliens hibernating while their minds roam a vast virtual reality. The treacherous Sebastien wakes up, claiming his altered brain architecture can help the crew deactivate the swarm – from inside the Axiom simulation. To protect humanity, beleaguered Captain Callie Machedo must trust him, but if Sebastien still plans to dominate the universe using Axiom tech, they could be in a whole lot of trouble.

[ Well, I have the hard copy of the first one of this series on my bookshelf, need to start reading I guess. ]

Rosewater (The Wormwood Trilogy #1)
Author - Tade Thompson
Publisher - Orbit

Tade Thompson's Rosewater is the start of an award-winning, cutting edge trilogy set in Nigeria, by one of science fiction's most engaging new voices.
Rosewater is a town on the edge. A community formed around the edges of a mysterious alien biodome, its residents comprise the hopeful, the hungry and the helpless—people eager for a glimpse inside the dome or a taste of its rumored healing powers.
Kaaro is a government agent with a criminal past. He has seen inside the biodome, and doesn't care to again—but when something begins killing off others like himself, Kaaro must defy his masters to search for an answer, facing his dark history and coming to a realization about a horrifying future.

[ Very, very unusual setting. to say the least. Should be my cup of tea. ] 

Port of Shadows (Chronicles of the Black Company #1.5)
Author - Glen Cook
Publisher - Tor Books

The father of Grimdark returns…
The soldiers of the Black Company don’t ask questions, they get paid. But being “The Lady’s favored” is attracting the wrong kind of attention and has put a target on their backs, and the Company’s historian, Croaker, has the biggest target of all.
The one person who was taken into The Lady’s Tower and returned unchanged has earned the special interest of the court of sorcerers known as The Ten Who Were Taken. Now, he and the company are being asked to seek the aid of their newest member, Mischievous Rain, to break a rebel army. However, Croaker doesn’t trust any ofthe Taken, especially not ones that look so much like The Lady and her sister…

[ Hmm, the latest entry into the 'Chronicles of the Black Company', Need I say more? ] 

The Queen of Crows (Sacred Throne #2)
Author - Myke Cole
Publisher - Tor.com Publishing

Myke Cole, star of CBS's Hunted and author of the Shadow Ops series is here with book two of the Sacred Throne Trilogy: The Queen of Crows.
In this epic fantasy sequel, Heloise stands tall against overwhelming odds--crippling injuries, religious tyrants--and continues her journey from obscurity to greateness with the help of alchemically-empowered armor and an unbreakable spirit.
No longer just a shell-shocked girl, she is now a figure of revolution whose cause grows ever stronger. But the time for hiding underground is over. Heloise must face the tyrannical Order and lay siege to the Imperial Palace itself.

[ I loved the first one of this series, which I reviewed for fantasy-faction (review link). I have been a fan Myke Cole for a while now. Quite confident this should be even better than its prequel. ] 

May 2018 New Comics To Watch For

May introduces some exciting new series' for both the big two publishers and the indie publishers as well.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: NO JUSTICE #1 (of 4)
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV and Joshua Williamson
Artist: Francis Manapul

DARK NIGHTS: METAL left the DCU transformed in ways both terrifying and wondrous-and only the Justice League is strong enough to face the threats to come...or are they? Four giant beings comprised of the universe's major energies-Mystery, Wonder, Wisdom and Entropy-who sustain their life force by devouring planets are on their way to destroy the planet of Colu. The only way to take down this unimaginable threat is for the superhero teams of Earth to forget everything they thought they knew and form new alliances.
What secrets of the cosmos will Superman, Martian Manhunter and Team Mystery discover? Will Zatanna, Wonder Woman and Team Wonder awaken alien magic they cannot put back to sleep? What can Harley Quinn possibly have to teach the rest of Team Wisdom? And most importantly...why the heck is Beast Boy on Team Entropy with Lobo and Batman? Find out all this and much more in the most exciting, bombastic event of summer 2018!
In this kickoff issue to the four-issue miniseries, after Brainiac systematically takes down all of Earth's super-teams, the last thing the League expects is for him to ask for their help! Without their aid, his home planet and the universe are both doomed!

AVENGERS #1
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Ed McGuinness

A NEW ERA DAWNS FOR EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES -
courtesy of JASON AARON and ED McGUINNESS!
Thor Odinson. Steve Rogers. Tony Stark. The Big Three of the Avengers are reunited at last! And just in time to save the world from total annihilation at the hands of their most powerful enemies yet: the 2000-foot-tall space gods known as Celestials.
Behold the coming of the Final Host.
Who will answer the call to assemble for a wild new era of Earth's Mightiest Heroes? Hint: one of them has a flaming skull for a head. And what strange, world-shaking connection exists between the Final Host and Odin's ancient band of Prehistoric Avengers?

BLACK PANTHER #1
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Artist: Daniel Acuna

A NEW DIRECTION FROM TA-NEHISI COATES & DANIEL ACUñA!
A bold new direction for the Black Panther! For years, T'Challa has fought off invaders from his homeland, protecting Wakanda from everything from meddling governments to long-lost gods. Now, he will discover that Wakanda is much bigger than he ever dreamed...
Across the vast Multiverse lies an empire founded in T'Challa's name. Readers caught a glimpse of it in MARVEL LEGACY #1. Now find out the truth behind the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda!
Ta-Nehisi Coates welcomes aboard fan-favorite artist Daniel Acuña for a Black Panther story unlike any other!

DEATH OR GLORY #1
Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Bengal

Meet Glory, raised off the grid in a convoy amid truckers-the last men and women fighting for true freedom on the American open road. Now, in order to pay for her beloved dying Father's surgery, Glory has three days to pull off four dangerous cross-country heists with mob killers, crooked cops, and a psycho ex-husband all out to bring her in or die trying.
The new ongoing series by New York Times bestselling author RICK REMENDER and legendary French superstar BENGAL brings you a high-speed chase across the American West that examines our dwindling freedoms and the price paid by those who fight for an untethered life, in this special double-sized first issue with 40 pages of story!

FLAVOR #1
Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Joseph Keatinge
Artist: Wook Jin Clark

SERIES PREMIERE! Within a strange walled city, an unlicensed chef discovers a mystery that threatens to end it all. Join JOSEPH KEATINGE (GLORY, SHUTTER) and WOOK JIN CLARK (Adventure Time: The Flip Side) on this culinary epic adventure-FLAVOR-where chefs are the ultimate celebrity and food is the most valued commodity. The high-stakes competition of Hunger Games collides with the lush, MIYAZAKI-esque worldbuilding in this delectable new ongoing series featuring culinary consulting and bonus content by ALI BOUZARI, renowned food scientist and author of the IACP Award-winning cookbook Ingredient: Unveiling the Essential Elements of Food.

A WALK THROUGH HELL #1
Publisher: Aftershock Comics
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Goran Sudzuka

So these two FBI agents walk into a warehouse...
Special Agents Shaw and McGregor handle the routine cases nowadays, which is just the way Shaw likes it. She's pushing 40, a borderline burnout, the ghastly memories of her last investigation still clinging like shadows. McGregor is younger, more dedicated, hanging onto some measure of idealism whatever the world might throw at him.
When two fellow agents go missing inside a Long Beach warehouse, Shaw and McGregor are sent to investigate. But what they find waiting is far from routine, as the local police have already discovered to their cost. Before the night is out, our heroes will encounter terror beyond their most appalling nightmares-in a place where the night may never end at all.
A new kind of horror story for modern America, written by Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys, Crossed) and drawn by Goran Sudzuka (Y: The Last Man, Hellblazer).

HARBINGER WARS 2 #1 (of 4)
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Tomas Giorello

THE SEISMIC COMICS EVENT OF 2018 STARTS HERE!
From New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (X-O MANOWAR. DIVINITY, Mind MGMT) and superstar artist Tomás Giorello (X-O MANOWAR), the most powerful Valiant event ever attempted erupts in full force as X-O Manowar, Livewire, the Harbinger Renegades, Bloodshot, the Secret Weapons, Ninjak, and a cast of thousands draw their battle lines in HARBINGER WARS 2!
For the rare and immensely powerful subset of humanity known as psiots, their unique abilities have come with an enormous cost. Once, their existence was known only to a select few. Now, the revelation that thousands of these latent telekinetic “harbingers” secretly live among us…with the potential to be activated at any moment…has led the
American government to a dramatic tipping point…
Armed with new extra-governmental authority, the deep-black military contractor known as Omen has been authorized to identify, evaluate, and, if need be, eliminate all super-normal threats to the homeland. H.A.R.D. Corps units have been deployed into cities and towns across the United States to enforce their orders.
In the East, one of the most powerful minds on Earth, Peter Stanchek, is leading his band of Renegades across the country, activating any potential psiots willing to join them, and building an insurrection force of ultra-powerful and unwieldy new abilities that will soon bring war to Omen’s doorstep…and the unstoppable force known as X-O Manowar raging back to Earth…
In the West, Livewire – the telekinetic technopath with the ability to bend machines and computers to her will – will be forced to choose between her former allies…or her newfound team of Secret Weapons. As the situation escalates beyond human control, the United States will be plunged into darkness from coast to coast, launching Bloodshot and Ninjak into a dangerous mission to neutralize their one-time teammate – and setting the stage for the most shocking, most violent, and most consequential clash of powers ever witnessed in the history of the Valiant Universe!

New Book Review - 'Kings of the Wyld' by Nicholas Eames

Book - Kings of the Wyld 
Author - Nicholas Eames
Series - The Band #1
Publisher - Orbit

[ I had reviewed this one on April for fantasy-faction (review link). Here, I am just re-uploading it on my blog. ]

When I started reading Kings of the Wyld it was already quite hyped and I am someone who is rather uncomfortable dealing with stuff which accumulated hype overnight. Thus, I approached the book being extremely skeptical and had a nagging feeling in my gut that it was going to be overrated.

Boy was I dead wrong! This book deserves all the praise it’s getting and I expect more in the future.

Promising Sci-fi & Fantasy - August 2018

Well, August is another month with lots of  releases that interests me, this might be the best month of 2018 in terms of promising content. When am I going to find enough time to read all this stuff, I do wonder?

Garrison Girl: An Attack on Titan Novel
Author - Rachel Aaron
Publisher - Quirk Books

This original YA novel features all-new characters and a new story set in the world of Attack on Titan, the pop culture phenomenon and manga mega-hit.
When the last vestige of the human race is threatened by unstoppable carnivorous giants, a brave young woman decides to defy her wealthy family and join the military garrison to battle humanity’s enemies. But Rosalie Dumarque soon finds that her dream of escaping the protection of Wall Rose not only leads to bloody sword fights with monsters, but exposes her to other dangers. Can she earn the trust of her fellow soldiers, stand up to a corrupt authority, navigate a forbidden romance...and cut her way out of a titan’s throat?
Fans of the manga and anime, as well as YA readers new to the series, will devour this immersive and engaging experience of the Attack on Titan world.

[ I have only read a few volumes of the 'Attack on Titan' manga and watched a few episodes, and was never really hooked. But, I have a rather high opinion of this author, so am planning to check out this over-hyped setting once again. ]

Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries #3)
Author - Martha Wells
Publisher - Tor.com

SciFi’s favorite antisocial A.I. is again on a mission. The case against the too-big-to-fail GrayCris Corporation is floundering, and more importantly, authorities are beginning to ask more questions about where Dr. Mensah’s SecUnit is.
And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.

[ I loved the first novella in the series (my review), am currently reading and enjoying the second one. ]

Ball Lightning
Author - Liu Cixin
Translator - Joel Martinsen
Publisher - Tor Books

When Chen’s parents are incinerated before his eyes by a blast of ball lightning, he devotes his life to cracking the secret of mysterious natural phenomenon. His search takes him to stormy mountaintops, an experimental military weapons lab, and an old Soviet science station. The more he learns, the more he comes to realize that ball lightning is just the tip of an entirely new frontier in particle physics. Although Chen’s quest provides a purpose for his lonely life, his reasons for chasing his elusive quarry come into conflict with soldiers and scientists who have motives of their own: a beautiful army major with an obsession with dangerous weaponry, and a physicist who has no place for ethical considerations in his single-minded pursuit of knowledge.

[ Heard so much about 'Liu Cixin', one of my close friends (whose tastes, I certainly trust) even recommended his works to me. This is a standalone, my chance to check out what all the fuss is about. ]

The Fated Sky (Lady Astronaut #2)
Author - Mary Robinette Kowal
Publisher - Tor Books

Of course the noted Lady Astronaut Elma York would like to go, but there’s a lot riding on whoever the International Aerospace Coalition decides to send on this historic—but potentially very dangerous—mission? Could Elma really leave behind her husband and the chance to start a family to spend several years traveling to Mars? And with the Civil Rights movement taking hold all over Earth, will the astronaut pool ever be allowed to catch up, and will these brave men and women of all races be treated equitably when they get there? This gripping look at the real conflicts behind a fantastical space race will put a new spin on our visions of what might have been.

[ Such high ratings all over the internet, just can't ignore. ]

King of Assassins (Wounded Kingdom #3)
Author - R.J. Baker
Publisher - Orbit

THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE KING . . .
Many years of peace have passed in Maniyadoc, years of relative calm for the assassin Girton Club-Foot. Even the Forgetting Plague, which ravaged the rest of the kingdoms, seemed to pass them by. But now Rufra ap Vthyr eyes the vacant High-King's throne and will take his court to the capital, a rat's nest of intrigue and murder, where every enemy he has ever made will gather and the endgame of twenty years of politics and murder will be played out in his bid to become the King of all Kings.
Friends become enemies, enemies become friends and the god of death, Xus the Unseen, stands closer than ever - casting his shadow over everything most dear to Girton.

[ I loved the first one quite a bit (my review for fantasy-faction), although not being a fan of young adult stuff. This time Girton has grown up, I am quite intrigued about the finale. ]

The Black God’s Drums
Author - P. Djèlí Clark
Publisher - Tor.com

Creeper, a scrappy young teen, is done living on the streets of New Orleans. Instead, she wants to soar, and her sights are set on securing passage aboard the smuggler airship Midnight Robber. Her ticket: earning Captain Ann-Marie’s trust using a secret about a kidnapped Haitian scientist and a mysterious weapon he calls The Black God’s Drums.
But Creeper keeps another secret close to heart--Oya, the African orisha of the wind and storms, who speaks inside her head and grants her divine powers. And Oya has her own priorities concerning Creeper and Ann-Marie…

[ A short tor.com novella can never hurt, I guess. ]

Foundryside (Founders #1)
Author - Robert Jackson Bennett
Publisher - Crown Publishing Group / Jo Fletcher

In a city that runs on industrialized magic, a secret war will be fought to overwrite reality itself--the first in a dazzling new series from City of Stairs author Robert Jackson Bennett.
Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle.
But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic--the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience--have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact’s secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims.
Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and the artifact for themselves. And in the city of Tevanne, there’s nobody with the power to stop them.
To have a chance at surviving—and at stopping the deadly transformation that’s under way—Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact’s power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined.

[ One of my most expected books of the year. When it comes to 'Robert Jackson Bennett', I become a fan-boy (see my reviews). I just can't wait to read this. ]

Ravencry (Raven’s Mark #2)
Author - Ed McDonald
Publisher - Gollancz / Ace

Four years have passed since Nall’s Engine drove the Deep Kings back across the Misery, but as they hurl fire from the sky, darker forces plots against the republic.
A new power is rising: a ghost in the light known only as the Bright Lady manifests in visions across the city, and the cult that worship her grasp for power even as the city burns around them.
When Crowfoot’s arcane vault is breached, an object of terrible power is stolen, and Galharrow and his Blackwings must once find out which of Valengrad’s enemies is responsible before they have a chance to use it.
To save Valengrad, Galharrow, Nenn and Tnota must venture to a darker, more twisted and more dangerous place than any they’ve walked before: the very heart of the Misery.
RAVENCRY is the second book in the Raven’s Mark series, continuing the story that began with the award winning epic fantasy BLACKWING.

[ Another sequel from a strong debut author of last year (my review of his first novel). The setting and the characters are gritty as hell, and I love the grimness presented here. Something I will definitely read soon. ]

Bloody Rose (Band #2)
Author - Nicholas Eames
Publisher - Orbit

Live fast, die young.
Tam Hashford is tired of working at her local pub, slinging drinks for world-famous mercenaries and listening to the bards sing of adventure and glory in the world beyond her sleepy hometown.
When the biggest mercenary band of all rolls into town, led by the infamous Bloody Rose, Tam jumps at the chance to sign on as their bard. It's adventure she wants - and adventure she gets as the crew embark on a quest that will end in one of two ways: glory or death.
It's time to take a walk on the wyld side.

[ Probably my most anticipated release of this year. The first book written by 'Nicholas Eames' was an experience to be remembered (my review for fantasy-faction). This should be just as thrilling and enjoyable. ]

War Cry
Author - Brian McClellan
Publisher - Tor.com

On the high plains, war is life.
Teado has been a part of the war effort for as long as he can remember. His childhood was spent in the aircraft and ammunition factories until his power manifested. Now he is on the front lines, fighting the great war as one of the monstrous shapeshifting wizards that are all but extinct after decades of battle.
Behind enemy lines, Teado’s special operations platoon plays a deadly game of cat and mouse, sabotaging and demoralizing the enemy. But food is scarce. The enemy has pushed their main forces back further and their requests for resupply have gone unanswered. They will make one last dangerous bid for survival and, maybe, change the course of the war forever.

[ Another novella from Tor.com that has caught my eye. ]

The Fall of Gondolin
Author - J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (Editor)
Publisher - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / HarperCollins

In the Tale of The Fall of Gondolin are two of the greatest powers in the world. There is Morgoth of the uttermost evil, unseen in this story but ruling over a vast military power from his fortress of Angband. Deeply opposed to Morgoth is Ulmo, second in might only to Manwë, chief of the Valar: he is called the Lord of Waters, of all seas, lakes, and rivers under the sky. But he works in secret in Middle-earth to support the Noldor, the kindred of the Elves among whom were numbered Húrin and Túrin Turambar.
Central to this enmity of the gods is the city of Gondolin, beautiful but undiscoverable. It was built and peopled by Noldorin Elves who, when they dwelt in Valinor, the land of the gods, rebelled against their rule and fled to Middle-earth. Turgon King of Gondolin is hated and feared above all his enemies by Morgoth, who seeks in vain to discover the marvellously hidden city, while the gods in Valinor in heated debate largely refuse to intervene in support of Ulmo’s desires and designs.
Into this world comes Tuor, cousin of Túrin, the instrument of Ulmo’s designs. Guided unseen by him Tuor sets out from the land of his birth on the fearful journey to Gondolin, and in one of the most arresting moments in the history of Middle-earth the sea-god himself appears to him, rising out of the ocean in the midst of a storm. In Gondolin he becomes great; he is wedded to Idril, Turgon’s daughter, and their son is Eärendel, whose birth and profound importance in days to come is foreseen by Ulmo.
At last comes the terrible ending. Morgoth learns through an act of supreme treachery all that he needs to mount a devastating attack on the city, with Balrogs and dragons and numberless Orcs. After a minutely observed account of the fall of Gondolin, the tale ends with the escape of Túrin and Idril, with the child Eärendel, looking back from a cleft in the mountains as they flee southward, at the blazing wreckage of their city. They were journeying into a new story, the Tale of Eärendel, which Tolkien never wrote, but which is sketched out in this book from other sources.
Following his presentation of Beren and Lúthien Christopher Tolkien has used the same ‘history in sequence’ mode in the writing of this edition of The Fall of Gondolin. In the words of J.R.R. Tolkien, it was ‘the first real story of this imaginary world’ and, together with Beren and Lúthien and The Children of Húrin, he regarded it as one of the three ‘Great Tales’ of the Elder Days.

[ 'The Silmarillion' is one of my all time favorite novels. This one expands upon one of the main three stories of 'The Silmarillion' I need to read this. ]

The Lords Of Silence
Author - Chris Wraight
Publisher - Games Workshop / Black Library

The galaxy has changed. Armies of Chaos march across the Dark Imperium, among them the Death Guard, servants of the Plague God. But shadows of the past haunt these traitors…
The Death Guard have returned to prominence with the return of Mortarion and their fabulous model range, and Chris Wraight's previous work with them (in his Space Wolves novels, notably) makes him the perfect person to delve into their particular darkness.
The Cadian Gate is broken, and the Imperium is riven in two. The might of the Traitor Legions, kept shackled for millennia behind walls of iron and sorcery, has been unleashed on a darkening galaxy. Among those seeking vengeance on the Corpse Emperor’s faltering realm are the Death Guard, once proud crusaders of the Legiones Astartes, now debased creatures of terror and contagion. Mighty warbands carve bloody paths through the void, answering their lord primarch’s call to war. And yet for all their dread might in arms, there is no escape from the vicious legacies of the past, ones that will pursue them from the ruined daemon-worlds of the Eye of Terror and out into the smouldering wastes of the Imperium Nihilus.

[ Another black library release that has piqued my interest due to its time and setting. ] 

New Novella Review - Elevation by Stephen King

Novella - Elevation
Writer - Stephen King
Published By - Scribner / Hodder & Stoughton

I would like to start the review with clearing one thing first, this is not horror by any stretch of the imagination. This is Stephen King trying out new genres, trying to create a humane little story focusing on the goodness in people and social issues. This is also him doing what he does best, writing prose, which is very hard to put down. While not everyone will like this one, specially those hoping to read a horror story for the season, but none can deny the strength King has over his readers, enthralling them for the journey no matter how brief in actually is.

Promising Sci-fi & Fantasy - July 2018

July is a month which seems overstuffed with varied goodness that interests me in terms fiction.

The Expert System's Brother
Author - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Publisher - Tor.com

After an unfortunate accident, Handry is forced to wander a world he doesn't understand, searching for meaning. He soon discovers that the life he thought he knew is far stranger than he could even possibly imagine.
Can an unlikely saviour provide the answers to the questions he barely comprehends?

[ A short tor.com read. And I have read many good things about this writer. So why not? ]

The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut #1)
Author - Mary Robinette Kowal
Publisher - Tor Books

On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process.
Elma York’s experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon, as a calculator. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too.
Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.

[ Well, I wasn't actually that much interested in this to begin with. But, the rave reviews all over the internet has finally intrigued me enough. ]

Empire of Silence (Sun Eater #1)
Author - Christopher Ruoccio
Publisher - Orion / DAW Books

Hadrian Marlowe, a man revered as a hero and despised as a murderer, chronicles his tale in the galaxy-spanning debut of the Sun Eater series, merging the best of space opera and epic fantasy.
It was not his war.
The galaxy remembers him as a hero: the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky. They remember him as a monster: the devil who destroyed a sun, casually annihilating four billion human lives—even the Emperor himself—against Imperial orders.
But Hadrian was not a hero. He was not a monster. He was not even a soldier.
On the wrong planet, at the right time, for the best reasons, Hadrian Marlowe starts down a path that can only end in fire. He flees his father and a future as a torturer only to be left stranded on a strange, backwater world.
Forced to fight as a gladiator and navigate the intrigues of a foreign planetary court, Hadrian must fight a war he did not start, for an Empire he does not love, against an enemy he will never understand.

[ This one caught my eye with the covers first, then I read the blurb. Will give this a try. ]

The Empire of Ashes (The Draconis Memoria #3)
Author - Anthony Ryan
Publisher - Orbit/ Ace Books

For hundreds of years, the Ironship Trading Syndicate was fuelled 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 conclusion to Anthony Ryan's 'Draconis Memoria' series. Should be good. But I need to read the first two first. ] 

Age of War (The Legends of the First Empire #3)
Author - Michael J. Sullivan
Publisher - Del Rey

Rich in magic and adventure, Michael J. Sullivan’s soaring fantasy novels are masterworks of heroism, love, and sacrifice. Now, in Age of War, the epic battle between humankind and the cruel godlike beings who once ruled them finally ignites in all its fury.
The alliance of humans and renegade Fhrey is fragile—and about to be tested as never before. Persephone keeps the human clans from turning on one another through her iron will and a compassionate heart. The arrogant Fhrey are barely held in check by their leader, Nyphron, who seeks to advance his own nefarious agenda through a loveless marriage that will result in the betrayal of the person Persephone loves most: Raithe, the God Killer.

As the Fhrey overlords marshal their army and sorcerers to crush the rebellion, old loyalties will be challenged while fresh conspiracies will threaten to undo all that Persephone has accomplished. In the darkest hour, when hope is all but lost, new heroes will rise . . . but at what terrible cost?

[ All I have read from 'M.J. Sullivan' I immensely enjoyed. So, an automatic pick, I guess. ] 

Deep Roots (The Innsmouth Legacy #2)
Author - Ruthanna Emrys
Publisher - Tor.com

Aphra Marsh, descendant of the People of the Water, has survived Deep One internment camps and made a grudging peace with the government that destroyed her home and exterminated her people on land. Aphra’s journey to rebuild her life and family on land, as she tracks down long-lost relatives on land. She must repopulate Innsmouth or risk seeing it torn down by greedy developers, but as she searches she discovers that people have been going missing. She will have to unravel the mystery or risk seeing her way of life slip away.

[ The short story that started this was one that I loved a lot. H.P. Lovecraft inspired shit is almost always good. ] 

Spinning Silver
Author - Naomi Novik
Publisher - Del Rey

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders... but her father isn't a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife's dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers' pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed--and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold.

But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it's worth--especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand.

[ I am here due to the author's reputation, as a matter of fact. ]

The Tower of Living and Dying (Empires of Dust #2)
Author - Anna Smith Spark
Publisher - Orbit 

A powerhouse story of bloodshed, ambition, and fate, The Tower of Living and Dying is a continuation of Anna Smith Spark's brilliant Empires of Dust trilogy, which began with The Court of Broken Knives.
Marith has been a sellsword, a prince, a murderer, a demon, and dead. But something keeps bringing him back to life, and now there is nothing stopping him from taking back the throne that is rightfully his.
Thalia, the former high priestess, remains Marith's only tenuous grasp to whatever goodness he has left. His left hand and his last source of light, Thalia still believes that the power that lies within him can be used for better ends. But as more forces gather beneath Marith's banner, she can feel her influence slipping.

Read the second book in this "gritty and glorious!" (Miles Cameron) epic fantasy series reminiscent of Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence where the exiled son of a king fights to reclaim his throne no matter the cost. 

[ She has been called the queen of grimdark. And, grimdark has been one of my favorite genres for a while now. ]

Redemption's Blade (After The War #1)
Author - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Publisher - Solaris

Ten years ago, the renegade demigod known as the Kinslayer returned. His armies of monsters issued from the pits of the earth, spearheaded by his brutal Yorughan soldiers. He won every battle, leaving burnt earth and corruption behind. Thrones toppled and cities fell as he drove all before him. And then he died. A handful of lucky heroes and some traitors amongst his own, and the great Kinslayer was no more.
Celestaine was one such hero and now she has tasked herself to correct the worst excesses of the Kinslayer and bring light back to her torn-up world. With two Yorughan companions she faces fanatics, war criminals and the monsters and minions the Kinslayer left behind as the fragile alliances of the war break down into feuding, greed and mistrust.

The Kinslayer may be gone, but he cast a long shadow she may never truly escape.

[ Second one on the list by a prolific fiction writer. The premise is very promising. ] 

The Descent of Monsters (Tensorate #3)
Author - J.Y. Yang
Publisher - Tor.com

JY Yang continues to redefine the limits of silkpunk fantasy with their Tensorate novellas, which the New York Times lauded as "joyously wild." In this third volume, an investigation into atrocities committed at a classified research facility threaten to expose secrets that the Protectorate will do anything to keep hidden.
You are reading this because I am dead.
Something terrible happened at the Rewar Teng Institute of Experimental Methods. When the Tensorate’s investigators arrived, they found a sea of blood and bones as far as the eye could see. One of the institute’s experiments got loose, and its rage left no survivors. The investigators returned to the capital with few clues and two prisoners: the terrorist leader Sanao Akeha and a companion known only as Rider.
Investigator Chuwan faces a puzzle. What really happened at the institute? What drew the Machinists there? What are her superiors trying to cover up? And why does she feel as if her strange dreams are forcing her down a narrowing path she cannot escape?

[ The third in another critically acclaimed tor.com novella series. ] 

Incarnation (The Horusian Wars #2)
Author - John French
Publisher - Black Library

Darkness approaches Dominicus Prime, a literal Season of Night that brings with it portents, madness and strange happenings. Standing alone as a beacon against the darkness is the Monastery of the Last Candle, a temple to the holy light of the Emperor. As the bishops and the cardinals vie for power and influence, a crisis looms among the Pilgrim Drift who are starving in their droves. Discord is rife and there are whispers of a rising cult, one committed to blood and horror. Into this political powder keg comes Inquisitor Covenant and his followers. Drawn to the shrineworld by the prescience of the Emperor's Tarot, they come seeking the agents of the Triumverate, a sect of Horusians bent on power themselves. It is the belief of Covenant that these radicals seek an incarnation, nothing less than a divine vessel, a living saint. To what end, he can only surmise, but Covenant knows it cannot bode well. He must deny the Horusians at any cost. The fate of the very sector may be determined by it.
The epic story that began in Resurrection continues as Covenant faces a challenge that will test him body and soul.

[ The only 'black library' series on this list. Probably the best by the publisher for the month of July. ]