REVIEW: A Hero's Tale by Catherine M. Wilson

A Hero's Tale byCatherine M. Wilson
Publishing information: eBook(Kindle Edition)
Publisher: ShieldMaiden Press, 1^stOctober 2008
ISBN 10: 0981563635 (Paperback)
ISBN 13: 978-0981563633 (Paperback)

ASIN:B001MBUDNU
Series: WhenWomen Were Warriors
Copy: Suppliedby Author
Reviewer: Kathryn

Blurb:“In Book III of thetrilogy, Tamras must make her own hero’s journey. She ventures intothe unknown and encounters a more formidable enemy than any she hasever faced. Character is destiny, and the destiny of Tamras and allher people will depend upon choices that come less from the skillsshe has been taught than from the person she has become, from her ownheart.”

AHero's Tale is the final part of Catherine M. Wilson's When WomenWere Warriors series, and it follows on directly from the end of thesecond. Together in the forest, Maara and Tamras find allies in thestrangest of places, but their happiness doesn't last. Whilst Tamraslearns valuable lessons from the new allies, it's only a matter oftime before her luck runs out.

Likethe previous volumes, I found the writing mostly clear, concise andenjoyable to read. The character development continued very well, andwhilst the number of characters sometimes became a little hard tomanage, Wilson left enough clues in the text to get a good idea oftheir differences. I'm finding it hard to find praise for this bookthat I haven't applied to the previous two, because it really is –once again – more of the same.

Thematicallyspeaking, Wilson again puts a lot of emphasis on love, but a lot ofthought is put into the other topics such as betrayal and hope, aswell as a look at the differences between cultures and communities.Tamras finds herself in various locations in this volume, and eachcommunity feels different. The Northerners speak in a differentmanner, the people of an important settlement have the oppositesystem for their rulers to Tamras' home – yet they're all in whatwe'd now consider the same country. These discussions andexplorations build the world in a way I've found few series to do,and I enjoyed how it made me think.

Interms of criticism, I found myself becoming a little uncomfortablewith the erotic scenes. It's not so much that I have a problem witheroticism, but whilst they originally offered some characterdevelopment, it feels like they were elaborated on to fill the time.I felt that I'd read it before, that these actions had been doneearlier, and it took away from my enjoyment a little. They were stilltasteful and had an air of beauty around them, yet I wished them overmore often than not.

Thepacing gained in the second part also seemed to fall flat with thestart of this volume, with the plotline seeming to just fade. I didfind myself a little confused with the plot and all its nuances, butI would say that's partially due to the inconsistent method in whichI read the book, but thankfully it's summarised a number of timestowards the end. I was a little surprised by the ending, but I foundit pleasant all the same.

Tosummarise, I felt A Hero's Tale was a slightly weak end to apowerful and emotional series, and whilst I enjoyed this volume theleast of the three, I still took a good amount of pleasure andenjoyment from it, as well as a level of sadness upon reaching thefinal page.

N.B.In a previous review, I mentioned the books felt like one book thatwas split up - I've been informed by the author that it was indeed asingle novel that was split into three parts.

Plot:7/10
Characters: 8/10
Style: 8/10

Overall:8/10

REVIEW: A Journey of the Heart by Catherine M. Wilson

A Journey of theHeart by Catherine M. Wilson
Publishing information:eBook (Kindle Edition)
Publisher: ShieldMaiden Press, 1^stOctober 2008
ISBN 10: 0981563627 (Paperback)
ISBN13: 978-0981563626 (Paperback)

ASIN:B001MBUDNA
Series: WhenWomen Were Warriors
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer:Kathryn

Blurb:“In Book II of thetrilogy, Tamras’s apprenticeship as a warrior isn’t turning outquite the way she expected. Her unconventional choices lead to hercrossing swords, almost literally, with Vintel, the war leader ofMerin’s house. She finds herself embroiled in a power struggle sheis doomed to lose, but the loss sends her on a journey that willchange her destiny and decide the fate of her people.”

AJourney of the Heart follows on directly from the end of TheWarrior's Path, and things begin to change for Tamras. Her friendshipwith Maara continues to develop, and we learn more about thewarrior's mysterious past. The plot itself develops much more in thisvolume too, as the antagonist becomes clear and more prominent, andwhilst it still retains the biographical form of the first novel, anend goal becomes visible in this one, giving the story a little morefocus and pushing it in a new direction, but also raising questionsas to how Tamras will get to that point and claim her birthright.

Oneof the major themes in this volume is motherhood and its manydifferent forms and interpretation, but largely the focus is more onadoption and the loss of a parent or child. We're treated to views onhow blood relations aren't the only requisite for being a parent andchild, but also an exploration of how the absence of a mother or theloss of offspring can affect a person. These discussions are justsome of those that happen, with others revolving around love,symbolism, spirituality and even the use of a sword, and aside fromoffering interesting views, they also cement the relationshipsbetween characters. When Maara talks to Tamras about the use of asword, as an example, it adds to the teacher/student dynamic betweenboth characters, yet when the topic of motherhood comes up theinteractions change. It's subtle, but it works very well.

Ido have a criticism or two for this book, however. Some of thediscussions between certain characters sometimes feel as if they goon for a little too long and I found myself beginning to skim readsome parts, meaning I had to go back and re-read parts to find thesingle word that I missed which returned the context to the followingparagraphs, but this may also have been because I jumped into thisalmost as soon as I'd finished the first book. Another small problemI had was that the erotic scenes, whilst vivid and sensual, seemed toread a little similar. There are three or so times where Tamras isintimate with two different characters (not at the same time, I mustadd), and the names could be swapped with – mostly – littlechange.

Myreview for this book is shorter, and that's because it's been harderto write. A Journey of the Heart is more of the same, and whilst itfinds more of a focus and the pacing increases, it's really nothingmore than that. The characters are largely the same, although theydevelop through the pages, and a lot of the action continues to takeplace in some familiar areas. I don't think it takes away from thebook, but nor does it seem to add to it. If anything, it adds to thefeeling that this is one long novel split into three parts (somethingconfirmed, perhaps, by the chapter numbers following on from theprevious volume).

Therecommendations from my previous review still stand – this will begreat for anyone into fantasy with a historical basis or an emphasison relationships. I must warn readers that it is a direct follow onfrom the first book, and as such this volume is not a jumping-inpoint.

Plot:9/10
Characters: 8/10
Style: 8/10

Overall:9/10

REVIEW: The Warrior's Path by Catherine M. Wilson

The Warrior's Pathby Catherine M. Wilson
Publishing information: eBook(Kindle Edition)
Publisher: ShieldMaiden Press, 1^stOctober 2008
ISBN 10: 0981563619 (Paperback)
ISBN13: 978-0981563619 (Paperback)

ASIN:B001MBU7EK
Series: WhenWomen Were Warriors
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer:Kathryn

Blurb:“In Book I of thetrilogy, Tamras, our hero, arrives in Merin’s house to begin herapprenticeship as a warrior, but her small stature causes many,including Tamras herself, to doubt that she will ever become acompetent swordswoman. To make matters worse, the Lady Merin assignsher the position of companion, little more than a personal servant,to a woman who came to Merin’s house, seemingly out of nowhere, theprevious winter, and this stranger wants nothing to do with Tamras.

Tamras’s journey begins with the smallest ofsteps. She sets aside her disappointment and performs as well as shecan the humble tasks given her, and eventually she succeeds inwinning the trust and then the friendship of the cantankerous warriorto whom she has been assigned. 

 

In the first year of her journey, Tamras willmake a series of choices that often seem insignificant, but they willflow from her character and from her good intentions, and they willdetermine her destiny.”

The Warrior's Pathis the first book in Catherine M. Wilson's WhenWomen Were Warriorsseries, a historical fiction-cum-fantasy set in Bronze Age England.In it, we follow Tamras as she follows in her mother's footsteps totake her place as a warrior. However, before she is given her shield,she must rise through the ranks from a lowly companion to theposition that is rightfully hers, and to do that she must makefriends, learn the ways of the world and serve the Lady Merin in anyway possible. Yet, to earn what is hers, Tamras must discoverherself, find her warrior and overcome her doubts, worries andnaiveté.

Ihave to say I found this book to go beyond my expectations. It's froma small press I'd never heard of, and instead I was greeted with abook that surpasses the quality of even some of the bigger genrepublishers. I was gripped from the start, reading for two hours inone night and then finishing it off the following morning, somethingvery unusual for me. The writing is absolutely superb, it's neveroverindulgent nor hard to understand, and the pacing is beautiful. Ialso liked how the characters interacted and whilst some were alittle hard to tell apart or simply dropped in without too muchcontext, it never took away from the story as it echoed what Tamraswould have felt.

WhilstI normally gloss over or shy away from intimate moments in books, Icouldn't turn away from them in this one. Tamras sleeps with anothergirl a couple of times, and each time it's beautiful, erotic andsensual, yet never pornographic or something along those lines.Wilson creates this amazing feeling around those scenes, and I mustconfess I was left pining for such experiences myself. That's howpowerful Wilson's writing is with this book, you can feel theemotions and the way the characters interact with each other.

Inormally have faults to pick at, but with this book I'm failing tofind many. Any faults with it are by far made up for by how touchingand intimate it can be. There are times when it feels a littlerepetitive in that some phrases are often used frequently in a shortperiod of time. For example, at one point a ritual occurs and acharacter seems to change. From that point onwards, they're referredto as “the person who was not...”, and this opens a number ofparagraphs that follow, but taken into context it could be the resultof Tamras being a little overwhelmed. I also felt the more spiritualor magical moments to sometimes be a little disorienting, but again,it seems to fit in with the character's experience. Whilst it seemsto close fairly nicely, it's definitely left open for a sequel andthe plot itself isn't particularly visible. Rather than having a firmgoal set, instead Wilson takes us through the events of Tamras' life,and this is a refreshing break from a protagonist being destined tosave the princess/world/cheerleader.

Tome, this book is everything I've been looking for in fantasy lately.Great characters, beautiful moments of intense yet not disturbinglygraphic eroticism, a fairly diverse cast and an ability to grab me.It's like what would have happened if Jane Yolen had dropped thegender politics and pseudo-historical sections from the GreatAltaseries, and had injected it with a dose of passion. We're alsotreated to Aesop'sFables-esquestories from time to time, each of which fits in with the sorts oftales that would have been passed around at camp-fires, and each hasits own lesson. One of the most memorable ones was a story of threebrothers and a stone giant, and they really add to the world thatWilson has created.

Highlyrecommended to everyone, but especially those looking for a tastefulgenre read with a lesbian protagonist, a fantasy/historical fictionhybrid or just a great story with an emphasis on female characters.Fans of Jane Yolen, Robin Hobb or Elizabeth Moon's initial Paksworldtrilogy may also wish to check this out.

Plot:8/10
Characters: 8/10
Style: 10/10

Overall:9/10

REVIEW: Queen of Kings by Maria Dahvana Headley

Queen of Kings by Maria Dahvana Headley
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Bantam Press (21 July 2011)
ISBN-10: 0593067045
ISBN-13: 978-0593067048
Copy: Bought in bookshop
Reviewer: Cara

From the back of the book:
Once there was a queen of Egypt... a queen who became through magic something else...
In 30BC, as Octavian Caesar and his legions marched into Alexandria, Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, learned that her beloved Mark Anthony had taken his own life. Desperate to save her kingdom, her husband and all she held dear, Cleopatra turned to the gods for help. She summoned Sekhmet, goddess of death and destruction, and struck a mortal bargain. And not even the wisest scholar could have foretold what would follow...
For saving Anthony's soul, Sekhmet demands something in return: Cleopatra herself. Transformed into a shape-shifting, not-quite-human manifestation of a deity who seeks to destroy the world, Cleopatra follows Octavian back to Rome. She desires revenge, she yearns for her children... and she craves human blood.
In Queen of Kings, meticulously researched historical fiction and the darkest of fantasy collide in this spectacular reimagining of a story we thought we knew so well.

I have always been fascinated by the legend of Cleopatra, so when I read about Maria Dahvana Headley's novel, I knew it would find it's way to my reading pile soon after publication. It is clear from the blurb that this is an alternative history to the one we are familiar with. Cleopatra does not disappear into the pages of history after the death of Mark Anthony and Egypt's defeat by Rome, but instead does a deal with the goddess Sekhmet, exchanging her soul for revenge. The love story of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony continues on after both their deaths and is a central feature of the narrative; indeed theirs is not a romance, more of an obsession. And like all obsessions, it is ultimately destructive. Much of the book is written from Cleopatra's point of view and through this we see how she justifies her actions to herself while she deteriorates into a kind of madness.

There is a lot of destruction, for vengeance Cleopatra-style is on a very large scale, incorporating both the Egyptian and Greco-Roman pantheons alongside some very dark magic. It is this aspect I particularly enjoyed as the various gods and goddesses involved ultimately had their own agendas, with Cleopatra and others being mere pawns in their power plays. To counter Cleopatra's magic, Octavian recruits his own magicians from the corners of the empire. This adds to the fantastical nature of the story as each witch or sorcerer has their own back story, and all three are intriguing characters in their own right. I found the different points of view gave a variety of perspectives along with insights into the motives of the magicians.

Much has been made of the vampire nature of Queen of Kings, possibly to catch the post-Twilight generation. Personally I didn't see this book as being part of the current vampire trend, mainly because the only similarity was that the goddess Sekhmet needed blood (and a lot of it!) to sustain her within Cleopatra's body. This was secondary to the magical elements. A major feature was the political situation within the Roman Empire. Octavian was strengthening his power base after the assassination of Julius Caesar and the conquest of Egypt was central to this, hence his desire to destroy Cleopatra.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Queen of Kings and found it a gripping and exciting read. While possibly aimed at the older end of the young adult market (or a predominantly female readership), the horror element was certainly present but without the overly-gory, visceral descriptions that I personally find off-putting. The characters were well drawn, with their respective motivations made clear through the various points of view. The magic took a variety of forms; from the wind magic of Usem to the weaving of fates by Audr and the blood magic of Chrysate, Maria Dahvana Headley showed a lot of imagination in her writing. The final denouement, when all the strands finally came together was, in parts, breathtaking. It was worth the wait, as I found the middle of the book dragged a little. Despite this, the characters shone through. Octavian's paranoia and Cleopatra's obsession were balanced by Agrippa's sceptical stoicism and Nicolaus' cowardice.

The blend of historical fiction with dark fantasy was very well done in my view, and made the reading experience a worthwhile one - I felt I had actually learned something of how Rome moved from a republic to an empire.

Plot: 7.5
Characters: 8
Style: 7.5

Overall rating 7.5/10

REVIEW: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Susana Clarke

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Susana Clarke
Publishing Information: Paperback, 846 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury; 30 August 2005
ISBN 10: 1582346038
ISBN 13: 9781582346038
Standalone
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Back of the Book: "BOOK SENSE BOOK OF THE YEAR A PEOPLE MAGAZINE "TOP TEN" BOOK WINNER OF THE HUGO AWARD WINNER OF THE WORLD FANTASY AWARD


Ravishing…Combines the dark mythology of fantasy with the delicious social comedy of Jane Austen into a masterpiece of the genre that rivals Tolkien."—Time


At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England's history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England—until the reclusive Mr Norrell reveals his powers, and becomes a celebrity overnight.


Soon, another practicing magician comes forth: the young, handsome, and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's student, and they join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wildest, most perilous forms of magic, straining his partnership with Norrell, and putting at risk everything else he holds dear."

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is a huge undertaking. It comes in at just under 850 pages and is chock full of details.

Susana Clark's novel is the story of two rival magicians that eventually join forces to undertake a major task of bringing magic back from a historical and theoretical sense to having a presence in Victorian England. They must also tackle a mysterious and ancient power that works against them. Nearly everything in this novel is richly detailed. The backgrounds of all of the major players as well as many of the lesser characters. Each person you encounter in this novel has a finely crafted background and history that will impress you.

The world is also very detailed. The history of magic and England is presented in detail. From other books that exist in the world Clarke has created to large footnotes. Nearly every other page contains a footnote of some distinction and the footnotes are a massive undertaking as they provide a story of their own. Some of which are quite humorous and others are very informative.

The plot revolves around the two magicians (Norrell and Strange) and an ancient and mythical magician known as the Raven King. As the story progresses the two magicians become engrossed in an ancient mystery that they themselves have started and must see it to its conclusion. I do not want to get into to much detail because it would take forever and I feel that it would spoil it for anyone that is interested in this novel. Suffice it to say the journey that the two main characters engage in is well worth the journey but it takes a lot and roundabout way to get there.

In fact that is the biggest complaint with the novel. It meanders (for a reason) and takes a very long time to get to any of the points of action. There is a lot of dialogue and inaction contained in the pages of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell where you wonder whether or not to continue reading the novel. Between the inaction and the volumes of footnotes it takes a very long time for anything major to happen. When something does it is worth it but if you are looking for a action filled novel this is one of the last places to look. The story is also told in a Victorian way. There are parties and protocols to attend to and that takes up a lot of time in the novel.

In the end, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is a very different book from one I am used to reading. The magic that was found in England has been forgotten and the two must find a way to bring it back from the brink of extinction. There is not a lot of action and plenty of dialogue and footnotes which propel the story along. There are some witty moments which to add to the richness of the novel. With all this in mind, it is a book worth checking out but if you have a short attention span when action is not present very often it will be a challenging novel for you to undertake but it is worth the read.

Plot 8
Characters 8
Style 9.5

Overall 7.5/10

REVIEW: The Alchemist in the Shadows by Pierre Pevel

The Alchemist in the Shadows by Pierre Pevel
Publishing information: Paperback; 336 pages
Publisher: Gollancz; 12 May 2011
ISBN 10: 0575084421
ISBN 13: 9780575084421
Series: Book 2 in the Cardinal's Blade Trilogy
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Back of the Book: "Welcome to Paris, in 1633, where dragons menace the realm. Cardinal Richelieu, the most powerful and most feared man in France, is on his guard. He knows France is under threat, and that a secret society known as the Black Claw is conspiring against him from the heart of the greatest courts in Europe. They will strike from the shadows, and when they do the blow will be both terrible and deadly. To counter the threat, Richelieu has put his most trusted men into play: the Cardinal's Blades, led by Captain la Fargue. Six men and a woman, all of exceptional abilities and all ready to risk their lives on his command. They have saved France before, and the Cardinal is relying on them to do it again. So when la Fargue hears from a beautiful, infamous, deadly Italian spy claiming to have valuable information, he has to listen ...and when La Donna demands Cardinal Richelieu's protection before she will talk, la Fargue is even prepared to consider it. Because La Donna can name their enemy. It's a man as elusive as he is manipulative, as subtle as Richelieu himself, an exceptionally dangerous adversary: the Alchemist in the shadows ..."

The Alchemist in the Shadows takes off a few days from when we last left the Blades in the first book in the series, The Cardinal's Blades. While the first book was interesting and had enough to keep my interest primed. The Alchemist in the Shadows, in my opinion, does a better job of moving the story along and keeping the intrigue interesting.

All of the Blades are back as well as a few more familiar faces. This time they are after an enemy that has dodged La Fargue at every turn, The Alchemist has managed to stay one step ahead of Cardinal Richelieu, La Fargue, and his band of Blades. This time the chase has dire consequences for France and the country's royalty. While not much is told about the Alchemist he seems to have a shroud of mystery that surrounds him and Pevel does a great job at times of showing his ruthlessness and unfortunately, at other times he fails to prove just how formidable he truly is. The other new face in this story is La Donna a beautiful and ingenious spy. She burns at both ends. Often working for both sides of a conflict. She was quite interesting and her introduction was impressive, but just like The Alchemist, she tends to shine at some parts of the novel and others she wanes. I am not sure whether this is due to the translation from French or this is just a flaw of the author. While this is a concern, it is only a minor flaw. Also, there seems to be some foreshadowing into Cardinal Richelieu, perhaps he is not all that he seems.

The story is much quicker paced when compared to its predecessor. I found The Alchemist in the Shadows to move at a frightful pace and as clues and plots are uncovered it was hard to keep up with it all. Add all of the fencing and combat and there is hardly time to catch your breath. There is a lot to take in from the immediate plot of the book and the hidden plots that will hopefully be resolved in the third book. In the first book we know that La Fargue is in contact with a mysterious white dragon and the dragon briefly appears again in this installment; however, we are no closer to finding out what their relationship is. This little sub-plot drives me insane as I have no idea how it fits into the overall story so I hope to see a resolution to it in book three.

I would be remiss if I didn't talk about the cover to the book. The covers in this series are outstanding. I love the dragons that adorn the swords. The first book was purchased in part due to the cover and this book in the series is also a terrific cover.

The Alchemist in the Shadows is a great addition to the series and while there are some minor concerns they do not take away from what makes the story and the series great. If anything book two is much better than the first novel. It moved along much quicker and seemed to have more of the author's voice in it. As if Pevel had finally hit his stride. If you found yourself enjoying the first swashbuckling adventure of The Cardinal's Blades this is just another great adventure in the series. Hard to put down once you open it up.

Plot 8
Characters 7
Style 7

Overall 7/10

REVIEW: The Cardinal's Blades by Pierre Pevel

The Cardinal's Blades by Pierre Pevel
Publishing Information: Paperback; 384 pages
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co; 19 December 2009
ISBN 10: 0575084383
ISBN 13: 9780575084384
Series: The Cardinal's Blades (Book 1)
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Back of the Book: "Paris, 1633. Louis XIII reigns over France ...and Cardinal Richelieu governs the country. One of the most dangerous and most powerful men in Europe, Richelieu keeps a constant, sharp eye on the enemies of the Crown to avoid their assassination attempts, thwart their spies and avert their warmongering. But he's up against people who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, even going so far as to forge alliances with France's oldest and deadliest enemies. Spain, and the Court of Dragons. The nobility keep tiny dragonnets as pets; royal couriers ride tame wyverns, and lethal man-shaped scaled dracs ropam the country. But the power rising from the Court of Dragons is anything but mundane; the Black Claw sect draws on dragons as they once were: ancient, terrible, utterly merciless ...and poised to move against France. Faced with the growing threat from Spain, Richelieu summons Captain la Fargue, an exceptional swordsman, devoted officer and brilliant leader. If he's to turn aside the Black Claw's schemes, La Fargue and his legenday company of swashbucklers and rogues must be persuaded to once again risk their lives, fortunes and reputations for Richelieu, and for France. It's the biggest challenge yet for The Cardinal's Blades - and they'll need to be sharp ..."

I have to admit that the final decision to purchase this book and it's sequel was based on their covers. The covers are gorgeous. Although other reviews have played a part in the decision to buy it. The Cardinal's Blades is the Three Musketeers with dragons. Plenty of political intrigue and swashbuckling adventure.

The characters that make up the novel are interesting and some are more than two dimensional. Although a few of them do fall a little flat and I do not know if this is due to the fact that they were written that way or if is due to the translation from French to English. The Cardinal, Richelieu is as you would expect all-powerful and the right hand of the king. He is a secret wrapped in an enigma. You do not know what his true agenda is but you can always count on him doing whatever he must to keep himself in power and on top. He is in charge of a secret organization of highly skilled soldiers/spies/assassins known as the Cardinal's Blades. A few of the Blades are written quite well and are interesting but, a few of them are nothing but puppets that are necessary to round out the group. La Fargue is the leader of this group and there are a lot of facets to him as he holds a lot of his plans close to the chest. He has a lot of trust issues and is not entirely sure of the motivation for the resurrection of his squad. He also knows that there is more to his return than what is on the surface. He was able to maintain my attention through out the book. The rest of the group has an interesting dynamic, but there were times when their reactions were unimaginative and left me shaking my head. For a feared and legendary group of capable soldiers some of their actions seemed at odds with their mystique. It is a minor point of contention.

The world is just as you imagine it would be in the 1600s, with the exception of dragons. There are wyverns that can be used as mounts and small dragons that are used as household pets and messengers. I was lead to believe that their existence in the world would have a larger impact on history but it is not the case. They are in the background and used as an interesting side note in history. The biggest difference is that some dragons have undergone a transformation. They are human in appearance and aside from their eyes and a few behaviors we would consider odd, they are human. They are a secret society known as the Black Claw and are headquartered in Spain and use the political landscape of the two countries to promote their own agenda. At this time they are attempting to branch out into France and subvert the monarchy. It is not exactly clear as to why they are doing this other than to expand their influence. Since they are a secret society you think this could be done without a giant target on their back but they are not exactly subtle about their arrival. It is the main plot of the story. It is highly disappointing as I was hoping for large dragons found in lore and I came to find their were only slightly different from humans.

The book moves at a fairly decent clip. There are only one or two slow sections in the novel that do not take long to get out of before you are thrust back into action and the various conspiracies. There is not a lot of infodumps as we are just to acknowledge the dragon's existence and the fact that they have changed their appearance. To be fair, Pevel does explain why they have changed shape but it was a little different and seemed kind of odd.

The Cardinal's Blade is a decent read, it just does not live up to the hype. The fact that the novel totes that dragons live alongside humans is a bit of a misconception. Although the book leaves a lot to be solved for later sequels the main plot point is wrapped up nicely. I will give the second book The Alchemist in the Shadows a chance but if that novel does not improve then it is probably a series I will leave.

Plot 7
Characters 7
Style 7

Overall 7/10

REVIEW: Out of the Dark by David Weber (Kindle Edition)

Out of the Dark by David Weber
Publishing infomation: Kindle; 1166kb also available in hardcover 384 pages
Publisher: Tor; 28 September 2010
ASIN: B003P8Q5LM
ISBN 10: 0765324121
ISBN 13: 978-0765324122
Book 1 in a planned trilogy
Copy: out of pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Description "In the stunning launch of a new military-SF series, DAVID WEBER tells the tale of humanity’s near extinction by hostile aliens and of the surprising alliance that fights back.

Earth is conquered. The Shongairi have arrived in force, and humanitys cities lie in radioactive ruins. In mere minutes, over half the human race has died.

Now Master Sergeant Stephen Buchevsky, who thought he was being rotated home from his latest tour in Afghanistan, finds himself instead prowling the back country of the Balkans, dodging alien patrols and trying to organize the scattered survivors without getting killed.

His chances look bleak. The aliens have definitely underestimated human tenacity—but no amount of heroism can endlessly hold off overwhelming force.

Then, emerging from the mountains and forests of Eastern Europe, new allies present themselves to the ragtag human resistance. Predators, creatures of the night, human in form but inhumanly strong. Long Enemies of humanity…until now. Because now is the time to defend Earth."

Out of the Dark grew from a short story that was featured in the George RR Martin and Gardner Dozio's Warriors anthology. While I never got around to reading the anthology, the book itself sounded appealing. I have read a previous Weber novel but for the life of me cannot recall the title or what occurred in it, it was just too long ago. I only remember that it had a fair amount of military action. So, to a certain extent I expected more of the same. If you enjoy a fair amount of military acronyms and terminology you will not be disappointed. Out of the Dark starts out at the battle of Agincourt where the aliens first encounter humanity and take their negative report back to their superiors. After that encounter the rest of the novel takes place a few years into the future. Tensions are still high between the west and Iran. There is a fair amount of world building in the beginning of the novel as we play catch up on world events and we gain a better prospective on how the Shongairi think and how their caste system works. We also learn their true motivations for arriving on earth.

There are quite a few characters to juggle in Out of the Dark. Each chapter jumped from one continent and character to another as action spans the globe. While none of the characters ever became a favorite, they all had a part to play and sometimes their luck was a little too lucky where it bordered on divine intervention. It was not too bothersome but it did seem to make for an easier time than one should have encountered considering every major city and military installation just got blown to smithereens.

In Out of the Dark we have both the various human prospective and the Shongairi's, While the humans seemed normal, or as normal as they could be considering the situation they faced, the Shogairi were a little too human. They did have problems understanding human psychology and human motivations. At times this was humorous but I could not understand why Weber had them seem so much like humans. Aside from the fact that they are described as "puppies," meaning they look like dogs that walk upright, I would have liked to have seen something completely different from us. Aside from their pack like instinct and appearance they were far too similar to humans and that was a disappointment albeit a small one. However, that said, I did enjoy their military staff meetings and they way they analyzed the human's actions. They were humorous and insightful.

When the Shogairi arrive they find three super powers with vast and powerful militaries: The United States of America, Russia, and China. The Shogairi then act swiftly to nullify the three powers. However, throughout Out of the Dark we only get to hear about the US and Russia. After the build up from the first portion of the novel we never hear about China again. As I read the beginning, I was all set to read about those three regions and was disappointed to read about two of them for the duration of the book. The book also takes place in Romania but I felt that that was like a booby prize and I know that Romania was only to set things up for humanity's great undead hope.

I knew that Out of the Dark featured vampires and to be honest it was one of the reasons I picked the book up as I wanted to see how Weber went about blending science fiction with horror. However, that being said it would have been nice if Weber kept the vampires a secret, if he somehow kept it as the twist in the plot. But it is stated on the blurb on the inside of the book. While the vampires slowly reveal themselves and don't outright show up, they were not treated very well in Out of the Dark. They were the Deus ex Machina. They only show up near the end and when they do they are unmatched at killing. They turn the tide of war so far over to the human's advantage that you have to wonder why Weber made them so powerful, while the story was a lot of fun the addition of vampires took the wind out of the sails of the book. They are just too powerful for the aliens to overcome.

I really enjoyed the idea of aliens coming to conquer earth only to find we are a lot stronger then their earlier (600 years ago) estimates. The battles at the beginning of the book were a lot of fun and it was interesting to read how humanity continued to wage war even when the chips were down. The vampires were interesting but the way the book set itself up in the beginning it could have been a bunch of highly trained military special forces or intelligence operatives that survived and began conducted the strikes towards the end of novel in place of the vampires. It would have made it a more interesting book and it would left the strong possibility that humanity could still fail and the Shongairi could still conquer Earth.

Out of the Dark has an interesting ending which was a little too warm and mushy for me, but there are still  a lot of loose ends and issues to be resolved. I am sure that they will all be solved in the remaining two novels in the planned trilogy. While Out of the Dark was not one of my top reads it certainly was a fun book to escape to after a long day of work. It does exactly what I had in mind for it to do, entertain me.

Plot 8
Characters 7
Style 7

Overall 7/10

REVIEW: Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
Publishing Information: Paperback; 416 pages
Publisher: Tor Books 29 September 2009
ISBN 10: 0765318415
ISBN 13: 978-0765318411
Standalone
Copy: out of pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Back of the Book: "In the early days of the Civil War, rumors of gold in the frozen Klondike brought hordes of newcomers to the Pacific Northwest. Anxious to compete, Russian prospectors commissioned inventor Leviticus Blue to create a great machine that could mine through Alaska’s ice. Thus was Dr. Blue’s Incredible Bone-Shaking Drill Engine born. But on its first test run the Boneshaker went terribly awry, destroying several blocks of downtown Seattle and unearthing a subterranean vein of blight gas that turned anyone who breathed it into the living dead. Now it is sixteen years later, and a wall has been built to enclose the devastated and toxic city. Just beyond it lives Blue’s widow, Briar Wilkes. Life is hard with a ruined reputation and a teenaged boy to support, but she and Ezekiel are managing. Until Ezekiel undertakes a secret crusade to rewrite history. His quest will take him under the wall and into a city teeming with ravenous undead, air pirates, criminal overlords, and heavily armed refugees. And only Briar can bring him out alive."


When I learned that there was a steam punk novel called Boneshaker based in my hometown of Seattle I quickly ordered it. The thought of zombies stumbling through downtown appealed to me. While I have not read a lot of steam punk, mainly Chris Wooding, I had hoped to expand my author base and experience with the sub-genre.

Priest does an excellent job of showing the reader Seattle as it was during that time in history (with a few minor changes to drive her story). Anyone who has lived or visited Seattle will easily recognize the landmarks and geographical areas that are portrayed in the book. As I read Boneshaker I returned to seattle as everything was written with vivid clarity. Priest does an excellent job of world building.

The characters were a bit off for me. Deep down it is about a mother's love for her child and while that is something everyone can associate with. Boneshaker did not get it done for me personally. I found Ezekiel to be stubborn and idiotic, every choice he made confounded me. He was portrayed as a street kid with street smarts; however, once he crosses over the wall he forgets all that he has learned about being a kid surviving on his wits in the streets of Seattle and makes mistake after terrible mistake.

The pacing of Boneshaker was well done, there are a few lulls in the novel but, Priests quickly builds things back up to a frenzy. A few plot points were also a bit obvious which knocked my opinion of the book down a few notches.

While the premise of Boneshaker was intriguing and the location was familiar to me, I ended up looking to see how many pages were left in the novel so that I could go on to something else. My major complaint with Priest's Boneshaker was that I never had an investment in the characters and their predicament.

Plot 6.5
Characterization 5
Style 7.5

Overall 6/10

REVIEW: Other Earths eds. Nick Gevers and Jay Lake

Other Earths eds. Nick Gevers and Jay Lake
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Daw Books; 1 Original edition (7 April 2009)
ISBN-10: 0756405467
ISBN-13: 978-0756405465
Copy: Bought online
Reviewer: Cara

On the back of the book:
Alternate history explores the many possible directions our world could follow if certain key events didn’t occur at all or were changed in some crucial way. Is our Earth the only Earth, our reality the only one that exists? Or are there many parallel worlds and societies, some very similar to ours, some barely recognisable?

What if Lincoln had never become president, and the [American] Civil War had never taken place? What if Columbus never discovered America, and the Inca developed a massive technologically advanced empire? What if magic was real and a half-faery queen ruled England? What if Hitler and Germany won the war because America never got involved? What if many of the world’s religions were totally commercialised, their temples run like casinos, religions designed purely for profit? What if an author discovered a book written by an alternate version of himself?

These are just some of the possible pathways that you can take to explore the Other Earths that may be waiting just one event away…

Contents:
Introduction – Nick Gevers and Jay Lake
This Peaceable Land, or, the Unbearable Vision of Harriet Beecher Stowe – Robert Charles Wilson
The Goat Variations – Jeff VanderMeer
The Unblinking Eye – Stephen Baxter
Csilla’s Story – Theodora Goss
Winterborn – Liz Williams
Donovan Sent Us – Gene Wolfe
The Holy City and Em’s Reptile Farm – Greg von Eekhout
The Receivers – Alastair Reynolds
A Family History – Paul Park
Dog-Eared Paperback of My Life – Lucius Shepard
Nine Alternate Alternate Histories – Benjamin Rosenbaum

It is good to have a change every so often. Much as I enjoy reading novels, I have recently come to appreciate the short story format and have found that an anthology, based around a theme, provides a satisfying break from the norm. Other Earths is a collection of eleven stories that explore the possibilities of alternate history. Predominantly science fiction, a range of scenarios are explored here, some to better effect than others, from a variety of authors many of whom are well known in the SFF world.

The collection opens with a gentle story of a writer and a photographer investigating what happened after slavery declined in the southern US. In this scenario, the American Civil War never happened, instead, slavery ceased to be economically viable leaving the problem of what to do with the millions of now redundant slave workers. An interesting concept, well executed, this was one of my favourite stories and worked well as the first story in the book.

As with any anthology, there are always going to be some stories that work better than others. For me, this is part of the attraction, as, while I may not enjoy a particular story, I can appreciate why the editors included it in the collection. The Holy City and Em’s Reptile Farm was the weakest story in Other Earths, in my view, but the exploration of a highly commercialised religious culture was a fascinating idea.

My favourite story was, unsurprisingly, written by Stephen Baxter. For me, he is probably the best author of alternate history around today and The Unblinking Eye did not disappoint. Imagine a Europe, where religion held back scientific advances, being visited by the highly technological Incas. This was a fascinating story, set in a world where the Incan civilisation flourished and expanded across the southern hemisphere while Europe stagnated under the weight of superstition. The revelation of what led to the rise of the Incan empire was both innovative and imaginative.

Some well known authors are included in Other Earths, several of whom I had not read before. Jeff VanderMeer, better known for his steampunk writing, delivers a story with a punch. To give more detail here could spoil the surprise, but it revolves around a (real) major world event we are all very familiar with. Highly recommended for the concept alone. Alastair Reynolds contributes an alternate World War 2 story, as does Gene Wolfe. The only fantasy stories, both involving fairies, came from the two female authors included in the anthology. I found this to be slightly irritating, mainly because of the well documented bias towards women and science fiction. This was disappointing, however, both stories were highly enjoyable.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Other Earths as the range of imaginative scenarios presented sparked many ‘what if’ questions in my mind as I progressed through the collection. If you are looking for a book full of unusual ideas, then Other Earths is a good place to start.

Rating 8/10

REVIEW: Stone Spring by Stephen Baxter

Stone Spring by Stephen Baxter
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Gollancz (3 Jun 2010)
ISBN-10: 0575089199
ISBN-13: 978-0575089198
Copy: Bought online
Reviewer: Cara

From the back cover:
Ana is fourteen. Her father is missing, her mother dead. Ana herself has perhaps another twenty years of life left to her. But in that time she is destined to change the shape of our world.

Ana lives on the North coast of Doggerland, a vast and fertile plain that 10,000 years ago linked the British Isles to mainland Europe. Life is short for Ana's people but they live in an Eden-like world teeming with wildlife, a world yet to feel the impact of man. But their world is changing. The ice has melted, the seas are rising and one fateful year a Tsunami sweeps inland and scatters Ana's people. But if the people of distant Jericho could build a wall to keep the world out, surely Ana's people could build a wall to keep the sea out?

Stephen Baxter's new imaginative epic is the story of life in the Mesolithic, a rich world of alien cultures, a world where death comes swiflty, a world about to be sewpt away. A world that will become our world.

Unless one girl can change it forever.

I have long been a fan of Stephen Baxter’s writing, so when I heard about the release of Stone Spring I immediately pre-ordered the large paperback version. The promise of a trilogy that begins in the prehistoric Stone Age and carries through to around 1500AD (in our calendar), revealing a world where the Roman Empire, Christianity and Islam never happened, was too much for me to resist. A review on www.sfx.co.uk described the trilogy as

a series that’s close to being a prehistoric companion piece to Flood, his ecological disaster novel of 2008.

The first book in the trilogy, Stone Spring tells the story of Ana, a 14 year old girl living in Northland, an area now covered by the North Sea and referred to as Doggerland in our world. She is a strong character, worthy of the lead role as she carries the book well, being determined and innovative as well as having the respect of her people. These traits serve her well throughout the events of the book. While Ana is the focal point, other points of view appear along the way, most significantly that of Novu, a young man sold to a trader by his father in Jericho, whose expertise lies in brick-making. We are introduced to each of the principle players and follow them as their circumstances lead them to Northland and to Ana.

Anyone familiar with Baxter’s work will recognise his style. There is a lot of well-researched detail about life and culture in the Mesolithic; religious beliefs and ceremonies, hunting, tool use, the exchange of ideas with other peoples etc. are all beautifully described without being overly factual. This is one area where Stephen Baxter is particularly strong, as anyone who has read his other novels, such as Evolution or the Time’s Tapestry trilogy will testify. Stone Spring sets the scene for the rest of the books in the series, being wholly concerned with saving Northland/Doggerland from drowning under the rising seas.

It seems such a simple idea, that of building walls or dykes to keep out the encroaching sea, but one that is so powerful that is has the ability to change the progress of European human history. Ana’s strength lies in her open-minded attitude and willingness to adapt ideas from other parts of the known world, brought to her by travellers from outside Northland. She is the catalyst that drives the wall-building to save her homeland after a Tsunami-type event causes death and destruction. This is a time when the ice age is ending rapidly, changing the traditional lives of the Stone Age people and hastening the demise of the creatures they depend upon e.g. aurochs, mammoths. Stone Spring gives us insight into how our ancient ancestors lived and died and shows how the interchange of ideas between different cultures can enhance the survival chances of a tribe of people threatened by changes in the natural world. There are parallels here with our own world where climate change has the potential to destroy civilisation as we know it.

Being the first book in a trilogy, Stone Spring sets the scene for a new European history and promises an intriguing alternate history where the main elements that form the basis of our own society – the influence of the Roman Empire, Christianity and Islam – do not arise. While this is not dealt with here; this is Ana’s story set in her world, one which is slowly being revealed as the North Sea throws up artifacts in the nets of trawlers (see the Afterword); the reader is left wondering how the saving of Northland will impact on human history as we know it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stone Spring and eagerly await the next book in the trilogy where the consequences of Ana’s actions change the path of history. Will this have a positive effect on human development? I am looking forward to finding out!

Plot: 8
Characters: 8
Style: 8

Overall rating 8/10

REVIEW: Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis

Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis
Publishing information: Hardback; 356 pages
Publisher: Tor Books; 01 May 2010
ISBN 10: 0765321505
ISBN 13: 9780765321503
Book 1 in the Milkweed Triptych
Copy: Out of pocket

Inside of the Book: "Raybould Marsh is a British secret agent in the early days of the Second World War, haunted by something strange he saw on a mission during the Spanish Civil War: a German woman with wires going into her head who looked at him as if she knew him. When the Nazis start running missions with people who have unnatural abilities - a woman who can turn invisible, a man who can walk through walls, and the woman Marsh saw in Spain who can use her knowledge of the future to twist the present - Marsh is the man who has to face them. He rallies the secret warlocks of Britain to hold the impending invasion at bay. But magic always exacts a price. Eventually, the sacrifice necessary to defeat the enemy will be as terrible as outright loss would be."


The premise of Bitter Seeds is simple, the Nazi's of World War II have devised a way to create supermen (and women) through the use of science and innovation. Each individual has a unique ability or power. Some are powerful juggernauts, some walk through walls, and one special woman can see the future and its outcomes. the British on the other hand, must rely on ancient means to protect themselves from the Nazi incursion. They turn to a small secret sect of warlocks who can call upon a powerful race that gifts them with power for a price, sometimes it is meager, other times it is a too much to consider. Either way it is always paid in blood.


The setting of Bitter Seeds mainly focuses in England and Germany, but our secret agent goes all around Europe to gain bits of information and so we see parts of Spain and France as well. Tregillis does a great job of transporting the reader to the various battlefronts and locations and gives you a clear picture of what it could have been like had you actually been there. In one scene I read, I could see and feel the bitter cold as the two forces clashed. Tregillis has excellent prose and a way with words which made the book all that more enjoyable.


The characters in Bitter Seeds are also top notch. Our hero, Marsh, does a fairly decent job of juggling his family life and the demands of his job as he attempts to catch up the the German war machine and find a way to negate the new soldiers in Hitler's army. The Supermen (and women) also have a great deal of personality and at times you can't help but feel for the way they have been treated and the cost they have paid for their powers. It takes a special kind of author to find a way to sway you emotionally to want to see a Nazi win their freedom and move away from the High Command's plans. Along the way every character grows and some experience personal pains that makes their character more than just the stereotypical two dimensional hero or villain.


The plot and pacing are excellent. I can not recall a single moment in Bitter Seeds where you are allowed to take a breather, even when the characters are at home and away from their various assignments there is tension and the feel of urgency in their actions. I really enjoyed the idea that even though both sides have found a great power that can turn the tide of war or stave off a brutal attack, there is a cost and the cost may be far worse than the actual engagement between the two military powers.


By the end of Bitter Seeds we have a cliff hanger and the good news is that Tregillis plans to release the next book in the series, The Coldest War, later this year so, we do not have to wait long to see what happens next. This is one of my favorite reads of the year. If you like flawed characters attempting to do all they can to do what is right and you have a need for alternate history with some magic thrown in for good measure then Bitter Seeds will fill your niche. An impressive release for 2010 that everyone should read.


Plot  9
Characters  8.5
Style  9


Overall 9.5/10