REVIEW: X-Men Misfits vol. 1 by Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman Illustrated by Anzu

X-Men Misfits vol. 1 by Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman Illustrated by Anzu
Publishing information: Paperback; 192 pages
Publisher: Del Ray; 11 August 2009
ISBN 10: 034550514X
ISBN 13: 978-0345505149
Series Volume 1
Reviewer: Tyson

Back of the Book "THE X-MEN GET A RADICAL NEW REMIX IN A STORY ABOUT TEEN ANGST, FIRST LOVE, AND WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

High school student Kitty Pryde has always been the odd girl out. A mutant, she was born with strange superpowers, magical talents that make her the class freak. But Kitty’s world is changed when she’s invited to study at Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, a special home for mutant teens. There’s just one catch: Kitty’s the only girl at the all-boy school, and she ends up just feeling like a freak all over again.

Then Kitty meets Pyro and the ultra-hot bad boys of the Hellfire Club. They’re the school’s elite–handsome, rich, and totally above the rules. Now Kitty seems to have it all: a dreamy boyfriend, super-cool friends, and the chance to develop her extraordinary talents. But why is her heart telling her that something is wrong? Will Kitty ever find the place where she belongs, or is she doomed to be a misfit forever?"

The book seemed to be targeted for girls or at least this particular book was as Kitty Pryde is a outcast at her school when she is asked to come to a private school for people like her. She accepts the offer and learns she is the only girl enrolled which seemed to me to be trying to hit the Twilight fans as that seemed right out of Stephanie Meyer's personal playbook. X-Men Misfits is a reboot on the popular Marvel franchise and for me it did not do it for me. When I reviewed the rebooted Wolverine, I liked it. X-men Misfits just failed to hit the mark.

Some of that may have to do with the fact that the book focused it on Kitty Pryde AKA Shadowcat. She was such a minor character back when I read the comics that I had difficulty getting into this one. While I had several issues with this reboot I will only focus on a few. The second issue I had was that the book had Scott Summers/Cyclops as a student and his wife Jean Grey and Ororo Munroe/Storm as professors which really confused me and the timeline I had already set in my mind. The third issue I had was that Eric Lehnsherr/Magneto was in charge of an elite group of mutants at Xavier's School for the Gifted called Hellfire Club and that the they students in that group had free reign of the school. I would have thought that Professor X would have knowledge of the group and put a stop to it but it was never brought up.

X-Men Misfits does have a lot of potential as there are plenty of characters that can be introduced or brought in as a cameo. However, I have no plans to continue with this particular series.

The artwork is the real gem in X-Men Misfits. It is done in the anime style and should bring more fans to the world of the X-Men. It may take some getting use to as some panels have some serious humor ejected into them which is not common in traditional American comics. It was my first encounter with Anzu and I have to say that I like what I saw. It was the books only saving grace.

Plot 6
Characterization 7
Style 5

Overall 5/10

NEW YEAR BOOK QUIZ... with prizes

New for 2011: A Book Quiz

Time to stretch that grey matter after the recent holidays and exercise your brain power on this tricky quiz.

**There are prizes of books for the top 3 winners**

If more than one person answers all 30 questions correctly, the names will go into a hat and drawn at random, otherwise the winners will be those 3 people who submit the most correct answers.

Entry information 
Please send your numbered answers to:
speculativebookreview@googlegroups.com with BOOK QUIZ in the subject line.
Include your full name... I will ask you for your address only if you are a winner.
The competition is open to anyone, worldwide, but for anyone outside Europe, if you win I will post your prize books by surface mail.
Closing date for entries: Sunday 30th January 2011

The Prizes

The following list of 10 books will be offered as prizes:

And God Created Zombies - Andrew Hook (signed, hardcover)
The Left Hand of God - Paul Hoffman (hardcover)
I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore (hardcover)
The Prince of Mist - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (hardcover)
The Stars Compel - Michaela Roessner (hardcover)
Cry of the Newborn - James Barclay
Cosmonaut Keep - Ken McLeod
Little Brother - Cory Doctorow
Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris
The White Mare - Jules Watson

The winner will receive their choice of 5 from the list
The runner-up will receive their choice of 3 from the remaining 5
Third place winner will receive the last 2 books

The Questions:
All books referred to are in the Speculative Fiction genre and many have been reviewed here.
**No book or author is included more than once**
Also, all the answers relate to books I own... if you are on Goodreads, then you can check my books there.

Openings
Which books (with author) open with the following lines:
1. In a distant and second-hand set of dimensions, in an astral plane that was never meant to fly, the curling star-mists waver and part…

2. It began on a train, heading north through England, although I was soon to discover that the story had really begun more than a hundred years earlier.

3. I’ll make my report as if I told a story, for I was taught as a child on my homeworld that Truth is a matter of the imagination.

4. An everyday doomsayer in sandwich-board abruptly walked away from what over the last several days had been his pitch, by the gates of a museum.

5. A squat grey building of only thirty-four stories. Over the main entrance the words, CENTRAL LONDON HATCHERY AND CONDITIONING CENTRE, and, in a shield, the World State’s motto, COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, STABILITY.

People
Name the books (and author) in which the following characters appear:
**All the books are in the Gollancz Masterworks series**
Fantasy –
6. Suldrun
7. Jeff Winston
8. Brendan Doyle
9. Severian
10. Robert Luczak

Science Fiction -
11. Marjorie Westriding Yrarier
12. Paul Atreides
13. Charlie Gordon
14. David Mingolla
15. Robert Neville

Places
Name the books (with author) which are set in the following locations:
16. Villiren
17. Botanica
18. Airstrip One
19. Gilead
20. Jacob’s Ladder
21. Starhaven
22. The Garden of the Eloi
23. Rakhat
24. Thaiburley
25. The Arameri Palace

Closings
Which books (with author) close with the following lines:
26. “What is this place?” Maya cried.
“This is home,” Hiroko said. “This is where we start again.”

27. He was dreaming, the hunter could see, but his eyes were wide open, staring up at the sickle moon.
‘Adisla,’ he said, ‘I will find you.’

28. ‘I hope she makes it,’ Jude said.
‘To Buffalo? I don’t see why she wouldn’t,’ Marybeth said.
‘Yeah,’ Jude said, although he wasn’t sure that was what he had really meant at all.

29. Whichever lover had given Kerry the guitar must have been the person who stole it all those years ago.
He made to leave with it but stopped, staring again at the beautiful flowers. He thought about Kerry lying sick in the hospital.
“Oh to hell with it. I’ll take the old beat-up thing I got from that bag lady. I always could play better than anyone else on any old guitar.”
He left Kerry’s guitar where it lay, and was not dissatisfied.

30. Virgil reached for me and I took his mitt without hesitation.
He pulled me to my feet, and slowly smiled.
We walked toward the infinite dead horizon that lay ahead.
My name is Filippo Argenti. This is my journey.

The winners will be announced on Sunday February 6th 2011 when the answers will also be posted.
Good luck!

Reading Order of Malazan Book of the Fallen

While we wait for the last book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson, The Crippled God to arrive. I thought it would be a good idea for those of you who are considering getting into the series or just starting the adventure to know where to begin.

One of the most difficult parts of understanding the series is the timelines, which do not always add up. So, I will also attempt to simplify the timelines as well. Bear in mind this may or may not be completely accurate as I have a hard time figuring everything out myself. Of course you can read them in order of timeline or by publishing order the choice is yours.


Timeline Order:

Night of Knives (1154)

Blood Follows (c. 1154)
The Lees of Laughter's End (c. 1154)
The Healthy Dead (c. 1158)
Midnight Tides (uncertain, but possibly two years before Gardens of the Moon, c. 1161)
Gardens of the Moon (1163)
Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice (1163-64, these two novels occur simultaneously)
House of Chains (1164, with a lengthy prologue section that takes place some years earlier)
The Bonehunters (1164-65)
Return of the Crimson Guard (c. 1165, just after the events in The Bonehunters)
Stonewielder (1165, a few months after the events in Return of the Crimson Guard)
Reaper's Gale (c. 1165 or 1166)
Toll the Hounds (by internal evidence, c. 1169-70, but this conflicts with dates in other books)
Dust of Dreams (unknown, but after the events of Reaper's Gale)
The Crippled God (unknown)

Publishing Order:
Gardens of the Moon (1999)
Deadhouse Gates (2000)
Memories of Ice (2001)
House of Chains (2002)
Midnight Tides (2004)
The Bonehunters (2006)
Reaper's Gale (2007)
Toll the Hounds (2008)
Dust of Dreams (2009)
The Crippled God (15 FEB 2011)

Novellas:
Blood Follows (2002)
The Healthy Dead (2004)
The Lees of Laughter's End (2007)
Bauchelain and Korbal Broach (2009)
The Crack'd Pot Trail (2009)

Novels of the Malazan Empire:
Night of Knives (2005)
Return of the Crimson Guard (2008)
Stonewielder (2010)

REVIEW: The Stars Compel by Michaela Roessner

The Stars Compel by Michaela Roessner
Format: Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Tor Books (Sep 2000)
ISBN-10: 0812550153
ISBN-13: 978-0812550153
Reviewer: Cara
Copy: Bought secondhand

From the back of the book:
Set in Renaissance Florence and Rome, this fantasy retelling of the life of Catherine de' Medici is as beautiful and as richly magical as the works of the great artists who people its pages.

Tommaso Arista has been named the personal chef to the Duchessina Catherine de' Medici, the only legitimate heir of the staggering Medici fortune and titles. Tommaso, both a chef and an artist, is from a family bound to the Dukes of Florence by centuries of both service and blood, family in all but name.

Together they leave Florence when her uncle, Pope Clement, calls her to Rome to use her and her dowry in his political manoeuverings with the crowns of Europe. But Catherine has other plans for her future, and they do not include marriage to the younger son of the King of France.

**This review contains spoilers for The Stars Dispose**

The Stars Compel continues the story of Tommaso and Catherine de Medici (known as Caterina here), though in this book the location moves from Florence to Rome. My view is that it is essential to read the first book, The Stars Dispose, before this one, as it places the relationship between Caterina and her servant and confidante, Tommaso in context. Read my review here. With hindsight, I should have reviewed both books together as they are so closely linked. Having read them in direct succession, my feeling is that they could easily be combined into one, albeit large, book. I have read online that Michaela Roessner is working on a third book in the series, but as The Stars Compel was published 10 years ago, this may not be correct. However, if she does, I will be first in the queue to read it!

What sets The Stars Compel apart from other historical novels dealing with the early life of Catherine de Medici is twofold. As Tommaso, the central character from whose viewpoint the story is written, is a chef, food is a major feature of his life. He is also from a family of strega (Italian witches) so magic plays a significant role and places the book firmly in the realm of speculative fiction. Caterina wears a protective amulet, infused with the spirit of Tomasso's sister Ginevra, who speaks to Caterina from beyond the grave.

If you love food, then your mouth will be watering as you read this book. Tomasso is now Caterina's personal chef and the descriptions of the food he prepares and banquets he attends are so vivid you can almost taste them. Michaela Roessner's research into what Renaissance Italians ate is extensive, as most of the dishes are not what we today consider typical Italian fare, given that tomatoes, potatoes and chilli peppers, for example, were 'New World' plants and thus not available to the chefs of the day. The following describes a midmorning repast for a small gathering of 4 or 5 in Caterina's rooms:

"... buffet of veal sweetbread pastries, smoked mussels, a timbal of cod tripe, a salad of bitter greens garnished in the Tuscan style with olive oil and ciocavallo cheese, grilled squares of buckwheat polenta shot through and through with tender leeks, and that Milanese sweet, panettone."

Tommaso is also an artist, apprenticed to Il Tribolino in Florence and then the great Michelangelo (also his lover) in Rome. While he learns to sculpt marble, he is also applying his artistic techniques to his food. In one important scene, he has created a classical Greek scene, with landscape, temple and astrological statues, all made from pastry, a variety of forms of sugar, herbs and the like. Throughout The Stars Compel, food and art are inextricably linked, just as in the character of Tommaso. His relationship with Michelangelo, while maintained in secret, adds a further dimension. Whether such relationships were commonplace in the Renaissance or not, it is hard to tell from the book, but certainly, young as Tommaso is, he has no misgivings about being involved in a homosexual relationship despite the predominance of the Church (and fear of hell and damnation) in all aspects of daily life.

Caterina is a young girl, legitimate heir to the Medici titles and fortune, but a pawn in the political game played by her uncle, Pope Clement VII. Being female, she has no control in who she is to be married to - that is decided by her (male) legal guardian. Pope Clement is determined to marry her into the French royal family to strengthen his political alliances. Caterina, on the other hand, is equally determined that this political marriage will not take place, preferring instead to marry her distant cousin, Ippolito de Medici, who at the beginning of the book has been made a cardinal against his wishes. As anyone who knows even the littlest amount about Caterina in history is aware, she is destined to be a notorious Queen of France. What becomes clear is that she is politically astute from an early age and while reading The Stars Compel, I often forgot how young she was, being only eleven in the opening chapter.

The magic (and fantastical element) of The Stars Compel centres around the witchcraft of the hereditary strega. The Kitchen Goddess is the principle deity, and Tomasso's mother invokes her power to protect Caterina, using her deceased daughter's spirit. Cats, too play a significant role here. Although the magic is hidden and takes place behind the scenes for the most part, it underpins much of the book. The story of Caterina is but a chapter in the grand war between the forces of good and evil, and, like the role of food in the overall tale, is an additional dimension to a fascinating piece of history.

Plot: 9
Characters: 9
Style: 9

Overall rating 9/10

REVIEW: The Deed of Paksenarrion (omnibus) by Elizabeth Moon

The Deeds of Parksenarrion (omnibus) by Elizabeth Moon
Publishing information: Paperback; 1216 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Book Group; 21 January 2010
ISBN 10: 1841498548
ISBN 13: 9781841498546
Omnibus that contains the first trilogy
Contains the books Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold
Reviewer: Tyson

Back of the Book "Paksenarrion wasn't planning to submit to an unwelcome marriage and a lifetime of poverty, so she left her village with a plan and her grandfather's sword. And a few weeks later, she was installed as Duke Phelan's newest recruit in a company of soldiers for hire, her arms training about to begin. But when Paks sees combat, she's stabbed with an ensorcelled knife and barely survives. Then the near-misses start mounting up, raising questions about this young fighter. Is she attracting evil because she is a danger to them all? Or is there another reason malignant forces seek her life? Paks will face the spider-minions of the Webmistress Achrya, orcs and the corrupted men who serve blood mage Liart, Master of Torments. She will also earn the gratitude of elves and of her Duke. And through conflict she will learn she has powers of her own and a destiny. To become a gods-chosen Paladin of Gird, and a target for the ultimate torture."

The Deeds of Paksenarrion is my first novel or novels rather by Elizabeth Moon. Nearly everyone else here at Speculative Book Review has read one, if not several books by her and I have to admit that I am impressed. Since this is an omnibus I thought I would attempt to tackle the books separately and then bring it all back together so, bear with me.

Sheepfarmer's Daughter

The first book in the series was a real high point in the series. We are introduced to nearly everyone in the rest of the series in this book. Paksenarrion comes across as a real individual. While this is a fantasy, if you were brought into the world Elizabeth Moon created she seems that she would be someone you would find in any small village or town. Many of the supporting cast is also realistic. There are various personalities thrown into the mix and they all feel real.

The pacing of the novel is very fast. We move from her time with her family in a very small village to her time training with her mercenary group. Once her training is completed she and her cohort are quickly brought into action. While most readers may cringe at the idea of reading about the training of a soldier, Moon does an excellent job of bring out what would be required to be an efficient soldier and the various personalities that are in a military unit. It made for some humorous and interesting moments. It was also very effectively paced and was not tedious or boring. It was entertaining and to a certain degree educational.

Due to Elizabeth Moon's personal background as a former US Marine the training and dialogue feels genuine. Which only adds to the enjoyment of the book. The way that the soldiers work together and how they are handled by their superiors has you feeling like you are one of the group.

The overall story of Sheepfarmer's Daughter is mainly a set up for the other installments in the other books. But while the book does set up the other installments, it also has a great story as well. There is plenty of action, worldbuilding, and characterization. A great way to start the series.

Divided Allegiance

The second book in the series is a bit darker than the first book. Paksenarrion or Paks as she likes to be referred to is a veteran and the incidents at the end of the first novel have forced her hand to move on and seek her own path which leads her on a larger than life adventure that will taker her closer to her ultimate destiny.

There are a few more new characters that are introduced in this novel and many of them play a huge role later on but Divided Allegiance is more about Paks' personal growth as she learns more about the world and herself. There is not a lot of world building as the groundwork was laid in the first novel but there are a few new location that we encounter. We also discover more about the various gods on both side of the spectrum and uncover some of what the forces of dark have planned for the world.

Oath of Gold

The direct sequel to Divided Allegiance takes place right where it left off. Paks has become an agent of good and that action leads to where she is needed most, to uncover the last prince of the Northern kingdom but while that might be quest enough for some the forces of evil have also marked her as a threat and do everything in their power to stop her from succeeding.

Since the last two novels in the series have introduced us to most of the major players and locations this book once again focus on Paks and her mission which takes us for a a quite a ride. Action and political intrigue are par for the course in Oath of Gold and Moon does not disappoint. With each new chapter the story becomes stronger and while the big mystery was a little to obvious for me it did not lessen my enjoyment of the story.

The Deed of Paksenarrion is a great addition to any library and personally I found it a spectacular way to be introduced to a highly talented author. While reading this omnibus I found it hard to imagine why I had not read this series earlier. While not groundbreaking fantasy it was a great read. I really enjoyed reading about a strong female character who was not helpless and when you consider Moon's personal experience as a Marine you can not help but think that some of the instances and individuals in the book may have been apart of Moon's past. Highly entertaining and recommended.

Plot 9
Characterization 9
Style 9

Overall 9.5/10

An Exciting New Year Ahead

2011 is going to be an exciting year for me, especially on the family-life front. My wife and I are going to meet our son in a few weeks. He is expected to be born late in January, however he is going to be our first baby and as they say, the first ones can be quite late so we're readying ourselves for the beginning of February.

Undoubtedly, our lives will change, hopefully mostly for good. In the very beginning, this may mean some less reading time for me and also more diversity in my reading materials. I've already been reading about babies and what to expect. I think the main subjects of some of my books in 2011 will be about raising a child.

2011 is also going to bring us some exciting books:

The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie

Hardcover: 512 pages
Publisher: Gollancz (27 Jan 2011)
ISBN-10: 0575083832
ISBN-13: 978-0575083837

They say Black Dow’s killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbour, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud. Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they’ve brought a lot of sharpened metal with them.

Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his stolen honour on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted to violence, he’s far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the attempt. Even if it’s his own.

Prince Calder isn’t interested in honour, and still less in getting himself killed. All he wants is power, and he’ll tell any lie, use any trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn’t have to fight for it himself.

Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he even tell what that is with the world burning down around him?

Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the strongest arms that prevail...

Three men. One battle. No Heroes.

The Crippled God by Steven Erikson

Hardcover: 509 pages
Publisher: Bantam Press (21 Feb 2011)
ISBN-10: 0593046358
ISBN-13: 978-0593046357

Savaged by the K'Chain Nah'Ruk, the Bonehunters march for Kolanse, where waits an unknown fate. Tormented by questions, the army totters on the edge of mutiny, but Adjunct Tavore will not relent. One final act remains, if it is in her power, if she can hold her army together, if the shaky allegiances she has forged can survive all that is to come. A woman with no gifts of magic, deemed plain, unprepossessing, displaying nothing to instill loyalty or confidence, Tavore Paran of House Paran means to challenge the gods -- if her own troops don't kill her first.

Awaiting Tavore and her allies are the Forkrul Assail, the final arbiters of humanity. Drawing upon an alien power terrible in its magnitude, they seek to cleanse the world, to annihilate every human, every civilization, in order to begin anew. They welcome the coming conflagration of slaughter, for it shall be of their own devising, and it pleases them to know that, in the midst of the enemies gathering against them, there shall be betrayal. In the realm of Kurald Galain, home to the long lost city of Kharkanas, a mass of refugees stand upon the First Shore. Commanded by Yedan Derryg, the Watch, they await the breaching of Lightfall, and the coming of the Tiste Liosan. This is a war they cannot win, and they will die in the name of an empty city and a queen with no subjects.

Elsewhere, the three Elder Gods, Kilmandaros, Errastas and Sechul Lath, work to shatter the chains binding Korabas, the Otataral Dragon, and release her from her eternal prison. Once freed, she will be a force of utter devastation, and against her no mortal can stand. At the Gates of Starvald Demelain, the Azath House sealing the portal is dying. Soon will come the Eleint, and once more, there will be dragons in the world. And so, in a far away land and beneath indifferent skies, the final cataclysmic chapter in the extraordinary 'Malazan Book of the Fallen' begins.

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss Hardcover: 1008 pages Publisher: Gollancz (1 Mar 2011) ISBN-10: 0575081414 ISBN-13: 978-0575081413 Sequel to the extraordinary The Name Of The Wind, The Wise Man's Fear is the second instalment of this superb fantasy trilogy from Patrick Rothfuss. Picking up the tale of Kvothe Kingkiller once again, we follow him into exile, into political intrigue, courtship, adventure, love and magic . . . and further along the path that has turned Kvothe, the mightiest magician of his age, a legend in his own time, into Kote, the unassuming pub landlord. Packed with as much magic, adventure and home-grown drama as The Name Of The Wind, this is a sequel in every way the equal to its predecessor and a must-read for all fantasy fans. Readable, engaging and gripping The Wise Man's Fear is the biggest and the best new fantasy novel out there.

The Inheritance by Robin Hobb

Hardcover
Publisher: Harper Voyager (31 Mar 2011)
ISBN-10: 0007273770
ISBN-13: 978-0007273775

A collection of novellas and stories from one of the most critically acclaimed authors in the fantasy genre, Robin Hobb. Including work written under her pseudonym, Megan Lindholm.

Bingtown heiresses rub shoulders in this wonderful collection with vampires and alien musicians, tramps and feral cats.

In The Homecoming, Lady Carillion Carrock and a number of other Jamaillian nobles are sailing to the Cursed Shores. Their journey is not by choice: for plotting against the Satrap, their wealth has been confiscated and they have been exiled. Until now, Carillion has done nothing but lead a life of privilege. She believes they are bound for wondrous cities, cities where ancient kings and queens dusted their skin with gold and wore jewels above their eyes. But when she is marooned by the ship’s unscrupulous captain, she will soon discover the grim reality of what survival in the Rain Wilds entails.

The Silver Lady is a would-be writer, ekeing out a dull existence by working in a Sears store. The one day a man comes in: fortyish, pleasant-looking. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except he says his name is Merlin, and he’s about to change her life.

Rosemary got involved with the wrong man. Pell is lazy, good for nothing, a bully. Her best friend Hilia knew it and so did her tom cat, Marmalade. But love is blind: Rosemary had Pell’s baby, renovated the cottage his grandfather left in his will, turned its land to good use; and then he left her for another woman. Now he’s back, and something must be done…

Sea of Ghosts by Alan Campbell

Hardcover: 500 pages
Publisher: Tor (1 April 2011)
ISBN-10: 0230742947
ISBN-13: 978-0230742949

When the last of the Gravediggers, an elite imperial infiltration unit, are disbanded and hunted down by the emperor they once served, munitions expert Colonel Thomas Granger takes refuge in the unlikeliest of places. He becomes a jailer in Ethugra – a prison city of poison-flooded streets and gaols in which a million enemies of the empire are held captive. But when Granger takes possession of two new prisoners, he realises that he can’t escape his past so readily.

Ianthe is a young girl with an extraordinary psychic talent. A gift that makes her unique in a world held to ransom by the powerful Haurstaf – the sisterhood of telepaths who are all that stand between the Empire and the threat of the Unmer, the powerful civilization of entropic sorcerers and dragon-mounted warriors. In this war-torn land, she promises to make Granger an extremely wealthy man, if he can only keep her safe from harm.

This is what Granger is best at. But when other factions learn about Ianthe's unique ability, even Granger's skills of warfare are tested to their limits. While, Ianthe struggles to control the powers that are growing in ways no-one thought were possible. Another threat is surfacing: out there, beyond the bitter seas, an old and familiar enemy is rising – one who, if not stopped, will drown the world and all of humanity with it ...

Embassytown by China Miéville

Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Macmillan (6 May 2011)
ISBN-10: 0230750761
ISBN-13: 978-0230750760

Embassytown: a city of contradictions on the outskirts of the universe.

Avice is an immerser, a traveller on the immer, the sea of space and time below the everyday, now returned to her birth planet. Here on Arieka, humans are not the only intelligent life, and Avice has a rare bond with the natives, the enigmatic Hosts - who cannot lie.

Only a tiny cadre of unique human Ambassadors can speak Language, and connect the two communities. But an unimaginable new arrival has come to Embassytown. And when this Ambassador speaks, everything changes.

Catastrophe looms. Avice knows the only hope is for her to speak directly to the alien Hosts.

And that is impossible.

Kings of Morning by Paul Kearney Paperback: 448 pages Publisher: Solaris (7 July 2011) ISBN-10: 1907519386 ISBN-13: 978-1907519383 Paul Kearney has become one of my favourite authors. I loved the first two books, The Ten Thousand and Corvus, of his The Macht trilogy and its final installment, Kings of Morning, is definitely very high on my list in 2011. I don't doubt that Corvus is going to invade the Empire however I don't know what surprises the author has at the tip of his pen for us. I can't wait to meet Rictus and Corvus again.

A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin

Hardcover: 704 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager (29 Sep 2011)
ISBN-10: 0002247399
ISBN-13: 978-0002247399

The last of the Targaryons, Daenerys Stormborn, the Unburnt, has brought the young dragons in her care to their terrifying maturity. Now the war-torn landscape of the Seven Kingdoms is threatened by destruction as vast as in the violent past. Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf with half a nose and a scar from eye to chin, has slain his father and escaped the Red Keep in King's Landing to wage war from the Free Cities beyond the narrow sea. The last war fought with dragons was a cataclysm powerful enough to shatter the Valyrian peninsula into a smoking, demon-haunted ruin half drowned by the sea. A Dance With Dragons brings to life dark magic, complex political intrigue and horrific bloodshed as events at the Wall and beyond the sea threaten the ancient land of Westeros.

What is on Cara's reading list for 2011...

Happy New Year everyone! Let's hope that 2011 is as good, if not better, than 2010 for all things speculative. 

For my first post of the year I will list some of the books that are on my ever-growing 'To be read' pile plus those on my Kindle. The plan is to read all the books listed and review them here on Speculative Book Review. Saying that, my lists are likely to change as new books are released... what books I read are largely determined by my mood at the time of selection!

BOOKS

I buy a lot of books, more than I can read at any one time. It is a weakness of mine... I love browsing in bookshops, whether it is a Waterstones, secondhand bookshop or charity shop, I cannot resist the lure of those shelves. And I treat Amazon in a similar fashion... I can spend hours surfing the site -  reviews, discussion forums, Listmania, bestseller charts, they are all sources for new reading material. These days I try and buy from the marketplace sellers rather than brand new, especially as I read a lot of older books by authors that are new to me.

Top 10 To Be Read: Hardcover

  

1.   The Half-Made World by Felix Gilman [fantasy/steampunk]
"A fantastical reimagining of the American West which draws its influence from steampunk, the American western tradition, and magical realism"

2.   Bringing Forth the End of Days by Simon Law [science fiction/post-apocalyptic]
"In 2013, the Earth is robbed of oxygen by a mysterious green gas that covers the planet. Accusations run wild on the blame for the poisonous gas and nuclear warfare results. As plant life withers and dies, a rebirth of technology and surgery are able to combat some of the effects of the poisonous gas on the planet. Ten years pass and, in a desolate world, the few remaining survivors see what appears to be other humans living in the oxygen-deprived atmosphere. Uniting in an effort to find more survivors, the group sets out into the bleak wilderness. But one participant is hiding an important secret."

3.   Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love ed. Gardner R. Dozois & George R.R. Martin [speculative fiction anthology]
"IN this star-studded cross-genre anthology, seventeen of the greatest modern authors of fantasy, science fiction, and romance explore the borderlands of their genres with brand-new tales of ill-fated love. From zombie-infested woods in a postapocalyptic America to faery-haunted rural fields in eighteenth- century England, from the kingdoms of high fantasy to the alien world of a galaxy-spanning empire, these are stories of lovers who must struggle against the forces of magic and fate."

4.   The Best of Kim Stanley Robinson ed. Jonathan Strahan [short story collection]
"Kim Stanley Robinson has been an ongoing force in the Science Fiction genre for over twenty years, with his novels (Year's of Rice and Salt, Forty Signs of Rain) crossing over to the mainstream, and routinely appearing on the New York Times best sellers list. During the 80s and early nineties, his short fiction continued to push the boundaries of science fiction, defining the science-focused side of the science fiction genre. Award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan worked with Kim Stanley Robinson to select the stories that make up this landmark volume."

  

5.   Cloud Permutations by Lavie Tidhar [science fiction/novella]
"Set against the breathtaking vista of a world filled with mystery and magic, Cloud Permutations is a planetary romance with a unique South Pacific flavour, filled with mythic monsters, ancient alien artefacts, floating islands and a quest to find a legendary tower... whatever the cost."

6.   The Library of Forgotten Books by Rjurik Davidson [short story collection]
"In this collection, PS Publishing presents the short works of Rjurik Davidson, whose protagonists wander dark cities of dreams, ravished by love and tormented by destiny..."

7.   The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón [fantasy/young adult]
"It’s wartime, and the Carver family decides to leave the capital where they live and move to a small coastal village where they’ve recently bought a home. But from the minute they cross the threshold, strange things begin to happen. In that mysterious house there still lurks the spirit of Jacob, the previous owners’ son, who died by drowning.
With the help of their new friend Roland, Max and Alicia Carver begin to explore the suspicious circumstances of that death and discover the existence of a mysterious being called The Prince of Mist— a diabolical character who has returned from the shadows to collect on a debt from the past. Soon the three friends will find themselves caught up in an adventure of sunken ships and an enchanted stone garden, which will change their lives forever."

  

8.   The Dragon With the Girl Tattoo by Adam Roberts [fantasy/satire]
"A parody (with dragons) of Stieg Larsson's global bestseller, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO"

9.   The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima [fantasy/young adult]
"Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can't sell. For as long as Han can remember, he's worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They're clearly magicked-as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off..."

10. Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon by Lisa Goldstein [fantasy]
"Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon is set in an imaginative recreation of Elizabethan London, a rich, intense city overflowing with life and action, a city of spies and booksellers, alchemists and playwrights, poets, witches, plague and salvation. A series of strange events links the lives of an ordinary woman, a bookseller in St. Paul's, and the great writer Christopher Marlowe, as the Faerie Queen and her court invade London in search of the Queen's son, the reborn King Arthur. Marlowe must become in effect a detective, and Alice, strangely favored by the fairies, must become a heroine in a struggle against evil forces. The culmination of this extraordinary fantasy, a battle between the opposing dragons of good and evil, is certainly one of the most weird and enchanting events in all contemporary fantasy. Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon is a big, delicious fantasy adventure filled with strange creatures and ordinary people, famous characters, and mysterious historical doings. It is a triumph of entertainment and one of the finest fantasy novels of the decade."

Top 10 To Be Read: Paperback

   

1.   The Stars Compel by Michaela Roessner [historical fantasy]
"Catherine is the only legitimate heir to the de Medici fortune. When her uncle recalls her to Rome to use her and her dowry as a precious pawn in his political maneuverings with the crowns of Europe, Catherine chooses Tommaso as her personal chef and head of her household. Catherinesplans dont include being sold as part of the Popes treaty with France."

2.   All the Windwracked Stars by Elizabeth Bear [fantasy]
"It all begins with Ragnarok, the end of all things, the battle between the Children of the Light and their tarnished brothers and sisters. But in Valdyrgard, three survive: the least of the Valkyrie, a valraven to be her steed, and the Grey Wolf whose betrayal sparked the final battle. And because they still live, Valdyrgard is a very long time dying.
More than two thousand years later, Muire still walks the streets of Eiledon, the last human city, while her valraven hides in a distant valley. But the Grey Wolf has come hunting in Eiledon."

3.   In the Night Garden (The Orphan's Tales Vol.1) by Catherynne M. Valente [fantasy/short stories]
"Secreted away in a garden, a lonely girl spins stories to warm a curious prince: peculiar feats and unspeakable fates that loop through each other and back again to meet in the tapestry of her voice. Inked on her eyelids, each twisting, tattooed tale is a piece in the puzzle of the girl’s own hidden history. And what tales she tells! Tales of shape-shifting witches and wild horsewomen, heron kings and beast princesses, snake gods, dog monks, and living stars–each story more strange and fantastic than the one that came before. From ill-tempered “mermaid” to fastidious Beast, nothing is ever quite what it seems in these ever-shifting tales–even, and especially, their teller. Adorned with illustrations by the legendary Michael Kaluta, Valente’s enchanting lyrical fantasy offers a breathtaking reinvention of the untold myths and dark fairy tales that shape our dreams. And just when you think you’ve come to the end, you realize the adventure has only begun…"

4.   Fledgling by Octavia E Butler [science fiction]
"Fledgling, Octavia Butler's new novel after a seven year break, is the story of an apparently young, amnesiac girl whose alarmingly inhuman needs and abilities lead her to a startling conclusion: She is in fact a genetically modified, 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life, she must at the same time learn who wanted--and still wants--to destroy her and those she cares for and how she can save herself. Fledgling is a captivating novel that tests the limits of "otherness" and questions what it means to be truly human."

  

5.   Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link [fantasy/short stories]
"...is many things. Sweetly strange. Liberally scattered with brilliance. A magical lens on the stuff of life that moves and makes us. These are stories of the real world made beautifully unreal: of transformation, love, zombies and brothers fired from cannons. They are the stories you have been waiting to read."

6.   Fallen Angel by Kim Wilkins [dark fantasy]
"Sophie Black is a journalist who doesn't believe anything she can't see - until her latest interviewee tells her a tale of time gone by which Sophie can't seem to get out of her head. Three sisters, daughters of a caustic, blazingly intelligent blind poet names John Milton find their loyalties tested by the arrival of a fallen angel named Lazodeus. Set against the twin backdrops of the modern urban ritual magic scene and the bustle and colour of Restoration London, FALLEN ANGEL is a tale of angels and devils, art and lies, and sibling rivalry at its most irretrievably complicated."

7.   Wizard of the Pigeons by Megan Lindholm [urban fantasy]
"Seattle: a place as magical as the Emerald City.
Subtle magic seeps through the cracks in the paving stones of the sprawling metropolis. But only the inhabitants who possess special gifts are open to the city's consciousness; finding portents in the graffiti, reading messages in the rubbish or listening to warnings in the skipping-rope chants of children.
Wizard is bound to Seattle and her magic. His gift is the Knowing – a powerful enchantment allowing him to know the truth of things; to hear the life-stories of ancient mummies locked behind glass cabinets, to receive true fortunes from the carnival machines, to reveal to ordinary people the answers to their troubles and to safeguard the city's equilibrium.
The magic has its price; Wizard must never have more than a dollar in his pocket, must remain celibate, and he must feed and protect the pigeons.
But a threat to Seattle has begun to emerge in the portents. A malevolent force born of Wizard's forgotten past has returned to prey upon his power and taunt him with images of his obscure history; and he is the only wizard in Seattle who can face the evil and save the city, his friends and himself."

  

8.   Naamah's Curse by Jacqueline Carey [fantasy]
"Moirin is alone, and far from the land of her birth, with nothing but a few resources of her own to draw upon, and few friends she can call upon, in what is about to become a nation of enemies. She has her natural ability with a bow, for survival, and a facility for languages - and then there are the gifts of her gods: a small ability for foretelling, for concealment, and to coax plants to grow. Alongside them all she has the gift of Naamah: the gift of desire. Yet these are small advantages against the challenges she will face - betrayal, treachery and indoctrination - and some of them may not prove to be advantages at all. There is a long, difficult journey ahead of her, in her search for Bao, the young Ch'in warrior who carries a piece of her soul as well as her heart, and harder decisions to make. Whether she can forgive a deliberate betrayal; whether she will fight against all odds for her love; and whether, when all believe her dead and her life and her religion hang in the balance, Moirin can sacrifice her beliefs, or will hold true to her goddess even in death..."

9.   A Plague of Angels by Sheri S Tepper [fantasy]
"Atop a twisting, canyon-climbing road, a witch lurks in a fortress built strong to keep out dragons and ogres. In another part of the countryside, a young orphan is maturing into a beautiful woman in the enchanted village that is her home. Somewhere nearby, a young man is seeking adventure after running away from his family's small farm. Suddenly a strange and terrible prophecy sets off a chain of events that will bring these three together in the heroic, romantic and thrilling tale of an age-old battle. "

10.  Chimera by Rob Thurman [science fiction]
"Ten years ago, Stefan Korsak's younger brother was kidnapped. Not a day has passed that Stefan hasn't thought about him. As a rising figure in the Russian mafia, he has finally found him. But when he rescues Lukas, he must confront a terrible truth-his brother is no longer his brother. He is a trained, genetically-altered killer. Now, those who created him will do anything to reclaim him. And the closer Stefan grows to his brother, the more he realizes that saving Lukas may be easier than surviving him..."

KINDLE

I have recently acquired a Kindle and am filling it up quite quickly. There are a wide range of books available in this format, from out-of-copyright classics (most of them free to download!) to many of the latest releases. However, in my view, the pricing structure needs to be looked at... I object to paying over £7.50 for an electronic copy - after all it is only 1 file that is copied to each purchaser. Despite this personal gripe, I will not look for pirated copies of books I want to read. I prefer to wait for the price to drop to a more realistic sum, or if the author is one of my personal favourites, I will buy the hardback edition to have on my shelves. I am not prepared to steal royalties from any author, especially as I now know that many of them have day jobs and write their novels in their own time. Since learning this I have more respect for writers than ever before and therefore will only download legal copies of books on to my Kindle. Though if publishers want to send me ARCs in Kindle format, I will gladly accept them :-) After all, I cannot get my Kindle version signed by an author, so I will happily purchase a new release book for that purpose. I doubt I will ever stop buying 'real' books!

Top 10 To Be Read

   

1.   The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi [science fiction]

"What happens when bio-terrorism becomes a tool for corporate profits? And what happens when said bio-terrorism forces humanity to the cusp of post-human evolution? In The Windup Girl, award-winning author Paolo Bacigalupi returns to the world of "The Calorie Man" (Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award-winner, Hugo Award nominee, 2006) and "Yellow Card Man" (Hugo Award nominee, 2007) in order to address these questions."
*Both Yagiz and I have this book and we plan to do a joint review of it in the near future.

2.   Snare by Katharine Kerr [science fiction]
"...an enjoyable, intelligent adventure set on a long-colonised planet whose history, ecology and communities are full of puzzling contradictions."

3.   The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J Sullivan [fantasy]
"...is the first of a six book series entitled the Riyria Revelations. This saga is neither a string of sequels nor a lengthy work unnaturally divided. Instead, the Riyria Revelations was conceived as a single epic tale told through six individual episodes."

4.   Matters of the Blood by Maria Lima [urban fantasy/paranormal]
"Keira Kelly, half-breed descendant of a powerful paranormal family has chosen to live apart from her clan and among humans in the Texas Hill Country. When she experiences a prophetic vision that foretells the vicious murder of her human cousin, Marty Nelson, she vows to determine the truth."

 

5.   Pandora's Star by Peter F Hamilton [science fiction]

"In AD 2329, humanity has colonised over four hundred planets, all of them interlinked by wormholes. With Earth at its centre, the Intersolar Commonwealth now occupies a sphere of space approximately four hundred light years across.When an astronomer on the outermost world of Gralmond, observes a star 2000 light years distant - and then a neighbouring one - vanish, it is time for the Commonwealth to discover what happened to them. For what if their disappearance indicates some kind of galactic conflict? Since a conventional wormhole cannot be used to reach these vanished stars, for the first time humans need to build a faster-than-light starship, the Second Chance. But it arrives to find each 'vanished' star encased in a giant force field -- and within one of them resides a massive alien civilisation."

6.   Insomnia by Stephen King [horror]
"Ralph Roberts hasn't been sleeping well lately. Every morning he wakes just a little bit earlier until pretty soon, he isn't sleeping at all. It wouldn't be so bad if not for the strange hallucinations--and the nightmares that keep coming to life."

7.   The Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers [fantasy]
"When Brian Duffy, an ageing soldier of fortune, is recruited in Venice by a strange old man to work as a bouncer in Vienna at an inn where the fabulous Herzwesten beer is brewed, everything seems straightforward. But his journey is far from it. Pursued and attacked from all sides, guarded and guided by creatures of myth, Duffy is no sooner in Vienna than the city is besieged by the turkish armies if Suleiman. And it becomes apparent that Duffy's presence is no accident and that it is up to him to preserve the West until the drawing of the dark..."

8.   Realms: The First Year of Clarkesworld Magazine ed. Nick Mamatas [speculative fiction anthology]
"Step into a world of wonder, epiphany and danger. From the return of old gods to the adventures of the last dragon on Earth, from quantum physics to manticores trained for the circus, this unique anthology takes readers on journeys to realms both distant and oddly familiar. Selected from the critically-acclaimed online magazine Clarkesworld, Realms collects the work of twenty-four visionary writers of short fiction."

9.   Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher [fantasy]
"For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bond with the furies -- elementals of earth, air, fire, water, and metal. But now, Gaius Sextus, First Lord of Alera, grows old and lacks an heir. Ambitious High Lords plot and maneuver to place their Houses in positions of power, and a war of succession looms on the horizon. Far from city politics in the Calderon Valley, the boy Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. At fifteen, he has no wind fury to help him fly, no fire fury to light his lamps. Yet as the Alerans' most savage enemy -- the Marat -- return to the Valley, he will discover that his destiny is much greater than he could ever imagine."

10.  Paper Cities ed. Ekaterina Sedia [urban fantasy anthology]
"The city has always been a place of mystery, of magic, and wonder. In cities past, present, and future, in metropoli real and imagined, meet mutilated warrior-women, dead boys, mechanical dogs, escape artists and more. From the dizzying heights of rooftops and spires to the sinister secrets of underpasses and gutters, some of the most talented authors writing today will take you on a trip through the urban fantastic. Edited by Ekaterina Sedia, author of The Secret History of Moscow and The Alchemy of Stone."

Check out what books I own and have already read on Goodreads (my profile) and if there are books you know of that you think I would enjoy, please let me know via the Comments below.