Release Date: 12/06/17
Publisher: Tor
SYNOPSIS:
A paranormal thriller from master storyteller Steven Barnes: A broken family struggles to hold itself together against a plot to unleash global genocide in Twelve Days
Around the world, leaders and notorious criminals alike are mysteriously dying. A terrorist group promises a series of deaths within two months. And against the backdrop of the apocalypse, the lives of a small shattered family and a broken soldier are transformed in the bustling city of Atlanta.
Olympia Dorsey is a journalist and mother, with a cynical teenage daughter and an autistic son named Hannibal, all trying to heal from a personal tragedy. Across the street, Ex-Special Forces soldier Terry Nicolas and his wartime unit have reunited Stateside to carry out a risky heist that will not only right a terrible injustice, but also set them up for life--at the cost of their honor. Terry and the family's visit to an unusual martial arts exhibition brings them into contact with Madame Gupta, a teacher of singular skill who offers not just a way for Terry to tap into mastery beyond his dreams, but also for Hannibal to transcend the limits of his condition. But to see these promises realized, Terry will need to betray those with whom he fought and bled.
Meanwhile, as the death toll gains momentum and society itself teeters on the edge of collapse, Olympia's fragile clan is placed in jeopardy, and Terry comes to understand the terrible price he must pay to prevent catastrophe.
REVIEW:
As a reader of a lot of thrillers, I love it when author's blend genres and bring new elements into the story. It gives it a whole new set of tropes to play with which often can turn elements upon thier heads within the overall arc.
That said, it can also really bind authors as well, and sadly for me this is what happened with this tale from Steven Barnes. Firstly whilst I did like some of the characters within I have to say that for me, the supernatural element wasn't required it could easy have just been a real world thriller without having to bring any of the Urban elements within.
Back this up with hard action sequences and sexual elements that were overly descriptive all round left me feeling uncomfortable that sadly pulled me out of the story. Whilst many will enjoy this story, for me it was more of a middle of the road title that sadly didn't have enough going for it to stand out. A great shame.
Release Date: 30/11/17
Publisher: Black Library
SYNOPSIS:
As the War for the Realm of Life continues, Lord-Castellant Lorrus Grymn leads the battered remnants of the Steel Souls warrior chamber against the sargasso-citadels of the Verdant Bay. The Hallowed Knights claim victory, but at a terrible cost – Grymn is lost to Realm of Chaos. Now Gardus, newly-reforged and fresh from the destruction of the Scabrous Sprawl, must lead his warriors into the foetid heart of Nurgle's realm in search of the Lord-Castellant, where they must once more brave the horrors of the Realm of Decay...
REVIEW:
Whilst many love to spend time within the Horus Heresy subsection of the Warhammer 40K, so I love to go back to the Age of Sigmar in the epic stories coming out from the Black Library as part of their Warhammer Fantasy series.
Here in this title, we get to spend time in a full length novel featuring the Hallowed Knights, an order that is helping to forge the realm of mankind within the chaotic time as they face off against other races. Travelling to the face off against the plague lord Nurgle, takes our heroes into a situation that will have dire consequences in the choices that they make with each character bringing their own strengths alongside weaknesses to this quest.
As usual it is engaging, has great combat and when added to a full range of emotional turmoil really helps flesh the world out by allowing readers to form connections making deaths not only a number but a personal loss. Cracking.
Release Date: 16/11/17
Publisher: Orbit
SYNOPSIS:
World Fantasy Award-winning fantasy author K. J. Parker delivers his most ambitious work yet - the story of a war on a grand scale, told through the eyes of soldiers, politicians, victims and heroes.
A soldier with a gift for archery. A woman who kills without care. Two brothers, both unbeatable generals, now fighting for opposing armies. No one in the vast and once glorious United Empire remains untouched by the rift between East and West, and the war has been fought for as long as anyone can remember. Some still survive who know how it was started, but no one knows how it will end. Except, perhaps, the Two of Swords.
REVIEW:
KJ Parker is an author that delivers a hell of a lot for me as a fantasy reader. You get the dark gritty reality that has become on trend where all choices have consequences that start the ripple effect into this well rounded world.
Add to this characters that you love to spend time around. Principle players who has a realistic feel with their emotions alongside personality coming to the fore whilst vying against their foibles and for me this second volume is a real treat. Magic.
Release Date: 30/11/17
Publisher: Black Library
SYNOPSIS:
After the razing of Prospero, Magnus the Red spirited the Thousand Sons away to the Planet of the Sorcerers, deep within the Eye of Terra. Removed from the concerns of the galaxy at large and regarding the Warmaster’s unfolding Heresy with cold detachment, Magnus has dedicated his hollow existence to the preservation of all the knowledge once held in the great libraries of Tizca, should mankind ever seek such enlightenment again. But his sons can see the change in their primarch – he is a broken soul, whose mind and memories are slipping away into the tumult of the warp. Only by returning to the scenes of his greatest triumphs and tragedies can they hope to restore him, and allow the Crimson King to be crowned anew by the Ruinous Powers.
REVIEW:
OK, lets get the basic business done first. Are you a fan of the Thousand Sons? Have you read the Thousand Sons as well as Prospero Burns? If the answer is no, stop right here now. Read those books first to get the full flavour as well as a good bit of background to this story.
Right up to date? Ready to roll? Magic. This book by Graham is an epic outing as we learn how the chapter deals with thier seperation from the Throne into the realms of chaos as the primarch seeks to preserve their knowledge should mankind ever need it again. Its a dark tale, it has some magical twists and with the way that its woven makes this a book that I had a hell of a time putting down. Back this up with good action sequences alongside a brotherhood uniting to help return thier Master and all round its a book that I'll be rereading again.
Release Date: 16/11/17
Publisher: Orbit
SYNOPSIS:
Jade is the lifeblood of the city of Janloon - a stone that enhances a warrior's natural strength and speed. Jade is mined, traded, stolen and killed for, controlled by the ruthless No Peak and Mountain families.
When a modern drug emerges that allows anyone - even foreigners - to wield jade, simmering tension between the two families erupts into open violence. The outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all in the families, from their grandest patriarch to even the lowliest motorcycle runner on the streets.
Jade City is an epic tale of blood, family, honour, and of those who live and die by ancient laws in a changing world.
REVIEW:
I love books that try to do something different and whilst this is technically a fantasy novel it fits delightfully into the Urban Fantasy genre. Its quirky, it has a wonderfully eastern flavour and to be honest whilst reading I tended to think of a Hong Kong as a background setting for this tale.
Magic delightfully blends with modern weaponry as the principle character fights to find a balance between their internal struggles and the outer expectations of his clan. The characters are delightfully rounded and when you throw into the mix criminal double dealing all round leaves you wanting more as this tale takes a break in a lull ready to kick back with a roundhouse in the next outing. Cracking.
Release Date: 16/11/17
Publisher: Head of Zeus
SYNOPSIS:
She lost her sight, but she can still see the truth...
Jenny Aaron was once part of an elite police unit tracking Germany's most dangerous criminals. She was the best. Until it all went wrong. A disastrous mission saw her abandon a wounded colleague and then lose her sight forever.
Now, five years later, she has learnt to navigate a darkened world. But she's still haunted by her betrayal. Why did she run?
Then she receives a call from the unit. They need her back. A prison psychologist has been brutally murdered. And the killer will only speak to one person...
REVIEW:
The UK publisher of this title is one that is renowned for bringing foreign talent to the British reader and when they spend out for a translator they really do make sure that the book is polished to not only bring the full flavour of the tale to the fore but also so that the language nuances work well in the translated version so that the text flows without any minterpreted words that can ruin the whole flow of a paragraph.
Within the pages the reader is treated to a principle character that feels rounded, she has her flaws and whilst she's hard on herself, the strength and ability really show that she "see's" more than the average person. The book has great pace, solid dialogue and all round gives the crime reader a real treat wtih some magical twists. all round a great read and now an author thats firmly on my radar.
Release Date: 16/11/17
Publisher: Century
SYNOPSIS:
From the Sunday Times bestselling author, Simon Kernick, comes the thrilling second instalment in The Bone Field series. Featuring DI Ray Mason and PI Tina Boyd.
A house deep in the countryside where the remains of seven unidentified women have just been discovered.
A cop ready to risk everything in the hunt for their killers.
A man who has seen the murders and is now on the run in fear of his life.
So begins the race to track down this witness before the killers do.
For Ray Mason and PI Tina Boyd, the road ahead is a dangerous one, with bodies and betrayal at every turn…
REVIEW:
The Second book in Simon's Bone Field series and one that continues to build upon not only the success of the first but continues to develop the characters so that they become more real to the reader.
As with the original its well written, the overall arc a delight to spend time with and when you throw into the mix a great understanding of pace alongside dialogue that fits the characters as envisioned by me as a reader down to a tee. All round makes this tale a joy to devour. A great christmas gift.
Release Date: 14/11/17
Publisher: Orbit
SYNOPSIS:
New York Times bestselling author Mira Grant, author of the renowned Newsflesh series, returns with a novel that takes us to a new world of ancient mysteries and mythological dangers come to life.
The ocean is home to many myths,
But some are deadly...
Seven years ago the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a mockumentary bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a tragedy.
Now a new crew has been assembled. But this time they're not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life's work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.
Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves.
But the secrets of the deep come with a price.
REVIEW:
A book of the mysterious that seeks to uncover the events alongside reality of what heppened in the first tale in the series "Rolling in the Deep." Its well written and, as usual with Mira Grant's writing, a tale that glues you from the outset as she continues to help bring to the fore a real flavour of discovery as the story unfurls.
Its well written and whilst i love the pace, for me the real stars here are her characters that feel that they live and breathe in our own world and would be a person that you could easily pass on the street which for me elevates the book straight away as an author who can get you that involved with thier characters has already created a bond that will be hard to break no matter what happens with the further chapters.
Back this up with great prose as well as an overall arc that leaves the novel open to a future outings make this a book that is a real treat and a series I'll be returning to when the mood hits. Magic.
Release Date: 01/11/17
Publisher: Tor/Forge
SYNOPSIS:
Vlad Taltos is an Easterner - an underprivileged human in an Empire of tall, powerful, long-lived Dragaerans. He made a career for himself in House Jhereg, the Dragaeran clan in charge of the Empire's organized crime. But the day came when the Jhereg wanted Vlad dead, and he's been on the run ever since. He has plenty of friends among the Dragaeran highborn, including an undead wizard and a god or two. But as long as the Jhereg have a price on his head, Vlad's life is...messy. Meanwhile, for years, Vlad's path has been repeatedly crossed by Devera, a small Dragaeran girl of indeterminate powers who turns up at the oddest moments in his life. Now Devera has appeared again - to lead Vlad into a mysterious, seemingly empty manor overlooking the Great Sea. Inside this structure are corridors that double back on themselves, rooms that look out over other worlds, and - just maybe - answers to some of Vlad's long-asked questions about his world and his place in it. If only Devera can be persuaded to stop disappearing in the middle of his conversations with her... Full of swordplay, peril, and swashbuckling flair, Vallista is a treat for longtime fans of this popular fantasy series, a deep dive into the mysteries of Dragaera and all within it.
REVIEW:
OK, I'm going to be honest here, I had a hell of a time getting into this book. However before you turn off my review and refuse to buy the book, let me explain why. This is a book that is the 15th in the series and without having read the previous others, I've lost not only a lot of back story but the ability to see how the character has developed over those events in order to keep a bond formed with him.
Thats not to say that I didn't appreciate the writing style, the characters or the overall plot but it meant that I had quite a bit of trouble getting into the story. For me, it is well written, I liked the way that the author twists events and also manages to give you a story thats hard to put down but overall please start at book one. Something I wish I'd done and will do shortly in order to get the fuller picture.
Release Date: 02/11/17
Publisher: Solaris Books/Rebellion Publishing
SYNOPSIS:
Special limited edition science fiction hardcover novella by the Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author. Only 1000 copies. Scions have no limits. Scions do not die. And Scions do not disappear. Sergeant Ted Regan has a problem. A son of one of the great corporate families, a Scion, has gone missing at the front. He should have been protected by his Ironclad - the lethal battle suits that make the Scions masters of war - but something has gone catastrophically wrong. Now Regan and his men, ill equipped and demoralised, must go behind enemy lines, find the missing Scion, and uncover how his suit failed. Is there a new Ironclad-killer out there? And how are common soldiers lacking the protection afforded the rich supposed to survive the battlefield of tomorrow?
REVIEW:
I've loved spending time with Adrian since he burst onto the scene with Empire in Black and Gold (Book One of "Shadows of the Apt" series.) Since then I've loved each adventure that he's brought to my imagination, allowing me a whole range of creative literal films that are not only wonderfully unique but diverse into the bargain.
Here in this outing, Adrian treats the reader to a modern war where raising oceans have devastated the world and corporate companies profit from warfare where flesh and blood is cheap as well as plentiful, unless of course its one of their sons, in which case, like the knights of old, they're encased in the best robotic armour alongside ordinance that money can buy.
Here, a grunt unit is sent into the warzone to retrieve a lost son of the magnates only to have the situation go not only to hell but become way more complex as matters unfurl. It's addictive writing, the characters within were fun to be around and for me I just loved spending time in this new world.
I hope that more books will follow and as a reader I'd love to see a book with the "pack" as the key characters. Magic.
Release Date: 16/11/17
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
SYNOPSIS:
The war between Amika and Belleger has raged for generations. Its roots lie in the distant past, beyond memory. Sorcerers from both sides rain destruction down on the battlefield, wielding the six deadly Decimates of fire, earth, wind, water, lightning, and pestilence.
Prince Bifalt hopes that Belleger's new weapons technology, the rifle, will provide a decisive advantage. But when Belleger's sorcerers are mysteriously deprived of their magical abilities, leaving them unable to defend against Amika, he must set aside his own deep hatred of sorcery and work to solve this new enigma.
Grasping at any chance to save his beloved homeland, Prince Bifalt of Belleger sets out on a hazardous journey across the unmapped wastelands to the east. With Elgart, his last comrade, Bifalt pursues the long-hidden trail of the one object that might be able to turn the tide of the endless war - a book entitled The Seventh Decimate.
The events that unfold force Prince Bifalt to weigh his stubbornness, his patriotism, and his hatred for sorcerers against his sense of loyalty and of what he knows to be right. And as he learns, Amika and Belleger may simply be pawns within an even larger struggle...
REVIEW:
Historical Crime is a genre that I've been getting into quite a bit and whilst most of the time I spend it deep in the past, this time its more recent history, into the depths of living memories most horrific place, 1943's Auschvitz.
The book is well written, the characters rounded and to be honest whilst I deplore the time and politics, the book is well done. The prose is sharp, the dialogue acceptable and whilst I expect more derogatory comments within, it does feel appropriate to the time. Back this up with high octane danger around every corner and all round it was a heart in the mouth read as you're never sure which way things are going to go.
Release Date: 16/11/17
Publisher: Gollancz
SYNOPSIS:
The war between Amika and Belleger has raged for generations. Its roots lie in the distant past, beyond memory. Sorcerers from both sides rain destruction down on the battlefield, wielding the six deadly Decimates of fire, earth, wind, water, lightning, and pestilence.
Prince Bifalt hopes that Belleger's new weapons technology, the rifle, will provide a decisive advantage. But when Belleger's sorcerers are mysteriously deprived of their magical abilities, leaving them unable to defend against Amika, he must set aside his own deep hatred of sorcery and work to solve this new enigma.
Grasping at any chance to save his beloved homeland, Prince Bifalt of Belleger sets out on a hazardous journey across the unmapped wastelands to the east. With Elgart, his last comrade, Bifalt pursues the long-hidden trail of the one object that might be able to turn the tide of the endless war - a book entitled The Seventh Decimate.
The events that unfold force Prince Bifalt to weigh his stubbornness, his patriotism, and his hatred for sorcerers against his sense of loyalty and of what he knows to be right. And as he learns, Amika and Belleger may simply be pawns within an even larger struggle...
REVIEW:
I love a cracking fantasy book and whilst I've discovered new authors, there's always something delightful about returning to authors that you've grown up with for that extra special pleasure. Here in this new outing from Stephen Donaldson, the reader is treated to a book that not only brings full rounded characters to the fore but also ones that are made more human by the fact that they have foibles as well as boons. They're flawed like the rest of us and whilst they try to do the best that they can, the way that story revolves demonstrates that choices have consequences and that everyone will have to live with them.
The book in addition to this has great pace, some wonderful twists and when added to a refined writing style that delivers on what made the previous books that he's written so great, all round gives you something not only cracking to settle down with but makes this the start of a series that you can't wait to get the next part to in order to see how things will develop and change. A magical outing and for me, a book that really deserves to be added to any fantasy fan's Christmas list.
Release Date: 16/11/17
Publisher: Black Library
SYNOPSIS:
Ever since the dark days of the Great Heresy, the Iron Hands have a long and tortured history. Their years of suffering and war has left them hardened and believing in a brutal tenet: the flesh is weak. Heavily cybernetic, their flesh extensively altered, these warriors of the Imperium are more machine than man, cold in aspect as well as demeanour. Their methods of recruitment are harsh, their rituals arcane, their pride unshakable. So when a world under the protection of the Chapter falls foul of insurrection, the Iron Hands answer with fire and cold retribution. It matters not that Thennos is considered sovereign territory by the Adeptus Mechanicus - the Iron Hands' campaign is one of extermination. But there is something dark lurking within Thennos, a horror that defies the purity of cold logic and the machine, and threatens something more, something ruinous...
REVIEW:
A tale of the Iron Hands, which takes the reader into their chapter as they seek to exterminate sedition from within a world that the Adeptus Mechanicus consider theirs. Its wonderfully dark and rich as our heroes seek to purefy the world and discover what lays behind it.
Back this up with top notch action, cybernised principle characters alongside a plot with plenty of twists and turns and all round its a book that will not only entertain but also have the reader questioning how much of man must remain to be human. Cracking.
Release Date: 16/11/17
Publisher: Bantam Press
SYNOPSIS:
After the disappointments of Li Heng, Dancer and Kellanved wash up on a small insignificant island named Malaz. Immediately, of course, Kellanved plans to take it over. To do so they join forces with a small band of Napans who have fled a civil war on their own home island. The plan, however, soon goes awry as Kellanved develops a strange and dangerous fascination for a mysterious ancient structure found on the island.
The chaos in the region extends to the metaphysical planes also as a young priest of D'rek starts to question the rot at the heart of the worship of the god of decay. And back in Li Heng, Dassem, now the proclaimed Sword of Hood, finds himself being blamed for a plague which leads him to a crisis of faith - and searching for answers.
During all this, war with the neighbouring island of Nap threatens, recruited allies wonder at Kellanved’s sanity, and powerful entities take more of an interest in the little mage from Dal Hon. Dancer faces a hard choice: should he give up on his partnership? Especially when the fellow’s obsession with shadows and ancient artefacts brings the both of them alarmingly close to death and destruction.
After all, who in his right mind would actually wish to enter an Elder mystery known to everyone as the 'Deadhouse'?
REVIEW:
I love returning to the world of the Malazan and whilst its Steven Erikson that is mainly known for his Decad into the world, his co-creator, Ian also manages to bring the same complexities into his work that delivers pre-Book of the Fallen histories to life.
The characters are top notch, the world wonderfully diverse and complex and all round the reader is delivered a book that is not only richly complex but one of action as well as intrigue that should be used as a blueprint to writing fantasy.
Add to this a tale that really doesn't let up, delivers some wonderful twists and all round give the reader a story that will not only engross them but have them salavating for more. Cracking.
Release Date: 09/11/17
Publisher: Orbit
SYNOPSIS:
For the first time in print as a special hardcover edition, Brent Weeks's blockbuster novella Perfect Shadow tells the origin story of the Night Angel trilogy's most enigmatic character: Durzo Blint. Also includes the short story, I, Nightangel.
Gaelan Starfire is a farmer, happy to be a husband and a father; a careful, quiet, simple man. He's also an immortal, peerless in the arts of war. Over the centuries, he's worn many faces to hide his gift, but he is a man ill-fit for obscurity, and all too often he's become a hero, his very names passing into legend: Acaelus Thorne, Yric the Black, Hrothan Steelbender, Tal Drakkan, Rebus Nimble.
But when Gaelan must take a job hunting down the world's finest assassins for the beautiful courtesan-and-crimelord Gwinvere Kirena, what he finds may destroy everything he's ever believed in.
REVIEW:
Brent has long been an author that I've sat up and paid attention to, loving each of the books that he brings out as they not only deliver what I want in a fantasy novel but also bring together characters that are not simplistic but complicated human beings in an extraordinary setting. Here fans of the Night Angel trilogy are given a deeper glimpse into the character who would become Durzo in that series and whilst its a prequel, you really need to read the trilogy prior as otherwise you'll have it spoiled due to information contained within.
As with the authors other work its fast paced, has great twists and whilst you know that the hero is never in any real danger in this tale due to appearing in the series, all round it is a wonderful excerpt into the environs as well as a chance to get to see how choice made affect things as a whole. Magic
Release Date: 07/11/17
Publisher: Gollancz
SYNOPSIS:
Four short novels from the author of THE FIREMAN and HORNS, ranging from creepy horror to powerful explorations of our modern society.
One autumnal day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails, splinters of bright crystal that tear apart anyone who isn't safely under cover. 'Rain' explores this escalating apocalyptic event, as clouds of nails spread out across the country and the world. Amidst the chaos, a girl studying law enforcement takes it upon herself to resolve a series of almost trivial mysteries . . . apparently harmless puzzles that turn out to have lethal answers.
In 'Loaded' a mall security guard heroically stops a mass shooting and becomes a hero to the modern gun movement. Under the hot glare of the spotlights, though, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it...
'Snapshot, 1988' tells the story of an kid in Silicon Valley who finds himself threatened by The Phoenician, a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid that can steal memories...
And in 'Aloft' a young man takes to the skies to experience parachuting for the first time . . . and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud, a Prospero's island of roiling vapour that seems animated by a mind of its own.
REVIEW:
For me, Joe Hill is one of those authors that whilst he can write full length novels, always feels better with the short story. I like the way he puts it together, draws it all up in no nonsense prose and manages to breathe life into the whole piece in such a way that the characters come across wonderfully well without an extra padding in order to get to the meat of the tale.
Add to this a cracking imagination, a good understanding or pace as well as the ability to hit hard and fast with the twists all round made this a pure pleasure to read. Magic.
