A place to find out author interviews along with book reviews of thier works in the following genres:
science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, crime, horror, history, arts and crafts, hobby, true life, real life, autobiography, zombie, paranormal, demons, vampires, religion and spirituality, thriller, mystery, psychological thriller, spy tory, techno thriller, humour.
Hail Mighty Readers,
Our friends at Bastion have been keeping us up to date with this years Toy Fair and all we can say is WOW. Especially as characters from across the world have united to help make the 60th Anniversary go with not only a bang but a huge KAPOW.
Whether you’re a Dennis the Menace fan, a Turtle Power follower or perhaps even a student of Tree Fu Tom they’re all there along with Peppa the Pig and a few other friends.
Originally organised by Jack Watkins for the British Toy Manufacturers Association it premierred in Brighton in 1954. To this date there is still no other Toy Fair in the UK and as such is the best place to find out whats coming out, what they expect to trend and of course get to live your childhood dreams out to the full. (After all who wouldn’t want to ride a Dinosaur.)
All in this year’s show is on until the end of the week at London’s Olympia so to all our friends who manage to attend we urge you to unleash your inner child and have fun.
Release Date: 01/08/12 SYNOPSIS:
Ready or not, here he comes...He plays the oldest children's game in the world, hide and seek. Only the Eye Collector plays it to death. It's the same each time. A woman's body is found with a ticking stopwatch clutched in her dead hand. A distraught father must find his child before the boy suffocates - and the killer takes his left eye. Alexander Zorbach, a washed-up cop turned journalist has reported all three of the Eye Collector's murders. But this is different. His wallet has been found next to the corpse and now he's a suspect. The Eye Collector wants Zorbach to play. Zorbach has exactly forty-five hours, seven minutes to save a little boy's life. And the countdown has started...
REVIEW:
I love a crime story that is a little different so when you add high octane action, fast paced prose and of course a hero that you’ve your own doubts about, you know that its going to be one hell of a ride. That and more is what I got from this translated title brought to the British market by Corvus.
Add to this some cracking twists and whilst in places a little predictable the whole title works quite well. My only real grumble is that I do wonder if part of the thing that let it down were problems with the translation as in places I could think of several words that would have fit better. Even so, a great story and one I was pleased I took the time to enjoy.
Release Date: 28/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
In the fifth installment of the Wrong Turn franchise, a small West Virginia town is hosting the legendary Mountain Man Festival on Halloween, where throngs of costumed party goers gather for a wild night of music and mischief. But an inbred family of hillbilly cannibals kill the fun when they trick and treat themselves to a group of visiting college students.
REVIEW:
The fifth outing in the series and whilst you don’t expect it to anything Oscar worthy you know damn well what you’re going to get, a story of gore, murder, mayhem and of course cannibals. Whilst the plotline is quite simple for this title it is one that for me was perhaps the goriest to date, that’s not to detract from the storyline but when you add the amount of victims into the mix really left the story only one real way to go. Yes its not complex, yes its simply gore horror but these titles offer something I like, an unhappy ending.
With the addition of a new cast member to the hill billies side this film works well which when added to a few unbelievable moments (such as the forward thinking of the deformed murderers which the principle guy on their side denies that they have early on,) makes this a film to enjoy with a friend and pizza.
Release Date: 27/11/12 SYNOPSIS:
Archmage Planir and the wizards of Hadrumal have demonstrated their devestating powers and the corsair threat is no more. The mainland rulers' relief is overshadowed with fear of one day facing such a threat to their own dominion. Will Tormalin's Emporer make an alliance with Solura's wizards, who so openly covet Hadrumal's secrets? Will he seek out that other mysterious magic, Artifice, to counter Planir's magecraft? How will the aloof Aetheric adepts of the mountains answer such an appeal?
With many of the Wizard Council disputing Planir's chosen course, he must look beyond the island city for allies. To Suthyfer, the controversial haven for mageborn far away in the Eastern Ocean. To Caladrhia, where Corrain, Baron Halferan and Lady Zurenne believe they have finally won respite from all their trials. But absence of strife is hardly peace. The lull before winter's storms descend from the distant northern peaks will be a short one.
REVIEW:
Having followed Juliet’s writing for quite some time I was a little apprehensive about reading this book as I was wondering how so many of her threads were going to be rapped up as well as answering a fair few of the loose ends that I’ve wanted dealt with before.
Add to this a novel that doesn’t let up, has great pace as well as characters that I’ll be sorry to see the back of and all round it was a book that I was more than happy to spend my time with. Thank you Juliet.
Release Date: 22/11/12 SYNOPSIS:
The Chaos Space Marines of the Iron Warriors Legion have long been renowned as the masters of siege warfare, able to inflict devastating firepower and unimaginable cruelty upon their foes. On the world of Castellax, twisted Warsmith Andraaz builds his own empire even as a system-crushing ork Waaagh! approaches, and drives his own slaves ever harder to meet their production quotas and supply materiel for the Legion’s many warbands. Their walls are strong and their weapons ready, but how long can the planet hold out against the deadly greenskin invasion when whisperings of rebellion begin to pass between the Iron Warriors’ downtrodden vassals?
REVIEW:
I’m a huge fan of the Space Marine Battles yet sadly for me this title didn’t live up to what I was expecting almost feeling as if it was going through the motions rather than delivering a novel to keep the reader sated. Yes there were battles, yes there was epic marine action but for me the plot felt like it was lacking something and for me I think what hit it clear on the head was that I didn’t get on with the characters. They felt a little flat, they didn’t jump out as the heroes of epic proportions as you’d expect and when a novel just really feels like tis following a pattern then you have to sadly question it.
Release Date: 17/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
A man without faith. A woman without hope. My name is Aiden Fleischer. I was forced from my home, moved among the victims of Jack the Ripper, was tortured by a witch doctor, and awoke on another planet. Throughout it all, my assistant, Clarissa Stark, remained at my side. On Ptallaya, we were welcomed by the Yatsill. The creatures transformed their society into a bizarre version of our own, and we found a new home beneath the world's twin suns. But there was darkness in my soul, and as the two yellow globes set, I was forced to confront it, for on Ptallaya...A RED SUN ALSO RISES...and with it comes an evil more horrifying than any on Earth.
REVIEW:
To call this a Science Fiction book is to do it a disservice, to call it a Steampunk book doesn’t bring it over to the full majesty of what the reader is about to get, it’s one of those modern amalgams that really hits the spot with a mimic of the old Victorian Penny Dreadful echoing along within.
It’s definitely unusual, the principle characters outcasts amongst our own, yet among the Yatsill they’re welcomed. Add to this some solid pace, great prose alongside a cracking plot line and of course two characters that I just wanted to spend time around and for me, this hit the nail bang on the head as one of the debut releases for Del Rey UK.
In the business of creating parallel Earths, I've always been tempted towards alternative geography rather than alternative history. Changes in minor details of who won what American Civil War battle, do not make for a particularly thrilling alternative world (well, not for me). Sometimes, alternate history can give me that right and proper wait . . . where am I? chill, which in my book, is the chief pleasure of alternate world fiction: things are not as they seem – the world is a little bit queered. Ian MacLeod's The Summer Isles did it for me. In it, Britain loses the First World War and therefore becomes the country that suffers hyperinflation and the rise of fascism as opposed to Germany. But I'm not a history wonk and details of battles and generals (and Points of Departure – an expression I hate) seem to play too much to the Great Man approach to history.
I like broader brushes, bolder strokes for my alternate worlds. So, in Planesrunner, we have – or will have – a world where Britain (not Ireland, I hasten to add) is an island at the mouth of the Mediterranean; and we’ll also have a parallel Earth without usable mineral oil. Call me a determinist, but I'm interested in what kinds of worlds and societies can rise within those constraints – or with those opportunities: alternate geography. I've got most of the Nine (Ten, including our world) Worlds of the Plenitude mapped out. I may never use them, but I like to know what they're like, in case I ever do (and I do have the mechanism of the Plenitude of Known Worlds moving its headquarters every six months as an excuse for a little inter-plane sightseeing). Earth 1 is verboten (though, fiction being fiction, nothing verboten ever successfully stays verboten, and it pops up in Be My Enemy, Book 2 in the series), Earth 2 has Britain-off-the-Med, Earth 3 is Captain Anastasia and Sen's coal-fuelled electropunk world, Earth 4 is like our world – but with the significant difference that in 1964, the alien Thryn Sentiency colonised the far side of the moon and transformed it into an enormous alien mechanism; Earth 5 has five humanoid species as opposed to our one, and Earth 6 . . .
To writers, there's no such thing as idling, doing nothing, dicking about on the internet. It's creative hiatus. The reason the best ideas come in the shower is because you're not thinking about them. Your senses and mind are occupied elsewhere, so the pressure is off. Sometimes, like spying djinn, you have to look away to catch sight of what you really want to see. I was twiddling around on Google Earth, when my fat fingers did something and spun the globe so that the north pole was in the centre of the Pacific, around about where Tahiti is. A West Pole, so to speak. Ooh, I thought, what an interesting planet we now have. And, what an interesting idea for a parallel Earth – there's been a pole shift (wave hand over the process, we'll deal with it if we need it) and the world has been turned 90 degrees on its side. This is a game you all can play by the way. Have this happen in prehistory, so that the settlements and migration patterns of the planet turn out very differently.
What's immediately obvious in this alternate world, is that the world is divided into three bands: the great Northern Polar Ocean – our Pacific; a great Southern Ocean – broken by the bulk of Eurasia leading towards the south pole; a Central Ocean – our Arctic Ocean, with Greenland as a lush equatorial paradise; and then a great band of continents and land mass around the middle of the world. North America, arcs up from Alaska in the East to California in the polar regions, while the magnificent sweep of South America, lies along the equator, the centre of the world. Then, to the west, the tropical island continents of Antartica and Australia appear. West of Australia, the sunset islands of the archipelago of Indonesia and Melanesia, then Sri Lanka in the frozen south to the icebergs of Fiji make an arc of the entire planet. To the west of the archipelago is the massive landmass of Asia; Europe in the chilly south. Africa is an Arctic continent: the massive, frozen south. Try it. It's easy, and a fine mental exercise: The world turned on its side. Now, imagine that the climate patterns and jet streams follow the spin of the planet. Where are the rainforests, the deserts, the breadbaskets? The Andes becomes a massive equatorial cordillera along the northern edge of South America. The mountains of Antarctica are lush and forested, the high plateau a great desert.
How would history play out across a geography like this? It would be different from that of our world at every point. Where would the empires have risen? The developers of agriculture, metallurgy, printing and information? What is the influence of geography on the history of our world? Once you start, it's hard to stop. And this is a world I may never even visit in any detail (though the temptation is, having put all the head-work into it, to wrangle things around to get to use it). Creating an alternate reality is about looking at the world on its side. From a different angle, and asking how things might work differently, and from that, thinking about how things work now. That's the fun of alternate worlds – they force us to look at our own world with fresh eyes.
Release Date: 03/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
There is not just one you, there are many yous. We're part of a multiplicity of universes in parallel dimensions - and Tejendra Singh has found a way in. But he's been kidnapped, and now it is as though Tejendra never existed. Yet there is one clue for his son, Everett, to follow: a mysterious app, the Infundibulum. The app is a map, not just to the Ten Known Worlds, but to the entire multiverse - and there are those who want to get their hands on it very badly. If Everett's going to keep it safe and rescue his father, he's going to need friends: like Captain Anastasia Sixsmyth, her adopted daughter, Sen, and the crew of the airship Everness.
REVIEW:
I love a Science Fiction novel that brings heroes that the young reader can get on with as well as villains that they’ll just love to hate especially when a well-established author brings his talent to the fore for that market. What unfurls within is a story that travels multiple universes with a lead character that the younger reader will love to spend time around, he’s believable, is fully rounded and when added to the authors wonderful way of moving a story forward really generates a story that young readers will find hard to put down.
Back that up with cracking prose, some top notch dialogue which when backed with an author who loves to weave magic with words really gives you something special.
Release Date: 17/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
Perturabo - master of siegecraft, and the executioner of Olympia. Long has he lived in the shadow of his more favoured primarch brothers, frustrated by the mundane and ignominious duties which regularly fall to his Legion. When Fulgrim offers him the chance to lead an expedition in search of ancient and destructive xenos weaponry, the Iron Warriors and the Emperor's Children unite and venture deep into the heart of the great star maelstrom that haunts Perturabo's dreams. Pursued by vengeful survivors from Isstvan V and the revenants of a dead eldar world, they must work quickly if they are to unleash the devastating power of the Angel Exterminatus!
REVIEW:
OK, the dark nights have closed in around you, you’re wrapped in your duvet and seeking a little chill in your Science Fiction reading that will have you keeping the light on for a little bit longer, suddenly learning that its past dawn and you’ve spent the night reading, so what have you discovered?
Well quite possibly the latest book in the Horus Heresy series by Graham McNeill that not only gives the reader a tale of sordid deeds but one that will sink its pleasurable claws into the readers imagination as notable characters appearances will haunt you from page to page.
The writing is crisp, the descriptiveness works well and when the reader gets to see how low the chapter has fallen, they really can’t help but be dragged screaming to the twisted pleasures of Slaanesh as Graham’s writing holds you within its grasp. Add to the mix some wonderful plot devices some great sleight of hand and all round this book is a hell of a way to start the New Year. Magic.
Release Date: 08/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
'And it came to pass in those days, as it had come before and would come again, that the Dark lay heavy on the land and weighed down the hearts of men, and the green things failed, and hope died.' - Charal Drianaan te Calamon, The Cycle of the Dragon. In the Field of Merrilor the rulers of the nations gather to join behind Rand al'Thor, or to stop him from his plan to break the seals on the Dark One's prison - which may be a sign of his madness, or the last hope of humankind. Egwene, the Amyrlin Seat, leans toward the former. In Andor, the Trollocs seize Caemlyn. In the wolf dream, Perrin Aybara battles Slayer. Approaching Ebou Dar, Mat Cauthon plans to visit his wife Tuon, now Fortuona, Empress of the Seanchan. All humanity is in peril - and the outcome will be decided in Shayol Ghul itself. The Wheel is turning, and the Age is coming to its end. The Last Battle will determine the fate of the world...For twenty years The Wheel of Time has enthralled more than forty million readers in over thirty-two languages. A Memory of Light brings this majestic fantasy creation to its richly satisfying conclusion. Working from notes and partials left by Robert Jordan when he died in 2007, and consulting with Jordan's widow, who edited all of Jordan's books, established fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson has recreated the vision Jordan left behind.
REVIEW:
Fans around the world have been counting down the time to the final part of this epic series that started way back in 1990 with Robert Jordan and concluded 23 years later by Brandon Sanderson following the plot outline that Robert had laid down before his passing.
What the readers will get from this book is a bittersweet ending to the series that has great prose, wonderful interaction from the various cast members and whilst some of it felt a little convoluted after such a huge build up it really did hit the reader in the heart with its final chapter. Back that up with cracking prose, some wonderful dialogue and all round as a reader I was more than happy with the way that the series finished. Great stuff.
Release Date: 15/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
In the jungles of Khyrei, an escaped slave seeks vengeance and finds the key to a savage revolution. In the drought-stricken Stormlands, the Twin Kings argue the destiny of their kingdom: one walks the path of knowledge, the other treads the road to war. Beyond the haunted mountains King Vireon confronts a plague of demons bent on destroying his family. Iardu the Shaper weaves history like a grand tapestry, spinning sorceries into a vision of apocalypse. Giants and Men march as one to shatter a wicked empire. The fate of the known world rests on the swift blades of Seven Kings ...
REVIEW:
Having loved the original book by the author I really couldn’t wait to return to see what he had in store for me in this, the second outing. What unfurls within is a story that is even more twisted than the original, with a huge cast that continues to develop as the minds alongside political machinations continue their own march towards their goals.
It’s definitely a series that has not only grabbed me but entrenched me firmly in the camp of Fan of this author and when you add cracking characters to the wonderful sense of prose, the cracking descriptiveness of the world and of course the twisted nature of the plot, all round makes this a series that you’ll have a hard time putting down. Great stuff.
Release Date: 27/09/12 SYNOPSIS:
The Art of Isis Sousa & Guests is a highly inspirational tool for you who are a Fantasy Art lover and are developing your artistic skills. Endorsed by the biggest Fantasy Art and Creative communities in the world including Shadowness.com & it's Founder Meng To, Elfwood.com, ItsArtMag.com & it's founder Partice Leymarie, HystericalMinds.com, DeviantArt's groups: Elite Artists & Paradise of Artists and Sketchoholic.com. The book is bound with beautiful, high-end Fantasy and Dark Fantasy works from Isis Sousa and renowned guests: Uwe Jarling, Kirsi Salonen, Jezabel Nekranea, Ertaç Altinöz, Rochelle Green, Alexander Nanitchkov, Marius Bota, Marilena Mexi, Mariana Veira and Nathie Block.Take a learning and insightful journey through the dozens of tips, articles, tutorials, lectures, video classes and nonetheless, fantastic artworks which make this one-of-a-kind art-book experience. Read and watch video tutorials and workshops right from the book using QR technology barcode scanning. Get this book as an iPAD / PDF version and enjoy bonus video workshops unavailable in the printed version of the book!. This is the trade edition with non glossy pages, please get our Special Edition Hardcopy version from our website.
REVIEW:
As a reader I tend to see a lot of beautiful covers and at Falcata Times, I have had the pleasure of chatting to quite a few artists when they have either a new book out or given me the chance to get to know them behind the creative images that can make or break a title. Whilst this is quite a simplistic attitude to take at times, there are a whole host of talented individuals out there that whilst not what you’d consider the big names in the fantasy art world, produce high quality images and are more than happy to aid the next generation with tips, tricks and their experience to learn from.
That’s what this book by Isis Sousa and friends gives the reader. A book that explains the various techniques utilised to create a piece, tips to get certain looks yourself (that for many has been learned by many hours of experimentation) and wrapped up in wonderful prose that will aid artists move on to that next step.
Add to this hints, tips and aid from Isis’ contemporaries which when backed by abject lessons that explain practical techniques with illustrations really makes this a book to delve into for the fantasy artist within.
Release Date: 06/12/12 SYNOPSIS:
Young Corban watches enviously as boys become warriors, learning the art of war. He yearns to wield his sword and spear to protect his king's realm. But that day will come all too soon. Only when he loses those he loves will he learn the true price of courage. The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Although the giant-clans were broken in ages past, their ruined fortresses still scar the land. But now giants stir anew, the very stones weep blood and there are sightings of giant wyrms. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars. Sorrow will darken the world, as angels and demons make it their battlefield. Then there will be a war to end all wars. High King Aquilus summons his fellow kings to council, seeking an alliance in this time of need. Prophesy indicates darkness and light will demand two champions, the Black Sun and the Bright Star. They would be wise to seek out both, for if the Black Sun gains ascendancy, mankind's hopes and dreams will fall to dust.
REVIEW:
To be honest with you, I held back on reading this book for a while purely for the fact that I was waiting for a time when I wanted something that would fill my need for what I refer to as classic fantasy, characters and situations that whilst following a fairly straight road give the reader a story that isn’t overly complicated (as has become the norm these days with many authors trying to turn out the next Fire and Ice Series) but enjoys what it is.
That’s what I got from this debut and to be honest I’m quite happy to say that I’ll be reading this authors work again. Yes it is formulaic if you want to go that route, yes it has some simplistic characters but in a real world where we all too often have to either pick the lesser of two evils or rather the lightest shade of grey available it’s great to have a book where it feels so clear cut.
All in, add to this a writing style to suits the material albeit with some rough edges, the author definitely has a future ahead and I for one can’t wait to see the next book in order to discover how the characters develop alongside the authors skill at producing a cracking read. Back that up with reasonable prose, a solid enough pace and whilst not a book to set the world alight, it’s definitely one that’s going to feel not only familiar but one that returns the reader to the days of nostalgic golden fantasy.
Release Date: 28/12/12 SYNOPSIS:
Cayden Silversun is part Elven, part Fae, part human Wizard - and all rebel. His aristocratic mother would have him follow his father to the Royal Court, to make a high society living off the scraps of kings. But Cade lives and breathes for the theatre, and he's good - very, very good. With his company, he'll enter the highest reaches of society and power, as an honoured artist - or die trying.
REVIEW:
Having read Melanie Rawn’s Dragon Prince Trilogy I was certainly looking forward to this new series published by Titan as I expected her blend of fantasy, magic and characters to take me on a new journey into the unknown.
So opening the book to the first page, whilst leaving me slightly confused more than intrigued me to keep going. What unfurls within is an imaginative world where theatres are the places of magic as groups of talented individuals band together to create something unique to earn themselves fame, money and of course the idolation of the masses.
It’s certainly something new, something almost wild which when added to a fascinating set of castes kept me glued just to figure out how it all worked alongside how each brought their talents to add to the greater experience.
That said, and whilst on the whole I did enjoy the book my main grumble is to do with the portrayal of the characters themselves, the felt forced into some of the situations as well as emotionally and developmentally deficient to really elicit the response that an author usually gets from a reader. It was at times a struggle to continue but I will read the next book in the series to see if it picks up now that a lot of the leg work has been established.
Release Date: 03/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
Los Angeles Harbour is one of the world's busiest ports. It's also where the ocean, in the words of Dinko Babich, meets the ghetto and a locus for theft, extortion, drug smuggling and human trafficking. Dinko is a third generation longshoreman, and while no stranger to a little extra-legal activity himself, he's simply got used to looking the other way. Until he's paid to transport Lita - a beautiful and surprisingly sweet Mexican dancer - from the harbour front to a Hollywood club. Lita's seen something she shouldn't have, something that links her to a shipping container filled with 13 corpses. Can Dinko keep Lita safe while the LAPD catch up? Or will the lethal predators who stalk the docks prove too powerful to escape? Inventive, razor-sharp, and with an unflinching eye for detail, Joseph Wambaugh intertwines suspense, tragedy and humour into the everyday life of the cops and residents of Los Angeles Harbour and Hollywood. Starring a host of colourful characters from the Hollywood Station series - the surfer cops known as 'Flotsam and Jetsam', aspiring actor 'Hollywood Nate' Weiss, young Britney Small - Harbour Nocturne is the brilliant new novel from the grandmaster of crime.
REVIEW:
If you’re a fan of Crime Fiction and want something that feels like its larger than life then you really have to try Joseph Wambaugh’s new book Harbour Nocturne that brings back characters from his Hollywood Division. It’s quirky, blending crime with humour and for a reader looking for something a little different really makes it something not only unique but a title that’s a lot of fun to spend time reading.
Add to this a wonderful sense of storytelling mixed in with real life experience (his own and other cops from the real LA Division) and all round this book is a real hit for relatively new publisher Head of Zeus as they continue to forge their own way in a weird and wacky world.
Release Date: 10/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
FROM THE RUINS, A HERO WILL RISE Condemned as a murderer for killing the man who dishonored his sister, Blaine McFadden has been banished for years to a penal colony in the frigid northern wastelands of Edgeland. Military discipline and the oppressive magic of the governor's mages keep a fragile peace, as colonists struggle to survive in the harshest of conditions. But now the supply ships have stopped coming, and this bodes ill for the kingdom that banished the colonists ...McFadden and the other exiles must decide their fate. They can remain in their icy prison, or they can return to the ruins of the kingdom that they once called home. Either way, destruction lies ahead ...
REVIEW:
Having read all of Gail’s work to date, I have to say that she’s not a guilty pleasure but one that I happily admit to when anyone asks for a relatively new author to try. She has intriguing idea’s that are explored which when blended with wonderfully adaptive alongside captivating characters really delivers what the reader wants within a book.
So, it was that I grabbed this book during the holiday period when I was looking for a comforting read to help me relax which immediately sucked me in. At least that’s what happened within the first few pages but afterwards, the book felt like it wasn’t as polished or as sharp as I was hoping. Why?
Well the characters felt a little more 2d than usual, the temper that landed the hero into trouble in the first place seemed to have dissipated and after the brief beginning, it felt like a lot of time was skipped in favour of exploring a singular idea almost as if it was designed to give you an overview told by a child to get to the good stuff.
Don’t get me wrong, the concepts explored within not only made me think but really sold itself but without characters that I really cared about it felt more than a little flat, with luck, the next book in the series will develop a little more naturally and with a lot of the background work already done it will have the chance to give the reader more rounded characters and a clearer idea of where the author is heading but for me, this isn’t Gail’s best to date and if you were to ask where to start for a flavour of the author I’d have to recommend the Chronicles of the Necromancer which remain my favourite to date.
Release Date: 13/12/12 SYNOPSIS:
Even disaster can yield riches for the right sort of criminal...The great flood killed thousands overnight - turning the towns between the warring cities of Dordrecht and Geertruidenburg into a desolate inland sea. Into this ruined land sail three uneasy conspirators: a ruthless conman, a thug at the edge of madness and a half-feral girl who swims like a fish. Working together they could find fortune beyond reckoning beneath the waves, but the lost souls below will not give up their treasures so easily. And even if these three can survive the dark waters, that's no guarantee they will survive each other.
REVIEW:
The end of a year is usually a dark time for many avid readers as it feels that for the Seasonal period a lot of publishers head off to hibernate, leaving the reader sadly bereft of new great reading material until the New Year. So it was with great surprise as well as relief when this book arrived from Orbit that delivered not only a story that I could sink my teeth into but one that delivered what I was really wanting. A book of violence, double dealing and of course great plot outline to keep me going throughout.
Jesse is definitely one of those authors who really never sticks within a box, preferring to twist the dark macabre tales to not only bring the reader in deeper to his power but also uses the ability to shock to bring it altogether through his wonderfully rounded characters.
Add to the mix a wonderful set of prose as well as great pace and all round I was more than happy with this author latest book. Definitely a macabre master of the future.
Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Calloused Thumbs, Hot on the heels of Lego Lord of the Rings our spys have let us know about the forthcoming amalgamation of Lego Marvel Super Heroes. Here's the info we currently have:
"Marvel Super Heroes are assembling for an action-packed, brick-smashing
good time! Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games, The LEGO
Group and Marvel Entertainment announced today that LEGO® Marvel™ Super Heroes
will be available from autumn 2013 for the Xbox 360® video game and
entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer
entertainment system, the Wii U™ system and Windows PC, as well as the
Nintendo DS™ handheld system, Nintendo 3DS™ handheld system and
PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is the first instalment in the highly successful LEGO videogame franchise to feature famous Marvel characters.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
complements the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes construction toy collection,
which brings the characters, vehicles and action of Marvel’s renowned
universe to the world of LEGO build-and-play adventure. There are
currently eight iconic scenes from the X-Men, Iron Man and Spider-Man
franchises available and more construction sets tied to the new Iron Man
3 feature film will launch later this spring.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
offers an original storyline in which Nick Fury calls upon Iron Man,
the Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine and other heroes spanning the
Marvel Universe to save Earth from such threats as the vengeance of Loki
and the hunger of Galactus, Devourer of the Worlds. LEGO and Marvel
fans will enjoy classic LEGO videogame adventure and humor, while
playing as their favorite Marvel characters.
“We’re very excited
to bring a myriad of classic Marvel characters to life in LEGO form for
some fun, family-friendly gameplay in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes,”
said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games Publishing. “Players will
brave the ultimate mission to save the world as they explore famous
landmarks in LEGO New York and take the adventure beyond Earth to iconic
locations in the Marvel Universe.”
“Fans of both LEGO and Marvel
have wanted this game for years, and we’re addressing that demand with
more Marvel Universe characters than ever in a console game,” said TQ
Jefferson, Vice President, Games Production, Marvel Entertainment. “If
you’re a fan of Spider-Man, the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men,
Guardians of the Galaxy or scores of other Marvel characters, this is
the game for you.”
In LEGO Marvel Super Heroes,
players will unlock more than 100 characters from across the Marvel
Universe, including fan favorites like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine,
Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Deadpool, Loki
and Galactus! The game will pack in a plethora of super-cool character
abilities, combat-like action sequences, epic battle scenes,
puzzle-solving and a unique story told with playful LEGO humor."
Release Date: 08/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
A suspicious death. A ghost in a mirror. The second Dark Legacy novel from the New York Times bestselling author known for crafting novels of burning passion and chilling suspense ...Gwen Frazier is no stranger to ghosts. She sees them in pools of water, windows, mirrors - any reflective surface - at the scene of their violent deaths. But finding justice for the dead is something she's not trained to do and a luxury she can't afford. What pays the bills is her work as a psychic counsellor who sees auras and interprets dreams. But the death of her friend and mentor, Evelyn Ballinger, brings Gwen back to the small town of Wilby, Oregon, and brings back memories she would rather forget. And suddenly, she finds herself a suspect. Enter Judson Coppersmith - a man of startling power and disturbing energy. Sent by a friend to help Gwen, the psychic investigator arrives in Wilby barely in control of his own talent and his own life, haunted by urgent dreams. His attraction to Gwen is primal, but there are secrets he must keep to protect himself from surrendering to her completely. As their investigation into deaths past and present draws them ever closer to danger, Gwen finds herself going too far - into dreamscapes, into decades of deception, and into the fires of a desire too strong to resist ...
REVIEW:
There are times in my reading schedule when I want a good helping of paranormal with the added magic of Romance, so at times like that I tend to reach for any title sent by Piatkus as they have a stable of not only well known authors but also a proven track record in giving me in what I want. So after the recent holiday, I felt in the mood for something a little lighter and was more than delighted to find a murder mystery mixed in with the genre in Jayne Ann Krentz latest title.
What unfurls is a story that whilst unbelievable in parts does give you a great angle into how some of the powers manifest within individuals as well as giving a reason for why it happens to some and not others. It also brings together too lone figures who are lost within their own emotional turmoil and yet find each other. That said, that’s where the plot started to fall apart as to be blunt with you, the first sex scene within the novel felt not only contrived but forced almost as if the author thought that she really needed to add it without allowing it to feel natural or allow it to take its time.
Don’t get me wrong I did enjoy the tale but all in when things are forced and the reader starts to concentrate on flaws that occur with greater frequency then you may well be better awaiting this title to appear in a cheaper shop or borrow from the library.
Release Date: 06/12/12 SYNOPSIS:
Nic Caruana is paid to kill people. Once, he was destined for a white-collar job in a middle-class area. But like many kids, he made a fatal mistake. Now, he inhabits the bleak, dark city that runs like a seam beneath London. His latest job is to track down the daughter of an arms dealer, using any weapon necessary to get to the truth. But Nic has fallen in love with his dangerous employer's wife. When the missing girl turns up dead, this grief-stricken mother starts playing twisted games with Nic...and this time he has nothing in his amoury to protect himself. Taut, spare, and brilliantly plotted, Something You Are is the first in a series of menacing urban crime novels from a young female writer of exceptional talent.
REVIEW:
I love a dark story where the reader gets to see an antihero who you long to see find a path to happiness despite everything he has not only undergone but done and to be honest that’s exactly what this debut book by Hanna Jameson delivers to the reader.
It’s unusual, has a touch of the macabre and when blended with good pace, some wonderful prose alongside a lead character that you can’t help but route for, all round makes this a debut to sit up and pay attention to. Add to the mix a wonderful authorly writing style that has a friendly touch to it that neither supports or condemns the characters choices leaving the reader to make up their own mind really delivers with a creatively thought out plot. Great stuff.
Release Date: 06/12/12 SYNOPSIS:
Nathaniel Garro, knight errant and agent of the Sigillite, returns from the battlefields of Calth to find a new mission already waiting for him – a ragged fleet of Space Marines from several Legions lingers at the edge of the Terran system. With the presence of World Eaters and Emperor’s Children causing concern among the loyalist defenders and drawing a grim parallel with his own frantic flight, Garro must look beneath the obvious if he is to determine friend from foe...
REVIEW:
As many people are aware I love a good audio book, its something that I can enjoy on journey’s or something that really hits the spot when I’m having trouble sleeping and can’t find a way to relax taking me back to the days of my childhood when I used to listen to ghost stories on the radio that sent not only a chill of excitement down my spine but delivered that wonderful feeling of safety as I’m toasty in bed.
What this title by James Swallow provides will, for quite a few readers, turn out to be something not far short of miraculous as this double length story will not only thrill and entertain but deliver a tale that will have not only the characters questioning loyalties but the listeners as well as quality vocal acting brings everything to the fore. Add to the mix a story that lends itself to the series wonderfully as well as giving the reader the type of tale they love and all round you really can’t go far wrong. Definitely value for money.
Release Date: 06/12/12 SYNOPSIS:
The Ravenwing stand apart from the rest of the Dark Angels Chapter – these dynamic Space Marines take to the battlefield upon steeds of adamantium and plasteel, and swoop from the skies in lightning-fast speeders to bring death to the foes of the Imperium.
When he joins their prestigious ranks, Brother Annael finds himself thrust into a whole new world of shadowy intrigue, and privy to secrets unknown to his common battle-brothers. In the wake of the conflict at Kadillus, hints of a dark conspiracy begin to emerge, and it soon becomes apparent that the Ravenwing has a sacred duty far more vital than hunting down orks...
REVIEW:
With there being so many secrets amongst the Followers of the Emperor, one of the darkest has to perhaps be the one hidden by the Dark Angels chapter themselves with only a few knowing it. It’s definitely one hell of a hook and when added to the wonderful writing style of an author who knows not only how to twist the readers perception but deliver political machinations alongside goals whilst surrounding the characters within war with their foes as well as themselves and you know that it’s a book that is going to deliver a hell of a lot.
Add to the mix some wonderful turns of phrase, some cracking Warhammer action alongside the use of fast action machines to take these hunters to their prey and all round you know that the reader is going to be in for a hell of a ride. Cracking stuff all round and definitely something that is going to earn the chapter a few more fans.
Release Date: 01/12/12 SYNOPSIS:
Small Shen is the amazing story of Gold - a stone spirit and a chronic troublemaker in the court of the great Gods of Chinese mythology. A mix of Kylie Chan's brilliant storytelling and Queenie Chan's beautiful illustrations, Small Shen is a fantastic treat for fans of White Tiger. Readers will be thrilled to discover the events leading up to John Chen and Emma Donahoe's story in this wonderful prequel. Shown through Queenie Chan's stunning illustrations and comics, the story follows the stone spirit Gold's entertaining adventures throughout history. His escapades include seducing a dragon princess, attempting to steal one of the Tiger's wives, making bets with demons, and working for the Blue Dragon of the East. Eventually, as a result of his crimes against Heaven and his constant philandering, Gold is ordered to join the household of Xuan Wu, the Dark Lord of the Northern Heavens. Xuan Wu is also known as John Chen, a Hong Kong businessman. The story then follows Gold and Jade - the dragon princess - in contemporary Hong Kong. The two small shen must help guard John Chen's beloved human wife and baby daughter from demon attack. John Chen is vulnerable to attack while living on Earth, but his family are in the most danger of all...Small Shen is a unique piece of work for fans of Kylie Chan to treasure, but also a fantastic introduction to this gripping series.
REVIEW:
I’ve really enjoyed the wonderful inventive series of Kylie Chan that blends Urban Fantasy with Chinese myth in modern times yet this time, instead of focusing on current events, the reader is given a prequel as seen through the eyes of the stone spirit, Gold.
As with the series its wonderfully rich in culture, gives the reader a story with some magical twists and whilst it fills in some of the gaps hinted at in the earlier books, really manages to keep one hell of a punch to keep the reader glued. All round a cracking tale and one I was more than pleased I got to spend the time with. Great stuff and I really can’t wait to see what Kylie delivers next.
Release Date: 03/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
Vespasian is serving as a military officer on the outskirts of the Roman Empire, suppressing local troubles and defending the Roman way. But political events in Rome - Tiberius's increasingly insane debauchery, the escalating grain crisis - draw him back to the city. When Caligula becomes Emperor, Vespasian believes that things will improve. Instead, he watches the young emperor deteriorate from Rome's shining star to a blood-crazed, incestuous, all-powerful, profligate madman. Lavish building projects, endless games, public displays of his relationship with his sister, Drusilla, and a terrified senate are nothing to Caligula's most ambitious plan: to bridge the bay of Neapolis and ride over it wearing Alexander's breastplate. And it falls to Vespasian to travel to Alexandria and fetch it from Alexander's mausoleum. Vespasian's mission will lead to violence, mayhem and theft - and in the end, to an act of ultimate betrayal."
REVIEW:
Death, murder, deceit and double dealing with all of them being done before breakfast in ancient Rome as the principle characters story continues to unwind for the modern reader in an imaginative and thought provoking series by Robert Fabbri.
It’s definitely a series that has taken the Historical Fiction world by storm and when you add this to the facts that this remarkable man started out so low and rose to the highest position possible it really is a tale that needs to be told. Throw into the mix the wonderful prose alongside writing style of Robert that makes this engaging as well as the wonderful quips and foresightedness of the principle hero in one of the Empires darkest time which when the reader is introduced to the vileness of Little Boots himself will all round not only make you appreciate our hero but one that will force you to answer questions within your own mind. A wonderful read for the start of the year and to be honest if the quality all round maintains this high, we’re in for one hell of a ride.
Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Calloused Thumbs, Our friends at Namco have been keeping us in the loop with secret briefings in regard to the forthcoming Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 title which will be available on the 15 Jan 2013 on the following formats: Xbox 360 PS3 PC There's a whole host of things that you can do with each mission in perhaps the most accurate Sniper title out there to date. Add to the mix this graphically pleasing trailer:
So all in, prepare to don the Gilly Suit, make sure that Rifles clean soldier and prepare to make yourself one with your environment, we may see you on the field of battle, although if we're doing it right, you won't see us...
Game Blurb:
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 takes the bulls-eye precision of its best-selling predecessor to new and exciting heights. Powered by the CryENGINE 3 engine, the missions of Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 are graphically stunning and more challenging as you once again step into the ghilliesuit of a special ops sniper to take down the enemy.
Diverse gameplay
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 takes all the breathless anticipation, precise controls and skillful fun of sniping and mixes it with stealth and silent elimination play, action scenes, a co-operative move playbook
Night vision and thermo vision goggles to use in limited visibility situations
Vehicle sections are a new addition to the Sniper series
Multiple and varied locations including urban, jungle, mountain and tundra environments
THE Authentic, modern Sniper Experience
Realistic ballistics take into account the player's location, wind speed and direction, breathing rate and distance from the target
Snipers do not fight alone in the real world and nor do they in Sniper 2. Working with your spotter is key
All environments are based on real-world locations
An array of faithfully recreated weapons are at your disposal, including six sniper rifles, three assault rifles, heavy machine guns, and more
More skills, more rewards
Silent kills allow for quiet enemy elimination and successful execution sees the player rewarded with a brutal kill animation
Bullet cam shows particularly successful hits
Limb dismemberment from large calibre guns and explosions
Innovation & Technology
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 is built on CryEngine3, the most advanced multi-platform development tool for current-generation consoles and for PC
New equipment for stealth gameplay
Multiplayer modes designed especially for sniper duels
Release Date: 03/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
The first in a brand new series from the international bestseller Chris Kuzneski - "If you seek, they will find" The Hunters: a team of renegades - an ex-military leader, a historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert and a thief - financed by a billionaire philanthropist are tasked with finding the world's most legendary treasures. The Mission: recover a vast Romanian treasure that was stolen by the Russians nearly a century ago. Fearing a Germany victory in World War 1, the Romanian government signed a deal to guarantee the safety of the country's most valuable artifacts until after the war. In 1916 two treasure trains full of gold and the most precious objects of the Romanian state - paintings, jewellery from the Royal family, ancient Dacien artifacts - were sent to the underground vaults in the Kremlin only to be lost to the Romanian people forever as Russia severed all diplomatic relations with the country and scattered the treasure to its outlying regions. With a haul valued at over $3.5 billion dollars, everyone wants to claim the vast treasure but its location has remained a mystery, until now. Can the Hunters succeed where all others have failed?
REVIEW:
I love a story that takes me not only on a high octane adventure but one that gives the reader the chance to see the influences behind. This book, the first in a new series by Chris, is one that will grab you pretty quickly and refuse to let go as the pace really has you hitting the ground running, it has elements of Mission Impossible as well as blending in a cast of misfits that work incredibly well together.
That’s not to say that its plain sailing but with cracking characters, some wonderful dialogue and of course a storyline that really doesn’t let up, the reader is going to fall for the charms of this author pretty quickly. All in a book that I definitely had a lot of fun reading and to be honest the pure enjoyment on these dark cold nights made it a real pleasure to curl up with. Great stuff.
Release Date: 01/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
KATE SHUGAK is a native Aleut working as a private investigator in Alaska. She's 5 foot 1 inch tall, carries a scar that runs from ear to ear across her throat and owns half-wolf, half-husky dog named Mutt. Resourceful, strong-willed, defiant, Kate is tougher than your average heroine - and she needs to be to survive the worst the Alaskan wilds can throw at her. A COLD DAY FOR MURDER: Somewhere in twenty million acres of forest and glaciers, a ranger has disappeared: Mark Miller. Missing six weeks. It's assumed by the Alaskan Parks Department that Miller has been caught in a snowstorm and frozen to death, the typical fate of those who get lost in this vast and desolate terrain. But as a favour to his congressman father, the FBI send in an investigator: Ken Dahl. Last heard from two weeks and two days ago.Now it's time to send in a professional. Kate Shugak: light brown eyes, black hair, five foot tall with an angry scar from ear to ear. Last seen yesterday...
REVIEW:
Whilst this book has been available for quite some time in the States, it’s being brought to the attention of the British public by new publisher Head of Zeus. Whilst the series is now well established, as a reader I love to go back and start from the beginning with authors who’ve established themselves to see how they’ve changed their writing over the time.
Yet for all that, we have to remember that this was a first book and as such learn to expect that there will be problems with the prose, the pace and at times even the plot. What this book does for me is a wonderful introduction to a culture I really don’t know that much about, the author brings the tempestuous relationship between the native peoples and the government over wonderfully and the story is definitely one that whilst investigating the disappearance of two men, really does a good job of allowing the reader to get to know the principle character.
Add to the fact that she’s quite single-minded and all round it’s a book that has more than intrigued me to read the others in the series. Yes there are problems such as the loss of pace in parts, yes there are problems with some of the other elements but Kate is definitely a heroine that will find a place in a great many readers hearts (alongside Mutt, her pet) and whilst for many she’s a seasoned veteran of the bookshelves, to the UK, she’s new and definitely ready to rumble with the others on the shelf.
Release Date: 01/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
KATE SHUGAK is a native Aleut working as a private investigator in Alaska. She's 5 foot 1 inch tall, carries a scar that runs from ear to ear across her throat and owns half-wolf, half-husky dog named Mutt. Resourceful, strong-willed, defiant, Kate is tougher than your average heroine - and she needs to be to survive the worst the Alaskan wilds can throw at her. A FATAL THAW: Eleven days ago, Roger McAniff bought himself a new Winchester 30.06 rifle. Ten days ago he went out to test it. Now nine people are dead. But only eight were killed by McAniff...Stephen Syms. Patrick Jorgensen. Lyle and Lucy Longstaff. Lisa Getty. The Weiss family, John, Tina, and their two children. All slaughtered. Considering she would have been his final victim, Kate Shugak almost regrets not killing Roger McAniff. But Lisa Getty was killed by a different rifle. Different rifle, different shooter. And Kate Shugak is tasked with tracking this unknown killer down before the case goes completely cold...
REVIEW:
OK, so I’m straight back in for my second outing with Kate Shugak, and as a reader, getting the chance to compare the first two titles so close together really does allow you to see the lessons that the author has learned from the original. Here the characters are crisper, the plot line slicker and of course the reader is in for a treat as a mystery comes to the fore wrapped up in an enigma that Kate has to solve.
There’s some wonderful twists, a host of cast members that are wonderfully fleshed out and when added to a plotline that works wonderfully well on so many levels, definitely demonstrates that the reader is in for one hell of a good read with these books. Whilst shorter than quite a few other books out there now, it doesn’t suffer for it as it keeps it pretty punchy. All round a great read and one that proves that Kate is definitely not a one shot pony.
Release Date: 01/01/13 SYNOPSIS:
KATE SHUGAK is a native Aleut working as a private investigator in Alaska. She's 5 foot 1 inch tall, carries a scar that runs from ear to ear across her throat and owns half-wolf, half-husky dog named Mutt. Resourceful, strong-willed, defiant, Kate is tougher than your average heroine - and she needs to be to survive the worst the Alaskan wilds can throw at her. DEAD IN THE WATER: Last March, two men disappeared whilst loading supplies on a remote island in the Bering Sea: two million square miles of dark capricious ocean and tempestuous squalls. Their Skipper, Harry Gault, should have been fired, at the least. But six months later he's still aboard the Avilda, and the families of the missing men are making noises about corruption. With the crew backing his version of events, what the authorities need is an investigator who can survive the torturous conditions on an Alaskan fishing trawler. Someone like Kate Shugak...
REVIEW:
The third book in the series and whilst this one still kept me going, it was more a book about the people and land than a real mystery bound up within which to be honest is a bit of a problem when that’s the key element to which this series is based. Don’t get me wrong, the characters are still wonderfully rounded, the descriptiveness of life on a crabbing vessel works well and with the inclusion of a native tradition, its something that does keep you more than interested due to the fact that she brings it all over wonderfully well.
All in a solid enough title but for me, it really doesn’t surpass the second outing and whilst I’ll continue to read the series, I am a little apprehensive leaving it for a while in case I tend to remember the negative rather than the positive aspects.
Release Date: 26/12/12 SYNOPSIS:
Prepare for non-stop excitement and pulse-pounding thrills in this “smart, sexy and action-packed” (Scott Mantz, Access Hollywood) action thriller. Colin Farrell stars as Douglas Quaid, a factory worker who visits Rekall, a revolutionary company that can turn his superspy fantasies into real memories. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, the line between fantasy and reality blurs as Quaid becomes a man on the run and the fate of his world hangs in the balance.
Co-starring Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel and Bryan Cranston, Total Recall is bursting with mind-blowing action sequences and spectacular visual effects, the ultimate high-energy thrill-ride!
REVIEW:
There are times when you want a film that gives you loads of action and has a real science fiction feel. That’s what I expected from this modern remake of what I consider to a fun film of the 90’s. Yet what I got from this was something that was not only sadly lacking but one that really didn’t work on so many levels.
Quaid needed to be vulnerable yet smart, an action hero and a guy that you would care about winning. Yet Farrell really didn’t bring that across for me as a viewer and to be honest that made it difficult to care about what was happening throughout. Add to this a plot that really ddn’t sell itself and felt poorly conceived alongside a sadly lacking script.
All round the effects were reasonable and with a couple of homages to the original within it did raise a smile or two when you spotted them. Yet when you look at it deeply its not a great film and one that I’ll not be watching again for quite some time choosing, my 90’s version instead.
Whether you’re a Dennis the Menace fan, a Turtle Power follower or perhaps even a student of Tree Fu Tom they’re all there along with Peppa the Pig and a few other friends.
