Review: One Way by S.J. Morden

Title: One Way
Author: S.J. Morden
Pages: 330
ISBN: 9781473222564
Publisher: Gollancz
Published: 15 February 2018
Genre: Science Fiction | Thriller
Source: Review copy from publisher

Buy it from:
The Book Depository

Frank Kittridge is serving life for murdering his son's drug dealer, so when he's offered a deal by Xenosystems Operations - the corporation that owns the prison - he takes it.

He's been selected to help build the first permanent base on Mars. Unfortunately, his crewmates are just as guilty of their crimes as he is.

As the convicts set to work on the frozen wastes of Mars, the accidents multiply.

Until Frank begins to suspect they might not be accidents at all...

S.J. Morden's One Way starts off slow and grows in intensity as the stakes escalates. It's an atmospheric read where the Mars setting plays just as much a role as the cast of characters. Morden manages to capture the desolate, inhospitable Martian environment perfectly. An environment where every breath counts and your life depends on those around you. Every mistake could be deadly. Every step could be your last.

"His life was measured in breaths: the harder he worked, the fewer he had left." (p 122)

There are moments of beauty and touching camaraderie among the crew of convicts. Just as it seems they have overcome the worst of the obstacles thrown in their path it becomes clear that the deadly accidents on the expedition are anything but. When Earth is millions of miles away where do you run to? Where can you hide? Who can you trust?

The main protagonist, Frank, is an interesting, sympathetic character and becomes a caretaker for the rest of the crew. The other characters aren't fleshed out all that much and for the most part they felt disposable, which is the only real downside to the story. I never really cared all that much about them.

The brutal conclusion will have you at the edge of your seat, holding your breath in anticipation to see how far someone will go to survive. The greater conspiracy at work, although not entirely unexpected, provides an interesting twist and ponders the value of life in more ways than one.

The Verdict:
S.J. Morden's One Way is a brutal, claustrophobic, murder mystery set on Mars. While things start of slow it picks up pace, and soon you'll be enthralled by the character's struggle for survival in all its paranoid glory. An exciting read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Recommended!

The rating: 7/10 (Very good)

Thanks to Charlene from Jonathan Ball Publishers for the review copy.

Review: Snapshot by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Snapshot
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Pages: 129
ISBN: 9781473224995
Publisher: Gollancz
Published: 10 October 2018
Genre: Novella | Science fiction | Mystery
Source: Review copy from publisher

Buy it from:
The Book Depository

Anthony Davis and his partner Chaz are the only real people in a city of 20 million, sent there by court order to find out what happened in the real world 10 days ago so that hidden evidence can be brought to light and located in the real city today.

Within the re-created Snapshot of May 1st, Davis and Chaz are the ultimate authorities. Flashing their badges will get them past any obstruction and overrule any civil right of the dupes around them. But the crimes the detectives are sent to investigate seem like drudgery - until they stumble upon the grisly results of a mass killing that the precinct headquarters orders them not to investigate.

That's one order they have to refuse, so now the hunt is on. And though the city they walk through is only a Snapshot, that doesn't make the dangers any less real.

While Brandon Sanderson might be best known for his epic fantasy tomes, he also excels in shorter forms. Snapshot, is a prime example of just how much Sanderson manages to pack into a 125 page novella. Expect one thing, get something completely different.

Snapshot's premise is fascinating, the characterization and worldbuilding is just enough to keep you invested and push the narrative forward. Just when you think you are ahead of the game Sanderson subverts what you think is about to happen and twists it into a far more complex, multi-layered story which questions reality and messes with your mind. The startling ending is bittersweet and best experienced for yourself. Well worth it!

The Rating: 7/10 (Very Good)

Thanks to Charlene from Jonathan Ball Publishers for the review copy.

There's a new Buffy The Vampire Slayer in town!

It came as quite a surprise to discover that Boom! Studios has revamped Buffy The Vampire Slayer for a new generation. The new Buffy The Vampire Slayer comic series reimagines the franchise and transports Buffy and the Scoobies into the modern era with all the technological marvels and perils of our everyday lives on top of all the monsters and Big Bads.

Go back to the beginning as the critically acclaimed pop culture phenomenon Buffy The Vampire Slayer is reimagined under the guidance of series creator Joss Whedon.

This is the Buffy Summers you know, who wants what every average teenager wants: friends at her new school, decent grades, and to escape her imposed destiny as the next in a long line of vampire slayers tasked with defeating the forces of evil.

But her world looks a lot more like the one outside your window, as Jordie Bellaire (Redlands) and Russ Manning Award-Winner Dan Mora (Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers) bring Buffy into a new era with new challenges, new friends…and a few enemies you might already recognize. But the more things change, the more they stay the same, as the Gang faces brand new Big Bads, and the threat lurking beneath the perfectly manicured exterior of Sunnydale High confirms what every teenager has always known: high school truly is hell.

The cover art by artist Kevin Wada is simply amazing! He manages to bring each of the familiar characters to life, making them immediately recognisable but also incorporating a modern twist. I'd buy it for these covers alone.

Based on the preview I took a look at I'm not sure I'm completely sold on the interior art style, but I'm definitely going to keep my eye on this one and most likely pick up the trade when it becomes available. I'm interested to see where they take things. And who can resist more Buffy?

Review: Ravencry by Ed McDonald

Title: Ravencry
Author: Ed McDonald
Pages: 414
ISBN: 9781473222069
Series: The Raven's Mark #2
Publisher: Gollancz
Published: 12 June 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Review copy from publisher

Buy it from:
The Book Depository

For Ryhalt Galharrow, working for Crowfoot as a Blackwing captain is about as bad as it gets - especially when his orders are garbled, or incoherent, or impossible to carry out.

The Deep Kings are hurling fire from the sky, a ghost in the light known only as the Bright Lady had begun to manifest in visions across the city, and the cult that worship her grasp for power while the city burns around them.

Galharrow may not be able to do much about the cult - or about strange orders from the Nameless - but when Crowfoot's arcane vault is breached and an object of terrible power is stolen, he's propelled into a race against time to recover it. Only to do that, he needs answers, and finding them means travelling into nightmare: to the very heart of the Misery.

Ed McDonald's Blackwing was one of the most impressive debut novels I've read in recent years. I was completely mesmerised by the world and characters and jumped straight into the next installment, Ravencry. I started reading with a sense of trepidation, the bar was set extremely high, and I was afraid that the second novel might be a let-down, but I shouldn't have been worried at all. Ravencry is just as good, if not better.

Set four years after the events of the first novel Galharrow discovers a nightmare hiding below his city. Another player is grasping for ultimate power in the most grotesque way possible and with the Nameless otherwise engaged it's up to him to put a stop to it. On top of everything he also has to deal with a cult, ghost sightings and fiery death hurtling from the sky.

Ravencry takes a far more personal look into Galharrow's life and struggles as he deals with guilt and loss while trying to do the right thing. He bears his physical and emotional scars with a stoic machismo, but underneath his gruff exterior hides a surprisingly compassionate soul. Galharrow keeps everyone around him at arm's length in order to protect himself from pain. A mask that can last only for so long.

"We were both walking casualties, the sutures never quite holding us together." (p 171)

"Never get close if you can help it. When I'd got back I'd send her away." (p 229)

All the familiar characters make an appearance, although their roles are largely on the periphery. Two new characters, Valiya and Amaira, are introduced. Valiya runs the Blackwing offices and she is a true force of nature, fighting her battles with words and papers. Amaira is a young orphan working as Galharrow's servant. You can't help but fall in love with the little rapscallion, and it's the relationship between Galharrow and Amaira that really becomes the driving force in the story.

There are some truly emotional moments that will break your heart. I teared up quite a few times and for me that takes quite some doing.

"I thought that if I keep reading them in the night, then even if I died, I'd be looking at something beautiful. And then maybe I wouldn't be scared." (p 151)

The pacing is slow at times, but once things get going Ravencry becomes an unstoppable, bloody delight. The stakes keep escalating with twists and turns at every corner and the gut-wrenching ending will destroy you. I've still not completely recovered emotionally, but I desperately want to see what wonders Crowfall, the third book, brings!

The Verdict:
It's hard to do Ravencry justice in a review. It's both a touching emotional journey and a bloody, unstoppable delight. The ending will destroy you and leave you wanting more. McDonald has exceeded all my expectations and I can't wait to discover the wonders the third book brings. Highly recommended!

The Rating: 8/10 (Great)

Thanks to Charlene from Jonathan Ball Publishers for the review copy.

Review: Blackwing by Ed McDonald

Title: Blackwing
Author: Ed McDonald
Pages: 378
ISBN: 9781473222038
Publisher: Gollancz
Published: 27 July 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased

Buy it from:
The Book Depository

The republic faces annihilation, despite the vigilance of Galharrow's Blackwings. When a raven tattoo rips itself from his arm to deliver a desperate message, Galharrow and a mysterious noblewoman must investigate a long dead sorcerer's legacy. But there is a conspiracy within the citadel: traitors, flesh-eaters and the ghosts of the wastelands seek to destroy them, but if they cannot solve the ancient wizard's paradox, the Deep Kings will walk the earth again, and all will be lost.

The war with the Eastern Empire ended in stalemate some eighty years ago, thanks to Nall's 'Engine', a wizard-crafted weapon so powerful even the Deep Kings feared it. The strike of the Engine created the Misery - a wasteland full of ghosts and corrupted magic that now forms a No Mans Land along the frontier. But when Galharrow investigates a frontier fortress, he discovers complacency bordering on treason: then the walls are stormed, and the Engine fails to launch. Galharrow only escapes because of the preternatural magical power of the noblewoman he was supposed to be protecting. Together, they race to the capital to unmask the traitors and restore the republic's defences. Far across the Misery a vast army is on the move, as the Empire prepares to call the republic's bluff

Nothing is quite as it seems in this grim, brutal world twisted by magic. Monstrous creatures stalk the land while humanity are the unwitting pawns in a battle between the Nameless and The Deep Kings, ancient magical beings with untold power. Captain Ryhalt Galharrow and his band of bounty hunters are all that stands against annihilation, but will that be enough?

Blackwing throws you into the deep end from the start. There are no lengthy info dumps or explanations, the weird, gritty world unfolds slowly through the eyes and experiences of Galharrow. At first it can be confusing, but as the story progresses things starts to make more sense. The worldbuilding is fascinating and reveals an uncanny depth and history as more detail is revealed.

“The sky was sobbing, long purrs of sharp, cold nightmare as the dawn broke.” (p 75)

Told in the first person, the story follows Galharrow and his band of bounty hunters. All the characters are flawed, scarred by the tragedies in their lives and the blood on their hands. It’s an unforgiving world, and it shows.

“That hopeful boy was gone, dead and buried beneath a tide of stinking bodies and enough black days to darken even our broken sky.” (p 147)

The two female characters, Nenn and Ezabeth, are hard as nails and powerful in their own way. They don’t need to stand aside for their male counterparts and can handle themselves. While Nenn might be a supporting character, she steals the show. I would've loved to see far more of her.

“She glanced out the window, saw the battle gear and joined me dressed in edges.” (p 149)

McDonald’s writing is gripping and fast-paced with some beautiful turns of phrase and keen observations on the human condition. On occasion some of the dialogue could be a bit jarring and since this is a grimdark novel, you have to come prepared for a lot of swearing (and I do mean lots!).

“The world is a cruel mother, a matron of darkness, selfishness, greed and misery. For most, their time suckling at her breast is naught but a scramble through stinging, tearing briars before a naked shameful collapse as the flesh gives out. And yet in the bright eyes of every newborn there lies a spark, a potential for goodness, the possibility of a life worth living. That spark deserves its chance. And though most of them will turn out to be as worthless as the parents who sired them, while the cruelty of the earth will tell them to release their innocence and join in the drawing of daggers, every now and then one manages to clutch to its beauty and refuses to release it into the dark.” (p 260)

The heart-wrenching conclusion comes with an unexpected twist that will leave you reeling. Blackwing is easily one of the most impressive debut novels I’ve read. If you like dark, gritty fantasy then Ed McDonald might just be your next favourite author. I’m hooked!

The Verdict:
Blackwing is a wonderfully, grim and brutal read. The world feels lived-in, the characters are ruthless, scarred by their unforgiving environment, yet they still retain hope even when everything seems to be lost. I loved the blend of magic and technology and the fact that the magic comes at such great cost. The conclusion is heart-wrenching with an unexpected twist that will leave you reeling. A stunning debut by a new rising star in the world of grimdark fantasy. I can’t wait to see what Ed McDonald does next. Highly recommended!

The Rating: 7.5 (Very good)

The Unbearable Weight of Books

On Saturday, I did something I've been putting off for more than seven months. I don't know what inspired the sudden compulsion to finally tackle the huge undertaking, but somewhere in the wee hours of the morning, as the wind howled outside, I decided that the time had finally come.

A while back I purchased two new bookcases but before I could put them to use some renovations had to be done to the apartment which resulted in them being consigned to storage. I've dreaded the thought of moving them back since space would be a squeeze and it would mean that I would finally have to try to tame the uncontrollable forest of book stacks sprouting up in my room. But I did it. I finally did it!

I moved the new (old) bookcases into the sitting room, it was a tight fit and they are hidden behind a door, but I got them in. Sadly one of the bookcases seems to have been damaged in the move. It's a bit warped, but I fixed it as best with my limited carpentry skills. Luckily it seems to still be fit for purpose.

An exhausting six hours and 264 books later I ended up with something approaching a semblance of order. I decided to convert the bookcase on the right into my review copy/TBR bookcase. This contains all my review copies (except for the lowest shelf which has some horror/crime novels on it). The bookcase on the left contains the overflow from my other bookcases and also houses around 40% of Mount TBR. I didn't attempt to sort them by genre/author since that would've created a huge logistical problem, but I did make a spreadsheet with a catalogue of the contents of each shelf should I need to track down a book quickly.

This morning when I woke my room felt strangely empty. It took me a minute to realise that it was due to the missing stacks of books. It seems I've grown accustomed to a comforting fort of books surrounding me while I sleep.

One thing I can tell you is that my body resents my life choices. My arms and back ache and I can still feel the weight of every book I carried to and fro. If I didn't love physical books so much I might seriously have considered switching completely over to ebooks. Luckily we aren't there just quite yet.

In the end, aches aside, I have a great sense of accomplishment. Mount TBR looks far better in bookcase form and now I can merrily chisel away at the behemoth until the next shiny new book arrives.

Opening Lines: Blackwing by Ed McDonald

Some novels have the ability to draw you in from the start. A single line or paragraph can grab your attention in such a way that the novel just demands to be read. Opening Lines is a feature where I'll share some of the best opening lines that hooked me.

Somebody warned them that we were coming. The sympathisers left nothing behind but an empty apartment and a few volumes of illegal verse. A half-eaten meal, ransacked drawers. They'd scrambled together what little they could carry and fled east into the Misery. Back when I wore a uniform the marshal told me only three kinds of people willingly enter the Misery: the desperate, the stupid and the greedy. The sympathisers were desperate enough.
I gathered a dozen stupid, greedy men and set out to kill them.

Blackwing by Ed McDonald

Order a copy

The republic faces annihilation, despite the vigilance of Galharrow's Blackwings. When a raven tattoo rips itself from his arm to deliver a desperate message, Galharrow and a mysterious noblewoman must investigate a long dead sorcerer's legacy. But there is a conspiracy within the citadel: traitors, flesh-eaters and the ghosts of the wastelands seek to destroy them, but if they cannot solve the ancient wizard's paradox, the Deep Kings will walk the earth again, and all will be lost.

The war with the Eastern Empire ended in stalemate some eighty years ago, thanks to Nall's 'Engine', a wizard-crafted weapon so powerful even the Deep Kings feared it. The strike of the Engine created the Misery - a wasteland full of ghosts and corrupted magic that now forms a No Mans Land along the frontier. But when Galharrow investigates a frontier fortress, he discovers complacency bordering on treason: then the walls are stormed, and the Engine fails to launch. Galharrow only escapes because of the preternatural magical power of the noblewoman he was supposed to be protecting. Together, they race to the capital to unmask the traitors and restore the republic's defences. Far across the Misery a vast army is on the move, as the Empire prepares to call the republic's bluff.

Review: Ninth Step Station: The Faceless Body

Ninth Step Station, a police procedural set in a future Tokyo divided by war, is the latest serial from Serial Box written by the creative team of Malka Older, Fran Wilde, Jacqueline Koyanagi, and Curtis C. Chen

Episode 1: The Faceless Body written by Malka Older

The first episode of Ninth Step Station marks the start of a series filled with loads of promise. The setting of a war-torn Tokyo comes to vibrant life. There is a palpable sense of the division left in the aftermath of war, the ever-present impact of scarce resources and the tension of a populace constantly on edge. Yet, despite all this, life goes on. Crime and all.

The main protagonists make for an unlikely, but ultimately captivating duo. The dynamic between Miyako Koreda and Emma Higashi is what makes the serial so fascinating. Their perspectives and backgrounds differ greatly making for some brilliant, often funny, moments as their cultures and outlooks clash.

The two cases at the centre of it all, a murder and a hijacking (by Katana-wielding culprits of all things!), makes for compelling reading, but are solved a little too easily. There are hints that a far greater mystery is at play and I can't wait to see how things develop further.

This is great start to the series and sets the groundwork for larger things to come. I'm definitely hooked!

The audio version is a real treat. The sound effects adds a whole other layer to the narration and really brings the world to life.

***

The first episode of Ninth Step Station is available for free in both text and audio format and you can get a subscription to the entire first season of 11 episodes for $13.99.

New Serial Box serial: Ninth Step Station

Today sees the release of a brand new serial from Serial Box. Ninth Step Station is a police procedural filled with political intrigue and set in a futuristic Tokyo. Think CSI meets Altered Carbon and you should have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Written by a creative team of Malka Older, Fran Wilde, Jacqueline Koyanagi, and Curtis C. Chen, Ninth Step Station promises to be an experience to remember.

Years of disaster and conflict have left Tokyo split between great powers. In the city of drone-enforced borders, bodymod black markets, and desperate resistance movements, US peacekeeper Emma Higashi is assigned to partner with Tokyo Metropolitan Police Detective Miyako Koreda. Together, they must race to solve a series of murders that test their relationship and threaten to overturn the balance of global power. And amid the chaos, they each need to decide what they are willing to do for peace.

As always the first episode is free in both audio and text format, so be sure to check it out!

Guest Post: The Blogging Life: No e-mail

When I started my own little book blog way back in 2010 there were a couple of book blogs I looked to for inspiration. The Little Red Reviewer was one of those blogs and while quite a few of those blogs no longer exist, Andrea Johnson (the titular Little Red Reviewer) has consistently been putting out great content. This year she's embarking on something a little different - launching a Kickstarter to transform her blog content into an actual printed book.

Below you'll find a guest post detailing a small part of her blogging journey and a great sampler of her work. If you feel so inclined be sure to give her all the support you can.

***

The Blogging Life: No e-mail

I don't have my e-mail address posted on my blog. Does that make me a jerk?

If you are a blogger who wants to put yourself out there, but feels weird about having strangers e-mail you, or feels weird about e-mailing them back, this is the post for you! If you feel bad saying No to people, especially complete strangers, this is the post for you.

When I first started my blog, of course I had my e-mail address in my “about me” page! How else were publicists, other bloggers, blog tour organizers, and eeeeek! authors! going to find me? I don't remember exactly what my “about me” page said at the time, but I'm sure I talked about the types of books I liked, if I was accepting review requests, what kinds of books I didn't like, etc. I'm sure it was polite and friendly, because I am usually a polite person.

Why yes, authors were able to find me! And no matter what their book was about, no matter the genre or sub-genre, no matter that it was a self-help slash teach-yourself-Portuguese book written in the style of a Shakespearean sonnet that included Mary Berry's recipes at the end of each chapter (hey wait, this sounds freakin' amazing actually!), the author was convinced that if I only gave their book a try, that I'd love it.

Eight years ago, it was very hard for me to say No to people. And authors who were e-mailing me? They seemed so nice! And they were willing to mail me a book, for free! Who could possibly say no to that, and wouldn't it be rude to say no?

And before I knew it I had piles of review requests. Piles of books. Piles of books that actually didn't look that interesting, weren't that enjoyable to read, and when it came down to it, weren't my thing. But I felt bad telling people I couldn't review their book! I didn't want people to think I was rude, or a bad or unkind blogger, did I?

Was it rude of me to say no to review requests? Was it rude of me to stop accepting requests all together, and take my e-mail address down? For a while, my “about me” section said that I was no longer accepting review requests from people I didn't already have a relationship with, and I gave some tips about how to start a relationship with me. Tip one: say hi! Tip two: wait for me to say Hi back before you ask me to review your book.

Here's what happened:

People who really wanted me to review their book said hello first. They struck up a conversation. They asked me what kinds of books I liked, we chatted, shared some recommendations. Maybe they did some research ahead of time, maybe they didn't. But they waited until they thought I was the right blogger for them before giving me their elevator pitch.

And instead of books to read, I now I had author friends. Who would sometimes offer me review copies. And sometimes they'd introduce me to their other author friends.

Instead of a blogger / writer relationship, there was friendships, there was effective networking. I've formed long term relationships with people, I trust them, they trust me. We help each other out when we can.

I never put my e-mail address back on my blog, and I've never regretted taking it off.

It's been eight years since I started my blog, and who knows how many years since I took my e-mail off my “about me” page. And now I'm kickstarting a print book of my best work!

Thoughts on Mount TBR

To most people (at least to readers) the term TBR (to be read) refers to the couple of books they have waiting on their nightstand. To book bloggers and booktubers it means something entirely different. We don't just have a TBR, we have TBR piles. Yes, multiple piles! You'll find books scattered on every available surface, piled up in towers of possibility and immediacy. Review copies, books to read soon, books to read eventually, books you've been meaning to read for years...

I've long since graduated from simple TBR piles to a TBR mountain. Hyperbole? Not really. A tweet by Brianne offered the simple challenge to post a pic of your TBR (or the largest part of it). Here's a small glimpse of mine:

One of my bookcases, the majority of which remain unread

A selection of recent(ish) review copies and purchases

Mount TBR can be a huge source of anxiety. If I've kept my Goodreads updated correctly I have around 450 physical books sitting on my shelves waiting to be read. That number doesn't include review copies or the ebooks I own. At my current reading rate I should have enough physical reading material for the next ten years if I don't buy more books (we all know that's never going to happen!).

Instead of viewing Mount TBR as a shameful secret or source of anxiety I'm choosing to look at it as an investment in endless possibilities. Some people might invest in shares, I invest in books and the potential they hold. They are waiting there within easy reach, each filled with new worlds and characters to discover. While I might die before reading them all I wouldn't want it any other way.

How big is your TBR?

Most Anticipated 2019 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Releases

It's the start of a new year and that means one thing - new book releases to look forward to! I've scoured publisher catalogs and these are the science fiction and fantasy titles that caught my eye. Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list and that dates are very much subject to change.

JANUARY

Ninth Step Station Created by Malka Older
AUTHORS: Malka Older, Fran Wilde, Jacqueline Koyanagi, Curtis C. Chen
Serial Box

Years of disaster and conflict have left Tokyo split between great powers. In the city of drone-enforced borders, bodymod black markets, and desperate resistance movements, US peacekeeper Emma Higashi is assigned to partner with Tokyo Metropolitan Police Detective Miyako Koreda. Together, they must race to solve a series of murders that test their relationship and threaten to overturn the balance of global power. And amid the chaos, they each need to decide what they are willing to do for peace

The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan
ISBN: 9780356511528

The city of Guerdon stands eternal. A refuge from the war that rages beyond its borders. But in the ancient tunnels deep beneath its streets, a malevolent power has begun to stir.

The fate of the city rests in the hands of three thieves. They alone stand against the coming darkness. As conspiracies unfold and secrets are revealed, their friendship will be tested to the limit. If they fail, all will be lost and the streets of Guerdon will run with blood.

Set in a world of dark gods and dangerous magic, The Gutter Prayer is an epic tale of sorcerers and thieves.

FEBRUARY

The Outcast Hours edited by Mahvesh Murad & Jared Shurin
ISBN: 9781781085745

We live our lives in the daylight. Our stories take place under the sun: bright, clear, unafraid.

This is not a book of those stories.

These are the stories of people who live at night; under neon and starlight, and never the light of day.

These are the stories of poets and police; writers and waiters; gamers and goddesses; tourists and traders; the hidden and the forbidden; the lonely and the lovers.

These are their lives. These are their stories. And this is their time: The Outcast Hours.

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
ISBN: 9780356506999

Listen. A god is speaking.
My voice echoes through the stone of your master's castle. The castle where he finds his uncle on his father's throne. You want to help him. You cannot.
You are the only one who can hear me.
You will change the world.

A triumph of the imagination, The Raven Tower is the first fantasy novel by Ann Leckie, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards. Gods meddle in the fates of men, men play with the fates of gods and a pretender must be cast down from the throne in this breathtaking fantasy masterpiece.

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons
ISBN: 9781509879489

When destiny calls, there's no fighting back . . .

As a bard’s apprentice, Kihrin grew up with tales of legendary deeds. He also steals, desperate to buy a way out of Quur’s slums. Then he raids the wrong house, he’s marked by a demon and life will never be the same again.

Kihrin’s plight brings him to the attention of royalty, who claim him as the lost son of their immoral prince. But far from living the dream, Kihrin’s at the mercy of his new family’s ruthless ambitions. However, escaping his jewelled cage just makes matters worse. Kihrin is horrified to learn he’s at the centre of an ancient prophecy. And every side – from gods and demons to dragons and mages – want him as their pawn. Those old stories lied about many things too, especially the myth that the hero always wins.

Then again, maybe Kihrin isn’t the hero, for he’s not destined to save the empire. He’s destined to destroy it.

MARCH

New Suns edited by Nisi Shawl
ISBN: 9781781085783

New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color showcases emerging and seasoned writers of many races telling stories filled with shocking delights, powerful visions of the familiar made strange.

Between this book’s covers burn tales of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and their indefinable overlappings. These are authors aware of our many possible pasts and futures, authors freed of stereotypes and clichéd expectations, ready to dazzle you with their daring genius

Ancestral Night - Elizabeth Bear
ISBN: 9781473208742

Haimey Dz thinks she knows what she wants.
She thinks she knows who she is.
She is wrong.

A routine salvage mission uncovers evidence of a terrible crime and relics of a powerful ancient technology, just as Haimey and her small crew run afoul of pirates at the outer limits of the Milky Way and find themselves both on the run, and in possession of ancient, universe-changing technology.

When the authorities prove corrupt, it becomes clear that Haimey is the only one who can protect her galaxy-spanning civilisation from its potential power - and from the revolutionaries who want to use it to seed terror and war. But doing so will take her from the event horizon of the super-massive black hole at the galaxy's core to the infinite, empty spaces at its edge. Along the way, she'll have to uncover the secrets of ancient intelligences lost to time as well as her own lost secrets, which she will wish had remained hidden from her forever . . .

The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley
ISBN: 9781481447966

They said the war would turn us into light.
I wanted to be counted among the heroes who gave us this better world.

The Light Brigade: it’s what soldiers fighting the war against Mars call the ones who come back…different. Grunts in the corporate corps get busted down into light to travel to and from interplanetary battlefronts. Everyone is changed by what the corps must do in order to break them down into light. Those who survive learn to stick to the mission brief—no matter what actually happens during combat.

Dietz, a fresh recruit in the infantry, begins to experience combat drops that don’t sync up with the platoon’s. And Dietz’s bad drops tell a story of the war that’s not at all what the corporate brass want the soldiers to think is going on.

Is Dietz really experiencing the war differently, or is it combat madness? Trying to untangle memory from mission brief and survive with sanity intact, Dietz is ready to become a hero—or maybe a villain; in war it’s hard to tell the difference.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
ISBN: 9781529001570

In a war of lies she seeks the truth

Ambassador Mahit Dzmare travels to the Teixcalaanli Empire’s interstellar capital, eager to take up her new post. Yet when she arrives, she discovers her predecessor was murdered. But no one will admit his death wasn’t accidental – and she might be next.

Now Mahit must navigate the capital’s enticing yet deadly halls of power, to discover dangerous truths. And while she hunts for the killer, Mahit must somehow prevent the rapacious Empire from annexing her home: a small, fiercely independent mining station.

As she sinks deeper into an alien culture that is all too seductive, Mahit engages in intrigues of her own. For she’s hiding an extraordinary technological secret, one which might destroy her station and its way of life. Or it might save them from annihilation.

APRIL

Perihelion Summer by Greg Egan
ISBN: 9781250313782

Greg Egan's Perihelion Summer is a story of people struggling to adapt to a suddenly alien environment, and the friendships and alliances they forge as they try to find their way in a world where the old maps have lost their meaning.

Taraxippus is coming: a black hole one tenth the mass of the sun is about to enter the solar system.

Matt and his friends are taking no chances. They board a mobile aquaculture rig, the Mandjet, self-sustaining in food, power and fresh water, and decide to sit out the encounter off-shore. As Taraxippus draws nearer, new observations throw the original predictions for its trajectory into doubt, and by the time it leaves the solar system, the conditions of life across the globe will be changed forever.

Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence
ISBN: 9781101988916

The searing conclusion of the thrilling epic fantasy trilogy that saw a young girl trained by an arcane order of nuns grow into the fiercest of warriors...

They came against her as a child. Now they face the woman.

The ice is advancing, the Corridor narrowing, and the empire is under siege from the Scithrowl in the east and the Durns in the west. Everywhere, the emperor’s armies are in retreat.

Nona Grey faces the final challenges that must be overcome if she is to become a full sister in the order of her choice. But it seems unlikely that she and her friends will have time to earn a nun’s habit before war is on their doorstep.

Even a warrior like Nona cannot hope to turn the tide of war.

The shiphearts offer strength that she might use to protect those she loves, but it’s a power that corrupts. A final battle is coming in which she will be torn between friends, unable to save them all. A battle in which her own demons will try to unmake her.

A battle in which hearts will be broken, lovers lost, thrones burned

MAY

The War Ship by Neal Asher
ISBN: 9781509862504

Their nemesis lies in wait . . .

Orlandine has destroyed the alien Jain super-soldier by deploying an actual black hole. And now that same weapon hoovers up clouds of lethal Jain technology, swarming within the deadly accretion disc’s event horizon. All seems just as she planned. Yet behind her back, forces incite rebellion on her home world, planning her assassination.

Earth Central, humanity’s ruling intelligence, knows Orlandine was tricked into releasing her weapon, and fears the Jain are behind it. The prador king knows this too – and both foes gather fleets of warships to surround the disc.

The alien Client is returning to the accretion disc to save the last of her kind, buried on a ship deep within it. She upgrades her vast weapons platform in preparation, and she’ll need it. Her nemesis also waits within the disc’s swirling dusts – and the Jain have committed genocide before

Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang
ISBN: 9781101947883

This much-anticipated second collection of stories is signature Ted Chiang, full of revelatory ideas and deeply sympathetic characters. In "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate," a portal through time forces a fabric seller in ancient Baghdad to grapple with past mistakes and the temptation of second chances. In the epistolary "Exhalation," an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications not just for his own people, but for all of reality. And in "The Lifecycle of Software Objects," a woman cares for an artificial intelligence over twenty years, elevating a faddish digital pet into what might be a true living being. Also included are two brand-new stories: "Omphalos" and "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom."

Children of Ruin - Adrian Tchaikovsky
ISBN: 9780316452533

It has been waiting through the ages.
Now it's time . . .

Thousands of years ago, Earth’s terraforming program took to the stars. On the world they called Nod, scientists discovered alien life – but it was their mission to overwrite it with the memory of Earth. Then humanity’s great empire fell, and the program’s decisions were lost to time.

Aeons later, humanity and its new spider allies detected fragmentary radio signals between the stars. They dispatched an exploration vessel, hoping to find cousins from old Earth.

But those ancient terraformers woke something on Nod better left undisturbed.

And it’s been waiting for them.

Children of Ruin follows the author's Children of Time, winner of the Arthur C. Clarke award. It is set in the same universe, with a new cast of characters.

JUNE

The Outside - Ada Hoffman
ISBN: 9780857668141

Humanity’s super-intelligent AI gods brutally punish breaches in reality, as one young scientist discovers, in this intense and brilliant space opera.

Autistic scientist Yasira Shien has developed a radical new energy drive that could change the future of humanity. But when she activates it, reality warps, destroying the space station and everyone aboard. The AI gods who rule the galaxy declare her work heretical, and Yasira is abducted by their agents. Instead of simply executing her, they offer mercy – if she’ll help them hunt down a bigger target: her own mysterious, vanished mentor. With her homeworld’s fate in the balance, Yasira must choose who to trust: the gods and their ruthless post-human angels, or the rebel scientist whose unorthodox mathematics could turn her world inside out.

2019 Reading and Blogging Goals

2019 Goals: Less anxiety please

A new year means new goals and in 2019 I want to focus more on having fun, both with the blog and with my reading.

Due to work stress, my PC giving up the ghost, and an overwhelming amount of other commitments the blog had to take a backseat in mid-2018. The blog started to feel like a chore. Instead of enjoying working on posts I became increasingly anxious about all the books I HAD to read and the reviews I HAD to write.

This year I've set myself just 3 goals:

• Read 30 books.
• Review more.
• Read more comics.

Read 30 books: I don't want to set myself a huge reading goal. 30 books should be manageable and still allow for reading huge tomes and long series.

Review more: I want to try to post more reviews, these might take the form of quick thoughts or monthly wrap-ups with a short paragraph about the books I read during the month. I'll have to play around and see which format works best.

Read more comics: In 2018 I discovered the world of comics and I really enjoyed the titles I managed to get to. I have a couple of trades still waiting to be read and I hope that I'll be able to expand my horizons a bit further.

This year I'm giving myself permission just to have fun with the blog. I don't want to worry about content, about writing reviews or reading books according to a schedule. I want to rediscover the joy of reading and using it as an escape from all the stress and gloom of the real world.

I hope you'll join me on my journey. Let's have some fun!