Book Giveaway: An Apprentice to Elves by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette
Oct
14
2015

Today I’m giving away An Apprentice to Elves by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette! The third Iskryne book, which follows A Companion to Wolves and The Tempering of Men, was just released yesterday. I enjoyed the first two books in this series, especially A Companion to Wolves, and both authors have written some of my favorite fantasy books: Sarah Monette’s Doctrine of Labyrinths series and The Goblin Emperor (as Katherine Addison) and Elizabeth Bear’s Edda of Burdens trilogy, Range of Ghosts, and Shattered Pillars. Those in North America are eligible to enter this giveaway for a hardcover copy of An Apprentice to Elves, and more details are below!

An Apprentice to Elves by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette

ABOUT AN APPRENTICE TO ELVES (read an excerpt):

Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear return with the third book in their Iskryne trilogy, AN APPRENTICE TO ELVES (A Tor Hardcover, $26.99, On-Sale: October 13, 2015). The third collaboration between renowned fantasy writers Bear and Monette, the trilogy began with A Companion to Wolves, and continued in The Tempering of Men. Separately, Bear and Monette have been nominated for and won the Nebula, Hugo, World Fantasy, and Locus awards – among others. Together, they have created the world of the Iskryne, a warrior culture with telephathic wolf companions.

AN APPRENTICE TO ELVES picks up the story of Alfgyfa, a young woman who has been raised in the Wolfhall by her father, Isolfr. The warrior culture of Iskryne forbids many things to women-and most especially it forbids them bonding to one of the giant telepathic trellwolves. But as her father was no ordinary boy, Alfgyfa is no ordinary girl. Her father has long planned to send his daughter to Tin, a matriarch among the elves who live nearby, to be both apprentice and ambassador, and now she is of age to go.

Publishers Weekly declares that Bear and Monette “have boldly created a fascinating world that begs further exploration” and RT Book Reviews points out that “Monette and Bear each excel at creating unique worlds… It’s no surprise that this joint effort combines their strengths into something extraordinary.” The third book from this stellar team is the perfect place to dive into their fascinating world.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

SARAH MONETTE is the acclaimed author of Mélusine and The Virtu as well as award-nominated short fiction. Her most recent fantasy novel – written under the pseudonym Katherine Addison – The Goblin Emperor, won the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel and was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards. You can visit her online at http://www.sarahmonette.com/.

ELIZABETH BEAR was the recipient of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. She has won two Hugo Awards for her short fiction, a Sturgeon Award, and the Locus Award for Best First Novel. You can visit her online at http://www.elizabethbear.com/.

Together, they are the authors of A Companion to Wolves, The Tempering of Men, and An Apprentice to Elves.

Courtesy of Tor Books, I have one hardcover copy of An Apprentice to Elves to give away! This giveaway is open to residents of North America only.

Giveaway Rules: To be entered in the giveaway, fill out the form below OR send an email to kristen AT fantasybookcafe DOT com with the subject “Apprentice Giveaway.” One entry per household and one winner will be randomly selected. Those from North America are eligible to win this giveaway. The giveaway will be open until the end of the day on Friday, October 23. The winner has 24 hours to respond once contacted via email, and if I don’t hear from them by then a new winner will be chosen (who will also have 24 hours to respond until someone gets back to me with a place to send the book).

Please note email addresses will only be used for the purpose of contacting the winner. Once the giveaway is over all the emails will be deleted.

Good luck!

Update: Now that the giveaway is over, the form has been removed.

Review of Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews
Oct
12
2015
Magic Shifts
by Ilona Andrews
352pp (Hardcover)
My Rating: 7.5/10
Amazon Rating: 4.8/5
LibraryThing Rating: 4.43/5
Goodreads Rating: 4.51/5
 

Magic Shifts is the eighth book in the Kate Daniels series by #1 New York Times bestselling author(s) Ilona Andrews. The Kate Daniels series is my favorite urban fantasy series—and one of my favorite ongoing series period—at the moment because of the wonderful characters, entertaining and hilarious dialogue, incorporation of different mythologies, and the incredible build of both Kate’s character development and the history of her family and past. Magic Shifts is not the most momentous book in the series nor one of the better ones, but it is an entertaining story that has much of what I’ve come to love about these books.

This review will contain spoilers for the previous books in the series, which should definitely be read in order beginning with Magic Bites.

While their lives are still far from quiet, Kate and Curran have been enjoying the privacy and freedom that came with their separation from the Pack. Now they can do whatever they want without the impediment of Pack politics, and they can go home and be left alone at the end of the day. However, they can’t escape their old life completely, and their lives become a lot more hectic when they come home one night to find George waiting for them with an urgent case: Eduardo is missing and she is hoping Kate can find him.

George and Eduardo want to get married, but George’s father does not approve of his daughter marrying a man who is not also a werebear. When Eduardo disappeared he was perfectly happy to let him remain missing, and the new Beast Lord can’t get involved if an alpha of Eduardo’s clan doesn’t want his help. Seeking Kate and Curran’s aid is a sticky matter since they’re supposed to avoid any possible interference with the Pack for another month, but George is desperate and of course they’ll figure out a way to help a friend in a difficult spot, beginning with a visit to the last place Eduardo may have been seen. After Kate and Curran track his last job at the Guild to a giant tick trying to kill some cats, they visit the owner’s house only to find something far more deadly—and a trail leading to an even more powerful enemy craving vengeance.

It was with some trepidation that I began reading Magic Shifts. The seventh book contained a major event that the series had been leading up to for a long time: the appearance of Kate’s villainous father Roland. Yet, despite being a momentous book in the series, Magic Breaks was my least favorite of all the Kate Daniels books. While there were some phenomenal scenes and Roland himself met my expectations, I found it unevenly paced and outright dull at times without the sparkling dialogue and excellent characterization I’ve come to expect from this series, and I don’t think parts of the story make sense anymore. I can believe that Kate may not have heard an entirely accurate recounting of past events. I can believe that Roland, despite his vast power, is still subject to human whims and changing his mind. What I absolutely, positively cannot believe is that someone as powerful as Roland is shown to be would have ever attempted to kill Kate (or just about anyone) in the past and failed. That’s going to continue to bother me until there is a convincing explanation for either why he did not succeed or why he lied when he said that yes, he did in fact try to murder her.

While this book did not offer a convincing explanation (and actually just made me even more certain that if Roland wanted to kill someone they’d be dead), I did enjoy Magic Shifts much more than the previous book in the series. The pacing was much better, and the dialogue and narrative were imbued with humor and personality. It wasn’t even close to my favorite book in the series—it wasn’t as amazing as Magic Strikes or Magic Bleeds, and I also much preferred Magic Rises because Hugh—but it was closer to the quality I’ve come to expect from the Kate Daniels books. I thought it was nearly as good as Magic Slays, and like that book, the main story is largely filler but is also entertaining—and sows the seeds for events to come that will tie into the bigger arc.

One aspect of this series I enjoy is the way the authors weave in mythology, often including myths that are not the more common ones explored in fantasy. More recent books haven’t had this focus or handled it as well as earlier ones, but this is once again a highlight in Magic Shifts. The investigation case draws from myths and legends, and while the main cause ends up being a more common one, the details are not common. Part of the fun is the different magical beings that show up and wondering what exactly is happening—and then finding out what is happening and why.

Although Magic Shifts is fun to read, I did have a couple of issues with it. The biggest one is that the characters are not as deep or interesting as they once were. Kate’s transformation was fantastic, and I loved how her narrative reflected her character development. At this point, she seems to have become a rather static character with only two major focuses: protecting everyone around her and admiring Curran. Neither of these are bad on their own, but she is starting to seem like a two-note character since this is most of her character now. Many of the characters I enjoyed reading about so much earlier in the series only show up briefly and I’d like to see more of them and learn more about them. I would like to see more emphasis on Kate’s relationships with people other than Curran. She did spend some time with Julie in this book and reading about the two of them together was great, but it seemed like Andrea showed up just enough to remind us that Kate has a best friend. At this point in the series, the more intriguing characters are the villains, and Hugh was completely absent from this book other than occasionally being mentioned. Roland keeps things interesting when he is present, but he’s not in this one very much.

Another problem I had with this book is one I’ve had with other books in this series: potential obstacles are overcome much too easily. In both this book and the last, there were some chances for Kate to face some consequences for her choices, and yet she did not have to in the end. There was an incredibly heart-wrenching part in Magic Shifts, and Kate has to make a decision in which she is presented with two options, both of which have disadvantages. However, it all works out very neatly, and while it’s not exactly forgotten because it was such a horrible time, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to have any lasting impact either. This may sound strange since I do want Kate to be happy for once, but I’d like to see her have to work through some of these potential challenges instead of having them quickly resolved for her. Reading about how she handled them would show more about her as a person, and I think it would help with the issues I’ve begun to have with her seeming like a static character since it would be a good opportunity for character development and growth.

Magic Shifts is a perfectly readable book and a definite improvement over the last book in this series, but I also don’t think it’s as memorable as many of the other Kate Daniels books. It does have the hilarious dialogue and narrative I’ve come to expect, and I also found the mythological elements quite compelling. I very much enjoyed reading it, but after I was finished, I realized that it didn’t have as much payoff as it could have. While it does seem to be setting up some interesting future events, it didn’t show me anything new about the characters as people and some difficulties that could have helped flesh them out more were conveniently removed—and some more in-depth character development could have taken it from ‘entertaining’ to ‘outstanding’ like some of the other books in this series.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Where I got my reading copy: Finished copy from the publisher.

Other Reviews of Magic Shifts:

Reviews of Previous Books in the Kate Daniels Series:

  1. Magic Bites
  2. Magic Burns
  3. Magic Strikes
  4. Magic Bleeds
  5. Magic Slays
  6. Magic Rises
  7. Magic Breaks
The Leaning Pile of Books
Oct
11
2015

The Leaning Pile of Books is a feature where I talk about books I got over the last week – old or new, bought or received for review consideration (usually unsolicited). Since I hope you will find new books you’re interested in reading in these posts, I try to be as informative as possible. If I can find them, links to excerpts, author’s websites, and places where you can find more information on the book are included.

Last week brought a couple of books that sound quite interesting, but first, here are a couple of things that will be happening this week:

  • A review of Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews
  • A giveaway of a book by two of my favorite authors that I’m quite excited about

On to the new books!

Without Light or Guide by T. Frohock

Without Light or Guide (Los Nefilim #2) by T. Frohock

Without Light or Guide, the second Los Nefilim novella, will be released on November 3 (ebook). Both this and the first book in the series, In Midnight’s Silence, are only $0.99 on Amazon and Barnes and Noble!

The first chapter from each book can be read online:

  1. In Midnight’s Silence
  2. Without Light or Guide

I thought T. Frohock’s debut novel Miserere was fantastic and unique so I am excited that she has a new series!

 

The fate of mankind has nothing to do with mankind…

Always holding themselves aloft from the affairs of mortals, Los Nefilim have thrived for eons. But with the Spanish Civil War looming, their fragile independence is shaken by the machinations of angels and daimons…and a half-breed caught in-between.

For although Diago Alvarez has pledged his loyalty to Los Nefilim, there are many who don’t trust his daimonic blood. And with the re-emergence of his father—a Nefil who sold his soul to a daimon—the fear is Diago will soon follow the same path.

Yet even as Diago tries to prove his allegiance, events conspire that only fuel the other Nefilim’s suspicions—including the fact that every mortal Diago has known in Barcelona is being brutally murdered.

The second novella in T. Frohock’s Los Nefilim series, Without Light or Guide continues Diago’s journey through a world he was born into, yet doesn’t quite understand.

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

The Scorpion Rules (Prisoners of Peace #1) by Erin Bow

The Scorpion Rules was released last month (hardcover, ebook, audiobook). The first chapter can be read online.

I’ve not read any of Erin Bow’s other books, but I’ve heard good things about both Plain Kate and Sorrow’s Knot.

 

A world battered by climate shift and war turns to an ancient method of keeping peace: the exchange of hostages. The Children of Peace – sons and daughters of kings and presidents and generals – are raised together in small, isolated schools called Preceptures. There, they learn history and political theory, and are taught to gracefully accept what may well be their fate: to die if their countries declare war.

Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan-Polar Confederation, is the pride of the North American Precepture. Learned and disciplined, Greta is proud of her role in keeping the global peace, even though, with her country controlling two-thirds of the world’s most war-worthy resource — water — she has little chance of reaching adulthood alive.

Enter Elián Palnik, the Precepture’s newest hostage and biggest problem. Greta’s world begins to tilt the moment she sees Elián dragged into the school in chains. The Precepture’s insidious surveillance, its small punishments and rewards, can make no dent in Elián, who is not interested in dignity and tradition, and doesn’t even accept the right of the UN to keep hostages.

What will happen to Elián and Greta as their two nations inch closer to war?

The Leaning Pile of Books
Oct
04
2015

The Leaning Pile of Books is a feature where I talk about books I got over the last week – old or new, bought or received for review consideration (usually unsolicited). Since I hope you will find new books you’re interested in reading in these posts, I try to be as informative as possible. If I can find them, links to excerpts, author’s websites, and places where you can find more information on the book are included.

Before discussing the two books I ordered and the others that came in last week, here’s what happened last week.

I finished reading Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews over the weekend and will be starting on a review of it soon.

On to the books!

Serpentine by Cinda Pon

Serpentine (Book #1) by Cindy Pon

This young adult fantasy novel was released in September (hardcover, trade paperback, ebook). An excerpt from Serpentine is available at Good Choice Reading, and you can read more about it in Cindy Pon’s Big Idea post at Whatever.

This book sounds great so I couldn’t resist adding it to my recent latte-supplies-and-Saga order!

 

SERPENTINE is a sweeping fantasy set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology.

Lush with details from Chinese folklore, SERPENTINE tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns sixteen, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.

When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self – even as she falls in love for the first time.

Autumn Moon by Jan DeLima

Autumn Moon (Celtic Wolves #3) by Jan DeLima

This third book in a romantic urban fantasy series just came out last week (mass market paperback, ebook). I’ve read the previous books in the series and enjoyed them both, and I’m especially excited about reading Elen’s story since she was one of my favorite characters in the previous books. (Full Disclosure: Jan is a friend; we used to meet for coffee during our lunch breaks when I lived in Maine.)

The second book in the series, Summer Moon, was nominated for a RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award last year.

The first chapter from all three books in the series can be read online:

  1. Celtic Moon
  2. Summer Moon
  3. Autumn Moon
 

The heart of a warrior, the soul of a wolf, and the desires of a man…

For centuries, Cormack has lived between worlds—a man trapped in the body of a wolf, shunned by humans and shifters alike. Only one person has ever welcomed his company: Elen, a kindred outcast who is feared by others of her ancient Celtic race for her strange healing abilities.

Cormack has always valued Elen’s kindness and understanding, but after a desperate act of friendship causes Elen to free him from his curse, he realizes he wants more. He wants all of her—completely and forever.Except before Cormack can win Elen’s heart, Pendaran, the evil leader of the Guardians, captures her, determined to manipulate her incredible power to aid him in his twisted war against the shapeshifting tribes.

Now Cormack must use all of his skills as a warrior and a wolf to save the woman he loves—before Pendaran’s vile schemes destroy them all…

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Truthwitch (Witchlands #1) by Susan Dennard

Truthwitch, the first book in a new young adult fantasy series, will be released early next year: January 5 in the US and January 16 in the UK. The US cover is shown above since the cover for the UK edition has not been revealed yet.

I’ve been hearing a lot of advance praise for this one so I’m pretty excited about reading it!

 

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Saga: Volume 5

Saga: Volume 5 written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples

Saga: Volume 5 is now out! I already read this one and am now impatiently looking forward to volume 6 and more Lying Cat.

 

Multiple storylines collide in this cosmos-spanning new volume. While Gwendolyn and Lying Cat risk everything to find a cure for The Will, Marko makes an uneasy alliance with Prince Robot IV to find their missing children, who are trapped on a strange world with terrifying new enemies. Collects Saga #25-30.

Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

Ancillary Mercy (Imperial Radch #3) by Ann Leckie

The final book in the Imperial Radch trilogy will be published on October 6 (trade paperback, ebook, audiobook). An excerpt from Ancillary Mercy is available on the publisher’s website.

Ancillary Justice, the first novel in this trilogy, won the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Locus Award for Best First Novel, and the BSFA Award, among others. The middle book, Ancillary Sword, won the BSFA Award and was nominated for both the Hugo and the Nebula.

 

The stunning conclusion to the trilogy that began with the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke award-winning Ancillary Justice.

For a moment, things seem to be under control for the soldier known as Breq. Then a search of Atheok Station’s slums turns up someone who shouldn’t exist – someone who might be an ancillary from a ship that’s been hiding beyond the empire’s reach for three thousand years. Meanwhile, a messenger from the alien and mysterious Presger empire arrives, as does Breq’s enemy, the divided and quite possibly insane Anaander Mianaai – ruler of an empire at war with itself.

Anaander is heavily armed and extremely unhappy with Breq. She could take her ship and crew and flee, but that would leave everyone at Athoek in terrible danger. Breq has a desperate plan. The odds aren’t good, but that’s never stopped her before.

Other Books:

Book Giveaway: Dragon Coast by Greg van Eekhout
Oct
01
2015

Courtesy of Tor Books, I have one ARC of Dragon Coast by Greg van Eekhout to give away! This conclusion to the Daniel Blackland trilogy, which follows California Bones and Pacific Fire, was just released a couple of weeks ago. For more information on the series, check out these character sketches and this video of Greg van Eekhout and John Scalzi discussing bones and magic at Tor.com!

Dragon Coast by Greg van Eekhout

ABOUT DRAGON COAST (read an excerpt):

Dragon Coast: the sequel to Greg Van Eekhout’s California Bones and Pacific Fire, in which Daniel Blackland must pull off the most improbable theft of all.

Daniel’s adopted son Sam, made from the magical essence of the tyrannical Hierarch of Southern California whom Daniel overthrew and killed, is lost-consumed by the great Pacific firedrake secretly assembled by Daniel’s half-brother, Paul.

But Sam is still alive and aware, in magical form, trapped inside the dragon as it rampages around Los Angeles, periodically torching a neighborhood or two.

Daniel has a plan to rescue Sam. It will involve the rarest of substances, axis mundi, pieces of the bones of the great dragon at the center of the Earth. Daniel will have to go to the kingdom of Northern California, boldly posing as his half-brother, come to claim his place in the competition to be appointed Lord High Osteomancer of the Northern Kingdom. Only when the Northern Hierarch, in her throne room at Golden Gate Park, raises her scepter to confirm Daniel in his position will he have an opportunity to steal the axis mundi-under the gaze of the Hierarch herself.

And that’s just the first obstacle.

Courtesy of Tor Books, I have one ARC of Dragon Coast to give away! This giveaway is open to residents of the US or Canada only.

Giveaway Rules: To be entered in the giveaway, fill out the form below OR send an email to kristen AT fantasybookcafe DOT com with the subject “Dragon Coast Giveaway.” One entry per household and one winner will be randomly selected. Those from the US or Canada are eligible to win this giveaway. The giveaway will be open until the end of the day on Thursday, October 8. The winner has 24 hours to respond once contacted via email, and if I don’t hear from them by then a new winner will be chosen (who will also have 24 hours to respond until someone gets back to me with a place to send the book).

Please note email addresses will only be used for the purpose of contacting the winner. Once the giveaway is over all the emails will be deleted.

Good luck!

Update: Now that the giveaway has ended, the form has been removed.

Guest Post: Ilana C. Myer on Last Song Before Night Cover Art
Sep
29
2015

I’m delighted to welcome Ilana C. Myer to the site today! Her fantasy debut novel, Last Song Before Night, was just released today, and she’s sharing some thoughts on cover art—both regarding fantasy cover art in general and the beautiful cover of her new book. If you want to check out a sample, you can also read an excerpt from Last Song Before Night at Tor.com.

Last Song Before Night Cover
Deconstructing the Cover Art of Last Song Before Night

When the time came to talk about cover art for my first novel, Last Song Before Night, there was an uneasy feeling about the topic verging on post-traumatic stress. This for a simple reason: I am a longtime fantasy fan. And as a fan of books coming out in the 80s and 90s, fantasy covers had tended to become synonomous with one word: embarrassing.

There were exceptions, of course. Covers by Michael Whelan were never embarrassing. I especially loved his work for Tad Williams’s Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, and a close runner-up would be the cover of Melanie Rawn’s The Ruins of Ambrai. And if I’m going to gush about covers I loved, props also to one of my favorite covers ever, the original art for The Harp of Imach Thyssel by Patricia C. Wrede, which did not inspire my book consciously but—who knows?

But most of the time, the covers of the fantasy novels I loved so much were a cause of embarrassment at school, on the bus, and at home when I was trying to convince my parents that the novels I was reading weren’t junk. This last was hard to do when the cover featured a He-Man lookalike being vamped at by a woman in a gauzy gown-bikini. No one would ever believe me that these were great books with great characters. I’m not sure I blame them.

So even though fantasy covers have improved in leaps and bounds in recent years, I still approached cover art for my book with trepidation. As is obvious from the result, I need not have worried. My editor had the superb concept for a cityscape, which perfectly sets the tone for the book, set to a great extent in the capital city of Tamryllin. While I was not involved in the process to a large extent—most authors are not—I was encouraged to send a description of Tamryllin to the cover artist, the amazing Stephan Martiniere.

What I told him was to be more influential than I would have guessed. I said that the Tamryllin in my imagination was a cross between Paris and Jerusalem. This had evolved naturally in the telling: I wrote the first draft of Last Song Before Night in the serene Jerusalem neighborhood of Katamon. The golden light, the pale stone, and the ever-present honeysuckle and jasmine infiltrated my senses and engulfed my conception of an invented world.

At the same time, the story is partly inspired by the troubadours, and my first visit to Paris—the culmination of a long-held dream—was also that same year. I fell in love with Paris, as of course one must, and that found its way into the writing too, into the shaping of Tamryllin as a place of grandeur and sophistication.

What I would not have predicted—and what I am so grateful for now—is how much of his own passion the artist brought to the project. There is a fire of inspiration in the art that is stunning to see. A framed print hangs on our wall now. And while I can’t predict what future covers will hold (two more books in this series are forthcoming!), this first, for me, is magic.

Ilana Myer

Ilana C. Myer has written about books for the Globe and Mail, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Salon, and the Huffington Post. Her first novel, Last Song Before Night, is forthcoming from Tor/Macmillan in September 2015.