The Leaning Pile of Books: BEA Edition (Fantasy/SF/Horror)
May
31
2011

This is part two of the BEA book haul including fantasy, science fiction, and horror books that are not in the young adult category.  I’ll also be posting about books I saw in fall catalogs that look fantastic and about BEA and the Book Blogger Convention later.  But for now here are some (signed!) books that I got that I’m excited to read that you may be interested in checking out.

The Children of the Sky by Vernor VingeThe Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge

This was one of two books that I absolutely HAD to get while at BEA.  For one thing, my husband is a huge fan of Vernor Vinge’s books and threatened to leave me at the bus station if I did not come back with this book (he just reread A Fire Upon the Deep and is now reading this).  For another, he actually finally convinced me to read A Fire Upon the Deep earlier this year and I really liked it (review).  Actually, I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed it.  I’d been hesitant to read it because it was supposed to be such a complex space opera with some hard scifi and I was afraid it would be too dry.  And it could be a bit hard to wade through the descriptions at times, but the actual story was very good with a really creatively envisioned alien race.  It was not an easy read but a rewarding, interesting one and I am looking forward to the sequel very much!

The Children of the Sky will be released in October.

After nearly twenty years, Vernor Vinge has produced an enthralling sequel to his memorable bestselling novel A Fire Upon the Deep.

Ten years have passed on Tines World, where Ravna Bergnsdot and a number of human children ended up after a disaster that nearly obliterated humankind throughout the galaxy. Ravna and the pack animals for which the planet is named have survived a war, and Ravna has saved more than one hundred children who were in cold-sleep aboard the vessel that brought them.

While there is peace among the Tines, there are those among them—and among the humans—who seek power…and no matter the cost, these malcontents are determined to overturn the fledgling civilization that has taken root since the humans landed.

On a world of fascinating wonders and terrifying dangers, Vernor Vinge has created a powerful novel of adventure and discovery that will entrance the many readers of A Fire Upon the Deep. Filled with the inventiveness, excitement, and human drama that have become hallmarks of his work, this new novel is sure to become another great milestone in Vinge’s already stellar career.

Deadline by Mira GrantDeadline by Mira Grant

Deadline, the second book in the Newsflesh series, is being released today. I didn’t find out about this signing until closer to BEA since it wasn’t on the BEA site, but once I heard about it, it became one I had to go to!  Mira Grant is also known as urban fantasy writer Seanan McGuire, and I am a huge fan of her Toby Daye series.  Although I normally avoid zombie books like I would the zombie apocalypse itself, I read the first book in the Newsflesh series, Feed, and really enjoyed it (review).  It’s not terribly gory and is about the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse and how it changed the world.  And it has one of the gutsiest endings I’ve ever read – it had to take some mad courage to end this book the way it ends!  Feed is also a nominee for this year’s Hugo Award.

Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn’t seem as fun when you’ve lost as much as he has.

But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead.

Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun.

Blood Rights by Kristen PainterBlood Rights by Kristen Painter

Blood Rights is the first book out of five in the House of Comarré series. The first three books will be published one month apart from each other this year: Blood Rights in October, Flesh and Blood in November, and Bad Blood in December. According to the author’s website, Out for Blood will be released in August 2012 and Last Blood will be released in February 2013.  These books will be available both as mass market paperbacks and ebooks, and the Orbit catalog I picked up says they are supposed to have “huge crossover appeal to readers of urban fantasy, romance, horror, and mainstream.”  There’s also an endorsement from Patricia Briggs.  I’m really looking forward to reading the first book in this series and I have to admit seeing the spread of nicely matching covers in the catalog just made me more excited to read them.  (Matching covers with gorgeous red, black, and white color schemes!  Hooray!)

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle’s body bears the telltale marks of a comarré — a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world…and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.

Theft of Swords by Michael J. SullivanTheft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

This is the first volume in the Riyria Revelations series, which started as a self-published series and was recently picked up for publication by Orbit. There were five books in the series and these books will be published in 3 volumes with a completely new sixth book in the last volume.  Theft of Swords will be available in November 2011 with Rise of Empire following soon thereafter in December 2011.  The final volume with the completely new book, Heir of Novron, will be released in January 2012.  All the books will be released as trade paperbacks and ebooks.

I’m really excited about reading this book as I’ve heard great things about it!  Once again, it’s about thieves and what can I say? I love thieves.

Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles – until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out…and so begins this epic tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

The Magician King by Lev GrossmanThe Magician King by Lev Grossman

This sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel, The Magicians, will be released in August as both a hardcover and an ebook.  I thought The Magicians (review) was really interesting, so I ended up deciding to wait in line for this book.  And wait in line I did – this was easily the longest wait I had for any book at BEA.  I waited for an hour and a quarter and there were still lots of people lined up behind me.  Lots of people came up to those of us waiting in line just to ask what book had so many people wanting to get their hands on it.  The person in line in front of me actually said barely anybody showed up when The Magicians was at BEA a couple of years ago, so I’m sure it was a nice change for the author.  Lev Grossman was very pleasant to talk to, and I was amazed at just how personable he was after signing so many books and probably having similar conversations with all the people ahead of  me.  But then, it must be nice to have such a nice turnout. He did tell me he’d had signings where a lot of people showed up and some where nobody showed up and he much preferred it when lots of people showed up like at this one!

Return to Fillory in the riveting sequel to The New York Times bestseller and literary phenomenon of 2009–The Magicians.

The Magicians was praised as a triumph by readers and critics of both mainstream and fantasy literature. Now Grossman takes us back to Fillory, where the Brakebills graduates have fled the sorrows of the mundane world, only to face terrifying new challenges.

Quentin and his friends are now the kings and queens of Fillory, but the days and nights of royal luxury are starting to pall. After a morning hunt takes a sinister turn, Quentin and his old friend Julia charter a magical sailing ship and set out on an errand to the wild outer reaches of their kingdom. Their pleasure cruise becomes an adventure when the two are unceremoniously dumped back into the last place Quentin ever wants to see: his parent’s house in Chesterton, Massachusetts. And only the black, twisted magic that Julia learned on the streets can save them.

The Magician King is a grand voyage into the dark, glittering heart of magic, an epic quest for the Harry Potter generation. It also introduces a powerful new voice, that of Julia, whose angry genius is thrilling. Once again Grossman proves that he is the modern heir to C.S. Lewis, and the cutting edge of literary fantasy.

Fuzzy Nation by John ScalziFuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

Vernor Vinge and John Scalzi were both signing books as part of the “Science Fiction Legends from Tor” signing (they were also on a panel I saw at BEA but I’ll discuss that later when I write about the whole week).  So I got both books while I was there.  I’ve never read anything by John Scalzi, but his blog is pretty funny and I have been hearing great things about this book!  Fuzzy Nation is available now in hardcover and as an ebook.

Jack Holloway works alone, for reasons he doesn’t care to talk about. Hundreds of miles from ZaraCorp’s headquarters on planet, 178 light-years from the corporation’s headquarters on Earth, Jack is content as an independent contractor, prospecting and surveying at his own pace. As for his past, that’s not up for discussion.

Then, in the wake of an accidental cliff collapse, Jack discovers a seam of unimaginably valuable jewels, to which he manages to lay legal claim just as ZaraCorp is cancelling their contract with him for his part in causing the collapse. Briefly in the catbird seat, legally speaking, Jack pressures ZaraCorp into recognizing his claim, and cuts them in as partners to help extract the wealth.

But there’s another wrinkle to ZaraCorp’s relationship with the planet Zarathustra. Their entire legal right to exploit the verdant Earth-like planet, the basis of the wealth they derive from extracting its resources, is based on being able to certify to the authorities on Earth that Zarathustra is home to no sentient species.

Then a small furry biped—trusting, appealing, and ridiculously cute—shows up at Jack’s outback home. Followed by its family. As it dawns on Jack that despite their stature, these are people, he begins to suspect that ZaraCorp’s claim to a planet’s worth of wealth is very flimsy indeed…and that ZaraCorp may stop at nothing to eliminate the “fuzzys” before their existence becomes more widely known.

The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess by Leanna Renee HieberThe Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess by Leanna Renee Hieber

This is the third published novel in the Strangely Beautiful series, although it is technically a prequel to the previous two books. It is currently available in trade paperback and an ebook. I still need to get caught up and read the second book.  It came while I was in the middle of moving madness next year and I never ended up doing that (or giving away my extra copy, which I was planning to do when I reviewed it).  This is a more romantic series, and I did enjoy the first book (review of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker) in spite of the ending heading toward the path of a little too much romantic drama for my personal taste.

It was also a pleasure to meet Leanna Renee Hieber at this signing.  I’d already been to her signing for Darker Still (in which all 100 copies were gone in half an hour), but I’d been hesitant to introduce myself since I wasn’t sure she’d remember me with the legion of bloggers she must have talked to. At this signing, she saw my badge, though, and it turned out she did remember me and even remembered I’d told her before how much I loved signed books.  She was very, very nice.

The Goddess:
In the beginning, there were lovers: a winged deity of power and light, and a queen of grace and beauty. Phoenix was murdered, his beloved stolen away to the Whisper-world. But their passion inspired the Muses. Through great sacrifice, it could live again.

The Guard:
There are always six, mortal hosts for the divine. Battling spirits through the ages, they defy Darkness, Lord of the Dead. In 1867, a shadow rises. The tide turns against them, and all hope falls on a child of prophecy, an eerie, snow-white girl yet to be born. But her path must be cleared. A Great War is coming, and song, wind and stars whisper that the eighteen-year-old Beatrice Smith must give everything to prepare.

Haunted Legends edited by Ellen Datlow and Nick MamatasHaunted Legends edited by Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamatas

This collection of ghost stories is currently available in hardcover, trade paperback, and as an ebook.  I was actually waiting in line for a copy of Blood and Other Cravings, a vampire anthology that had a story by Elizabeth Bear in it, but they ended up giving this one out instead.  That’s ok, this one has some incredible authors as well, including Catherynne Valente, Ekaterina Sedia, and M. K. Hobson.  Ellen Datlow was also telling me about this creepy sounding nun story in it when she signed it.

Darkly thrilling, these twenty new ghost stories have all the chills and power of traditional ghost stories, but each tale is a unique retelling of an urban legend from the world over.

Multiple award-winning editor Ellen Datlow and award-nominated author and editor Nick Mamatas recruited Jeffrey Ford, Ramsey Campbell, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlin Kiernan, Catherynne M. Valente, Kit Reed, Ekaterina Sedia, and thirteen other fine writers to create stories unlike any they’ve written before. Tales to make readers shiver with fear, jump at noises in the night, keep the lights on. These twenty nightmares, brought together by two renowned editors of the dark fantastic, are delightful visions sure to send shivers down the spines of horror readers.

Upcoming Games Based on Fantasy Books
May
30
2011

Namely George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn.

Ubisoft has a PC game scheduled for release in September called A Game of Thrones: Genesis.  It’s a RTS starting approximately 700 years before the beginning of the book A Game of Thrones and leading up to that point.  For more information, read this article or visit the official site.

Progress has also been made on the Mistborn pen and paper RPG and there should be some updates soon.  In the meantime, they are looking for researchers to help them with the details of developing the game.  For more information on the game and how to become involved, visit this site.

The Leaning Pile of Books: BEA Edition (Young Adult)
May
30
2011

This is the first of two posts on books from Book Expo America (BEA).  Instead of doing one post, I decided to split it into two with one focused on young adult (or in the case of the last book, middle grade – Amazon says it’s young adult but the ARC and Tor catalog both say middle grade so I’m trusting those instead).  The other post will be on books that fall into the adult fantasy, science fiction, and horror categories.  Splitting it up this way allows me to highlight the two books I am most excited about first in each post since there were 2 that I had to get or DIE FROM THE SADNESS.

These all have the added bonus of being signed books, which I love!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini TaylorDaughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Ever since I first heard about this book, I have been dying to read it!  I was fortunate enough to discover Laini Taylor’s Dreamdark series when the publisher contacted me about reviewing it.  After looking it up and seeing the beautiful covers, I had to try it, and I was so glad I did.  The second book especially was fantastic.  Then when her collection of three stories Lips Touch: Three Times came out, I bought a hardcover copy and absolutely loved it.  The last story, Hatchling, is one of my favorites.  Each of her books I have read is better than the last, and I am a big fan of her work.  (She also has a graphic novel, The Drowned, but it’s hard to find and I haven’t read it yet.)

So when I heard Laini Taylor was going to be signing copies of Daughter of Smoke and Bone at BEA, I knew I must get this book.  And I did – I was even second in a very long line for the book.  Seeing how Laini Taylor reacted to the line was priceless.  She was so excited and she even took some pictures of the line!  They really promoted this book at BEA with the signing, putting out copies at least twice that I saw, featuring it at some events, and putting up a huge banner.  It made me so happy to see that because I really believe she’s an author who needs to be read more.

I was also happy to see that it had a new cover because I really didn’t like the old one.  It’s still not as striking as the previous covers for Laini Taylor’s books, but it’s at least a big improvement.

I’ve already read most of this one even though I’ve been taking my time with parts of it, and it is fantastic.  Laini Taylor has such a way with words and writes so beautifully.  As mentioned in the description below, there is a “star-crossed love” sort of story in it, which I don’t always like, but I think this one will work for me because even though it is sudden it is a little more complex than a lot of these types of stories are.  (I say “I think” because all the details are slowly unfolding so I don’t actually know them all yet!)  But I love Karou and her two worlds and the wishes and the mystery of what the truth is and the mythology and the writing and the grayness between the two sides.  And Laini Taylor can write prose.  She’s one of those authors I think could find a way to make a grocery list sound amazing because she just phrases her sentences so well, whether it’s just gorgeous, or humorous, or just perfect.  Sometimes she just writes something and it’s exactly how to describe it but you never knew it until she worded it just right.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone will be released in September as a hardcover and ebook.

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”; she speaks many languages–not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When one of the strangers–beautiful, haunted Akiva–fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Darker Still by Leanna Renee HieberDarker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

This is the first book in the Magic Most Foul series.  I enjoyed Leanna Renee Hieber’s The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, and I am liking the sound of this book more and more, especially after reading the first page.  Plus I love the cover – I have to admit I want that dress! Darker Still will be released in November.

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart’s latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing…

Jonathan Denbury’s soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams ChimaThe Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

This is the third book out of four in the Seven Realms series.  I tried to stay away from books that were part of series I hadn’t read yet at BEA, but I made an exception for this one since I already have the first two books and am hoping to read them this summer.  Thea from The Book Smugglers loved them, and I keep hearing they get better and better (plus she loved Eon and Eona by Alison Goodman and Eona is now one of my favorite young adult books ever).  Oh, and they have a thief and I must admit I love thieves!

The first two books in this series are The Demon King and The Exiled Queen, respectively.  The Gray Wolf Throne will be released in August.

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.

Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough.

The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.

Teeth edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri WindlingTeeth edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

This is an anthology of vampire stories (and I got it signed by Ellen Datlow).  I am not normally a vampire fan, but I could not resist this collection of authors.  Catherynne Valente, Neil Gaiman, and Tanith Lee are all in it, plus it has many other authors I’ve been interested in reading – Garth Nix, Cassandra Clare, Ellen Kushner, Holly Black, and Emma Bull.  I’ve read the first few paragraphs of Genevieve Valentine’s and Catherynne Valente’s stories and am intrigued by both.

Fascinated by vampires?

Then feast on nineteen tantalizing, bite-sized tales exploring the intersections between the living, dead, and undead.

The vampires in these stories range from romantic to chilling to gleeful—and touch on nearly every emotion in between. The one thing they have in common is their desire for blood. . . .

Stories from
Genevieve Valentine
Steve Berman
Christopher Barzak
Neil Gaiman
Delia Sherman
Garth Nix
Suzy McKee Charnas
Kaaron Warren
Cecil Castellucci
Jeffrey Ford
Nathan Ballingrud
Kathe Koja
Catherynne M. Valente
Melissa Marr
Ellen Kushner
Cassandra Clare
Holly Black
Lucius Shepard
Emma Bull
Tanith Lee

Down the Mysterly River by Bill WillinghamDown the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham

Bill Willingham is best known for the Fables comics, which I have been meaning to read.  This book is also illustrated by Mark Buckingham, the artist for Fables.  Down the Mysterly River looks like a lot of fun to read, and it will be released in September.

Down the Mysterly River is the children’s book debut of Bill Willingham, the creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel series Fables. Complete with illustrations by Fables artist Mark Buckingham, it is a spirited, highly original tale of adventure, suspense, and everlasting friendship.

Max “the Wolf” is a top notch Boy Scout, an expert at orienteering and a master of being prepared. So it is a little odd that he suddenly finds himself, with no recollection of his immediate past, lost in an unfamiliar wood. Even odder still, he encounters a badger named Banderbrock, a black bear named Walden, and McTavish the Monster (who might also be an old barn cat)—all of whom talk—and who are as clueless as Max.

Before long, Max and his friends are on the run from a relentless group of hunters and their deadly hounds. Armed with powerful blue swords and known as the Blue Cutters, these hunters capture and change the very essence of their prey. For what purpose, Max can’t guess. But unless he can solve the mystery of the strange forested world he’s landed in, Max may find himself and his friends changed beyond recognition, lost in a lost world…

The Leaning Pile of Books
May
29
2011

Hope everybody had a good week!  I am back after being at Book Expo America (BEA) and the Book Blogger Convention.  Because of this, I have a whole bunch of books I could add here, but I’ve decided to do books from BEA in a separate post. I’m also going to talk about some books in some of the fall catalogs I picked up while I was there in a separate post.  So for now I’m just going to list the two review copies that came in the mail this week, and I’ll tell you about what’s out/coming out that I got at BEA later.  (I’m already almost done with my first book from BEA, Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone which I am so thrilled about reading!  I was second in line for the signed copy of this ARC – I wanted it sooooo much!  But that’s all I’m saying about BEA books for now!)

When I get back to writing reviews, I’ll be writing about Eona by Alison Goodman and Song of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy.

On to the books with more to come later!

Legend by Marie LuLegend by Marie Lu

This book was actually at BEA and I missed it, but that’s ok because a copy was waiting for me when I got home.  It’s a YA dystopia, which is pretty popular at the moment.  The letter from the publisher that came with it is so full of enthusiasm that I’m really curious about it.  It’s a book she couldn’t put down when she read the manuscript, and she was so excited about it that she shared it with all her colleagues who then also got excited about it.  It is part of a series, but I didn’t find any information on how many books there would be.  Legend will be released in hardcover on November 29, and it will also be available as an ebook and audiobook.  An excerpt is available online.

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

What Lies Beneath the Clock Tower by Margaret KilljoyWhat Lies Beneath the Clock Tower by Margaret Killjoy

What Lies Beneath the Clock Tower: Being an Adventure of Your Own Choosing is a steampunk choose-your-own adventure style story by the founder of SteamPunk Magazine.  The quote from Alan Moore, author of Watchmen, is what sold me when I was asked about receiving a copy for review consideration, but I also like the quote on the back:

“As I aspire to be a drunken and feckless adventurer myself, I felt great kinship with Our Hero Gregory.” – Jake von Slatt

It sounds like a fun book and it’s also fairly short (less than 200 pages). It will be available on June 17.

Descend into the depths of the undercity and embroil yourself in the political struggles of colonialist gnomes and indigenous goblins. Fly in air balloons, drink mysterious and pleasant cocktails, smoke opium with the dregs of gnomish society. Or dream and speak of liberation for all the races. Fall in love and abscond into the caverns. It s up to you, because this is an adventure of your own choosing. From the founder of SteamPunk Magazine and editor of Mythmakers & Lawbreakers (AK Press, 2009) comes this interactive novel of danger, drugs, and revolution.

The Leaning Pile of Books
May
22
2011

This week brought 3 review copies and 1 book bargain that I couldn’t resist!

Fox & Phoenix by Beth BernobichFox & Phoenix by Beth Bernobich

After reading Passion Play, I really wanted to read Beth Bernobich’s young adult book coming out this fall.  So when the author contacting me about receiving a galley to review, accepting was a no-brainer!  Now that I’ve had a chance to look through it, I’m looking forward to it even more.  It sounds really good, and I loved the opening line and what I read on the first page.  This is the first book in a series, Lóng City, and it will be released in hardcover on October 13.

“One cool, lively, exciting book set in a unique new world-more, please!”-Tamora Pierce

The king of Lóng City is dying. For Kai Zōu, the news means more than it does for most former street rats in the small mountain stronghold, because he and the king’s daughter are close friends. Then the majestic ruler of the ghost dragons orders Kai to travel across the country to the Phoenix Empire, where the princess is learning statecraft. In a court filled with intrigue, Kai and his best friend Yún must work together to help the princess escape and return to Lóng City. A refreshing mixture of magic, wit, and action, Fox and Phoenix is an auspicious debut!

“I couldn’t stop reading! Ghost dragons, talking pig spirit-companions, magic phones, royal intrigue, and a treacherous journey. . . . I loved this adventure through a unique magic world.”-Sarah Beth Durst, author of Into the Wild

The Immortal Prince by Jennifer FallonThe Immortal Prince by Jennifer Fallon

Recently, I received a copy of The Chaos Crystal by Jennifer Fallon in the mail.  At first I was excited because I’ve been interested in reading a book by Jennifer Fallon for a while, but then I read the press release which said it was the fourth and final book in the Tide Lords series.  After looking up the series, I just wanted to read it more so when I saw this first book was available for just $4.99 in hardcover, I snatched it up.  The fourth book just came out so the Tide Lords is now officially a complete series!

The Tide Lords series order is: The Immortal Prince, Gods of Amyrantha, Palace of Impossible Dreams, and The Chaos Crystal.

“When a routine hanging goes wrong and a murderer somehow survives the noose, the man announces he is an immortal. And not just any immortal, but Cayal, the Immortal Prince, hero of legend, thought to be only a fictional character. To most he is a figure out of the Tide Lord Tarot, the only record left on Amyrantha of the mythical beings who, fables tell, created the half-human, half-animal Crasii, a race of slaves.”

“Arkady Desean is an expert on the legends of the Tide Lords, so at the request of the king’s spymaster she is sent to interrogate this would-be immortal, hoping to prove he is a spy, or at the very least a madman.”

Though she is set the task of proving Cayal a liar. Arkady finds herself believing him against her own good sense. And as she begins to truly believe in the Tide Lords, her own web of lies begins to unravel ….

The Deadliest Bite by Jennifer RardinThe Deadliest Bite by Jennifer Rardin

The eighth and final book in the Jaz Park series will be released on June 2, although it seems to already be shipping from Amazon.  This is another series I’m interested in picking up from book one, but it might be a while until I get to it.  I have heard they are very good books, though!

Excerpts from the first six books in the series can be found on the author’s website.

The books in the Jaz Parks series are:

1. Once Bitten, Twice Shy
2. Another One Bites the Dust
3. Biting the Bullet
4. Bitten to Death
5. One More Bite
6. Bite Marks
7. Bitten in Two
8. The Deadliest Bite

I have two choices. Carve Brude’s name into Hell’s bile-encrusted gates. Or lose my soul.

After an assassination attempt on Vayl, I find myself pulled into a tangled web that takes the gang to Romania. So how will I save a ghost, rescue a demon, and cheat the Great Taker out of a soul he’s slavering for while defeating my nastiest foe yet so that Vayl can, at last, cherish a few precious years with his sons? With careful planning, major violence, and one (hopefully) final trip to Hell.

Eat Slay Love by Jesse PetersenEat Slay Love by Jesse Petersen

This is the third book in the Living With the Dead series, a romantic comedy set during a zombie apocalypse. It will be released on June 28 as a mass market paperback and an ebook.

The books in this series are as follows:

1. Married With Zombies
2. Flip This Zombie
3. Eat Slay Love

Sarah and David have survived the zombie apocalypse. They stood side by side and fought the undead, mad scientists, and even bionic monsters until the unthinkable happened. A zombie bite. But not even that could stop them. Now, with a possible cure in hand, they’re headed east, looking for a safe zone behind the rumored “Wall.” They’re feeling pretty optimistic.

That is until Dave stops sleeping and starts lifting huge objects.

Eat. Slay. Love.

Because they haven’t got a prayer.

Review of The Fear Principle by B. A. Chepaitis
May
20
2011
The Fear Principle
by B. A. Chepaitis
190pp (Paperback)
My Rating: 5/10
LibraryThing Rating: 3.67/5
Goodreads Rating: 3.5/5
 

The Fear Principle, the first book in the Fear series by B. A. Chepaitis, was first published in 1998 under the name Barbara Chepaitis.  The books in this science fiction series are being reprinted, and the first two of the four books were re-released recently.  The titles that come after The Fear Principle are as follows, respectively: The Fear of God, Learning Fear, and A Lunatic Fear.

The Planetoids were developed in response to what became known as the “Killing Times,” a time when serial murder became so common that everyday life was fraught with danger.  These rehabilitation centers are based on the premise that fear is the root of criminal behavior.  On the Planetoids, criminals are first tested in order to discover their primary fear, then a program is developed for making them face that fear.   Then, a Teacher is assigned to execute the program and work with the felon individually to help him or her overcome that fear.  In most cases, they are successful and the criminal returns to Earth to never commit a crime again – or sometimes, the former convict even chooses to stay and work on the Planetoid.

Dr. Jaguar Addams often takes the unconventional approach and modifies programs she believes to be flawed, but her track record speaks for itself: she may not be the most experienced Teacher, but she is the most successful.  With a special gift for empathy and a keen instinct, Jaguar often uses her psi capabilities to her advantage, as most do even though it’s technically not allowed.  When Clare Rilasco, an assassin who has murdered countless men, is captured and brought to Planetoid Three, Jaguar is assigned to her case.  However, this isn’t just any assignment.  Not only is Jaguar supposed to help Clare become a law-abiding member of society, but she’s also supposed to find out who she was working for when she murdered the governor of Colorado – a rather difficult task with Clare’s particular personality and the fact that her clients would like to remain anonymous for obvious reasons.

The Fear Principle is one of those books I’m on the fence about and didn’t really like or dislike overall.  While there was a lot about the book that really worked for me, these parts were balanced out by a lot that did not work as well for me.

The premise hooked me from the beginning and set up a rather interesting future scenario.  The book takes place after a major societal decline and deals with the facilities where the cure is administered.  Murder rates had increased to the point where just going out to get food was dangerous in many cities.  Eventually, a new system was devised for working with criminals based on discovering what fear drove them to feel the need to commit crime.  These felons were sent away to receive individualized treatment.  First, they were tested to discover the root cause of their fear, and then they worked with a Teacher with training in psychological studies who helped them overcome that fear.  Also, some of these Teachers like Jaguar, the main character, had psi capabilities, so they were able to delve into other people’s minds when working with them.  It’s an intriguing concept: how education and specialized treatment (perhaps with a dose of empathic powers thrown in) could help with reforming those who cause problems in society.

It’s not all about solving the problems of the world, though.  The Fear Principle also has a lot of action, some mystery, and just a little bit of romance.  There’s the question of who hired Clare and Jaguar becomes involved in untangling the threads of what happened.  Jaguar is also facing another Teacher who wants to take her down, and the full story of what happened between the two comes out over the course of the book.  The romance is very subtle and not the main focus, and it starts out a bit one-sided but it’s hard not to root for someone who is so quietly caring.  In this particular instance, love is doing what is best for someone without expecting anything at all in return, and I liked the non-flirtatious, mature, and kind way it was handled.

Most of the other characters didn’t do much for me, and I didn’t love any of them, but I did like Jaguar’s personality and the complexity of her character.  She’s someone who doesn’t care for authority and she does come across as brash at times, but she does have a compassionate side and good instincts.  Although she can be very stubborn, she’s also not incapable of changing her opinion when presented with new facts.  Throughout the course of the story, more is learned about her past and how she chose to react to it and managed not to fall into the same traps as others.  While I never cared about her so much that I was on the edge of my seat hoping she’d pull through anytime tension rose, I was able to admire her as a character.

Even though there was plenty to like about the book, there were two things that did not work for me at all: the writing style and the pacing.  The prose style is very casual, to the point where it’s full of sentence fragments.  The dialogue is written how people speak with words like “lemme,” “kinda,” “gotta” and “where’ve.”  Although I understand why it is often used, it’s not a style that appeals to me personally.  There’s also a lot of infodumping.  At first, I didn’t mind this since it filled in what had happened to cause the creation of the prisoner reform program and told about how this new system worked. It never stopped, though.  There are a lot of third person perspective switches, and when it does it usually has a lot more of their thoughts than I really needed to know going on for too long.  Also, some of the dialogue is overly dramatic and a bit corny:

 

“You’re way out of line, Dr. Addams,” he said coldly. “Whatever Nick’s doing, I’ll handle. You better keep track of yourself.”

“Oh, I can track myself. Don’t you worry.” She put her hands on his desk and her face level with his, leaning forward.

“I can track a cat under a new moon, or the smallest scent of death in open air. I can track last week’s eagle in a cloudy sky. And I can track you, Supervisor. Even you. So keep Nick away from me, or I’ll take care of him myself. My way.” [pp. 73]

The text was filled with typographical errors and missing words to the point where it was very distracting as well.

Before I close, I just want to make one note on content.  There is a memory revealed at the very end that some may find difficult.  It’s somewhat important to the story so I don’t want to say what it is, but if you want to know basically what it involves and if it would be a problem for you, read the spoiler below.

The Fear Principle started out promising with some interesting ideas and a decent main character.  However, in spite of the entertaining story and an appreciation for a couple of the protagonists, the writing style and some of the dialogue really grated on me to the point that when I reached the end, I didn’t feel like I wanted more.

My Rating: 5/10

Where I got my reading copy: Review copy from a publicist for the blog tour.