Monthly Online Book Review and Listings Magazine

Crammed with page after page of great Christmas gift book ideas!

December 2008 Issue

BRENT WEEKS: BEYOND THE SHADOWS (Orbit PB)

A new queen has usurped the throne and is leading Cenaria into disaster. The country has become a broken realm with a threadbare army, little food, and no hope. Kylar Stern plans to reinstate his closest friend Logan as King, but can he really get away with murder? In the north, the Godking's death has thrown Khalidor into civil war. To gain the upper hand, one faction attempts to raise the goddess Khali herself. But they are playing with volatile powers, and trigger conflict on a vast scale. Seven armies will converge to save - or destroy - an entire continent. Kylar has finally learnt the bitter cost of immortality, and is faced with a task only he can complete. To save his friends, and perhaps his enemies, he must assassinate a goddess. Failure will doom the south. Success will cost him everything he's ever loved. The circle is complete. Best fantasy of the year, possibly the decade. I loved it, and I'm thrilled to hear that Brent is working on an entirely new project right now. Full marks to Orbit for releasing these three titles in consecutive months - you'd normally have to wait a year for a sequel. Brilliant!

Brent Weeks: Way of the Shadows (Orbit PB)

The perfect killer has no friends. Only targets. For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art. And he is the city's most accomplished artist, his talents required from alleyway to courtly boudoir. For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned the hard way to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint. But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and cultivate a flair for death. An extraordinary debut - this book, the first of a series, introduces a very special set of characters in an astoundingly good fantasy world. Reminiscent of Robert E Howard and Edgar Rice Burroughs, it's dark humour and exemplary plot is guaranteed to draw you in and have you champing at the bit for book two, which is out this month - with book three following hard on its heels in December. A genuine page-turner, and truly impossible to put down. A handsome addition to anyone's fantasy collection; the covers, which were commissioned by Orbit UK from Calvin Chu, are so exceptionally good, the US offices decided to go with them as well. I can't fault this book or book two, and I'm really looking forward to book three. Full marks to Orbit for publishing them in consecutive months, too.

Brent Weeks: Shadow's Edge (Orbit PB)

Kylar has rejected the assassin's life. In the wake of the Godking's violent coup, both his master and his closest friend are dead. His friend was Logan Gyre, heir to Cenaria's throne, but few of the ruling class survive to mourn his loss. So Kylar is starting over: new city, new companions, and new profession. But when he learns that Logan might be alive, trapped and in hiding, Kylar faces an impossible choice. He could give up the way of shadows forever, and find peace with his young family. Or Kylar could succumb to his flair for destruction, the years of training, to save his friend and his country - and lose all he holds precious.

KAREN MILLER: STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS - WILD SPACE

The Clone Wars have exploded across the galaxy as Republic forces andSeparatists struggle to gain the upper hand. But while the Jedi generals work tirelessly to defeat Count Dooku and his rebels, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is hatching his own dark plans.

The Separatists have launched a sneak attack on Coruscant. Obi-Wan Kenobi, wounded in battle, insists that Anakin Skywalker and his rookie Padawan Ahsoka leave on a risky mission against General Grievous. But when Senator Bail Organa reveals explosive intelligence that could turn the tide of war in the Republic’s favor, the Jedi Master agrees to accompany him to an obscure planet on the Outer Rim to verify the facts. What Obi-Wan and Bail don’t realize is that they’re walking into a deadly trap concocted by Palpatine . . . and that escape may not be an option.

Inspired by the full-length animated feature film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the brand-new TV series, this thrilling adventure is filled with provocative, never-before-revealed insights into the characters of Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padme, Yoda, Count Dooku, and many other Star Wars favorites.

DAVID SHERMAN & DAN CRAGG: STARFIST - WINGS OF HELL

No one captures the action and sacrifice of war better than real combat vets David Sherman and Dan Cragg. Now their blazing space epic Starfist continues as Marines of the Confederation’s Thirty-fourth Fleet Initial Strike Team (FIST) go head-to-head against the deadly Skinks. Of course, Company L’s third platoon has fought these aliens before, but never before in these numbers. . . .

Planet Haulover has been invaded by Skinks. Until now the aliens’ existence has been kept confidential. But Force Recon’s shocking report leaves the Confederation no choice but to mount a military campaign and reveal to the public its biggest secret: the threat of fierce alien predators bent on human destruction. What’s no secret is that the four army divisions and two Marine FISTs sent to Haulover aren’t nearly enough to defeat the well-entrenched aliens, who have a tunnel system second to none.

Back home, the Confederation’s president is being denounced as a warmonger bent on exterminating “harmless” aliens. And if she loses the upcoming elections, the Confederation will have a lot more Skinks than those on Haulover to worry about.

Newly promoted Lieutenant Charlie Bass and his third platoon have more pressing concerns, such as staying alive. But what would be a suicidal mission for most–whether it’s raiding a well-defended Skinks base or destroying the enemy’s most lethal weapons during a desperate firefight–is for them just another job.

THE HORROR STORIES OF ROBERT E HOWARD

Here are Howard’s greatest horror tales, all in their original,definitive versions. Some of Howard’s best-known characters–Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, and sailor Steve Costigan among them–roam the forbidding locales of the author’s fevered imagination, from the swamps and bayous of the Deep South to the fiend-haunted woods outside Paris to remote jungles in Africa. The collection includes Howard’s masterpiece “Pigeons from Hell,” which Stephen King calls “one of the finest horror stories of [the twentieth] century,” a tale of two travelers who stumble upon the ruins of a Southern plantation–and into the maw of its fatal secret. In “Black Canaan” even the best warrior has little chance of taking down the evil voodoo man with unholy powers–and none at all against his wily mistress, the diabolical High Priestess of Damballah. In these and other lavishly illustrated classics, such as the revenge nightmare “Worms of the Earth” and “The Cairn on the Headland,” Howard spins tales of unrelenting terror, the legacy of one of the world’s great masters of the macabre. Howard remains one of the greatest writers of all time, and this collection of horror stories is first rate and long overdue. An ideal Christmas gift, and a beautiful package.

Ender in Exile : Chapter 1

To: jpwiggin@gso.nc.pub, twiggin@uncg.edu
From: hgraff%educadmin@ifcom.gov
Subj: When Andrew Returns Home

Dear John Paul and Theresa Wiggin, You understand that during the recent attempt by the Warsaw Pact to take over the International Fleet, our sole concern at EducAdmin was the safety of the children. Now we are finally able to begin working out the logistics of sending the children home. We assure you that Andrew will be provided with continuous surveillance and an active bodyguard throughout his transfer from the I.F. to American government control. We are still negotiating the degree to which the I.F. will continue to provide protection after the transfer. Every effort is being made by EducAdmin to assure that Andrew will be able to return to the most normal childhood possible. However, I wish your advice about whether he should be retained here in isolation until the conclusion of the inquiries into EducAdmin actions during the late campaign. It is quite likely that testimony will be offered that depicts Andrew and his actions in damaging ways, in order to attack EducAdmin through him (and the other children). Here at IFCom we can keep him from hearing the worst of it; on Earth, no such protection will be possible and it is likelier that he will be called to "testify." Hyrum Graff

Theresa Wiggin was sitting up in bed, holding her printout of Graff's letter. "'Called to "testify."' Which means putting him on exhibit as -- what, a hero? More likely a monster, since we already have various senators decrying the exploitation of children." "That'll teach him to save the human race," said her husband, John Paul. "This is not a time for flippancy." "Theresa, be reasonable," said John Paul. "I want Ender home as much as you do." "No you don't," said Theresa fiercely. "You don't ache with the need for him every day." Even as she said it she knew she was being unfair to him, and she covered her eyes and shook her head. To his credit, he understood and didn't argue with her about what he did and did not feel. "You can never have the years they've taken, Theresa. He's not the boy we knew." "Then we'll get to know the boy he is. Here. In our home." "Surrounded by guards." "That's the part I refuse to accept. Who would want to hurt him?" John Paul set down the book he was no longer pretending to read. "Theresa, you're the smartest person I know." "He's a child!" "He won a war against incredibly superior forces." "He fired off one weapon. Which he did not design or deploy." "He got that weapon into firing range." "The formics are gone! He's a hero, he's not in danger." "All right, Theresa, he's a hero. How is he going to go to middle school? What eighth-grade teacher is ready for him? What school dance is he going to be ready for?" "It will take time. But here, with his family -- " "Yes, we're such a warm, welcoming group of people, a love nest into which he'll fit so easily." "We do love each other!" "Theresa, Colonel Graff is only trying to warn us that Ender isn't just our son." "He's nobody else's son." "You know who wants to kill our son." "No, I don't." "Every government that thinks of American military power as an obstacle to their plans." "But Ender isn't going to be in the military, he's going to be -- " "This week he won't be in the American military. Maybe. He won a war at the age of twelve, Theresa. What makes you think he won't be drafted by our benevolent and democratic government the moment he gets back to Earth? Or put into protective custody? Maybe they'll let us go with him and maybe they won't." Theresa let the tears flow down her cheeks. "So you're saying that when he left here we lost him forever." "I'm saying that when your child goes off to war, you will never get him back. Not as he was, not the same boy. Changed, if he comes back at all. So let me ask you. Do you want him to go where he's in the greatest danger, or to stay where he's relatively safe?" "You think Graff is trying to get us to tell him to keep Ender with him out there in space." "I think Graff cares what happens to Ender, and he's letting us know -- without actually saying it, because every letter he sends can be used against him in court -- that Ender is in terrible danger. Not ten minutes after Ender's victory, the Russians made their brutal play for control of the I.F. Their soldiers killed thousands of fleet officers before the I.F was able to force their surrender. What would they have done if they had won? Brought Ender home and put on a big parade for him?" Theresa knew all of this. She had known it, viscerally at least, from the moment she read Graff's letter. No, she had known it even before, had known it with a sick dread as soon as she heard that the Formic War was over. He would not be coming home.
The above is an excerpt from the book Ender in Exile
by Orson Scott Card
Published by Tor Books;  Nov 2008;$25.95US/$28.95CAN; 978-0-7653-0496-4
Copyright © 2008 Orson Scott Card
Author Bio
Orson Scott Card is the internationally bestselling author of Ender's Game.  He lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.

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CHARLES STROSS: THE CLAN CORPORATE

In "The Family Trade" and "The Hidden Family", Miriam got in touch with her roots. Now those roots have begun to strangle her. A young business journalist from Boston, Miriam discovered that her family comes from a parallel timeline, that she is very well-connected, and that her family is way too much like the Mafia for her comfort. She's tried hard to remain her own woman, even going so far to start a profitable (and legitimate) business in a third timeline she has discovered, outside the family reach. There have been murders and betrayals.Now, however, she may be overreaching - if she gets caught, death or worse is around the bend. For instance, there's the brain-damaged son of the local king who needs a wife ...But they'd never make her do that, would they? 'Stross gives us an escape fantasy that is most seductive, indeed' - Salon. 'The "Clan Corporate" offers more proof, if any were needed, why Charles Stross has become universally acknowledged as one of science fiction's major new talents' - Mike Resnick. I have to say that I prefer "straight" science fiction as pioneered by Arthur C Clarke and Asimov to the SF that you have to sit and think about. Not for me, but I'm sure Stross has a huge following.

CHRISTOPHER MOORE: THE STUPIDEST ANGEL

'Twas the night (okay, more like the week) before Christmas and little Joshua Barker is in desperate need of a Christmas miracle. Josh is sure he saw Santa take a shovel to the head and now the seven year old has only one prayer: Please Santa, come back from the dead! But coming to Earth, seeking a small child whose wish needs granting, is none other than Archangel Raziel. Unfortunately, he's not sporting the brightest halo in the bunch and before you can say 'Kris Kringle,' he's botched his sacred mission and sent the residents of Pine Cove headlong into Christmas chaos, culminating in the most hilarious and horrifying holiday party the town has ever seen. Paperback reissue

J R R Tolkien: Tales from the Perilous Realm (Harper Collins HB)

Available for the first time in one volume, this is the definitive collection of Tolkien's five acclaimed modern classic 'fairie' tales in the vein of 'The Hobbit'. The five tales are written with the same skill, quality and charm that made The Hobbit a classic. Largely overlooked because of their short lengths, they are finally together in a volume which reaffirms Tolkien's place as a master storyteller for readers young and old. / Roverandom is a toy dog who, enchanted by a sand sorcerer, gets to explore the world and encounter strange and fabulous creatures. / Farmer Giles of Ham is fat and unheroic, but - having unwittingly managed to scare off a short-sighted giant - is called upon to do battle when a dragon comes to town; / The Adventures of Tom Bombadil tells in verse of Tom's many adventures with hobbits, princesses, dwarves and trolls; / Leaf by Niggle recounts the strange adventures of the painter Niggle who sets out to paint the perfect tree; / Smith of Wootton Major journeys to the Land of Faery thanks to the magical ingredients of the Great Cake of the Feast of Good Children.This new collection is fully illustrated throughout by Oscar-winning artist, Alan Lee, who provides a wealth of pencil drawings to bring the stories to life as he did so memorably for The Hobbit and The Children of Hurin. Alan also provides an Afterword, in which he opens the door into illustrating Tolkien's world. Taken together, this rich collection of new and unknown work from the author of The Children of Hurin will provide the reader with a fascinating journey into lands as wild and strange as Middle-earth. A wonderful collection of Tolkien short stories and poems collected together for the first time and superbly illustrated by the great Alan Lee. This is a treasured addition to any fantasist's bookshelf collection. A truly handsome and classic fantasy book.

Peter V Brett: The Painted Man (Harper Collins Voyager HB)

The stunning debut fantasy novel from author Peter V. Brett. The Painted Man, book one of the Demon trilogy, is a captivating and thrilling fantasy adventure, pulling the reader into a world of demons, darkness and heroes. Sometimes there is very good reason to be afraid of the dark! Eleven-year-old Arlen lives with his parents on their small farmstead, half a day's ride from the isolated hamlet of Tibbet's Brook. As dusk falls upon Arlen's world, a strange mist rises from the ground; a mist that promises a violent death to any foolish enough to brave the coming darkness, for hungry corelings - demons that cannot be harmed by mortal weapons - materialize from the vapours to feed on the living. As the sun sets, people have no choice but to take shelter behind magical wards and pray that their protection holds until the creatures dissolve with the first signs of dawn. When Arlen's life is shattered by the demon plague, he is forced to see that it is fear, rather than the demons, which truly cripples humanity. Believing that there is more to his world than to live in constant fear, he must risk leaving the safety of his wards to discover a different path.In the small town of Cutter's Hollow, Leesha's perfect future is destroyed by betrayal and a simple lie. Publicly shamed, she is reduced to gathering herbs and tending an old woman more fearsome than the corelings. Yet in her disgrace, she becomes the guardian of dangerous ancient knowledge. Orphaned and crippled in a demon attack, young Rojer takes solace in mastering the musical arts of a Jongleur, only to learn that his unique talent gives him unexpected power over the night. Together, these three young people will offer humanity a last, fleeting chance of survival. One of the best and most original fantasy books to come my way in a long time. Characters are strong, the plot is very original indeed, and the atmosphere is superlative. First rate. Roll on book two.

Michael A Martin & Andy Mangels: Star Trek - Kobayashi Maru (Simon & Schuster PB)

The fragile Collation of Planets is convinced that in order to hold the fledgling alliance together, something must be done to halt the random destruction of civilian shipping. Under orders from Starfleet, Captain Jonathan Archer and Captain Erica Hernandez, commanders of the two most powerful starships in the fleet, have been reduced to convoy duty: no more than glorified babysitting. Both captains are convinced that something systematic and purposeful lies behind these attacks, and Captain Archer believes he knows who is responsible -- the Romulans. But why? And will anyone listen to him before it is too late? I have yet to encounter a Star Trek novel that is poor - this is superb, and captures the essence of the Star Trek ethos perfectly.

Christopher L Bennett: Star Trek TNG - Greater Than The Sum (Simon & Schuster PB)

Believing that the annihilation of one Borg-controlled ship will wipe out their menace forever, Starfleet Command sends out the Enterprise to complete the mission -- only to discover how very wrong their calculations have been...One lone ship, the former science vessel Einstein, has been taken over by the Borg. Cut off as it is from the rest of the Borg Collective, if the ship can be found and destroyed, the Federation can rest easy. The task becomes more urgent still with the discovery of a system-wide slipstream which could enable the Einstein to reach the Borg Collective; or worse, give the Borg the capacity for instantaneous transportation to other parts of the galaxy. The Enterprise is dispatched to prevent that threat -- but the Borg have evolved and are more determined than ever to conquer Earth, and with it the Federation. TNG was never my favourite series, and I always found the books more palatable than the TV shows. In this story, the Borg are at their menacing best. It must be such a joy to write about such a terrific adversary, and Bennett is one of the best ST:TNG authors of all time. Terrific.

Keith R A DeCandido: Star Trek Myriad Universes (Simon & Schuster PB)

Building on the concept behind the Mirror Universe novels, Myriad Universes takes the theme a step further, into a world where instead of one alternate universe with mirror versions of several Star Trek characters, familiar characters are here reflected across three radically different Star Trek universes. Thus through the individual visions of three separate authors readers can discover completely different incarnations of all their favourite characters. Follow them into a universe of adventure -- where history takes a different turn and the only limit to what can happen is imagination. Intriguing. So Captain Kirk died during the encounter with Khan? These three stories will give you hours of pleasure; alternative universes with different outcomes have to be handled with care - these are, and highly enjoyable indeed. Small wonder that Star Trek goes from strength to strength when there are stories like this still to be told.

H P Lovecraft & August Derleth: The Watchers Out Of Time (Ballantine Books PB)

Venture at your own risk into a realm where the sun sinks intooblivion–and all that is unholy, unearthly, and unspeakable rises. These rare, hard-to-find collaborations of cosmic terror are back in print, including

• Wentworth’s Day A fellow figures his debt to a dead man is null and void, until he discovers just how terrifying interest rates can be.

• The Shuttered Room A sophisticated gentleman must settle his grandfather’s estate, only to find that the house shelters dark secrets.

• The Dark Brotherhood A beautiful woman and her companion meet the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, in a tale as terrifying as anything Poe himself ever created.

• Innsmouth Clay A sculptor returns from Paris to create a statue not entirely of this world–and not at all under his control.

• Witches’ Hollow A new schoolteacher puts his soul in peril while trying to save one of his students from a ravenous creature. Just the right thing for a dark winter's night - the chills are almost tangible - Lovecraft's skill with words is at its absolute best in this cracking anthology.

LAURELL K HAMILTON: SWALLOWING DARKNESS (Ballantine Books HB)

I am Meredith, princess of faerie, wielder of the hands of Flesh andBlood, and at long last, I am with child–twins, fathered by my royal guard. Though my uncle, Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, claims that he is the true father since he abducted me from my home, betrayed, and defiled me. And now he has branded my guards as a threat to my unborn children. Bearing an heir has placed me halfway to my aunt’s throne, that much closer to my reign over the Unseelie Court–and well ahead of her son, my cousin Cel, in this race. Now I must stay alive to see my children born and claim my place as queen. But not all in faerie are pleased with the news, and conspirators from every court in the realm plot against me and mine. They seek to strip my guards, my lovers, from me by poisoned word or cold steel. But I still have supporters, and even friends, among the goblins and the sluagh, who will stand by me. I am Meredith Nic Essus, and those who would defy and destroy me are destined to pay a terrible price–for I am truly my father’s daughter. To protect what is mine, I will sacrifice anything–even if it means waging a great battle against my darkest enemies and making the most momentous decision ever made as princess of faerie. Best of the urban fantasy writers is back with a bang! This is terrific, sexy, sassy, superb!

Alan Dean Foster: Quofum (Del Rey HB)

Bestselling author Alan Dean Foster’s new adventure takes place in theamazing Humanx Commonwealth, home of the ever-popular Pip & Flinx. Although the dynamic redhead and his daring minidrag do not appear in Quofum, this knockout thriller sets the stage for their explosive date with destiny in the duo’s final climactic adventure, Flinx Transcendent. The mission to planet Quofum is supposed to be a quickie for Captain Boylan and his crew. Boylan is tasked with delivering four scientists–two men, one woman, and one thranx–to the unknown world, setting up camp while the experts investigate flora and fauna, then ferrying them safely home. he first surprise is that Quofum, which regularly slips in and out of existence on Commonwealth monitors, is actually there when Boylan and company arrive. The second surprise is more about what Quofum is not: The planet is not logical, ordered, or rational. The team encounters three intelligent, warring species–some carbon-based, others silicate-based, all bizarre–along with thousands of unique, often unclassifiable life-forms. Quofum’s wild biodiversity doesn’t appear to be natural. But if it is by design, then by whose, and for what purpose? There are more revelations, more highly evolved species waiting to be identified, even tantalizing clues to a civilization light-years ahead of the Commonwealth’s. But the crew members are not ready for the real shockers, because none of them expect to find a killer in their midst, or to discover that their spaceship is missing and, with it, all means of communication. Of course, the marooned teammates know nothing about the Great Evil racing toward the galaxy, and they certainly have never heard of Flinx, the only person with half a chance to stop it. Nor do they know that Quofum could play a crucial role in defeating the all-devouring monster from beyond. One thing the scientists do know, however, is how to ferret out the truth. But whether that will be enough to alter the course of the oncoming catastrophe is anyone’s guess. Classic science fiction from a master storyteller.

James Luceno: Millennium Falcon (Del rey HB)

Two years have passed since Jacen Solo, seduced by the dark side andreanointed as the brutal Sith Lord Darth Caedus, died at the hands of his twin sister, Jaina, Sword of the Jedi. For a grieving Han and Leia, the shadow of their son’s tragic downfall still looms large. But Jacen’s own bright and loving daughter, Allana, offers a ray of hope for the future as she thrives in her grandparents’ care. And when the eager, inquisitive girl, in whom the Force grows ever stronger, makes a curious discovery aboard her grandfather’s beloved spacecraft–the much-overhauled but ever-dependable Millennium Falcon–the Solo family finds itself at a new turning point, about to set out on an odyssey into uncertain territory, untold adventure, and unexpected rewards. To Han, who knows every bolt, weld, and sensor of the Falcon as if they were parts of himself, the strange device Allana shows him is utterly alien. But its confounding presence–and Allana’s infectious desire to unravel its mystery–are impossible to dismiss. The only answer lies in backtracking into the past on a fact-finding expedition to retrace the people, places, and events in the checkered history of the vessel that’s done everything from making the Kessel Run “in less than twelve parsecs” to helping topple an evil empire. From the moment the Falcon broke loose from a Corellian assembly line like an untamed creature with a will of its own, it seemed destined to seek out trouble. It wasn’t long before the feisty YT-1300 freighter went from shuttling cargo to smuggling contraband. But it‘s a fateful rendezvous on Coruscant, at the explosive height of the Republic/Separatist uprising, that launches a galaxywide cat-and-mouse game whose newest players are Han, Leia, Allana, and C-3PO. And they’re not alone: Crime lords, galactic pirates, rogue politicians, and fortune hunters alike loom at every turn of the quest–each with his or her own desperate stake in the Millennium Falcon’s most momentous mission. Through the years and across the stars, from the Rim worlds to unknown points beyond, the race will lead them all to a final standoff for a prize some will risk everything to find–and pay any cost to possess.The Millennium Falcon is surely the bext of the craft in Star Wars? This tale follows the ship in further terrific adventures. A really entertaining read and well worth having. Luceno is one of the best SW writers and this is one of the best SW books I've read for a very long time.