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Editor's Choice:
 RACHEL AARON: THE LEGEND OF ELI MONPRESS
Orbit PB
Eli Monpress is talented. He's charming. And he's a thief. But not just any
thief. He's the greatest thief of the age, and he's also a wizard. And with the help of his partners - a swordsman with the most powerful magic sword in the world, and a demonseed who can step through shadows and punch through walls - he's going to put his grand plan into effect. Because Eli won't rest until he's amassed a fortune. Step one in his plan is to increase the bounty on his head, so he'll need to steal some big things. He'll start small for now though: he'll just steal something that no one will miss - at least for a while. Like a king . . . This omnibus edition contains: THE SPIRIT THIEF, THE SPIRIT REBELLION and THE SPIRIT EATER. Yes, I know, strictly speaking Stephen King's THE DARK TOWER series is fantasy, but this book is so special I had to mark it in some way! I'm not sure how I came to miss this the first time round, when Orbit published it in three volumes - it's difficult, sometimes, with so many brilliant fantasy books around, to find something that little bit different, that little bit special. THE LEGEND OF ELI MONPRESS is different, and it is special, sensationally so. A tour-de-force of wizardry, brilliant, original fantasy, wonderful characterisation, and cliffhanger chapter endings right from the word go. This brilliant trilogy doesn't let up for an instant. Before I knew it, I'd read the first hundred pages of this 900-page monster of a book; it's full of monsters, too - demonseeds, spiritualists, and a cast of characters that's absolutely outstanding. You know within a few pages that you're going to love what's going on in this book - and you'd be right. Everything happens so quickly, and although it isn't the plot that's original (after all, there are plenty of fantasies in which a monarch has been kidnapped to get things going...), the overall feel of this beautiful book is that it is totally original. Everything in Monpress's world has a spirit which can be tapped into. The doors of his prison cell, made of wood, present no problem to him, he simply talks to the wood's spirit and it simply lets him walk free. It's all entirely captivating, huge fun, hugely funny, too, and one of the very finest fantasy books I have ever read. The magic in it is a serious rival to the great Raymond E Feist, whilst the characters are straight out of - well, a fantasy textbook. Only better. And more charming. This is absolutely, utterly brilliant, and I can't wait for Book Four, which Orbit will be publishing this June. If it hadn't been for the Dark Tower reissues, this would undoubtedly have been my adult book of the month. Right - I'll stop raving about it now...
Hodder reissue Lady Mary Stewart's seminal Merlin trilogy with stunning new covers! This wonderful package (or rather re-package) of books has only just arrived, so I haven't had time to read them or write my reviews - I'll bring this page up to date as I go. In the meantime, you can read all about them below. I would like to say one thing, though - until Marilyn Hume began her series on Merlin and Arthur, you would have had to search high and low for a better series on Merlin, and this remains one of the best-loved and important contributions to the Arthurian legend. It's a whils since I read Mary Stewart's Merlin series. I have read the first 50 pages of THE CRYSTAL CAVE, just now, and it is brilliant. But I stand firm in my belief that the Hume series has the edge. If you're like me, and love anything to do with Arthur and Merlin, you'll want this collection as well as the Stephen Lawhead and the Bernard Cornwell in your collection. Whichever series you prefer, Hodder (who, under their Headline imprint, also publish the Hume series) have done us proud with these wonderful books. Essential reading for anyone who loves high adventure and the legend of Arthur. Exceptional.
 MARY STEWART: THE CRYSTAL CAVE - Book One of the Merlin Trilogy
Hodder PB
Fifth century Britain is a country of chaos and division after the Roman
withdrawal. This is the world of young Merlin, the illegitimate child of a South
Wales princess who will not reveal to her son his father's true
identity. Yet Merlin is an extraordinary child, aware at the earliest age
that he possesses a great natural gift - the Sight. Against a background of
invasion and imprisonment, wars and conquest, Merlin emerges into manhood, and
accepts his dramatic role in the New Beginning - the coming of King Arthur.
 MARY STEWART: THE HOLLOW HILLS - Book Two of the Merlin Trilogy
Hodder PB
The countryside of England and Wales in the Dark Ages forms an almost
tangible background to this wonderfully and powerfully realised picture of an
ancestral hero coming to manhood. The Hollow Hills is the brilliant portrayal of
the young Arthur from his birth to accession to the throne of Britain. And
behind and around him is the strong, yet vulnerable figure of Merlin who sees
and knows so much but is powerless to prevent the strife and violence of his
turbulent times.
 MARY STEWART: THE LAST ENCHANTMENT - Book Three of the Merlin Trilogy
Hodder PB
With the great sword Caliburn in his hand and Merlin the enchanter at his
side, Arthur comes out of hiding to claim the crown he was born to wear. Merlin,
Arthur's protector, sees the glories and horrors that await the new king . . .
and to save him Merlin musters all his power to weave one last enchantment. He
is showing signs of age and he gradually realises he is losing his powers of
prophecy and clairvoyance to a younger generation. But he is able to accept this
because he knows that they will be at the service of his beloved monarch whose
fabled victories, marriage and the building of Camelot shine through these
pages.
 MARY STEWART: THE WICKED DAY - The legend of King Arthur continues
Hodder PB
Far from being the scourge of Arthur, his bastard son Mordred actually
strives to resist Merlin's prophecy of doom. But he is thwarted by the schemes
of his sorceress mother, Queen Morgause, who has brough him up to be her revenge
incarnate, and by misunderstandings beyond his control. Prophecy
triumphs, and the confrontation that is as fatal as it is inevitable is played
out against the darkened walls of the city of Camelot.
 MARY STEWART: THE PRINCE AND THE PILGRIM - A Tale of Arthurian Britain
Hodder PB
The Prince: Eager, burning, and young, Alexander has come of age to take
vengeance on the treacherous King March of Cornwall who murdered his father. He
sets off toward Camelot to seek justice from King Arthur, only to be diverted by
the beautiful and sensual Morgan le Fay, Arthur's sister. Using her wiles and
her enchantments, Morgan persuades the young prince to attempt a theft of the
Holy Grail. He is unaware her motives are of the darkest nature. The
Pilgrim: Motherless daughter of a royal duke, Alice has lived a life of
adventure, accompanying her father on his yearly pilgrimages. Now, on her
father's final visit to Jerusalem, she comes under the protection of a young
prince whose brothers were murdered, a prince who is in possession of an
enchanted silver cup believed to be the mysterious Holy Grail
itself. Thus the stage is set for two young seekers to meet - and to find
not what they are searching for but, instead, the greatest treasure of all . . .
love.
 WALTER JON WILLIAMS: THE FOURTH WALL
Orbit PB
Dagmar Shaw got out of the game . . . and into the movies. Sean is a
washed-up child actor reduced to the lowest dregs of reality television to keep
himself afloat. His life was a downward spiral of alcoholism, regret, and
failure - until he met Dagmar. But Sean has secrets, dark even for the Hollywood
treadmill of abuse, addiction, and rehab. And Dagmar is a cipher. There are dark
rumors about her past - people tend to die around her. Now, she wants Sean for
something. A movie, she says, but with her history, who knows what her real game
is? Just arrived - review to follow shortly. That Eli Monpress book is enormous... but really, really good.
 IAN C ESSLEMONT: ORB, SCEPTRE, THRONE
Bantam Press HB
The tumult of great powers colliding has passed and the city of Darujhistan
and its citizens can at last get on with what matters: trading, bickering,
politicking and enjoying all the good things in life. However, not all are ready
to leave the past behind. A treasure hunter, digging amongst the burial grounds
that surround the city, is about to uncover a hidden crypt. He will open the
last of a series of sealed vaults - the one that no other dared touch - and, in
so doing, set free something so terrifying that the knowledge of its internment
may have been systematically wiped from all history. Fortune hunters are also at work far to the south. When a fragment of Moon's
Spawn, once the home of Anomander Rake, Son of Darkness, crashed into the Rivan
Sea it created a chain of small islands. Legends and rumours already surround
them. The most potent of these is that here is hidden the Throne of Night,
claimed by some to be the seat of Mother Dark herself. Either way, all who seek
this ancient artefact - renegade mages, hardened mercenaries, even a Malazan
army deserter - believe it will bestow unlimited power upon the eventual
possessor. The stakes are high, greed is rife, betrayal inevitable, and murder
and chaos lie in wait... Epic and exciting, Ian Esslemont's new novel is an enthralling new chapter
in the thrillingly imagined world of Malaz. You might want to acquaint yourself first with the other books of the Malazan Empire, both Esslemont's and Erikson's, although it does work perfectly well as a standalone novel as well; it's just that there are references to events and people that you might not be familiar with if you're coming to this one cold, as it were. A few loose ends, which may be tied up in future Malazan epics, but has the usual refinement and caliber of Esselmont's quality. Excellent.
 ROBERT JACKSON BENNETT: THE TROUPE
Orbit PB
George Carole ran away from home to join the Vaudeville circuit. Sixteen
years old, uncommonly gifted at the piano, he falls in with a strange troupe -
even for Vaudeville. Under the watchful eye of the enigmatic figure of Silenus,
George comes to realise that the members of the troupe are more than they appear
to be. And their travels have a purpose that runs deeper than entertainment.
George must uncover the mysteries of Silenus's company before it is too late. He
is already entangled in their web of secrets and, if he doesn't learn where they
are taking him, he may never find his way out. Just arrived - review to follow shortly.
 ZOMBIE: AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE UNDEAD
Edited by Christopher Golden
Piatkus PB
RESURRECTION! The hungry dead have risen. They shamble down the street. They
hide in backyards, car parks, shopping centres. They devour our neighbours, dogs
and policemen. And they are here to stay. The real question is: what are you
going to do about it? How will you survive? How will the world change when the
dead begin to rise? Bram Stoker-award-winning author Christopher Golden has
assembled an original anthology of never-before-published zombie stories from an
eclectic array of today's most popular horror, fantasy, thriller and literary
writers. Inside are tales about military might in the wake of an outbreak,
survival in a wasted wasteland, the ardour of falling in love with a zombie, and
a family outing at the circus. Here is a collection of new views on death and
resurrection. With stories from Joe Hill, John Connolly and many others, this is
a wildly diverse and entertaining collection - the last word on the undead. Just arrived - review to follow shortly.
 STEVEN ERIKSON: THE CRIPPLED GOD
Bantam Presds PB
The Bonehunters are marching to Kolanse, and to an unknown fate. Tormented and exhausted, they are an army on the brink of mutiny. But Adjunct Tavore will not relent.If she can hold her forces together, if the fragile alliances she has forged can survive and if it is within her power, one final act remains. For Tavore Paran means to challenge the gods. Ranged against Tavore and her allies are formidable foes. The Fokrul Assail are drawing upon a terrible power; their desire is to cleanse the world - to eradicate every civilization, to annihilate every human - in order to begin anew. The Elder Gods, too, are seeking to return. And to do so, they will shatter the chains that bind a force of utter devastation and release her from her eternal prison. It seems that, once more, there will be dragons in the world. And in Kurald Galain, where the once-lost city of Kharkanas has been found, thousands have gathered upon the First Shore. Commanded by Yedan Derryg, they
await the coming of the Tiste Liosan. Are they truly ready to die in the name of an empty city and a queen with no subjects? In every world there comes a time when choice is no longer an option - a moment when the soul is laid bare and there is nowhere left to turn. And when this last hard truth is faced, when compassion is a virtue on its knees, what is there left to do?Now that time is come - now is the moment to proclaim your defiance and make a stand... And so begins the final cataclysmic chapter in Steven Erikson's extraordinary, genre-defining 'Malazan Book of the Fallen'. With Esslemont's ORB, SCEPTRE, THRONE also published this month, it's difficult to know which Malazan to read first. This is billed as the final volume in Erikson's mammoth Malazan empire, but it's tempting to think both he and Esslemont will continue with it... I'm not convinced the Malazan empire is the finest fantasy of the decade, either - it's all a matter of personal preferences, and for me, good though this is, it doesn't have the edge on Feist.
 HELEN LOWE: THE HEIR OF NIGHT
Orbit PB
The violence of an age-old war casts a long shadow. It falls on a world where
mercy is weakness and conflict is a way of life. Young Malian is being trained
to rule. Her people garrison the mountain range known as the Wall of Night
against an ancient enemy, keeping a tide of shadow from the rest of their world.
Malian is expected to uphold this tradition, yet she's known little of real
danger until the enemy launches a direct attack upon her fortress home. In the
darkest part of the night, the Keep of Winds becomes a bloodbath. Women and
children, warriors and priests, are slain by creatures with twisted magic
flowing in their veins. And as the castle wakes to chaos, Malian flees deep into
the Old Keep, her life at stake. Then when the danger is greatest, her own
hidden magic flares into life. But this untapped potential is a two-edged blade.
If she accepts its power, she must prepare to pay the price. Traditional fantasy with no holds barred; Helen Lowe's language is perfectly suited to the genre, and the characters develop nicely right from the start, with revelations of the mythology and makeup of the world in which it is set revealed at various comfortable stages throughout the book. Not without flaws, but an excellent beginning to a new series, thoroughly enjoyable and before you know it, you're at the final chapter! It's great!
 JOHN R FULTZ: SEVEN PRINCES
Orbit PB
It is an Age of Legends. Under the watchful eye of the Giants, the kingdoms of Men rose to power. Now, the Giant-King has slain the last of the Serpents and ushered in an era of untold peace and prosperity. Where a fire-blackened desert once stood, golden cities flourish in verdant fields. It is an Age of Heroes. But the realms of Man face a new threat-- an ancient sorcerer slaughters the rightful King of Yaskatha before the unbelieving eyes of his son, young Prince D'zan. With the Giant-King lost to a mysterious doom, it seems that no one has the power to stop the coming storm.It is an Age of War. The fugitive Prince seeks allies across the realms of Men and Giants to liberate his father's stolen kingdom. Six foreign Princes are tied to his fate. Only one thing is certain: War is coming. SEVEN PRINCES. Some will seek glory. Some will seek vengeance. All will be legends. From the opening sequence, where the sorcerer is slain yet returns the next day to kill D'zan's father, I was hooked. It reeked of Robert E Howard and Clark Ashton Smith, and succeeds brilliantly. Fultz already has a great pedigree and this first volume is a great start to a new series. Excellent characterisation, stonking background, brilliant dialogue. It's dark, moody, first-rate fantasy. Can't wait for book two.
 M L N HANOVER: UNCLEAN SPIRITS
Orbit PB
In a world where magic walks and demons ride, you can't always play
by the rules. Jayné Heller thinks of herself as a realist, until she discovers reality
isn't quite what she thought it was. When her uncle Eric is murdered, Jayné
travels to Denver to settle his estate, only to learn that it's all hers -- and
vaster than she ever imagined. And along with properties across the world and an
inexhaustible fortune, Eric left her a legacy of a different kind: his
unfinished business with a cabal of wizards known as the Invisible College. Led by the ruthless Randolph Coin, the Invisible College harnesses demon
spirits for their own ends of power and domination. Jayné finds it difficult to
believe magic and demons can even exist, let alone be responsible for the death
of her uncle. But Coin sees Eric's heir as a threat to be eliminated by any
means -- magical or mundane -- so Jayné had better start believing in something
to save her own life. Aided in her mission by a group of unlikely companions -- Aubrey, Eric's
devastatingly attractive assistant; Ex, a former Jesuit with a lethal agenda;
Midian, a two-hundred-year-old man who claims to be under a curse from Randolph
Coin himself; and Chogyi Jake, a self-styled Buddhist with mystical abilities --
Jayné finds that her new reality is not only unexpected, but often
unexplainable. And if she hopes to survive, she'll have to learn the new rules
fast -- or break them completely.... Urban fantasy with quite a difference - vampires and werewolves abound, but they're different to any I've experienced before - they're parasites who inhabit the host they've taken, and become riders. The writing is smooth, almost velvety, and there is a rich mix of fantasy and romance, but for me not quite enough of the latter. The characters are great - just like people we all know, but with subtle and endearing differences. The series already has quite a following.
 RICHELLE MEAD: SHADOW HEIR - THE FINAL NOVEL IN THE DARK SWAN SERIES
Bantam Books PB
New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead returns to the Otherworld, a mystic land inextricably linked to our own - and balanced precariously on one woman's desperate courage... Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham strives to keep the mortal realm safe from trespassing entities. But as the Thorn Land's prophecy-haunted queen, there's no refuge for her and her soon-to-be-born children when a mysterious blight begins to devastate the Otherworld... The spell-driven source of the blight isn't the only challenge to Eugenie's instincts. Fairy king Dorian is sacrificing everything to help, but Eugenie can't trust the synergy drawing them back together. The uneasy truce between her and her shape shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can't - or won't - reveal. And as a formidable force rises to also threaten the human world, Eugenie must use her own cursed fate as a weapon - and risk the ultimate sacrifice... Mead is on absolutely top form here, although for me the ending, despite all the massive plot twists, which weren't telegraphed in any way, doesn't actually seem like the end of a series. It's as though she's keeping it open with a view to perhaps returning to it later, after her next project?
 JAMES LUCENO: DARTH PLAGUEIS
Random House HB
The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise: Once, not so long ago, there was a great Sith Lord called Darth Plagueis. So powerful and wise was Darth Plagueis that he could manipulate the dark side of the Force to save others from dying. Eventually Darth Plagueis became so powerful that the only thing he feared was losing his power. Then, as is the way of the Sith, he was murdered by his apprentice, Darth Sidious. So went the tale told by Chancellor Palpatine--Darth Sidious himself--to Anakin Skywalker, and since that moment in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, fans have clamored to know the true story of Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious. This stand-alone novel is a dark and moving tale of two Sith and their quest for ultimate power over life and death.... This sensational SW novel is about the training of Palpatine... and you can see Palpatine, hear him, sense his presence almost. Luceno is rapidly becoming one of my favourite SW authors, and in this novel he's got things absolutely on the button. Terrific.
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Fantasy & Science Fiction Book Reviews
