mbp's instant book reviews

Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein

2012-01-27T09:43:00.000-08:00

First thing to get out of the way is that I have always loved Paul Verhoeven's 1997 movie that is (very) loosely based on this famous book. I never though to read the book however until I stumbled across Christopher Weuve's great defensive analysis of the book and utter dismissal of the film.

Even after reading and enjoying the book I still love the film but I can completely understand Weuve's hatred of it. The book is serious miltary sci fi with a serious political and philosophical message. The film is tongue in cheek cartoonish space opera. It is in fact a complete and utter travesty of the book.

Anyway the story is familiar to most about a young man growing up in a society where only those who complete a term of military service can vote. Against the wishes of his parents he joins the mobile (space) infantry and ends up in a war against a insect like alien race. Heinlein's political message however is serious one and when the protagonist's teacher uttered the most often repeated quote from the book: “Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.” Heinlein was making a direct rebuttal to those in the late 1950's who believed that the USA should back off its nuclear weapons programme. The military side of Heinlein's book is far more serious too than the comically inept tactics and weapons we see in the film with serious military tactics and weaponry being employed.

Perhaps the most striking thing about this novel for a 2012 reader is how little it has aged after more than 50 years. Heinlein' vision of troopers in power armour suits free-falling in disposable capsules out of dropships to fight battles on remote planets is still relevant. These concepts that Heinlein pioneered still crop up in literature, video games and movies.

Spider World: The Delta by Colin Wilson

2012-01-23T01:33:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed the opening novel of Colin Wilson's Spider World saga ("The Tower") quite a few years ago so when I stumbled across this follow up in a second hand book sale I picked it up. Sadly this second installment deviates far from the promise of the first. "The Tower" is an exciting adventure tale of a young human trying to survive in a World dominated by giant spiders. This follow on "The Delta" quickly degenerates into an unappetising mess of mysticism.

Colin Wilson actually wrote more books in the Spiderworld series but I won't be looking for them. One thing to note is that this is one of those series where the US version was published in different subdivisions to the UK version. This leads to considerable confusion among internet sources as to how many books are in the series and what they are called. Many sources refer to the Spiderworld trilogy but I have also seen references to book 6 of the sequence!

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

2012-01-14T00:26:00.001-08:00

This is the first book of a famous Polish series of fantasy novels on which the Witcher video game was based. I started the book (in English translation) while playing the first game and I certainly recommend the book as an adjunct to the gaming experience. It gives a new appreciation of how well the game sticks to its source material.

The book is really a collection of short stories held together by a common thread of a witcher recalling past adventures as he convolesces after a nasty wound. The gritty character of the Witcher and the World he lives in is quite compelling. Witchers are highly trained killers with enhanced fighting abilities who hire themselves out to kill monsters. The hero Geralt is basically good but also cynical. He had learned not to get involved in other peoples problems. The closest parallel I can think of is Clint Eastwood in the famous man with no name Westerns.

The stories themselves are interesting enough but the writing style in translation is quite flat and becomes tedious. I don't know if this is the fault of the translation our whether it reflects Sapkowski's underlying writing.

The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer

2011-12-27T02:00:00.000-08:00

This phenomenal book is the most powerful war story I have ever read. Sajer (real name Mouminoux) born in Alsace of mixed French / German parentage was drafted into the Wermacht at the age of 16 and sent off to fight in the gruelling battles of the Russian front as a member of the elite Gross Deutchsland division. Sajer had the misfortune to be on the wrong side at the wrong time (he joins up shortly before the catastrophic German loss at of Stalingrad). Most of the book recounts the dreadful ordeal of a German army in retreat. There may be difficulty for the modern reader because it is clear that Sajer and his comrades were proud of the efficiency and bravery of the German forces. The book does not dally with politics but it is clear that they looked up to Hitler, believed in the Third Reich and believed in what they were doing. They saw themselves as defending civilisation against the savagery of the Russian hordes and even hoped that the Americans and British would come to support their cause.

At its heart though this is a book about an ordinary foot soldier caught up in the bloodiest battles of the largest conflict in history. It is a story of courage and pride as well as brutality and despair.

Although I had never heard of it before discovering my copy in a second hand bookshop I have since discovered that Sajer's book has proven both highly influential and highly controversial since it's publication in French in 1965. On the one hand armies recommend the book to recruits as an accurate portrayal of a soldiers life in battle. On the other hand some historian's have pointed to historical errors in the text. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that it is entirely a work of fiction. Sajer himself admitted the errors and staunchly defended the book as an description of his wartime experiences as best he could remember them. You can read a brief summary of the controversy on wikipedia and a more detailed list of arguments for and against here: http://members.shaw.ca/grossdeutschland/sajer.htm. Certainly the book is well enough written, even in translation, that it could stand as a novel. On balance, however particularly given the support of fellow veteran's of the Gross Deutchsland division I think we can accept the book as a true reflection of Sajer's experiences even allowing for some mistakes in the details.

Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov

2011-11-11T08:13:00.001-08:00

Asimov's foundation trilogy is universally hailed as a classic of science fiction so it is easy to forget that the original stories were written in the 1940's approximately equidistant between the times of Jules Verne and the present day.

The basic setting is a far future period in the wake of the collapse of a pan galactic empire. A farseeing psychologist predicts that humanity will descend into a 30 millennium dark age unless something is done so he establishes a foundation(or two) in a far flung star system in order to ensure that civilisation is restored in just one millennium.

Unsurprisingly the science in this trilogy seems amusingly quaint to a modern reader with space faring societies still relying on coal and oil while the mysterious "atomic power" represents the elusive pinnacle of scientific achievement. The pinnacle of physical science that is because psychology has transformed from the crude understandings we know today into a precise quantitative science capable of precisely predicting the behaviour of large groups of humans thousands of years into the future.

Regardless of the comical science the good news is that the stories are well written and still held my attention to the end. I found myself eagerly following the exploits of Asimov's characters although I will admit that I found the smugness of the psychologists annoying by the end of the sequence.

This trilogy only covers half of the Foundation's millennium and Asimov didn't get to write a follow up until the 1980s. It will be interesting to see how he integrated the discoveries of the intervening 30 years.

Azincourt by Bernard Cornwell

2011-11-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

Cornwell has a knack of finding interesting periods of military history as a setting for his novels and Azincourt (Agincourt to you and me) is another winner. Its the middle of the long struggle between the Plantagenets and the Valois for the throne of France that came to be known as the hundred years war. This fascinating period marks the end of the age of chivalry. New tactics and new weapons meant that heavily armoured nobility on horseback were no longer invincible gods of the battlefield. At the time of Agincourt the Plantagenets of England seem to grasp the new realities more quickly than their Valois adversaries and in a number of critical battles the nobility of France were decimated by foolhardy charges against disciplined armies of massed archers.

As well as the battle of Agincourt itself Cornwell also describes the siege of Harcourt which proceeded it.The tale of how a few hundred determined defenders held off King Henry's thousands is fascinating in itself.

There is a story tying it all together of course involving a young English archer who joins the army to get away from a death sentence at home. Needless to say his trouble follows him and he must contend with mortal enemies form home while trying to fight off the French.

The Map of Time by Felix J Palma

2011-10-21T00:17:00.001-07:00

Wonderful historical romance (in the broad sense) with a time travel twist. H.G.Wells is the central character who links three tales of time travel. To my mind the first two tales are better than the last but all are imbued with a wonderfully Victorian sense of adventure. In the year 2000 for example we have a dashing British officer battling metal clad automatons with a cavalry sabre.

The extremely high quality of the english translation (by Nick Caistor) is also noteworthy. The writing is vivid and captivating. At no stage did it feel like I was reading a translation.

Recommended.

Flood by Stephen Baxter

2011-10-20T02:15:00.001-07:00

Forget the 10m rise in sea levels predicted by proponents of global warming. What if the waters kept rising until every piece of land on the planet was submerged. Baxter's terrifying novel postulates vast sub surface aquifers busting through and flooding the planet's surface over a few short decades.

The back story to this novel relates the experience of a group of former hostages who somehow live long enough to experience all the stages of this extinction level event. The real story though is Baxter's description of the collapse of humanity in the face of overwhelming natural forces. I found it genuinely scary and it brought home to me how precariously balanced out existence really is. At first I was disappointed in the portrayal of the surviving members of humanity fighting over ever diminishing scraps of land rather than investing serious efforts into a transition to a water bound world but to be honest this is probably a correct prediction of our response.

Rebel by Bernard Cornwell

2011-09-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

Start of a series and a great tale in its own right set during the US civil war. I actually found it hard to warm to Cornwell's main protagonist, a feckless Northerner who somehow ends up fighting for the South. Nevertheless the civil war setting is so beguiling and so well painted that this matters not. Most of the book is actually set in the very early days of the war with civillians North and South working themselves up into patriotic fervor. Their naivity is exquisitely portrayed by Cornwell and the reader winces again and again at their foolishness.

The railway had revolutionised logistics and troop movements. The industrial revolution had revolutionised supply and armament. Technological advances had brought the murdering power of artillery to a new pinnacle and the minié bullet had finally made the rifle a practical infantry weapon rendering both the heroic infantry charge and battlefield cavalry effectively obsolete. Neither the generals nor the populace had yet grasped these new realities but all delusions are harshly swept aside in the climax of the novel at the first battle of Manassas (Bull Run) where the hard reality of modern warfare is brought bloodily home to all protagonists.

Armageddon by Max Hastings

2011-09-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

Hasting's excellent portrayal of the fall of Hitler's Germany makes for compulsive reading. The sheer scale of the warfare has never been equaled.

While Hastings endeavours to give a flavour for what it was like for the men women and children caught up in the maelstrom of war he also has plenty to say about the conduct of the politicians, the generals and the armies they commanded. Those addicted to glorious portrayals of the allied landings on Normandy's beaches might be upset at Hasting's dismissal of the Western allies poor soldiering later in the campaign. Nevertheless the lacklustre performance of the American and British armies compared to the Nazis they faced and compared to the unstoppable Red army in the East is widely enough acknowledged to remove the taint of controversy from Hastings work.

It must be said that while he may praise their soldiering Hasting's pulls no punches in highlighting the depravity and brutality of both the Nazis and Stalin's forces. Indeed one of his central themes is that it is the very brutality of their regimes that made them so good at warfare. This brutality allowed Stalin's generals to make bold thrusts heedless of the enormous cost in human life, that inspired German teenagers to fight to the death in the ruins of their cities.

The fact that depraved men make better soldiers is somewhat depressing and suggests that Tyrants will always prosper but some hope can be gained from the fact that the miracles of production in American factories were at least as important as the blood sacrifices of the Red armies in overcoming the evil of Hitler's regime.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

2011-09-17T00:24:00.001-07:00

Terrific first novel set in a grim future world after the contraction which follows the end of the oil fueled expansion. Not only is this world forced to rely on pre-industrial energy sources it had also been driven to the brink of starvation by genetic experimentation gone wrong. Most of the world relies on US controlled genetically modified produce for survival but the kingdom of Thailand has managed to remain independent with it's own seed bank. There is a host of other good stuff in here and the book is strongly recommended.

I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett.

2011-09-17T00:16:00.001-07:00

The continuing adventures of teenage super witch Tiffany Amber sees her pitted against the malevolent spirit of a witchfinder. Not to my mind vintage Pratchett but an enjoyable read none the less.

Silesian Station by David Downing.

2011-09-17T00:15:00.001-07:00

The continuing adventures of a British/American reporter trying to survive in Nazi Germany in 1939. As war approaches out hero has swapped his British passport for a US one in order to remain with his German son and girlfriend a little longer. Again he is forced to play one side off against the other in order to survive but he can no longer ignore Nazi evil and takes increasing risks to work against them. I am really enjoying this series.While the hero John Russell's spy story escapades are as implausible as they are entertaining Downing's portrayal of Nazi Germany is utterly believable and utterly horrifying.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

2011-08-04T13:26:00.001-07:00

In the aftermath of a terrorist atrocity in San Francisco a teenage hacker gets caught up in the inevitable security backlash. It's a case of the cure being worse than the disease as the fear of terrorism is used to justify brutality and totalitarian surveillance by the department of homeland security.

This young adult novel is a great adventure story but it is also the most political Doctorow novel I have read yet. This is a novel about post 911 America and it sails close enough to the truth to be genuinely scary. Of course the fact that the last book I read was set in Nazi Germany didn't help.

To be honest,I am not fully convinced by Doctorow's political beliefs but he is always worth reading. A word of warning though. Doctorow's depictions of teenage gamer culture are surprisingly inept given it's prevalence in his young adult fiction. He gets the basics right but genuine gamers will find his use of leet speak and his mangling of manga themes cringeworthy.

Zoo Station by David Downing

2011-08-04T03:41:00.001-07:00

John Russell is a reluctant spy but as an English reporter living in Nazi Germany in 1939 he finds that the British, the Russians and the Germans all want his services. Can he maintain his personal integrity as he is forced to trade one side against another just to survive? Brilliant spy story set against the back drop of a country that is descending into evil madness.

American God's by Neil Gaiman

2011-07-29T21:24:00.000-07:00

This is probably Gaiman's best known work. This multi layered tale of ancient Gods struggling to maintain an existence in modern day America has spawned a "spot that mythology" mini-game among its many fans. It is certainly a well researched tale and I enjoyed it a lot more than the only other Gaiman book I have read: "Neverwhere".

Both of the Gaiman books I have read remind me of Terry Pratchett in some way although their styles are quite different. To my mind Pratchett's work seems to flow more easily and is probably the better for it but Gaiman's work, although more laboured has definite depth. It is interesting to note that Pratchett and Gaiman are firm friends in any case.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, Sword Song by Bernard Cornwell, and Brethren by Robin Young

2011-07-20T01:49:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across a book review post from 2008 on my other blog that I am reposting here for completeness:

Monday, May 19, 2008

Several hours on plane during the last week afforded me some time to read three books by three authors I do not normally read.

First off "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman.

I can't shake the notion that I have read Gaiman before but I cannot remember what or when. In any case "Neverwhere" (author's preferred text adapted from radio screenplay) is an enjoyable enough yarn. It paints a picture of a seedy under city of London, home to those who have "fallen through the cracks". London Below reminds me vaguely of Mieville's New Crobuzon but Gaiman's novel is far more lightweight than the Perdido street sequence. Gaiman's lighthearted take on fantasy might best be compared to the work of Terry Pratchett or Douglass Adams but Gaiman's writing does not reach the same heights of side splitting humour or piercing satire as either Pratchett or Adams. Enjoyable but far from classic stuff.

Next up is "Sword Song" by Bernard Cornwell.

Ireland is one of those countries that has bad memories of British redcoats and that has probably dissuaded me from reading more of Cornwell's better known series of novels about a redcoat named "Sharpe". Nevertheless I will admit to having enjoyed the couple of Sharpe novels I did read so it was a relief to come across a Cornwell novel about an altogether less contentious period of history. Sword song is set in 9th century Britain when the country is divided between Saxon and Dane. The hero was born Saxon but raised by the Danes a device which provides plenty of opportunities for angst as our hero works with King Alfred to strengthen the Saxon position. "Sword Song" is a very enjoyable historical novel with ample sword and axe wielding and a generous helping of viking longboat thrown in for good measure. My one complaint is that Cornwell tries too hard to create conflict for the hero. It was the same in the Sharpe novels that I recall. You just know that the hero will do all the hard work to resolve the plot drama but will receive none of the rewards.

Finally "Brethren" by Robyn Young.

This novel charts the twin careers of an initiate into the Knights Templar and a Saracen Sultan at the time of the crusades. It is a terrific setting for a historical novel and so far I am enjoying it. I am slightly concerned about a secret society with accompanying secret text that has cropped up. With any luck this won't interfere with the serious business of besieging castles but ever since forcing myself to read the ludicrously inept "Da Vinci Code" I recoil in horror at the mention of secret societies.

The Evolutionary Void by Peter Hamilton

2011-07-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

This is the concluding volume of the Void Trilogy and as you might expect from Hamilton is is superior quality Sci Fi. The Pilgramage of the living dream fleet to the void seems unstoppable and it turns out that the accelrator faction have their own plans for the pilgrimage. Everyone else thinks that the interferences with the void will cause the death of the Galaxy but can anyone stop them?

The Fantasy alternate storyline set in the void which was such a novelty in the first two books get comparatively little attention here other than that which is required for the resolution of the "main" sci fi plot. Nevertheless Hamilton does a masterful job of pulling all the many strands together into a tidy conclusion.

My one concern about this trilogy is that I could really have used a wiki or at very least a list of characters to guide me through the complex overlapping strands. Remember this story is set in the future universe of Hamilton's previous Starflyer saga and many threads carry over so there is a lot to remember. Sadly I couldn't find any comprehensive reference on the net and that did hinder my progress slightly.

In Her Name: Empire by Michael Hicks

2011-06-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

The first book of Michael Hicks Fantasy/Space Opera Hybrid is a free download for anyone who registers on his website. While you might have initial reservations about a self published work this one is actually pretty good. Humanity are fighting a war for survival against an ancient race of blue skinned humanoids who live only to fight for the honour and glory of their empress. A young human boy is captured by these Kreelans and brought back to their home planet to determine whether or not he has a soul. Over time the boy learns the many of the Kreelan's mysteries and even comes to respect their martial code of honour but will he ultimately betray his humanity?

Aside: Self Publishing is very much in the news this week with the news that J. K. Rowling is planning to self publish and distribute her own ebooks from her website. Of course Hicks' motivations and Rowling's motivations are entirely different. Hicks self publishes because he couldn't get a publisher. Rowling will self publish because she doesn't need a publisher. Nevertheless these two authors taken from the two extremes of the book market indicate just how much ebooks can challenge traditional publishing models.

Surface Detail by Ian M Banks

2011-06-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

With virtual realities offering a form of immortality to the races of the galaxy some groups are not satisfied with ever lasting paradise for all. They have created virtual hells in order to keep people on the straight and narrow for fear of eternal punishment. Their neighbours are so upset by this cruelty that war has broken out. The Culture gets involved in its own bumbling way with the help of an escaped slave girl.

Another great read set in Banks' Culture universe.

The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

2011-06-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

This book has gotten more gushingly positive reviews than any fantasy novel in recent memory and yet it took four years for Rothfuss to break through to the wider public conciousness. Perhaps that is just the time lag between the USA and Europe. Perhaps it is that grown up fantasy was very much hidden behind all those teen vampire novels when it was released back in 2007. Whatever the reason for the delay Rothfuss is here in a big way now and he is getting top billing from book stores to coincide with the release of the follow up novel.

I really don't need to add much to all of those glowing reviews. It is very well written. It does break new ground with its use of parallel timelines, its mocking of so many genre conventions and its strong characterisation. It is a nuanced book that would probably reward re-reading with new insights and understandings.

That said, I don't particularly like the main character Kvothe - the gifted scholar, renowned hero, arcane magic wielder and Kingslayer who has retired to a quiet life as an unknown innkeeper in a far away town. Given that the whole point of the series is the story of Kvothes life as recounted by himself over a three day period this is a bit of a problem for me.

Ah well. I'll read the books none the less. Perhaps he will reveal a more sympathetic side in the follow up episodes.

The Edge of The World by Kevin J. Anderson

2011-05-30T01:50:00.000-07:00

This is the opening volume of a new fantasy series by the author of the excellent Seven Suns saga. We have a world split North and South between two blocs each claiming to hold the only true faith. The war between them is based on a misunderstanding but that is irrelevant now as atrocity leads to atrocity. To Anderson's credit he doesn't paint the sides in black and white although I am pretty sure we are supposed to empathise with the more "European" bloc. The King of this Northern region has a spiritual goal to send an expedition westward to the edge of the world where monsters and maybe even Gods live but the squabbles of the ongoing war interfere.

Being the first book of a new series it spends more time on character development than on plot but the stage is set for some interesting adventures ahead. I am looking forward to reading them.

Behemoth by Peter Watts

2011-05-22T03:05:00.001-07:00

Behemoth follows on from Starfish and Maelstrom concluding this saga of a future world threatened by a bug from the deep oceans.

This is a more conventional adventure story than the first two books with heroes and villains and an epic final confrontation. Watts does keep us guessing for quite some time as to who is hero and who is villain however. This is facilitated by one of Watts major themes: the conflict between the greater good and personal sentiment.

The most powerful humans in Watts world are the Law breakers. Vastly powerful controllers who are subject to no law other than a genetically manipulated conscience. They will kill a thousand in order to save a million.

A bit confusing at times and the end when it does come feels a bit rushed. Nevertheless has to be recommended as the closing chapter of an excellent sci fi trilogy.

Nova War by Gary Gibson

2011-05-11T13:26:00.000-07:00

It took me a while to get into this the second novel of Gary Gibson's Shoal Sequence because it is a long time since I read the first novel "Stealing Light". Nevertheless I enjoyed the story once I got up to speed. An ancient race called the Shoal rigidly control all access to faster than light travel which enables them to act as benevolent overlords to all other "client" species. As sequence unfolds we discover all is not quite as it seems and that the Shoal's motives may not be quite as altruistic as it first appears. Complicated Space Opera but good stuff none the less.

The Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan with Brandon Sanderson

2011-04-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

It is hard for me to be objective about Wheel of Time. Thirteen hefty books (and a short story or two) over the last twenty odd years is too much of an investment for the concluding volumes of the series not to be brilliant and I am convinced that they are. The dreary confusion of the middle volumes is long forgotten, Randland hurtles towards Tarmon Gai'don (the final battle) and I can't wait for book 14 to see how it turns out.

Let The Great World Spin by Colm McCann

2011-04-14T01:36:00.001-07:00

Colm Mc Cann's award winning New York novel is weightier stuff than I usually read but still very approachable and enjoyable. The interlocking stories all take place in the shadow of Philip Petit's astounding 1974 tight rope walk between the newly built Twin Towers. The stories themselves involvesaints and sinners, rich and poor and there is more than a hint of gritty realism. This is after all pre-Guliani New York in all its seedy glory, a far cry from the theme park city we know today. Not all the loose ends are tied up and not all the stories have happy outcomes but yet the book as a whole is more life affirming than depressing. Recommended.

Down and out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory L. Doctorow

2011-04-14T01:33:00.001-07:00

I enjoyed the setting of this near future novel where mankind has achieved immortality and the economy is based entirely on a tradeable analog of esteem called "whoofie". The story is somewhat forgettable though. It is entirely possible that I am missing deep symbolism and allegory. This is a story about a future utopian world that just happens to be set in Disney land after all.

Maelstrom by Porter Watts

2011-03-27T02:00:00.001-07:00

Starfish, Peter Watts brooding novel about a bunch of misfits living and working under the deep ocean could have worked as a standalone novel but it is actually the beginning of a trilogy and Maelstrom is the follow up episode.

With the main characters released from the ocean depths the claustrophobic psychological drama gives way to adventure story. It is a good one though and Watts still manages to keep you thinking about the characters and their roles. The main plot is about an ancient life form from the bottom of the ocean that threatens to destroy humanity and everything we know. Watts is quite ambiguous though about who his heroes are. Is it the controlling agencies who are fighting against the infection but who routinely sacrifice every human right of their subjects "for the greater good"? Is it the psychologically scarred heroine who deliberately spreads the doomsday bug as a form of twisted revenge? Is it the various misguided individuals who worship this Typhoid Mary and help her macabre quest? Is it the artificial intelligences who become entangled in the plot for their own motivations? Read this excellent thought provoking novel and decide for yourself.

"The Gathering Storm" by Robert Jordan with Brandon Sanderson

2011-03-15T05:53:00.000-07:00

If I had to pick a defining theme of the Wheel of Time saga then I would have to say arrogance. The arrogance of the Dark One and his forsaken, the arrogance of the Aes Sedai, the arrogance of the Seanchan, the arrogance of the Wise Women, and even the arrogance of Rand himself are all central to the plot and its many twists and turns. Think of all the times you groaned in frustration when the arrogant pigheadedness of the heroes prevented them from listening to people who could actually help them. Remember also the delicious moments when the most arrogant are finally pulled down to size.

"The Gathering Storm" is the first book finished by Brandon Sanderson after Robert Jordan's untimely death. I put off reading it for some time but my recent enjoyment of Sanderson's Mist-born trilogy reassured me that he could write and I finally took the plunge. I am delighted to report that not only can Sanderson write well but he has also done a masterful job of preserving the feel of the series and his depiction of good old WoT arrogance is central to this.

I am once again enthused but Wheel of time and very much looking forward to the remaining two books.

Delver Magic, Book 1, The Inner Sanctum by Jeff Inlo

2011-03-12T01:41:00.000-08:00

To the best of my knowledge Jeff Inlo has never had a publishing contract. Yet he has written many novels and makes them widely available on the internet. This immediately raises my suspicions. Surely if he was any good some publisher would have picked him up and he wouldn't be reduced to "vanity" publishing his books on the internet?

Well I am happy to report that contrary to my initial prejudice Jeff can actually write and this novel the first of a trilogy is actually a pretty good fantasy Yarn. The plot is set in a world long purged of magic where only a few believers still remember it's existence. Strange things start to happen when the magic starts to leak back due to the machinations of a malevolent force and humans are once more confronted with long forgotten creatures such as Elves, Dwarves, Goblins and Vampires. The good aligned races must overcome their own prejudices and work together in order to breach the inner sanctum where this malevolence waits.

While this is all fairly standard stuff the book's main protagonist is a Delver, a race of Inlo's own creation. Delvers are gifted with a curiosity for all things and they have extremely keen senses combined with an agility and physical endurance that makes them well suited to any job that requires investigation. Ryson Acumen our hero is just such a Delver and Inlo has drawn him well creating a likeable and interesting character who held my attention to the end of the book.

Although this is the first of a trilogy the story is complete in itself. I liked the book well enough that I will probably read the other books later but I don't feel the need to look for them straight away.

Halo by Tom Maddox

2011-03-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

Maddox's first novel from all the way back in 1991 explores the emergence of machine conciousness in a near future world scenario. As the machine intelligences take their first steps towards independent conciousness the humans who interact with them are forced to consider the meaning of their own consciousness. Maddox's prose is quite literary for a sci fi novel but his plot tends to wander a bit. There is a bit too much mysticism and a bit too little explanation for my liking.

Starfish by Peter Watts

2011-02-24T06:31:00.000-08:00

A ragbag collection of sociopaths are bioengineering to live and work in the deep ocean maintaining the geothermal energy plants on which the future world depends for its electricity. Apparently the mega-corporation who sent them down thinks their peculiar personalities makes them just right for the job. Needless to say there is a lot more going on down in the depths than anyone anticipated and what starts out as a story of dysfunctional humans living in extreme conditions turns out to have consequences which threaten all life as we know it. This is really superior sci-fi and a highly recommended read. It is only after finishing it that I realised it is the first part of a trilogy. Indeed this first volume was such a satisfying and complete read in itself that I think I may wait a while before tackling the follow on books.

The Well of Ascension and the Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

2011-02-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

Books 2 and 3 of the Mistborn saga. Great stuff.

FTW by Cory Doctorow

2011-01-29T01:32:00.000-08:00

Interesting "Young Adult" novel which combines a good story with a political tract. Doctorow uses a story set in the near future world of mmorpg gold farmers to share his left of centre views on globalisation and the exploitation of workers. There is a tonne of economic theory in there too. Even if you don't entirely agree with Doctorow's political stance it is still a pretty good read. It is also interesting to see gold farmers as heroes for a change given the fact that they are more ussually spoken of with derision by many mmorpg gamers and bloggers. Chinese players in particulary are subject to a considerable amount of racist abuse because of the gold farming issue.

Mistborn: the final Empire byy Brandon Sanderson

2011-01-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

A new fantasy series for me and a very enjoyable one. Brandon draws a masterful picture of a segregated society with an enslaved underclass who are kept underfoot by an unthinking nobility. The whole structure is held together through the godlike powers of a malign immortal ruler. The book tells the story of a revolution plotted by a rare defiant group of downtrodden ska (the underclass) who wield the magical powers of Allomancy and art supposedly denied to their class. .

It is good stuff and a great read. The necessary magical system (Allomancy) is a bit over explained to my liking but that is a personal preference. Fantasy requires some form of magical power and you can either make it all a big unexplained mystery (as was popular with earlier writers like Tolkien) or you can try to classify and categorise the whole business turning it into an invented science. Sanderson has very much gone for the latter.

I am looking forward to the remaining two volumes in the trilogy. The only reservation I have is that if the rebellion succeeds then segregated society that formed such a core feature of the setting will collapse. I wonder will Sanderson be able to make the world which replaces it as interesting to read about.

Northern Lights Trilogy by Philip Pullman

2011-01-04T16:53:00.000-08:00

I actually red the first volume of this trilogy more than ten years ago when I picked it up at a newstand before boarding a transatlantic flight. I guess I was initially taken aback when I realised that it was actually a kids books but the more I read of it the darker the story became and I quickly realised this was superior children's fiction - in the same league as Harry Potter or maybe even better. It took me a decade to get around to reading the next two books but 11 year old daughter is a complete book worm so when I saw a single volume collection of the trilogy on sale in a local book fair I thought:" Why not?. If I don't like it she probably will."

As so much time had passed I started again with book one and kept reading to the end. I really enjoyed the series for its imagination, for its writing and for its sheer audacity but ... I don't know whether I want my daughter to
read it or not. It is a great great story but it is also an extremely subversive one. The whole plot of the book is actually about overthrowing God. The Christian Churches are very clearly portrayed as the bad guys. It is actually very cleverly done with many references to Christian mythology.

Its not that we are a particularly devout family. To tell the truth I probably don't believe any of that stuff myself but my daughter is at a very young very impressionable age and she does still believe. She might enjoy the book immensely but then again it could confuse her or upset her. On the other hand I am not big into censorship without explanation so if she expresses an interest in the book I will discuss it with her and if she still wants to read it I can be on hand to talk about the ideas in the book if required.

Oh and as for the books themselves: The first volume (Northern Lights) is the tightest and best and sadly the storyline gets a little too unfocussed in the final volume (The Amber Spyglass) but nevertheless the trilogy should really be read as a single work and taken together it is a genuine masterpiece.

Raiders from the North, Empire of the Moghul by Alex Rutherford

2010-12-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

Alex is writing a series of book about the rise of the Moghul empire that flourished in the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th centuries. This first books charts the rise of the first emperor Babur who was born the heir to a minor kingdom but claimed descent from both Timur and and Ghengis Khan and who longed to live up to the legacy of his ancestors.

One of the problems of historical fiction, particularly about a period that is not particularly well known is that there is a danger that readers will mistake fiction for fact. Thank fully Rutherford includes a historical footnote which fills the reader in and it appears that his inventions are mostly limited to those areas that are not covered by known history. Babur himself was actually an enthusiastic diarist so there is a lot of source material for this first novel.

An enjoyable read that opened my eyes to a period of history I previously knew nothing about.

The Steel Remains by Richard Morgan

2010-11-27T15:18:00.000-08:00

I have read a couple of Morgan Sci Fi novels before but this is his first fantasy that I have read. Enjoyable setting in a world where godlike alien races once held sway but have recently left. When one of these races wants to return a mixed bag of three heroes must save the day. The roughest, toughest of these heroes also happens to be promiscuously homosexual which is unusual enough for a fantasy novel. The book has quite a few explicitly described man on man sex scenes so be warned if that is not your cup of tea. Personally I find the homosexuality a little bit at odds with the characters otherwise brutishly violent nature but nevertheless I probably enjoyed his novel more than Morgan's sci fi work.

Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

2010-11-27T15:04:00.000-08:00

Pratchett brings Soccer or at least a version of it to Discworld. Not my favourite Discworld novel . The allegory is a bit too strained.

Bone Song by John Meaney.

2010-10-30T01:06:00.001-07:00

This is a detective story set in a world where zombies and wraiths walk the streets and are taken for granted. The bones of the dead contain necrotic energy which is harvested and used much as we use electricity. Despite the setting this is not a horror story. It is very definitely a detective story and sadly not as good as it should have been. The plot is too loose and there are too many things not properly explained. A follow up might be better if Meaney focusses more on the plot and less on developing his unusual setting.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2010-10-23T03:30:00.000-07:00

A Pulitzer prize winning post apocalyptic story about a man's struggle to keep his son alive. They trek Southwards towards the ocean in a world devastated (presumably) by nuclear winter. Plant and animal life appears to have been virtually wiped out and most of the remaining humans survive through cannibalism. The man and his son see themselves as the good guys and they struggle to scavenge what they need from the decaying remains of human civilisation. Strong stuff and a great read. Might annoy hard line sci fi purists I guess because the scenario in which humans survive while all else is destroyed is not particularly credible but that is not the point of this book.

The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman

2010-10-16T04:04:00.000-07:00

Fantasy tale with a religious twist. A boy brought up in a brutal raining regime for priest soldiers in a never-ending religious war but one of the training order has different plans for this recruit. I enjoyed this a lot even though it has been generally panned by critics. It was heavily publicised as the next teen fiction blockbuster and is perhaps a victim of its own hype.

The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds

2010-09-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

Another Revelation Space novel this one is set in the fabulous Glitter band of Yellowstone when it is at the height of its power and influence. It is half detective novel and half space opera. Tom Dreyfus is a cop. One of the prefects tasked with keeping the peace in this collection of independent asteroid habitats and in particular with protecting the integrity of the democratic voting system which governs the band. What starts out as a straight forward vote tampering case legend out to have much more serious consequences as a malign super-intelligence makes a bid to takeover the entire Glitter band. Great Sci Fi Entertainment as can be expected from Reynolds.

Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

2010-09-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

Set shortly after the end of the First Law Trilogy this is another delicious tale of treachery and revenge from Abercrombie. The main protagonist is a mercenary general who's reward for vanquishing all rivals to the Duke of Talins bid for a Kingdom is for her brother to be murdered and herself mutilated and left for dead. She vows revenge on the duke and his cronies who perpetrated the evil deed. This is a stand alone novel but there are plenty of tie ins with the previous First law books. Good Stuff.

Black Man by Richard Morgan

2010-09-07T03:51:00.000-07:00

Sci Fi novel from the writer of Altered Carbon that shares the same gritty feel even though it is not set in the same story world. The main protagonist is a genetically modified "He-Man" who was bred and trained to be a super soldier before public unease about genetic variants led to him and his like being ostracised and exiled to Mars.
Contains lots of pithy stuff about the nature of humanity and about the changing needs of society as we moved from hunter gatherer society into more organised groups.

Pretty good with a solid sci fi detective story underpinning Morgans musings.

"Before they are hanged" and "The Last Argument of Kings" by Joe Abercrombie

2010-08-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

I read Book 2 and Book 3 of the First Law Trilogy sequentially so I am including both of them in one post. At first glance the story and setting of Abercrombies books seem to be pretty standard Fantasy fare. Embattled Kingdom , Heroic warriors, Ancient Wizards, Unspeakable Evil, Invaders from across the seas and all that. Abercrombies beautifully twisted and warped characters are what raises this more than a cut above however. You start out thinking you are reading Terry Brooks but pretty soon you realise this is closer to George Martin r indeed even China Mieville. Deliciously nasty stuff. Highly recommended.

Replay by Ken Grimwood

2010-08-04T00:35:00.001-07:00

Every time Jeff Winston dies he is transported back to a young version of himself and gets to do it all again but with memory of his previous existences intact.

This 1998 winner of the world fantasy award preceded Groundhog day and takes a more serious look at the theme of time looping. A dominant subtheme is overwhelming sense of loss felt by loopers. It is however very well written and an enjoyable read.

The Horse Soldiers by Harold Sinclair

2010-07-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

This novel is a fictionalised account of a famous Union Cavalry raid during the American Civil War. It was made into a film starring John Wayne back in the 1950's but I managed to get my hands on a recent reprint published in 2001.

This is a terrific read. Even though it is highly fictionalised (all the characters names are changed) it does lean heavily on the facts of Grearson's heroic raid . Apart from being well written and a great read it also gives a great flavour of the this the first modern war. Highly recommended if you can get your hands on a copy.

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

2010-07-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

First novel in Joe Abercrombies "First Law" trilogy. This is shaping up to be a really entertaining fantasy. A country facing invasion on several fronts that is rendered impotent through a combination of a weak doddering monarch, a corrupt government and foolish class prejudices. The dangers are even more extreme than first appears however and the legendary first Magus decides after centuries of isolation to once again take a role in world affairs only everybody is so caught up in their own petty jockeying for position that nobody cares to recognise him. The story is peopled with some great characters including a superb twisted inquisitor who has devoted his life to causing pain and suffering in others after his once glittering military career was cut short by two years of persecution in an enemies dungeons.

The Cry Of The Icemark by Stuart Hill.

2010-07-10T00:27:00.001-07:00

Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield is barely 14 years old when her father the king dies heroically defending his small northerly kingdom. When the invaders come back with the largest army the world has ever seen young Queen Thirrin must assemble her own army of unlikely allies including vampires, werewolves and other creatures of legend in a desperate attempt to hold them off.

Thoroughly enjoyable fantasy yarn. First of a series apparently but the story is entirely self contained.

The Small back room by Nigel Balchin

2010-06-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

This slim volume is an unexpected treasure. It tells the story of a scientist working in a military research institute in Britain during the second world wa, except the novel is not about science at all it is about office politics and human relationships and extraordinary heroism from unlikely people and the British stiff upper lip. The the climax of the story in which the scientist protagonist risks his life to defuse a dangerous booby trap bomb forms an extraordinary contrast to the manoeuvring of petty bureaucrats who care more about their own position than about making a genuine contribution to the war effort.

Brilliant.

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold

2010-06-13T07:33:00.000-07:00

Superb single volume fantasy from an author I have never read before. The main protagonist Cazaril is a minor lord who has been reduced to beggardom after being callously betrayed by those greater nobles in whose service he has risked his life.

Instead of the magic usually found in fantasy novels Bujold has employed a very well crafted system of religion. The world of Chalion knows five gods: Father, Mother, Son and Daughter, one for each season and the Bastard god of all things out of season. The practise of religion and its impact on folks every day lives is very well described and entirely believable in the medieval fantasy setting of the novel. The twist is that the gods are very real and respond to the characters prayers although the ways and means of the gods interacting with the living world are complex and difficult to understand. Cazaril himself becomes a tool of those gods as they seek to rescue the kingdom of Chalion from a curse that has befallen its royal family.

Very enjoyable read

The Temporal Void by Peter Hamilton

2010-06-13T07:09:00.000-07:00

The second book in Peter Hamilton's Void Trilogy and the story is shaping up nicely. The void at the heart of our galaxy was created by ancient intelligences and inside the void all things are possible including psychokinesis and even the manipulation of time itself. Unfortunately the energies required to power this wonderland comes from the gradually consumption of of the world outside the void and the current citizens of the galaxy seem powerless to stop it. Throw in a complex cast of characters including many survivors or Hamilton's previous Starflyer saga and you have a rich and engrossing story. I found the first book a little slow to get started but by now I am fully hooked. The fantasy sections detailing the life of a character who lives inside the void are an interesting counterpoint to the modernistic sci-fi of the rest of the story. Recommended.

Red Seas under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

2010-05-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

Red Skies is the follow up to "The Lies of Locke Lamora" and continues the adventures of that gentleman thief the Thorn of Camorr. Locke and his companion Jean travel to the city state of Tal Verar where they plan to rob a fortune from the world renowned gaming house called the Sinspire. Needless to say their plans get diverted as they get entangled in the complicated politics of the city. A lengthy sojourn on a pirate ship adds to their adventures.

This book is another great read from Lynch although I did not enjoy the story as much as I did "Lies". In the first book the Gentlemen Bastards were supreme con-men on top of their game. Even when they were cornered you knew they would find a way to come out on top. In "Red Seas" Locke and his companion start off on the wrong footing and always seem to remain be one step behind their opponents.

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

2010-05-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

The "Secret Peace" is a clandestine agreement which allows the crime lords of the city of Camorr to do prey on the lower orders with impunity so long as they stay away from the wealthy ruling classes. Locke Lamora and his "Gentlemen Bastards" appear to be just another gang of petty thieves but in reality Locke is the mythical con man known only as the Thorn of Camorr. Locke and his gang laugh at the secret peace and do their best to swindle fortunes from those who believe them selves to be protected by it. The Gentlemen Bastards are a very likeable bunch of thieves with an appreciation for fine dining but they are no Robin Hoods. They steal form the rich and keep the proceeds.Their proud boast is that they are smarter and richer than anybody else. This complacent boast is put severely to the test when the Bastards realise they are being used as a pawn by an outside agency with nefarious plans for Camorr. Their very lives will depend on their ability to keep one step ahead of the thieves guild, the dukes men and this mysterious outsider.

"The Lies of Locke" is first novel in a new fantasy series and it is a terrific read. The setting and the ambience is standard pseudo renaissance fantasy but the choice of a thief as the main character is unusual enough. Recommended.

The Eagle and the Wolves by Simon Scarrow

2010-05-05T03:43:00.001-07:00

Thoroughly enjoyable Roman Empire romp following Scarrow's heroes Macro and Cato as they command centuries of local auxilliaries in the fight against Caratus during the Roman conquest of Britain. It is hard not to feel sympathy for the Celtic tribes as they face the inevitability of conquest. I am reading the Eagle series completely out of sequence but it doesn't matter because each book stands in its own right.

The "Far Side of The Earth" by Patrick O'Brian

2010-04-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

Patrick O'Brian's intrepid Captain Aubrey and his sidekick Dr. Stephen Maturin sail to the Pacific (the far side of the Earth) in pursuit of a dastardly American Frigate which is terrorising English whalers. Like all of O'Brian's Aubrey Maturin novels this is a great read and simply oozes with terrific historical detail of life in the British Navy during Napoleonic times.

I read a bunch of these type of books during my teens and this has enamoured me of the period all over again.

I do have one gripe about this particular book though:
[Big Spoiler ahead, Highlight to read]
The whole book sets the reader up for an epic naval battle between Aubrey and the the American frigate but the longed for battle never actually happens. In fact not a single canon ball is fired in anger in the whole book!.
[End Spoiler]

Roma Eterna by Robert Silverberg

2010-04-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

Robert Silverberg paints an alternate history in which the Roman Empire survives to this day. He sketches the last 2000 years of alternate history with a series of episodes each set in a critical time for the Empire.

I enjoyed this a lot, each of the mini-stories is stories is worth reading in its own right and they are well stitched together. If you read this looking for Roman themed entertainment with a twist you will not be disappointed. You will however be disappointed if you expect a serious attempt at alternate history. There are no great insights or intuitive leaps here. Instead of seriously trying to imagine what could have happened Silverberg has simply taken actual historical events as we know them and patched them into a Roman story. Events like the renaissance and the industrial revolution happen pretty much on schedule which is a bit unimaginative. If Europe had not collapsed in to the Dark ages after the fall of Rome would it really have taken that long to discover the printing press?

Last Bus to Woodstock by Colin Dexter

2010-04-02T04:17:00.000-07:00

I was 11 years old when this first Inspector Morse novel came out and I remember the follow TV series being very good and very popular. It came as a surprise to me then to discover how dated the novel seems today in particular in its attitudes to women and sexuality. The most jarring aspect to a modern reader is a pub conversation where a number of male academics express the belief that it is very unlikely a woman could be raped "against her will". This view is even re-iterated by Morse himself in deducing that the murder victim probably wasn't raped. Less offensive but equally anachronistic is the presence in the novel of a "sex maniac" character who makes weekly trips to an illicit pornography dealer and papers his bedroom in dirty postcards. Once you accept that this is a novel from a different age the plot itself is clever enough - a young lady of dubious virtue is found murdered in the grounds of a pub and all of the key witnesses have their own reasons for not telling the truth. There are enough red herrings to hinder you from guessing the true identity of the murderer until the end. Just as in the TV series Morse's sidekick Lewis is a far more sympathetic character than the heavy drinking Morse himself. You already begin to see how the interplay between the two men would become the bedrock of the successful book and TV spin offs.

Book Clearout Time Again

2010-03-20T02:07:00.000-07:00

I am having another clear-out of older books so for the record I want to record them here

Alison Sinclair: Legacies It is a long time since I read this tale of world building but I vaguely remember a central premise in which group of interstellar travellers bear the grief of their star drive possibly having destroyed their home world on their departure.

R. Scott Bakker: The Darkness that Comes Before, The Warrior Prophet and the Thousandfold Thought. This trilogy makes up the Prince of Nothing saga a heady blend of mysticism and fantasy. It is full of originality and makes gripping reading but don't expect to cheer for the dubious main protagonist of this tale.

"The Book of the New Sun" by Gene Wolfe

2010-02-28T00:34:00.001-08:00

This massive novel told in four volumes is set in Earth's far future. The Sun is dying and mankind has reverted to a pre-technological feudal existence. Yet traces of a star faring past still abound.

The main protagonist is a wandering torturer who earns his keep by performing mutilations and executions in the towns he passes through.

This is a weighty story that has been hailed as a masterpiece but I found it hard enough going. The main character is utterly selfish and devoid of compassion and the writing style is very confusing at times. Things improved a lot in the third and fourth volumes when Wolfe finally starts to reveal what's really going on. All the confusing bits from earlier turn out to have a purpose but then the author turns around and wraps everything up with a massive self proclaimed Deus ex machina.

This is a deep and complex novel that could probably benefit from a second reading but I not so sure I Could be bothered.

"The City at the End of Time" by Greg Bear

2010-02-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

I think this was a good book but I am not entirely sure. You see I didn't really understand what was going on and now having finished it I am still not sure I understand. I got the main gist, I think, something about the end of time and the universe being consumed by chaos and time travelling dreamers who somehow link those end of days to the present day and books being some kind of bulwark against chaos. All very confusing but quite compelling reading I must admit. The story grabbed me in its own fashion and I was just hoping that I would figure it all out by the end. Didn't happen sadly. I must google for an explanation.

Song of Kali by Dan Simmons

2010-01-16T01:18:00.000-08:00

Dan Simmons is one of my favourite Science Fantasy authors so I was delighted to stumble across this, his breakthrough novel, in my local lending library. "Song of Kali" is actually horror rather than SF but it is a well written gripping horror story based on Hindu myth and legend set in a squalid and bleakly described Calcutta. The main character is a poet who inadvertently gets caught up in this web of human sacrifice and grotesque re-animation and his story certainly held my attention till the last page.

Good stuff although the world has shrunk since 1985 when the book was published and I am not sure he would get away with his stylised depiction of Calcutta if he were writing it today.

The Lightstone by David Zindell

2010-01-13T06:35:00.000-08:00

This first book of a fantasy series from David Zindel leaves no fantasy cliché un-ticked: Unlikely Hero with flaw that will turn out to be his greatest strength: check. Motley Crew of adventurers coming together on epic quest: Check. Party Contains warrior: check, beautiful female archer: check, bard: check, healer: check, hero's best friend who appears to be useless but will actually turn out to have key role in saving hero and therefore the world: check. All powerful villain, the epitome of evil who was defeated in ages gone by but who is immortal and re-appears every few centuries to try to take over everything: check. Strange telepathic link between evil villain and unlikely hero: check. Did I mention the sword? Heroic sword to be carried by our hero that has lingered since time immemorial at the bottom of a (wait for it) lake: check.

I could go on. Zero points unfortunately for originality of story or characterisation. To give Zindell his due he has been somewhat bolder in creating a mythology in which to set his story. The inhabitants of Zindell's world trace their origins back to advanced beings who came from the stars bringing with them objects of unimaginable power. With the passage of the ages and the squabbling of men these objects have been used, abused and eventually lost but now our heroes must find the greatest of them, the titular Lightstone, in order to overcome the evil villain. This mythology is quite well crafted and but neither it nor the quality of Zindell's writing are enough to raise the book above OKness. I won't be rushing out to buy the remainder of the series but I won't rule out reading them at some stage in the future either.

Inherit the Stars by James P. Hogan

2009-12-27T16:58:00.000-08:00

This is the first James P Hogan book I have read and it is also the first complete ebook I have read, a free download from the Baen Free Library. It is a good read, a scientific detective story about what happens when 50,000 year old human remains are is discovered on the moon. The novel is heavy on factual detail and light on plot decoration so it can get a bit wordy at times but it kept me reading to the end on the 2 inch screen of my mobile phone. Like all good detective stories you can have fun guessing whodunnit before the denouement of the plot finally reveals all. I am of a mind to look out for more James P. Hogan.

The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams

2009-12-26T06:53:00.000-08:00

An honest to goodness fairy story no less with pixies and pookas to boot from someone who has become one of my favourite authors. The protagonist of this tale gets whisked away to Fairie to discover all is not right in that magical realm. Fairy society has taken a wrong turn it seems and the sylvan glades of legend have been replaced with dark satanic power stations. This is a very entertaining read with genuinely unpleasant baddies that you long to see get their come-uppance. I won't give away any spoilers except to point out that it is a fairy story - draw your own conclusions.

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds

2009-12-01T15:01:00.001-08:00

This story is set millions of years into the future and mankind has expanded around the galaxy in many expanding and collapsing empires. The only constants are the "lines", clone families who persist through the millennia travelling around the galaxy and possessing almost god like powers (the ability to dam a star for example). An attempt to wipe out one of the lines sparks off an enjoyable romp through big concept sci fi. Generally very good but the ending is weak in my opinion.

The Druids by Morgan Llywelyn

2009-11-18T11:04:00.001-08:00

I come from Celtic stock (pronounced keltic by the way whatever the footballers think) and growing up I learned about the rich social and cultural history of my tribal ancestors. Though the Celtic society was enlightened in many ways ( in relation to the status of women for example and a deep respect for learning) their fragmented tribal society was unable to resist the onslaught of Julius Caesar's Roman legions who's successful campaigns purged Celtic culture from all but the most Westerly regions of Europe.

History of course is written by the victors so most of what we know of the Roman campaigns in Gaul comes from Roman accounts most notably those written by Casear himself. It was therefore refreshing to come across this novel purporting to tell the tale of Gaul's downfall from the Celtic side.

The novel started out promisingly. Llywelwyn's depictions of Celtic society match what I had previously heard and his choice of Druid for a main character allows him to draw upon a wealth of lore and mythology. Unfortunately the story itself quickly descends into soap opera. A fairly thin story is patched onto the known historical facts and the authors attempts to flesh the tale out with sex and magic are quite unconvincing.

When you already know that a story is going to end tragically it is very important that the author sucks you in and and gets you so engrossed in the story and its characters that you just have to keep reading to the bitter end. Llywelwyn's book falls far short of this and I nearly abandoned it many times for lack of interest. Only the fact that I have nothing else to read at the moment ensured that I finished this one.

Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra

2009-11-10T02:59:00.000-08:00

Not the sort of book I usually pick up but this mammoth tome is a terrific read. This book is part detective story, part gangster story, part historical saga, part social commentary, part love story and part reflection on human existence all set against the background of Chandra's outstanding multi-layered portrayal of the teeming cauldron of humanity that is Mumbai.

Chandra portrays a city with extremes of poverty and wealth, with festering religious tensions, class tensions and significant gender inequality, where corruption and patronage are endemic where the police and politicians are often indistinguishable from the gangsters, and yet where there are still heroes and villains, and where human existence is still glorious in all of its multifaceted complexity. I was so fascinated by this book that I went to google to learn more about Mumbai and about Indian history, society and culture. The references I checked support Chandra's portrayal and some of the tensions Chandra refers to are starkly evident in the differing interpretations of historical events that can be found on the internet.

As an example of the loving craftsmanship that Chandra has obviously poured into this book consider the fact that immediately after the main plot is resolved there is a chapter devoted to several minor characters who only appear briefly in the rest of the book but who's stories nevertheless deserve to be told.

Stephen Donaldson: Mordant's Need, "The Mirror of Her Dreams" and "A Man Rides Through"

2009-10-14T02:02:00.000-07:00

A standard medieval fantasy setting where mirrors are imbued with magical powers. A Realm slipping into chaos under threat from foreign powers and the machinations of traitorous mirror using imagers. A once heroic King who seems oblivious to his countries present peril and contents himself with playing checkers all day long. A young woman from our world who is transported to this fantasy relam through the action of a magical mirror and who despite her emotional frailty appears to have an important role to play in resolving the plot.

Despite the canonical status of his "Thomas Covenant" series I have a very limited tolerance for Stephen Donaldson. These two books, together telling the saga of "Mordant's Need", stretch that tolerance beyond breaking point. Yes they tell a complex and intriguing story set in a richly detailed world but two hallmark Donaldson flaws ruin any pleasure there is to be had.

Firstly Donaldson's heroes are weak to the point of utter incompetence. The plot is resolved more in spite of their efforts than because of them. Their main function seems to be to fill the reader with such frustration as to want to tear the book up.

Donaldson's second hallmark flaw is to pepper his stories with massively illogical twists and devices. Fundamental plot premises just don't make any sense. How does he get away with this? Fantasy is a nerd genre. We nerds like our stories to make sense.

These flaws are certainly also present in the better known "Thomas Covenant" and "Gap" novels but to my mind those books struck a much better balance between enjoyment and annoyance.

I am Legend, Serpents Reach, Vast, Spider World, Off Armageddon Reef

2009-10-03T01:44:00.000-07:00

One of the main functions of this blog is to keep a record of the books I read so that I need not keep the books themselves. I am giving some books to a local charity sale in order to clear some shelf space but several of the titles pre-date the start of this blog so for posterity I am making a quick list here:

Richard Matheson, I am Legend: Famous tale about the last man left alive in a world of zombies.

C.J. Cherryh, Serpent's Reach: Don't remember too much about this first book of a sci fi saga. Something to do with an insectoid empire. I am pretty sure I enjoyed it.

Linda Nagata, Vast: Ultra High Tech Space fi.

Colin Wilson, Spider World The Tower: First volume of a fantasy series from one of the original "Angry Young Men" who also happened to be a very prolific writer.

David Weber, Off Armageddon Reef: Great concept space opera, mankind retreat to an isolated planet where all technology is banned in order to try and hide from a savage alien race who annihilate any potential rivals. Within a few generations our history is forgotten and strict rules reinforce a pre-industrial regime.The story kicks off when an android awakens with memories of mankind's high tech past.

The Dwarves by Markus Heitz

2009-09-26T05:47:00.000-07:00

The original German version of this book spawned a best selling series on the continent and we can now enjoy it in a flawless English translation by Sally-Ann Spencer.

The tale itself is not particularly original. Think of a cliche about dwarves and Heitz has probably managed to cram it in: Small, stocky, stubborn, feisty bearded artisans living in underground cities who hate dwarves and elves. The list goes on. Indeed the novel borrows as much from the world of mmorpgs as it does from Tolkien and the main quest line to forge a legendary axe could have been lifted straight from World of Warcraft. For all that this is still a very entertaining read set in a well drawn world with lots of detail and sympathetic heroes. If the sequels ever get translated I will probably try to pick them up.

Gradisil by Adam Roberts

2009-09-16T03:06:00.000-07:00

At one level this is a piece of hard science fiction about mankind's first tentative expansion off this planet and into space. In Robert's vision of the future these steps are not taken by Governments or large corporations but by individual pioneers flying up to low earth orbit in their own makeshift way. Robert's contempt for all things government and military is a dominating, almost suffocating theme of the book but his vision is credible and well drawn none the less.

The other side of this tale is a sweeping saga tracking three generations of one of these pioneering families, the titular Gradisil being the middle generation. A common theme of revenge runs through every generation and drives most of the plot (plots) of the book.

Good but not particularly easy reading. If you are looking for space adventures then the complex emotional drama may be off putting. If you reading for emotional drama then the space stuff may not suit.

Dragon Master by Chris Bunch

2009-08-29T00:42:00.000-07:00

This is actually a trilogy of three previously published books: "Storm of Wings", "Knighthood of the Dragon" and "The Last Battle".

Bunch's work can be described as military fantasy. The first two books read like a first World War novel with magic substituting for artillery and fledgling squadrons of dragons taking the role of untrusted bi-planes. A familiar theme is that of incompetent generals clinging to outmoded beliefs failing to grasp how new developments have changed war.

Good stuff. An enjoyable read.

The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt

2009-08-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

Interesting steampunk fantasy set in a three layered world. Rogues and other misfits live underground beneath the normal world while the secretive court of the air flies overhead. The court watches over all and pulls strings behind the scenes to keep their territory in good shape.

Hunt's steampunk writing probably sits about half way between the lightweight Neil Gaiman and the morbidly heavyweight work of Mieville. All in all its not a bad compromise. Entertaining.

Roger McBride Allen: The Depths of Time

2009-07-29T03:01:00.000-07:00

First novel of a space opera saga with themes of terraforming and time travel in which the hero gets trapped in the future by the edicts of the Chronologic Patrol who police any potential causality breaking time travel.

This book is OK but not great. If high Sci Fi is all about Big ideas and low Sci Fi is all about action packed space adventure then this book tries to do both but doesn't succeed brilliantly at either. Allen does have two "big ideas" in the book but neither is very well thought out and it is easy to pick holes in the way Allen handles them. The novel fares better as a low SF adventure in space but is still a bit slow moving. I'm not rushing out to but the sequel but if I stumble across it I'll probably pick it up to see how the plot develops.

Ronan Bennett: Havoc in it's Third Year

2009-07-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

Bennett's tale is set in England of the 1630's a time when the country is falling into the grip of puritanism. The hero is a diligent coroner who has managed to achieve his position despite having unpopular religious leanings. Unfortunately it is obvious from the outset of the book that his inherent honesty and humanism will inevitably bring him into conflict with the spirit of the times.

The book starts with a murder mystery that the coroner has undertaken to get to the bottom of but what follows is dark and unsettling, at times realistic and at times surreal. I don't want to spoil the plot but the way in which the author deals the original murder mystery is either careless or deliberately provocative or a clever piece of misdirection. I can't make my mind up which but the book is otherwise a very well written, thought provoking read. Just don't expect to come away filled with love for your fellow man.

Holes by Louis Sachar.

2009-07-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

Teenager Stanley Yelnats believes his hole family is under a curse so he is none too surprised to be is arrested for a crime he didn't commit and sent to a slave labour camp masquerading as a correctional institute.

I can thank my 10 year old daughter for introducing me to this book from her school summer reading list. It's a terrific fable, very entertaining and very clever. I read it in a day and enjoyed every minute.

Tadd Williams: Shadow Play

2009-07-19T04:06:00.000-07:00

The Shadow March saga continues. There isn't really a sharp delineation between the first and this second book and I find it hard to remember where one ends and the next begins. The series touches on George RR Martin territory with its political intrigues but these are really overshadowed by the fantasy elements.

Tadd Williams: Shadow March

2009-07-19T03:51:00.000-07:00

My Tadd Williams love affair continues with the first book of his latest saga. Set in a fairly traditional fantasy universe of magic and swordplay this has all the hallmarks of Williams rich storytelling and deep characterisation. An interesting feature of this saga is the very complex mythology that Williams has constructed which is slowly revealed through half remembered snippets of sometimes contradictory myth and legend that permeate each chapter. Being lazy I have given up trying to puzzle these out and just wait till the plot reveals what really happened but I am sure some folk would find it interesting.

Longwided as is usual for Williams of course, but worth it in my opinion.

Andrew Smith: Moon Dust, The Men Who Fell to Earth.

2009-06-22T03:27:00.000-07:00

Like Andrew Smith I am a child of the 1960's. I can remember my family crowded around a snowy black and white television to watch Neil Armstrong take humanity's first ever steps on an alien world. Thirty years later I stood beside the giant Saturn V rocket in the Cape Kennedy Space Center and that remains one of the most inspiring memories of my life. We live in an age when many otherwise sensible folk swear the moon landings never happened and most under the age of 40 couldn't care less whether they did or not but I believe that the moon landings were mankind's greatest ever adventure.

In "Moon Dust" British American Smith documents his personal quest to track down the remaining moon astronauts and find out what happened to them and to probe their thoughts feelings about the moon landings. This is not a book about what happened or they got to the moon. This book about why they went and what it means today and whether or not we should ever go back. Terrific stuff.

Empire Rising by Sam Barone

2009-05-20T01:41:00.000-07:00

I must admit to being initially disappointed by this novel. It purports to be historical fiction set at the dawn of civilisation, a period of history about which I know very little but would like to learn more. Unfortunately the only history in this novel is a few names of people and places borrowed from the real history of the Akkadian empire. Everything else is pure Hollywood style fiction. A Connecticut Yankee at the birth of civilisation if you like. Apart from a few gratuitous sex scenes neither Gary Cooper nor Jimmy Stewart would be out of place in this novel.

However ...

Once you get over the lack of any real history the book turns out to be an entertaining read with plenty of action and intrigue and a few big battles thrown in for good measure. I think I will put Barone on my B-list of heroic fantasy. This novel never comes close to the brilliance of David Gemmell but there is enough in it to justify picking up the other books in the series. I should point out that I inadvertently skipped the first book of Barone's Akkadian series: Dawn of Empire but this second book reads just fine as a stand alone novel. .

Moshin Hammad: The Reluctant Fundamentalist

2009-05-17T01:33:00.001-07:00

This award winning short novel left me feeling somewhat dissatisfied. It concerns the tale of a bright young Pakistani who graduates top of his class from a top US college and aspires to a glittering career in the world of business only to crash headlong into the new realities and new world visions that came about following the events of September 11. This is a higely important topic but unfortunately I found it very hard to empathise with the main character. His subsequent actions struck me as being the height of idiocy. The main motivation that comes across from the novel is a self centred self destructive jealousy. In Hammad's favour I should acknowledge his clever device of putting the reader into the book as listener to the tale being related by the main protagonist. This works well and by the end of the short novel you are no longer just a listener but active participant. Sadly this ending , though clever, is not enough to rescue the rest of the unsatisfying story.

Tad Williams: Otherland, Sea of Silver Light

2009-05-17T01:23:00.000-07:00

Final volume of this terrific saga resolves all plot threads and ties everything up very satisfactorily. All in all I highly recommend this saga as an entertaining mix of fantasy, Sci Fi with a dash of cyberpunk thrown in for good measure. The virtual world setting allows all of those elements to fit together seamlessly. Be warned though that these books are long, far far longer indeed than is required to flesh out the plot. The pay-off for for wading through all 4000 plus pages though is a story filled with extremely well drawn characters. Williams populates his stories with credible living breathing actors who are a far cry from the shallow stereotypes that normally fill genre novels.

Tad Williams: Otherland Mountain of Black Glass

2009-05-17T01:19:00.000-07:00

This third novel in the Otherland saga is a big improvement on the second. Having set the scene and fleshed out his characters in the first two volumes Williams is free to advance the plot once more and he does so masterfully. Very entertaining and with a few unexpected twists thrown in for good measure.

Tad Williams: Otherland, River of Blue Fire

2009-04-19T02:54:00.000-07:00

This second novel in the Otherland saga took me a long time to finish which is not a good sign. This large volume (700 pages +) fleshes out the story world somewhat but advances the plot by very little. I can't help feeling that this whole book is unnecessary and with tighter writing the important parts could have been squeezed into the other volumes. On the plus side William's characterisation remains head and shoulders above the wooden stereotypes we are more used to in Fantasy novels and the overall saga still retains my interest. I have already started on book 3 which happily seems to be progressing at a faster pace.

Aside: There is an Otherland MMO currently in development. I hadn't realised this until I spotted this article in Massively. Sounds very interesting, since the books are largely set in a virtual world they give lots of scope for mmo type stuff. One feature of the novels that I hope is replicated is the ability to move between completely different sim worlds. You could be flee from a battle in Ancient Egypt and tuumble into a HG Wellsian London. More information here.

Otherland: City of Golden Shadow by Tad Willliams

2009-04-06T01:54:00.000-07:00

Tad Williams is a good writer and not just in a Science Fiction / Fantasy sense. He writes very readable prose with very well developed characters that stand up well alongside the best of contemporary non-genre fiction. Otherland is Tad's take on Cyberpunk and "City of Golden Shadow" is the opening volume in this saga. The book was written in the mid 1990's and William's cyberspace is more down to earth than Gibson's angular vector graphic inspired visions from the previous decade. In many ways Otherland seems like Second Life with added multimodal input. There is even an mmorpg described in the book that is not dissimilar to the games we play today (Hardcore afficionado's will be pleased to note that Williams' mmorpg has perm-death). A good adventure story set in an engrossing world with well drawn well written characters. All in all a very good read if a little over long.

The Mamoth Book of Extreme Sci Fi, edited by Mike Ashley

2009-03-15T02:26:00.000-07:00

I find it hard to give an overview of an anthology, particularly one as diverse as this whose stories were chosen specifically because they are unusual. Their very diversity makes it hard to consider the book as a whole. Some of the stories were very good and I cannot remember any bad ones so I guess that makes it a good anthology overall. The list of authors is varied and includes many illustrious names My personal favourites from the collection included Geoffrey Landis's "The Long Chase", Ian McDonald's "The Days of Solomon Gursky" and Greg Bear's "Judgement engine." The last story in particular takes a very ambitious position, set as it is at the end of the universe and deals with big questions of philosophy.

Richard Morgan: Altered Carbon

2009-02-14T03:20:00.000-08:00

This an interesting blend of noir detective story and Cyberpunk with a hard jawed cigarette smoking anti-hero righting wrongs in a futuristic setting. In this future world digital transportation of human personas has become commonplace and physical bodies have become trade-able commodities. An intriguing corollary of this is that spaceflight is generally unnecessary. Instead you just hire a body at your destination and transmit your persona to it. The story keeps up a cracking pace and it makes for an enjoyable read but I felt that the whole affect was let down somewhat by the way the flawed hero softens as the book progresses. By the end of the book I felt he was more Wuss than Tough guy - not what I expect from my anti-heros.

Peter Hamilton: The Fallen Dragon

2009-01-27T00:53:00.000-08:00

A stand alone novel from the creator of Nights dawn. Space opera with a small dash of future philosophy thrown in. There were times when I struggled to keep reading this. For most of the middle section of the novel I wasn't sure who was good who was bad, which characters I liked which characters I didn't like. George R.R. Martin can do moral ambiguity and still keep your interest in his characters but in this book Peter Hamilton can't. Nevertheless there is a good story in there with plenty of clever stuff. Example of the clever stuff: A couple of hundred years after the invention of faster than light space flight the age of space exploration is fizzling out because it has turned out to be uneconomic. Recommended if you are prepared to put in a bit of effort to get to the end.

Mark Haddon: The curious incident of the dog in the nightime

2009-01-17T00:40:00.000-08:00

Another book I started reading by accident and a very good one at that. This book is tricksy. For the first few chapters you think you are reading a light hearted whimsical view of the world from a the point of view of a teenager suffering from a form of autism. It is only when you are about half way in that it dawns on you that this is not a light hearted tale at all. It is deadly serious and very very good. Well recommended. Has lots of clever maths in it by the way as the narrator is a whizz at maths even though he is incapapble of empathy.

Garth Nix: The Fall

2009-01-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

I must be regressing. I am reading yet another Young Adult fantasy. This book came free with a box of cereal as far as I recall, I read a few pages and hey ... it was pretty good. Lots of imagination in this first book of Nix's Seventh Tower Series. A young "Chosen" in a world that is veiled from light falls upon hard times when his father disappears with the families only proper sun stone. Without the stone our hero is likely to be booted out of the elite chosen ranks so he must set out on a desperate adventure to find one. Good stuff and with magical shadows it is somewhat in the vein of "His Dark Materials" but not nearly as dark.

George R.R. Martin: Deamsongs Volume II

2009-01-03T05:16:00.000-08:00

The second volume in this retrospective from the creator of Ice and Fire. This is just as good a read as the first volume although for different reasons. In the first volume I found the retrospective bits more entertaining than the stories. In this volume, perhaps reflecting Martin's developing craft as an author the stories are much stronger and the retrospective bits are more forgettable. For fans of Ice and Fire who missed Robert Silverberg's Legends collection this volume gives a second chance to read the Ice and Fire prequel "The Hedge Knight".

Iain M. Banks: Matter

2008-12-31T06:32:00.000-08:00

The latest Culture novel from the Scottish genius of modern literature. Sadly this one didn't do it for me. While Banks creativity and imagination are still there the plot just didn't take off until the closing chapter of the book by which time there was no space left to do anything more than a pretty shoddy wrapping up of loose ends. Dissapointing.

The Day the Bubble Burst: A Social History of The Wall Street Crash of 1929 by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts

2008-12-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

Absolutely Brilliant. I bought this 29 year old book for 50c in a jumble sale thinking the account of the 1929 financial disaster might resonate with events of today but to be honest the parallels with today are irrelevant. This is a book about people: big people, little people, heroes and crooks all caught up the frenzies of greed, hope and despair that were Wallstreet in 1929. Thomas and Morgan-Witts meticulously researched book tells their stories and it is an absolutely compelling read. Highly reccommended.

The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier

2008-11-22T02:16:00.000-08:00

This is probably the most optimistic book I have every read and maybe one of the most important. If you have ever despaired of any hope rescuing the citizens of the world poorest countries from the cycles of poverty, corruption and violence into which they seem forever condemned then you should read this book. Paul Collier, an academic at Oxford provides in this short readable text, an analysis of the reasons why some countries are trapped into poverty. More importantly he suggests solutions. Most importantly of all his analysis and his solutions are not based on emotion or political rhetoric they are based on solid academic research. Yes there are traces of academic snobbery and perhaps even hubris in Paul's book but the fact remains that it is a hugely important and authoritative work. Read it.

Newton's Wake by Ken MacLeod

2008-11-11T01:44:00.000-08:00

Hit and Miss. This technological singularity novel does a great job of describing a somewhat chaotic, anarchic post singularity universe. The survivors who have not given themselves over to post human state (the "rapture") live in a world littered with the technological debris of repeated singularities some malevolent, some benign. A case in point is a vast wormhole network ("The Skein") which is controlled by a feudal Scottish Clan who are the main protagonists of the story. While the universe McLeod constructs is rich and intriguing the story itself is a let down. It is quite confusing at times and even after I had figured out what was going on I felt that the confusion arose from lack of clarity rather than any great depth of storyline. Ultimately it is quite unsatisfying. If McLeod writes another novel in this rich universe he has created I will be tempted to try it but he will will have to do a better job of storytelling to satisfy this reader.

The Inferior by Peadar O Guilin: Instant Book Review

2008-10-25T00:21:00.000-07:00

Stopmouth and his tribe live at at the edge of existence in a kill or be killed world where every species preys on every other and cannibalism is vital element of the food chain. What then are those strange shimmering globes that float over this barbarian world? Brilliant stuff. It is targeted at young adults so there are no naughty words and you can detect a hint of moralising but the story is easily meaty enough (pun) for mature readers. Peadar's protrayal of the motivations and behaviour of those living in this ativistic world is superb and he gives us a rollicking adventure story to boot. First of a series. Strongly reccommended.

Centurion: By Simon Scarrow, Instant Book Review

2008-10-19T10:08:00.001-07:00

Sword and Toga historical fiction set in Eastern Roman Empire. Fairly lightweight but entertaining. I will probably read more from the series.

Older Instant Book Reviews

2008-10-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

Conn Iggulden, Lords of the Bow: Second book in Iggulden's "Conqueror" saga about Ghengis Khan. This is probably a great read but I struggled to get over how utterly dislikeable Ghengisk and his Mongol horde are.
Gary Gibson: Stealing Light: Start of clever space opera series by a new to the scene Scottish SF writer. The central theme of the novel revolves around a simple premise that has profound implications. Good Stuff.
J V Jones, The Bakers Boy: Volume 1 of series. Plot is pretty standard fasntasy fare involving lowly kitchen boy's lonely journey to become (no doubt) saviour of the universe. Nevertheless entertaining escapism.
Kevin J. Anderson: The ashes of the Worlds: Book 7 in the extraordinarily good Seven Suns Saga. Sadly weak but at least it ties up all loose ends albeit sometimes unconvincingly. Made essential by the quality of the first six books.
George R. R. Martin Dream Songs (bk 1): A Retrospective from the creator of Ice and Fire. Stories range from so so to excellent. Authors commentary though is first rate.
Demon of the Air by Simon Levack: Detective Story set in Montezuma's Mexico. So so.
Figure of Hate: Bernard Knight. Medieval Detective Story. Entertaining.
Blood River by Tim Butcher: True Story of Journalists Journey down the Congo. Gripping but depressing.
Metal Swarm by Kevin Anderson: Latest in series. Great.
The Dreaming Void by Peter Hamilton: New Sequence from creator of Night's Daw. SLow to get started but picks up towards the end.