Invasion: Book One of the Secret World Chronicle by Mercedes Lackey, Steve Libby, Dennis Lee and Cody Martin

An alternative history where superheroes (meta humans) have become common place since the second world war and an organisation called Echo strives to harness their powers for good. Things begin to go awry when  echo bases all over the world are invaded by power armoured super soldiers bearing the swastika logo. This book has a surprising number of authors and yet it all hangs together well. It is a thumping good read and I am keen to continue with the rest of the saga.

EDIT: I just found out that the Secret World Chronicles were originally released as a series of podcasts available from here:  http://secretworldchronicle.com/
This is both interesting and perplexing. I am torn as to whether I should continue the series by listening to the podcasts or by reading the book version.

Nimbus: A Steampunk novel by B.J. Keeton and Austin King

What a terrific new world these authors have created. A world where humans have been forced to live on islands in the sky in order to escape a deadly cloud of corrosive gas that covers the surface of the Earth. Trade is done via airship and precious water needs to be harvested from storm clouds. There is a pretty exciting adventure story in here too. The novel also features strong characterisation, easily overlooked in steam punk / fantasy novels but so important for hooking you into the story and the world. A word of advice though - I didn't really like the prologue, I felt it was weak and out of character with the rest of the book. Just keep reading it gets much better as you go on.

Orphaned Worlds by Michael Cobley

This second book in Cobley's Humanity's Fire saga stirs thing up a bit.  Word has gotten out about the ancient  artifact on the planet of Darien and a plethora of groups organic and machine, real space and hyperspace want to use it for their own means. Just about all of them are converging on the once backwater world. This makes for a great story with many complex layers but it is in danger of getting confusing. It almost feels as if Colby's stage is too small for the number of actors upon it. At times it seems pretty clear who are the main heroes and villains to watch but then another thread unravels and you begin to wonder if the main plot is happening elsewhere. Is this masterful story telling or is it just a lack of discipline by the author? It remains to be seen how the final novel ties it all together. I am certainly interested enough to want to find out.

Seeds of Earth by Michael Cobley

The human residents of Darien think they may be the only surviving remnants of humanity 150 years after they fled planet Earth as it succumbed to an alien onslaught. Their universe view gets turned upside down however when an envoy from Earth arrives with the news that humanity was saved from destruction by a major galactic player called the Hegemony. Things get a lot more complicated when it turns out that Darien is home to an ancient artefact of incredible power. The residents of Darien both human and indigenous are caught in the middle but can they do anything to survive the onslaught of powerful forces coming for their artefact? First book of a major space opera saga. I love this kind of stuff so don't expect an objective opinion. I think it is great.

The Icon by Frederick Forsyth

It is the late 1990's, the Russian economy has collapsed. An iconic new figure is likely to sweep the boards at the forthcoming elections but he and his party have an altogether more sinister agenda. A motley group of former spies know the truth and are going to try and stop him. This thriller is something of an oddity. It is a 1960's style spy thriller set in Russia in the late 1990's that strongly references Germany in the 1920's. There is not a mobile phone in sight and computers play a very minor role. This isn't one of Forsyth's better novels but it is still a cracking yarn written by a master story teller.

Billy Connolly's Route 66

I am conscious that my reading tastes have become limited so I deliberately avoided the fantasy and Science fiction shelf on my last visit to the lending library and picked up this road trip account by a Scottish comedian instead. Connolly is a very funny man on stage so it was surprising to find that the book is rarely laugh out loud funny. It is really just a personal account of his trip along this once great but now sadly decaying road. The book is all about the characters he meets along the way such as the Amish craftsman who seems to have discovered the secret to a happy life. The book is a lightweight but enjoyable read. One of the most striking themes is the conflict between Connolly's genuine respect for the down to earth people he meets and his utter loathing of their middle American conservativism. He is literally incoherent at times, resorting to babble to describe some of the examples of conservatism he comes across. Yet he consciously avoids poking fun at people even where he vehemently disagrees with their views. This makes it quite a gentle book for a comedian to write. 

Tome of the Undergates by Sam Sykes

Enjoyable hack and slash fantasy from an author I haven't read before. This tale of a band of unsavoury adventurers who somehow take on the job of saving the world from demons is heavy on blood thirsty combat but not so big on world building.  It is the first book of the Aeon's Gate trilogy so perhaps the world will be described more completely in the sequels. One noteworthy point is how closely the characters stick to D&D conventions. There is a mage who needs uninterrupted concentration to cast his devastating spells and who must rest after casting a few of them. There is a cleric who heals. There is a rogue who hides in the shadows and stabs his foes in the back. Despite these and more obvious stereotypes Sykes fleshes out his characters well with their own individual traits and quirks. Most of these quirks are genuinely nasty by the way. Don't come looking for unfettered heroic goodness in this story.