REVIEW: MOCKINGBIRD

Author: Chuck Wendig
Series: Yes, #2
UK Publisher: Angry Robot
UK Release date: September 2012
Genre: Urban fantasy
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

Miriam is trying. Really, she is. But this whole "settling down thing" that Louis has going for her just isn't working out. She lives on Long Beach Island all year around. Her home is a run-down double-wide trailer. She works at a grocery store as a check-out girl. And her relationship with Louis--who's on the road half the time in his truck--is subject to the piss and vinegar Miriam brings to everything she does. It just isn't going well. Still, she's keeping her psychic ability--to see when and how someone is going to die just by touching them--in check. But even that feels wrong somehow. Like she's keeping a tornado stoppered up in a tiny bottle. Then comes one bad day that turns it all on her ear. (Goodreads)

I implore you, if you haven't yet read Blackbirds, go read it. In the second in the series, Miriram Black returns in another no-holds barred thriller. Some people might find Miriam's restlessness, recklessness and open approach to sex and alcohol a little sexist. But I enjoy her directness which is refreshing and humorous. She is very rough on the outside, but the more you get to know Miriam, with her hidden past and guarded emotions, you can see the soft inside.

When the story first starts things are very different. Miriam has tried to settle down with Louis, by living in a trailer and working in a supermarket. But Miriam lives for the nomadic life, chasing after those death visions. And unfortunately she doesn't do right by Louis. She's a little hard to sympathise with to start, but stick with her. Miriam has balls, guts and yet shockingly, a heart. The strange and sickening visions she sees at Caldecott girls school bring out the best and worst in Miriam. Although no-one could blame her for her actions. In particular, Wren, a young girl at the school, seems to capture her heart and an almost maternal-like protective instinct.

With a thrilling, action packed and sometimes gory plot, Miriam's attempts to unearth a masochistic killer kept me on my toes. I truly wanted Miriam to find out what was going on, but you know that she's going to get into trouble along the way. Even though she is a tough old girl, Miriam can only take so much of a beating.

The bird theme really took off in this book, symbolically referring to different birds as clues and riddles on a number of occasions, but also appearing as a hallucination to Miriam. I was a little wary of this 'trespassing' crow because I honestly couldn't tell what the purpose of her supposed hallucinations were and whether the crow meant to be good or bad. But I am really interested to see how things develop in the final book, Cormorant, and whether the crow still stays with her.

Mockingbird is a hard edged thriller, with gory action and plenty of mystery. Handle with care.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: THE CORPSE-RAT KING

Author: Lee Battersby
Series: No, standalone
UK Publisher: Angry Robot
UK Release date: September 2012
Genre: Fantasy
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

Marius don Hellespont and his apprentice, Gerd, are professional looters of battlefields. When they stumble upon the corpse of the King of Scorby and Gerd is killed, Marius is mistaken for the monarch by one of the dead soldiers and is transported down to the Kingdom of the Dead. Just like the living citizens, the dead need a King — after all, the King is God’s representative, and someone needs to remind God where they are. And so it comes to pass that Marius is banished to the surface with one message: if he wants to recover his life he must find the dead a King. Which he fully intends to do. Just as soon as he stops running away.

Marius de Hellespont is a liar, cheat, thief and witty charmer. A little like Jack Sparrow, he seems to always land on his feet no matter what ridiculous situation he ends up in. And trust me, he ends up in a number of bizarre and unexpected circumstances, and usually on the wrong end of the law or moral compass. Particularly because he is now dead. Marius' initial response to his situation and duty to find a new king was to run away, and it makes him seem as cowardly and pathetic as you would expect a looter of the dead to be. Whilst his character developed and grew throughout the book, making Marius a just-about likable character, his daring, cunning and unreprehensible behaviour really made the story.

At first the writing tended towards the over descriptive, which sometimes slowed the plot down with its tangential diversions. But further into the book, the plot, dialogue and wit improved by bounds and had me chuckling away. In fact the story reminded me a little of the madcap adventures that befall Voltaire’s character Candide in his book of the same name. Both plots have a philosophical bent to them and involve a series of rather absurd adventures and mishaps.

Although some of the secondary characters could have benefitted from a little more fleshing out to avoid them feeling one dimensional, my favourite character was King Nandus, who had a slightly strange (and possibly inappropriate) affection for horses. Found in the underwater wreck of his groundbreaking ship, the skeletal form of Nandus unfortunately takes on a few too many horse-like qualities, which made the story both humorous and endearing. The fact that the poor man didn't even realise the truth of his situation made it all the more pitiful and comical.

Despite the darker themes of death, deception and looting, overall the story had an underlying moral and spiritual emphasis, as Marius very slowly started to see the error of his ways. I loved the rather maccabre idea of the dead needing a king to rule their deathly kingdom, and being able to extend their deathly grip into the mortal realm to get Marius and Gerd to find them a ruler. What on earth would their job be as a King of the Dead?

The Corpse-Rat King is an absurd and fantastical tale of a man about to learn the error of his ways the hard way.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: POLTERGEEKS

Author: Sean Cummings
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Strange Chemistry
UK Release date: October 2012
Genre: MG & YA
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection.

In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life.

Sean Cummings writing style was the first thing that grabbed me when I started reading. It flows naturally, and perfectly encompasses Julie's character including her sassiness, wit and outspoken teen voice. It reads so naturally like a teenager that I instantly got a sense of what Julie's personality was like and I loved her.

Although I guessed pretty much from the outset what was coming at the end, I'm not sure if this was down to my extra good guessing abilities or easy to read plot/characters. Despite this there were still a few twists and surprises that threw me so that I still enjoyed the ending, and the plot overall was energetic and action packed. The premise behind the story has so much potential and I can see Julie getting into a whole host of adventures, or misadventures, in future books and I think it would work so well as a TV series.

The magical elements bring the story to life, with the grimoire passed down to Julie, her mother's collection of unusual smelling concoctions, the shadowcull legacy and don't forget a bit of grave digging.

After Julie, I liked Marcus the best. Because he provides the 'reasonable' and scientific perspective. He tries to fit magic into science and his understanding of the physical world, remains a little sceptical, but also makes steps to believing some of the crazy things that are happening around him.

Although it hadn't really crossed my mind at the time, Non at Catnip, pointed out how well the content and style for Poltergeeks would be appropriate for a younger Middle Grade age range. I think younger audiences would really relate to Julie, the confusing situation she is in with Marcus and their changing relationship. Although she's not popular in school, she is quirky, quick-witted and completely herself. For young girls I think she shines as a role model.

Poltergeeks is a sassy, funny, and thrilling YA debut.

Rating: 4*

STRANGE CHEMISTRY LAUNCHES

I'm so excited that Strange Chemistry has finally launched. Strange Chemistry, as a 'younger sister' to Angry Robot, will publish modern young adult science fiction, fantasy and everything in between. They have an amazing lineup of authors and new titles coming out, some of whom we heard readings from at the launch earlier this week. The launch itself was a huge success and a very promising start to a wonderful imprint - not only did the books grab your attention, but the popping candy in test tubes certainly got me bubbling with excitement! Keep you eyes peeled on My Book Journey for a Strange Chemistry goody bag giveaway coming soon!

Below are the burbs for the first 5 books to be released, and you can read extracts of these titles on Strange Chemistry's website.

Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke - tbp October 2012
Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her.
And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.

Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings - tbp October 2012
15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection.
In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life.

Blackwood by Gwenda Bond - tbp September 2012
On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just an outdoor drama for the tourists, a story people tell. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people now, an unlikely pair of 17-year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back.
Miranda, a misfit girl from the island’s most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can’t dodge is each other.
Blackwood is a dark, witty coming of age story that combines America’s oldest mystery with a thoroughly contemporary romance.

Shift by Kim Curran - tbp September 2012
When your average, 16-year old loser, Scott Tyler, meets the beautiful and mysterious Aubrey Jones, he learns he's not so average after all. He's a 'Shifter'. And that means he has the power to undo any decision he's ever made. At first, he thinks the power to shift is pretty cool. But as his world starts to unravel around him he realises that each time he uses his power, it has consequences; terrible unforeseen consequences. Shifting is going to get him killed. In a world where everything can change with a thought, Scott has to decide where he stands.

Katya's World by Jonathan L. Howard - tbp November 2012
The distant and unloved colony world of Russalka has no land, only the raging sea. No clear skies, only the endless storm clouds. Beneath the waves, the people live in pressurised environments and take what they need from the boundless ocean. It is a hard life, but it is theirs and they fought a war against Earth to protect it. But wars leave wounds that never quite heal, and secrets that never quite lie silent.
Katya Kuriakova doesn’t care much about ancient history like that, though. She is making her first submarine voyage as crew; the first nice, simple journey of what she expects to be a nice, simple career.
There is nothing nice and simple about the deep black waters of Russalka, however; soon she will encounter pirates and war criminals, see death and tragedy at first hand, and realise that her world’s future lies on the narrowest of knife edges. For in the crushing depths lies a sleeping monster, an abomination of unknown origin, and when it wakes, it will seek out and kill every single person on the planet.

Don't forget to keep your eyes peeled for Strange Chemistry's other titles which will be released in 2013:

Broken by AE Rought
The Holders by Julien Scott
Pantomime by Laura Lam

REVIEW: SUITED

*Please note, there won't be spoilers for Suited, but there may be spoilers for Debris, the first in the series.

Author: Jo Anderton
Series: Yes, #2
UK Publisher: Angry Robot
UK Release date: July 2012
Genre: Science fiction
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

In Morvoc-under-Keeper Tanyana has chosen to help the Keeper and fight the Puppet Men. But something is wrong in the city - debris is disappearing, and strange doors are appearing in the Keeper's world. Can Tanyana figure out what is wrong and help the keeper, or will the puppet-men finally turn her into the weapon she doesn't want to be?

What I loved about the first in the series, Debris, was Tanyana's fall from being a pion binder to being a lowly debris collector and adapting to her new life. Whilst Suited didn't have that same feeling of loss and struggling to get Tan's life on track, there was plenty of action, upheaval, sadness and plenty of questions. I liked the dichotomty Tan felt with her suit - it protected her and gave her powers and strength that no-one else had, but it also started to change and work autonomously. Tan had to fight her suit to feel like herself, which made for interesting personal change and dilemmas for Tan.

I did sometimes feel like the plot was going around in circles, not necessarily the action, but in terms of finding out what the 'puppet-men' were up to and helping the Keeper close the doors. Each time I thought I was on the verge of finding out something new about the mysterious doors appearing and the disappearing debris, I found myself back at square one and none the wiser. It was like being constantly in the dark, chasing shadows and trying to find the light, as Tan ran around blindly following the Keeper. It was both frustrating and compelling because I wanted to find out what was happening.

The relationship between Tanyana and Kichlan changed in this book, and would swing from tender to untrusting. I loved the moments when they shared touches and shy openess about how they feel for each other. But despite the fact that Deviche is no longer around, Tan and Kichlan have a distance between them that they can't seem to cross. I really hope they can overcome this in the third book as I really want to see them together.

Childlike, vulnerable Lad also changed a lot. He became more outspoken and thought more for himself. I was worried that his beautiful character might change too much, but he was still completely lovable and adorable.

Before I saw the Keeper as useless and a bit of a snivelling coward. Although he's still a little bit like this in this book, the kepper has a much bigger role, and we see him a lot of different scenarios and see him change and develop. We get a little closer to figuring out who or what he is, but I suspect we won't really find out until the next book.

Suited is a strong follow-on from Jo Anderton's first science fiction book.

Rating: 4*

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: MADELINE ASHBY

Today I am really excited to have author Madeline Ashby joining me on the blog to kindly answer a few questions about her debut science fiction novel vN and her passion for science fiction. vN looks at how humanoid robots could be used to enhance our lives, and whether they may not be all that different to us.

vN will be released in August 2012 by Angry Robot, and you can read my review of it here or you can head on over to Amazon to grab yourself a copy. Be sure to check the bottom of the post for the links!

Your debut book vN is coming out in August 2012 [UK; July in US]. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
vN is the story of Amy Peterson, a self-replicating humanoid robot who's lived with her synthetic mother and organic father for five years. She's been grown slowly, at the speed of an ordinary human child. When her synthetic grandmother shows up and tries to kidnap her, she eats her alive. Literally. Then her grandmother lives on as a partition in her drivespace, providing snide (and disturbingly violent) commentary as Amy goes on a journey of discovery that includes escaping jail, getting her first job, and figuring out why she alone can harm human beings.

What sparked the idea for self-replicating humanoids?
It started out with a question I had while watching Naruto and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. (They used to air on the same night, in Toronto.) I wondered if Naruto, a ninja-in-training who can make multiple "shadow clones" of himself, used the copies in parallel process. Could Naruto use them to do high-order math problems, like a bunch of PS3s rigged together as a supercomputer? Could the clones have ideas on their own? Then I wondered the same about the Tachikoma units in GITS:SAC. (My first husband had a theory that the Tachikomas would become von Neumann machines in their quest for individuality and sentience, replicating extra versions of themselves to take over after they got scrapped.) At the time, I was working on a thesis on anime and cyborg theory, so these themes of identity and replication and reproduction were in my head all the time. I started wondering what it would be like to be a person who iterated multiple versions of herself, von Neumann-style.

What makes von Neumann-type humanoids different from humans?
vN cannot hurt human beings. They can't even really simulate what it would feel like to do so. All models have a built-in failsafe that cripples their memory and processes if they even consider hurting a human being. They start to stutter, like a buffering video. They have "a humane response to inhuman behaviour," as one human puts it, in the novel.
Aside from the failsafe, vN also iterate copies of themselves. They reproduce asexually, depending on how much they eat, and what they reproduce is an exact replica of themselves. So they have some issues about the differences between themselves and their iterations. I suppose that doesn't make them any different from humans, really, but it does re-frame the problem.

What qualities do you admire most in Amy?
Amy is very brave. Almost foolishly so. But I admire it all the same, because she doesn't pussyfoot around wondering what to do. She's willing to try and fail. She sees a problem and tries to solve it. That's because deep down, she doesn't accept things as they are. She knows they could and should be better. She insists on that. And I like that about her. Amy does not avoid the fight. She runs straight for it.

Who was your favourite character to develop and write for in vN?
Hmm. It's a tie between Javier (a supporting character) and Portia (Amy's grandmother). Portia is more fun to write. She tends to be factually right, but morally wrong. She's also completely comfortable with her villainy. She relishes it. She's proud of it. It makes her happy. But Javier is different. He's a very active character who's resourceful enough to get things done, and experienced enough to know how the world really works. So I think they both add something crucial to a story about someone growing up too fast.

If you were to 'sell' vN using a single quote or line from the book, what would you choose?
Hmm. That's tough. Maybe, "I'm tired of loving humans."

If you could, would you have a vN as a partner?
Maybe when I was elderly. I think vN would be good partners for a lot of people, but the elderly in particular. People who have had plenty of relationships already, or even just a few strong ones, who need someone who won't abandon them and who will love them unconditionally as their lives become steadily more awkward and difficult, and who won't die on them in the process.

What attracts you to the science fiction genre?
I grew up watching and reading science fiction. It was a constant presence in our household. I was the kid who explained The X-Files to all the adults, because they couldn't understand the plot. But in general, what drew me to science fiction were the words of Ursula K. LeGuin: “The exercise of imagination is dangerous to those who profit from the way things are because it has the power to show that the way things are is not permanent, not universal, not necessary.”I think science fiction has the power to do exactly that. I think it can showcase many possible futures, so we're better equipped to choose the ones we want. And I think that in a culture that is so unabashedly anti-intellectual, anti-factual, and anti-science as this one, writing science fiction is even more important. I mean, the anti-vaccination movement has brought on measles outbreaks in California children. We need science. We need inspiring stories about science and the people who practise it.

Which authors or characters inspired you when you were growing up?
I was a big fan of Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Margaret Mahy, and Sebastien Japrisot. I discovered the first few in elementary school, and Japrisot in junior high. In high school I discovered anime and manga. I watched Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell and Akira and all the big titles I could find. (I also went through a big Dune phase, senior year. It really put prom in perspective.) In college, I discovered Haruki Murakami and Ursula LeGuin and William Gibson. I also watched Cowboy Bebop and Stand Alone Complex and Fullmetal Alchemist. At the time, I was in a classics-oriented program at a Jesuit school, so it was a fun mix.

As a debut author, what has been the most exciting/challenge thing about getting published?
The most exciting thing is the fact that it actually happens. I really didn't expect anything to happen. I'm friends with a lot of novelists, and they all have trunk novels that have never seen the light of day. So, I had prepared myself for that. I knew this might wind up being a prototype and nothing more. The fact that people were interested in it, and even wanted to purchase the manuscript, was the real surprise.

Thank you so much Madeline for taking time to answer my questions! If you would like more information on Madeline or her first book vN, you can find it here: 

Madeline's website
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter 

REVIEW: vN

Author: Madeline Ashby
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Angry Robot
UK Release date: August 2012
Genre: Science fiction
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

Amy is a vN, a von Neumann humanoid robot able to self replicate. With a human father and humanoid mother, Amy has grown up in a mixed organic/synthetic family, kept safe at home and school from other children in case their fighting might cause her failsafe to kick in and her memory to shutdown. But when Amy's mother is attacked by her grandmother, her instinct is to protect her mother - and she eats her grandmother. Now with a faulty failsafe and her grandmother piggy backing inside her, Amy is being hunted down and must find a way to escape.

I will warn you now, vN isn't a light read. Unless of course you eat technical science for breakfast. I really had to concentrate on the story, and this was for two reasons. Firstly the science fiction elements were fairly complex and technical, to my brain anyway, and I had to focus to understand the language used to describe Amy's physical makeup and artificial intelligence. Secondly vN was constantly presenting thought provoking situations, whether it was about what makes someone human, where do morals and ethics end and robotics begin, or how much can humanoid robots be aware, conscious or considered human.

I felt frustrated that humanoids like Amy weren't given any of the rights that humans were, because they had been programmed to act certain ways. There was a massive manhunt for Amy after she attacked and ate her grandmother, despite the fact that it was to protect another humanoid. vNs could be used for pedophilia, rape, or torture and they would endure it with a smile because their programming told them to enjoy human's company and never to hurt them in return. Can you argue that it's ok to do these things just because they aren't fully human and are built of silicon? For me it felt very creepy to see young vN children being kept by grown men for indecent sexual acts. It was situations like these that kept challenging my moral and ethical values.

Amy was such a gentle and likeable character. Despite being an artificially intelligent humanoid, she felt so real and human. Her compassion and caring for Javier's baby was unexpected but intriguing. I loved the fact that she was able to take on key features of others she ate and changed as a character throughout the book. Granny was scary, violent, motivated, singleminded and squatting inside Amy's consciousness like an artificial toad. Her thoughts interrupted Amy's own thoughts and at times she would completely take over Amy and wreak havoc. The huge difference between Amy and Granny was fascinating, and  I loved seeing Granny take charge and go on a violent spree.

Javier really surprised me. The fact that he was built to breed and reiterate and then would just leave his children to grow up on their own, made me initially think he would be unreliable and selfish. But he kept surprising me throughout the story, coming back to help Amy and changing his own behaviour because of her.

vN digs deep into the human and AI psyche, and is a thoroughly thought provoking read.

Rating: 4*

Don't forgot to drop by tomorrow to read my interview with Madeline Ashby!!

REVIEW: BLACKBIRDS

Author: Chuck Wendig
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Angry Robot
UK Release date: April 2012
Genre: Paranormal
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

With a mere touch of your skin Miriam Black can tell when and how you will die. She’s seen old age take its toil, car crashes and heart attacks. Watching people’s final moments, Miriam’s gift makes her a guiding angel for death. But the burden takes a turn when she hitches a ride with truck rider Louis. Shaking his hand, she sees his imminent death and hears him call her name. Can Miriam escape the hand of fate or is she caught up in her own destiny?

As soon as you start reading Blackbirds it’s hard to deny that it’s violent and crass, overflowing with swearing, fighting, drinking and immorality. Those of a sensitive nature be warned. But if you are daring and willing enough to read, you will find a story that is unique, mesmerising and utterly compelling. Admittedly I had to skip a few gory paragraphs so as not to upset my delicate sensitivities, but even the raw violence couldn’t stop me reading.

Having never read anything like it, Wendig’s writing style is distinctive. Each word packs a punch – there isn’t any fluff or unnecessary content. Likewise, the change between present and past give us insight into the different characters without breaking up the pace and flow.

As the female protagonist, Miriam is definitely unique and quite a character. Flitting from town to town, hitching rides and never settling down, she isn’t necessarily a character I can easily relate to. But that didn’t bother me, because I loved how different she was from me. Listening to a narrative full of swearing and anger I was enthralled by her unabashed honesty and frankness. Miriam certainly grew on me as unlikely but deserving hero.

The big question that Miriam struggles with throughout the story is whether fate can be changed. Able to see other people’s death before it happens, Miriam is faced with the decision of intervening and trying to save them or letting fate take its natural course. It can’t be an easy decision to make, every time you touch someone deciding whether you should attempt to save them from death or let the inevitable happen. And who would want to watch people die just by shaking their hand? But can fate be changed anyway? If fate decides how we die, can Miriam ever change it? The guilt of both trying and failing and doing nothing has taken its toll on Miriam; she drinks, sleeps around and gets into fights. You can feel her pain jump out of the pages, showing the vulnerability inside her tough shell.

Reading Blackbirds feels a little like your riding a rollercoaster; after tipping over that first crest you’re pulled forward with a momentum that is paralysing and a force that is unstoppable. Miriam knows she’s barrelling towards something, but she can’t grasp how she’ll get there or what will happen when she does. I was gripped with both anticipation but also uncertainty because I liked truck driver Louis. He’s a genuine and decent guy, quite a rare thing in Blackbirds, and I didn’t want someone so nice getting caught up in the horrific and ruthless dealings of Ingersoll. It’s the kind of plot where you have to close your eyes, hold on tight and hope for the best.

What I liked about the characters in Blackbirds is that they are multi-dimensional. None of them are purely good or evil. Like real life, they’re a blend of both, with good and bad parts. Even the bad guys Harriet and Ingersoll have a past and a history, a reason for who they are and why they do what they do. Seeing the other side of the coin, and the story behind people’s behaviour, is always interesting as it plays on your emotions and almost makes you feel sorry for them. Almost but most definitely not. It did make me wonder though, whether evil is born or made, nature or nurture, or in Ingersoll’s case possibly a mixture of both.

Blackbirds is a high energy, whisky-fuelled ride, that will pull you along for the journey and have you questioning whether we can change destiny. A must-read book by an author that is worth watching.

Rating: 5*

REVIEW: HARBINGER OF THE STORM

If you haven't yet read the first in this series, Servant of the Underworld, you can find my review here. There may be spoilers for this first book in the following review.

Harbinger of the Storm (Obsidian and Blood #2)
Author: Aliette de Bodard
Series: Yes, #2
UK Publisher: Angry Robot
UK Release date: January 2011
Genre: Historical fantasy

When the Revered Speaker Axayacatl-tzin dies, the fifth world is left vulnerable. Without a ruler, the Mexica Empire is no longer under the protection of Huitzilpochtli, the God of War, but is at the mercy of flesh-eating stardemons, not to mention the politics of electing a new emperor.

In order to discover who is behind the deaths of a council member and the Guardian to the Empire, Acatl, High Priest of the Dead, must throw himself into the political melee that ensues. Discovering that a stardemon was summoned from within the court means that Acatl must interview council members and become embroiled in discerning each man’s own political agenda, and figuring out who is telling the truth and who is playing a dangerous game.

When Axayacatl’s wife and sister to the ruler of neighbouring Texcoco, is found to have consorted with the murdered councilman, the mystery escalates and soon Acatl realises that the crimes are bigger than he could have imagined. Acatl will once again have to enter the god’s world of sacrifice, deception and trickery, with only the company of his fellow priests to help him survive. He must decide whether he can put aside his mistrust of politics and priests’ ambitions to save the empire.

Harbinger of the Storm is a complex murder mystery, spanning the everyday and the world of the gods. Set in Aztec culture, life is filled with danger as men struggle to gain power and favour from the menacing and unforgiving gods.

Despite his dislike of politics, Acatl is once again thrown into the midst of meddling high priests and scheming council members, of which he must decipher where the truth lies. Not trusting in politics or the men who dabble in it, Acatl is forced to fight for the future survival of the empire and put aside the ambitions and flaws of his counterparts. Although he doesn’t undergo such a dramatic personal trial as he did facing the past death of his father in Servant of the Underworld, Acatl is forced to make an important but personal decision that could affect the entire empire.

One of my favourite characters is Teomitl, brother of Axayacatl and previous sidekick to Acatl. Having fallen in love with Mihmatini, Teomitl must face his brother and heir to the throne, Tizic-tzin, who is adamant that their relationship cannot continue. Being of low rank, Mihmatini, Acatl’s sister, is deemed unworthy of being with Teomitl who will one day be heir apparent. With his patronage to Chalchiuhtlicue, Goddess of Lakes and Streams, Teomitl has become stronger and more powerful, and we see him bringing with her magical power throughout the story. He must not only learn to control his temper and rage, but must also put aside his own feelings and pride when he clashes with the ruler of Texcoco, Nezahual. Both are young and powerful, and I enjoy the interplay between the two as their personalities battle against each other.

I’m also really pleased to see Mihmatini become more involved in the story when she takes on an important role as Guardian of the Empire, which cements her relationship with Teomitl much to Tizoc-tzin’s disgust. In a very male dominated cast and after the loss of the previous Guardian Ceyaxochitl, it is good to see another female take some of the limelight, however she certainly deserves more. She is an interesting character with her own strengths as a woman and as a budding priestess. I can’t wait to see more of both her and Teomitl and how their relationship might blossom in the future.

Following on from its predecessor, Harbinger of the Storm encompasses an even greater cast of characters each with their own back stories and secrets, and it can often be confusing trying to remember who is priest of what and what each is hiding. Likewise the plot is made up of numerous twists, turns and subplots, which keep the pace fast and give a real sense of urgency to the story. It certainly left me guessing although slightly befuddled; this is not the kind of book where you could possibly predict what might happen at the end let alone in a chapters time, and it makes you feel as Acatl must – caught up in a whirlwind of mystery and intrigue.

Refreshingly new and different, Aliette de Bodard’s series has built up an impressively real and spectacular backdrop filled with Aztec culture, mythology and deities. The fast pace and intrigue pull you into a captivating world, where the fury and vengeance of the gods can change everything and no one can be trusted. One can only imagine what might happen next in Master of the House of Darts, but you can guarantee it will be a stunningly fast and furious ride of Aztec proportions.

Rating: 3.5*

ON MY WISHLIST (6)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where you can list all the books you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming.

My choices for this week are both yet to be published and have a sci-fi feel to them. What do you think? Would they go on your wishlist?

vN by Madeline Ashby
To be published August 2012 by Angry Robot

Amy Peterson is a self-replicating humanoid robot known as a VonNeumann.

For the past five years, she has been grown slowly as part of a mixed organic/synthetic family. She knows very little about her android mother's past, so when her grandmother arrives and attacks her mother, Amy wastes no time: she eats her alive. Now she carries her malfunctioning granny as a partition on her memory drive, and she's learning impossible things about her clade's history - like the fact that she alone can kill humans without failsafing...

*****

Skylark by Meagan Spooner

To be published October 1st 2012 by Carolrhoda Lab

Sixteen year-old Lark Ainsley has never seen the sky.

Her world ends at the edge of the vast domed barrier of energy enclosing all that’s left of humanity. For two hundred years the city has sustained this barrier by harvesting its children's innate magical energy when they reach adolescence. When it’s Lark’s turn to be harvested, she finds herself trapped in a nightmarish web of experiments and learns she is something out of legend itself: a Renewable, able to regenerate her own power after it’s been stripped.

Forced to flee the only home she knows to avoid life as a human battery, Lark must fight her way through the terrible wilderness beyond the edge of the world. With the city’s clockwork creations close on her heels and a strange wild boy stalking her in the countryside, she must move quickly if she is to have any hope of survival. She’s heard the stories that somewhere to the west are others like her, hidden in secret – but can she stay alive long enough to find them?

ANGRY ROBOT ANNOUNCES STRANGE CHEMISTRY LAUNCH TITLES

Strange Chemistry - the YA imprint of award-winning indie genre fiction publisher Angry Robot - has announced two deals that will help launch the list into publishing super-stardom. I can't wait for Strange Chemistry to launch, it's super exciting!

The imprint will launch in September 2012, and imprint editor Amanda Rutter has revealed that Strange Chemistry’s first two titles will be…

Shift by Kim Curran
When your average, 16-year old loser, Scott Tyler, meets the beautiful and mysterious Aubrey Jones, e learns he’s not quite so average after all. He’s a ‘Shifter’. And that means he has the power to undo any decision he’s ever made. At first, he thinks the power to shift is pretty cool. But as his world quickly starts to unravel around him he realises that each time he uses his power, it has consequences; terrible unforeseen consequences. Shifting is going to get him killed. In a world where everything can change with a thought, Scott has to decide where he stands. 

The first title – Shift – will be published in September of this year, with the second to follow in 2013.

Visit Kim online at http://www.kimcurran.co.uk/

Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings
Julie is an apprentice witch – or so she believes. When a dark power comes stalking out of the past to haunt her and her mother, Julie learns that she is far more than just a witch. With the help of her best friend Marcus and a rather unusual Great Dane, Julie has to race against time to ensure she can defeat the bad guy, save her mother and avoid being grounded – again! 

Amanda Rutter, says: “We have signed Sean for two novels in the Poltergeeks universe, the first to be published in October of this year with the second to follow in the summer of 2013.

Visit Sean online at www.sean-cummings.ca and www.darkcentralstation.com.


More information can be found at strangechemistrybooks.com and angryrobotbooks.com.

DEBRIS

Debris (The Veiled Worlds)

Author: Jo Anderton
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Angry Robot
UK Release date: October 2011
Genre: Science fiction
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

In Movoc-under-Keeper, there are two types of people. Those who can see and work with pions, and those who work with the dirty by-product of pions, debris. Tanyana is a talented architect and pion binder, but when she falls from the grand statue she is building she also falls in status; losing her ability to see pions, she becomes a lowly debris collector, robbed of rank and career. As she adapts to her new life, Tanyana discovers that there may be more to the debris than she realised, and more to the Veche council than she suspected.

Review: First off I have to say I absolutely adored Debris and found it full of surprises. The futuristic setting and science fiction premise of Morvoc-under-Keeper was absorbing and enthralling – I could almost imagine that in our own world there are invisible pions driving the electricity and water that we rely so much on, and not far behind is the debris wreaking havoc. Whilst I'm not a huge fan of purely science-fiction books, Debris didn't feel like a heavy, overly descriptive sci-fi novel because I was swept away with the engaging characters and compelling plot.

Having fallen, both literally and socially, Tanyana’s situation is both pitiable and unjust. Whilst she hangs onto her former life staying in her luxurious house with little way of paying for it, I still admire her courage to ask for help and understand her feelings of injustice. She can be stubborn and proud, but if you’ve spent you’re life striving to create buildings of beauty, I can imagine that to be cast to the lowest levels of society would be hard to adjust to at first. The fact that she learns and grows makes the story so much more interesting than if she had taken everything in her stride. And to be honest, if I was her I would probably have the spent the first few months after the accident wallowing in self pity in my bed!

The idea of tagging or shackling to distinguish groups isn't new, but the suit that debris collectors are horrifically implanted with is intriguing and slightly gross. With a steampunk feel to them the suits connect to the body through physical bands at the wrists, ankles, waist and neck. Beyond this the suit also reflects her entrapment in society and her lowly job working with debris, acting almost like a badge of shame and reminding me of the old striped prison jumpsuits. There are implications that there is more to the suits and debris than anyone knows, and I hold out hope that in the rest of the series debris collectors won't always be as discriminated against as they are now.

Lad was one of my favourite characters, with his childlike openness and honesty and concern for 'Tan' as he calls her. The changes in his personality when he is confused or overcome with anger or sadness, meant that he wasn't just a static, flat reflection of someone with learning difficulties. Whilst most people saw Lad as damaged or crazy, I really admired the way his team fiercely protected and looked after him. In particular Kichlan, his brother, who selflessly sacrifices so much for him. Despite his initial gruffness towards Tanyana, I instantly liked Kichlan. You can tell a good man by the way he looks after his family and friends! There is also a very subtle hint of something developing between him and Tanyana, and I can't wait to see what happens.

As a debut novel, Debris is impressive; Jo Anderton has managed to maintain a balance that often tests science fiction and fantasy authors, by being able to describe such a wonderfully rich world without losing any of the plot or character development. Jo is very quickly becoming one of my new favourite authors!

Rating: 5*

You can read sample chapters from Debris here.

IN MY MAILBOX: DEBRIS AND FOREVER

In My Mailbox was started by the lovely Kristi over at Story Siren - check out her blog for more information on this meme.

I know it's not classy to brag, but please excuse me just this once. Normally I get most of my books from the library, and if I'm lucky I get to buy the occasional book. But this week, I got sent a book from Angry Robot. I'm so excited.

So firstly today IMM is Debris, the futuristic science fantasy debut novel by Jo Anderton.

Debris, Jo Anderton
October 2011
Angry Robot
In a far future where technology is all but indistinguishable from magic, Tanyana is one of the elite. She can control pions, the building blocks of matter, shaping them into new forms using ritual gestures and techniques. The rewards are great, and she is one of most highly regarded people in the city. But that was before the “accident”.
Stripped of her powers, bound inside a bizarre powersuit, she finds herself cast down to the very lowest level of society. Powerless, penniless and scarred, Tanyana must adjust to a new life collecting “debris”, the stuff left behind by pions. But as she tries to find who has done all of this to her, she also starts to realize that debris is more important than anyone could guess.

I also bought Forever,  the concluding story in The Wolves of Mercy Falls series. It has a very shiny silver cover and I can't wait to find out what happens to Grace and Sam.

Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #3) by Maggie Stiefvater
July 2011
Scholastic
When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their love moved from a curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.
That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.
Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment - a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.

What's in your mailbox this week?

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: CAMERA OBSCURA

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that highlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. Here is my choice for this week:

Camera Obscura by Lavie Tidhar

Published by: Angry Robot

Release date: April 2011

Genre: Mystery, Steampunk

Summary (from Goodreads): Can't find a rational explanation to a mystery? Call in the Quiet Council. The mysterious and glamorous Lady De Winter is one of their most valuable agents. A despicable murder inside a locked and bolted room on the Rue Morgue in Paris is just the start. This whirlwind adventure will take Milady to the highest and lowest parts of that great city - and cause her to question the very nature of reality itself.

Here is a sample chapter:







What book are you waiting for?