SLAVES OF THE SWITCHBOARD OF DOOM

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Bookwraiths

slaves of teh switchboardSlaves of the Switchboard of Doom
by Bradley W. Schenck

Genre: Science Fiction — Pulp

Series: Possibility of One

Publisher: Tor Books (June 13, 2017)

Author Information: FB | Website |Twitter

Length: 352 pages

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Slaves of the Switchboard of Doom surprised me, startled me even, because it was so damn much fun!  A word I seldom use when referring to modern science fiction; a genre which seems to take itself too damn seriously most of the time.  But, thankfully, Bradley W. Schenck has turned back the hands of the literary clock and gifted fans of fast-paced, hilarious, lavishly illustrated, and optimistic sci fi with his mesmerizing “World of Tomorrow” with its heroic heroes, ray-guns, robots, crazy scientists, rocket cars, and automated sidewalks.

The dashing lead of this tale is Kelvin “Dash” Kent who spends most of his time traveling about the earth and moon fighting bad guys, righting wrongs, and helping the helpless.  And, here, he finds himself hired by a group of switchboard operators led by the sharp-as-a-tack Lola Gardner.  Dash’s job is simple: uncover the dastardly plot to deprive Retropolis of its InfoSlate operators and thereby throw the whole information access system into chaos, letting some vile villain do something . . . evil.  Or, at least, all this is what Lola suspects Dash will find once he starts his investigation.

Joining our dynamic duo in this retro romp are several other point-of-view characters.  Howard Pitt, civil engineer, is the mysterious, scientific genius, who is definitely up to no good, though no one really knows for sure what kind of no good he is up to.  Abner Perkins, transportation officer, is the out-of-his depths guy who finds himself hot on the trail of the supposed villain.  And, finally, there is automaton Rusty, who begins to investigate the origins of a strange, legless robot, specifically who create him and why.

Slowly but surely, all these people and their separate investigations begin to intertwine, leading our heroes toward a shadowy conspiracy.  A grave threat materializing, one which isn’t at all expected.

I have to admit being a lover of pulp sci fi.  Buck Rogers.  Flash Gordon.  John Carter.  Name all the usually names, and I’ve probably loved them at some point in my life.  What always drew me to their stories was the sheer enjoyment and optimistic outlook they all had at their hearts.  Maybe, their science wasn’t completely accurate; perhaps the sensibilities were old fashioned; but they thrilled you, inspired you, and made you happy you invested your precious time reading them.   And, now, I can add Slaves of the Switchboard of Doom to that list of ridiculously fun pulp sci fi reads.

From the futuristic city of Retropolis with its pristine parks, cleaning robots, tube transportation, and automated skywalks, this world looks and feels like a Jetson-like dream of a wonderful future.  The heroes are heroic, and the villains are vile, but you always feel certain that your favorites will find a way to triumph over all the odds and survive to make the world a better place.  The plot is twisty, filled with more than a few surprises, has laughs along the way, and keeps you turning the pages until the end.

Does that mean this is a perfect book?  Nope, because there is no such thing, and Slaves of the Switchboard of Doom isn’t the only exception.  Personally, I felt there were sections of the story where the pacing lagged a little too much, as well as there being too many switches between pov characters.  Hell, even the silliness was a bit too over-the-top at times.  But none of these issues ruined the sheer enjoyment of the narrative for me.

In conclusion, this novel by Bradley W. Schenck is a hilarious, retro romp that all lovers of pulp sci fi classics of the past should definitely find time to sample.  Its illustrations are beautiful, adding immensely to the reading experiencing, and, hopefully, you will find this World of Tomorrow and its denizens as entertaining and fun as I did.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

Purchase the book at Amazon

Posted in 3 Stars, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

INDIE WEDNESDAY: WILL MADDEN

Posted on June 14, 2017 by Bookwraiths

Indie-WednesdayAlong my reading journey, I’ve made a conscious decision to include self-published, indie, and small press works in my reading schedule.  But it is difficult to know where to start: So many new authors and books to examine to find the perfect fit for my tastes.  And to help others with this same problem, I’ve decided to turn my Indie Wednesday feature into a day where writers can introduce themselves and their work to everyone.

With this in mind, I’m turning over the blog to Will Madden, author of The Killbug Eulogies, who has been nice enough to submit a guest post.

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Thigh Deep In Space Bugs: Based On A True Story

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Some people think of science fiction as escapism. For me, good sci-fi is not a means of throwing reality aside, but a way to express exasperation with it. Either you bend it until it works the way it is supposed to, or you twist it until it breaks and the rusty cog gumming up the works falls out where you can scrutinize it. And grind it under your heel, if it’ll make you feel better.

I like to tell personal stories, but the details of my life are either too boring or too intimate to discuss in a book. Science fiction gives me license to enliven facts that are too mundane, to bury personal matters under plot artifices and extravagant exaggeration, and to dance around everything in celebration of language. This, I hope, strikes a good bargain between reader and writer. I get to blow up my obsessions to whatever scale is therapeutic for me. You get to be entertained without carrying the weight of someone else’s neuroses and trauma. Like an alien symbiosis: creepy but kinda cool.

The Killbug Eulogies is a silly book. Amid a galactic war for survival, human soldiers face cartoonish levels of adversity: twice daily combat in filthy tunnels against giant mantises that want to cut their faces and genitals off. They arm themselves with weapons that could only exist in sci-fi: heliophase chlorocutters and boson demassifiers. Enemy insects are so numerous, their excrement falls from the sky like rain. The planet where they have been deployed is called Thisone. Pronounced TEE-sown, but still making the whole mission seem like someone’s twisted idea of a joke.

However bad things are, it is always about to get worse. Their chances for survival get a little slimmer, living conditions get a little less palatable, and whatever damn thing helped them get through it all is probably next to get stripped away.

At dawn and dusk, the soldiers crawl up sewage tunnels to attack giant mantises who are almost impervious to their weapons. The rest of the day, they find ways to pass time before their likely deaths over the next few months. One man dreams up ways to seduce the enemy. Another commits himself to the study of killbug murder poetry. A third spends his hours building death traps for everyone in the human camp. As an engineering challenge, naturally.

Under the circumstances, this is sorta reasonable. Having spent their whole lives servant to rules and social pressures, suddenly they have nothing left to lose. They seize the chance to become whoever they were born to be. Not enviable, but something.

While the human galactic leadership tears itself apart, the damn bugs are just so organized and ego-less. They work together under any conditions, and they can suffer any amount of loss without surrendering to despair. Every insect seems to have a meaningful place in their society. No matter how hideous, dumb, and drooly they are.

What do the bugs do with this perfectly harmonious, well-oiled interstellar empire? Their ethos is very simple: Destroy everything that lives.

Because of course it is.

When I was a kid, superhero cartoons taught me civilization was what humanity built so we could have culture, medicine, law, and technology. So we could live long healthy lives in comfort and with a sense of justice. Today civilization feels in the throes of a mad suicide provoked by more or less nothing. So what do I do about it? What does anybody do while everything meaningful around them collapses out of sheer spite?

I’ll write a romance between a man and insect that’s as tragic and beautiful and cruel as it is ridiculous. I’ll idealize the sociopath. I’ll leave all my heroes and villains at the precipice of destruction and make room for ferrets to seize control of the galaxy. And I’ll tell these stories like no more important ones have ever been told.

Because it’s the only sane thing left to do.

It is a dangerous time for creativity. In many media, the vocabulary of images and ideas has become quite limited, and you are warned if you color outside the lines it will go poorly for you. But pass on this moment to do whatever mad weird thing inspiration demands of you, you may never get a chance later.

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THE KILLBUG EULOGIESDisemboweled by the razor scythes of a six-foot mantis, lobotomized by hungry larvae, or roasted on an exoskeletal skewer: these are only a few of the disgusting ways to die in humanity’s hopeless war against giant space insects. Deployed on a brutal bug planet without a chaplain, a depleted infantry unit has entrusted its eulogy duties to the soldier standing closest at time of death. Somehow this rotten privilege keeps falling to Pvt. Timothy Archon.

Archon’s speeches explore the strange obsessions the men have developed since the war began–from archiving killbug death psalms to trying to seduce the enemy. Did these manias somehow redeem them, or only bring them quicker to their messy ends?

But more importantly: Why does Archon keep having such terrible luck? .

Buy Links:

Amazon
Kobo
Barnes & Noble

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will-madden-authorAUTHOR INFO:  Will Madden is a Nashville-based author, originally from the Bronx, New York. He holds a degree in something ridiculous from a fancy institution of higher education. By day he performs menial labor so that by night he has enough brain power to deliver the hard-hitting truths about the struggles of imaginary monsters. He juggles and knits.

Author Links:
Website
Goodreads
Instagram
Twitter

Posted in Author Spotlights, Guest Post, Indie Wednesday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

WHERE LOYALTIES LIE

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Bookwraiths

where loyalties lieWhere Loyalties Lie by Rob J Hayes

Genre: Fantasy — Grimdark

Series: Best Laid Plans #1

Publisher: Self-Published (May 26, 2017)

Author Information: Website | Twitter | FB

Length: 371 pages

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Where Loyalties Lie is the first book in the Best Laid Plans duology from Rob J. Hayes; a sequel of sorts to his The Ties That Bind trilogy, but one where no knowledge of the former is required to enjoy the later. And for those unfamiliar with what they will be getting when picking up this new, pirate epic from Hayes, please understand this author is a no holds barred grimdark master, whose characters are violent, profane, and without very many redeeming qualities. In other words, the “pirates” you’ll encounter here aren’t the Jolly Roger-type portrayed in Disney films, but the bloodthirsty, thieving, and murdering realities who terrorize the seas of the First Earth fantasy world.

Pirates are under attack! Their more civilized neighbors tired of the constant thievery; navies sent out in force to exterminate pirates from the sea. These forces more than willing to kill anyone attached to pirates, including women and children. And so Where Loyalties Lie begins with Captain Drake Morass and crew watching a pirate township and all within burnt to ashes by this grand crusade.

Watching the scene of fiery death causes the calculating, charming, and absolutely brutally Captain Drake to have an epiphany; a realization that he has to do something to increase his chances of surviving this onslaught and protect his current status.
His plan – unite all the pirates in a sacred cause to drive back their foes, carve out their own independent pirate kingdom, and make Captain Drake their king!

Only one problem: everyone hates, fears and distrusts Captain Drake. And for good reason. He is a black-hearted villain who would use, betray, and discard anyone at anytime. Not to mention he is as violent as they come, willing to do the most terrible things to even those close to him upon a whim. His reputation as a damn monster fairly earned and not far from the truth.

But all that is a mere problem for old Captain Drake to overcome. A minor hurdle, if you will. Thus, he decides he needs a more trustworthy and naive captain as his right hand man. Someone whom the other pirates respect and trust; someone they will believe; someone who can convince them Captain Drake has changed, that he really believes in this grand crusade to unite them all, save them and create their own kingdom. Enter Captain Keelin Stillwater.

Keelin is a wanna-be do gooder. A pirate captain who tries not to murder and brutalize his victims, if at all possible. I mean, he is still a pirate, so all his lofty ambitions of not doing harm aren’t terribly convincing, but he does, at least, have them. And Keelin quickly falls in with old Captain Drake, giving the legendary Morass the poster boy for his grand crusade to give pirates change they can believe in.

Joining these two main characters in the ongoing tale are several others, most notably Elaina Black (daughter of feared pirate Tanner Black), Arbiter Beck (a familiar face from The Ties That Bind), and Captain Truck Khan (another pirate). Each of these characters getting their time in the spotlight, adding even more wrinkles to this complex tale of pirate brutality and betrayal.

All of which brings up the one thing prospective readers must keep in mind about Where Loyalties Lie: it is pure, unfiltered, one thousand proof, kick-you-in-the-teeth grimdark at its most potent. Rob Hayes’ cynical view of his characters and their self proclaimed altruistic motives easy to see. The people populating this story taking turns doing bad things, really bad things, including George R. R. Martin-like manipulation and coercing, graphic violence (even brutal rape), profane language, and a good bit of consensual sex. All of it is within the confines of the ongoing story, not out of place, and used to progress the plot along. But if you do not enjoy reading this type of grimness, please don’t say I didn’t warn you.

For grimdark lovers, Rob Hayes should be one of your go to writers. This guy can write a story with characters who are both charismatic, charming, calculating, yet are complete and total shites. I mean, there are so many WTF moments in Where Loyalties Lie that I’ve tried to block some of them out. Honestly, by the end of this narrative, I wanted to both drinking a beer with and ritually murder Captain Drake Morass, and don’t even get me started on Elaina’s dad who needs to be worked over by a torturer for a few years before he is quietly put down. That is how strong the emotions are that Rob Hayes’ writing can elicit.

If your okay with that, then this novel is a fine piece of nautical grimdark. It is pirates in a fantasy setting, who act like the thieves and scoundrels they are. Only here they are also caught up in a merry dance of killing and creating an empire. There is pirate politics, pirate battles, and pirate hypocrisy. Enough to keep even the most diehard fan of pirates and nautical warfare sit up and take notice. And mixed into the maniacal mayhem is an organically growing story of the people caught up in it all from mad Captain Drake to wanna-be-good-guy Keelin to the strong-yet-unsupported Elaina. Each of these people demanding that you keep reading to discover their ultimate fate.

Are their any major problems with the book? Not really. I mean, you have to be okay with all the graphic violence, rape, profanity, et cetera I mentioned earlier, and you have to really like pirates. Why I mention that last point is because I personally know people who hate pirates (and nautical stories in general), refuse to read books or watch movies about them. And Where Loyalties Lie is almost exclusively a nautical adventure, which takes place on ships and at sea. The battles are sea battles with deck combat. All the main characters are obviously pirates. So if you don’t enjoy those type of stories, this isn’t a book you should read.

To sum up, this is a grimdark tale of devious, destructive, yet intriguing pirates and those swirling around their ongoing circumstances. For lovers of grimdark, nautical fantasy, or villains as the focus, Where Loyalties Lies is a fantasy story not to be missed and will perfectly build within you a desperate need to get your hands on the next installment of the series.

I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank him for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

Purchase the book at Amazon

Posted in 3 Stars, Fantasy, Grimdark | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

FUNDAY MONDAY, OR THE BOOKS THAT WILL HELP ME SURVIVE THE WEEK AHEAD (JUNE 12, 2017)

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Bookwraiths

funday-monday

Another week begins.  I quickly slip into my business suit and head back into the office to save a few innocent people. But while I try to fool myself into being excited about the promise of a new year and the continuation of the regular grind, deep down, I’m not, so I’m going to escape dreary reality by reading some great books.

Summer time!  It is loads of fun — and lots of work keeping kids entertained — but it definitely cuts down on my reading time.  I’m still struggling to carve out an afternoon or evening where I can really get into a book.  So, for now, I find myself cramming as much reading into an hour here or there to keep me going.  But it’s all good, because all these great books are worth the extra effort.

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halls of lawHalls of Law by V.M. Escalada

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Faraman Prophecy #1

Publisher: DAW (August 1, 2017)

Length: 522 pages

The Faraman Polity was created by the first Luqs, and has been ruled for generations by those of the Luqs bloodline. It is a burgeoning empire maintained by the combined efforts of the standing military force and the Talents of the Halls of Law. While the military preserves and protects, it is the Halls’ Talents—those gifted from birth with magical abilities—who serve as the agents and judges of the Law. For no one can successfully lie to a Talent. Not only can they read people by the briefest of physical contacts, but they can also read objects, able to find information about anyone who has ever come into direct contact with that object. Thanks to the Talents and the career military, the Polity has long remained a stable and successful society. But all that is about to change.

Seventeen-year-old Kerida Nast has always wanted a career in the military, just like the rest of her family. So when her Talent is discovered, and she knows she’ll have to spend the rest of her life as a psychic for the Halls of Law, Ker isn’t happy about it. Anyone entering the Halls must give up all personal connection with the outside world, losing their family and friends permanently. Just as Kerida is beginning to reconcile herself to her new role, the Polity is invaded by strangers from Halia, who begin a systematic campaign of destruction against the Halls, killing every last Talent they can find.

Kerida manages to escape, falling in with Tel Cursar, a young soldier fleeing the battle, which saw the deaths of the royal family. Having no obvious heir to the throne, no new ruler to rally behind, the military leaders will be divided, unable to act quickly enough to save the empire. And with the Halls being burned to the ground, and the Talents slaughtered, the Rule of Law will be shattered.

To avoid the invaders, Kerida and Tel are forced to enter old mining tunnels in a desperate attempt to carry word of the invaders to Halls and military posts that have not yet been attacked. But the tunnels hide a dangerous secret, a long-hidden colony of Feelers—paranormal outcasts shut away from the world for so long they are considered mythical. These traditional enemies of the Halls of Law welcome Kerida, believing she fulfills a Prophecy they were given centuries before by the lost race of griffins. With the help of these new allies, Kerida and Tel stand a chance of outdistancing the invaders and reaching their own troops. However, that is only the start of what will become a frantic mission to learn whether any heir to the throne remains, no matter how distant in the bloodline. Should they discover such a person, they will have to find the heir before the Halian invaders do. For if the Halians capture the future Luqs, it will spell the end of the Faraman Polity and the Rule of Law.

Purchase the book at Amazon

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ScourgeScourge by Gail Z. Martin

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Darkhurst

Publisher: Solaris (July 11, 2017)

Author Information:Website | Twitter

Length: 400 pages

In a city beset by monsters, three brothers must find out who is controlling the abominations.

The city-state of Ravenwood is wealthy, powerful, and corrupt. Merchant Princes and Guild Masters wager fortunes to outmaneuver League rivals for the king’s favor and advantageous trading terms. Lord Mayor Ellor Machison wields assassins, blood witches, and forbidden magic to assure that his powerful patrons get what they want, no matter the cost.

Corran, Rigan, and Kell Valmonde are Guild Undertakers, left to run their family’s business when guards murdered their father and monsters killed their mother. Their grave magic enables them to help souls pass to the After and banish vengeful spirits. Rigan’s magic is unusually strong and enables him to hear the confessions of the dead, the secrets that would otherwise be taken to the grave.

When the toll exacted by monsters and brutal guards hits close to home and ghosts expose the hidden sins of powerful men, Corran, Rigan and Kell become targets in a deadly game and face a choice: obey the Guild, or fight back and risk everything.

Purchase the book at Amazon

Posted in Funday Monday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

X-O MANOWAR, VOL. 1: SOLDIER

Posted on June 11, 2017 by Bookwraiths

X-O MANOWARX-O Manowar: Soldier by Matt Kindt

Genre: Superhero Comics

Series: X-O Manowar (2017)

Publisher: Valiant Entertainment (July 11, 2017)

Author Information: Facebook| Twitter

Length: 112 pages

My Rating: 3 stars

I began reading X-O Manowar comics back in the early 1990s when Valiant first opened its doors. I loved the concept (ancient warrior in alien armor), enjoyed the stories, and found the art to be great. I can’t say I stuck with the comic through its whole run back then, but I still have several years worth of X-O comics in my collection.

x-omanowar-1

Fast forward. X-O Manowar is back (again), so I decided to give this new version a go. And I have to say I liked it. Maybe not as much as the first one all those years ago, but enough that I will probably pick it up again in the near future.

XO2017_001_VARIANT_SUAYAN

Aric of Dacia has retired. Free from his past. Free from the armor. And determined to live a simple, uncomplicated life on a strange, alien world far from earth.

But Aric attracts violence, and so he finds himself conscripted into an alien army, marched off to a war he knows nothing about and cares about even less. But his warrior instincts kick in, and soon he comes to the attention of the commander who sees in this alien a means to snatch victory from certain defeat. The suicide mission given to our hero forcing him to turn back to the armor he longed to be rid of.

XO2017_001_001

Naturally, this story is heavy on the fighting and combat and light on the characterization. Aric does have a few moments of introspection, but X-O Manowar doesn’t really strive to be thought provoking. Instead the plot is straight forward action. Which is fine, since that is fit Aric’s nature and the situation he finds himself in.

As for the art, it was great. I thought it captured the strange feel of an alien world, portrayed the hectic nature of combat well, and was just cool to look at.

XO2017_002_001_thumb

To sum up. X-O Manowar is a good comic. Entertaining story. Great art. Loads of action and combat. Sure, the plot didn’t stray from the tried-and-true, but it was still a fun scifi romp that I’d recommend others give a try.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

Purchase the book at Amazon.

Posted in 3 Stars, Graphic Novels | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

THE FLASH, VOL. 9: FULL STOP

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Bookwraiths

guest-post2Today, I’m happy to have my son, Connor, return to the blog for yet another of his graphic novel reviews.  Thankfully, this is becoming something of a regular occasion, and I personally will be enjoying it for as long as it lasts.

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full stopThe Flash: Full Stop by Robert Venditti
and Van Jensen

Genre: Superhero Comics

Series: The Flash #9 

Publisher: DC Comics (November 22, 2016)

Author Information: Venditti’s  Website | Twitter
                                          Jensen’s Facebook |Twitter

Length: 144 pages

Connor’s Rating:   connor-capconnor-capconnor-capconnor-capconnor-cap

Last New 52 The Flash book. Yeah, there were a few volumes that weren’t as good as I would have liked, but this New 52 Flash was awesome most of the time.  I may be the only person out there, but I’m really sad for it to end.

batman superman crying

Okay, before I start the review, do I even need to tell everyone that you really need to read The Flash, Volume 8: Zoom before starting this?

I mean, what happened there is important here. Full Stop won’t make much sense unless you know what happened there. So, be smart, go read that volume before reading this one.

Last time out, Barry and Zoom tangled.  Epic battle.  Cool story that everyone should read.  Guess I’ve already mentioned that, right?

flash zoom animated

Flash has another volume, so everything turned out okay for our hero. So you’d think he might get a breather before everything blows up again. But, noooooo, now Barry’s own foster dad Darryl Frye decides to make Flash a wanted man! What? And Darryl isn’t coming after The Flash alone, as the newly deputized Rogues lend a hand, helped out by shiny, high tech drones which can track the fastest man alive!

flash full stop panel

Gotta say this was a great story. I loved the whole story writers Robert Vendetti and Van Jensen put together from the Rogues to the drone-like thingies to the BIG REVEAL! The story was interesting, cool, and kept me guessing until the end.

As for the art, Jesus Merino did an amazing job with everything and everyone here. Loved all the pages. Glad Barry got to end the New 52 run with the art he deserves.

This is a great book for all Flash fans to see the end of the New 52. It has a cool story with great art.  Plus it even has a bonus issue of The Flash: Rebirth #1 to help fans get into the new DC Rebirth Flash.

flash rebirth 1

Well, I hope you liked this review, and if you are on Goodreads, friend me any time to talk about my reviews or comic books.

batman-V-superman-logoAbout Connor (In his dad’s words):

Connor is a teenager (We had a birthday!) who enjoys graphic novels (DC Comics are preferred.), superhero movies (X-Men:Days of Future Past is his current favorite.), watching episodes of The Flash, Arrow, and Futurama, as well as the NFL, NCAA football, and the NBA on t.v., will happily accept any and all caps (because you just can’t have too many caps), and whose favorite music right now revolves around AC/DC.  And, no, Connor did not have any input into my paragraph about him.  Being a dad does have it’s privileges.

Purchase the book at Amazon.

Posted in 5 Stars, DC, Flash, Graphic Novels, The New 52 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

WARRIORS 1

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Bookwraiths

warriors 1Warriors 1 edited by George R. R. Martin
and Gardner Dozois

Genre: SFF

Series: Anthology

Publisher: Tor Books (March 29, 2011)

Length: 394 pages

My Rating: 3 stars

Warriors 1 is an anthology put together by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois; these two masters of speculative fiction giving readers an amazing collection of stories to devour. This initial volume penned by authors such as Joe Haldeman, Tad Williams, Robert Silverberg, and Martin himself. But for all its recognizable names, the book was an up-and-down affair for me with exactly two stories rising to the level of 4 stars, and, sadly, these were more along the lines of entertaining time wasters rather than gripping page turners or serious thought-provoking affairs. As for the rest of the novellas, they ran the gamut from It-Is-Decent to I-Had-To-Make-Myself-Finish-It.

Beginning with the best of the bunch, Martin’s “The Mystery Knight” might not be Dunk and Egg’s best adventure, but it is still a Westeros story, which made me happy, as I keep up the vigil for the next ASOIF novel to finally arrive.

“Defenders of the Frontier” by Silverberg wasn’t a story I got instantly excited about reading. Its premise of a band of frontier soldiers forgotten after a war ends and unsure what to do next not exactly what I expected out of an anthology about warriors.  Honestly, I viewed it as the most likely story to bore me to tears.  I shouldn’t have doubted the author however, because somehow, someway, Silverberg drew me into this world, made me feel real empathy for this band of brothers and their dilemma, and I quickly found myself enjoying this unique look at a very different sort of “warrior” problem, specifically whether to go home after your war ends.

“The Eagle and The Rabbit” by Steven Saylor was quite the historical ride. As a lover of history (especially ancient history), I always love to be transported back to Roman times, and this tale of slaves being physically and emotionally tortured by their Roman captors both jarred my psyche and spiritually uplifted me.

The next best of the bunch was probably Tad Williams contribution “And Ministers of Grace.” This quick morsel focusing on an interstellar assassin/terrorist with obsessive religious convictions. I thought the scifi world was well thought out, the tech was interesting, and our protagonists’ deep emotions very realistic. Only problem was the ending, which just didn’t live up to my expectations after the great start.

Joe Haldeman is one of the masters of military science fiction, so it should come as no surprise that “Forever Bound” focused on a young man drafted into the military of the near future and assigned to control avatar-like killing machines. The concept sounded interesting and very relevant to today’s world (considering the huge use and advancement in drone technology), but for whatever reason, the actual story didn’t deliver much emotional impact for me.

Rounding out the list is Holland’s “The King of Norway.” It has Vikings, war, and everything else which I usually adore, but for some reason it did not capture my attention. Perhaps others will find it more to their liking.

I’m glad I picked up Warriors 1; it was an entertaining anthology, which did a great job of presenting different types of stories which complemented one another yet still felt uniquely different. Unfortunately, not enough of these tales captured my imagination. I’ll definitely be picking up part two, but I hope it is much better than this one.

Purchase the book at Amazon

Posted in 2 Stars, Anthology, Fantasy, Military, Near-Future, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

EVIL IS A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Bookwraiths

evil is a matter

Evil Is A Matter of Perspective
edited by Adrian Collins

Genre: Fantasy — Grimdark

Series: Anthology

Publisher: Grimdark Magazine (June 16, 2017)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 522 pages

My Rating: 4 stars

Grimdark lovers gather around! Followers of the most foul follow my lead!  The ultimate anthology of the genre has arrived, and it perfectly captures the despicable, rotten, violent worlds and people of all our favorite authors. And whether you’re a dedicated reader of Grimdark Magazine or not, its creator Adrian Collins has put together a damn fine collection of stories with Evil Is A Matter of Perspective, one every fan of villains must read.

Once the book opens, a reader will immediately be dazzled by the authors included here. R. Scott Bakker, Michael R. Fletcher, Janny Wurts, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Alex Marshall, Marc Turner, Peter Orullian, Jeff Salyards, Deborah A. Wolf, Mazarkis Williams, Bradley P. Beaulieu, Matthew Ward, and many more. The list reading like a who’s who of fantasy. And, for the most part, the stories each of these authors contribute live up to their stellar reputations.

Naturally, there were all types of tales presented.  The only similarity among the lot that the protagonist are villains.  Those despicable characters most of us usually love to hate.  All the authors doing their best to reveal the hidden side of their most repulsive, vile creations.  And more than a few of these guys grew on me, made me feel bad at their circumstances, and even understand their motives.  Can’t say I ever liked any of them, but at least I became a more sympathetic hater.  But, naturally, I liked some of these people and their stories more than others, so instead of going through every single story in this anthology, I’m going to highlight my favorites of the bunch.

Right out of the gate I got to devour a delectable morsel of madness from my favorite author of the moment Michael R. Fletcher. His story “The Broken Dead” about an emotional scarred young woman, her misuse by her lover, and where it leads both immensely insightful and wickedly entertaining. If you haven’t read Fletcher yet, this tale will definitely whet your appetite for more.

The most surprising and jarring story for me was “Better than Breath” by Brian Staveley. This tale about a mother protecting her children tore at my heart, because the author’s twist at the end really stabbed the knife in deep, causing me to question everything I had felt so certain of just pages before.

Another favorite author of mine was Jeff Salyards look at a traitor in “The Syldoon Sun.” The motives and reasons for a turncoats’ seemingly horrible actions made clear, and his end more tragic for how it occurs.

Alex Marshall’s “The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore” was probably my favorite weird tale. The look at a young, naive woman ascending to the position of Black Pope of her world’s universal church quite the depressing, chaotic, and grim look at how youthful exuberance to change the world isn’t always a good thing.

But the highlight of the anthology for me was Peter Orullian’s amazingly clever, delightfully cruel, and cunningly crafted “The Aging of a Kill.” This revenge (or justice, according to your point of view) story about the calculated subversion of a person’s whole life rather than their murder so good I could not stop reading it. The Count of Monte Cristo has nothing on this story, boys and girls.

The only flaw of this anthology (Other reviewers have also mentioned it.) the fact that most of the villains here are just that VILLAINS. The stories not really presenting any sense that these guys have any redeeming qualities or are conflicted in any way regarding their vile ways. In fact, most of these people are bad at the beginning, middle and end of their story. No remorse. No believable struggle to fight their baser instincts. They are pieces of shite and don’t apologize for it. Nothing wrong with that, but I had expected these stories to highlight more ambiguity in their natures. So it probably should come as no surprise that my favorite stories are the ones where I felt the author did the best job of actually justifying their protagonists’ grimness.

Even with that criticism, I have to say Evil Is A Matter of Perspective was an excellent anthology, filled with stories for every readers’ taste. Simply put, it is some damn fine grimdark. And if you like villains, then there is no better place to get your fix, my grim brothers and sisters.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

Purchase the book at Amazon

Posted in 4 Stars, Anthology, Fantasy, Grimdark | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

INDIE WEDNESDAY: ADRIAN COLLINS

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Bookwraiths

Indie-WednesdayAlong my reading journey, I’ve made a conscious decision to include self-published and small press works in my reading schedule.  But it is difficult to know where to start: So many new authors and books to examine to find the perfect fit for my tastes.  And to help others with this same problem, I’ve decided to turn my Indie Wednesday feature into a day where writers can introduce themselves and their work to everyone.

Well, today, I’m honored to welcome Adrian Collins to Bookwraiths.  Most well known as the founder and editor of Grimdark Magazine, he is here talking about his first, huge, star-filled, grimdark anthology, Evil is a Matter of Perspective, where he has brought together a who’s who list of authors determined to show everyone there are always two sides to every story — including the people you love to hate.  So without any further introducing, let’s get to the interview!

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Thanks for joining us Adrian, and congratulations on the upcoming release of Evil is a Matter of Perspective. For readers who aren’t familiar with you, could you tell gdm1us a little about yourself?

Wendell, mate, thank you for having me. I run Grimdark Magazine with a team of SFF enthusiasts from around the world. We’ve recently printed off and distributed our first anthology, Evil is a Matter of Perspective, which is the reward for three years of hard slog to build relationships, knowledge, and the fan base to deliver this project—and one of the proudest achievements in my life so far.

Apart from that, I’m a pretty average fellow from Sydney, Australia.

As an editor, I’m sure everyone would love to hear what you look for in a story? Also, what elements automatically cause you to throw a submission on the proverbial reject pile?

For Grimdark Magazine I’m after a grim story told in a dark world by a morally grey protagonist. I want to see the villain’s perspective, horrible things done for questionably good reasons, betrayal, things going wrong, twists that turn our hero into the villain.

There are a few things that cause a fairly quick rejection, primary amongst them being when the submitter has pretty clearly not bothered to read our submission guidelines.

With fiction it’s usually one of the two extremes: either the author has sent us a vampire romance story, or they have gone completely off the deep end and sent us a splatterporn / rape-fest-driven short story thinking that’s what we’re after.

Evil is a Matter of Perspective: What sort of stories can be found inside? What sort of fantasy readers will be most likely to love this anthology?

Fantasy readers who love to get engrossed in every corner of an author’s world—not just the threads of the primary protagonists—will love this anthology.

When I pitched this anthology to authors, I asked for a story featuring one of their antagonists from a current world they were working in, as either an origin story or a different perspective on the current timeline. The authors who jumped on board delivered a phenomenal range of stories where their villains took centre stage and we saw their worlds from a different angle. I loved seeing the drive of some of these characters.

You have an amazing list of authors featured in this book. Rundown the who’s who and give us your own personal favorite stories from the book.

evil is a matterWe had an amazing response to our anthology pitch from the author and artist community. The team we put together includes a stack of traditionally published authors and some brilliant artists.

Evil is a Matter of Perspective features stories by R. Scott Bakker, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Michael R. Fletcher, Shawn Speakman, Teresa Frohock, Kaaron Warren, Courtney Schafer, Marc Turner, Jeff Salyards, Mazarkis Williams, Deborah A. Wolf, Brian Staveley, Alex Marshall, Bradley P. Beaulieu, Matthew Ward, Mark Alder, Janny Wurts, E.V. Morrigan, and Peter Orullian.

The artists behind that sleek, beautiful look are Tommy Arnold (cover), Jason Deem (interior art), and Shawn King (design).

My favourites are hard to pick, like deciding upon a favourite book, but the bits that stuck with me included (but are not limited to):

· The big twist in Brian Staveley’s Better than Breath
· Just plain old enjoying how Deborah A. Wolf writes Blood Penny (just beautiful to read)
· When I realised which character’s origin story I was reading in Alex Marshall’s The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore
· Laughing out loud on a train while reading R. Scott Bakker’s The Carathayan
· The chills running down my spine reading Exceeding Bitter by Kaaron Warren

You know, I could sit here and give you 19 bullet points with a unique thing I loved about each story, but I’ll stop there before this blows out and I accidentally spoil something for a reader.

What challenges did you face putting this book together and getting it to print?

Challenges… this could be a looooooong post. Running an anthology Kickstarter is 18 months of juggling a million jobs and 100 contributor / supplier / marketing relationships. But, one of the things you need to be able to do is identify your strengths and weaknesses, and one of my premier weaknesses is numbers. I’ve always been horrible at maths and patterns. Could never even understand basic algebra (honestly, what can you use it for anyway?).

When you’re setting up a Kickstarter, you’re signing on that if you take people’s money, you will deliver a product. How in line with customer expectations that product is, is your only wriggle room. If you run out of money, that’s your own bad luck. Unfortunately for my sanity, I didn’t have any accountants or mathematical genius’ in my network. So, I had to do it myself and it… took… months. I eventually got there and had the number right, but let me tell you, I reckon the old hairline has receded a few centimetres during the process.

The other challenge I’ll mention is that I live on the other side of the world to all the authors (bar one), the GdM team (bar two), the printer, the artist, the designer, the distributor, the logistics company—everybody involved. Not being able to talk to people face to face, or see the book in production, and the different time zones meant a great deal of late nights and early mornings on the phone, and a bit of stress worrying about what would come out the other end of this process.

Fortunately I had a group of very switched on and engaged individuals who worked with me until we brought this project to its completion.

Can you now claim to be a master of Kickstarter campaigns? If not, what else do you have left to prove?

kickstarterMaster? No. One success is nice, but there are so many little things I know I can do better. I’ll consider myself more of an expert than your average Joe when I’ve run five or more successfully back to back. My ability to run one is a work in progress, just like any skill. I’m having stacks of success and learning the intricacies of print production and distribution, but I’m also making mistakes, learning from them, and then making new mistakes to learn from. Each error means I’ll run a better project next time. Each time I post honest and transparent updates to our backers, I hope, creates the trust I need to run another successful one.

But I do love Kickstarter (so much so, I’ve got two more on the way). It’s gotta be hands down the best thing to happen to small publishing since print-on-demand. In my opinion, there is no better bang for buck marketing tool than a well-presented Kickstarter with a solid list of exciting stretch goals. Keep an eye on the GdM blog, I’ll be posting up a few articles about my experiences with Kickstarter in the coming months.

How do you view the future of grimdark fantasy going forward? Is its popularity waxing or waning?

If we judge the popularity of grimdark by where the big money is being invested, and we can see the stuff our crowd loves being turned into big budget shows—the new Game of Thrones spin offs, for example—then I’d say we’re still currently on an upward trend in popularity as people realise they enjoy those shows and books and try to search for more content in the same vein. I’m under no illusion though, at some point, we’ll be on the way back down, as all trends must. Maybe somebody will subvert the subverters, or come up with something cooler… who knows. The joy of being alive is not knowing what could happen. Today could be grimdark’s last day for all I know. But if it isn’t, then we’ll keep talking about all the things we love and publishing stories that feature anti-heroes and morally grey protagonists.

What grimdark books do you find yourself most likely to recommend to readers new to the genre?

Funnily enough I came across this list on Best Fantasy Books the other day and thought summed it up it pretty nicely.

Favorite grimdark authors?

There are an absolute stack of them that I love reading. I think, though, if I had to pick a favourite author, it’d be Mark Lawrence at the moment. His books are magnificent, he interacts with his fans frequently in the online circles I hang in, promotes self-published authors through his Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (agent and publishing contracts raining on the winners and runners up in that competition), and is just a genuine good bloke. If your readers are yet to read Prince of Thorns, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Any authors you’d love to work with but not yet had an opportunity to do so?

It’s no secret that I’m taking every opportunity I can to offer Joe Abercrombie work. His novels got me into this kind of fiction. The Bloody-Nine remains my favourite barbarian (sorry, Snorri). We just haven’t been able to get into his ballpark yet.

I’d also really like to grab a Kameron Hurley short story, something from N.K. Jemisin, Richard K. Morgan, Brent Weeks, Peter V. Brett, Anna Stephen’s new book looks like fun, de Castell, Sanderson, Polansky, Erikson… can we bring back Gemmell while we’re at it?

What is on the horizon for Grimdark Magazine?gdmlogo

We’ve got a collection on the way. I’m pretty excited to get that out on US / Canadian bookshelves and on Amazon for the rest of the world. After that, we’ll run another Kickstarter for a second anthology so keep an eye out for some more Tommy Arnold / Shawn King cover awesomesauce. I’m hoping that being able to deliver on the first one will give a few of the guys who weren’t able to jump on board Evil is a Matter of Perspective the trust in GdM to join our table of contents.

What up next for you personally?

Something I’m very excited about is a Kickstarter I’m running with Jinx Strange from our joint venture Omnicide Publishing. We’re going to put out a serial based loosely on the Australian First Fleet and the American Pilgrims run by a cracking author team—Richard Lee Byers, Jesse Bullington (Alex Marshall), Anna Smith-Spark, Michael R. Fletcher, and Angela Meadon with Matthew Ward managing the lore / world—backed by the GdM and Dirge Magazine teams.

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Purchase the book or magazine at Amazon

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TOP TEN TUESDAY

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Bookwraiths

TOP TEN TUESDAYS

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where a new top ten list hits the web every week!

This week our topic is …

TEN FANTASY BOOKS I’VE RECENTLY ADDED TO MY TBR LIST

Besides being a book lover and tome collector I’m also a TBR addict.  Few things are better than finding an interesting novel and adding it to my Goodreads “To-Read” list.  It just fills me with a sense of fulfillment to have uncovered yet another SFF story with great potential.  Perhaps it’s a form of electronic hoarding to do this, but I’m okay with that.  And now I’ll be sharing the most recent 10 books I’ve added to my ever growing, completely out-of-control TBR list!

blood of the red10. Blood of the Red by Mark Lawrence 

I know nothing about this except that Mark Lawrence penned it and that it is free to read on Wattpad.  Definitely intend to give this a try as soon as I can.

 

 

the way into chaos9. The Way Into Chaos by Harry Connolly

The city of Peradain is the heart of an empire built with steel, spears,and a monopoly on magic… until, in a single day, it falls, overthrown by a swarm of supernatural creatures of incredible power and ferocity. Neither soldier nor spell caster can stand against them.

The empire’s armies are crushed, its people scattered, its king and queen killed. Freed for the first time in generations, city-states scramble to seize neighboring territories and capture imperial spell casters. But as the creatures spread across the land, these formerly conquered peoples discover they are not prepared to face the enemy that destroyed an empire.

Can the last Peradaini prince, pursued by the beasts that killed his parents, cross battle-torn lands to retrieve a spell that might—just might—turn the battle against this new enemy?

the path of flames8. The Path of Flames by Phil Turner

A war fueled by the dark powers of forbidden sorcery is about to engulf the Ascendant Empire. Agerastian heretics, armed with black fire and fueled by bitter hatred, seek to sever the ancient portals that unite the empire – and in so doing destroy it.

Asho–a squire with a reviled past–sees his liege, the Lady Kyferin, and her meager forces banished to an infamous ruin. Beset by tragedy and betrayal, demons and an approaching army, the fate of the Kyferins hangs by the slenderest of threads. Asho realizes that their sole hope of survival may lie hidden within the depths of his scarred soul–a secret that could reverse their fortunes and reveal the truth behind the war that wracks their empire.

dusk7. Dusk by Tim Lebbon

Kosar the thief senses that Rafe Baburn is no ordinary boy. After witnessing a madman plunder Rafe’s village and murder his parents, Kosar knows the boy needs his help. And now, for a reason he cannot fathom, others are seeking the boy’s destruction.

Uncertain where to begin, Kosar turns to A’Meer, an ex-lover and Shantasi warrior whose people, unbeknownst to him, have been chosen to safeguard magic’s return. A’Meer knows instantly that it is Rafe who bears this miracle of magic. Now Kosar and a band of unexpected allies embark on a battle to protect one special boy. For dark forces are closing in–including the Mages, who have been plotting their own triumphant return.

whitefire crossing6. The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer

Dev is a smuggler with the perfect cover. He’s in high demand as a guide for the caravans that carry legitimate goods from the city of Ninavel into the country of Alathia. The route through the Whitefire Mountains is treacherous, and Dev is one of the few climbers who knows how to cross them safely. With his skill and connections, it’s easy enough to slip contraband charms from Ninavel – where any magic is fair game, no matter how dark – into Alathia, where most magic is outlawed.

But smuggling a few charms is one thing; smuggling a person through the warded Alathian border is near suicidal. Having made a promise to a dying friend, Dev is forced to take on a singularly dangerous cargo: Kiran. A young apprentice on the run from one of the most powerful mages in Ninavel, Kiran is desperate enough to pay a fortune to sneak into a country where discovery means certain execution – and he’ll do whatever it takes to prevent Dev from finding out the terrible truth behind his getaway.

Yet Kiran isn’t the only one harboring a deadly secret. Caught up in a web of subterfuge and dark magic, Dev and Kiran must find a way to trust each other – or face not only their own destruction, but that of the entire city of Ninavel.

halls of law5. Halls of Law by V.M. Escalada 

The Faraman Polity was created by the first Luqs, and has been ruled for generations by those of the Luqs bloodline. It is a burgeoning empire maintained by the combined efforts of the standing military force and the Talents of the Halls of Law. While the military preserves and protects, it is the Halls’ Talents—those gifted from birth with magical abilities—who serve as the agents and judges of the Law. For no one can successfully lie to a Talent. Not only can they read people by the briefest of physical contacts, but they can also read objects, able to find information about anyone who has ever come into direct contact with that object. Thanks to the Talents and the career military, the Polity has long remained a stable and successful society. But all that is about to change.

the seven4. The Seven by Peter Newman

Years have passed since the Vagrant journeyed to the Shining City, Vesper in arm and Gamma’s sword in hand.

Since then the world has changed. Vesper, following the footsteps of her father, journeyed to the breach and closed the tear between worlds, protecting the last of humanity, but also trapping the infernal horde and all those that fell to its corruptions: willing or otherwise.

In this new age it is Vesper who leads the charge towards unity and peace, with seemingly nothing standing between the world and a bright new future.

That is until eyes open.

And The Seven awakes.

godblind3. Godblind by Anna Stephens

The Mireces worship the bloodthirsty Red Gods. Exiled from Rilpor a thousand years ago, and left to suffer a harsh life in the cold mountains, a new Mireces king now plots an invasion of Rilpor’s thriving cities and fertile earth.

Dom Templeson is a Watcher, a civilian warrior guarding Rilpor’s border. He is also the most powerful seer in generations, plagued with visions and prophecies. His people are devoted followers of the god of light and life, but Dom harbors deep secrets, which threaten to be exposed when Rillirin, an escaped Mireces slave, stumbles broken and bleeding into his village.

Meanwhile, more and more of Rilpor’s most powerful figures are turning to the dark rituals and bloody sacrifices of the Red Gods, including the prince, who plots to wrest the throne from his dying father in the heart of the kingdom. Can Rillirin, with her inside knowledge of the Red Gods and her shocking ties to the Mireces King, help Rilpor win the coming war?

the court of broken knives2. The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark

They’ve finally looked at the graveyard of our Empire with open eyes. They’re fools and madmen and like the art of war. And their children go hungry while we piss gold and jewels into the dust.

In the richest empire the world has ever known, the city of Sorlost has always stood, eternal and unconquered. But in a city of dreams governed by an imposturous Emperor, decadence has become the true ruler, and has blinded its inhabitants to their vulnerability. The empire is on the verge of invasion – and only one man can see it.

Haunted by dreams of the empire’s demise, Orhan Emmereth has decided to act. On his orders, a company of soldiers cross the desert to reach the city. Once they enter the Palace, they have one mission: kill the Emperor, then all those who remain. Only from ashes can a new empire be built.

The company is a group of good, ordinary soldiers, for whom this is a mission like any other. But the strange boy Marith who walks among them is no ordinary soldier. Marching on Sorlost, Marith thinks he is running away from the past which haunts him. But in the Golden City, his destiny awaits him – beautiful, bloody, and more terrible than anyone could have foreseen.

swarm and steel1.   Swarm and Steel by Michael R. Fletcher

To escape the hell she created, a woman must team up with a novice warrior and return to her homeland in this gritty epic fantasy where delusions are literally made real.

Zerfall awakens in an alley, wounded and unable to remember her past. Chased by an assassin out into the endless wastes of the desert, she is caught, disfigured, and left for dead. Her scabbard is empty, but the need for answers—and the pull of her sword—will draw her back to the city-states.

When Jateko, a naïve youth, accidentally kills a member of his own tribe, he finds himself outcast and pursued across the desert for his crimes. Crazed from dehydration, dying of thirst and hunger, he stumbles across Zerfall.

Hunted by assassins and bound by mutual need, both Zerfall and Jateko will confront the Täuschung, an ancient and deranged religion ruled by a broken fragment of Zerfall’s mind. Swarm, the Täuschung hell, seethes with imprisoned souls, but where gods—real or imagined—meddle in the affairs of man, the cost is high.

In Swarm and Steel, the power of belief can manifest and shape reality, and for political and religious leaders, faith becomes a powerful tool. But the insane are capable of twisting reality with their delusions as well, turning increasingly dangerous as their sanity crumbles. It is here that a long prophesied evil will be born, an endless hunger. The All Consuming will rise.

Are any of these books also on your TBR list?  Already read them?  Reviewed them?  Got some other SFF you’d like to tell me about.  I’m all ears.  Let me hear your thoughts.  🙂

 

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