SFF Blog Recap

24 May - 30 May

Welcome to this week's SFF Blog Recap! I enjoy gathering these very interesting posts every week. I hope you enjoy reading them too.

Please go to Speculative Book Review to read the entire post.

Cover Art: The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch

The new UK cover of Scott Lynch's The Republic of Thieves is outstanding. The bloody daggers and the name of the book are a nice touch too. The two characters definitely create a creepy atmosphere. I especially like the male mask.

Blurb

After their adventures on the high seas, Locke and Jean are brought back to earth with a thump. Jean is mourning the loss of his lover and Locke must live with the fallout of crossing the all-powerful magical assassins the Bonds Magi. It is a fall-out that will pit both men against Locke's own long lost love. Sabetha is Locke's childhood sweetheart, the love of Locke's life and now it is time for them to meet again. Employed on different sides of a vicious dispute between factions of the Bonds Sabetha has just one goal - to destroy Locke for ever. The Gentleman Bastard sequence has become a literary sensation in fantasy circles and now, with the third book, Scott Lynch is set to seal that success.

The Storm Guardians by Stephen Zimmer

I recently reviewed The Exodus Gate by Stephen Zimmer. The Exodus Gate was the first book of the Rising Dawn Saga. Last week, Seventh Star Press announced the second installment of the series, called The Storm Guardians:

For Immediate Release
May 18, 2010

Stephen Zimmer’s The Storm Guardians, Book Two of the Rising Dawn Saga, Set For Launch at Hypericon

Seventh Star Press will be launching Stephen Zimmer’s second Rising Dawn Saga novel, The Storm Guardians, at the Hypericon science fiction and fantasy convention in Nashville, TN, taking place from June 4-6, 2010.

Book two in the epic urban fantasy series, the release reflects the commitment of Seventh Star Press to have a new title out each year in the Rising Dawn Saga.  The Storm Guardians follows the events and characters introduced in The Exodus Gate, and is an installment full of action and intrigue set in a parallel world very similar to Earth.

With a multi-threaded style that focuses on a diverse range of characters, the novel appeals to readers of epic and urban fantasy alike. The danger rises and the stakes grow throughout all of the story threads in The Storm Guardians:  A massive battle looms in the spirit realms, as the Fallen Avatar Beleth's legions pour into the Middle Lands.   Babylon Technologies prepares to unveil its greatest invention, a technology that will impact every living being on the face of the world.  The shape-shifting An-Ki find themselves in grave peril, as the Night Hunt resumes once again.  A small group of high school students make an incredible discovery, even as tensions swirl in a small town over a law enforcement deadlock that causes a sheriff to question his own part in the course of events.  The Convergence continues its steadfast march towards a global legal and economic order, using all means at its disposal.  The question is: Who will be the guardians against the storm?

The Rising Dawn Saga is just one of two active fantasy series by Stephen Zimmer, whose epic medieval Fires in Eden series was set in motion with the release of Crown of Vengeance, in November of 2009.  The second book in the Fires in Eden series is slated for winter of 2010.

Amanda DeBord, chief editor at Seventh Star Press, and who was the editor for Zimmer’s The Exodus Gate and Crown of Vengeance novels, said about the new book, “I'm so excited for the release of The Storm Guardians, and happy to be one of the first to tell readers that they're going to love the developments in this second installment of Zimmer's Rising Dawn Saga. Fans of The Exodus Gate will be happy to see the return of familiar faces, and some real heroes arising from the action.  However, Stephen has taken care to ensure that new readers to the series will be able to jump right in to the story.”

The Storm Guardians also continues the artistic collaboration between fantasy artist Matthew Perry and Stephen Zimmer, featuring no less than thirteen brand new, full page illustrations, as well as the cover art. Along with The Exodus Gate and Crown of Vengeance, Matthew has now done more than 40 full page illustrations and three covers in his association with Stephen’s literary works.  “Stephen's narratives cover the gamut of deep introspectiveness to epic, world-changing events. To have that range, and to be to able to go in and out of those possibilities, makes it an adventure for me to see what emerges from the empty canvas,” said Matthew.

One of the most active fantasy authors in productivity and appearances, Stephen will be visiting numerous conventions and bookstores throughout 2010 in support of The Storm Guardians and his other literary works and film projects.

The Hypericon visit from June 4-6th in Nashville kicks off the support of The Storm Guardians, along with a June 7th appearance at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Memphis, TN.   “I am really honored to be launching the new book at Hypericon, which has always been a wonderful event, with many special friends, readers, and amazing guests, like this year’s guest of honor, a living literary legend, Ramsey Campbell.  I’m very thankful to Fred Grimm for this opportunity.  I can’t wait to find out what readers think of The Storm Guardians, as I believe it shows how I build upon my foundations in a series. Expect loads of action, and many surprises!” Stephen said.

A special collector’s edition hardcover, limited to 75 copies, is now being offered with a full package of collectibles, with trade paperback, hardcover, Kindle, and eBook editions to follow.

Updates and additional information can be obtained at the official site for Seventh Star Press, at www.seventhstarpress.com , or at the author's site at www.stephenzimmer.com

Hypericon’s official website can be found at: www.hypericononline.com

Contact:  C.C. James
Public Relations, Seventh Star Press
ccjames@seventhstarpress.com
Seventh Star Press Mailing Address:
3801 Dylan Place Suite 116, #7
Lexington, Ky. 40514-1062

Seventh Star Press is a small press publisher of speculative fiction located in Lexington Kentucky.

Here are some of the illustrations from The Storm Guardians done by Matthew Perry:

SFF Blog Recap

I posted this week's SFF Blog Recap covering the period of 10-16 May on Speculative Book Review.

Cover Art: Imager's Intrigue by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

WOW!!! 

L.E. Modesitt, Jr.'s Imager's Intrigue gets an amazing cover art. Not only it follows the artistic path drawn by the two previous books of the Imager Portfolio, namely Imager and Imager's Challenge, but it easily becomes the most impressive among those three.

Looking at the light, the posture of the figures, their movements and especially the general style of the cover art, I almost expect to see it in a classic setting among the paintings of divinities or compositions about medieval plague.

Beautiful!!!

Book Review: The Dwarves by Markus Heitz

Title: The Dwarves
Author: Markus Heitz
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit
Publishing Date: 6 Aug 2009
Paperback: 752 pages
ISBN-10: 1841495727
ISBN-13: 978-1841495729
Book One of the Dwarves tetralogy

For countless millennia, no man or beast has ever succeeded in breaching the stone gateway into Girdlegard. Until now ...Abandoned as a child, Tungdil the blacksmith is the only dwarf in a kingdom of men. But when he is sent out into the world to deliver a message and reacquaint himself with his people, the young foundling finds himself thrust into a battle for which he has not been trained. Not only his own safety, but the life of every man, woman and child in Girdlegard depends upon his ability to embrace his heritage. Although he has many unanswered questions, Tungdil is certain of one thing: no matter where he was raised, he is a true dwarf. And no one has ever questioned the courage of the Dwarves. "

Please go to Speculative Book Review to read the entire review.

French Did It Again! Cover Art of "Drone"

Here's another one! There's definitely a trend here! The awesomeness of most French Sci-Fi & Fantasy cover arts is an undeniable fact. I hope we'll see this gripping quality in the US and the UK cover arts too.

Magnifique!

Book Review: Shine edited by Jetse De Vries

Title: Shine: An Anthology of Near-Future Optimistic Science-Fiction
Edited By: Jetse de Vries
Genre: Sci-fi
Publisher: Solaris
Publishing Date: 15 April 2010
Paperback: 416 pages
Standalone

On the Back of the Book

A collection of near-future, optimistic SF stories where some of the genre's brightest stars and most exciting new talents portray the possible roads to a better tomorrow. Definitely not a plethora of Pollyannas (but neither a barrage of dystopias), SHINE will show that positive change is far from being a foregone conclusion, but needs to be hard fought, innovative, robust and imaginative. Let's make our tomorrows SHINE.

(You can read the full review on Speculative Book Review.)

SFF Blog Recap

I posted my last week's blog recap on Speculative Book Review. Thanks for reading!