tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12553066761356756012024-02-19T16:33:03.350+00:00Between Two Books"I can promise to be candid, though I may not be impartial" - GoetheYagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.comBlogger233125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-59686043696784373732014-08-25T18:00:00.000+01:002014-08-25T18:07:15.934+01:00ALS, My Mum and My Ice Bucket Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I know some of you find the Ice Bucket Challenge silly or childish. A part of me could probably have done so only if my mother weren't suffering from ALS.<br />
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She got diagnosed with ALS a year ago. As you can imagine it hasn't been easy since then. Not for her, not for us... I guess, only a fool would think that one is immune to bad things in life. But we are good at pushing away thoughts about bad possibilities. You hear these things around you. Terrible accidents, cancer, heart attacks... Then one day, this dark shadow, this bringer of bad news, is right next to you, in your house. You don't hear it from a friend or an acquaintance but it's your mother or father telling you about their condition.<br />
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Then you don't know what to say... for a while, at least. Normally, you never think of inquiring about your parents' or one of your family members life expectancy. You try to find encouraging words, ways to say<i> "hang in there. Be strong. We'll fight it together."</i> But in the case of ALS the fight is a downhill one. Many times, I envied, in my ignorance, cancer patients and their relatives. Just for their hope, their hope of beating their disease. Unfortunately ALS is not like that. It is a debilitating disease. Hope is not about defeating it but only about slowing down the worsening of the patient's condition.<br />
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Of course, this is the case today. I'm sure medicine and science will overcome ALS and many other things, given time and resources. This is where the initiatives such as Ice Bucket Challenge become very important. Not only they raise public awareness about these terrible diseases, they also create much sought out resources thanks to people's generous donations. So, please donate generously. You may be helping a relative or a friend who's going to be an ALS patient in the future.<br />
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Stay healthy. Stay happy.<br />
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Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-62677611990126553602014-08-12T13:00:00.000+01:002014-08-12T13:00:04.679+01:00Review: Parasite by Mira Grant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316218952?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0316218952&linkCode=xm2&tag=booksebooks-20" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Rut135pc7qLGRalm7h9Q7T8x8yJR0p4twojD2pOMErcMh25qb6k4BnvFJ4Txp6OnTJXO13ruiAAqNDAVWXKL5V41pyEKn_PUTesVdak3y9TXrbaevOH6wVP1am42_CQhnVjmHtFTL1w/s1600/Mira+Grant+-+Parasite.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> Parasite<br />
<b>Author:</b> Mira Grant<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Orbit (Oct 29, 2013)<br />
<b>Hardcover:</b> 512 pages<br />
<b>ISBN:</b> 978-0316218955<br />
<b>Series:</b> Parasitology (Book 1)<br />
<b>Electronic Copy:</b> Provided by the Publisher<br />
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<i>"<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span></b> decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>We owe our good health to a humble parasite -- a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the Intestinal Bodyguard worm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system -- even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives . . . and will do anything to get them."</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>I</i></span></b> recently noticed that Mira Grant's <i>Parasite</i> had been sitting on my <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">NetGalley</a> dashboard for a while. And I knew it had been very well received by the readers therefore I decided it was time to wear my lab coat, safety goggles and rubber gloves to handle this specimen.<br />
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<i>Parasite</i> is narrated from the point of view of the main female protagonist Sal (Sally) Mitchell. When Sally was 20 years old she had a seizure while driving. She lost control of her car and drove straight into the path of an incoming bus. The two vehicles collided without slowing down and the impact sent Sally slamming into a nearby wall. After the accident she was pronounced "clinically brain dead". Her parents and sister hoped that she might wake up one day but the damage from the accident had been too great. She was gone. She was not coming back. Or so everybody thought. Thanks to her <i>intestinal bodyguard</i>, Sally (<i>Sal</i> after the accident) woke up with total amnesia, even unable to speak. She was born again.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"I am alive because of a genetically engineered tapeworm. Not a miracle; God was not involved in my survival. They can call it an "implant" or an "Intestinal Bodyguard," with or without that damn trademark, but the fact remains that we're talking about a tapeworm. A big, ugly, blind, parasitic invertebrate that lives in my small intestine, where it naturally secrets a variety of useful chemicals, including - as it turns out - some that both stimulate brain activity and clean toxic byproducts out of blood." </i></blockquote>
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You see... We think that there are going to be nanorobots controlling many aspects of our bodies in the near future but in <i>Parasite,</i> SymboGen do better than that. They genetically engineer custom tapeworms, SymboGen Intestinal Bodyguards, for each willing patient.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Without SymboGen, I would have died. I needed to remember that. No matter how much I hated the therapists and the tests and everything else, I owed my life to SymboGen."</i></blockquote>
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<i>Parasite</i> is the first book of Mira Grant's that I've read. Contrary to most bloggers around me I hadn't read her <i>Newsflesh</i> books so I won't be able to compare <i>Parasite</i> with her earlier works. But I can say that I was pleasantly surprised with her prose and her energetic dialogs. Opening of the chapters with descriptions of video footages recorded by various protagonists certainly added to the story and to the general atmosphere of the book. Unfortunately these weren't enough for me to love <i>Parasite</i>. It's such a pity that the plot couldn't be on par with the author's prose.<br />
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The story lacked considerable pace, especially at the first half of the book. Twice I thought we were shifting up gears, a third through and halfway through, to be disappointed shortly after. I kept waiting for the action during a story that mostly came across flat.<br />
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Furthermore, the plot was unable to convince me. I haven't done any research on it but most of the time, at least about anything that's not instinctive, I would have expected Sal to behave like a 6 year-old. She was far from that. Her speech, her thoughts and especially her analytical capabilities fully reflected her adult age.<br />
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I also felt like the profession of Sal's father and sister, and the introduction of a dog were too convenient... too contrived. Dad and sister's working for the San Francisco branch of USAMRIID - the United States of America Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases helped certainly the author in adding some twists to the plot. Introduction of the dog wasn't necessary in my opinion. It was a cheesy move. I would not have been too surprised about it if it were done 30 years ago much more skilfully by King or Koontz. Perhaps the dog has a role to play in future instalments of the series.<br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">P</span></b>arasite</i>, the first book of Mira Grant's that I've read, was unable to satisfy me. The author's prose makes me certain that I will try another book of hers in the future, truly hoping that she can create better plots.<br />
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<b>Overall: 6/10</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Roll the dice but count the cards,<br />Break the glass but keep the shards."</i><br />
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Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-84875887094467816452014-08-09T11:44:00.000+01:002014-08-09T11:44:17.797+01:00Review: Half A King by Joe Abercrombie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804178321?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0804178321&linkCode=xm2&tag=booksebooks-20" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliBhhrCQvWrNr55jctSVj0-DJrxbto09ncFfqLVjurLs_1L8EzdIW77nxgqWqtLxq74KM2LjpDsqz0Gcw1xpll_Hr7729ZPGDMLFWSL3mDAw9FDsc6vPCyOuAAmoVzwtUbonUUU-2jsc/s1600/Joe+Abercrombie+-+Half+A+King.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: Half A King<br />
<b>Author</b>: Joe Abercrombie<br />
<b>Hardcover</b>: 352 Pages<br />
<b>US Publisher</b>: Del Rey (15 Jul 2014)<br />
<b>UK Publisher</b>: Harper Voyager (3 Jul 2014)<br />
<b>ISBN-10</b>: 0804178321<br />
<b>ISBN-13</b>: 978-0804178327<br />
<b>Series</b>: Shattered Sea<br />
<b>Electronic Copy</b>: Sent by the publisher<br />
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<i>"<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></b> swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.”</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>Prince Yarvi has vowed to regain a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains, and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea. And he must do it all with only one good hand.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>The deceived will become the deceiver.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>Born a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>The betrayed will become the betrayer.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>Will the usurped become the usurper?</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi finds his path may end as it began—in twists, and traps, and tragedy."</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>H</i></b></span>alf A King’s setting is reminiscent of the Viking era. The main protagonist, Yarvi, is a prince. He is the second son of his father, trailing a strong brother groomed to rule one day. Yarvi has a deformed hand so he is considered unfit to rule in a land where physical power is what a great leader is expected to have.<br />
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Young Yarvi learns the death of his father and his brother when he is about to become a minister, readying himself for a life of celibacy. Because of his handicap he has never imagined he would rule. But when his Uncle comes unannounced and kneels before him saying<i> “My King” </i>he understands that his father and his brother are dead. And this changes his life forever.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"He had expected to be a minister. To give up wife and children with hardly a thought. Kissing the aged cheek of Grandmother Wexen when he passed the test was the closest he had hoped to come to romance."</i></blockquote>
In Half a King, Abercrombie has created a world with a hint of mythology that I hope we would discover in more details in the series' future instalments. In this world, Elves are the legendary powerful beings who lived a long time ago and who vanished leaving buildings and all sorts of artifacts behind. It is told that they haven't been seen<i> "since the Breaking of God" </i>and <i>"for thousands upon thousands of years"</i>.<br />
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This world has also many gods: <i>"409 small and 6 tall"</i>. I really liked how the author created dualities by calling the six tall gods: <i>Mother Sea, Father Earth, Mother Sun, Father Moon, Mother War, Father Peace</i>.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>W</i></span></b>hen the new book of one of my favourite authors lands on my desk I drop whatever I’m reading in order to savour this precious newcomer. However it is not easy to review such a book. Not because I feel like I have to write a good review but because of expectations and standards. To me, the book of a top author comes with a heavy responsibility: to live up to the standards set by the author in her previous books. And this is where it gets tricky because having high expectations is the enemy of great entertainment. Therefore, opinions expressed about such a book should be considered in this context where disappointments could seem much larger.<br />
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Don’t worry. I’m not going to say that Half A King is a bad book. But… (You knew there was going to be a “but”, didn’t you) since the moment I turned the last page of the book I’ve been telling myself <i>“there’s something missing in Half A King. Something that made me love Abercrombie’s books”</i>. It’s hard to put a finger on it. I guess what I missed the most in Half A King was the stomach knotting, gut wrenching, kick in the balls moments that leave you breathless and that make you shake your fist to the heavens. Those are the side effects of an immersive reading that usually earn Abercrombie 10/10 from me and I really missed them.<br />
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Then, maybe it’s also due to the<i> “tone”</i> of the story telling. I know some readers complain about cursing and sex in books but those are part of the reality, aren’t they? Think about the Viking era. Or about a medieval setting. Do you think that baddies, mercenaries, soldiers, sailors, slaves, whores talked like they were part of the royal family? No, of course not. Same goes for sex. They didn’t live their sexual lives like 13 year olds stealing kisses from each other. In my opinion those details add reality to a story and help in creating the immersive experience that I always look for in the books that I read. So maybe they were part of the things that I missed in Half A King.<br />
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Last but not least, the book also felt pretty short. I would have expected Abercrombie to develop certain parts of the story in more detail. I'm not sure whether this was due to editing or just due to the style of the story telling but that's what I felt. Now... this could also indicate a good story as in <i>"pages turned themselves"</i> or <i>"read it in one sitting"</i>. You could be the judge when you read it.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></i></b> enjoyed Half A King but it didn’t satisfy me as fully as Abercrombie’s pervious books. It was like being very thirsty on a summer day, grabbing the last bottle of your favourite beer and finding it not as cold as you imagined it. Nonetheless, I would recommend it. It is a good story told masterfully by one of the best fantasy writers. You can’t go wrong with it. Get your copy, enjoy it and look forward to reading the second book of the series.<br />
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<b>Overall: 8/10</b><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">M</span></i></b>emorable Quotes:<br />
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<i>"The fool strikes. The wise man smiles, and watches, and learns. Then strikes."</i> - Queen Laithlin<br />
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<i>"A king must win. The rest is dust."</i> - Odem<br />
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<i>"Enemies are the price of success."</i> - Queen Laithlin<br />
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<i>"The wise wait for their moment, but never let it pass."</i><br />
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<i>"When a wise minister has nothing but enemies, she beats one with a worse."</i> - Mother Gundring<br />
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<i>"When you’re in hell, only a devil can point the way out."</i> - Yarvi<br />
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<i>"The great warrior is the one who still breathes when the crows feast. The great king is the one who watches the carcasses of his enemies burn."</i> - Nothing<br />
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<i>"You cannot expect all the heroes to survive a good song."</i> - Yarvi<br />
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<i>"You may need two hands to fight someone, but only one to stab them in the back."</i> - Yarvi<br />
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<i>"A wise king always has someone to blame."</i> - Mother Gundring</div>
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Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-62752572654046884232014-01-10T18:00:00.000+00:002014-01-10T18:00:07.520+00:00Mobile App: Hairy Tales<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I came across <b>Hairy Tales</b> last night. It is currently free on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hairy-tales/id557886420?mt=8">Apple's App Store</a>. It is a great puzzle-action game and by the time you pass the tutorial you're addicted to it. I'm sure you're going to like the <i>Hairys</i>.<br />
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<b>Hairy Tales</b> by <i>Josh Presseisen</i><br />
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Combining tile-dragging mechanics with fast furious action, Hairy Tales is a puzzle action game about the zany adventures of a group of not too bright folk spirits, as you help them puzzle out evil conundrums in their mission to save their tile-based world from sickening corruption.<br />
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It stars the Hairys, an excitable group of fairy folk who are so eager to clear their world of corruption that they simply don't watch where they're going. It's up to you to lead them to safety by placing tiles and power ups in their way.<br />
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It has 72 levels split across three distinctive worlds, where players must simultaneously save the Hairys from falling off the edge of the world by re-arranging the tiles on each level, while acquiring power ups, magic mushrooms and destroying evil enemy Kikimoras and their three powerful end bosses.<br />
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Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-13283737940552344082013-08-09T14:01:00.002+01:002013-08-09T14:01:38.447+01:00Winds of Change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I just hit the <b><span style="font-size: large;">"PAUSE"</span></b> button.<br />
<br />
I'll be blogging only on<b> <a href="http://speculativebookreview.blogspot.com/">Speculative Book Review</a></b> for a while.<br />
<br />
Thank you.</div>
Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-2133807033414206362013-07-10T14:00:00.000+01:002013-07-10T14:24:43.591+01:00Review: Crash by Guy Haley<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuitE4oXCWvBbl2yWhsUD89Gq9sIS6bNSnjmsmI2iudWJaS58zxrU99I35edA8Jx9o_5exzyn_8wW8DD4gVEOV5jXZ1kgXqJuWzvQDjPHHHhS0imIA7ljxjgVhkF3hjlu7jUHHD4kDha8/s1600/Guy+Haley+-+Crash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuitE4oXCWvBbl2yWhsUD89Gq9sIS6bNSnjmsmI2iudWJaS58zxrU99I35edA8Jx9o_5exzyn_8wW8DD4gVEOV5jXZ1kgXqJuWzvQDjPHHHhS0imIA7ljxjgVhkF3hjlu7jUHHD4kDha8/s320/Guy+Haley+-+Crash.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">"D</span></b>ariusz is an engineer whose career ended years ago; now, a man he’s never met sits in a bar that doesn’t exist and offers him a fresh start... at a price. Cassandra – ‘Sand,’ to her friends – is a space pilot, who itches to get her hands on the controls and actually fly a ship, rather than watch computers do it for her.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The ‘Pointers’ – the elite 0.01% who control virtually all wealth – have seen the limitations of a plundered Earth and set their eyes on the stars. And now Dariusz and Sand, and a half-million ambitious men and women just like them, are sent out to extend the Pointers’ and the Market’s influence across the galaxy.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>But the colony fleet is sabotaged and the ESS Adam Mickiewicz crashes, on an alien planet where one hemisphere is seared by perpetual daylight and the other shrouded in eternal night. The castaways have the chance to create society from scratch... if they're not destroyed by the hostile planet – or their own leaders – before they can even begin."</i><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">"W</span></b>hy do you read fiction?" When I turned the barrel of this question to myself, my immediate answer was: <i>"to be entertained"</i>. In fiction, <i>entertainment</i> is what I'm looking for and the overall experience is what I value the most. To qoute <i>Jojen Reeds</i> from <i>Martin</i>'s <i>A Song of Ice and Fire</i>: "<i>A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.</i>" So, when I turned the first page of <i>Crash</i>, I was looking to put another notch on the hilt of that sword.<br />
<br />
<i>Crash</i> opens with a prologue that immediately hooks the reader. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"At first, Dariusz Szczeciński was dead, then he was not.
</i><br />
<i>Machines hurried him to life more quickly than they should. Preservative fluids were sucked from his circulatory system with haste, warmed blood pumped in their place..."</i></blockquote>
<br />
The main protagonish, Dariusz Szczeciński, wakes up after, what appears to be, a crash. The dozen-page prologue is perfect to whet the reader's appetite.<br />
<br />
Then, the author takes us to 22nd-century Earth where the reader remains throughout the first quarter of the book. Here Haley paints a very probable picture of our hurting planet that is damaged beyond repair. In that future, a handful of people forming the elite of the society, the pointers, live a dream life while 99% of the human population can barely survive. In this first part, the reader gets to know the backstory of the main protagonist Dariusz as well as some other important characters.<br />
<br />
Maybe it comes with the age but as I grow older I lose my faith in humanity. We are not doing enough to protect our planet, we are wasting precious resources, in the name of dogma we are not educating our people in family planning. And one of the projections of our planet's current state could very well match what Haley describes in this first part of <i>Crash</i>. That <i>probable realism</i> glued the book to my hands.<br />
<br />
And in the second part of the book the reader find herself back to the crash and the very important events surrounding it. That's where the story picks up more speed.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately I hadn't read any of Haley's work before therefore I won't be able to compare <i>Crash</i> to his previous novels however I really liked his smooth, flowing style. The structure and the construction of the story is skilfully realised and <i>Crash</i> is somewhat reminiscent of some of Eric Brown's work. One or two characters failed to make an impression on me however, in general, I didn't have much difficulty in relating to them.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">C</span></b>rash is an action-packed, enthralling novel. I loved Guy Haley's storytelling and in <i>Crash</i> he gives us an adventure well-worth following. I am really looking forward to reading the sequel. And when I turned Crash's last page I knew I was going to read one of Haley's previous works very soon, while waiting for its sequel to be published. A copy of <i>Champion of Mars</i> is already waiting for me on my desk.<br />
<br />
Plot: ............. 8<br />
Characters: ... 7<br />
Style: ............ 8<br />
<br />
Overall: ....... <b>8.5</b>/10</div>
Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-12248419172973104912013-07-03T14:00:00.000+01:002013-07-03T17:57:59.328+01:00Cover Art: The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBE8LfZoUA0Y0hRmNHNNVDi6s2d_ZN5xZoP8z47XoY3u2jnimvSSUaymlAM9baT_aPQ9weiAV9TNkHRZg-hIJCtW-f_oyyX1BJAgoPbtGZHmO3N1VV59Chllf3n7Hv8TVZ0CGoyiyDk0/s1600/Brian+Staveley+-+The+Emperor's+Blades.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBE8LfZoUA0Y0hRmNHNNVDi6s2d_ZN5xZoP8z47XoY3u2jnimvSSUaymlAM9baT_aPQ9weiAV9TNkHRZg-hIJCtW-f_oyyX1BJAgoPbtGZHmO3N1VV59Chllf3n7Hv8TVZ0CGoyiyDk0/s400/Brian+Staveley+-+The+Emperor's+Blades.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
We keep saying <i>"don't judge a book by its cover"</i> and we strive to be less superficial. Nevertheless, a first impression remains a very strong feeling. The covers that have the power to move each individual may be different but they are still powerful.<br />
<br />
Obviously I missed the cover reveal a while back. But when I first saw the cover of The Emperor's Blades, I felt I had to drop everything I was doing to read the book. It seems to me that the cover alone wants to tell us a story that is worth listening to. Needless to say, I was very disappointed to see that we were 6 months away from the publication date (<b>14 Jan 2014</b>). Well... That's something to look forward to in the new year.<br />
<br />
<b><i><u>Blurb</u></i></b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.27272605895996px;">When the emperor of Annur is murdered, his children must fight to uncover the conspiracy—and the ancient enemy—that effected his death.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.27272605895996px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.27272605895996px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.27272605895996px;">Kaden, the heir apparent, was for eight years sequestered in a remote mountain monastery, where he learned the inscrutable discipline of monks devoted to the Blank God. Their rituals hold the key to an ancient power which Kaden must master before it’s too late. When an imperial delegation arrives to usher him back to the capital for his coronation, he has learned just enough to realize that they are not what they seem—and enough, perhaps, to successfully fight back.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.27272605895996px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.27272605895996px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.27272605895996px;">Meanwhile, in the capital, his sister Adare, master politician and Minister of Finance, struggles against the religious conspiracy that seems to be responsible for the emperor’s murder. Amid murky politics, she’s determined to have justice—but she may be condemning the wrong man.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.27272605895996px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.27272605895996px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.27272605895996px;">Their brother Valyn is struggling to stay alive. He knew his training to join the Kettral— deadly warriors who fly massive birds into battle—would be arduous. But after a number of strange apparent accidents, and the last desperate warning of a dying guard, he’s convinced his father’s murderers are trying to kill him, and then his brother. He must escape north to warn Kaden—if he can first survive the brutal final test of the Kettral.</span></i></div>
Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-29591780178900817982013-07-01T08:00:00.000+01:002013-07-01T13:43:16.665+01:00The Best Foreword Ever Is In Unfettered<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkktK3kCi8xoFIv-UZFZzh3ytoi17TjiNqPxnbyKlCUjKbRUKAk7B8TlrvHIDbE1gjI-mqfr-wfJ2K4vJOZ3IU6AohjYmBQgZbihKWyKFUaLmeehotqAak9AMc7k2pD6gb44am4j27gU/s1033/Shawn+Speakman+(Ed)+-+Unfettered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkktK3kCi8xoFIv-UZFZzh3ytoi17TjiNqPxnbyKlCUjKbRUKAk7B8TlrvHIDbE1gjI-mqfr-wfJ2K4vJOZ3IU6AohjYmBQgZbihKWyKFUaLmeehotqAak9AMc7k2pD6gb44am4j27gU/s320/Shawn+Speakman+(Ed)+-+Unfettered.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
Before asking you whether you read forewords or not, I'd like to say I do read them. I probably get that habit from reading technical books (mostly for work).<br />
<br />
In my humble opinion they are important. A foreword is usually not my first impression of a book because that burden falls on the cover and the blurb. However it sets a certain tone, gives the background of the book that we're holding in our hands and, in a way, completes the book's own story.<br />
<br />
Now... the main reason why I'm here is to tell you about the brilliant foreword that <a href="http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/">Patrick Rothfuss</a> wrote for <b>Unfettered</b> edited by <a href="http://shawnspeakman.com/">Shawn Speakman</a>. I'm probably not allowed to copy it fully here but you can, as I did, go on Amazon and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unfettered-ebook/dp/B00DJJIR6S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1372447501&sr=1-1&keywords=unfettered+anthology">Look Inside</a>.<br />
<br />
While we're all here, I'd like to point out that the stories in Unfettered are all donated for a great cause.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Lacking health insurance and diagnosed with Hogdkin’s lymphoma in 2011, Shawn quickly accrued a massive medical debt that he did not have the ability to pay. That’s when New York Times best-selling author Terry Brooks offered to donate a short story Shawn could sell toward alleviating those bills—and suggested Shawn ask the same of his other friends.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Unfettered is the result, an anthology built to relieve that debt, featuring short stories by some of the best fantasy writers in the genre.</i></blockquote>
<br />
Any one of the contributing authors' names would easily justify the purchase of a bestseller but bringing them altogether in one book makes Unfettered inescapable. Just check the list below. I bet you're going to go and <a href="http://grimoakpress.com/2012/08/unfettered-edited-by-shawn-speakman/">order your copy</a> ;).<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><i>The Shade of Allanon</i> by <b>Terry Brooks</b> (a Shannara tale)</li>
<li>Imaginary Friends by<b> Terry Brooks</b> (a precursor to the Word/Void trilogy)</li>
<li>How Old Holly Came To Be by <b>Patrick Rothfuss</b> (a Four Corners tale)</li>
<li>River of Souls by <b>Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson </b>(a Wheel of Time tale)</li>
<li>The Old Scale Game by <b>Tad Williams</b></li>
<li>Martyr of the Roses by<b> Jacqueline Carey</b> (a precursor to the Kushiel series)</li>
<li>Dogs by <b>Daniel Abraham</b></li>
<li>Mudboy by <b>Peter V. Brett</b> (a Demon Cycle tale)</li>
<li>Nocturne by <b>Robert V. S. Redick</b></li>
<li>The Sound of Broken Absolutes by <b>Peter Orullian</b> (a Vault of Heaven tale)</li>
<li>Untitled by <b>Geno & R.A. Salvatore</b></li>
<li>Keeper of Memory by <b>Todd Lockwood</b> (a Summer Dragon tale)</li>
<li>Game of Chance by <b>Carrie Vaughn</b></li>
<li>The Lasting Doubts of Joaquin Lopez by <b>Blake Charlton</b></li>
<li>The Chapel Perilous by <b>Kevin Hearne</b> (an Iron Druid tale)</li>
<li>Select Mode by <b>Mark Lawrence</b> (a Broken Empire tale)</li>
<li>All the Girls Love Michael Stein by <b>David Anthony Durham</b></li>
<li>Strange Rain by <b>Jennifer Bosworth</b> (a Struck epilogue tale)</li>
<li>Unbowed by <b>Eldon Thompson</b> (a Legend of Asahiel tale)</li>
<li>Untitled by <b>Naomi Novik</b> (a Temeraire tale)</li>
<li>The Jester by <b>Michael J. Sullivan</b> (a Riyria Chronicles tale)</li>
<li>The Duel by <b>Lev Grossman</b> (a Magicians tale)</li>
<li>The Unfettered Knight by <b>Shawn Speakman</b> (an Annwn Cycle tale)</li>
</ul>
</div>
Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-15286279651162213722013-05-13T13:00:00.000+01:002013-05-13T16:18:30.389+01:00Short Story: Fire Above, Fire Below by Garth Nix<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGpRj5Cmw57Yp7vhM-VKXmBG0ZW95yOmjVLkSmB5SQ_qncjRen_RyjFn4xZjaXJf9q7cZaJ0qUGo_3evYB5BFlwrrliI-BJlz2yawG4Ae09w66PN1IcJ4UKd9eFhc_gnLVDcMt0Y_xEQ/s1600/Garth+Nix+-+Fire+Below+Fire+Above.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGpRj5Cmw57Yp7vhM-VKXmBG0ZW95yOmjVLkSmB5SQ_qncjRen_RyjFn4xZjaXJf9q7cZaJ0qUGo_3evYB5BFlwrrliI-BJlz2yawG4Ae09w66PN1IcJ4UKd9eFhc_gnLVDcMt0Y_xEQ/s320/Garth+Nix+-+Fire+Below+Fire+Above.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm not a big fan of dragons. There's no need to elaborate on my reasons however this doesn't mean that I don't enjoy good stories involving dragons.<br />
<br />
Last week <a href="http://www.tor.com/">Tor</a> published a short story called <a href="http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/05/fire-above-fire-below">Fire Above, Fire Below</a> written by <a href="http://www.garthnix.com/">Garth Nix</a>. I really liked it. I think you'll like it too if you decide to give it a try.<br />
<br />
My love for short stories has been steadily growing especially thanks to some great books published by <a href="http://www.solarisbooks.com/">Solaris</a>. I believe that reading a good short story is like watching a 100-metre dash. It's explosive and packed with emotions. And if you're too busy to sit down for hours to enjoy a long book it is definitely a great format to enjoy the beginning and the end of a story in one sitting.<br />
<br />
Let me know if you have a short story that you'd recommend. </div>
Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-61661804911836679352013-05-09T14:00:00.000+01:002013-05-09T15:44:16.286+01:00Cover Reveal - The Path Of Anger by Antoine Rouaud<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Gollancz just revealed the cover art of one of their 2013 debuts novels: <b>The Path Of Anger </b>by <i>Antoine Rouaud</i>. This is going to be the first book of a trilogy entitled <b>The Book And The Sword</b> (called originally <b>Le Livre Et L'Epée)</b>. The debut novel of <i>Antoine Rouaud</i>, a rising name in French fantasy, will be published simultaneously in many European countries in <b>October 2013</b>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4HU6XX_qRt25pp5OKUCGNUN-ZCOdPsZZGTGKYIDsL5dY2SRGRJvIeDaQdbuyZxDBzsKa-Wk5fk3DQWqoUFLAQPXig7Q1vyRRcMnGxMiaKgzqpcdzheK50MMfwjZhANAfwNudS6tnYWo/s1600/Antoine+Rouaud+-+The+Path+Of+Anger.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4HU6XX_qRt25pp5OKUCGNUN-ZCOdPsZZGTGKYIDsL5dY2SRGRJvIeDaQdbuyZxDBzsKa-Wk5fk3DQWqoUFLAQPXig7Q1vyRRcMnGxMiaKgzqpcdzheK50MMfwjZhANAfwNudS6tnYWo/s1600/Antoine+Rouaud+-+The+Path+Of+Anger.gif" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
We don't see many cover reveals in animated GIF, mostly because GIF is a very restrictive format regarding the color palette. However this one looks pretty nice.<br />
<br />
<b>Blurb</b><br />
<blockquote>
<i>Dun-Cadal has been drinking his life away for years. Betrayed by his friends - who turned their back on their ideals in favour of a new republic - and grief stricken at the loss of his apprentice, who saved his life on the battlefield and whom he trained as a knight in exchange, he's done with politics, with adventure, and with people.<br />
<br />
But people aren't finished with him - not yet. Viola is a young historian looking for the last Emperor's sword, and her search not only brings her to Dun-Cadal, it's also going to embroil them both in a series of assassinations. Because Dun-Cadal's turncoat friends are being murdered, one by one . . . by someone who kills in the unmistakable style of an Imperial assassin . . .</i></blockquote>
<br />
<br /></div>
Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-34093921642071236862013-03-13T08:00:00.000+00:002013-03-13T08:00:03.801+00:00Cover Reveal: Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJiAp-trY4-MD5FfmZLBj6Q7HC-PVPoZHfiHHXdicsdG8E64NbY4d_5rKA-EGUg6st8xIWTodVRRe4DeVP0v0ORCyWEvj-XCi6Bhupo_MxUW5fSlBJyHVdMXJALo4FBgAeyJvP2KG8eI/s1600/Christian+Schoon+-+Zenn+Scarlett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJiAp-trY4-MD5FfmZLBj6Q7HC-PVPoZHfiHHXdicsdG8E64NbY4d_5rKA-EGUg6st8xIWTodVRRe4DeVP0v0ORCyWEvj-XCi6Bhupo_MxUW5fSlBJyHVdMXJALo4FBgAeyJvP2KG8eI/s640/Christian+Schoon+-+Zenn+Scarlett.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
<br />
"<i>Zenn Scarlett is a bright, determined, occasionally a-little-too-smart-for-her-own-good 17-year-old girl training hard to become an exoveterinarian. That means she’s specializing in the treatment of exotic alien life forms, mostly large and generally dangerous. Her novice year of training at the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic on Mars will find her working with alien patients from whalehounds the size of a hay barn to a baby Kiran Sunkiller, a colossal floating creature that will grow up to carry a whole sky-city on its back.<br />
<br />
But after a series of inexplicable animal escapes from the school and other near-disasters, the Cloister is in real danger of being shut down by a group of alien-hating officials. If that happens, Zenn knows only too well the grim fate awaiting the creatures she loves.<br />
<br />
Now, she must unravel the baffling events plaguing her school, before someone is hurt or killed, before everything she cares about is ripped away from her and her family forever. To solve this mystery – and live to tell about it – Zenn will have to put her new exovet skills to work in ways she never imagined, and in the process learn just how powerful compassion and empathy can be.</i>"<br />
<br />
Zen Scarlett will be available on<i> 2 May 2013 </i>in the UK, on <i>30 Apr 2013</i> in the US. The e-book version will be released on <i>30 Apr 2013</i> as well.<br />
<br />
<b>Early praise for Zenn Scarlett:</b><br />
<br />
<i>"Christian Schoon knows his xenobiology! ZENN SCARLETT has everything a sci-fi lover craves, from exotic alien life forms to quantum entanglement, all grounded by a stellar YA heroine. Zenn’s moxie and determination make this a debut to remember. Highly recommended!"</i> – Phoebe North, author of Starglass<br />
<br />
<i>"Reading Zenn Scarlett is like venturing into a gargantuan alien animal in one of the in-soma pods Zenn uses to provide veterinary care: delightful, bizarre, and occasionally terrifying."</i> – Mike Mullin, author of ASHFALL<br />
<br />
<i>"Many young people want to become veterinarians because they love animals. All future veterinarians will want to read Zenn Scarlett and her adventures with veterinary medicine on alien animals."</i> – Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation<br />
<br />
<i>"Mars, monsters, and mysteries: Zenn Scarlett is a thoughtful and thrilling science fiction adventure that’s perfect for readers who think they’ve seen it all! It’s refreshing to encounter an original young adult story that defies expectations, and the breathtaking conclusion will leave you desperate for more."</i> – E C Myers, author of FAIR COIN and QUANTUM COIN<br />
<i><br /></i>
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Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-30572535601621736852013-03-12T08:00:00.000+00:002013-03-12T08:00:03.528+00:00Cover Reveal: Saxon's Bane by Geoffrey Gudgion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTcnkTlvmYUA9E5iqoHgGEzI0sjooMLYDtNqpeuRrqtN6o4S8a7GmbOj88N2Ajigs2f-Aw95Lfkdf5Limr6yGEhGPZSgKkW19HSei-Wuj_nwoHoo8PN-jbDWGrN67nW8oavkUsF-REhhg/s1600/Geoffrey+Gudgion+-+Saxon's+Bane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTcnkTlvmYUA9E5iqoHgGEzI0sjooMLYDtNqpeuRrqtN6o4S8a7GmbOj88N2Ajigs2f-Aw95Lfkdf5Limr6yGEhGPZSgKkW19HSei-Wuj_nwoHoo8PN-jbDWGrN67nW8oavkUsF-REhhg/s640/Geoffrey+Gudgion+-+Saxon's+Bane.jpg" width="416" /></a></div>
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"<i>Fergus Sheppard’s world changes for ever the day his car crashes near the remote village of Allingley.<br />
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Traumatised by his near-death experience, he returns to thank the villagers who rescued him, and stays to work at the local stables as he recovers from his injuries. He will discover a gentler pace of life, fall in love – and be targeted for human sacrifice. Clare Harvey’s life will never be the same either. The young archaeologist’s dream find – the peat-preserved body of a Saxon warrior – is giving her nightmares. She can tell that the warrior had been ritually murdered, and that the partial skeleton lying nearby is that of a young woman. And their tragic story is unfolding in her head every time she goes to sleep.<br />
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Fergus discovers that his crash is uncannily linked to the excavation, and that the smiling and beautiful countryside harbours some very dark secrets. As the pagan festival of Beltane approaches, and Clare’s investigation reveals the full horror of a Dark Age war crime, Fergus and Clare seem destined to share the Saxon couple’s bloody fate!</i>"<br />
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Saxon's Bane will be published by Solaris in <i>September 2013</i>.<br />
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<b>Early praise for Saxon's Bane:</b><br />
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<i>"An astonishingly accomplished debut novel that blurs the line between genres. Imagine Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth but in the dark shadow of Denis Wheatley, with elements of The Wicker Man…"</i> - Ian Drury, Sheil Land Associates, Literary Agents<br />
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<i>"It’s a rare occasion when a submission comes in that I have to read right the way through in one go. Saxon’s Bane was such a book."</i> - Jonathan Oliver, Editor-in-Chief, Solaris<br />
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<br /></div>Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-57231573707776249742013-02-21T09:00:00.000+00:002013-02-21T09:21:38.983+00:00100 books, 100 offers, 25 hours<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Book Depository is running another great promotion day. This time, it looks like they increase the scope and the size of the offers.<br />
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Starting at 12:00 noon GMT (7:00 AM EST), they are going to push a new book offer every 15 minutes.<br />
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I usually buy one or two books during their book-offer days. Let's see what gems I'm going to bring home today.<br />
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Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-47968296690481884162013-01-15T21:00:00.000+00:002013-01-15T22:00:45.301+00:00Game Review: ORC: Vengeance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAghk0xZpJJcQMWZsVQtJsGEN2QE2nNyV8gqxeAZNqV6WSQpwrpZTfD42fFHLZHh1HHOxy9WaxyEjyV1vXXG28XiZ09fBf4Y9-Iw3r-RWDOFnSdyDaAHeYK78inXIuppLwvxBqLMuUqQ/s1600/ORC-Vengeance_icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAghk0xZpJJcQMWZsVQtJsGEN2QE2nNyV8gqxeAZNqV6WSQpwrpZTfD42fFHLZHh1HHOxy9WaxyEjyV1vXXG28XiZ09fBf4Y9-Iw3r-RWDOFnSdyDaAHeYK78inXIuppLwvxBqLMuUqQ/s200/ORC-Vengeance_icon.png" width="200" /></a></div>
I usually don't blog about games. Mostly because I'm not a serious gamer (or I should say I ceased to be one some time ago). But I consider myself a casual gamer, especially since the beginning of the smartphone era. The games I play on my phone or on my tablet are generally puzzle or strategy type of games that I can play 5 mins here and 10 mins there.<br />
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However every now and then I discover a game and I totally get glued to it until I finish it (or it finishes me - that's another kinda-long story when, years ago, I succumbed after sleepless days of playing an awesome game). The game that I absolutely loved and that I wanted to tell you about is called <b><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/orc-vengeance/id507067914?mt=8">Orc: The Vengeance</a></b>.<br />
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<i>Please visit <a href="http://speculativebookreview.blogspot.ie/2013/01/game-review-orc-vengeance.html">Speculative Book Review</a> to read the rest of this review...</i></div>
Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-83160552598856481752012-11-29T13:00:00.000+00:002012-11-29T13:46:38.345+00:00Cover Art: The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Please go to <a href="http://speculativebookreview.blogspot.com/2012/11/cover-art-daylight-war-by-peter-v-brett.html">Speculative Book Review</a> to read this post.</div>
Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-65031173427892408612012-11-23T08:00:00.000+00:002012-11-23T12:13:24.258+00:00First Impression: Of Blood And Honey by Stina Leicht<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday evening, when I heard about <a href="http://www.nightshadebooks.com/">Night Shades Books</a>' wonderful <a href="http://www.nightshadebooks.com/ebook-giveaway/">Thanksgiving Ebook Giveaway</a>, I downloaded the books that were on offer: <b>Agatha H and the Airship City</b> by <i>Phil and Kaja Fglio</i>, <b>The Emperors Knife</b> by <i>Mazarkis Williams</i> and <b>Of Blood and Honey</b> by <i>Stina Leicht</i>.<br />
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I don't know you but when I receive new books I cannot simply put them down for later and go on with life. I have to look at them, turn their pages, read their first few chapters. I basically need to strike up an acquaintance with them. So I turned the first page of Of Blood and Honey.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizn_kL7PMGyAVyBGyji0pp8r_3_SBOHkC1Ivs-0yaZUO8SB5iUaQAWvAft7UYYixF283jKMtlbdBnjx8x8BFV0NmHzc7S8P5bEiTL8B5GmUTyJaTCVObx4o5NztuIe25ejyGuNqxosaGY/s1600/Stina+Leicht+-+Of+Blood+And+Honey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizn_kL7PMGyAVyBGyji0pp8r_3_SBOHkC1Ivs-0yaZUO8SB5iUaQAWvAft7UYYixF283jKMtlbdBnjx8x8BFV0NmHzc7S8P5bEiTL8B5GmUTyJaTCVObx4o5NztuIe25ejyGuNqxosaGY/s320/Stina+Leicht+-+Of+Blood+And+Honey.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
It captured my attention immediately because the setting was Northern Ireland during the 70s, more specifically the protagonist seemed to be involved in the Irish-English conflict. I am not Irish but I have lived in Ireland for more than 13 years and I found the setting quite attractive.<br />
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The first few chapters that I read were short, dividing the story nicely. The author had a very pleasant-to-read, fluent style. And I found the plot (or I should say the beginning of it) interesting enough to make me want to continue to read.<br />
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When I put down <i>Stina Leicht</i>'s <b>Of B</b><b>lood and Honey</b> I was decided to get back to it very soon. It had just climbed at the top of my pile of books to be read.<br />
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<b>Paperback:</b> 288 pages
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<b>Publisher:</b> <a href="http://www.nightshadebooks.com/">Night Shade Books</a> (<a href="http://twitter.com/nightshadebooks">@nightshadebooks</a>)<br />
<b>Series:</b> Book One of The Fey and The Fallen
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<b>ISBN-10:</b> 1597802131
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<b>ISBN-13:</b> 978-1597802130
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<i>"Fallen angels and The Fey clash against the backdrop of Irish/English conflicts of the 1970s in this stunning debut novel by Stina Leicht.<br />
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Liam never knew who his father was. The town of Derry had always assumed that Liam was the bastard of a Protestant. Liam’s mother never spoke of the man, so Liam had assumed him dead.<br />
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When the war between The Fey and The Fallen begins to heat up, Liam and the woman he loves are pulled into a conflict invisible to most humans— a conflict in which Liam’s father fights on the front lines. This centuries-old battle between supernatural forces seems to mirror the political divisions in 1970s-era Ireland, and Liam is thrown headlong into both conflicts.<br />
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Only the direct intervention of Liam’s father and a secret Catholic order dedicated to fighting The Fallen can save Liam from the mundane and supernatural forces around him, and from the darkness that lurks within."</i><br />
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<i><br /></i></div>Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-34151400646849930582012-11-20T08:00:00.000+00:002012-11-20T08:00:07.008+00:002 New Additions To My TBR Pile<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVKpy0kjWgmhYx76h1VLIfPCTbyDYREt9JwIc6wcyPB_JVNG7rSe4oHemyUx6VQzSGkF4B5MzQ55G8lPZqs6xtbxghNoxWEd9b1_rBwuQ7aLBAlCkdgRiBdcL1pE6l2fTWE8vUrrdto0/s1600/Jonathan+Greene+-+Time's+Arrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVKpy0kjWgmhYx76h1VLIfPCTbyDYREt9JwIc6wcyPB_JVNG7rSe4oHemyUx6VQzSGkF4B5MzQ55G8lPZqs6xtbxghNoxWEd9b1_rBwuQ7aLBAlCkdgRiBdcL1pE6l2fTWE8vUrrdto0/s320/Jonathan+Greene+-+Time's+Arrow.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The first book that went in my TBR pile is <i>Jonathan Green</i>'s <b>Time's Arrow</b>. I think you're all familiar with <a href="http://www.abaddonbooks.com/">Abaddon</a>'s Steampunk world <b>Pax Britannia </b>however it might still be a good idea to give a brief introduction:<br />
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<i>Pax Britannia is a steampunk alternative history set in a late twentieth century in which Queen Victoria - now nearing the end of her sixteenth decade on the throne, and wholly dependent on steam technology for survival - rules over the vastly wealthy, powerful and decadent Empire of Magna Britannia. Airships ply the skies overhead as gentlemen of leisure admire the dinosaurs in the London Zoo, while the Empire has extended to the Moon. Across the pond, the United Socialist States of America, loosely allied with the might of Magna Britannia, is home to dreamers, poets, madmen, and heroes, poised to usher in a new era. </i><br />
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Jonathan Green's Time's Arrow is the final instalment of an interesting publishing experiment. With the first two books of the series, Green gave his readers a choice about what would happen next. <b>Time's Arrow</b> is the single volume that contains all three books.<br />
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<b>Paperback:</b> 256 pages<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Abaddon Books (8 Nov 2012 - UK, 13 Nov 2012 - US, CA)<br />
<b>ISBN-10:</b> 1781080631<br />
<b>ISBN-13:</b> 978-1781080634<br />
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<i>"Paris. City of lights. City of lovers. City of dreams. Yet if one man gets his way, its inhabitants will soon be forced to endure a nightmare such as they have never known.<br />
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Hero of the British Empire Ulysses Quicksilver is determined to stand in his way... even as he returns from the past to appear on the scene of a horrific murder!<br />
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Before he can hope to rescue the French capital from its fate, Ulysses must go on the run and track down the real killer. His intention: to clear his good name, and get back to England in one piece. And quickly, for the love of his life is about to take a most ill-advised trip to the Moon.<br />
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Can Quicksilver stop the terrorist known only as 'Le Papillon'?"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfu7Dds6XCKt1F_0xEWvEod7Yl7rNVhkk3d3ZwNlBP0ePQjejCUt-iaRpiaCmRGB-0ptCpmIxU0gurp9QoCknKRpjU87kduAFb-LyEL6K3K6UOFfIwSW5AEaB7a9uVtaJU55mrQwXY-k/s1600/Juliet+E.+McKenna+-+The+Hadrumal+Crisis+3+-+Defiant+Peaks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfu7Dds6XCKt1F_0xEWvEod7Yl7rNVhkk3d3ZwNlBP0ePQjejCUt-iaRpiaCmRGB-0ptCpmIxU0gurp9QoCknKRpjU87kduAFb-LyEL6K3K6UOFfIwSW5AEaB7a9uVtaJU55mrQwXY-k/s320/Juliet+E.+McKenna+-+The+Hadrumal+Crisis+3+-+Defiant+Peaks.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
The second book that just made into my TBR pile is <i>Juliet E. McKenna</i>'s conclusion to her <i>The Hadrumal Crisis </i>Trilogy: <b>Defiant Peaks<i>. </i></b><br />
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<b>Paperback:</b> 528 pages<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Solaris (6 Dec 2012 - UK, 27 Nov 2012 - US, CA)<br />
<b>ISBN-10:</b> 1781080577<br />
<b>ISBN-13:</b> 978-1781080573<br />
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<i>Archmage Planir and the wizards of Hadrumal have demonstrated their devestating powers and the corsair threat is no more. The mainland rulers' relief is overshadowed with fear of one day facing such a threat to their own dominion. Will Tormalin's Emporer make an alliance with Solura's wizards, who so openly covet Hadrumal's secrets? Will he seek out that other mysterious magic, Artifice, to counter Planir's magecraft? How will the aloof Aetheric adepts of the mountains answer such an appeal?<br />
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With many of the Wizard Council disputing Planir's chosen course, he must look beyond the island city for allies. To Suthyfer, the controversial haven for mageborn far away in the Eastern Ocean. To Caladrhia, where Corrain, Baron Halferan and Lady Zurenne believe they have finally won respite from all their trials. But absence of strife is hardly peace. The lull before winter's storms descend from the distant northern peaks will be a short one.</i><br />
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<i><br /></i></div>Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-88467664356410205562012-11-08T08:00:00.000+00:002012-11-08T08:00:14.114+00:00Cover Art: The Age Atomic by Adam Christopher<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0iHxDEAb0WdeGX5KA_0JlcXb51HB0PD0uFRLGDutpLZk3niGFSKu0gCTXPfZ2YPO8jNxL0Sl8IcWzeoHpVB9yEs4LWdX3KcpfgIoE57qlB_lHmrR2qrMG_ya1lYH2TTk6TsXdBs0JiQ/s1600/Adam+Christopher+-+The+Age+Atomic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0iHxDEAb0WdeGX5KA_0JlcXb51HB0PD0uFRLGDutpLZk3niGFSKu0gCTXPfZ2YPO8jNxL0Sl8IcWzeoHpVB9yEs4LWdX3KcpfgIoE57qlB_lHmrR2qrMG_ya1lYH2TTk6TsXdBs0JiQ/s400/Adam+Christopher+-+The+Age+Atomic.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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Above is the beautiful cover of <i>Adam Christopher</i>'s <b>The Age Atomic</b>, the sequel to <i><a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780857661920/?a_aid=betweentwobooks">Empire State</a></i>, a superhero, noir fantasy thriller set in an alternate New York. It is going to be published on <b>26th March 2013</b> in the USA/Canada and on <b>4th April 2013</b> in the UK.<br />
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<i>"The Empire State is dying. The Fissure connecting the pocket universe to New York has vanished, plunging the city into a deep freeze and the populace are demanding a return to Prohibition and rationing as energy supplies dwindle.<br />
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Meanwhile, in 1954 New York, the political dynamic has changed and Nimrod finds his department subsumed by a new group, Atoms For Peace, led by the mysterious Evelyn McHale.<br />
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As Rad uncovers a new threat to his city, Atoms For Peace prepare their army for a transdimensional invasion. Their goal: total conquest – or destruction – of the Empire State."</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780857663146/?a_aid=betweentwobooks" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KOnzgKAkj0JmTYs_46mAZEcY9BVSAAnC2l13nhpCEUS70DX2IFywuzaXS91MLSSWd4Tu5S7__dMVIygWf0Hfh72RlQyMe33vdcrKemc6yGlthlcxZG9GDPXmib38R2DeOC51vBVGR9U/s1600/BookDepository-BuyFrom_Grey_160x30.gif" /></a></div>
</div>Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-81882114340914214772012-11-07T13:00:00.000+00:002012-11-07T13:00:02.904+00:00Book Depository's 24 Hours Of Offers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/?a_aid=betweentwobooks&a_bid=490ea702">Book Depository</a> is going to run another one of their <b>24 Hours of Offers</b> tomorrow. Each hour, they are going to offer a book at a price discounted <b>up to 70%</b>. The campaign will run from <b>8th Nov 2012 Noon</b> (GMT) till 9th Nov 2012 Noon (GMT).<br />
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<a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/?a_aid=betweentwobooks&a_bid=490ea702" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsI5EKWoWjDiRY0VWtF4536T5Ccx2wf-I6JWGVOGlKLD5w-52l-jq8HnHELKvDOXHaqJP098PsFUf34ofHyOtJHyHPeMOYHlPwnGcNATIfNbaV6cccRDfFYyfBvWfWpjujo_PyGKsZhV8/s400/BookDepositoryPromotions2-500x190.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-71832553500137711892012-11-07T08:00:00.000+00:002012-11-07T08:00:17.129+00:00Shiny New Covers For Gary Gibson's Shoal Series<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>Gary Gibson</i>'s <b>Shoal</b> series (<i>Stealing Light, Nova War</i> and <i>Empire of Light</i>) gets shiny new covers. I liked the old covers (especially the cover of <i>Empire of Light</i>) however the new artwork looks pretty good. Furthermore the new covers look more harmonious together. What do you think?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHxAhNRPmr_vuDeHaVohO3a3I_rbiMO2-XqHENdFO-Od4tQ5f-2pQxq19f5BAcmjlr46SJwvUXyKQIP3izPeAwO_IcIQlrjSwP1bpK1eRgeeNsDENjAmWV21s-qJttLuW-jdWLxwOVGI/s1600/Gary+Gibson+-+Shoal+1+-+Stealing+Light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHxAhNRPmr_vuDeHaVohO3a3I_rbiMO2-XqHENdFO-Od4tQ5f-2pQxq19f5BAcmjlr46SJwvUXyKQIP3izPeAwO_IcIQlrjSwP1bpK1eRgeeNsDENjAmWV21s-qJttLuW-jdWLxwOVGI/s400/Gary+Gibson+-+Shoal+1+-+Stealing+Light.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stealing Light (The Shoal Sequence - Book 1)</td></tr>
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<i>For a hundred and fifty thousand years, the alien Shoal have been hiding a terrible secret behind a façade of power. In the twenty-fifth century, they dominate the galaxy and control all trade and exploration, possessing the secret of faster-than-light travel. Mankind has established just a handful of interstellar colonies; their freedom and knowledge of the galaxy limited by the Shoal’s punitive colonial charter. </i><br />
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<i>Dakota Merrick is a machine-head pilot on the run from one of the Consortium’s most powerful criminals. Desperate for escape, she contracts to ferry an expert team to a remote star system. Her passengers hope to scavenge a functioning FTL-drive from a derelict starship – rumoured to pre-date the Shoal. But they’ll expose an ancient genocide the Shoal will do anything to hide. And Dakota will be forced to face demons from her own military past.</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uuTEP4iaVj48hD3q2_Ec-DWQofeSU0QPQdtcnnk-jF7GBoZXO8FUMpVjB7w4Tv5CvPsGIXuUkrDON0bw8s6B4VoQFMjeJ-rI_NllDdUUamVfXSkyD2E4dpFB8r_LywARgMiJrIhpxhM/s1600/Gary+Gibson+-+Shoal+2+-+Nova+War.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uuTEP4iaVj48hD3q2_Ec-DWQofeSU0QPQdtcnnk-jF7GBoZXO8FUMpVjB7w4Tv5CvPsGIXuUkrDON0bw8s6B4VoQFMjeJ-rI_NllDdUUamVfXSkyD2E4dpFB8r_LywARgMiJrIhpxhM/s400/Gary+Gibson+-+Shoal+2+-+Nova+War.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nova War (The Shoal Sequence - Book 2)</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Found adrift far from Consortium space, pilot Dakota Merrick and Lucas Corso are taken prisoner by the alien Bandati. There, Dakota discovers that humanity’s knowledge of the galaxy is frighteningly inaccurate. The Shoal has apparently been fighting a frontier war with a rival species, the Emissaries, for thousands of years. As yet, the latter seem unaware of their FTL technology’s full destructive capabilities. But the Bandati now have this information, and they will use it for profit.</i><br />
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<i>Dakota realises, to her shock, that the Shoal may therefore hold the Galaxy’s best chance for peace. Forging an alliance with Trader, a Shoal-member, she’s determined to prevent the Bandati’s deadly knowledge from reaching the Emissaries. Yet despite her efforts, a nova war now seems inevitable – a war that will destroy millions of inhabited worlds.</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPwJbXz5JZO38Fvdk81t-L_ZNBKCS5OgT5dylA_R9RE6S_yUiMcDjNdi1Z45An9_J6HQkgpaIgrvVmySks5PwwdoJxlXIP6WByNif5ADFWXn2mRG-5U5UBIuD9wk_txK6ZTAPr0EwGPk/s1600/Gary+Gibson+-+Shoal+3+-+Empire+of+Light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPwJbXz5JZO38Fvdk81t-L_ZNBKCS5OgT5dylA_R9RE6S_yUiMcDjNdi1Z45An9_J6HQkgpaIgrvVmySks5PwwdoJxlXIP6WByNif5ADFWXn2mRG-5U5UBIuD9wk_txK6ZTAPr0EwGPk/s400/Gary+Gibson+-+Shoal+3+-+Empire+of+Light.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Empire of Light (The Shoal Sequence - Book 3)</td></tr>
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<i>The nova war spreads across the galaxy, as the Emissaries wage a fierce and reckless campaign. They’ve already reached human-occupied space and forced the alien Shoal into a desperate retreat. And when Dakota leaves to pursue a lead, Corso’s luck turns bad. Now commanding a fleet of human-piloted Magi ships, his authority crumbles before assassination attempts and politically motivated sabotage. Their best hope lies with Ty Whitecloud, currently light-years beyond Consortium borders. Only Ty can decipher messages left behind by ancient star travellers – which could be crucial to their cause.</i><br />
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<i>But Whitecloud is imprisoned onboard a dying coreship, awaiting execution for war crimes against Corso’s own people. For humanity’s very survival, Corso must get to Whitecloud and keep him alive … if Dakota doesn’t kill him first.
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Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-11090615356372983502012-11-01T13:00:00.000+00:002012-11-01T14:01:14.159+00:00Adam Nevill's New Three-Book Deal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5N0HBEBJcYyNIfUzItsQpKo6k3Q2MM_xMpMvURe_gAdbeR9ArOK-9g467FQhqfEJt9lHZWYoTM-D9Mddas6tv6gyu8G8S3LedEeyXD7wRk0bxOzIXBCKrr1ka0mqu0KjqnjEoI89sKqc/s1600/adam+nevill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Adam L. G. Nevill" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5N0HBEBJcYyNIfUzItsQpKo6k3Q2MM_xMpMvURe_gAdbeR9ArOK-9g467FQhqfEJt9lHZWYoTM-D9Mddas6tv6gyu8G8S3LedEeyXD7wRk0bxOzIXBCKrr1ka0mqu0KjqnjEoI89sKqc/s320/adam+nevill.jpg" title="Adam L. G. Nevill" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam L. G. Nevill</td></tr>
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There are only a handful of writers whose books I would buy without even reading their blurbs and Adam Nevill is one of them (I'm currently reading his <b>The Last Days</b>. I'm nearing the end of it and I'm loving it). Therefore you can imagine how glad I was to hear about Nevill's new three-book deal with Pan Macmillan.<br />
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According to the press release, after the upcoming (May 2013) <b>House Of Small Shadows</b>, two more books will be published in 2014 and 2015. Nevill's <b>Banquet For The Damned</b> will also be re-published as a paperback.<br />
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Here's the official press release:<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><i>Pan Macmillan acquires two new horror novels by British author Adam Nevill<u></u><u></u></i></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Julie Crisp, Editorial Director at Pan Macmillan, has concluded a world rights deal for two further horror novels by British author Adam Nevill with agent John Jarrold. The deal also involves re-publication of Adam’s first novel, BANQUET FOR THE DAMNED, as a Pan paperback. The new books will be published in 2014 and 2015.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>Adam Nevill’s novels <u></u><u></u>APARTMENT<u></u> 16<u></u>, THE RITUAL and LAST DAYS have already been published by Pan Macmillan, with HOUSE OF SMALL SHADOWS due for publication in May 2013. THE RITUAL won best horror novel at this year’s British Fantasy Awards and the Guardian recently dubbed Adam ‘<u></u><u></u>Britain<u></u><u></u>’s answer to Stephen King.’<u></u><u></u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>Julie Crisp said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled that on the perfect day for it – Halloween – we’ve acquired the next two books from Adam Nevill. We have a proud tradition of publishing horror at Pan Macmillan and Adam is a shining example of brilliant – and terrifying – British horror writing!’<u></u><u></u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>Adam Nevill said: ‘I am thrilled about this opportunity to keep building a body of work with a terrific publisher, and one with such a significant legacy in the field of British horror fiction. On Halloween too. Perfect timing. In celebration, sacrifices will be made to strange gods.’<u></u><u></u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>For further information, contact Chloe Healy at Pan Macmillan:<u></u><u></u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><a href="mailto:c.healy@macmillan.co.uk">c.healy@macmillan.co.uk</a></span></span><u></u><u></u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>00 44 20 7014 6186<u></u><u></u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i><a href="http://www.twitter.com/uktor">@UKTor</a></i></span></span></div>
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Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-53526363987164903522012-09-10T14:00:00.000+01:002012-09-11T09:40:00.401+01:00Don't Do It If You Can't Kill It With Science!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKq_KZfO3eWmFOZ5Q3fnUhDIOTO6vTiZ05qdIbsPVeNsI5IAtW0a8SIlXI-DvEzkmcAdB_eIeWn1d5e5C5cZF6uaJJJ47wqhfdzFtjMB3z0ptzGloGnfCcmhOvFAtK23NEkcu9TXJ88k/s1600/Total+Recall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKq_KZfO3eWmFOZ5Q3fnUhDIOTO6vTiZ05qdIbsPVeNsI5IAtW0a8SIlXI-DvEzkmcAdB_eIeWn1d5e5C5cZF6uaJJJ47wqhfdzFtjMB3z0ptzGloGnfCcmhOvFAtK23NEkcu9TXJ88k/s320/Total+Recall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm a software engineer. And there's a cheeky but widely used principle in our industry, especially among people working with servers (on the server-side): KIWI or "Kill It With Iron". When one has a scalability (hear "performance") problem, one of the options is usually applying KIWI, meaning throwing more server at it.<br />
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Where am I going with that? Well... I watched <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1386703/">Total Recall</a> last weekend (it is the remake of 1990 movie with the same name starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone. It is loosely based on the 1966 short story <i>"<a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781857989489/?a_aid=betweentwobooks">We Can Remember It for You Wholesale</a>"</i> by Philip K. Dick). Once again "the believability" of yet another sci-fi movie busied my mind.<br />
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I think, in Science Fiction, the author (or the director, if it's a movie) has the option to explain something with <i>"advanced science"</i>. Drilling a tunnel from the UK to Australia through the earth is amazing. With enough resources and sufficiently advanced technology it is also probably achievable.<br />
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However if one has to rely on free fall, it is easy to imagine that 17 minutes won't get you from one end to the other. I'm not going to waste my time on precise calculations, but I'm pretty sure gravity would decrease as the shuttle gets closer to the core and the whole journey would take much longer than just 17 minutes.<br />
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Even if we think that the speed is linear and we accept that the passengers can get from one end to the other in 17 minutes (assuming the distance is earth's diameter for simplicity's sake) then this would correspond to a speed of approximately 28,000 miles/hour (45,000 km/hour). Can you imagine blowing a hole through the window, sticking your head out to shoot, climb a ladder etc. with that speed? Come on!<br />
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The moral of my complaint is: <b>"Don't Do It If You Can't Kill It With Science"</b>. If you want to stretch what's acceptable or believable, try throwing science at it. If it doesn't work, just don't do it.<br />
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<b>P.S.</b> I'll deal with a different type on scientific progress in a future post:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSztiDcw27djftpznf9e5lMkWT6EgmtuCZRsQsB4wLGeW-zEW4RagxtNeevWvXG3MAzya1eTVA0jMjBcIlpwmJCIxnKetWqUD6H-GRVK9XcVhlOfXwJfbv2iy6ytVZizsIWCz0UsCIpo0/s1600/Total+Recall+-+Trio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSztiDcw27djftpznf9e5lMkWT6EgmtuCZRsQsB4wLGeW-zEW4RagxtNeevWvXG3MAzya1eTVA0jMjBcIlpwmJCIxnKetWqUD6H-GRVK9XcVhlOfXwJfbv2iy6ytVZizsIWCz0UsCIpo0/s320/Total+Recall+-+Trio.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-91380534735303123002012-08-21T08:00:00.000+01:002012-08-21T11:22:52.856+01:00Cover Art: The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwiKH5bawRA9LAj2Lvuvo3v-bJoQsv4ympY3rqyzMxjXM-grINe7q0FJMT3QQ_LrsZ1VCj3rU-_Ir9UIOtXLA93xA-G3pzxvlubuwW7HJAD8GPICAZP1gl00l4FEstOuIZ_JpLyPkC7jQ/s1600/Cassandra+Rose+Clarke+-+The+Mad+Scientist's+Daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwiKH5bawRA9LAj2Lvuvo3v-bJoQsv4ympY3rqyzMxjXM-grINe7q0FJMT3QQ_LrsZ1VCj3rU-_Ir9UIOtXLA93xA-G3pzxvlubuwW7HJAD8GPICAZP1gl00l4FEstOuIZ_JpLyPkC7jQ/s400/Cassandra+Rose+Clarke+-+The+Mad+Scientist's+Daughter.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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<i>The Mad Scientist's Daughter</i> is Cassandra's second book. The author's first novel, <i>The Assassin's Curse</i> (released October 2012 from Strange Chemistry), has been garnering some wonderful reviews, with praise for her elegant prose and sweeping lyricism.<br />
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Here's the blurb:
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<blockquote><i>There’s never been anyone - or anything - quite like Finn.
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He looks, and acts human, though he has no desire to be. He was programmed to assist his owners, and performs his duties to perfection. A billion-dollar construct, his primary task is to tutor Cat.
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When the government grants rights to the ever-increasing robot population, however, Finn struggles to find his place in the world.</i></blockquote>
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<i>The Mad Scientist's Daughter</i> is being released in <b><i>February 2013</i></b> from Angry Robot Books.</div>
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<br />Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-70127736168537875672012-07-27T08:00:00.000+01:002012-07-27T08:00:02.900+01:00Blood And Feathers by Lou Morgan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wFJZg4cBkt_d0sHn_NIkRJUzOWyhjBCkII1M3VnGk7usX1YZ3oTgR4cFxMn9VoFyGaTNhMBiXGmKgdGYGLn-szUKBo5hMEF1gbbH8hTfZfAYtqqpM_S7erwd84V8L-prIMWh8k9X7UI/s1600/Lou+Morgan+-+Blood+And+Feathers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wFJZg4cBkt_d0sHn_NIkRJUzOWyhjBCkII1M3VnGk7usX1YZ3oTgR4cFxMn9VoFyGaTNhMBiXGmKgdGYGLn-szUKBo5hMEF1gbbH8hTfZfAYtqqpM_S7erwd84V8L-prIMWh8k9X7UI/s400/Lou+Morgan+-+Blood+And+Feathers.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
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This is a beautiful cover art. Beautiful! The first time I saw it, it reminded me of the cover of <a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780857662309/?a_aid=betweentwobooks">Chuck Wendig's Blackbirds</a>.<br />
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<i>Lou Morgan</i>'s debut novel <b>Blood and Feathers</b> has been on my radar since the first time I read about it on <a href="http://solaris-editors-blog.blogspot.com/">Solaris' Blog</a>. It is going to be published next week and it has been getting excellent reviews. So I really hope that I'll have an opportunity to read it.<br />
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<blockquote><i>"What's the first thing you think of when I say 'angel'?" asked Mallory. Alice shrugged. "I don't know... guns?"<br />
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Alice isn't having the best of days. She was late for work, she missed her bus, and now she's getting rained on. What she doesn't know is that her day's about to get worse: the epic, grand-scale kind of worse that comes from the arrival of two angels who claim everything about her life is a lie.<br />
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The war between the angels and the Fallen is escalating; the age-old balance is tipping, and innocent civilians are getting caught in the cross-fire. If the balance is to be restored, the angels must act - or risk the Fallen taking control. Forever.<br />
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That’s where Alice comes in. Hunted by the Fallen and guided by Mallory - a disgraced angel with a drinking problem and a whole load of secrets - Alice will learn the truth about her own history… and why the angels want to send her to hell.</i></blockquote>
<br /><b>Paperback:</b> 384 pages
<br /><b>Publisher:</b> Solaris (Aug 2, 2012)
<br /><b>Language:</b> English
<br /><b>ISBN-10:</b> 1781080186
<br /><b>ISBN-13:</b> 978-1781080184</div>
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<br />Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1255306676135675601.post-65264795837279314052012-07-26T14:00:00.000+01:002012-07-26T14:15:45.942+01:00Joe Abercrombie's Red Country Has A Map<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yes! Joe Abercrombie's upcoming book, Red Country, has a new map and a very beautiful one it is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGsXzMav2DdWbSR9b9GytwuVwLxHFV2nMeHXWLLRnxD3xNpsaDBMmkP0ePONqRzjH8oFbPwE6OIqjbjxfTIUayLeMFERQLEskLVE_UwkDstIzWA1IxQAM-7Th5JCCK9NEChmrsGbrDWE/s1600/JoeAbercrombie-RedCountryMap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGsXzMav2DdWbSR9b9GytwuVwLxHFV2nMeHXWLLRnxD3xNpsaDBMmkP0ePONqRzjH8oFbPwE6OIqjbjxfTIUayLeMFERQLEskLVE_UwkDstIzWA1IxQAM-7Th5JCCK9NEChmrsGbrDWE/s400/JoeAbercrombie-RedCountryMap.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I am a big fan of Abercrombie's. And I love it when fantasy books contain maps. Therefore it's no surprise that when one of my favourite authors publishes a map for one the most anticipated books of the year I get very excited.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">As you've probably noticed, the map is the one that is used as the background of the wraparound cover art. I simply love its folds and creases, and its worn and torn state. It just adds to the realism. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipu-OtJwhEK34_YboyhFuhMuhFX3vK81ZE0xIPe5wRDO7hPAIt931z2PCilc5QoU_2kRQnvM3HSL7UkmgKKk8mOTpB-vHmDG7qOqG1M7Vq0nE5VC6v9bb1d03gncKQCPTfhWc4Ghq39xk/s1600/Joe+Abercrombie+-+Red+Country+-+UK+-+wraparound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipu-OtJwhEK34_YboyhFuhMuhFX3vK81ZE0xIPe5wRDO7hPAIt931z2PCilc5QoU_2kRQnvM3HSL7UkmgKKk8mOTpB-vHmDG7qOqG1M7Vq0nE5VC6v9bb1d03gncKQCPTfhWc4Ghq39xk/s400/Joe+Abercrombie+-+Red+Country+-+UK+-+wraparound.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Red Country will be published on <b>18 Oct 2012</b>. Pre-order it now: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0575095822/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allfictionbooks-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0575095822">Amazon</a> (UK) - <a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780575095830/?a_aid=betweentwobooks">BookDepository</a> (Worldwide).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>Yagizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688088899466416425noreply@blogger.com0