Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Month: April 2010

Thoughtful Thursday: Beyond Tolkien

One of the accusations lodged against much fantasy is that it is all derivative of Tolkien. Especially when dealing with epic or high fantasy, you have your ethereal elves, grouchy dwarves, carefree hobbits, evil orcs, heroic humans, wise wizards… Well, just about any stock character in fantasy can be traced back to Tolkien’s works. And while there is a reason for this — these archetypes draw on mythic traditions far older than Tolkien — it can get repetitive and make it difficult to do something entirely new.

Our intrepid reviewer Justin was discussing a book that he had just finished reading,

April 8th, 2010. Ruth Arnell | Giveaway!, Thoughtful Thursday | 21 comments |

Auralia’s Colors: A gentle fantasy novel

Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet

Jeffrey Overstreet’s Auralia’s Colors is a bright, colorful fantasy debut. Painting with a unique palette, Overstreet tells the story — both heartening and tragic — of a young girl with a special mission of change.

Auralia is an orphan found by a group of Gatherers, laborers who are indentured to the local Noble family, House Abascar. Living in this rough community she has a chance to grow up untainted by some of the attitudes prevalent in the Householder community that lives in direct contact with House Abascar.

April 8th, 2010. John Hulet´s rating: 4 | Jeffrey Overstreet | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |

The Shadow Isle: Penultimate Deverry

The Shadow Isle by Katherine Kerr

We’re finally reaching the end of the Deverry saga with The Shadow Isle, the penultimate book in the series. There is a sense of Katharine Kerr pulling together all those strands to finish off the series effectively, but some mysteries are still to be resolved. One thing I am glad of is that I don’t actually know what Kerr will do to finish the story — although the Horsekin are currently ‘evil’, there has been enough switching sides and distinctions made between Horsekin and Gel da Thae for us to realize that no one is outright evil and everybody can be redeemed.

April 8th, 2010. Amanda Rutter (guest)´s rating: 4 | Katharine Kerr | SFF Reviews | no comments |

World Wide Wednesday: Scrying the Award Season

Is it Wednesday again already? These come round awfully quickly! Welcome to World Wide Wednesday, and FanLit’s quick guide to the Top 10 most interesting events of the last week on the Internet.

1) Book Covers: A Reader Survey

With all the discussion about cover art, and cliched representation of book contents, The Book Smugglers have decided to ask the readers what they feel about the subject. There will be future results posts after the Smugglers have compiled all the replies, which I’ve no doubt will be brought to you on a future edition of WWW!

April 7th, 2010. Amanda Rutter (guest) | World Wide Wednesday | 2 comments |

Watcher of the Dead: Worth the wait

Watcher of the Dead by J.V. Jones

Watcher of the Dead has a momentum that’s like watching black clouds grow in mass for a storm you just know will be enormous.

In a world fraught with clan wars and military invasions, the individual power struggles grow even more desperate as the ancient evil called the Endlords opens a breach into existence. Sadaluk No Ears, the Listener for the Ice Trapper people, may never return from a dangerous trek into the frozen wastes. Raif Sevrance, now possessing the sword called Loss,

April 7th, 2010. Greg Hersom´s rating: 5 | J.V. Jones | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |

Avilion: Dreamy, as usual, but not mind-blowing

Avilion by Robert Holdstock

At the end of Mythago Wood, we left Steven Huxley waiting for Guiwenneth to return from Lavondyss. Avilion is a direct sequel — the story of what happened when Guiwenneth came back. She and Steven have lived happily together for years and have two children, Yssobel and Jack.

Unfortunately, though, she’s not exactly the same woman she was before. Her ordeal with Christian has changed her and she and Christian (now leader of the time-travelling army called Legion) still haunt each other.

April 7th, 2010. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Robert Holdstock | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Jim Butcher chats about Pokemon, responsibility, and Changes

We’re pleased to welcome today one of the defining authors of epic and urban fantasy. Jim Butcher has thrilled fans for a decade and Beth and her husband Gert were happy to chat with him about his work. Mr. Butcher recently published the final volume of his high-fantasy series CODEX ALERA. The twelfth volume of THE DRESDEN FILES, entitled Changes, comes out today! So, two lucky commenters on this post will win a copy of Changes!

Beth & Gert: Now that you’ve finished CODEX ALERA (and what a finish,

April 6th, 2010. Beth Johnson Sonderby (guest) | Jim Butcher | Author Interviews, Giveaway! | 35 comments |

The Celestial Globe: Solid and rewarding YA

The Celestial Globe by Marie Rutkoski

The Celestial Globe is the second book in Marie Rutkoski’s Kronos Chronicles, following last year’s Cabinet of Wonders, which was a wonderful start with strong characterization, a creative mix of 16th century history and folk tales in service of a compelling plot, and a wonderful sense of both light and grim whimsy. The Celestial Globe isn’t as strong, but it’s a rewarding read in its own right and more than fulfills the purpose of a second book: convincing the reader to stay with the series.

20 Heroes: Tasha

Seventh in our Heroes series, by our own Robert Rhodes. Art is courtesy of Barbara Brashier.

“You’re late, milady,” Aramis says even as she parts the silver curtain. He snaps shut his pocket watch and tucks it into his checkered vest, his white-tipped ginger tail swishing.

She shrugs and sits on the closest bench in the Armory. “My geology midterm’s tomorrow,” she says, unlacing her sneakers. (Did I forget to take them off? she wonders.) “It’s going to be hard. And besides,”

April 5th, 2010. Rob Rhodes | 20 Heroes | 1 comment |

Possessed: Spooky YA

Possessed by Kate Cann

The beginning of Possessed drops the reader right into the stifling life of Rayne, a young London teenager. Her relationships with her mother and boyfriend are dysfunctional, and she’s unable to find a moment’s peace amid the noise and crime of the city. Kate Cann does an excellent job of showing us Rayne’s frayed nerves and her desire to get out of her neighborhood by any means necessary. Desperate, she takes a live-in job at the country estate of Morton’s Keep.

As Rayne settles into her new life,

Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

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