Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Month: February 2013

The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince: Everything I expect from Hobb

The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince by Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb’s FARSEER series is one of my all-time favorite fantasy epics. It’s about FitzChivalry Farseer, the bastard son of a dead prince. Fitz is a sad case, not only because his father’s dead and he’s illegitimate, but perhaps mostly because he has the Wit — an ancient magic that lets him communicate with and bond to animals. The citizens of the Six Duchies fear the Wit and kill those who practice it. But that wasn’t always the case…

Now,

February 22nd, 2013. Kat Hooper and Terry Weyna´s rating: 4 | Robin Hobb | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |

The Daylight War: Breeeeeeeeeetttt!

The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett

OK, here’s the thing about The Daylight War, Peter Brett’s third book of the DEMON CYCLE, following The Warded Man and The Desert Spear. I really, really want to say, Don’t Read This Book. Honestly. No sarcasm. No humor. That’s my first instinct. Because it’s bad? No. Because it disappoints in comparison to the first two, each of which I’ve given 4.5 stars to? No. No,

February 22nd, 2013. Bill Capossere and Tim Scheidler´s rating: 5 | Peter V. Brett | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |

Land of Unreason: A very strange book

Land of Unreason by L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt

Land of Unreason first saw the light of day in 1941, in a shorter form, in Unknown magazine; it was later expanded to novel length. Just as there is a genre of science fiction known as “hard” sci-fi, as typified by the works of Hal Clement and Larry Niven, this novel impresses me as a “hard” fantasy novel. Not only do authors L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt usher us into Fairyland and show us the court of Oberon and Titania,

Thoughtful Thursday: Art for a good cause

Today we welcome Lauren Zurchin, professional photographer and the managing book editor for Lytherus. We invited Lauren to tell us about a new Kickstarter project she’s working on. We thought you might be interested… and, of course, Lauren has a question for you…

Last spring I started making some custom costumes for fantasy-themed photos and got the great idea to make fantasy authors the subjects of these photos. Then I decided to create a 2014 calendar with proceeds going to First Book and Worldbuilders.

February 21st, 2013. Kat Hooper | Giveaway!, Thoughtful Thursday | 6 comments |

House Rules: Did Not Finish

House Rules by Chloe Neill

Chloe Neill’s CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES novels have been brain-candy reading for me for a few years now. The books are quick reads that don’t require a lot of thinking but provide action, romance, humor, and occasional pathos. But, sad to say, I think I’m breaking up with this series.

I had high hopes at the beginning of this seventh book, House Rules. Neill introduces a mystery: two rogue vampires have gone missing, last seen at one of the vampire registration offices the new mayor has set up.

February 21st, 2013. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 0.1 | Chloe Neill | SFF Reviews | 6 comments |

The Jack Vance Treasury: A wide array of Vance’s oeuvre

The Jack Vance Treasury by Jack Vance (edited by Terry Dowling & Jonathan Strahan)

While I don’t think there’s any one novel or short story or even collection of Jack Vance‘s work that comes close to capturing all the best aspects of his writing, I do think that this 633-page Subterranean Press collection does a fairly good job of exposing the reader to a wide array of Vance’s oeuvre. In addition to eighteen stories that span much of Vance’s writing career, there’s a brief comment from Vance himself after each story that gives a little view into how his mind worked while in creative mode,

Communion Town: A City in Ten Chapters

Communion Town by Sam Thompson

I really wanted to like Communion Town, the collection of linked stories by Sam Thompson. For one, I’m a fan of “city stories,” such as Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities or the cities of China Miéville and the like. I’m also generally a big fan of the structure — a series of stories linked by theme or setting or some other threading material. And while there was a good amount to like in the collection,

Aurorarama: This glittering Tesla-punk 19th century novel pastiche actually works

Aurorarama by Jean-Christophe Valtat

Other reviewers on Fanlit will probably be surprised by the number of stars I’ve given this book, because they’ve had to read my kvetching about it for several Status Updates. I finally finished it, and to my surprise, I think in Aurorarama, Valtat succeeded in his Tesla-punk 19th century adventure novel pastiche.

It is early in the 20th century, and New Venice is a city in the Arctic, powered by Tesla-like machines, filled with art, music, entertainment, drugs, censorship, science and magic.

February 20th, 2013. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4 | Jean-Christophe Valtat | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |

I, Robot: Some of Asimov’s best stories

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

“..all conflicts are finally evitable. Only the Machines, from now on, are inevitable”

Most science fiction fans know Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics:

Robots must not hurt human beings or allow them to come to harm.
Robots must obey human beings so far as it doesn’t violate Law 1.
Robots must not harm themselves as long as this doesn’t violate Laws 1 and 2.

In I, Robot,

Firebrand: Breathes new life into old tropes

Firebrand by Gillian Philip

When Firebrand opens, Seth, a 16-year-old Sithe, has a crossbow trained on his brother, Conal. Conal is thin, his face half-blacked and bloody, his hair shaved from his head. Conal is about to be burned as a witch at the tail-end of the sixteenth century at the urging of a minister who smiles at the thought of the horrible deaths his victims are about to endure. Seth will kill his brother to spare him the agony of burning at the stake.

It’s a prologue that grabs the reader’s attention firmly.

February 19th, 2013. Terry Weyna´s rating: 4 | Gillian Philip | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |

Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

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