Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Rating: 4

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Fallen: Another outstanding addition to the Noreela mythos

Fallen by Tim Lebbon

Set 4000 years before the Dusk and Dawn duology, Fallen takes readers back to a different Noreela, one that is still dangerous and familiar due to the inclusion of tumblers, skull ravens, the always mysterious Cantrass Angels, Ventgorian wine, fodder and other familiarities, but this version of the world is not nearly as despairing and still possesses a sense of hope — of potential. In this time period, much of Noreela remains uncharted and is a playground for the Voyagers whose vocation is to discover the undiscovered.

July 17th, 2009. Robert Thompson´s rating: 4 | Tim Lebbon | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Daughter of Hounds: A beautiful amalgam

Daughter of Hounds by Caitlin R. Kiernan

Always on the lookout for a new author to sink my teeth into, I decide to read Caitlín R. Kiernan when I came across her novel Daughter Of Hounds. Upon further research, I discovered that this was merely the newest entry involving psychic Deacon Silvey. Knowing that, I decided to check out Ms. Kiernan’s previous works first, starting with her sophomore effort Threshold. After completing the book, I admit I was torn. On the one hand,

July 14th, 2009. Robert Thompson´s rating: 4 | Caitlín R. Kiernan | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |

Black Blood: In the mood for something different?

Black Blood by John Meaney

Creatively, I loved John Meaney’s Bone Song, especially the highly imaginative world. At the same time though, I was disappointed by the shallow characters, a formulaic plot, and the disjointed narrative. Because of the uneven experience, I was a bit apprehensive about reading the sequel, but my curiosity in knowing how the story continued prevailed. Fortunately, despite a few hiccups, Black Blood turned out to be an overall much stronger and much more enjoyable effort.

Like its predecessor,

July 13th, 2009. Robert Thompson´s rating: 4 | John Meaney | SFF Reviews | no comments |

The Night World 3: Three of the best stories in the series

THE NIGHT WORLD: Volume 3 by L.J. Smith

“Four to Stand Between the Light and the Shadow…”

Whereas the first Night World omnibus set up the basic concept for the Night World and the rules in place for its existence, the second began to give the sense that all the stories were interconnected rather than one-off stories. With each installment, more was learned about the history of the sub-world, the concept of soulmates, and (particularly in this final omnibus) the coming of the end of the world. Such was the case for the first nine books in this series,

Darkness calls: Mr. Erl King is one icky villain!

Darkness Calls by Marjorie M. Liu

I loved The Iron Hunt, and was eagerly looking forward to the sequel. (Has it really only been a year?) I’m happy to report that Darkness Calls (2009) is a worthy successor. This time around, Maxine and her boyfriend Grant are being hounded by a mysterious group of religious fanatics and by a horrifically creepy being who introduces himself as “Mr. Erl King,” a name that will probably be familiar to myth-geeks like me. Seriously,

July 8th, 2009. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | Marjorie M. Liu | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Vicious Circle: Persephone is not the misanthropic heroine you might expect

Vicious Circle by Linda Robertson

The bare bones of this story will be familiar to urban-fantasy devotees: Werewolves, vampires, faeries, and witches all exist and have become public knowledge in recent years. Girl, tough and feisty, takes it upon herself to dispense justice in a supernatural murder case. Girl is chosen against her will to play a major role in paranormal affairs. Girl is wooed by attractive werewolf and attractive vampire. I was worried Vicious Circle would be just like a hundred other novels with a similar premise,

July 3rd, 2009. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | Linda Robertson | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |

In A Time of Treason: This sequel is more rewarding

In A Time of Treason by David Keck

As much as I enjoyed David Keck’s debut, I admit that it was a flawed effort so I was quite happy to see how improved the writing was in In A Time of Treason. Namely, the prose was more elegant, the descriptions better expressed, there was a lot more background information without the author relying on shameless infodumping, and overall Mr. Keck just displayed greater confidence as a writer.

Even so, the writing wasn’t perfect. There are still passages that are confusing and may require a re-read or two,

July 3rd, 2009. Robert Thompson´s rating: 4 | David Keck | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Hunter’s Run: A fast but sophisticated read

Hunter’s Run by George R.R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, Daniel Abraham

Hunter’s Run is somewhat interesting in that it’s a collaboration novel that you can’t really tell is a collaboration and a science-fiction novel that relies surprisingly little on science fiction. And these are by no means complaints. The collaboration’s seamlessness speaks to the craft and professionalism of the three writers while the lack of reliance on science fiction allows for a fine mix of quick-paced adventure and character introspection.

Don’t get me wrong — the science fiction elements are essential to the plot: space-faring races,

The Night World 2: Much better than Twilight

THE NIGHT WORLD: Volume 2 by L.J. Smith

“There Is Plenty of Darkness…”

The first omnibus edition of The Night World sets up the basic premise of the Night World, introducing several concepts and characters that pop up again in later books, and are quick, entertaining reads. But it’s not until the fifth story (found in this collection) in the series that things really get moving, and Smith begins to draw on her established history of the Night World, bring back past characters, and begin to set the scene for more epic things to come.

The Trouble with Demons: Need a break from vampires?

The Trouble with Demons by Lisa Shearin

I can’t imagine anyone who enjoyed Magic Lost, Trouble Found and Armed and Magical being disappointed by The Trouble with Demons. For this novel, Ms. Shearin turned up the darkness, turned up the romantic tension, and turned down the snark. All without sacrificing action or fun. Plus, it’s longer!

Raine’s chaotic world gets even more so in The Trouble With Demons when someone opens a Hellgate,

June 26th, 2009. Tia Nevitt (guest)´s rating: 4 | Lisa Shearin | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

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