“Rosemary and Rue” by Seanan McGuire (Daw, 2009)

For those looking for a fresh dosage of new reading after getting the latest fix of Dresden Files, look no further than the fresh voice of debut author Seanan McGuire and the first in her October Daye mystery series, Rosemary and Rue.  Think Harry Dresden, but make him female, set her in San Francisco, and accept that the world of Faerie not only exists but has portals linking to our own world and the characters of fable are very real and terrifying.

October Daye is a changeling (half-human half-fae) who has never really felt she belongs in San Francisco, or the realm of Faerie for that matter.  A private detective, who seeks to help out her kind when they are in trouble, has her world changed when she is turned into a koi fish in the opening pages of the book and finds herself trapped beneath the waters for fourteen years and six months.  The spell finally breaking, she returns to a very different San Francisco.  While she attempts to acclimatize to this future world, a high ranking elven lady is found murdered, and as Toby investigates she finds herself magically bound to the woman until the mystery of her death is solved.

And so begins a fascinating story wonderfully blending the incredible sights of San Francisco and its noire foggy nights with visits to the world of Faerie where everything is new and very different.  McGuire even provides a glossary for those having trouble with the faerie jargon.  With three books slated for publication (and McGuire currently working on book five), the author doesn’t give too much away in this premiere tale, but just enough to leave readers hungry and wanting for more.  Fortunately they won’t have to wait too long, with the second in the series, A Local Habitation, due out March 2nd 2010.

If you liked this review and are interested in purchasing this book, click here.

Originally written on August 28th, 2009 ©Alex C. Telander.

For an interview with Seanan McGuire check out BookBanter Episode 15.

“The Edge of the World” by Kevin J. Anderson (Orbit, 2009)

With the completion of his Saga of the Seven Suns, Kevin J. Anderson returns with a brand new series, Terra Incognita, and the first book The Edge of the World.  This world consists of two great and vastly different empires: to the north lies Tierra, to the south  Uraba, and linking the two peoples is the melting pot of a city, Ishalem.  The book begins with a formal and grandiose truce being made between the two cultures, but Ishalem is an old city, and as an accidental fire breaks out, the city is brought to burned cinders.  The Urabans believe it was a planned assault by the Tierrans, and war immediately breaks out, forcing the Tierrans to flee back to their lands for protection.  With minor attempts being made to repair the damage and help avoid the ongoing war, the empires seek to explore the oceans around them with the hopes of discovering new worlds.

While many of the characters are interesting and Anderson does a good job of exploring the different levels of society, the overall story just feels like an almost racist portrayal of two cultures, with the north being cultured and refined, while the south are darker skinned, wear funny clothing, and come off as inferior.  I felt like I was reading a World of Warcraft story involving the proud Alliance and the evil Horde.  While this may be entertaining for some readers, it wasn’t my cup of tea.

If you liked this review and are interested in purchasing this book, click here.

Originally written on August 8th, 2009 ©Alex C. Telander.

Originally published in the Sacramento Book Review.

“Dead Men’s Boots” by Mike Carey (Grand Central Publishing, 2009)

The intrepid exorcist, Felix Castor, returns under the skilled writing hands of Mike Carey, and this is his biggest adventure yet!  After ignoring calls from a fellow exorcist, John Gittings, he finds his friend dead, an apparent suicide and feels guilty.  He agrees to work with the wife in putting her husband to rest, along with dealing with a slimy lawyer who’s trying to execute Gittings will to be cremated.  At the same time Castor is brought onto a case about a man who’s been brutally raped and murdered.  As Castor begins putting the facts together it’s starting to look like a dead female serial killer may somehow be behind it all.  Joining up with his quasi-friend and succubus-turned-exorcist, Juliet, and importing some help from his zombie friend who always has answers, Nicky Heath; Castor will have to travel to Alabama to get some answers and put the case together.  Dead Men’s Boots continues in this third book in the excellent series that just gets better with each new release.  If only the US could get the books published as fast as the UK, which already has the fourth book out, with the fifth due out in the fall.

If you liked this review and are interested in purchasing this book, click here.

Originally written on June 10th, 2009 ©Alex C. Telander.

For an interview with Mike Carey check out BookBanter Episode 16.

Originally published in the Sacramento Book Review.

“Vicious Circle” by Mike Carey (Grand Central Publishing, 2008)

Mike Carey, author of the great graphic novel series Lucifer, and after the success of The Devil You Know, the first of his Felix Castor series, returns with the next installment in Vicious Circle.  Nothing much has changed for Castor.  Life is still really tough on him, he’s not making a lot of money, and taking whatever jobs he can to stay afloat.  Meanwhile his emotional baggage and history continue to weigh on him, as he tries to ignore his past.  But then he mysteriously lands a job that promises to pay well and does at first.  He must track down a girl, well actually the dead body of a girl, well specifically the ghost of a dead girl whose parents have lost contact with her and want her back.  Castor also gets called on to help a succubus who has turned over a new leaf – even if she is still extremely tantalizing – to find out what is going on in a church that left people dead and the surrounding neighborhood terrified.  Finally he helps out the Metropolitan police department with some very strange and satanic homicide cases.

As the story develops, the plot thickens, and it’s no real surprise that everything is linked.  Seeking out the help of a zombie friend to get him some info, something really weird is also going on in London: people keep dying, more so than usual.  Castor finds himself up to his neck, deep in it, and this time, if he doesn’t do it right, he won’t survive.  Neither will his friends, the only people he cares about.

Carey ratchets up the adventure, the mystery, and the excitement with Vicious Circle that will leave readers gasping for breath at Castor’s near misses, as he barely survives to fight another day.  Just in time for the third book in the series, Dead Men’s Boots.

If you liked this review and are interested in purchasing this book, click here.

Originally written on April 16th, 2009 ©Alex C. Telander.

For an interview with Mike Carey check out BookBanter Episode 16.

“WWW: Wake” by Robert J. Sawyer (Ace, 2009)

From an author who has written a number of books and has won just about every award a science fiction author can, comes one of the most original and fascinating novels to be published in a long time.  It’s one of those books that has just as much right to be on a fiction shelf with other literature classics. Wake is the first in a trilogy about a blind girl, Caitlin Decter, who undergoes new and theoretical surgery in Japan to bring back her sight.  With an implant in one eye, signals are sent to a small machine via Bluetooth, which Caitlin refers to as her “eyepod.”  Patches and downloads for the software for the eyepod are made online, as Caitlin returns to Canada.    With a new patch, she begins to see something that is not real life.  She soon realizes it’s a view of the Internet through a browser though she has no control over what she’s seeing.  Then with another patch update, Caitlin begins to see through the eye with the implant and her life is changed.  Yet there is still something on the Internet that is apparently alive, communicating with her at first through her restricted sight and then online with her, and it’s intelligence is growing rapidly.  The book ends at this point, along with something very strange going on in a China, and an ape who is somehow able to paint pictures of people.

Wake is a book that will grow on you as you read it.  Sawyer has done a fantastic job of researching the science, but also throws in lots of references that any savvy Internet user will recognize, appreciate, and be amused by; as well as putting the readers in the mind of a blind person and how they do the amazing things they do each day.  By the end of the book readers will be impatiently wanting the sequel, Watch, due out in 2010.

If you liked this review and are interested in purchasing this book, click here.

Originally written on April 16th, 2009 ©Alex C. Telander.

For an interview with Robert J. Sawyer check out BookBanter Episode 11.

“The Hero of Ages: Mistborn Book 3″ by Brandon Sanderson (Tor, 2008)

In Sanderson’s thrilling and resounding conclusion to his Mistborn trilogy, he doesn’t hold back, skillfully bringing all the different pieces, sub-plots, and characters together in a fitting end to the series.  While Sanderson has admitted that he may return to the mistborn world one day, it will be set hundreds of years in the future or past.  Nevertheless The Hero of Ages weighs in at almost six hundred pages and offers a very satisfying finish for its complex and powerful characters.

The Well of Ascension has been found by the supposed Hero of Ages, Vin, and the power has been released, except it is an evil spirit, Ruin, who seeks to end the world with the help of its deadly inquisitors.  The ash from the ashmount is falling thicker and stronger, choking the lands, preventing life from growing or surviving, while the great volcanoes are beginning to thunder to life, and the mists continue to terrify everyone, leaving some dead, others deathly ill, perpetuating the mystery.

Elend Venture, now emperor of the realm has two kingdoms to ally with in preparation for the end and the oncoming battle.  Leaving with Vin, he heads to Fadrex City which was formerly Cett’s kingdom, but is now under the control of the obligator Lord Yomen, along with his army of koloss.  Spook, Ham, Breeze and others head for Urteau under the control of the maniacal Quellion.  But Ruin is somehow able to control both Yomen and Quellion, as well as stealing control over the koloss, outweighing the odds against Emperor Venture and his people.

Then there are the mysterious kandra race who are in a crisis of faith, for their sole existence is based upon the Contract which was written by the Lord Ruler, who is no longer: does the Contract therefore no longer apply?  There is the trial of TenSoon who has slain one of their own.  The First Generation of kandra sit silent and undecided, while the later generations are anxious and impatient, unsure whether to adhere to the Contract or rebel.

Finally there is the great Sazed, the scholar who has lost his faith, having researched every religion but one and finding nothing but lies and obfuscation.  It is with this last religion, the religion of his Terris people that is somehow tied to that of the kandra, that he holds on with a sliver of hope, seeking some final answers to the meaning behind the world, its gods, its peoples.

In The Hero of Ages, Sanderson ratchets everything up to its highest point, with the end times approaching and all hope dwindling.  The reader is hooked to the very last page, unsure of what will happen, who will survive, and wondering if this might really be the end of everything?

If you liked this review and are interested in purchasing this book, click here.

Originally written on November 28th 2008 ©Alex C. Telander.

For an interview with Brandon Sanderson check out BookBanter Episode 2.

“The Well of Ascension: Mistborn Book 2″ by Brandon Sanderson (Tor, 2007)

In the riveting sequel to The Final Empire, Sanderson doesn’t hold back, continuing on from where he left off: the Lord Ruler is gone, but this was just the first mighty battle in the ongoing war.  In The Well of Ascension times are still hard for many, even though the skaa have been freed and Elend is now king of Luthadel and the surrounding territories.  The nobles must now learn to live in a democratic society where they cannot have slaves.  It is a different world for many.

Before the dust even has time to settle, King Elend faces problems from various fronts: there is dissension in his democratically elected cabinet who wish to return to the old ways; then there are three armies marching toward Luthadel.  Before our main characters can decide what to do, they find themselves under siege from two massive fronts.  One is controlled by Lord Straff Venture, Elend’s father who wants his son to hand over his kingdom to him, no questions asked.  Then there is Lord Cett looking to seize control of Luthadel with his own substantial army.  Elend finds himself in a unique position where he can ally with one army and therefore be able to overthrow the other.  The question is who to ally with?

As he contemplates this a third army arrives, of koloss.  These are tall 9-15 feet creatures that vary in size but are terrifying to humans.  Originally created by Lord Ruler for his army, their skin is extremely wrinkled and hangs off them in places like loose clothing while there are great tears in the skin and yet the koloss ignore this.  But their red, blood-rimmed eyes strike terror in all who view them.  They may seem dumb and slow, but in battle they are fierce and destructive, and it’s unknown whether they may lose control at any second and begin rampaging into the city of Luthadel.

Then there is Sazed, a loyal member of the group who is a Terrisman, a special person with the ability to store thoughts, memories, and knowledge in metal that is worn in the form of rings or armbands.  Stored in these armbands are also other abilities such as great strength and speed.  But in Sanderson’s world, it’s all about balance, as the energy stored in each armband is finite, and in some cases can take many years to be stored up, but can be used and extinguished in a matter of minutes.  Sazed is a scholar and knows much is not right with the world.  Somehow the mists that are feared by many for a long time throughout the realm begin killing people and even wiping out whole villages.  There is the Deepness, a mythological force that was supposedly stopped when the Lord Ruler came to power, but is not fully understood and may bring terrible things to pass.  Sazed must also find the correct location for The Well of Ascension, for it is here that the Hero of Ages – who he believes Vin to be – will release the power and save the world.

Then there is the OreSeur, a kandra, an ancient race who are able to absorb the bones of a dead person or animal and take that form and appear almost identical to them.  OreSeur is Lord Straff’s kandra, and is sent to spy on Vin, but it’s also discovered that there’s another kandra somewhere within Luthadel who, with the kandra abilities, could literally be anybody.

Finally there is the supposed Hero of Ages, Vin, who isn’t sure what she is, but knows she is one of the most powerful people in existence, but must use her power wisely and not kill recklessly.  She befriends another allomancer, Zane, who seems very familiar, and she becomes close to him, for they have so much in common, and yet he is the allomancer for Lord Straff and therefore an enemy.

Sanderson continues the complexity of the world, with many moral and sociological questions coming into play, as well as adding new plots and subplots.  While it may seem a little overbearing, he skillfully keeps everything organized and separate and maintains the reader’s interest throughout.  It is a sequel worthy of its name, as The Well of Ascension keeps the pace going from the first book, making the reader hunger for more at the last page.  The trilogy is concluded in The Hero of Ages.

If you liked this review and are interested in purchasing this book, click here.

Originally written on November 24th 2008 ©Alex C. Telander.

For an interview with Brandon Sanderson check out BookBanter Episode 2.

“The Final Empire: Mistborn Book 1″ by Brandon Sanderson (Tor, 2006)

The first novel in New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy is an introduction to a fantasy world of class and standing where the poor suffer under the iron fist of the nobility who ignore them and pretend they don’t exist.  Mistborn: The Final Empire reveals a unique realm where the mistborn possess powers of magic never before seen in any other fantasy novel.

Vin is a sixteen year-old skaa, a peasant girl who has never really known her parents, abandoned by an abusive brother, and spends her days working in a field with no hope of change.  That is until a tall and imposing stranger by the name of Kelsier shows up, dismisses her abusive boss like he is garbage and pays attention to her for the first time.  He tells her she possesses powers she is unaware of and then takes her away from her life of slavery, for she is mistborn.

The mistborn are very few in number, but the powers they possess are to be feared by many throughout the realm.  By ingesting small amounts of metals, a mistborn is able to “burn” a particular metal and exert a certain kind of power with it, also known as an allomancer.  Different metals that are burned result in different powers.  Steel allows one to push on metal objects such as railings, doors, coins, belt buckles, wherever there is metal nearby to be used, allowing one to push themselves into the air to great heights.  Iron allows one to pull on metals in one’s surroundings, pulling them up walls and across open spaces.  Zinc allows the mistborn to inflame emotions in others, to make them angrier or sadder, or more fearful.  Brass is a soothing metal, allowing the user to calm and dampen other’s emotions.  Bronze allows the mistborn to detect whether allomancy is being used by others nearby.  Copper allows mistborn to hide their use of allomancy.  Pewter, one of the most useful of the metals for an allomancer, allows them to greatly enhance their physical abilities, so they can be stronger, have faster reflexes, and move exceedingly fast.  Pewter also allows them to sustain injuries and barely notice the pain and not be hindered when under attack.  Tin enhances one’s senses, allowing them to detect sounds, sights, and smells better than any human.  These are the basic metals that all mistborn can use.  But when the small supply of ingested metal is extinguished, the allomancer must find more, or find themselves with simple, ordinary human abilities.

Then there is the metal atium.  A very rare metal that can only be found in small amounts within the crystalline caves of the Pits of Hathsin.  It is here that prisoners are put to work to search for the metal and suffer constant wounds from crawling through the narrow tunnels.  If the prisoner does not find a piece of atium, he or she is executed.  Atium serves as the most expensive metal in the realm, which everyone hungers for.  The Lord Ruler gives out small amounts to his nobles and keeps the rest for himself.  But when a mistborn swallows and uses atium, they have the ability to see future actions, choices made by an opponent during a fight, making it the most important and useful metal for an allomancer.

As Vin begins training with Kelsier, who is also a mistborn, she discovers she is to be part of a group plotting to overthrow the Lord Ruler, who has controlled the world for over a millennium, subjugating all to his tyrannical and merciless power.  With the help of the religious group, the Steel Ministry, which is controlled by the Inquisitors: a trained and bred group of people with giant spikes hammered into their eyes; they are feared by all for their terrifying appearance, as well as for their allomantic abilities.

But there are those – Pewterarms, Seekers, Soothers, Rioters, Lurchers, and Coinshots – who are able to use only one of the metals, and Kelsier has chosen the gang carefully, selecting specific people with specific talents and powers, and fully believes he can kill the Lord Ruler and make the world better.

Sanderson’s first book in his planned trilogy opens up a world with unique magical powers and astounds the reader, as well as keeping him or her reading nonstop to find out what happens next to the well developed and fascinating characters.  Mistborn: The Final Empire will make the reader go out and buy the next two books – Well of Ascension and Hero of Ages – in the series, just to find out how it all ends, and who remains alive on the last page.

If you liked this review and are interested in purchasing this book, click here.

Originally written on November 8th 2008 ©Alex C. Telander.

For an interview with Brandon Sanderson check out BookBanter Episode 2.

“Victory of Eagles” by Naomi Novik (Del Rey, 2008)

Bestselling author Naomi Novik returns with the fifth book in her Temeraire series – which has since been optioned by Peter Jackson – Victory of Eagles, where the war is not going so well for Britain, as Napoleon lands on her shores with his army of men and dragons fighting for his empire.

Temeraire is uncertain of the fate of his master and dearly close friend, Captain Laurence, after the events of Empire of Ivory, Laurence now finds himself sentenced a traitor and awaiting execution.  Relieved of service and residing in some breeding grounds in Wales, Temeraire must battle great odds to defy the military conduct, find, and rescue Laurence.  In his journey, Temeraire gains some allies and begins a small army of his own, composed solely of dragons and no commanders, who fight by their own code and conduct.  Eventually joining the British force against Napoleon, Temeraire demands pay and rights for the dragons, equal to those given to any member of His Majesty’s service.   It is up to Temeraire and his army to first find Laurence and then to help defend Britain again Napoleon’s invading forces, or all may be lost.

Victory of Eagles is a stunning addition to the series that adds new elements and subplots, making the continuing story more interesting and riveting.  Like the others, Victory of Eagles leaves readers hungrily waiting for more.

If you liked this review and are interested in purchasing this book, click here.

Originally written on October 2nd 2008 ©Alex C. Telander.

“Sword Song: The Battle for London” by Bernard Cornwell (Harpercollins, 2008)

We last left Uhtred, in Lords of the North, apparently an ally with King Alfred, while the Vikings were making a very successful takeover of England, making it seem like there was little hope left for Alfred and his Saxon people.  But Alfred has God on his side, and feels he will be ultimately victorious; Uhtred on the other hand, a pagan, cares little for this Christian religion, but is still a little unsure of where his allegiances lie.

While the first three of the Saxon Chronicles gave little hope and direction for Uhtred, in Sword Song, he has more to fight for with a wife and child, and another baby on the way.  The old Roman town of London, an important one with its link to the Thames, has been taken over by the Vikings.  If Alfred gives them London, Wessex is next and soon there will be little left to defend and England will be a Viking nation.  So Alfred charges Uhtred with this great task to use the Saxon army, as well as his own loyal men, and take back London.

At this point Uhtred is a warrior and a great leader in a shield wall.  But with the siege of London, he must mount an attack from the Thames, using ships and men.  It will involve all his previous experience with battle, as well as appeasing both the Saxon army, and his own Northmen.  His plan is to appear as an ally to the Vikings upon reaching London which, with his history, is a possibility, but then to spring the trap and take back the pivotal town.  The question is whether Uhtred will live up to his side of the bargain, with his loyalty being challenged.  Coupled with this is Aethelflæd, Alfred’s daughter, who has been recently kidnapped and is being held somewhere in London by a Viking lord; her life must be protected at all costs.

Sword Song jumps the bestselling series one big step forward, with this pivotal battle in the creation of the nation of England and its people.  Ending on a cliffhanger, Cornwell skillfully leaves fans having to wait another whole year until they can get the next important chapter in the story of Alfred the Great.

If you liked this review and are interested in purchasing this book, click here.

Originally written on January 27th, 2008 ©Alex C. Telander.

For an interview with Bernard Cornwell check out BookBanter Episode 5.