Review Category: Books

Sci-Fi and fantasy series can be tricky things. Regardless of how pleasurable it may be, a book can be a big investment of time and energy, so it’s not unreasonable for readers to expect some guarantee that it will be worth it. This typically means that many readers stick to one style of story (and a limited range of author) and are happily rewarded with more of the same.

Though this is the safe path, it can also be the blandest. Alas, with The Blood of the Hoopoe, the latest instalment of Naomi Foyles’ The Gaia Chronicles series, it seems that the author has chosen the most unremarkable route. This is a pity, because it lovingly mixes fantasy and sci-fi concepts, set in a dystopian future; usually the sort of thing most of us will lap right up.

The series focuses on the misadventures of Astra Ordott, a young lady who has a destiny.  The first book, simply called Astra, focused on Astra’s childhood and the high-technology society that she came from. Astra lives in a post-apocalyptic world, and the series has very strong environmental themes, with everyone seemingly having the ability to be one with nature.  Astra uncovered the sinister secrets behind the paradise she was raised in and escaped her dystopian homeland. The novel was pretty slow but had some interesting concepts. By book two, Rook’s Song, the pace had picked up substantially, but the core concept was the same; Astra had much to learn about the world, and her innate superiority let her find out all she needed to know just in time.

The Blood of the Hoopoe feels like it combines the worst aspects of the previous two books; we have the overly involved exposition of the first book and predictable story arc of the second novel. This time round, it’s up to Astra to bring together not only the disparate tribes of man but also restore humanity’s connection to the Earth itself. The central problem is that Astra is the only character with any depth; the reader doesn’t really care about the rest of the world and its problems.

On the other hand, each of these books is a quick read and the world building is interesting and engaging, though not terribly original. The Blood of the Hoopoe is more of the same for those who need that sort of thing on their bookshelf.

THE BLOOD OF THE HOOPOE / AUTHOR: NAOMI FOYLE / PUBLISHER: JO FLETCHER BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW (KINDLE)

 

J.J.R. Tolkien’s name is synonymous with the fantasy genre. Modern fantasy writing would not be the shape or form it is today without the influence of the good professor, and this means that fans of his better-known works such as The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings are keen to grab anything else he may have written.

A Secret Vice is not a fantasy novel, but it is guaranteed to entrance and mesmerise lovers of fantasy nonetheless. This slim volume presents Tolkien’s thoughts on ideas on how one goes about creating their own language. Or to put it another way, this book contains the roots of Elvish and all the other tongues of Middle Earth. It’s based on a lecture Tolkien gave in 1931, entitled a ‘Hobby for The Home’, which was later revised 20 years later for a second lecture, then called ‘A Secret Vice’. It was eventually published by his son Christopher in The Monsters and the Critics, and Other Essays.

This new edition is the most comprehensive treatise on the subject; it contains A Secret Vice and a supporting work by Tolkien called Essay on Phonetic Symbolism. Reproductions of the original manuscript, a coda and extensive references are also jammed into these pages. It may seem like they’ve gone to a lot of effort with this work, but it’s easy to see wise. It’s very, very interesting.

Tolkien examines constructed languages in general and the relation of a mythology to its language. What’s also interesting is Tolkien’s own voice. Editors Dimitra Fimi and Andrew Higgins have done much to preserve the sense of the work, and they are interesting and useful notes in the book, such as the form that the original Essay on Phonetic Symbolism was presented in.

In A Secret Vice, Tolkien compares and examines language and what effect it has on storytelling. He discusses constructed language and looks for the beauty in words. Anyone who fancies themselves a writer will benefit from dipping in and learning a bit more about the art of language itself.  Those fascinated with Quenya and all things Middle Earth will be especially delighted by this work.

If you are a hard-core word nerd, or simply a big Tolkien fan, this is the definitive work on Tolkien’s relationship with words. Worth the read and expect to have to make notes.

A SECRET VICE / AUTHOR: J.R.R. TOLKIEN, DIMITRA FIMI, ANDREW HIGGINS (EDITORS) / PUBLISHER: HARPER COLLINS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The little bit of text on the back of the book – the blurb – can often be a good sign that a book knows what it is about. A strong blurb will give you a good idea what to expect. Alas, The Wolf in the Attic’s blurb is unclear. After reading through the entire book, it’s entirely possible that you still won’t know what it’s about.

Broadly, the story focuses on Anna, a twelve-year-old girl who has fled to Oxford from Greece with her father. Torn from her former life, all she has left is her father and her doll, Pin, her only friend. One evening, upon wandering into the woods, she strays from the path and sees a murder, and the tale pretty much gets stranger from that point on. On the way, we encounter myth and fairy tale-like elements, as well as a touch of Oxford class.

Paul Kearney is an established master of elaborate prose, and like many of his other works, The Wolf in the Attic is more about the journey than the actual plot. We are here to have the tale told to us in an exceptionally pretty way and be enchanted by the author’s turn of phrase. The tale itself is less relevant.

Which is a good thing, because this particular Wolf in the attic resembles a shaggy dog. We are here for the very pretty prose and the author’s love affair with Oxford. Sadly, one of the novels problems is it embrace ‘20s upper-class England a little bit too much. To put it bluntly, all the good guys are cucumber sandwich munching English fellows and the baddies are mysterious foreign devils with ways that are not like ours. Now, it could be that this a deliberate call back to a certain period in history and the tendency for 1920’s Oxford professor types to veer into unwise stereotypes, but it still leaves a sour taste.

More than a few times, you get the feeling that the author is trying to push the limits of their own experience to take the reader somewhere deeper, and yet failing. Even the main protagonist falls flat at points, and this singularly fails to tell the tale of a young girl coming of age.

The Wolf in the Attic is very pretty to read, doesn’t go anywhere interesting, wastes most of its good ideas in the first act and is, over all, a bit disappointing. We expected more from Paul Kearney and look forward to his next work. Alas, this is both self-indulgent and over ambitious and is only worth your time if you want to get sucked into a poor tale told exceptionally well.

THE WOLF IN THE ATTIC / AUTHOR: PAUL KEARNEY / PUBLISHER: SOLARIS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

 

Time travel has always been one of the big ideas behind science fiction. Often these stories are simply some sort of elaborate wish fulfilment; a desire to undo the things that cannot be undone or just an excuse to dip into more complex fantasy. Daniel Godfrey’s New Pompeii is a more complicated proposition, but essentially it’s big dream of any historian, turned into a thriller.

The premise behind New Pompeii is quite fun. A small band of scientists have discovered a way to pull people forward in time. This means you can’t go back in the past, but you can grab someone from back in the day to ask them questions. Of course, then you’re stuck with a human being who is completely lost in the modern day. The people behind this discovery are business men first, scientists second, and have an interesting dilemma. They have the power to pull people out of the various disasters and tragedies throughout history but have no way of knowing if this is the wisest, kindest or most profitable course of action.

They then strike upon the idea of pulling out the citizens of Pompeii, moments before volcano time, into a replica of the town. They recruit historian Nick Houghton to keep things on an even keel for them, and it’s Nick’s perspective the story focuses on for the most part. Nick, for the most part, is a pretty sympathetic character. Smart enough to understand what’s going on yet not so brilliant that you can’t relate to him. Other characters are less developed, but then they don’t need to; Nick is essentially our avatar into this strange new world where the modern age clashes head-on with history. Nick’s biggest problem is that ancient Roman’s aren’t dumb and are pretty much aware that something weird has happened from day one; despite the (not so clever) lies they’ve been told.

New Pompeii is essentially a thriller that runs in three different directions. We have the conspiracy that is the big business interests behind New Pompeii, Nick’s own journey into Roman civilisation and politics, and a darker, murder mystery plot that peddles away in the background. Each strand weaves itself into the narrative, and the work is peppered with clever observations about history, as well as parallels between the Roman Empire and the modern world.

Comparisons to stories like Westworld and Jurassic Park are sort of inevitable here and aren’t entirely unfair. An exciting new talent, Godfrey has produced a solid tale of human motivations, conspiracy and a touch of super-tech that seems almost plausible. It’s clever, engaging and a lovely piece of pulp for the summer.

If you like Michael Crichton at his best, then check out Daniel Godfrey.

NEW POMPEII / AUTHOR: DANIEL GODFREY / PUBLISHER: TITAN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

 

Cyberpunk is a science fiction subgenre that never really went away. The heady combination of dystopia, information technology, noir style crime and an exploration of man’s innate distrust of new ideas have always had an appeal, even before the time we shoved such stories in a box and called it cyberpunk. The genre has only become more and more relevant other time, as these days everyone is connected to a web of electronic information via a little black box in their pockets.

Ren Warom’s Escapology adds a fresh and strong voice to the world of cyberpunk, and a very welcome on at that. The plot is pure cyberpunk deliciousness. Our protagonist, in the fine tradition of silly near-futuristic names, is called Shock Pao. He’s a Haunt, a sort of criminal who is very hard to locate using computers and also happens to be very good at hacking into information systems and stealing data for people. In the real world, Shock has no prospects; he’s a Fail, no qualifications, no references, nothing. A classic outsider. Which means he can’t turn down work, no matter how dangerous. Meanwhile, an assassin called Amiga is stuck in a no-win situation, and her job puts her on a collision course with Shock.

The pace is very, very fast and the world building is efficient and well thought out. Everything that we take for granted, including simple access to the Internet, is different and difficult in this world.  Warom builds her world from the character’s perspective first; we learn what it’s like to be a person in a post-apocalyptic, high-tech society.   She uses multiple perspectives to build this world, and at each level we feel something for the character. It’s a mix of personal touches and clever yet unusual choices that make this work so compelling.

One of the neat things about the writing is that Warom takes ideas that many still consider to be non-standard and simply considers them to be the new normal. This is a broken world, yet those in it don’t see it that way. Main characters take the oddness of this world in their stride and the whole thing as an organic, natural feel, even though some of the plot elements of beautifully odd.

At its core, Escapology is a novel about becoming something else, shedding the limitations of technology to grow and learn. Whilst at the same time being filled with action and adventure. If you love good cyberpunk, you will adore this.

ESCAPOLOGY / AUTHOR: REN WAROM / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

 

In a Victorian London where magic exists, psychic Nan Killian and medium Sarah Lyon-White – plus their talking pet birds Neville and Grey – come to 221B Baker Street to work with the intrepid investigator who lives there. Not Sherlock Holmes, but his friend Dr Watson and his wife Mary, who are actually Elemental Masters of Water and Air. Together, they set out to solve a case involving ghosts, opera singers and a deadly entity that nearly killed the girls when they were children…

A Study in Sable is the latest – an impressive number eleven – in Mercedes Lackey’s Elemental Masters series. While some of the references and callbacks to previous entries may go over the heads of first-time readers, then, this is a standalone adventure which can easily be appreciated by newbies and old hats alike.

A word of warning to intrigued Holmesians, however. Though his image adorns the book’s front cover, Holmes himself is actually a surprisingly small part of the narrative – popping up on occasion to have his logical mind tested by the magic his friends practice. Instead, it is the Watsons who have a more substantial presence, and there is a lot of subversive fun to be had from having good old reliable Dr Watson reinvented as a master magician. What will leave Holmes purists really aghast, though, is the fact that Holmes and Watson call each other by their first names. Now, that’s a controversial change.

But A Study in Sable is really all about Nan and Sarah – this is their book series, after all. As a result, the central mystery is not as robust as you would expect from a novel that features Sherlock Holmes. Instead, Lackey eschews a particularly perplexing case to focus on the relationship of the two central characters, as their sister-like bond is tested by the very woman they are trying to help. There are hints at how things could have tied in to the wider Holmes narrative, but for Doyle aficionados these are left frustratingly unexplored. Perhaps these will be elaborated on in future books?

Overall, A Study in Sable is a light, entertaining read, with some nice historical detail which helps ground the flights of fancy. Though the whimsy and magic might turn away hardcore Holmesians, there is much to enjoy for fans of historical fantasy fiction.

A STUDY IN SABLE: THE ELEMENTAL MASTERS / AUTHOR: MERCEDES LACKEY / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

With Finding Dory making its way into cinemas later this month, Disney Pixar, through Chronicle Books, has released The Art of Finding Dory, an art book which details the initial concept art for the film and how this art, and the film itself, developed. Including both of these original ideas and the art of the film, the majority of the book itself is split into three different acts – to reflect the three acts of the film itself, and to be able to take its readers through different aspects and parts of the film in astounding detail – with a handful of pages just devoted to some glorious detailing, artwork and reasoning behind how and why the film included the particular setting of the Marine Institute.

The book itself is also an incredible insight into finding out how Disney and Pixar work, create and develop their films, but particularly their newest offering, Finding Dory. From initial character drawings, to notes from those working on the film, to even an explanation as to how a specific type of lighting was created to make the film’s setting of the sea more realistic, this is both eye-opening and informative, making the book a must for any aspiring animator or even artist. It goes into so much depth into the likes of setting, colour and lighting that you really start to appreciate all the consideration and work that goes into animated films, but particularly Finding Dory.

Even if you have no interest how animated films like Finding Dory are made and developed, the artwork itself is enough to warrant that you pick up a copy. Every page is filled with lush, intricate drawings (both hand drawn and digital drawings) that really show off the skill and talent of the artists of Disney, and you will undoubtedly be captivated by the beautiful drawings and digital art that this book holds as soon as you turn the first page – they’re absolutely captivating. This book feels very much like a ‘coffee-table’ book – it’s almost far too detailed to read all in one sitting, and is perfect to place on your coffee table because it’s very much a book that you can keep coming back to again and again – particularly as it isn’t too text-heavy, leaving the gorgeous artwork to speak for itself and demand to be viewed over and over.

So if you’re a fan of the film, a Disney fan who’s intrigued about the inner-workings of their films and how they are developed and made – right from the storyboards onwards – or just a fan of animation and beautiful art in general, then this is the perfect book for you.

THE ART OF FINDING DORY / PUBLISHER: CHRONICLE BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Star Wars: Adventures in Wild Space: The Steal by Cavan Scott is the third volume in the Wild Space series or, as it’s more familiarly known amongst Star Wars fans, the Outer Rim. Set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, Adventures in Wild Space follows the adventures of the resourceful and adventurous Lina and Milo Graf as they attempt to find the location of their explorer parents whom have been kidnapped by the Empire. Now the Empire’s metal-jawed Captain Korda is in pursuit of the siblings and their droid CR-8R for the stellar-cartography information it contains. In this adventure, Milo and Lina arrive on the planet Lothal, source of a mysterious transmission promising help against the Empire. With a bounty hunter on their tail and a ruthless crime boss to contend with, can they pull off a daring heist?

Young Star Wars fans will enjoy picking out the familiar aspects of the Star Wars Universe, the villain is a Mon Calamari whose lieutenants are a Rodian (or a “Greedo” as my son informed me, but what do dad’s know?) and an IG assassin droid. There’s speeder bikes, a Clone Trooper’s helmet, a mysterious bounty hunter and plenty of frenetic blaster action that keeps the plot barrelling along nicely. There is nothing new nor original here for cine-literate and book savvy adults, who will be immune to the book’s twists, but for children who are developing their own reading tastes and still see wonder in the world around them, there is much to enjoy.

There’s plenty of action, peril (of the mild U certificate variety), children getting the upper hand on their elders and a cliff hanger ending. But then this series is aimed at 8 to 11 year olds and as the protagonists themselves are 9 and 10 it’s easy for the young reader to imagine themselves in such an adventure. The vocabulary is also pitched well as my 8-year-old understood most of what he read barring the odd word or specific Star Wars terminology. In fact, once he had finished The Steal he asked for more. More?! More?! Well it just so happens…

STAR WARS: ADVENTURES IN WILD SPACE: THE STEAL / AUTHOR: CAVAN SCOTT / PUBLISHER: EGMONT / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

With modern Doctor Who about to enter its third distinct era –
when Chris Chibnall takes over from Steven Moffat as head writer in 2018 – it
is odd to think that the
sci-fi juggernaut’s 21^st century run is now
old enough to be looked back on as a piece of television history in itself. But
that’s what Doctor Who historian (and
former Starburst–er) David J. Howe
has done in his new retrospective on Russell T Davies’ time on the show.

Then and Now compiles Howe’s reviews of
every episode from ‘Rose’ to ‘The End of Time: Part Two’ that were originally
published on his blog Howe’s Who when
the stories first aired. These are then accompanied by new comments from the
author on how differently he views the episodes today. It’s a neat premise for
an analytical look at Who, and in
some cases it produces some really interesting results e.g. Howe originally
loved 2005’s ‘Father’s Day’ but now he can’t stand it.

As the material was initially intended
for a personal blog, the reviews are very subjective and stream of consciousness,
which makes for an enjoyably conversational read. The republication of Howe’s
original thoughts will also resurface some fond memories for Who fans,
particularly in covering Eccleston’s series where Howe is clearly just so
excited to have Who back on the
screen after 16 years without it.

You might not always agree with Howe (he
controversially doesn’t like Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble, for instance), but
his underlying love for the programmes never fails to shine through. The writer
wears his fan credentials on his sleeve and regularly compares RTD’s episodes
to similarly-themed classic Who stories.
And, just like any self-respecting fan, he enjoys picking out the holes in
logic and any unanswered questions left by the end of the episode.

Unlike some fans who claim to be lovers
of the show but don’t seem to actually like it, Then and Now is clearly written by someone who
adores Doctor Who and who writes about it with enthusiasm and humour, as well
as giving it a fair and honest critique. A book made by a Doctor Who fan for Doctor Who fans, this is an easy recommendation. 

THEN AND NOW – DOCTOR WHO / AUTHOR: DAVID J, HOWE / PUBLISHER: CREATESPACE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
 

As authors go, Melinda Snodgrass is one of those surprising creators who has always remained in the background. While well known for writing one of the best (and admittedly one of the worst) episodes of Star Trek, her later successes such as The Edge trilogy have sadly gone unnoticed. As such, seeing her returning with a brand new science fiction series was a welcome sight indeed.

Set in an era of political strife and intrigue, The High Ground follows the stories of two cadets in the Solar League’s elite training academy. Mercedes, daughter of the ruling Emperor, is the first woman to be admitted and seeks to prove her right to the Imperial throne, while Thracius merely seeks to attain a basic command and be remembered with honour. Both however, soon find that fate has a very different future in store for them…

Despite being character driven, this opening book naturally requires to lay down a great deal of groundwork for future instalments. There is, after all, only so much which can be done to truly build elements as it goes along. This means everything from the rules of the setting to the culture and technological level must be all explained at once, and thankfully Snodgrass expertly pulls this off. These are woven cleanly into the narrative, worked around the characters or delivered early on as foreshadowing to later conflicts. Many of the ideas are once again those science fiction veterans will have seen many times before, from the feudal and Napoleonic elements of an intergalactic empire to the cadet story. However, each is presented in a very different light than expected, allowing them to still feel fresh.

The real weakness of the story sadly comes down to a few of the more personal moments. While the character arcs are satisfactory and the twists work, more than a few personal scenes are overly soap operay, with almost cliched dialogue and reactions. While it doesn’t reach the point of George Lucas dialogue, reading through them can still be a painful affair and an irritating drop in quality to what is an otherwise solid book. What’s more, several early scenes retain a number of “as you know” expository conversations, which makes it a very difficult first few chapters to get through.

Overall, The High Ground is competently written, solidly engaging and very satisfying. While it doesn’t make that leap to truly standing out from the crowd, those who want a great blend of feudal values with laser guns will definitely get a kick out of seeing this new setting. If you’re a fan of Fading Suns, Foundation or the Battletech novels, definitely set some cash aside for this one, you will not regret it.

THE HIGH GROUND / AUTHOR: MELINDA SNODGRASS / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS/ RELEASE DATE: JULY 5TH