Review Category: Books

Corinne Duyvis came into the spotlight when her debut novel, Otherbound, was released. Now she returns with an apocalyptic thriller for young adults, On The Edge of Gone. In this book, she creates a believable, character driven story that will keep readers up through the night.

The narrative is based in the year 2035 and Denise, an autistic girl, is assigned to a temporary shelter. However, a series of events leads them to a generation ship that will leave earth to colonize new worlds. But, due to Denise’s autism, she may not be useful enough to be granted entry onto this generation ship. This plot may sound like a standard young adult fantasy novel, although it is far more than that, and therefore should be given the right amount of credit. There are many apocalyptic thrillers for young adult readers, but none that are so character focused and full of vivid detail. This novel has a hint of realism, which is a top priority for a young adult novel. On The Edge of Gone asks the reader, who is useful to save? This central question brings up important moral dilemmas, that Duyvis is able to handle with ease.

Although the novel does have a slow start, the story starts to gain pace as we are given twists within the story line. The novel has a small cast of characters, which can seem to limit the potential of any book. In this instance though, Duyvis takes these characters and turns them into relatable and convincing people. These characters are then placed into a plot that is exciting and unpredictable. The key to good YA fiction is how the author tackles moral quandaries, such as disability and loyalty in this case. Duyvis handles these situations in a way that all teenagers will be able to relate to, whilst learning key ethical principles.

This is a face paced read, full of twists and captivating characters. Although it is focused on the younger market, older readers may find some enjoyment in this tale of survival. It also raises important issues regarding autism and shows, in the face of any danger, everyone really matters. One of the best apocalyptic thrillers, and certainly one of the most character centred, in years.

ON THE EDGE OF GONE / AUTHOR: CORINNE DUYVIS / PUBLISHER: ABRAMS BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: 8TH MARCH

The twelve months following his exposure as a Red have not been kind to Darrow. In fact, they’ve been bloodydamn horrible. Imprisoned and tortured by the villainous Jackal, to the brink of insanity, Darrow sees only one escape. Suicide. As he smashes his own head into the rock on which he lays bound, naked and alone, Darrow closes his eyes and thinks of Eo. There is no reprise of the forbidden song his late wife performed, that served as the catalyst for his deadly mission to infiltrate the privileged Golds and free his people from the mines of Mars as he surrenders, defeated, into the darkness.

But for Darrow, suicide never runs smoothly. It didn’t work in Red Rising and it doesn’t work now. Moments from death, he is handed from the Jackal to the Sovereign’s allies, which include his enemy and former brother in arms, Cassius au Bellona. Fortunately for Darrow, his old friend Sevro now leads the Sons of Ares and has launched a rescue mission. Returned to his family for the first time in years, Darrow’s reputation as a figurehead of the rebellion is more broken than his body, but confronted by the world he sought to liberate, something inside him stirs. He is the Reaper. He has a mission, and ‘if this is the end, I will rage toward it’.

That same sentiment could be applied to Red Rising’s 28 year-old author Pierce Brown. Trilogies traditionally end with an almighty showdown between good and evil, but Brown’s sophisticated and multilayered narrative defies convention. There are battles, sure. Battles in space, battles by hand but none more dangerous than the battle Brown’s protagonist fights with himself. The civil war that rages inside Darrow’s heart, as he tries to reconcile his desperation to reclaim the friendship of Cassius and the love of Mustang (despite the former’s determination for vengeance and the latter’s repulsion at Darrow’s true identity), are just a glimmer of the complexities that Brown’s skillfully interwoven tapestry presents against the backdrop of certain Armageddon.

The story roars towards a heart-wrenching climax but with so many twists and turns it’s impossible to delve further without giving anything away so we’ll break down what you need to know as follows:

1) There are times that you’ll feel like you’re being punched in the heart. Walk it off. It’s going to be okay. Not right away, but eventually.  We think. We’re not medical professionals, but this book is worth the risk.

2) If warriors ever wrote poetry, it would read like Morning Star. Brown is a General armed with ink and a quill pen.

3) This novel is nothing short of a bloodydamn masterpiece.

MORNING STAR / AUTHOR: PIERCE BROWN / PUBLISHER: DEL REY BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The fact that anyone can find anything new to say about the James Bond franchise is commendable. The fact that they can say it as well as Sean Egan does in James Bond: The Secret History and make even the well-trodden 007 trivia that we’re so familiar with sound fresh and exciting is something to be celebrated. 

This is a book for Bond fans everywhere – an extremely well-researched and snappily written excursion into the universe of the world’s favourite secret agent that leaves no avenue unexplored: in his chatty and engrossing style, Egan effectively debunks the popular romantic notion that, when he was serving in the Royal Navy, Ian Fleming was a kind of ‘real life’ James Bond, examines Fleming’s inspirations and Bond’s literary beginnings and then interestingly and rather sadly charts the increasing weariness the author felt towards his character. Fleming, by all accounts, hated the process of writing the books and, in a way that was unconsciously mirrored by at least a couple of the actors who would play Bond in the movies (although for different reasons) would deliver each of the later manuscripts to his publisher declaring this one will be the last. Then there are the films and the seemingly endless struggle to keep Bond on the big screen (each release is given a thorough overhaul, as is the famous dispute between the Bond producers and Kevin McClory, who seemingly never missed an opportunity to be a thorn in Broccoli and Saltzman’s backside). The comic books are covered, including a nod to Dynamite, who are the current comic licensees as are the video games, all of the more recent Bond novels (including the Young Bond series), which brings up right up to SPECTRE and the growing likelihood that it will be Daniel Craig’s last entry in the series. It’s also great to see an author give Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan their due. Moore and Dalton have especially borne the brunt of fan criticism, but Egan is at pains to point out that the series would not be what it is without their input.

We think most Bond fans will agree that there isn’t a better time for this book to be released – SPECTRE, although a decent 007 outing, fell far short of the benchmark set by Skyfall and divided the fans and critics, and what Bond devotees need right now is a little positivity; a reminder not only of what a juggernaut James Bond is and has been, but an injection of hope for the future. ‘Today is possibly the most exciting of all times for Bond fans’, writes Egan and you know what? On the basis of this fine book, I think he might very well be correct.

JAMES BOND: THE SECRET HISTORY / AUTHOR: SEAN EGAN / PUBLISHER: JOHN BLAKE PUBLISHING / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

 

The publishing industry is in an interesting place at the moment. Anyone can start a small press printing business from the comfort of their own home and though many of them fail, the ones that succeed often do so because they produce something new, exciting and remarkable.

Jason Gurley’s Eleanor is the story of a grieving family. When Eleanor’s identical twin dies, the family is torn apart with regret. As the book unfolds however, we get a very different story, one filled with journeys to other lands, time-travel and self-discovery. It has plenty of twists and turn, but the pacing is so relaxed we don’t notice the changes till its way, way too late. This is a powerful book for mature minds.

Eleanor started out as a small-press work that has now been picked up by a major publisher. On the face of it, this is a book that simply shouldn’t work. Its introduction is too slow, its premise is quite frankly weird and the story is incredibly sombre and heart-breakingly sad. Gurley’s writing style is reflective and steady, forcing the reader to consider every word on the page. It shouldn’t work. It really shouldn’t. This should be a slow book with incomprehensible tangents.

What we get instead is a skilled and lovingly designed journey into a modern fairy tale, one that evokes the skill and style of authors such as Graham Joyce and Neil Gaiman at their finest, especially Joyce’s later work.

Like a lot of fantasy novels set in the modern age, it mixes real world issues (alcoholism, grief, etc) with the surreal and unusual, to create something memorable, different and new. Eleanor is a tough book in that it’s emotionally draining and slow, yet at the same time compelling. If not for Gurely’s online following, we doubt this would have ever gotten onto the shelves of your local high-street bookstore and yet we are very glad it did. For all its unusual qualities and odd behaviour, Eleanor is a truly remarkable piece of fiction and will most likely be on your shelf by the end of the year.

ELEANOR / AUTHOR: JASON GURLEY / PUBLISHER: HARPER VOYAGER / RELEASE DATE: 10TH MARCH

Several years ago indestructible glass spheres of vibrant hues suddenly appeared all over the world hidden within man-made objects, each colour granting a unique benefit to whoever absorbs its power, such as extra height, better health, clearer memory, greater strength or increased attractiveness. Sully is a teenage merchant in the spheres, running a stall at a flea market, buying and selling the spheres as one of the few independent traders not run out of business by ruthless billionaire Alex Holliday. Soon after meeting an expert sphere hunter named, er, Hunter (who also happens to be the girl of his dreams), the discovery of two never-before-seen colours make it clear that something has changed and that the underlying mystery behind the sphere’s appearance might be revealed.

Burning Midnight is an expansion of McIntosh’s short story Midnight Blue, and it shows. It’s a great idea and one that presents a number of possible scenarios, but its insubstantial narrative fails to capitalise on them. The story is most engaging in its early stages, as it introduces the various specific colours of the spheres and the myriad of enhancements each bestows, but after a while it becomes apparent that there isn’t a lot more to it. The story is marred by a lack of true conflict, with nominal antagonist Holliday only making brief appearances, during which he comes off more like a hissing pantomime villain than a credible threat. 

To its credit, the story credibly creates a world where the phenomenon of the spheres is integrated into ordinary life, becoming a significant part of the everyday without dominating it. An entire industry has built up around the buying and selling of spheres, the rarer colours providing proportionally greater benefits and commanding astronomical prices. That Sully’s own business barely scrapes by, and the potential failure in the sphere-questing exploits he and Hunter undertake, provides the story with its few consequences for characters’ choices. Hunter herself is a largely taciturn presence, due to an appropriately tragic backstory and it remains difficult to get a read on her, in particular her growing attraction to Sully. While she never approaches the dreaded MPDG territory, she is still largely defined by what Sully feels for her.

The central premise of Burning Midnight is quite an intriguing one, so it’s frustrating that such potential is squandered in a meandering plot, that takes too long to actually go anywhere, and when it does it’s far too quick in bringing things to a head and subsequently resolving them. In short, it’s a book you’ll want to like more, but lacks the substance to allow you to do so. 

BURNING MIDNIGHT / AUTHOR: WILL MCINTOSH / PUBLISHER: MACMILLAN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW 

The Bands of Mourning are a mythical set of bracers owned by the Lord Ruler, who reigned over the entire world in the days of the Final Empire, and are said to be bestowed with his immense power. When their location is seemingly discovered, nobleman law keeper Wax is recruited to retrieve them, bringing him into greater conflict with his power-hungry uncle and a shadowy cabal he works for.

Middle instalments of trilogies are often tricky prospects, being placed in the unenviable position of having to continue the narrative previously set out, while simultaneously setting things up for the finale and being a complete story in its own right. It’s in this regard that The Bands of Mourning doesn’t quite measure up to its predecessors. While it’s never anything less than an entertaining read and just as action-packed as ever, it lacks the narrative tautness of Alloy of Law or Shadows of Self, for the most part feeling like filler material merely paving the way for the finale where some events of note actually occur.

Along the way, there are several allusions to the Cosmere, Sanderson’s slowly expanding mythos encompassing all of his epic fantasy works, and in particular Hoid, the mysterious and apparently immortal figure who crops up somewhere in almost every book, interfering with events to varying degrees. While providing further details regarding the invisible interstellar backstory of the universe carries a certain degree of satisfaction to those determined to unlock its mysteries, the information provided is given too much prominence and gets in the way of the actual story. 

On the positive side, the book gives some much needed character development to Steris, Wax’s fiancé who, up until now, has been a rather distant and aloof presence. While their engagement is principally a society pairing calculated to advance both of their stations, it’s clear she harbours some genuine affection for him, also stoically accepting her general uselessness in any kind of confrontation, while providing some of the book’s humour with a running joke of the ludicrous improbabilities of potential crises she plans ahead for. Additionally, it thankfully seems that the previous unspoken implication that Marasi, Steris’ sister and Wax’s regular adventuring cohort, would be a far better romantic attachment, has been abandoned.

While misdirection within presented information is a regular feature of Sanderson’s writing, the revelations this time aren’t quite as clever as they think they are, and ultimately lack the significance of twists seen in his other stories. The Bands of Mourning is largely more of the same in terms of action, adventure and mystery, and while this is not necessarily a bad thing, it would have been nice to have a better-paced development of the overall plot driving the trilogy.

THE BANDS OF MOURNING / AUTHOR: BRANDON SANDERSON / PUBLISHER: GOLLANCZ / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Snake is a healer, one of a tribe skilled in using serpent poison to create vaccines and illness remedies, and who travel wherever they are needed to aid the sick and the dying. After the death of her dreamsnake – a rare alien creature with narcotic venom – she wanders in nomadic self-imposed exile, through the desolate wasteland of post-apocalyptic Earth.

Snake’s journey is a personal one, the world in general having little relevance beyond how it relates to her immediate situation. The complexity of her character is uncovered at a slow pace, and while this means it takes time to get a read on her, it follows that she becomes increasingly fascinating the more you learn of her. Far from the vibrant and lusty shield maidens often featured in genre settings, Snake is a taciturn and enigmatic presence. Throughout the story she is never described physically, nor is her age ever explicitly stated. She is her own woman; how she is perceived by others is immaterial to her, and we must be content with the glimpses of her life we have been granted. 

While the story features a number of sci-fi trappings, such as the presence of alien life on earth and advances in science like genetic engineering and biotechnology perceived as common knowledge, they are treated as background details not integral to the story but mentioned in passing in such a way as to expand the scope of the world at large. Juxtaposed with the far-flung future is the insular tribalism that much of human civilisation has descended into. Each settlement on Snake’s travels has its own societal quirks and customs, and all are invariably wary of outsiders and the potential danger inherent in the unknown.

The disaster that reduced the world to a blasted desert wasteland of shifting black sand is never even mentioned. While radioactive craters suggest a nuclear war some time in the past, it’s a detail irrelevant to the measured lives people now lead. Time is only the here and now, and perception is nothing more than what’s right in front of you. Dreamsnake’s matter of fact prose style reflects this, and like its protagonist it appears straightforward and uncomplicated at first glance, but gradually reveals hidden depths for those who look deeply enough.

DREAMSNAKE / AUTHOR: VONDA N. MCINTYRE / PUBLISHER: JO FLETCHER BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Not only is this house brick-sized new Doctor Who book the ugliest-looking publication to come our way in quite some time (the drab gun-metal grey cover design makes it look like a block of concrete, and is hardly likely to make it leap out from your friendly neighbourhood bookshop’s groaning shelves), it’s also quite possibly the most bafflingly-pointless. With Doctor Who currently in the creative doldrums and only one new episode on the horizon this year (the obligatory Christmas special), it’s not even an especially timely release. A more cynical reviewer (some are available) might suggest that the book is intended to keep Doctor Who ‘warm’ and its fans interested during its latest ‘gap’ year. But in truth, there’s no particular reason for even the most moderately well-informed fan to invest in this new tome, which really offers no new insights into the 52-year history of the series, and contents itself with just regurgitating well-known storylines, character beats and familiar behind-the-scenes Doctor Who ephemera.

The book’s format is relatively simple, if not especially imaginative, chronicling an entire year (January 1st to December 31st, fact fans!) and regurgitating key facts from Doctor Who history, by allocating them to a specific date in the calendar, many being transmission dates of particular episodes and first appearances of significant characters (and each incarnation of the Doctor) or acclaimed storylines. Each day covers some significant event or other from Doctor Who history, whilst sidebar panels provide occasionally brief real-world context to the episode or cross-references to other notable moments in Who history (Whostory?), which might have happened on the same day in another era. Some of the entries are more tenuous than others; January 1st introduces us to the Doctor, the random connection to the first day of the year being that the TARDIS apparently landed in Trafalgar Square during New Year celebrations in a 1966 William Hartnell episode, and Paul McGann’s 1996 TV movie ended on New Year’s Day 2000 in San Francisco. Other dates have rather stronger ties to the series, the first appearance of the Master on 2nd January 1971, the first appearance of the third Doctor on 3rd January 1970 and the fifth Doctor’s debut on 4th January 1982. And just to prove that we’ve done more than just flick through the first few pages, 15th April marks the beginning of David Tennant’s first full series (2006), 12th May recognises that the Doctor met the Thals again, in a 1973 serial (albeit the screening of the sixth episode of a serial, in which he met up with them in the first), as well as the 1968 birthdate of Catherine Tate (Donna Noble).

Other dates are of slightly greater interest to the more hardcore; 12th November is commemorated as the day in 1964, when the first hardback Doctor Who novel was published and 25th November remembers the first UK newspaper review of the series, by Michael Gowers, in The Daily Mail in 1963. Some entries seem entirely random, however; this reviewer has no idea why the rise of the Cyberking from the 2008 Christmas special The Next Doctor, finds itself on 22nd August and 5th January asks ‘When is a Police Box Not a Police Box’ purely because a thread in 1985’s Attack of the Cybermen involved the TARDIS finally changing shape (briefly), as part of a cheap publicity stunt.

Author Justin Richards has been the Editor of the BBC Doctor Who book range for years, so he knows his stuff and he’s clearly relishing recounting familiar on and off-screen stories in a succinct, if dry and humourless style. But it’s hard to know quite who this slab of a book – it’s printed on cheap paper, and enlivened here and there by some decent illustrations by Freakhouse Graphics – is aimed. There’s little new here for long-time fans and newer fans may find it a bit intimidating. But if you’re determined to take the plunge, it’s best dipped into (as Richards points out in his introduction) rather than read from cover to cover. For that way would surely lie madness and confusion. Now, let’s see; June 16th… ‘Professor Yana is Not Who He Seems’. Indeed.

DOCTOR WHO – 365 DAYS OF MEMORABLE MOMENTS AND IMPOSSIBLE THINGS / AUTHOR: JUSTIN RICHARDS / PUBLISHER: BBC BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: 10TH MARCH

After a 14-year break, The X-Files is back on our TV screens, so it’s a good opportunity for this book to look back at the impact and influence of the nine seasons, that ran from 1993 to 2002.

First things first, The X-Files didn’t just suddenly appear from nowhere, as Muir notes it was produced in a period of what he calls “Pax America”, running from 1990 to 11th September 2001. This was when the Cold War had ended and instead of the external communist threat, there was a persistent fear and distrust of the US government, which was easily inflamed by the growing use and popularity of the Internet.

Certainly, paranormal subjects were nothing new to television; Muir lists such programmes as The Avengers (1961- 1968), which had John Steed, partnered with Emma Peel investigating unusual crimes. Chris Carter, the producer of The X-Files, admits he wanted to create a similar frisson of sexual attraction between the skeptical FBI agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her believer colleague Fox Mulder (David Duchovny). Then, of course, there was the influence of The Twilight Zone anthology series; The Invaders that carried the theme of one man trying to stop THEM invading and Kolchak: The Night Stalker featuring another lone man fighting against our inability to accept there is more to life than rational science can explain.

It should also be mentioned that The X-Files came a decade after UFO enthusiasts resurrected the Roswell UFO crash case of 1947, and the theme of alien abductions became a hot topic, especially with the publication of horror writer Whitley Strieber’s Communion in 1987. Strieber famously introduced the concept of the alien anal probe, and others like Budd Hopkins and John E. Mack helped introduce the idea that literally millions of people were being abducted every year, as part of an alien hybrid breeding program, which was secretly supported by the US government to gain access to alien technology. In Britain, this helped boost the circulation of such magazines as Fortean Times and the launch of several newsstand UFO and paranormal publications. Into the mix was the fact that the 20th Century was coming to a close and there were many apocalyptic fears in circulation, including the Year 2000 problem (Millennium Bug), which feared computer systems would crash on 01 January 2000, causing death and destruction on a worldwide scale.

Feeding off and incorporating all these elements, The X-Files introduced a complex conspiracy arc to its storyline, that made us wonder and interrogate the monstrous corners of our collective psyche, at a time when we were insecure about our grip on reality.

Muir provides an informative and thoughtful guide to each season, the spin-off films and Chris Carter’s TV programmes that followed on from them. Other delights include an examination of different themes that The X-Files cover, from science and technology, serial killers, teenagers, monsters to Christianity and religion. He also provides a handy guide to the behind the scenes creation of the programme, the main characters and the rip-off shows that have tried to cash-in on its popularity.

THE X-FILES FAQ: ALL THAT’S LEFT TO KNOW ABOUT GLOBAL CONSPIRACY, ALIENS, LAZARUS SPECIES, AND MONSTERS OF THE WEEK / AUTHOR: JOHN KENNETH MUIR / PUBLISHER: APPLAUSE THEATRE & CINEMA BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: NOW

Star Wars has always had the best toys and spin-off media. From books, games and AT-AT toys that you could pretend were a cool robot dog, adventures in a galaxy far far away certainly seem to inspire all sorts of neat things. Due to the plethora of tie-in products out there, it would not be unreasonable to think that there would be no way that they could produce a colouring book that hadn’t been done to death.

Star Wars- An Anti-Stress Colouring Book, is something a bit different from the usual ‘crayon in’ affair we get with the Star Wars brand. Colouring books for adults are a relatively new genre and we’re already starting to see sub-genres form. Some books are simply designed for fun and ease of use, whilst others are a bit more considered.

Star Wars- An Anti-Stress Colouring Book is a genuine attempt to create a tool that will help people relax, whilst at the same time geeking out over how cool Darth Vader is. Each black and white illustration is a mix of Star Wars icons and an Art Nouveau style. For example, we may have a lovely picture of Princess Amidala resting upon some very intricately drawn (and quite abstract) roses. Or a drawing of Leia in a Jabba’s Palace outfit, surrounded by a wonderfully rendered mix of Tatooine style desert stylings and Rene McIntosh.

Unlike the vast majority of colouring books of this nature, the first consideration for every design is mindfulness. Pick up some pens and relax as you doodle away on a pleasing geometric pattern that uses Stormtrooper helmets as its main inspiration. The book is also fond of repeating patterns; there are two pages of simplified images of R2-D2 that are a delight to modify, and would make for nice and relaxing (if geeky) wallpaper. Some of these pages are just lovely in their own right and can be quite easily enjoyed without modification.

Obvious tie-in this may be, but it’s a very good anti-stress book and the addition of Luke, Leia, Yoda and chums just adds to the fun. So dig out those Star Wars branded colour pens, you know you want to.

STAR WARS – AN ANTI-STRESS COLOURING BOOK / AUTHOR: NICOLAS BEAUJOUAN / PUBLISHER: HACHETTE PRATIQUE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW