Review Category: Books

THOSE ABOVE

BOOK REVIEW: THOSE ABOVE / AUTHOR: DANIEL POLANSKY / PUBLISHER: HODDER & STOUGHTON / RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 26TH

Daniel Polansky is a rising star in terms of fantasy novelists. His previous series, Low Town, was a noir-style fantasy drama, concentrating on a very narrowly defined world. It’s mix of crime and strangeness that was both engaging and original. Those Above maintains Polansky’s engaging style and storytelling, and yet is very different, being a broad and sweeping high fantasy tale in which mankind has become enslaved by the immortal and god-like Those Above.

These impossible creatures dwell at the heart of the world and control their thralls with an iron fist. Previous uprisings have been attempted, but the beings are so powerful and ancient that utter slaughter was nothing but inevitable. Instead, Mankind bows down to these beings, fighting for the tiniest scraps of freedom and privilege.

Polansky employs a broad and sweeping approach to his narrative; the story jumps across perspectives, gently handing out tiny snippets of a vast world with a rich history and deep backstory. The pace is slow and steady throughout, with certain characters being more sympathetic and engaging than others. As the revelations are gently stacked on top of each other, the work becomes ever more compelling. This may be a slow a burn, but the inevitable explosions are worth the wait.

The gutter rat Thistle is especially well thought out and entertaining, Polansky clearly warming to his preferred theme of crime and its consequences, using the character to further build his rich and complex world. The weakest creation is the military hero Bas, who takes ways too long to grab the reader. Bas makes up for this by introducing essential and necessary elements of the world.

Those Above is clever book, shot through with clever ideas, dry humour and steady world building. It is not an uplifting book, but those looking for well-created and beautifully crafted fantasy, which also happens to be both darkly comic and devastatingly grim, will find themselves swiftly addicted. Slow it may be, but like all good things in life, worth the wait.

THE SHADOW OF FU-MANCHU

BOOK REVIEW: THE SHADOW OF FU-MANCHU / AUTHOR: SAX ROHMER / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: MARCH 6TH

Post-WWII America. The threat called Adolf Hitler has been extinguished but the equally dangerous threat posed by Communism and the Cold War still encroaches. In the summit of one of Manhattan’s tallest buildings, a machine is being built that could potentially solve all the world’s energy problems but, if it fell into the wrong hands, could just as easily destroy all of mankind. The scientist who invented the machine is only interested in the good it could do and, until Scotland Yard’s top detective Sir Denis Nayland-Smith arrives on the scene, he has no idea that several opposing foreign powers – including Russia – are keeping a very close eye on his work, with the ultimate intention of stealing the machine for themselves. However, Nayland-Smith has more worrying news: his old adversary, the insidious psychopathic genius Dr. Fu-Manchu, is also in Manhattan and closer to stealing the machine than anybody else. Fu-Manchu must be stopped at any cost, but stopping him may already be too late.

The Shadow of Fu-Manchu, originally published in 1948, was one of the last novels in a series that author Sax Rohmer had begun thirty five years earlier with The Mystery of Dr Fu-Manchu. The earlier books, and their subsequent film adaptations, had stirred up a lot of controversy for their racism, misogyny and unapologetic stereotyping: the square-jawed British and American heroes were good, anyone who didn’t speak English was questionable, and the yellow-skinned ‘Asiatics’ were almost universally bad. Even considering the times in which those early stories were written, that isn’t a particularly good place to start and – in the hands of a lesser author – the books would have deservedly disappeared into obscurity as soon as they hit the shelves, but Rohmer’s stories succeed because, despite his dubious opinions about gender politics and the ‘Yellow Peril’ (which also should date the books very badly), they are incredibly entertaining and enormously imaginative works of adventure fiction packed with devious plots, beautiful women, thrilling escapes, terrifying torture devices and incredible technologies.

The Shadow of Fu-Manchu is no exception. If anything, because WWII and, especially, the bombing of Pearl Harbour had ironically put his earlier books out of favour during the war years, what Rohmer gives us in this novel is a less histrionic and more three-dimensional title character with an agenda that might surprise us. Regular readers could come to this novel and still find something new to learn about the ‘Devil Doctor’ and new readers could open these pages without any knowledge of its predecessors and still be enthralled.

Titan are reprinting all of Rohmer’s Fu-Manchu novels and it’s great to see them looking so good and reading so well. Highly recommended.

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OF BONE AND THUNDER

BOOK REVIEW: OF BONE AND THUNDER / AUTHOR: CHRIS EVANS / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Deep within a foreboding and impenetrable jungle at the heart of a foreign land an unpopular war is being waged by The Kingdom. Fighting a largely hidden and deadly enemy, young conscripted soldiers fight alongside magically endowed special forces in a conflict that may be impossible to win, and may cost all involved more than they could possibly imagine.

Military historian Chris Evans’ new novel Of Bone and Thunder is an engaging and intriguing account of the horrors of war on the frontline. Introducing dragons, archers and the magical Thaums, Evans has taken a well-used setting we are familiar with and introduced fantastical elements, instilling originality into old themes. Ignoring common trends in fantasy literature for quests and adventure, Evans grounds his story in this more realistic setting, taking inspiration from the guerrilla-style wars of human history.

Following several characters including regular soldier Carny and young Thaum Jawn, Of Bone and Thunder documents war through differing eyes but the central messages of horror and disillusionment remain the same. Comparisons with Tolkien are misleading as this is no fantasy fairytale. Evans has created a story grounded with fear and terror, emphasising the futility of loss and the blatant disregard for all life.

Of Bone and Thunder will not be for everyone though. With the war at its centre this is a darkly detailed story that meanders at times along interweaving narratives. There is no instant return and some patience is required, but as the book develops this perseverance pays off as you become drawn into the lives of each of the protagonists.

Possibly more for the military minded than the fantasy fan, Of Bone and Thunder is an interesting novel that will satisfy most readers, just as long as it can hold the attention long enough.

KANE OF OLD MARS

BOOK REVIEW: KANE OF OLD MARS / AUTHOR: MICHAEL MOORCOCK / PUBLISHER: GOLLANCZ / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Kane of Old Mars is the final tome in the Gollancz reprint of all that is Michael Moorcock. It consists of the three books Warriors of Mars, Blades of Mars and Barbarians of Mars and comes in at a worthy 400 pages. To make things interesting for collectors, these books also had the titles City of the Beast, Lord of the Spiders and Masters of the Pit.

Michael Moorcock wrote these books early in his career in the mid-1960s and wanted to separate them from his career editing New Worlds magazine and they appeared under the pseudonym of Edward P. Bradbury. In style they are highly derivative of (or tribute to) the early twentieth century John Carter of Mars stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The name Moorcock wrote under evokes both Burroughs and Ray Bradbury, the latter also known for his classic novels set on Mars. These may not be classic literature but they are very enjoyable to read.

Later in his career Michael Moorcock wrote many dozens of novels and stories, all of which fit patchwork into his über-myth of the Eternal Champion, and while these earlier works have been amalgamated into that by cross-reference, these particular stories owe more to the author’s fascination with the Burroughs genre and the pulp-fiction writers of that earlier period. Not to imply these aren’t well written, they are but somewhat old-fashioned in structure. All of Michael Moorcock’s imagination is there to be admired and his ability to construct a pacey story already evident some years before the stories he is more widely known for.

This particular collection may only appeal to completists, though it is to be hoped any new fans of Michael Moorcock’s work do consider dipping in. If they do they will be rewarded with some solid escapist entertainment.

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THE BOY WHO WEPT BLOOD

BOOK REVIEW: THE BOY WHO WEPT BLOOD / AUTHOR: DEN PATRICK / PUBLISHER: GOLLANCZ / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

One of the features of Den Patrick’s previous novel, The Boy with the Porcelain Blade, was that the central character of Lucien wasn’t very likeable. Interesting and engaging, yes, but also sarcastic, vain and self-obsessed. Patrick’s latest work, The Boy Who Wept Blood is set ten years on from Lucien’s story, but this time focusing on the far more sympathetic character of Dino. The previous book left Dino in charge of protecting the newly minted Queen, and the book follows the adventures of a man more suited to swordplay than subterfuge.

Den Patrick continues to impress with his compelling world building and addictive prose. Landfall is a compelling setting, especially The Demense; the vast and labyrinthine castle where much of the action takes place. Patrick’s pseudo-renaissance world grows darker with each book as tendrils of something truly nasty wind their way throughout the entire work. This makes for some compelling reading, and the author’s gentle yet sardonic style makes the novel all the more delicious.

This is a world were peril, either physical or political, lurks at every corner and it’s quite fun to see Dino stumble through various encounters. Though the world is the same, The Boy Who Wept Blood is very different in tone and approach to the previous novel. Mostly this is because the central character is so very different. We still get plenty of sword fights, politics and emotional growth, but those expecting the shock value present in the last book will be disappointed.

The Boy Who Wept Blood is an easier novel in many regards, with some key tender moments. This makes the violent sequences all the more intriguing, and Patrick really does excel at the intricacies of a duel, operating his narrative on many levels throughout these key scenes. This is a strong middle book, but very much suffers from being part of a large story. Both the start and end of the novel feel like they’re bridging the gap between two books, one of which has not been written. All told, it’s a sound sequel, though like Dino himself, perhaps not as strong as the predecessor.

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DARK INTELLIGENCE

BOOK REVIEW: DARK INTELLIGENCE / AUTHOR: NEAL ASHER / PUBLISHER: TOR / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Neal Asher is one of those well known sci-fi authors who has produced a whole range of novels set in the same world, known as The Polity. This makes his work a little intimidating for new readers. Luckily, his latest work, Dark Intelligence, is a good jumping-on point. It also happens to be one of his best works so far.

The titular ‘dark intelligence’ of the novel is Penny Royal, an Artificial Intelligence created during wartime. As such, it is a rather malevolent creation, which coupled with its god-like abilities make it a powerful force for darkness in the universe, delighting in making double-edged deals with humans, like a particularly vicious genie. We learn that Penny Royal is looking for a better way to exist and as such has calculated an optimal path for change; one that informs much of the action throughout the novel.

The book begins with the story of Thorvald Spear, a man with burning hatred of Penny Royal due to its past sins. Thanks to his unique set of skills (and some rather nifty bio-technology), Spear seems very much the right being for the task, though of course things are not as easy as that. The perspective switches across to other characters as we go along, and this allows the reader to explore Asher’s Polity setting. New readers will find the diverse technologies fascinating and get to discover the ruthless and rather alien Prado for the first time. Long-time fans of Asher’s work will find plenty of new twists and turns to delight in.

Asher is a modern master of sci-fi. The style is quite dense in places and Asher juggles quite a few complex ideas at times; this is a solid piece of sci-fi writing, but isn’t a casual read. Commit to it, however, and you will be well rewarded for your effort.

If you feel that Iain M. Bank’s Culture series is a little bit too light and jolly for your tastes and you want something with a darker, more bitter bite to it, then the Asher’s Polity novels may very well be for you.

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SUPERPOSITION

BOOK REVIEW: SUPERPOSITION / AUTHOR: DAVID WALTON / PUBLISHER: PROMETHEUS BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: APRIL 7TH

Quantum mechanics has been a gift to a certain sort of sci-fi storyteller for a long time now. Especially the uncertainty principle, the idea that we can’t know everything about a specific particle at the same time. As frustrating as this physical law is for scientists, science fiction writers have been able to exploit this rule of the unknowable to great effect, hanging all sorts of impossible ideas on a solid scientific basis.

David Walton’s Superposition goes one step further; he uses the sub-particle physics as the basis for an utterly addictive murder mystery with a fantastic twist. The story begins when an old colleague (and rather poor friend) visits our protagonist, Jacob Kelley. The guest proceeds to explain that he’s discovered an intelligence lurking between the spaces of probability, and to prove his point performs a handful of impossible feats. One of these tricks involves shooting Kelley’s wife, and though she is unharmed, this particular stunt triggers a whole chain of events that ends with Kelley on trial for murder. All is not what it seems as reality itself has been split into two distinct timelines, and it’s a race against time as Kelley not only has to prove his innocence, but also prove the science that has caused this split in the first place.

Superposition is a compelling and carefully woven sci-fi murder mystery. The premise is solid and the science doesn’t get too silly; there are elements that head into pure super-science paranormal schlock, but they’re presented in such an endearingly creepy way that it’s really easy to forgive.

Walton presents his tale in a very accessible way; the book dives between the up-spin and down-spin sequence of events quite easily and the reader will quickly be able to speculate exactly what’s going on, which is at least half the fun. The central character is a little bit problematic; he’s gullible yet pragmatic, whiny yet quite brave. This makes him a little difficult to empathise with and given the dualistic nature of the story, you never really get under his skin. However, the narrative is strong enough to carry this weak character and he does grow on you over time.

Overall, Superposition is a cleverly thought-out bit of sci-fi fun and it’ll be interesting to see how the second (and final) book in this series complements the first. If you don’t read this book, chances are that your other-dimensional doppelganger will, and you don’t want it having all the fun.

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HALF WILD

BOOK REVIEW: HALF WILD / AUTHOR: SALLY GREEN / PUBLISHER: PENGUIN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: MARCH 24TH

Following Sally Green’s breakout tale of divided witches and deadly relations, Half Wild rejoins Nathan Byrne weeks after the events of Half Bad in a very dismal situation. He’s alone, hunted by witches and his sweetheart Annalise is trapped in a death-like sleep at the clutches of a terrifying witch called Mercury. To top it off, he’s now developed a problematic tendency or ‘gift’ to transform into a bloodthirsty animal who savagely kills anything on sight.

Half Wild throttles you into Green’s world just as effectively as her debut – bringing you up to speed with Nathan’s plight as he clambers for positivity to counter his fading hope and animalistic bloodlust. Whereas Half Bad mostly took place in Britain, here the action unwraps like a sprawling chase across Europe – expanding the world of witches, introducing a bunch of new characters and raising the stakes for potentially greater conflicts to come.

Even as the middle-child of the trilogy, it never suffers for it. Half Wild is more confident, assured and takes bold, interesting strides in standing itself apart from the YA crowd. Green’s excellently-sharp writing feels tighter and more playful this time around; experimenting with typography and clearly relishing in Nathan’s growing propensity for his sinister side. The gruesome bite of the original certainly isn’t lost, and it’s interesting to see this character you’re bound too erratically succumb to his wilder desires and fall between the blur of good and evil.

If the first book was held together by the relationship between Nathan and Annalise, the sequel is defined by Nathan’s complicated friendship with Gabriel. The loyal, French witch becomes a beloved emotional crutch in the sequel, and his committed allegiance and infatuation with Nathan delivers heartbreaking gut-punches every time they’re paired together. Other characters shine brighter this time around too; with an oddly likeable serial killer in Nathan’s father, Marcus, and new additions like the cocky, wind-up merchant Nesbitt who provides some welcome relief.

While the supposed ‘villains’ of the story feel a little sidelined, it’s the teasing darkness emerging within the protagonist that proves most captivating. As the final pages twist characters into place for a potentially chaotic final instalment, you realise there’s a reason you’re hopelessly scraping at the walls for more. Half Wild is a viciously addictive, emotionally superior delight and the moment Sally Green’s world really comes into its own.

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SON OF THE MORNING

BOOK REVIEW: SON OF THE MORNING / AUTHOR: MARK ALDER / PUBLISHER: GOLLANCZ / RELEASE DATE: APRIL 17TH

Mark Alder’s Son of the Morning is set within the first few years of the 100 years’ war which saw the battle for possession of France. The novel is the first in the Banners of Blood series and is a historical fantasy of epic proportions. The story allows many historical characters to take centre stage, from King Edward III to Philip Valois. Mark Alder has successfully found a unique point in history and has been able to merge it with a fantasy element that is unfortunately missing from many epic fantasy novels. Alder has chosen to create an original piece of historical fantasy by placing angels, demons and devils in the 14th century. The way these figures play a role within the story is truly unique, with Philip Valois having the power to summon angels to assist him in his ongoing war. However, Edward III is unable to summon his own angels, even though they should respond to him as King. This makes way for political court intrigue, deceit, revenge and a boy strongly believing in luciferism who will play an important role in the battle for the throne.

The novel allows for the development of a story that is well paced and full of intriguing characters. Many epic fantasy novels are now focused on the power of magic and the act of revenge, however Alder has been able to come up with an original story set within a historical setting. Still, there is a small downfall to the writing; the world-building has a minimalistic role within the novel. The author’s approach is to jump straight into the storytelling, focusing on developing the characters and ignoring the readers need to know the physical and emotional setting of the novel.

Son of the Morning, however, is a truly great accomplishment from Mark Alder. Debut fantasy novels are unlikely to get better than this. Although it may have its flaws, they are greatly outweighed by the quality of the overall story and the captivating characters. Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence fans should rejoice as Alder enters the fantasy genre with a novel that is a great start to an epic fantasy series. Mark Alder is an author to watch out for as his Banners of Blood story continues.

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ARROW: HEROES AND VILLAINS

BOOK REVIEW: ARROW: HEROES AND VILLAINS / AUTHOR: NICK AIRES / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 3RD

At first glance, Arrow: Heroes and Villains is much like the TV series; glossy and full of beautiful people. It’s packed with pictures of cast members looking suitably brooding or wryly amused, cheekbones and pouts highlighted to immaculate effect. Initially, it seems that this book is a gallery of publicity stills put together for an audience that would rather drool over their heroes than read about them, which is a shame because there’s a lot more to these pages than meets the eye.

Publisher Titan Books hasn’t skimped on the text, despite the dominance of the images on show. Over fifty characters populate this book and, while the obvious ones get more pages, none of them are short-changed. Each entry summarises their actions within the first two series of Arrow, while a neat little ‘fact sheet’ informs the reader of any aliases and relationships, as well as providing a brief snippet of text regarding any comic book history. It covers heroes and villains from Starling City and The Island, as well as offering an enticing glimpse into a certain Task Force X.

Arrow: Heroes and Villains does feel targeted for a specific demographic of the TV audience, so it may not be what all fans of the show are looking for, and anyone hoping for pictures from the comics or any in-depth behind the scenes facts may find it disappointing. That said, this is a book that sets out to inform its reader of the characters populating the TV series, and it does just that in a clear, comprehensive and entertaining manner. Much like its source material, it has hidden depths for those willing to look for them, and it’s a worthy introduction for anyone wanting to descend further into Oliver Queen’s world.

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