Review Category: Books

Review: Ahriman – Exile / Author: John French / Publisher: Black Library / Release Date: Out Now

Ahriman is one of the signature characters of the Warhammer 40,000 setting; he’s the greatest Chaos Sorcerer in the Galaxy (or so it is claimed) and responsible for saving his own legion (The Thousand Sons) by cursing most of them for all eternity. A book like Ahriman: Exile was always going to require a steady hand to prevent this key protagonist from becoming a cackling Skeletor-like cliché.

French tackles this by setting the story during a time when Ahriman is keeping a low profile. He’s changed his name and identity and joined a wonderfully demented war-band in order to recover from mistakes in the past and restore his confidence. A challenge worthy of his powers swiftly arrives and he breaks cover in order to deal with it. This is not a maudlin journey of self-pity and discovery; it’s an adventure tale about a villain taking his place in the galaxy.

They are some nice touches; the sorcerous scenes are nicely surreal at points and are reminiscent of early Michael Moorcock in places. The supporting cast is interesting and you get a strong sense of the greater galaxy through French’s writing; the story is littered with renegade Space Marines, Inquisitorial agents and strange seers, lending further depth to the ongoing tale. It’s written in a readily engaging and straightforward style which makes it ideal ‘on the move’ reading; the story is interesting without being challenging and they are enough twists to keep the reader going until the end.

It’s unlikely to appeal to those not already familiar with the franchise, but those with a love of all things Chaos will want to snap this up.

Review: Mark of Calth / Author: Laurie Goulding (Editor) / Publisher: Black Library / Release Date: Out Now

Mark of Calth is a short story anthology and part of the long-running Horus Heresy series. Typically, anthologies like this appear to tie up parts of the arc plot and various loose ends before going on to another part of the ongoing story. This particular collection is a sort of ‘what happened next’ following on from events of previous novel Know No Fear, as well as a summary of some of the significant scenes so far.

The main event is the novella Calth That Was, written by Graham McNeil. The author is well known for his portrayal of Ultramarines and as they’re the defenders of Calth, he’s the perfect choice here. The poor Ultramarines get a bit of a bad press, they’re to the Warhammer 40,000 franchise what Manchester United are to football’s Premier League: popular, ubiquitous and resented by some of the fans. McNeil deals with them extremely well, making them the modest and hard-working heroes they always have been. The story hammers home the sum of the main themes of the entire series; the loss of hope, the duality of faith and the sheer bloody-minded struggle for one more precious day. Oh, and there’s plenty of things exploding as well.

Another great tale well told is Deeper Darkness, by Rob Sanders. The author has a particular talent for broad and sweepingly cinematic prose, and he delivers in spades here. Warhammer 40,000 is a setting that thrives on a well-mixed mash-up, and here we get Greek myth blended in with a tense action thriller. Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s The Underworld War is of the high standard we’ve come to demand of stories featuring the other faction in this war, The Word Bearers. ADB writes villains very well and to call this a character-driven piece is a bit of an understatement. Again, it brings storylines and themes of the series to the fore and adds depth to the growing space opera that is the devolution of the Word Bearers. Other highlights include Dan Abnett’s Unmarked (which deepens the larger mystery) and John French’s nicely creepy Athame.

Overall, Mark of Calth is a great anthology, filled with something that will appeal to anyone following the series. It is not for those new to the Horus Heresy, but those struggling to keep up will find this a good place to get back on board, especially if they’ve only been following one or two authors.

Review: Rise and Walk – Pathogen / Author: Gregory Solis / Publisher: Hadrian Publishing / Release Date: Out now

Zombies, zombies everywhere. From WWZ to The Walking Dead, the living-impaired are truly the flavour of the month in the horror genre. They’re staggering on to the big screen in summer blockbusters, they’re shambling their way in their hordes across TV and they’re in bookstores.

Traditionally, the literary zombie tends to be the least popular as the living dead tend to work best as a visual medium with the likes of Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero pushing the boundaries of creativity, realism and taste to appease the audience’s increasing hunger to see how far they can take their make up effects. This, however is not the case with Gregory Solis, author of the action packed Rise and Walk trilogy.

Solis is now two thirds of the way through his trilogy, which began in 2011 with the publication of his debut novel, Rise and Walk. This was a fast paced novel about a zombie invasion in a remote mountain area. The infection spreads relentlessly through the unsuspecting population of vacationing Americans with most of the action taking place during a paint-balling contest. As the living population dwindles and the ranks of the zombies increase, two men and two women find their chances of survival decreasing by the hour.

Solis has now made good on his promise and has published the second part of the trilogy, Rise and Walk: Pathogen which starts at the cliffhanger ending of the first novel with the survivors making their way to the town of Whisper, in search of relatives and loved ones who might have survived the zombie apocalypse now in its second day.

Character development is a large part of Pathogen, in which we learn more about the backgrounds of our cast. Solis has an incredible talent for bringing his characters to life, to the extent that when a familiar character dies we, the readers, feel the loss. (And believe me, nobody has a pleasant death in Solis’s world – and nobody is safe.) The action is swift and relentless, as the band of survivors have to split up and look for survivors, while also establishing a secure base for their own safety. The quick cuts from one group to another are handled with a cinematic flair.

We also learn considerably more about what’s causing the dead to, well, rise and walk – and how the pathogen is spreading and changing with each new generation of infection. It’s the creeping realisation that it’s much more than two zombies becoming four, becoming eight, sixteen and so on – the zombie virus is actually changing during the forty eight hour time span of the two books. The situation is worsening and the reanimated dead will inevitably soon outnumber the living.

The zombies are not the only threat to our mixed bunch of survivalist misfits with the arrival of a vengeful rich patriarch and his team of psychotic and homicidal mercenaries. The scene is clearly set for a resounding finale with the already announced Rise and Walk: Legacy, which will conclude the series and is currently being written.

As you lounge on the beach dreaming of the fourth season of The Walking Dead due in the autumn, there’s no better way to get your zombie fix than to pick up the Rise and Walk books.

Review: The Executioner’s Heart/ Author: George Mann / Publisher: Titan Books / Release Date: Out Now

The Executioner’s Heart is the latest installment of the Newbury and Hobbes novels, and continues the adventures of Queen Victoria’s elite investigator Sir Maurice Newbury, the thoroughly modern and entirely capable Veronica Hobbes and the long suffering Chief Inspector Bainbridge. The plot involves a murderer on the streets of London, who is leaving mutilated corpses in their wake. Add into the mix divided loyalties and hidden schemes and what we have here is the sort of romp sure to delight your average Sherlock Holmes fan.

This is quintessential steampunk; we have artificially enhanced royalty, mechanical organs, strange science and plenty of supernatural oddness. Mann writes in an easy, flowing style that makes this a highly enjoyable pulp adventure. The pace is steady, getting louder as the stakes are raised. Those familiar with the series will be delighted to discover that more depth is added to the protagonists and the world is further expanded. Conspiracies deepen and revelations are uncovered. Casual steampunk fans or those looking for some Victorian era detective dramas are also well served here; The Executioner’s Heart works as a standalone book, though obviously it contains spoilers for previous novels.

Mann also excels at teasing the reader; those expecting a by-the-numbers steampunk adventure will find themselves engrossed by various twists, some of which are subtle enough to catch even the most genre-savvy geek out. Newbury and Hobbes novels are popular because they are thrilling reads told in an exciting way; and The Executioner’s Heart continues in this fine tradition.

Review: Lockwood & Co – The Screaming Staircase / Author: Jonathan Stroud / Publisher: Doubleday Childrens / Release Date: August 29th

Britain is suffering from the Problem, the isles terrorised by hauntings and ghostly presences. To combat this, various agencies have been created; their agents are children, those who have the abilities to see or hear the spirits, abilities that fade with age and experience. Lockwood and Co is one such group; consisting of three teenagers without adult supervision, the team are down on their luck despite their talents, and when a case goes spectacularly wrong, the team find themselves at risk of losing everything. All they need is one ghost, one haunting that will reach the public eye, make them the money they need to pay their debts and stay in business.

The Screaming Staircase is narrated by Lockwood agent Lucy Carlyle who, after a tragic accident in her Northern hometown, has traveled to London seeking employment. Although none of the big agencies will take her on, Lockwood is eventually happy to do so, given the loss of his previous assistant. Together with George – key researcher and provider of food – Lucy makes up our trio.

A book that could have been little more than a teenage version of Ghostbusters, The Screaming Staircase is lifted into originality by the empathy of the narration. If Lucy is worried, so too is the reader; Lucy finds amusement, and even a cynical reviewer can raise a smile; if Lucy is afraid, so are we. Jonathan Stroud has created a likeable character, one who it’s easy to get attached to and care about; by making her narrator, he pulls us deep into the events of the book.

Although a story for young adults, The Screaming Staircase has a few unsettling moments; the ghosts are scary, yes, but it’s often the approaches to the haunting – creeping up stairs, not knowing what’s round the corner – that provide the greater tension. There are times when the story can seem relatively simple and there are a couple of twists that older readers may see coming, but the conclusion is a satisfying one much in keeping with the overall tone of the novel. The world is vividly realistic, although the year in which it is set is never specified. It often seems to be late ’60s or early ’70s, while at other times it feels like a post-Second World War Britain – perhaps we’ll find out more in later books.

That’s a minor quibble, one that doesn’t detract from, but actually adds to, the mystery of the story. Overall, The Screaming Staircase is a sublime combination of scares and excitement, all of which makes it the perfect ghost story for its target audience.

Review: Lupus Rex / Author: John Carter Cash / Publisher: Ravenstone / Release Date: Out Now

Lupus Rex is a children’s book aimed at the sort of child who watches TV shows with talking animals in them and wonders why things haven’t gotten very messy very quickly. Or to put it another way, it’s a darker sort of kids book, the sort that kids tend to love and adults tend to be shocked by.

Rather than take the The Animals of Farthing Wood approach and blame external forces for all the woes inflicted upon them, Lupus Rex creates a world in which wild animals plot and scheme for domination, and in which all the problems that beset the creatures are caused by choices they make.

The story is set in a charmingly named place called Murder’s Field, which should give you a hint as to the tone of this book. Despite the name, it is an orderly sort of place; the Crow King sees that all the creatures get their share and a wary eye is kept on those who would disrupt the peace they have. The plot deals with the death of the Crow King, and the bloody consequences that ensue. This is a world in which ceremony and mysticism are everything; Cash has created a brutal mythology that compares strongly to the likes of Redwood and Watership Down. (As a side note, the author is the son of Johnny Cash, which is neither here nor there, but a handy fact for those who like to memorize music trivia). Lupus Rex is written in a steady, strongly story-driven style and it’s structured in a way that will not challenge most readers, but the content is sure to spark the imagination; though this is a children’s book, adults will also find the inhabitants of Murder Field worth getting to know.

Review: Superman – The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel / Author: Daniel Wallace / Publisher: Doring Kindersley / Release Date: Out Now

This is a book that does exactly what it says on the cover! Daniel Wallace, who has also written the Man of Steel: Inside the Legendary World of Superman volume really pulls out all the stops with this one, which even boasts a foreword by legendary Scottish comic writer Grant Morrison. The book takes us from brief biographies of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster straight on to an in-depth look at Action Comics #1 from June 1938 and the debut of the character.

No detail is spared and nothing is overlooked as the entire comic history of Superman is lovingly recounted with pages devoted to the evolution of the “S” emblem, from the small, almost bashful, triangular design of the ’40s to the bigger and bolder version we’ve seen since the ’50s.

Pages are devoted to the evolution of his superpowers, as they’ve changed over the years – his airborne prowess for example has evolved from merely being able to leap over buildings initially to actually flying and hovering. There’s a guide to the various forms of Kryptonite. And there’s the real beauty of this book: with Superman being in constant print for over 75 years, the character has spawned his own mythology and Wallace has undertaken the unenviable task of cataloguing every aspect of this epic character and the world he inhabits and distilling it to 200 pages – and he has succeeded admirably! The book doesn’t touch any of the radio shows, TV series, cartoons or films; it’s limited to the comics and that is more than enough to fill a book of this size, believe us.

So if you want to peruse a street map of Smallville, catch a glimpse of what’s contained in the Fortress of Solitude, or take a look at the layout of Metropolis then this book is certainly for you. Naturally, there are character bios of all the major characters and allies Superman engages with, along with a similar examination of his bewildering rogues gallery.

Of particular interest is the opportunity if offers to track Superman’s evolution through the various ages of comics, Gold, Silver, bronze, Dark and Modern with an in depth view of the major and critical story lines in each of those periods. From Action Comics #1 to DC’s New 52 – it’s all here.

Review: Pirate Cinema / Author: Cory Doctorow / Publisher: Titan Books / Release Date: Out Now

Some indeterminate time in the future and not so very far from here, MPs will be colluding with big players in the entertainment industry to bring us new laws that will arrest your kids for illegal downloading. Such is the future in Cory Doctorow’s Pirate Cinema, a fictionalised version of the way he sees things going if the current state of affairs is taken to its logical conclusion.

The problem with this approach is that after 300 pages of characters soap-boxing at you, you might feel inclined to side with the authorities that want to jail them. It’s not helped by the fact that the central character (a teen called Trent who rebrands himself as Cecil B. DeVil, a name that is not cool despite what he may tell you) is really annoying and has some sort of martyr complex.

It also doesn’t feel like a realistic representation of how the world will turn out in the event of such laws, which is arguably a bigger problem. It seems like the answer to their problems is in fact ‘stop doing this thing which is illegal’ rather than ‘revolt’, and frankly the fact that the characters can no longer make remixes and fan videos doesn’t seem worth going to a great deal of trouble to redress.

And yet for all its faults, it’s evident that Doctorow knows how to write an engaging novel and we found ourselves turning the pages despite ourselves, eager to know what happened next. And we did indeed enjoy reading it, annoying characters and filibusters notwithstanding. But don’t take our word for it. Pirate Cinema is available to read for free on Doctorow’s website, evidence of the fact that if nothing else, he knows how to put his money where his mouth is.

Review: The Year of the Ladybird / Author: Graham Joyce / Publisher: Gollancz / Release Date: Out Now

For his latest novel, Graham Joyce takes us to sunny Skegness and the torrid summer of ’76. Callow college boy David lands himself a job as a Greenjacket at a seaside holiday camp and is soon up to his candy-striped lapels in the sorts of experiences that make a man of you. Unable to help himself, he embarks upon an affair with an attractive young cleaning lady who has a tragic air about her, while her frightening, Ray Winston-esque husband tries to recruit him into the National Front. It’s a situation that can’t end well, and to make matters worse he’s hallucinating a pair of figures, a man and boy, who might be ghosts or evil omens.

For much of the time, the book plays out like a serio-comic, post-watershed version of Hi-de-Hi! David’s narration is jokey and easygoing, and a sense of period and place emerges seemingly without effort: all the tawdry business of running donkey races and doling out sticks of rock, and the seedy magic shows and comedy routines that make up the evening’s entertainment. As a coming of age story, The Year of the Ladybird fairly reeks authenticity. Less convincing, though, are the supernatural elements, which feel like a distraction from the main thrust of the narrative, and which anyway are so minor that you wonder why the author bothered to tack them on. Not as intense or meaningful as it would like to be, but an enjoyable nostalgia trip.

Review: Crash / Author: Guy Haley / Publisher: Solaris Books / Release Date: Out Now

Crash is the latest novel by Guy Haley, who is rapidly carving a name for himself as an author who can consistently produce original and inventive sci-fi work. The premise is an old one given a slightly modern spin. It is the year 2153 and mankind is ruled by The Pointers, those who hold the majority of the wealth. The planet is pretty much dead and only a very select elite have anything approaching employment and even less have personal freedom. The 0.01% who own it all have decided to send vast colonial ships into the stars to secure their position and expand the human race. However, things do not go as planned.

Though on the face of it Crash seems to be a novel about emergent artificial intelligence, the dangers of greed and the thrill of galactic exploration, the central theme is about the nature of humanity. Not only its avarice, but its capacity to love, grow and learn. This should come as no surprise to those familiar with the author’s previous work; Guy Haley is always worth your time. Crash is clever, multi-layered and though political, never stoops to lecture or sermonise, it simply tells a story inspired by recent events in a timeless, almost classic science fiction style.

Haley has split the tale into key moments, making this the sort of book where you keep reading until you get to a natural pause. The characters are diverse and interesting. Sand, the American, is particularly fun, especially as most of the characters are German or Polish. A lot of thought has gone into even the most minor members of the supporting cast and the result is a world that feels very real indeed. Highly recommended and certain to appeal to almost anyone who likes good sci-fi.