Review Category: Books

AUTHOR: EOIN COLFER | FORMAT: HARDCOVER | PUBLISHER: JO FLETCHER BOOKS | RELEASE DATE: JAN 28TH

Eoin Colfer is best known for his Artemis Fowl series, which can easily be described as action-movie inspired cheeky fantasy aimed squarely at young adult audiences. Highfire is a return to more adult themes, and yet Colfer has retained all the charm, action, and fun that can be found in his Artemis Fowl books.

Set in a world that looks a lot like our own, Highfire is the story of Vern, someone who has chosen to spend their twilight years in the seclusion of the Louisana Bayou, drinking vodka, watching Netflix and reminiscing about the good old days, avoiding human contact as much as possible, steadily sinking into isolation and darkness. Also, Vern is a dragon, of the sort that sets fire to things and occasionally thinks about mating with the local Alligators and getting his own reality TV-show.

Enter the luckless Everett ‘Squib’ Moreau, a young chap who keeps ending up on the wrong side of the law due to his own foolishness and lack of opportunity. Squib’s only talent is his ability to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a run-in with the local (and incredibly corrupt) constabulary means that the little idiot ends up literally under Vern’s wing.

The result is one heck of an ‘odd-couple’ story. The formula is one we’ve seen many times before; an old and wise figure, tired of life but filled with experience, ends up getting a new lease of life thanks to a younger friend. And the young person gets the benefit of wisdom, guidance, and adventure. And Highfire is only partially that story. The other element is that of the fantastic; the story takes some things to utterly ridiculous extremes, and this, coupled with a steady pace and a warm sense of humour, makes it very engaging. It’s messy, it’s weird, it’s funny.

Colfer has a good handle on both youthful idiocy and age-less grumpiness, and the banter between the two is priceless. The actual plot (which mostly centres around crime, conspiracy, and family) is almost irrelevant here; this is a heavily character-driven story in which the drama is only there to provide further reasons for the two protagonists to swear, yell, and bond. The humour is pretty coarse, and that’s sort of the point – even dragons have to eat.

 Highfire is the sort of fantasy novel that looks at magical realism and decides that it’s better to go full-on with the fantastic elements, but still retain all the grubbiness of the real world. It doesn’t shy away from nastiness, but it also laughs at the world in a light sort of way. It’s fun, well-paced and an accessible read, especially if you like a bit of crime drama in your urban fantasy.

AUTHOR: MATT JONES / PUBLISHER: DK / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

While on the face of it the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – The Galactic Guide is a book written for kids, helping them navigate the worlds and characters of the ninth Skywalker Saga episode, it’s also a book that holds far more pertinent information than many would give it credit for. In fact, a browse through the pages of the book reveals some very cool information.

Kicking off we rejoin the story as the Resistance set up base on Ajan Kloss, a location Leia has earmarked for decades as a potential base, and rolling through the book reveals even more handy info. Were you aware that R2-D2 kept a copy of the Death Star plans in his system (impressive, remember the efforts it took to send the pans in Rogue One?) or that Rose is now in charge of the Resistance’s engineers, working out ways to beat the technology of the First Order (it’s not shown in the film, but the idea of Lightspeed skipping is hers). We learn that the TIE Whisper is the newest hyperdrive capable TIE in the First Order fleet, and that the scene where Ren takes the Sith Wayfinder is actually inside Vader’s Castle on Mustafar.

Again, it’s a kids book, but for casual readers, there are some great images and snippets of info, and for more seasoned readers and followers of Star Wars there’s enough in here to prompt further investigation. Another example – one of the previously believed oddities of the Star Wars galaxy map was why the Unknown Regions lay unexplored. It always felt like the galaxy’s major stories happened in the other regions of the map, and that the Unknown Regions were simply that – unknown and unexplored. Here we learn that the Sith Wayfinder wasn’t just a way to Google Maps your way to Exegol, but is also required to travel through the Unknown Regions, presumably because it’s filled with the same special anomalies we see at the start of the film.

We’re introduced to the Sith fleet – like the First Order, maintaining the silhouettes of the Imperial, and before them, Republic fleet – and even find confirmation that Lando was a loving father before his daughter was kidnapped by the First Order and made to serve. Speaking of which, Jannah was a member of Company 77 (got to love the real-world nods; Company 77 for 1977, the Aki-Aki Festival of the Ancestors being held every 42 years, etc) and lived on Kef Bir, which was named by the Ewoks on the neighbouring Forest Moon.
An excellent release from DK, and one well worth buying for older fans as the post-Skywalker Saga era begins.

THE MANY LIVES OF JAMES BOND / AUTHOR: MARK EDLITZ / PUBLISHER: THE LYONS PRESS / RELEASE DATE: 1ST JANUARY

There is something inherently satisfying yet strangely unfulfilling about Mark Edlitz’s new book, The Many Lives Of James Bond. There are interesting interviews, morsels of insider gossip and knowledge, quirky conversations with some intriguing characters and revealing anecdotes. But the book carries an innate feeling of being incomplete, as if we’re only getting 75% of the story behind Ian Fleming’s iconic spy when there is still so much more to know.

In assembling his book Elditz will have compiled a wish list, names who would cast a flicker of light into the darkest corners of the Bond canon. Those people who made the big decisions, who have guided 007 from page to screen and back again via comics, cartoons and everything else. And some are here: John Glen, director of five straight Bond films from Roger Moore’s For Your Eyes Only (1981) to Timothy Dalton’s Licence To Kill (1989) offers an insight into recruiting a new actor to play the role and transitioning from a lighter style of film-making to one distinctly more gritty. Lyricist Don Black, the man who added words to John Barry’s music on the songs “Thunderball” and “Diamonds Are Forever” amongst others, discusses the template for what makes a Bond song so distinctive. And, of course, Sir Roger Moore is always quick with a quip and one-liner.

But where are the producers, the legendary Cubby Broccoli, his daughter Barbara or Michael G. Wilson? The “Bond Women” section feels somewhat light with just two interviews, given that this is such an integral part of the Bond franchise, and there are no interviews with the two actors who arguably vie for the title of “Best Bond,” Sean Connery and Daniel Craig.

Elditz must be applauded for delving deep into the Bond world and uncovering and conducting interviews with rarely spoken about figures who have all shaped the legacy of one of the world’s most renowned characters. But unless you are a Bond superfan, much of this largely interesting content will simply pass you by. A well-written and informative book, certainly, but without doubt one for the more ardent of aficionados.

THE ANDROMEDA EVOLUTION / AUTHOR: DANIEL H. WILSON / PUBLISHER: HARPER / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

To celebrate five decades since Michael Crichton’s celebrated viral thriller The Andromeda Strain was first published, author Daniel H. Wilson has penned an official sequel. With the approval of the Crichton estate, Andromeda Evolution returns to the mythos of the original deadly outbreak of the alien-borne virus fifty years later.

Since that first contact with the deadly particle was only just contained, the world’s authorities have put rigorous monitoring arrangements in place; on earth and out in space. When an automated mapping drone spots an anomalous structure in the middle of the Brazilian jungle, Project Wildfire is activated. Evidence reveals the alarming signature of the Andromeda virus. Worse still, there’s every indication that the pathogen has evolved and replicated. A quarantine team is sent to South America to uncover the truth. Over five tense days, the team tackle a crisis in which an unstoppable pandemic threatens to devastate the world.

There’s both energy and pace to Wilson’s narrative and he brings a good deal of plausible-sounding scientific rigour to proceedings. Events unfold across (and above) the globe and there’s a satisfying substance to the scale of the story. The contemporary setting means that it’s a thoroughly modern group of scientists and advisors that set out to avert calamity, much more diverse and representative than in Crichton’s original novel.

The book is comprised of a compilation of reports and official documents which punctuate the main narrative. It’s a technique intended to add realism to the story and, for the most part, it works well, but it’s undermined by the attempt to reference Crichton’s novel as if it were a “real” historical account. It’s an odd kind of “meta” conceit, but it’s easily ignored.

With the clock ticking down to disaster, things build toward a “teetering on the precipice” finale. But Wilson’s instinct to intensify the drama pushes the story in some unlikely directions that feel arbitrary and misjudged. As the book is structured as a retrospective report on a “near-miss,” any sense of jeopardy evaporates; the opening paragraphs of The Andromeda Evolution confirm that humanity survives this new encounter with these virulent micro-particles.

While that outcome makes good business sense if you’re a publisher hoping to launch a new Andromeda franchise, it deflates much of the tension Wilson sets about building in these pages.

DOUBLE EAGLE / AUTHOR: DAN ABLETT / PUBLISHER: BLACK LIBRARY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

With the re-release of the air combat game Aeronautica Imperialis, it should come as no surprise that Games Workshop’s novel factory, The Black Library, have also re-released Double Eagle, the only Warhammer 40,000 novel that deals exclusively with the Imperial Navy fighter pilots. Or to put it another way, Double Eagle is Top Gun, but set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Set during the Sabbat World’s Crusade, we follow the adventures of the Phatine Air Corps, a regiment of soldiers dedicated to supporting the ground troops of the Astra Militarum (Imperial Guard). They’re a typically odd bunch; hailing from a world rich in fuel and pollution, with a population who lives above the cloud-line because the ground is toxic hell hole. They’re a planet full of pilots who have been thrust in a massive interstellar war.

The action takes place on Enothis, a world critical to the war effort. The hellish forces of chaos have superior vehicles and supernatural might on their side. All our plucky pilots have are their faith and an awful lot of pluck. The various aces are engaging and quite familiar. For example, Vander Marquall is your typical vain but talented pilot who lets his lack of confidence get the better of him, and August Kaminsky is the wise old mentor type. Other characters include the caring but tough widow, the talented cadet who’s being held back because of their family and the pilot who’s “seen to much bloodshed.” Though the cast are mostly a pick and mix selection from any World War Two-inspired RAF drama, that doesn’t mean it’s not fun.

This is a Dan Abnett book, so it’s filled with well written ‘soap-style’ personal drama and amazing action scenes. Dan is a cinematic writer and each bit of aerial combat is a joy to read. You get a real feel for what it’s like to strap into an ancient (but super-advanced) plane and take on impossible odds. Because the book has such a broad cast of characters, you’re never entirely sure who’s going to make it to the end and this makes it all the more thrilling. Abnett wants you to care about each las-bolt and bullet hole and keeps you reading to the end.

It’s an interesting twist on the usual Warhammer fare, as most of the books focus on super-humans. Double Eagle is much more down to Earth, despite being set in the sky. Dogfighting fun and a perfect choice for a thrilling holiday read.

LEGACY OF ASH / AUTHOR: MATTHEW WARD / PUBLISHER: ORBIT / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Matthew Ward is best known for his previous work on the Warhammer franchise and he has a solid reputation for the being the sort of writer who excels at taking a simple idea and making it epic. Fans may argue that this had mixed results in the worlds of Warhammer, but it turns out when Matt is left to produce his own fantasy worlds the results are not only epic, but also awesome.

Legacy of Ash is the first book in Ward’s Legacy trilogy and, at just under 800 pages, it’s safe to say it’s a bit of a monster. But it has to be; this is truly epic fantasy. This is character-driven, slow burn world building at its best. Many fantasy novels get compared to A Song of Ice and Fire and, in terms of storytelling and craftmanship, Legacy of Ash is easily on the same level as George RR Martin’s masterpiece.

More importantly though, this is a bright and engaging work. Ward eschews the mundane parlour tricks of Grim Dark to give us the highs and lows of an immersive fantasy experience. Big it may be, but it doesn’t waste time trudging through the dirt. This is a book of big battles and even bigger magic. It doesn’t shy away from the things that made readers fall for fantasy in the first place. Sun goddesses, giant magical war machines, shape-shifting assassins; all the good stuff.

The set-up for this world is quite complicated, as you’d expect. The Hadari Empire and Tressian Republic are at war. The Empire is disrupted by civil unrest as fantastic and impossible things inspire some of its recently conquered citizens to rebel. Murder, conspiracy and betrayal mean that the conflict between the two nations does not go at all well, as the title of the book suggests.

We skip forward in time to discover that ambitious rulers and their need for conquest are still a very real problem. We follow multiple heroes as they strive to do what they can to make the world better for themselves and others. This is a book about heroes and villains, but mostly it’s about what motivates someone to attempt the impossible. The book likes to give us multiple perspectives from various characters and the cast is quite large. It’s the sort of book where you find yourself rooting for multiple characters, even those opposed to each other.

Legacy of Ash is epic fantasy as it should be; big, bold and very addictive. It’s a book that you’ll be reading well into the night (though you may want to make sure you don’t drop it on your head.) It’s a traditional European inspired epic fantasy, but one that’s done extremely well, with both broad strokes and intricate detail.

JAPANESE VIDEO GAME OBSCURITIES / AUTHOR: KURT KALATA / PUBLISHER: UNBOUND / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Video games are so prevalent in our culture, part of every under-30’s lives (and some well past that), that producing a book about them is no simpler than writing a book about TV or music. No single book is ever going to be able to cover the length, breadth and depth of the industry any more than you could do the same with any other medium, and much of it is so ingrained in the popular imagination that it might be a pointless endeavour anyway.

So it’s fortunate that there are some intrepid individuals trawling the darker corners of the gaming world, looking into its history from the days before the internet, before the world went global, when there were truly wonderful surprises to be found that, in this day and age, would be international hits.

Of course, Japan is always going to be a source of such treasure, and Kurt Kalata’s Japanese Video Game Obscurities, from the Hardcore Gaming series of books, shines a light on some delightful – and some surreally bizarre – PC and console games from the 1980s and 90s. The Hardcore Gaming books are an offshoot from the website, and Kalata brings the enthusiasm of that long-running temple of gaming goodness to this beautifully-produced book.

The 101 games featured are sorted by theme – RPGs, beat-em-ups, platformers – but are otherwise randomly presented, each with a page of informative text and an accompanying series of screenshots. If there’s one tiny criticism of this layout it’s that the often incredible box art does not get a bigger image, but that’s nitpicking at what is an attractive presentation.

Kalata’s text is chatty and does assume some prior knowledge of gaming terms, but filled with tidbits of information about the games and the studios, programmers and soundtrack composers who produced them.

There are far too many delights contained within to list them all, but one favourite is the never-released-outside-Japan LSD: Dream Emulator, a polygonal acid trip of an adventure game, based on the ten-year dream diary of its creator, Osamu Sato. Special mentions also must go to the bizarre minigame title for the PS2, Super Galdelic Hour and soft drink-themed runner Pepsiman.

This is a book that has an appeal not just to the hardcore gamer but also those curious about the industry’s history, as well as Japanophiles and fans of weird ephemera. Kalata and friends have produced a wonderful resource and a time-sink, to boot; this a book to leave out for friends to look through, as well as to be used a base for further adventures into the videogame vaults.

HUNG, DRAWN AND EXECUTED – THE HORROR ART OF GRAHAM HUMPHREYS / AUTHOR: GRAHAM HUMPHREYS / PUBLISHER: KORERO PRESS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Artist Graham Humphreys has come a long way since he burst onto the scene with the Palace Pictures’ release of The Evil Dead in the UK. His style is instantly recognisable; the use of colour and composition perfect for whatever product the design is for. This book, which collects most of his work from the past four years is a valuable insight into his current working practices and how in-demand he is with genre fans and boutique cult film video labels.

While it doesn’t feature much of his famous early work (which has been published previously), the scope and quality of the images that are included more than make up for it. Divided into several chapters (posters, books, DVDs, events, etc.), we get to devour the work of a true artist. Each image is reproduced stunningly and there are captions that fill in details and add little titbits of information, such as when a client has requested changes and the like. There’s even a breakdown of how he goes about his work, pulling the curtain of mystery to one side so we can see step-by-step how the magic is made.

Over the years covered in the book, Humphreys has become synonymous with labels such as Arrow Films, and events like FrightFest; creating and designing stunning covers and posters for the companies that are genuine works of art that any horror fan would be proud to hang on their wall. With this collection, fans can take in images that would cost a fortune to acquire if they purchased each individual item, be it book, album, or Blu-ray. It’s bang up to date, too, as it includes the brilliant poster for A Night of a Thousand Vampires, an event that took place in October and saw punk legends The Damned team up with Hammer Films and Circus of Horrors and perform a special one-off show at the famous London Palladium. Like a cross between a classic thirties horror movie poster and a handbill for a Grand Guignol performance, it’s amazingly effective.

With his distinctive but always innovative style, Humphreys could quite comfortably be termed the British Drew Struzan. This is a beautifully-presented testament to his art and is an essential purchase for any genre fan.

DOCTOR WHO: STAR TALES / AUTHORS: STEVE COLE, PAUL MAGRS, JENNY T. COLGAN, JO COTTERILL, TREVOR BAXENDALE, MIKE TUCKER / PUBLISHER: BBC BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 5TH

You can’t travel through history for two thousand years without bumping into a few famous faces and the Doctor sure has met several celebs over the course of their travels in the TARDIS. Even more frequently, though, the Time Lord likes to namedrop a famed friend we’ve never seen them meet on screen. So what happened in these undocumented adventures?

That’s the question that Doctor Who: Star Tales sets out to answer. A collection of six short stories, each tale is inspired by a throwaway line from 2018’s series 11 in which the Doc referenced a historical figure. As such, the Thirteenth Doctor and her friends are very much the stars of this anthology, though the odd other incarnation of our hero does show up now and again.

The book opens with Chasing the Dawn by Jenny T. Colgan, featuring Amelia Earhart in a story that sports a neat wraparound narrative. And you don’t need to be told who stars in Jo Cotterill’s Einstein and the Doctor and Steve Cole’s Who-Dini, both of which are enjoyable yarns.

The final two entries are notable for being connected, with The Pythagoras Problem by Trevor Baxendale leading into Mission of the KaaDok by Mike Tucker, which features Audrey Hepburn. The Doctor’s sunglasses prove to be the key element here…

The best of the collection, though, has to be the second story, Paul Magrs’ Elvis-centric That’s All Right, Mama, which – typically for the author – is an imaginative, witty ride that also sews in some real poignancy and emotion. If you’ve ever wanted the Doctor to meet the King, this is the story for you.

There might be a clear standout, but there is a solid consistency to the quality of all the stories in this collection, with no bad apple spoiling the bunch. Like the best historical episodes of the show, you’ll be both entertained by Doctor Who: Star Tales and likely come away having learned a few things, too.