SF/Fantasy Reviews, July 2011
Jul 15, 2011Bewere the Night. Prime. Aug. 2011. c.352p. ed. by Ekaterina Sedia. ISBN 9781607012528. pap. $14.95. FANTASY
A fox-girl battles the Crow Lords over the spoils of a postapocalyptic world in A.C. Wise’s “The Thief of Precious Things,” while a young woman ponders her lack of a bird skin in Carrie Laben’s “And Neither Have I Wings To Fly.” Sedia, the editor of the World Fantasy Award–winning Paper Cities: An Anthology of Urban Fantasy, Running with the Pack, and other themed anthologies, has chosen 29 original and previously published stories featuring shape changers and werecreatures to showcase the variety of tales about humans who can take the forms of animals. Contributors include Holly Black, Elizabeth Hand, Aaron Sterns, and other new and veteran fantasy authors. VERDICT This collection should appeal to fans of werefiction.
Brandon, Paula. The Traitor’s Daughter. Spectra: Bantam. Oct. 2011. c.432p. ISBN 9780553583809. pap. $15. FANTASY
A life of luxury and duty awaits Jianna Belandor as she makes her way to the estate of her betrothed, but then she is kidnapped by her father’s estranged sister, who intends for Jianna to marry her brutish son. Jianna’s resourcefulness in taking control of her own fate leads her to a strange alliance as she views her father—and her privileged life—with new eyes. Brandon’s first novel, set in a world of rival families and distinct social classes, introduces a strong-willed heroine who learns that the world is not what she had perceived. VERDICT This trilogy opener, with its lush backgrounds and detailed society, should appeal to fans of Jacqueline Carey and Melanie Rawn.
Carroll, Lee. The Watchtower. Tor. Aug. 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9780765325983. pap. $15.99. FANTASY
Jewelry designer Garet James, last in a long line of women who form The Watchtower, a group sworn to fight the evil forces that threaten the world, embarks on a journey in search of the Summer Country, a realm of faerie magic. There, she hopes to join her missing lover, Will, a 400-year-old vampire, and help him find a way to end his curse and become human once more. In this sequel to Black Swan Rising, Carroll (the pseudonym for novelist Carol Goodman and her husband, Lee Slonimsky) populates her romantic fantasy with both historical figures (Dr. John Dee, William Shakespeare) and mythological characters (a scientist transformed into a tree, a dryad dwelling in Luxembourg). VERDICT This lively blend of urban fantasy and historical romance will appeal to fans of Mercedes Lackey, Charles de Lint, and Tanya Huff.
Golden, Christie. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi; Ascension. Lucas/Del Rey. Sept. 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9780345509161. $27. sf
As Luke Skywalker; his Jedi son, Ben; and the Sith apprentice Vestara Khai travel the galaxy in search of the dark Force-wielding entity known as Aboleth, they explore the abandoned planets of the Lost Tribe of the Sith, bringing Vestara to a decision that will change her life forever. On Coruscant, the power vacuum left by the deposal of Natasi Daala once again awakens the old mistrust of the Jedi and exposes a conspiracy that shatters the foundations of the Galactic Alliance. Golden’s latest novel, the eighth installment in a nine-volume saga that takes place 40 years after the events of the Star Wars® trilogy, brings many plot threads to the point of no return. Characters grow stronger through their successes and failures, with hints of yet another generation born attuned to the Force. VERDICT Golden’s excellent storytelling captures the essence of the beloved space opera and should leave series followers eagerly anticipating the story’s conclusion.
Goyer, David S. & Michael Cassutt. Heaven’s Shadow. Ace: Berkley. Jul. 2011. c.416p. ISBN 9780441020331. $25.95. sf
As an unidentified space object, named Keanu by the popular media, hurtles toward Earth on a near-miss trajectory, rival spaceships—one from the United States and one from a Russian-Indian-Brazilian alliance—race to it, each charged with a mission to explore Keanu’s surface and claim it for its own interests. What the astronauts discover is that the object is not a piece of space debris but a cry for help from another civilization. Coauthors Goyer (Batman Begins screenplay) and Cassutt (Missing Man; Red Moon) bring their film and television experience to a fast-paced sf trilogy opener that features a varied cast and an intriguing plot. VERDICT A cinematic style and action-filled plot make this a good choice for readers who enjoy the multivolume space sagas of Kevin J. Anderson and David Drake. [Warner Brothers has acquired film rights to the forthcoming trilogy.—Ed.]
Gregory, Daryl. Raising Stony Mayhall. Del Rey: Ballantine. Jul. 2011. c.448p. ISBN 9780345522375. pap. $15. FANTASY
Driving home in a winter snowstorm, Wanda Mayhall and her three daughters come upon the corpses of a young woman and her infant, frozen by the side of the road. When the infant opens its eyes, Wanda realizes the child is one of the living dead. In spite of everything they know about the zombie outbreak and the ruthless measures taken to prevent its spread, the Mayhalls keep the child, naming him Stony. In doing so, they cross a line that has repercussions encompassing a new vision of what it means to be alive. The author of The Devil’s Alphabet and Pandemonium has written a masterly tale of love that defies standard limits. Stony Mayhall emerges as a unique character, defined by the people who love him, at war with his own identity, and driven to create his own definition of “being human.” VERDICT Part superhero fiction, part zombie horror story, and part supernatural thriller, this luminous and compelling tale deserves a wide readership beyond genre fans. Highly recommended.
Hines, Jim C. The Snow Queen’s Shadow. DAW, dist. by Penguin. Jul. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9780756406745. pap. $7.99. FANTASY
Trying to contact the dying Queen Beatrice, Snow White miscasts a spell, breaking her magic mirror and unleashing a demon into the world. As the demon sows discord among friends and lovers, Snow White herself falls victim to its plague of hatred. The latest addition to his Princess series (The Stepsister Scheme; The Mermaid’s Madness; Red Hood’s Revenge) turns the classic fairy tale inside out. VERDICT Action and adventure mixes with romance, which should please fans of traditional as well as revisionist versions of the works of the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Charles Perrault.
Jones, Jaida & Danielle Bennett. Steelhands. Spectra: Bantam. Aug. 2011. c.448p. ISBN 9780553807707. $26. FANTASY
As diplomats from the victorious realm of Volstov meet with their counterparts from the defeated Ke-Han Empire in the city of Thremedon, young people from throughout the land, many on scholarships, arrive to attend the prestigious ’Versity, where they hope to study in peace. When a strange sickness strikes newcomers Gaeth, a boy from the farmlands, and Laure, a girl raised as the son her father wanted, and students begin disappearing, a few people suspect a conspiracy that involves an attempt to re-create the magnificent and terrible army of mechanical, sentient dragons that won the war. The fourth installment in the authors’ series (after Havemercy, Shadow Magic, and Dragon Soul) brings the magic of animated dragon-machines to another generation of potential “Airmen.” VERDICT The authors’ brilliantly established world, part magical, part steampunk, and the distinct voices of the four principal narrators make this fantasy a top-notch choice for series fans and lovers of Naomi Novik’s “Temeraire” series.
Kiernan, Caitlín R. Two Worlds and in Between: The Best of Caitlín R. Kiernan. Vol. 1. Subterranean. Aug. 2011. c.576p. ISBN 9781596063914. $38. FANTASY
A mission to a distant planet goes dreadfully awry in the suspenseful novella “The Dry Salvages.” Dinosaurs and immortals interact in a tale (“Giants in the Earth”) set in a universe created in Michael Moorcock’s Dancers at the End of Time. These stories, together with 24 other pieces of short fiction, including “Night Story 1973” written with Poppy Z. Brite, chronicle the literary progress of one of the genre’s most remarkable and exciting voices. Covering the years from 1993 to 2004, these selections, chosen by Kiernan herself, display a unique, iconoclastic vision that celebrates language as well as story. VERDICT Fans of the author and connoisseurs of elegant prose should enjoy these tales.
Kollin, Dani & Eytan Kollin. The Unincorporated Woman. Tor. Aug. 2011. c.416p. ISBN 9780765319043. $25.99. sf
In a future run by corporations that control the population from birth, Justin Cord, awakened from cryogenic sleep and, therefore, not incorporated from infancy, rises to the office of President of the Outer Alliance—until his untimely assassination. His successor, Gen. Janet Delgado (J.D.) Black, realizes she is best suited for military command in the space war between the Alliance and the United Human Federation. Her choice for Cord’s replacement, however, lies in cryostasis herself: Dr. Sandra O’Toole, otherwise known as the “unincorporated woman.” The Kollin brothers (The Unincorporated Man; The Unincorporated War) continue their future saga of a dystopian, space-faring world as it descends into civil war and corporate rivalry. VERDICT With memorable characters and a panoramic story line, this multivolume sf epic should appeal to fans of David Weber’s Honor Harrington novels and the sagas of Peter Hamilton (“Void Trilogy”).
Niven, Larry & Steven Barnes. The Moon Maze Game. Tor. (Dream Park). Aug. 2011. c.368p. ISBN 9780765326669. $25.99. sF
Professional bodyguard Scotty Griffin accepts the prestigious job of shepherding Prince Ali Kikaya, heir to the throne of a small, troubled African nation, to the Moon, where he and a select group of invitees plan to participate in an exclusive live-action role-playing game based on the worlds created in H.G. Wells’s fiction—the first of its kind on Luna. The game turns deadly when real-world fanatics invade, turn the gamers into hostages, and raise the stakes to life or death. Niven and Barnes (Dream Park; The Barsoom Project; The California Voodoo Game) add another chapter to their ongoing saga of gaming made real. VERDICT Personal drama, political intrigue, and game theory combine in a complex sf adventure that, despite awkward patches, delivers a solidly satisfying story. Series fans and lovers of gaming fiction should enjoy this action-filled collaboration.
Rapunzel’s Daughters and Other Tales. Pink Narcissus. Jul. 2011. c.373p. ed. by Josie Brown & others. illus. ISBN 9780982991312. pap. $16.95. FANTASY
Victorian London serves as the setting for Rev DiCerto’s elegant story of a young woman’s carefully plotted revenge (“The Spyder”), while a modern-day adolescent struggles with the family curse of impossibly long hair in Amy E. Yergen’s “Rapunzel’s Daughters.” The 30 original stories based on fairy-tale themes feature many new and first-time writers and exhibit a broad spectrum of styles and voices. VERDICT Readers who enjoy discovering new writers or fans of imaginative approaches to familiar themes should relish this small press offering. [Those readers may also want to try Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales Retold from Night Shade.—Ed.]
Rucker, Rudy. Jim and the Flims. Night Shade. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9781597802802. $24.99. SF
Bioengineer and sometime surfer Jim Oster’s experiments accidentally open a portal between this world and the world of the dead, otherwise known as “The Flimsy,” and this results in the death of his wife, Val, and the intrusion of bizarre creatures from that other place. With the help of sexy ice cream parlor clerk Weena, who seems to know all together too much about the Flims, Jim finds a way through his grief and determines to enter the portal and retrieve his wife. Rucker’s (The Hollow Earth; Mathematicians in Love) latest sf extravaganza maintains the author’s highest standards of outrageousness intelligently displayed, delivering thoughts on life, death, and the business of biotechnology with wild humor and true affection for his characters. VERDICT The author’s fans and lovers of dark sf comedy should particularly enjoy this romp through the Orpheus myth.
Stratford, Sarah Jane. The Moonlight Brigade: A Millennial Novel. Griffin: St. Martin’s. Aug. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780312560140. pap. $14.99. FANTASY
The ancient vampire Mors once served as a general for the Roman Republic. Now, nearly 2000 years later, he hunts Nazis in Europe. When a key member of his group goes missing, Mors’s search takes him from Germany to Italy, where it all began. The sequel to The Midnight Guardian continues the history of a creature that has lived through the fall of Rome and now confronts evil in its darkest guise. VERDICT Fans of historical fiction and the vampire novels of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro should enjoy this dark period fantasy that combines war and romance flavored with the hunger for blood.
ADDITIONAL SF & FANTASY
The Century’s Best Horror Fiction. Vol. 1: 1901–1950. c.706p. ISBN 9781587670800.
The Century’s Best Horror Fiction. Vol. 2: 1951–2000. c.866p. ISBN 9781587671722.ea. vol: Cemetery Dance. Jul. 2011. ed. by John Pelan. $75. HORROR
Serious horror fans need seek no further for significant last words in the genre. Selected by acclaimed horror author and editor Pelan, these two massive volumes present one author per year beginning with Barry Pain in 1901 and ending with Tim Lebbon in 2000. While the bulk of these tomes may intimidate some readers, the phenomenal diversity of the stories and the inclusion of otherwise out-of-print material outweigh the concern with size. Possibly the biggest problem is the editor’s arbitrary selection method that he explains as a necessity. The entries are limited to one author per year, thus a reader’s favorite writer’s best work may not be included. For example, the only work of Stephen King, “The Reach,” appears in Volume 2 under 1981. Some readers may view this story as among King’s best; others may find it yawn inducing. And there are surprising omissions as well: Peter Straub, for example. VERDICT These volumes comprise a figurative five-foot shelf of horror and are a must-have pair for die-hard horror fans. Recommended for all public libraries.—Jonathan Pearce, California State Univ. at Stanislaus, Stockton
Grossman, Lev. The Magician King. Viking. Sept. 2011. c.323p. ISBN 9780670022311. $26.95. FANTASY
Grossman’s sequel to his best-selling The Magicians returns to the magical land of Fillory as Quentin, Eliot, Janet, and Julia enjoy pampered lives as kings and queens. A sudden tragedy pushes Quentin and Julia to volunteer for a sea voyage to a remote island. What was supposed to be a routine trip turns into disaster when they are abruptly returned to the real world, with no way back to Fillory. The thought of remaining there is unbearable to both, so Quentin turns to old allies for assistance. Meanwhile, we see flashbacks from Julia’s perspective of the long and difficult road she took to gain magical powers. Grossman’s flawed characters struggle for what they want and often lose their way, a refreshing twist. Fillory’s pointed resemblance to Narnia gets a bit tiresome, however. VERDICT This is best for readers who like some grit and realism in their fantasy and who have read the first book. [See Prepub Alert, 3/28/11.]—Laurel Bliss, San Diego State Univ. Lib.
Vaughn, Carrie. Kitty’s Greatest Hits: A Collection. Tor. Aug. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780765326966. $25.99; pap. ISBN 9780765329578. $14.99. FANTASY
The latest addition to Vaughn’s popular series, which features radio talk-show host and werewolf Kitty Norville, is a collection of short stories. The tales are wide-ranging in theme and tone, and not all are directly related to Kitty’s universe, but each contains a paranormal influence (or interference) in the daily lives of mortals. High points include “The Temptation of Robin Green,” in which an employee of a government lab falls in love with a selkie (a shape-shifting creature) under her care, and the poignant “Il Est Ne,” in which Kitty teams up with a newly transformed werewolf to help solve a series of grisly murders. Vaughn’s trademark sense of humor continues to distinguish this urban fantasy series, and the seamless integration of a variety of paranormal creatures (including vampires, werewolves, and shape-shifters) in the everyday world is entertaining. Several of the stories were previously published, most in urban fantasy short story anthologies and fantasy magazines. VERDICT This collection should please fans of the series, especially those who want to know more about the side characters, but readers new to the Kittyverse will also find a fine introduction to this richly populated, fascinating paranormal world.—Nanette Donohue, Champaign P.L., IL
