Book Review: God's War by Kameron Hurley

Pros: unique, diverse cast, interesting world and politics

Cons: limited description, slow beginning

Nyx used to be a Bel Dame, a government sponsored assassin sent after deserters from the war with Chenja.  But after a bad job she's stripped of her membership and left doing dirty mercenery work.  Her team consists of misfits escaping one thing or another: a Ras Tiegan communications man, a Mhorian shape shifter, a gun loving local (poached from a former boss) and a Chenjan draft dodger, whose magical abilities of controlling bugs are limited.  When they're offered a well paying - but dangerous job, Nyx takes it, not realizing it would pit her against the toughest, most dangerous women in Nasheen.

Described by the author as being a book about "Bugs.  Blood.  Brutal women." and "bugpunk at it's best" this was a... unique read.  Heavily influenced by middle eastern culture, the book takes place on a planet colonized by several groups of people, all followers of the book.  Each group interprets the book differently though, which has led to a centuries long war among the Nasheenians and the Chenjans.  The politics, both between the nations and within Nasheen (where most of the book takes place) are fascinating.  

The characters themselves are interesting, each having their own reasons why they've left their homelands to live in Nasheen, and why they're working for Nyx.  There's a good balance between action and development, so you get the chance to really know what motivates each of her team members.

I would have appreciated more description and deeper world building.  I had to look up what a burnous was (a long cloak with a hood that everyone in the book wears) as there was no proper description of it (I got that it was worn over clothing and had a hood and pockets, but didn't know it was a cloak rather than a jacket).  Neither bug magic nor bug tech are explained at all, nor how this planet develped them.  The same goes for shape shifters, who you learn were created, but not why or how (though this didn't play into the novel as much as the bug magic and tech so I can understand why the author wouldn't want to focus on it).

I also found the opening a bit slow.  Not in terms of action (there's a LOT of action), but in terms of plot.  The opening scenes set up things for later, but you don't realize that until you're several chapters into the book.

There's a lot of violence, and a fair amount of gore (several people are tortured and replacing body parts is one of a magician's talents, which gets used a lot in this book).

If you're looking for something very different from what's out there and like kick-ass women, you've found it.  If you've got a weak stomach, look elsewhere.

Sailor Moon Reboot

This news is a few days old, but it doesn't look like it's hit the greater SF/Fantasy blogosphere much yet, so I'll post it here.  Sailor Moon is getting a reboot!  Manga Critic (and other sources) say it will be a brand new TV show, aimed at an older, more mature audience.  It's set for next summer.  This announcement makes me wonder if this is why the Sailor Moon manga has been rereleased in North America with a new (and more accurate) English translation.  I keep meaning to read and review those (I've been buying them as they come out).  I'm very excited about this.  Sailor Moon is one of the anime that got me into the genre.

The Miss Dream team fan dubbed the 20th Anniversary Talk show here.

And here's the song people on Moonkitty.net's twitter feed think will be the new opening theme.

Author Interview: Rhiannon Held

Novel: Silver

Website: rhiannonheld.com

> What is Silver about?

Andrew Dare is a werewolf. He’s the enforcer for the Roanoke pack, and responsible for capturing or killing any Were intruders in Roanoke’s territory. But the lone Were he’s tracking doesn’t smell or act like anyone he’s ever encountered. And when he catches her, it doesn’t get any better. She’s beautiful, she’s crazy, and someone has tortured her by injecting silver into her veins. She says her name is Silver, and that she’s lost her wild self and can’t shift any more.

The packs in North America have a live-and-let-live attitude, and try not to overlap with each other. But Silver represents a terrible threat to every Were on the continent.

Andrew and Silver will join forces to track down this menace while discovering their own power and their passion for each other.

> What drew you to writing about werewolves?

Several things! They suited my perspective as a professional archaeologist, because once I made them a species (my werewolves are only born, not turned), they offered lots of cool opportunities for showing social dynamics and pack behavior as people with human tendencies might interpret them.

Readers also already mostly know what werewolves are. That means I can spend a little time on establishing a few unique details of mine and then move on to what I think is the fun part: their culture and religion and social etiquette and all kinds of stuff. How do they interact with each other? How do they interact with humans, since they’re hiding their real culture?  If I’d made up a new creature, I’d have to spend much more time on establishing everything about that creature, and much less on their culture and interactions.

> If you could, would you change places with any of your characters?

If I changed places with anyone, it would probably be one of my secondary characters. Their lives have much less upheaval! On the one hand, I think life in a pack-based society would be something I’d enjoy, since it’s so supportive. On the other hand, keeping your identity as a werewolf secret would be really stressful, so I think I’m better off as I am.

> What's the first novel (published or unpublished) that you wrote and how long did it take to write it?

This question has two answers, so I’ll give you both. The first almost-novel-length writing exercise I did was for National Novel Writing Month. It took me about six or seven months to write 60,000 words. The reason I don’t count it as a full novel is that it was so short, and I never even tried to revise it. Silver was the first real novel I wrote. For comparison, it ended up being 85,000 words. The first draft took 3 months, but I did multiple revisions after that. Including six months where I set it aside to recharge my creativity for that project, about 18 months passed from the time when I wrote the first word to when I submitted it.

> When and where do you write?

The simplest answer is “when I’m alert” and “on my laptop”. However, given that I work full time, I mostly end up writing in the evenings on weekdays and a variety of times on weekends. In my apartment, I usually take the laptop to the couch, but that’s not a necessary part of the experience. I’ll write in coffee shops with other writers, but not by myself. When it’s raining, I’ve been known to write in the back seat of my car at the park, because I want to be outside, but my laptop would not be amused if it I took it out in that kind of weather.

> Do you have any advice for hopeful authors?

Meet people in the writing community. Now, when you’re first learning or honing your craft. Don’t wait until you have a finished novel and then aim yourself at editors at parties for a hard sell. Meet people now just to meet people. People who are your peers, people who are earlier in their learning process than you, people who are established writers. Go to writing community events: conventions, workshops, retreats, critique groups, gatherings at the local coffee shop. Make friends with as many people as happens naturally, and remain friendly with all the others. When it comes time to sell your novel, you probably will have networked with someone who can help you, certainly, but the real benefit is that you’ll have connections with a great group of people will support you and you can support along the way.

> Any tips against writers block?

I’ll be so bold as to say I’ve never gotten writer’s block. I do stall every so often, unable to get a plot element to work. Then I stop writing for the day and pick up the next day. By then, I’ll either have solved the problem or I’ll work on another project for a while. How do I solve thorny plot problems? The same way I solve other mental puzzles. I think hard about it consciously for significant period while I do something that makes my mental flow smoother, like driving or walking. When I’ve brainstormed and turned the problem this way and that consciously, I set it aside and do something completely different. That’s when my unconscious gets to work. More often than not, in under 24 hours a solution will pop into my conscious mind. You might recognize this sensation from other areas of your life, whether it’s Sudoku, crossword puzzles, anagrams, or even a computer game like Myst. You can’t be lazy and stop trying immediately when a problem gets hard, figuring you unconscious will help you. You have to put in the work, and then you’ll be rewarded later.

> How do you discipline yourself to write?

An easy answer to this would be that I just do, but that’s not very helpful. I think my discipline comes partially from knowing my rhythms of alertness and attention and working with them rather than trying to change them. For instance, if you want to lose weight and can’t resist cookies, you can either make yourself miserable thinking about the ones in the cupboard and wallow in guilt when you give in…or you can make sure not to buy any. I know I get very distracted after about two hours of writing. So rather than beating myself up and staring at a blank screen in the third hour, I plan to do something else after two. Maybe I get fewer words written that morning because I didn’t keep going for that extra hour. But maybe that afternoon after lunch and a walk, I feel energized and write many, many more, rather than being in a pit of guilt and getting nothing more done.

> How many rejection letters did you get for your first novel or story?

I sent my first story out with a group of three or four that all ended up rejected several times. In fact, back when I was writing only short stories, I came up with a game. When I reached 100 total rejections for all of the different stories I’d sent out, I’d buy myself a flat panel TV. Around 55 or so, I sold my first story. Around 70 I sold my novel. I still haven’t quite made 100, but I’m getting close now. I know I have a lot fewer total rejections than many writers, but I sent stories out pretty slowly during busy periods in my life, like when I was writing my thesis. And now I’ve got my novel series to work on!

Harry Potter And The Ten Years Later

Furious Molecules is putting together a 7 part parody webseries taking up 10 years after the last Harry Potter movie.  The trailer states that it's not for kids, so expect some adult humour.

The show starts Friday, July 20th with a new episode each week.

Book Review: Suited by Jo Anderton

Pros: learn more of the greater story (puppet men's origins, etc.), lots of action

Cons: Tanyana's character starts to grate, climaxes twice

Following directly after the events of Debris, Suited begins with Lad and Tanyana following the voice of the Keeper into ever more dangerous situations.  When they fail to reach their debris quota twice because of their other activities the collecting team is split.  With Kichlan on one team and Tanyana and Lad on the other, Tan vows to keep Lad safe.  Debris is hard to come by, and the new teams are scared of further repercussions from the Veche.

Meanwhile, Tan and Kichlan are asked to join an underground movement to stop the Veche and help the Keeper.  By releasing debris.

The opening is a rehash of the previous book, as discussed by two puppet men.  It reads oddly, as it's clear the characters both know what's happened and are talking about it for no purpose except for the reader to get caught up with the story.

There are several new subplots in this book, as well as revelations about a few character's backgrounds.  It was nice to learn more about some of the supporting cast, and realize that they have their own motivations for keeping outside the Veche's radar.

The relationship between Tan and Kichlan heats up.  This was something I was hoping to see after the first book, though I wasn't happy with how it played out.  While Kichlan was open and trusting, Tanyana went out of her way to hide quite a number of things from him.  Relationships can't work without trust and respect, and she gave him neither while expecting both.  As such, his attitude towards her at the end of the book didn't surprise me.

The book seemed to climax at the three quarter mark, with an important event.  I thought it was going for a long denoument (which I tend to find wearying), but then ramped up for another climax, with even more devestating consequences.  It is during this period of the novel that we finally learn more about the puppet men, what they are and what they're trying to achieve.

I wasn't very happy with the ending, especially Tanyana's lack of concern for anyone but herself and Kichlan.  However, the revelations at the end intrigued me enough that I'll likely pick up the next book to see how things turn out.

Genre News

Got some more emails about things you may be interested in.

Phoenix Picks' free ebook for July is Joan Slonczewski's first Elysium Cycle novel, Daughter of Elysium.  According to my husband, she's a great hard SF author (one of the Elysium Cycle novels, Brain Plague, is sitting on a shelf near me waiting to be read).

The coupon code is 9991545 and will be good from July 2 through July 31. Links for downloading the book (as usual) from our online catalogue, http://www.PPickings.com

"The Pristine City of Elysium floats on the water world of Shora, inhabited by 'immortals' who have succeeded in unlocking the secrets of life.

Outsider Blackbear Windclan wants to share the secret of immortality with his own people, but can he, and the City of Elysium survive the corruption and decadence that immortality has bred into the ageless society?

And what of the consciousness of the self-aware nano-sentient servitors and their quest for vengeance?"

Sounds good, doesn't it?

July is Monster Movie Month at MonsterLibrarian.

July 1 will mark the beginning of Monster Movie Month at MonsterLibrarian.com. Monster Movie Month will celebrate the connections between books and movies in the horror genre. The site will offer lists of movies horror fiction lovers might enjoy, reviews, and suggestions for readers advisory and marketing horror in the library.  Our blog, Musings of the Monster Librarian, will cover related topics and offer guest posts, including a contribution from Becky Siegel Spratford, author of The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Horror Fiction.  Come visit to find out what the horror genre has to offer readers and libraries this July at MonsterLibrarian.com!

Visit the Monster Movie Month page at:
http://www.monsterlibrarian.com/monstermoviemonth.htm
and the Musings of the Monster Librarian blog:
http://www.monsterlibrarian.com/TheCirculationDesk/

If you're in the UK, this announcement by Angry Robot Books will be of interest to you:

As part of Independent Booksellers’ Week, award-winning SF & fantasy publisher Angry Robot have announced they are going to start giving away the digital version of each of their novels free with the physical paperback, in selected indie bookstores.

The Angry Robot Clonefiles, as they are whimsically calling them, will first be trialled with Mostly Books of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, starting Wednesday July 4th. Angry Robot will then be rolling out the scheme through other independent bookshops. Customers purchasing an Angry Robot novel will be emailed the digital version of the book in the format of their choice.

The Clonefiles programme was set up by Angry Robot’s UK Sales Manager Roland Briscoe and Mark Thornton of Mostly Books.

Independent bookshops wanting to join the Clonefiles promotion can contact Roland Briscoe at indie@angryrobotbooks.com.

Amazing Stories is doing a relaunch prelaunch issue, with several articles and a story becoming available as the month progresses.

You can find Volume 0, Number 1 here, and their facebook page here.  They'll be announcing the relaunch at  Comic Con in San Diego.

Speaking of which, if you're a US Citizen attending Comic Con and write fan fiction in one of the following settings: Star Wars®, The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, then Random House Audio has a contest you might be interested in.

At this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA, Random House Audio will be recreating an audiobook studio right on the convention floor--inviting authors of fan fiction to record a sample of their work for a chance to have their story recorded and released as a digital audiobook.

Aspiring authors (who must be legal residents of the U.S. and 18 years or older) can sign up for a time slot to record their five-minute sample during the convention, July 12-15 at the San Diego Convention Center. Random House Audio producers will listen to the entries (no mashups, please) and select one to be professionally recorded and mixed by Random House Audio for streaming at www.randomhouseaudio.com. The grand prize winner and five runner-ups will have clips from their stories featured on the Random House Audio weekly podcast.

Sessions will be available Thursday through Saturday, July 12-14, from 10am-12pm and 1pm to 4pm at the Random House Audio booth #1515. Registration for morning slots is open now through July 10 at www.randomhouseaudio.com, and afternoon slots will be available for same-day sign ups beginning at 9am the first day of the con on a first-come, first-served basis.

Don’t see your fandom included on the list above? Sunday, July 15 is Open Mic Day! Fans of other series will get their chance to record their stories as well from 11am to 3pm and enter to win a collection of audiobooks.

Even if you’re not a writer, be sure to stop by the Random House Audio booth (#1515) for exclusive Comic-Con giveaways, including buttons, posters, headphones and mini microphone recorders. 

Science Fiction and Fantasy Books Coming in August, 2012

As per usual, I try to be complete with this list but something ends up missing.  The list is compiled using the Indigo database and as such reflects Canadian release dates.  If you know a book that should be here, mention it in the comments and I'll add it here.  So far I only mention Carina ebooks as they have an 'upcoming' books section on their website (most ebook publishers don't).

Hardcover: 

Star Wars: X-Wing: Mercy Kill – Aaron Allston

Wards of Faerie – Terry Brooks

The Traitor Queen – Trudi Canavan

World of Warcraft: Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War – Christie Golden

Libriomancer – Jim Hines

Black Bottle – Anthony Huso

Devil Said Bang – Richard Kadrey

The Unincorporated Future – Dani Kollin

King of Thorns – Mark Lawrence

Ghost Key – Trish MacGregor

Fate of Worlds – Larry Niven & Edward Lerner

The Constantine Affair – T. Aaron Payton

The City's Son – Tom Pollock

Seawitch – Kat Richardson

Queen of Wands – John Ringo 

Forgotten Realms: Charon's Claw – R. A. Salvatore

The Stuff of Legends – Brian Smith

When Diplomacy Fails – Michael Williamson

Trade Paperback:

The First Last Unicorn and Other Beginnings – Peter S. Beagle

The Immortality Factor – Ben Bova

Containment – Christian Cantrell

Solar Lottery – Philip K. Dick

The World Jones Made – Philip K. Dick

We Can Build You – Philip K. Dick

Fable: Edge of the World – Christie Golden

In War Times – Kathleen Ann Goonan

Extreme Zombies – Paula Guran, Ed.

Breakdown – Katherine Amt Hanna

The Fate of the Dwarves – Markus Heitz

Warhammer: Orion: The Vaults of Winter – Darius Hinks

The Genocidal Organ – Project Itoh

At the Mouth of the Rive of Bees – Kij Johnson

Digital Rapture: The Singularity Anthology – James Patrick Kelly & John Kessel, Ed.

Midnight Court – Jane Kindred

Endurance – Jay Lake

Star Trek: Harbinger – David Mack

Shadowlands – Violette Malan

Bullettime – Nick Mamatas

A Dance With Dragons – George R. R. Martin

Star Trek: Taking Wing – Michael Martin

Future Lovecraft – Silvia Moreno-Garcia & Paula Stiles, Ed.

The Book of Transformations – Mark Newton

The Broken Isles – Mark Newton

Ice and Shadow – Andre Norton (reprint omnibus)

Low Town – Daniel Polansky

The Iron Wyrm Affair – Lilith Saintcrow

Penguin Classics: The Purprle Cloud – M. P. Shiel

Downward to Earth – Robert Silverberg

In the House of the Wicked – Thomas Sniegoski

Hidden Things – Doyce Testerman

Swallowing a Donkey's Eye – Paul Tremblay

Mass Market Paperback:

Endgame – Ann Aguirre

Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Conviction – Aaron Allston

Well-Tempered Clavicle – Piers Anthony

Wrayth – Philippa Ballantine

The Corpse-Rat King – Lee Battersby

Star Trek Voyager: The Eternal Tide – Kristen Beyer

Undercurrents – Robert Buettner

Ghost Story – Jim Butcher

Two Weeks' Notice – Rachel Caine

Black Swan Rising – Lee Carroll

Spellbound – Blake Charlton

Seven Wonders – Adam Christopher

Sanctuary – Rowena Cory Daniells

Star Corpsman – Ian Douglas

Cold Fire – Kate Elliott

Widow's Web – Jennifer Estep

Ring of Fire III – Eric Flint, Ed.

Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne – David Gaider

The Shattered Vine – Laura Anne Gilman

The Omen Machine – Terry Goodkind

Ghost of a Dream – Simon Green

Taken – Benedict Jacka

Love on the Run – Katharine Kerr

Soul Trade – Caitlin Kittredge

A Dance With Dragons – George R. R. Martin *

Diviner – Melanie Rawn

The Highest Frontier – Joan Slonczewski

When the People Fall – Cordwainer Smith

Grass King's Concubine – Kari Sperring

Haunted – Jeanne Stein

A Wolf at the Door – K. A. Stewart

Mockingbird – Chuck Wendig

ebooks (Carina Press)

Cyber Sparks – Robert Appleton

The Guardian of Bastet – Jacqueline Battisti

The Druid Stone – Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane

The Bloodgate Warrior – Joely Sue Burkhart

The Superheroes Union: Dynama – Ruth Diaz

Rise of Hope – Kaily Hart 

Shattered Magic – Rebecca York

*  This was an error on the Indigo site, which has since been corrected.  A Dance With Dragons will come out in paperback in March 2013.  Sorry for the confusion.