Raising Steam, by Terry Pratchett | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Dick Simnel is inspired, by his father being turned into a cloud of furnace parts, flying metal, and pink steam, to invent the locomotive. He names her Iron Girder. This being Discworld, she's a bit more than her earthly counterparts. She is self aware and will defend her existence, as a would be saboteur learns.

Remember the pink steam? Simnel manages not only  to avoid that, but to sell Sir Harry King on steam locomotives. King sells Lord Vetinari, who runs Ankh-Morpork, the big city on Discworld, and Vetinari appoints Moist von Lipwig (of Going Postal and other books) to ramrod the project. Vetinari want to go to Bonk Schmaltzberg to confer with the king of the trolls, without spending weeks on the trip.

Certain hardcases among the dwarfs don't like this, or anything not of dwarf tradition as they see it. So construction is underway on the big line, with a shorter one to Quirm (which resembles France as seen from England), to bring in fish. Yes, Ankh-Morpork is on a river, but  you really don't want to eat anything out of there.

Then there are the clacks towers (semaphore signaling system), and a lady named Adora Belle.

Read more at Raising Steam, by Terry Pratchett | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Touch, by Claire North | Horror | SFReader.com Book Review

I've been a major fan of this author during her incarnation as Kate Griffin, but I was blown away last year by her first Claire North book The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, which is on the literary end of the fantasy genre and is simply remarkable -- see my review here. Would I find Touch as impressive?

He tried to take my life. Instead, I took his. It was a long time ago. I remember it was dark, and I didn't see my killer until it was too late. As I died, my hand touched his. That's when the first switch took place. Suddenly, I was looking through the eyes of my killer, and I was watching myself die. Now switching is easy. I can jump from body to body, have any life, be anyone. Some people touch lives. Others take them. I do both.

So there you have it. The premise is that there are a few individuals out there who can inhabit a body with a simple touch, skin on skin. And we're right alongside Kepler as he comes under a sudden, shocking attack. The book takes us on a tension-filled adventure as he struggles to discover exactly who is stalking him and why. It would be an intriguing page-turner if it was a straight thriller. But, this being North, it also becomes far more than that.

Read more at Touch, by Claire North | Horror | SFReader.com Book Review

Seeker, by Arwen Elys Dayton | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

On the heels of ACID, I finished Seeker, another YA offering from Arwen Elys Dayton, released in February of this year (2015). It's interesting to me to compare the two -- they have so many similar elements -- but somehow Seeker manages to to rise above the cliche whereas I felt ACID did not. 

I suppose I owe a synopsis. Here's the official blurb:

The night Quin Kincaid takes her Oath, she will become what she has trained to be her entire life. She will become a Seeker. This is her legacy, and it is an honor. 

As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world. And she'll be with the boy she loves--who's also her best friend. 

But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes. Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought. And now it's too late to walk away.

If you read my ACID review, you know I offered up a (tongue-in-cheek) checklist for writing successful young adult fiction. I'll run through that list here with Seeker, bearing in mind there are three "main" characters: Quin, Shinobu and John. One could also make the argument the Maud (another teenage girl) is also a notable character, though not as much of a player as the aforementioned three.

Read more at Seeker, by Arwen Elys Dayton | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Empire of Dust, by Jacey Bedford | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

This is the debut novel of Jacey Bedford.

I always try to read debut novels ASAP, since I've been there and know what it's like to have a new book go out into the harsh, harsh world. This is the first of the Psi-Tech novels, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

The premise: Cara Carlinni is a psi-tech who's running from the Alphacorp corporation who technically owns her, since it funded the Telepath technology implanted in her head. Escaping is supposed to be impossible, but she's managed to elude those hunting her and keep the secrets she's stolen from Alphacorp safe . . . and to herself. But they've finally caught up to her, and only the intervention and help of Ben Benjamin, another psi-tech, a Navigator, who takes her to a new colony that supposed to go tech-free . . . and perfect place to hide. Or so they both think.

The main premise is great, and the idea of a future in which there are no governments, only megacorporations running everything, is shockingly easy to believe. And also heartbreaking. The world -- or should I say universe? -- is well thought out and the characters are engaging.  

Read more at Empire of Dust, by Jacey Bedford | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury, by Robert Kirkman, Jay Bonansinga | Zombies | SFReader.com Book Review

ublished in 2012, The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury, by Jay R. Bonansinga and Robert Kirkman, is a follow-up novel to The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor. Like its predecessor, it follows a group of survivors trying to stay alive in the post-apocalyptic zombie world of The Walking Dead. 

The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury, is told from the point of view of Lilly Caul, a fearful and anxiety-ridden young woman who trembles in fear at the slightest sound. Her character is developed as someone who's spent her life running from everything -- relationships, responsibility, you name it -- before and now after the zombie apocalypse.  

Like Rise of the Governor, The Road to Woodbury is written in present tense that takes a little getting used to. One of my complaints is what seems to be the authors' preferences for telling instead of showing. We are constantly reminded that Lilly is a fearful neurotic, Josh is a gentle giant hero, Bob is a feckless yet kind-hearted drunk, Meagan is a camp whore and pot-head.... etc. 

The book starts with our group being part of a larger group currently occupying a tent city located somewhere in Georgia. A series of unfortunate events results in Lilly being kicked out of the group. When this happens, the rest decide to go with her. Based on the way the camp was being run, I don't blame them.

Read more at The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury, by Robert Kirkman, Jay Bonansinga | Zombies | SFReader.com Book Review

The Sword and Its Servant, by Victor Salinas | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

The Sword and Its Servant, by Victor Salinas, is another young adult book. How did I get sucked into reading another one, well... by the ages 15 and up warning label? Here I am thinking I might be reading a book a little on the spicy side, but nope, preteens in trouble. But I will say that Salinas takes the idea of trouble up a notch and the book becomes more of a pre-teen meets Hellraiser.

Most of the book, actually almost all of the book, focuses on some kids making a jail break. It also covers the POV of three of the arch-villains that rule over the Hunds, which is the evil race that has a great hate for humans. Lucky for the kids there is a hole in the cell that they are able to chip through. Once outside the cell, Salinas isn't scared of killing the kids off and the group quickly dies off and gets separated from each other.

The main human, a girl named Einsa, discovers a living sword. Here is where it gets more interesting. The cowering, inertia filled Einsa is now being guided by this living steel and it wants her to kill. I think Salinas does a good job displaying the reluctance a normal pre-teen girl would have against killing. However, would a girl being kept prisoner her while life who is seeing her friends die have this reluctance? This is not some cell phone using girl of today. Also, although I appreciated his care in displaying this character trait, I almost felt like pulling my hair and just yelling, "Swing the sword, you twit!"

The Sword and Its Servant, by Victor Salinas | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

The Thorn of Dentonhill, by Marshall Ryan Maresca | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

This is the debut novel from Marshall Ryan Maresca.  I try to read new authors--and in particular, debut novels--as much as possible and am trying to do so even more this year as a New Year's resolution.  This novel was a fun take on fantasy, mixing in some elements comic book flavor in terms of the storyline.

The premise:  Veranix is a student at the local university studying magic--the use of numina.  But secretly he's using his powers to hunt down and hound those in the surrounding area called Dentonhill who are dealing a drug called effitte.  The ringleader of the drug dealers in a man who killed Veranix's father and forced his mother to take so much of the drug that her mind is lost, her body lying with dozens of others who were overcome by the drug.  Veranix initially only intends to hurt the drug trade, but when he accidentally intercepts a deal involving a magic cloak and rope, everything changes . . .

As you can imagine, with a magic cloak and rope, the story takes on some comic book attributes--Batman, anyone?  Veranix sneaks out at night and fights against the drug dealers, trying to destroy as much effitte as he can.  Of course, initially his activities are minor nuisances, but with the cloak and rope to aid him, his attacks become much more troublesome to the ringleader and things escalate.  Not to mention that the items he's accidentally come by were intended for a group of mages that desperately want them back and will do anything to get them.  So the plot itself is very comic book-esque in nature . . . and the book itself takes on that tone.  If you start reading with that in mind--that this is simply going to be a fun ride--then you'll enjoy the book.

Read more at The Thorn of Dentonhill, by Marshall Ryan Maresca | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Away with the Fairies, by Vivienne Tuffnell | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

I downloaded this book, because I knew from Viv's blog that she is a fine writer, with high standards, so I knew I wasn't in for a misspelled, poorly formatted offering -- and I was intrigued by the opening passage I read as a sample.

Irrepressible artist Isobel has survived most things and managed to bounce back from everything so far. A sequence of domestic disasters finally signals to Isobel that perhaps things aren't quite as rosy as she'd like. With her half of the inheritance, Isobel buys an isolated holiday cottage where she hopes to be able to catch up with some painting, as well as have the occasional holiday. The cottage is idyllic, beautiful and inspiring, but odd things keep happening. Doors won't stay shut, objects go missing and reappear in the wrong places and footsteps are heard when there's no one there. One of Isobel's new neighbors suggests that it is the fairies who are responsible, but Isobel is more than a tad skeptical: there's not a hint of glitter or tinselly wings or magic wands.

As she works at a frenetic pace, the odd happenings begin to increase until even Isobel's rational, skeptical mind has to sit up and take notice. And that's when she gets really scared. Up until now, her motto has been that there's nothing in life that can't be made better by a cup of tea and some Hob Nobs. This time it's beginning to look like it'll take more than even chocolate biscuits to make things better.

Read more at Away with the Fairies, by Vivienne Tuffnell | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Swords and Deviltry, by Fritz Leiber | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Okay, before we start anything I should just come out and say this is by far the best book I have read this year and I have a feeling other novels will be hard pressed to keep this from being the best book I get to read in 2015. I have read another of Lebbon's novels, an Alien based book called Out of Shadows, which I reviewed here on SFReader and also enjoyed, but The Silence really took things up a notch and was just a superb novel.

In central Europe a cave is opened up that releases a creature that will later be known as the Vesps. These are meat eating bat like reptiles that hunt by sounds. They also reproduce at an alarming rate and their eggs hatch creatures that are already able to fly and kill. Soon all of Europe is being destroyed by these quickly multiplying beasts.

The thread of the story follows a small family as they attempt to struggle through the chaos as much of England flees north. Soon the Vesps are not the only thing to fear as humans begin to abuse one another as well.

Read more at Swords and Deviltry, by Fritz Leiber | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

The Silence, by Tim Lebbon | Horror | SFReader.com Book Review

Okay, before we start anything I should just come out and say this is by far the best book I have read this year and I have a feeling other novels will be hard pressed to keep this from being the best book I get to read in 2015. I have read another of Lebbon's novels, an Alien based book called Out of Shadows, which I reviewed here on SFReader and also enjoyed, but The Silence really took things up a notch and was just a superb novel.

In central Europe a cave is opened up that releases a creature that will later be known as the Vesps. These are meat eating bat like reptiles that hunt by sounds. They also reproduce at an alarming rate and their eggs hatch creatures that are already able to fly and kill. Soon all of Europe is being destroyed by these quickly multiplying beasts.

The thread of the story follows a small family as they attempt to struggle through the chaos as much of England flees north. Soon the Vesps are not the only thing to fear as humans begin to abuse one another as well.

Read more at The Silence, by Tim Lebbon | Horror | SFReader.com Book Review

Those Above, by Daniel Polansky | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

I have only recently finished reading the final book charting the career of the awesome Warden in She Who Waits -- see my review here -- so was delighted to discover this latest slice of Polansky magic. Would I find this new epic fantasy as riveting?

Tall, strong, perfect -- for three thousand years Those Above have ruled over their human subjects. From the glittering aplaces of their eternal city they enforce their will with fire and sword. Twenty-five years ago mankind mustered an army and rose up against them, only to be slaughtered in a terrible battle. Hope died that day, but hatred survived. Whispers of another revolt are beginning to stir in the hearts of the oppressed: a personal servant who owes her whole existence to the perfect being she serves: a woman widowed in the war, who has dedicated her life to revenge: a general, the only man to ever defeat one of Those Above in single combat, summoned forth to raise a new legion: and a boy-killer who rises from the gutter to lead an uprising in the capital.

As you may have gathered from the blurb, this is a four-handed narrative in third person -- a contrast to the first person immediacy we got with the Warden's narrative of his struggles to prevail in Low Town.

Read more at Those Above, by Daniel Polansky | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga | Zombies | SFReader.com Book Review

Being a fan of The Walking Dead television show specifically, and apocalyptic fiction in general, I snagged a copy of The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga. The novel was published in October, 2011 and is a spin-off of The Walking Dead comic book series. The book explores the background and origin of one of the series' most infamous villains, The Governor.

The novel begins not long after the start of the zombie apocalypse. TV stations, radio stations, and other services are going off the air one by one. The living are becoming scarcer, more desperate, and more dangerous. People are fleeing and hiding as the zombies begin to take over the countryside. We're introduced into this world through Philip Blake, his daughter Penny, his older brother Brian, and Phillip's friends Bobby and Nick, sharing their struggles to survive.

And that's mainly what this is -- a survival story. The course of the book follows the adventures (and misadventures) Phillip and his small group as they seek refuge and safety, and as they begin to fully understand just how messed up everything has gotten. Whenever they find a haven, it's not long before the rotten jaws of reality clamp down. It's an interesting examination on the nature of the survival instinct, and how different characters deal with hopelessness and fear. We see some rise to the occasion, while others collapse under its weight.

Read more at The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga| Zombies | SFReader.com Book Review

Abracadaver, by Laura Resnick | Dark Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

This is the seventh book in Laura Resnick's Esther Diamondurban fantasy series and the odd shenanigans surrounding the main character continue.

In this case, the story picks up immediately after the end of the previous book, with Esther wondering why Nelli--their familiar from another dimension, there to help them fight evil--nearly tears her sometime-boyfriend's partner's throat out. Suspicious that Quinn is behind the corpses that are suddenly starting to rise again after death, she attempts to watch him while continuing to keep her new job as a recurring character in the TV show The Dirty Thirty, a gig she does NOT want to screw up.

Read more at Abracadaver, by Laura Resnick | Dark Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

The Copper Promise, by Jen Williams | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

This is a really good swords and sorcery fantasy, with all the necessary ingredients to make it a fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining read...

thecopperpromiseThere are some far-fetched rumours about the caverns beneath the Citadel: some say the mages left their most dangerous secrets hidden there; others, that great riches are hidden there; even that gods have been imprisoned in its darkest depths. For Lord Frith, the caverns hold the key to his vengeance. Against all the odds, he has survived torture and lived to see his home and his family taken from him... and now someone is going to pay. For Wydrin of Crosshaven and her faithful companion, Sir Sebastian Caverson, a quest to the Citadel looks like just another job. There's the promise of gold and adventure. Who knows, they might even have a decent tale or two once they're done. But sometimes there is truth in rumour. Sometimes it pays to listen. Soon this reckless trio will become the last line of defence against a hungry, restless terror that wants to tear the world apart. And they're not even getting paid.

Read more at The Copper Promise, by Jen Williams | Fantasy | SFReader.com Book Review

Netflix Marvel's Daredevil TV Series - SFReader Review

I have to admit I was pretty stoked to learn Netflix was going to produce a Daredevil series. Daredevil has always been my favorite superhero, though I'd be hard pressed to say why. Maybe because he doesn't really have super-powers, just a bit of super perception and lots of training. It seemed that he was always the underdog and we all love to root for the underdog.

I read somewhere the DC comics are about superheros trying to be human and Marvel comics are about humans trying to be superheros. I think Daredevil is the embodiment of this approach.

Matt Murdoch was blinded as a child when he knocked an old man out of the way of a speeding truck. In the comic, the truck was carrying radioactive waste; the TV series has reconned it just just be some sort of chemical. 

In any case, said chemical/radioactive waste from the wrecked truck gets into Matt's eyes, blinding him, but at the same time heightening all his other senses. He can hear heartbeats from across the room, smell perfume from two blocks away, "read" a book with his fingertips by feeling the impressions of the ink on the page. In the comics, it's also explained that he has heightened body awareness, giving him extraordinary balance, agility and strength.

Read more at Netflix Marvel's Daredevil TV Series Review