Archive for Reviews
Lauren, Gav, Kaaron, and Mike
Posted by: | CommentsThe Angry Robot plans for world domination continue apace. Over at Dark Fiction Review, as part of the Angry Robot Special, there’s a special guest blog by Mike Shevdon (author of Sixty-One Nails and The Road to Bedlam) in which Mike talks about the state of the genre, Lauren Beukes’s Zoo City is reviewed, and Kaaron Warren (Slights and Walking the Tree) is interviewed.
First up, Mike Shevdon, on why fantasy makes such great TV:
Because urban fantasy is set in current reality, it becomes possible to adapt it into current time. That’s why True Blood and The Dresden Files (and Buffy) could make TV, and consequently reach a whole new audience. After the show is over that audience naturally wants more, and the sudden explosion of vampire romances and supernatural detectives is the result.
Next up, the Zoo City is as fantastical or as ordinary as you want it to be… it’s exactly the kind of book that should get her on late night US chat shows as it is carried up the New York Times Bestseller list. Yes, it’s that good. Zoo City is major league writing. It is effortless, easy and, quite frankly, astonishing.
And, although Kaaron wrote the award-winning horror Slights, nothing will prepare you for the (frankly disturbing) image that accompanies her interview.
I love that moment of original spark and will often take pages of notes before even thinking about writing the story. It can be just a title, like Cage Life, used to describe the life of Mustafa 1, who was kept imprisoned for 14 years by his brother.
We’re having a pretty good time of it in the dead-tree magazine, too. As well as last week’s superb review of Zoo City in SFX, this week, SciFi Now tells us:
Lauren Beukes stuns with a richly textured venture into a pseudo-fantastical Johannesburg of the future… this is a fine novel that will wrap itself around your imagination like a sloth on your own shoulders.
4**** – Must Read Now
and SFX also covered Gav Thorpe’s epic The Crown of the Blood:
there’s plenty to keep you turning the pages… An intriguing ending promises something different for book two
And finally (for now) at Falcata Times, Mike Shevdon is interviewed.
FT: It is often said that if you can write a short story you can write anything. How true do you think this is and what have you written that either proves or disproves this POV?
MS: My first work of fiction was over 150,000 words and I really struggle to write anything under 5,000 words. I don’t know whether an accomplished short story writes can write everything, but I suspect not – the two forms are quite different. It’s a bit like saying a good pastry chef can cook anything, which is fine until you have to eat their mushroom and banana risotto.
Today’s tidbits
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday was a bit of an epic blog-fest for us, so I’ll be cutting down today’s entries to just two, though it was extremely gratifying to see so much enthusiasm around the internet for our US/Canada launch yesterday.
Dark Fiction Review continues their epic Angry Robot special, with an interview with Colin Harvey:
I’m actually quite an optimist, most of the time I think that we’ll muddle through somehow, but it will be despite – rather than because of – our efforts. I have the feeling that there are going to be less of us in a hundred years. A lot of whether the human race survives the century depends on how we cope with the end of cheap oil. If we can find an alternative to oil, or deal with the scarcity equably, then we stand a chance.
and a review of Andy Remic’s blood-soaked, clockwork vampire epic, Kell’s Legend:
The vachine are an absolutely incredible concept: fascinating, slightly appalling and something I would never have expected. I loved the way they worked and found their society fascinating, although clearly unpleasant… It’s a fast and brutal fantasy adventure with some fun characters and some fantastic ideas. I am really excited to see the series develop.
Completely Booked also loves Andy’s novel:
it’s a fine start to a heart-pounding action tale, complete with quests and durance vile. Oh, and a bad guy you can really hate. I like it!
If you entered last week’s competition over at io9, the winners have been revealed.
Meanwhile, Gav Thorpe’s The Crown of the Blood gets the review treatment at Daniel’s Thoughts:
The Crown of the Blood is a very well-plotted and well-constructed book; the politics and military elements meld well together and the character-driven plot is exceedingly well-paced, pushing ahead without overlooking the more dull elements of military campaign (there’s a nice bit about waiting being the worst part, done in a fresh enough way to not be clichéd!) and moving slowly enough to let us get to know the characters and get attached to them… this is an absolutely fantastic novel; I recommend it.
That’s all for now – enjoy your day.
The Latest Interviews and Reviews
Posted by: | Comments
Colin Harvey – author of Winter Song (out today in the US and Canada) tells about his inspirations for the novel in this fascinating interview:
I loved the idea of a man capable of acts of incredible brutality, yet who could write beautiful poetry, who was almost heroically ugly, yet his vitality attracted women. Ragnar (the antagonist in Winter Song) was a fusion of two people I knew, because the sagas don’t attribute emotions or motives, only the character’s actions.
The book review blog Dark Fiction Review is having an Angry Robot Special this week, to celebrate our US and Canada launch. The first book under the microscope is Kaaron Warren’s award-winning Slights.
Slights, is one of those books that reaches into your core and takes something from you, whilst ultimately leaving something you really aren’t sure you wanted to be left with.
Gav Thorpe’s epic fantasy The Crown of the Blood is published this week in the UK and in 4 weeks in the US and Canada. Gillian Polack had this to say:
The Crown of the Blood (Gav Thorpe) is an old-fashioned sword and sorcery romp. There’s not a great deal of sorcery, but there’s lots of fighting and plotting and planning to conquer… it’s a fun book. This book is for readers who want a blast from the past; who want their hour of adventure in a strangGe world.
Mike Shevdon’s superior urban fantasy, Sixty-One Nails has its roots in fact as well as legend. Here, Mike reminds us of some of the history behind the novel.
“Red Light District in a Convent Garden” is an article on the history of Covent Garden, one of the main locations for Sixty-One Nails, proving that truth can sometimes be more surprising than fiction. This is a genteel area in the heart of the West End now, but it has a seedy past.
SciFi Now magazine talks to Dan Abnett about his first (after 35 tie-in titles) original novel – Triumff: Her Majesty’s Hero – out today in the US and Canada.
Triumff has been around in my head as a concept for a long time, I think a lot of writers when they start out, they have projects they’d like to develop, and Triumff – bits of it anyway, are getting on for 20 years in terms of an idea. Way back when I was first getting into comics I was thinking ‘Can I make this into a comic? Is there a book lurking there?’ All sorts of things like that. So when I finally got to write a novel of my own for publication, one that somebody was actually going to buy and publish, it seemed that by dint of seniority it deserved the chance.
while over at SF Signal, Dan extols the virtues of the pun:
what it is with me and puns. Call me paranomasiac, but I love ‘em, god help me. Homophonic puns, homonymic puns, homographic puns, Homer Simpson puns, I can’t get enough. I love graphological puns and morphological puns, logical puns and illogical puns, polysemic puns and metonymic puns, old school puns and current puns and, at the risk of fracturing myself, I love compound puns. I can’t have too many multiple puns and as for double entendres, woof! get a load of the double entendres on that, if you know what I mean.
More, soon. 
The Crown of the Blood – out next Thursday
Posted by: | CommentsYep – it’s almost time for Angry Robot to storm the battlements once more and retake our crown. What better weapon to use to crush our foes and dismantle their war machines, than the start of a new, truly epic fantasy series?
Gav Thorpe’s The Crown of the Blood is just the book to help us defeat the usurpers and win the hand of the fair maidens that are… oh, it’s only Monday morning, and I think I’ve already worn this analogy dry.
Let’s just say that The Crown of the Blood is out on Thursday 2nd September in the UK (28th Sept in US and Canada), and it’s bloody good!
Don’t take our word for it. Over at James Atlantic Speaks the book gets an impressive 4 out of 5 stars* and the reviewer tells us:
This is one of Thorpe’s best novels. The setting and story are well thought out and are remarkably logical for a fantasy novel. If you enjoy military or historical fiction, you will enjoy The Crown of the Blood. Action, intrigue, conquest, and charismatic generals are waiting for you here!
And if that isn’t enough to whet your appetite, here’s a sample from the book. Yes, I know we posted this a couple of weeks ago, but it deserves another moment in the spotlight.
Click for full-screen. You can embed the free sample in your own site – just copy the code (by clicking on the “menu” button in the bottom right corner of the sample, and selecting “Copy embed code”) into your site.
*OK, technically, it gets 4 out of 5 sans stars, but I like stars. Perhaps it could get 4 out of 5 swords, or maybe 4 out of 5 dinosaurs – dinosaurs are cool. Anyway, whatever the rating system, it got 4 out of 5.
Zoo City gets 5 Stars in SFX Magazine
Posted by: | Comments
SFX Magazine has just reached issue 200 – subscribers will have their copies already, and it hits the shops next Wednesday. Always a good read, issue 200 promises to be something very special, indeed, which is why we were thrilled when Liz from My Favourite Books told us about the review of Lauren Beukes’s Zoo City in that issue. SFX tells us that it is:
An energetic and imaginative fusion of sci-fi, fantasy and noir thriller
the magazine goes on to state that
Beukes has created a convincing and frequently disturbing world, while also looking at the lost and the marginalised through the eyes of a compelling, believably flawed protagonist… Zoo City is an absolute must for anyone with a taste for the wilder edges of the genre
5 ***** – and an “SFX Recommends” badge.
You can also enter a competition to win a signed, limited edition of the Zoo City hardback (and eBook) at SFX – just click here.
If you don’t feel lucky, you can buy the hardback exclusively from Forbidden Planet – and we only printed 100 to sell – now that’s limited edition!
Or, you can wait for the paperback, which is out in the UK on September 2nd (December 28th in the US and Canada). Pre-order it from Amazon UK, or Waterstones, or pop into your local independent shop and ask them to order it for you.
- Limited Edition Hardback: £20
- Paperback: £7.99
- eBook: £3.50
Oh, and congratulations to SFX for reaching such a monumental milestone, and still going strong!
The Road to Bedlam
Posted by: | CommentsThe Road to Bedlam is published in the UK on September 2nd. It’s Mike Shevdon’s sequel to the wonderful Sixty-One Nails, and is garnering some great reviews.
Here’s another:
Sixty One Nails caught me by surprise. I didn’t expect to be so won over by it. As I said earlier it was purchased on impulse and was from an unknown author. With The Road to Bedlam I expected something great and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s fantastic to see an author finding his stride and start to really flex his creative muscles. I’ll certainly be buying book 3. I’m already looking forward to it.
This comes from a much longer critique over at The Eloquent page. Read the full review here.
Kell’s Legend and Triumff Reviews
Posted by: | CommentsA couple of nice reviews of two of our US launch titles over at James Atlantic’s blog. First up, Kell’s Legend.
One of the things I like about James’s reviews is that they’re structured, with an opening description of the book, followed by a general review, and then a breakdown of The Good , The Bad , and then the Final Word , followed by a rating out of 5.
One of the things that I love about his review of Kell’s Legend is that under The Bad we have:
This book is not at all appropriate for younger readers or for the squeamish. There are also quite a few instances of rape, which may not sit well with certain audiences. Read at your own risk.
Not a bad book, you understand, just bad things happening within it. As you’d expect from a book he describes as “dark and brutal.”
And his Final World?
The only problem you will have is waiting for the next book in the series. I already have my calendar marked.
4.5 / 5
Click here for the full review.
Next up, James reviews Triumff: Her Majesty’s Hero.
I came away impressed by Dan Abnett’s vision for the setting of the story. There isn’t anything else like it. The world building is masterfully done and combined with the tone of the story creates a unique and enjoyable experience…
Triumff is fun and loaded with excitement and great characters. The setting for the novel is one of a kind and entertaining in all of the right ways.
4/5
Publishers Weekly has also read Triumff and has this to say:
“The concept is clever and creative, and magic, treason, and Spanish grandees make for an entertaining read… fans of more intellectual fantasy will enjoy Abnett’s misadventures and hope for future installments.”
Both titles are available in the US and Canada from August 31st.
Pre-order Kell’s Legend from Amazon US
Pre-order Triumff: Her Majesty’s Hero from Barnes and Noble or Amazon US
Or pre-order from your local bookstore.
I blame Mike @Shevdon (and other tales of whoa!)
Posted by: | CommentsThere’s a whole bunch of reviews to get through this morning, so I’ll keep the individual quotes relatively brief, but you can always click on the links to read the full reviews.
Ditmar Award finalist Gillian Polack has been following Angry Robot’s progress from the very beginning, and has reviewed most of our books on her blog. Over the past few days, she has posted a whole bunch of reviews – some of which she’s been sitting on (not literally, you understand) for a while.
First up – Mike Shevdon’s The Road to Bedlam.
Last night (Friday) I took it with me into the bedroom. It was late and I was tired, so I thought that five pages would be nice. Two hundred and fifty-three pages later I remembered that today was already Saturday and had been for far too long and that I had a very big day. I reluctantly put the book down and slept. I woke up again, got out of bed and onto the computer, discovered it was still -1 outside, and went back to bed and finished the book. This is why I’m doing everything on Saturday night except watching the movie I had planned. I blame Mike Shevdon… The biggest thing that’s wrong with it is that it’s one of those books that are hard to put down and I now really, really need a good night’s sleep. For which I blame the author, of course.
Next up, Guy Adams’s The World House:
I love guessing about books from the opening line. Guy Adams’ The World House… has a good opening line for a thug drama “They had threatened to break his legs if he didn’t find them the money owed.”
despite the tone of the opening sentence (and chapter) this is not just about men battering men over money owed. It’s violent, and the violence is a key part of the scenery. Readers who don’t enjoy people hurting might want to think twice. Because people do hurt… it’s clever and original and inventive and a good read for all that.
John Meaney’s alter-ego, Thomas Blackthorne comes under the microscope, next for Edge:
A very British opening. Could almost be Graham Joyce, sliding between sharp imagery and bad language in a particular way that only British writers seem to manage… a good read, with good pacing and some very cool ideas. Very visual. Violent… it’s a good adventure yarn with some fun ideas
Matt Forbeck has two books out with Angry Robot very soon. The first of which is Amortals:
I keep wanting to use that old slogan “Tight, taut and terrific” about Amortals, which is accurate, but oh, so wrong. There’s not a wasted word. There’s not an idea that doesn’t make sense. I meant to start it tonight and finish other work, then finish it tomorrow, but it’s a read-at-one-sitting book so I’ve rescheduled some other things… I love the opening. Just enough information – just enough fear… Easy to read. Easy to understand. Easy to get hooked. Very nicely done. As is the rest of the book.
Unsurprisingly, you can read the full review here.
And the last one from Gillian – Gary McMahon’s wonderful new horror series, beginning with Pretty Little Dead Things (and I still love that title, even after living with it for so long!):
All this fits neatly into a normal horror detective tale. The sort with a touch of Sam Spade. It’s an increasingly popular sub-genre… The focus is slightly different to most, however. This slight difference, this reality of corpses and vacancy of death makes this novel just a bit different to its peers. It makes sense of the changes and why the theme springboards into what it finally becomes. Which is good… It makes McMahon’s novel more real… [it has] tight plotting and good characterisation and nice movement from the personal grief to the wider danger
And the review is here.
Over at Gnostalgia, Kaaron Warren’s award-winning debut novel, Slights is given the once-over:
Disturbing … very disturbing… The entire book is like seeing something so horrific that you want to avert your eyes while at the same time being totally mesmerized by the spectacle… Damn good story, I give it a 5 out of 5 stars.
To buy these books, pre-order from your local bookshop, or pre-order online:
Slights from Amazon US
The Road to Bedlam from Amazon UK or Waterstones UK (published Sept 2, ‘10).
Edge from Amazon US
Pretty Little Dead Things from Amazon UK
Pretty Little Dead Things from Amazon US
Amortals from Amazon UK
Amortals from Amazon US
The World House from Amazon US
Zoo City Review
Posted by: | Comments
Here’s another great review of Zoo City, courtesy of SciFi and Fantasy Books:
The Novel is written as a first person narrative in the present tense, which works very well with Lauren Beukes descriptive, sassy and energetic prose blended with intimate descriptions of the lives and loves of the books very colourful (read quite twisted and a little unhinged) characters…
At times the witty and lyrical prose is sheer magic, the story captivating and the characters exotic, cruel and beautiful while the backdrop of Johannesburg seeths with hidden, lurking dangers around every corner, Zoo City is quite simply captivating.
5*****
Zoo City is published in the UK on September 2nd, and you can read the full review here.
You can order a hardback limited edition (limited to 100 copies) from Forbidden Planet here.
You can pre-order the paperback from Amazon UK here
The uber-manliness of the manliest of manly men
Posted by: | CommentsSurprising as it might seem, I’m not talking about Angry Robot’s publishing director, though the mistake is easily made. The quote above comes from the very first review of Gav Thorpe’s magnificent epic fantasy, The Crown of the Blood.
I’m impressed by the moral neutrality. Similar to the work of Tom Lloyd, this is a book about warring factions, each of them convinced that they are in the right… To paraphrase (badly), no one has ever marched into battle thinking they were the bad guy. Mr Thorpe had that nailed. Even the proper “hero” of the book is a dodgy character – Ullsaard is convinced of his cause, but, ultimately, he is left in judgement before the reader.
…this book is hairy, gory, sweaty, shameless… and perhaps even a little bit thoughtful.
It’s out in the UK on September 2nd and the US on the 28th of the same month.
If the review has left you wanting more, and you can’t wait the few short weeks until publication, here are the first 50 pages, complete with dinosaur-punching action:
Click for full-screen. You can embed the free sample in your own site – just copy the code (by clicking on the “menu” button in the bottom right corner of the sample, and selecting “Copy embed code”) into your site.
