Archive for Reviews
More great Angry Robot reviews and a competition!
Posted by: | Comments
So much love around for Chuck Wendig‘s The Blue Blazes (published May 28 in the US and Canada, June 6 in the UK).
Buzzy Mag says of it: “Seamlessly blending urban fantasy, crime noir and artisanal butchery, The Blue Blazes is one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time… Fun, fast,deep and superb.”
According to 52 Reviews: “You’re left with a story that will resonate beyond the close of the final page.”, and it’s listed as one of the best books of 2013, so far. Quite right, too!
(Oh, and here’s an awesome interview with Chuck at that very same site).
“Oh how good it is to be back in Wendig’s realm!” says Bite My Book. “I will not hesitate to wander down the next journey… 9/10″
So, that nice Mr Adam Christopher has been busy! He had a great interview with Veronica and Tom at Sword and Laser last week (the video below is how it was streamed on YouTube, and the podcast proper will be shown at Sword and Laser this week).
Sword and Laser are also running a competition in which you can win a signed, limited edition hardcover of Empire State and The Age Atomic. Enter the (extremely cool contest) here.
Robot Round-Up 26.04.13
Posted by: | CommentsCaroline here for my first Robot Round-Up, and what a gathering it is!
The week of April 15 was off a great start with Damien Walter’s Guardian round-up of the best young novelists from SF’s universe, even more so with not 1…nor 2…nor 3…but 4 Angry Robot authors being highlighted. Lauren Beukes, Madeleine Ashby, Aliette De Boddard, and Chuck Wendig are definitely four writers who, simply put, “tell great stories”.
Courtesy of @EMAldred, I present to you the wonderful display of Angry Robot Books in Foyles St Pancras:
I do like it when authors promote their stable mates and Joseph D’Lacey’s tweet does just that, with this photo of Adam Christopher and Emma Newman from WHS.
As we fast approach the publication date (April 30 for US/ebook and May for 2 UK) for Wesley Chu‘s debut novel, The Lives of Tao, the reviews are coming in thick, fast and impressive…just the way we like them!
• Over on The Founding Fields Bane of Kings declared The Lives of Tao to be an “awesome, fun read” whilst Upcoming4me not only agreed, likening it to “the best carnival rides, it is unlikely that you will forget it anytime soon, they also were lovely in praising the noses of our editorial Overlords in sniffing out new talent…thank you!
• Wesley and The Lives of Tao were busy on Fantasy Book Critic with Wesley’s Guest Blog on what goes into a great villain such as Sean Diamont, and after picking up his blown-off socks Mihir Wanchoo excitedly reviews The Lives of Tao as “one of the best amalgamations of SF, Thriller, buddy-stories, comedy and other genre assortments, which was even more impressive because it’s a debut and is funny as hell.” Nice!
• Troubled Scribe’s Liam is currently searching for his own brain-sharing alien but before he left, he described The Lives of Tao as “a fun, exciting, alien, sci-fi romp through history and espionage. Tao has had way too many lives to meet them all, but you should be sure to give it a shot by reading this book!” and gave it 9 out of 10 Liams.
• Christal on Badass Book Reviews highly recommends The Lives of Tao to all “those looking for a uniquely modern science fiction yarn” and reckons it to be an enthralling debut!
• If you want to hear Wesley reading from the book, check out this YouTube link, courtesy of William Shunn.
• Wesley has taken part in a number of SF Signal Mind Melds recently, one such talking about humans and AIs, which also featured Madeline Ashby whose second Machine Dynasty novel iD will be out in June.
• Every Read Thing interviewed Wes, and there you can read about his books of 2012, favourite books and authors, his love for sci-fi, and some of the ideas and research behind The Lives of Tao. 
• Kirkus reviews have picked The Lives of Tao as one of their April picks: check it out here
• Jessica at the Apex Book Company has highlighted Wes’ debut as a recommended read
• The Qwillery are continuing their Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars and April features the fantastic cover of The Lives of Tao (by Argh! Oxford). Click here to vote!
• Finally, here’s a link to Wesley’s blog where he has a great list of interviews and blogs to date, plus forthcoming!
More reviews for Adam Christopher‘s The Age of Atomic:
• Adventures Fantastic not only currently have Adam Christopher’s books in their Featured section but have been writing about The Age Atomic and the fast clipped action within. With “plenty of chases, fights, and intrigues for fans of pulp fiction”, they demand readers to Pick. It. Up. Their sentiment; my bossy intonation.
•Over on The Fiction Stoker The Age Atomic is awarded four strokes out of five, and rightly so for it is declared “relentlessly entertaining” and with a “remarkably striking and disturbing villain” in Evelyn McHale, “fans of funny robots, pulp detective novels and genre-bending will find much to like”.
• Make sure to keep an eye on the forthcoming April issue of VS Comics for an interview with Adam.
• The Financial Times delightfully announced The Age Atomic “a worthy successor [which] has the same jazzy plotting and anything-goes attitude that made Empire State such an unalloyed pleasure.”
• As always, Adam was kept busy and held an AMA over at Reddit, answering amongst other questions, his ideal casting for Jennifer Jones and Evelyn McHale.
• And in a HUGE finally, Adam has been short-listed for not one but two awards at this year’s Sir Julius Vogel Awards! Empire State has been shortlisted for the Best New Novel (and deservedly so) and Adam himself is up for Best New Talent. Eligible voters are members of SFFANZ or Au Contraire, the NZ national science fiction convention, so please do pass this on if you happen to know any such members, or indeed are one!
• If the June release of Chuck Wendig’s The Blue Blazes (May 28 for US/ebook release and June 6 for UK) is just too far away, then head to the mighty Tor.com and whet your appetite with a glimpse into this fantastic title.
• “Sin City after doing an 8-ball of mystic cocaine”…an epic summary of The Blue Blazes from The 52 Review. It thusly describes Chuck’s prose as “blunt force choreography, full of brutally disturbing descriptions, and wrecking ball action” whilst saying “fans of noir fantasy and urban fantasy with a bleeding edge should definitely explore the world of The Blue Blazes.” Roll on June!
• Joseph D’Lacey had, in his words, a huge first this last week with Black Feathers being excitedly photographed in WHS. Photo courtesy of Joseph’s Twitter
• The review on A Fantastical Librarian firstly highlights the importance of a great cover as Black Feathers image grabbed and intrigued Mieneke, and she does sound pleased that it did! Describing Joseph’s prose as poetic at times, Mieneke praises Black Feathers as “a compelling narrative and an amazing adventure”.
• Joseph was also on My Shelf Confessions to discuss his love for all things apocalyptic
• Since our last Robot Round-Up, the book trailer for Black Feathers was released, and if you haven’t already seen it, here’s your chance!
• Ever catch yourself thinking about what must go into writing a book like The Marching Dead, or about the worries of writing a sequel to the brilliant The Corpse-Rat King? Wonder no more, but head over to Upcoming4me to hear Lee Battersby’s ‘Story Behind’
• The cover reveal for Emma Newman’s Any Other Name (May 28 for US/ebook release and June 6 for UK) was excitedly received. Fantasy Fiction’s Jennie Ivin is already looking forward to book three’s cover given how fantastic Between Two Thorns and Any Other Name look side by side, whilst Uncorked Thoughts thinks it “absolutely beautiful”
• Emma was busy with a short story featuring Between Two Thorns’ characters Claudia, Richard, and Imogen, over on Dark Faerie Tales, which is also running competition for a copy of the book, as well as appearing on Ujima Radio’s Women’s Outlook with Cheryl Morgan, which can be listened back to here.
• Over on Portland Book Review, Between Two Thorns was awarded five stars out of five, with reviewer Katie Richards declaring it “part Jane Austen novel of manners mixed with a contemporary fantasy novel”.
That *should* be everything for this round-up but do let me know if I’ve missed anything (be gentle!), and do come back next week for more linkage!
Robot Round-Up, 06.04.13
Posted by: | CommentsDamn, April already? Isn’t this year flying past? But also, that means that it’s British launch week for the wonderful The Age Atomic, the terrifying Black Feathers and the incontinence-inducing hilarity of The Marching Dead.
That man Joseph D’Lacey has been hither and thither promoting his book in the UK, and many thanks to Blackwells and Big Green for letting us hijack your stores.
• The mighty Tor.com said the novel is “an exceptional piece of apocalyptic/horror/fantasy fiction”, which is true.
• Upcoming4Me rather agreed: “a refreshing take on the whole post-apocalyptic genre and a great introduction to the writing of Joseph D’Lacey”.
• SciFi Now magazine gave it a half page and said the novel “artfully weaves a tale of destruction and rebirth”.
• Head to Popcorn Reads for a review and a chance to win an advance proof: “I loved this novel, despite the fact that it gave me chills and some bad dreams.”
• … or Book Bones Buffy, who also has a proof to give away, to celebrate “a story that is irresistibly addicting.”
• Fantasy blog Draumr Kopa recommended Black Feathers “to anyone who wants a more intelligent story, with lots of secrets and mystery, people who don’t mind a little thinking while reading.”
• And Then I Read a Book were blown away by the book: “It terrified me, made me angry, made me sad, transported me somewhere new and yet strangely familiar, and hasn’t left my head yet. It combines mythology, folktale, shamanism, coming of age and apocalyptic themes to create something very special.”
• And Stanley Eriks concluded by saying: “Black Feathers is an original and intelligent apocalypse story. It’s a myth-filled fable of the end of the world on an individual basis. It’s a coming-of-age story set on a cruel and broken Earth.”
The inimitable Lee Battersby has returned, bringing hapless half-dead Marius don Hellespont with him in The Marching Dead, the sequel to The Corpse-Rat King:
• Kate Of Mind blog loved loved loved it, giving it “all the stars” and saying “With this sequel, Battersby kicked up everything I loved about the first novel by a notch or two – world-building, storytelling, hilarity, and most of all, characters who just made me punch the air over and over again, usually while laughing.”
• Don’t forget you can get a taster in the form of an exclusive short story, Lying Like Cards, right here on this very website.
The tireless Adam Christopher was out and about promoting The Age Atomic, the two-fisted follow-up to Empire State. Thanks to Forbidden Planet in London for a fab launch event this Thursday – we rocked the joint, again.
• The book was an April pick for Kirkus Reviews, which was nice.
• A Writer’s Sidequest said it is “a glorious and joyous ode to the pulp science fiction of old. Awesome fun, from start to finish, just straight up, pure entertainment.”
• Adam was interviewed on My Bookish Ways, who also have a copy to give away too, so hurry over there!.
Upcoming debut author Wesley Chu continues to wow folks with the breakneck thrillride that is The Lives of Tao, out in May.
• Wes had a guest post on The Qwillery this week to talk about the first time a novel really spoke to him.
• I Will Read Books had this to say: “By the end of the books I was close to tears, which proves my emotional investment in the characters and their fates. I wish every book made me care about the characters as much as The Lives of Tao.”
• Over at Tome of Geek, Wes managed to overcome their usual aversion of genre mash-up novels: “We get the full sci-fi feeling combined with the spy genre without either side getting diluted or ignored. We get the full effect and in turn get a character we care about.”
Emma Newman, despite losing her wisdom teeth this week (wishing you a speedy recovery, Em), was still full of the joys of Between Two Thorns.
• Her guest post on The Creative Penn talked charmingly about urban fantasy, as a genre, its influences and its many strands.
• And finally, blog heavyweights Fantasy Faction gave the book nine stars out of ten, saying: “If you like a bit of fairy magic, the juxtaposition between ancient and modern, here and there, and you don’t mind being left in suspense for a good few months, you’ll really enjoy it.” (They’re going to be overjoyed when they hear that the sequel, Any Other Name, will be out in June then!)
NEXUS – One of December’s Best Bets in Science Fiction
Posted by: | Comments
Nexus by Ramez Naam is already getting a lot of attention. Kirkus Reviews lists it as One of December’s Best Bets in Science Fiction, and just look at what other folk have been saying:
“Naam displays a Michael Crichton-like ability to explain cutting-edge research via the medium of an airport techno-thriller.”
SFX Magazine
“His breathtaking expertise and confidence as a writer makes Naam the only serious successor to Michael Crichton working in the future history genre today.”
Scott Harrison, author of Archangel
“Reminds me of Michael Crichton at his best.”
Brenda Cooper, author of The Silver Ship and the Sea and The Creative Fire
There appears to be a pattern emerging! Also…
“Excellent spycraft, kick-ass action scenes, and a chilling look at a future cold war over technology and ideology… a hell of a read.”
Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing
“The action scenes are crisp, the glimpses of future tech and culture are mesmerizing”
Publishers Weekly
“A ‘smart thriller’ in all senses of that phrase. Ramez Naam really does know how to make you turn that page. If you are posthuman or transhuman this is an absolute must-read for you; and even mere mortals will love it.”
Philip Palmer, author of Version 43 and Hell Ship
And if you pre-order a copy of Nexus, you can get an eBook copy of Naam’s HG Wells Award-winning non-fiction debut, More Than Human: Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement FREE!
____________
Nexus will be published in the US on December 18th and in the UK on January 3rd. The eBook will be available worldwide on December 18th.
The Bookman Histories – a puppet’s endorsement.
Posted by: | CommentsThe Bookman Histories by Lavie Tidhar is published worldwide as an eBook on December 18th ($11.99 / £9.99). It will also be available as a 1,024 page paperback in North America (US$15.99) from that same date, and in the UK from January 3rd, 2013 (£12.99).
The Bookman Histories comprises the three individual volumes:
1. The Bookman - “Simply the best book I’ve read in a long time.” – James P Blaylock
2. Camera Obscura - “Stuffed to the gills with action and plot.” – The Literary Omnivore
3. The Great Game - “It’s a virtuoso performance.” – Locus Magazine
Giant Thief – it just gets better and better
Posted by: | Comments
Plenty of love rolling in for David Tallerman’s energetic debut novel, Giant Thief:
SFX Magazine says:
Breathless pace… Damasco resembles a landlocked version of Jack Sparrow… The atypical backdrop,self-aware style and downplaying of magics bring to mind the contemporary fantasies of Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie.
Meanwhile, Starburst had this to say:
I’m finding it hard to dislike anything about this book. It’s a fun, entertaining read, everything a good story should be… David Tallerman’s first novel is a gripping yarn, one that is difficult to put down once started, and this reviewer is eagerly awaiting the next tale of Easie Damasco.
Over at A Fantastical Librarian, they confidently state that
If you’re up for a fun, fast-paced adventure featuring rogues, giants and lots of fighting, you won’t want to miss it!
and Publishers Weekly tells us:
“Best known for an eclectic variety of short stories, Tallerman debuts with a breezy novel of a man with his eye on the prize … Tallerman’s charming, devil-may-care hero has plenty of swashbuckling roguishness to carry him through the planned sequels.”
And Fantasy Nibbles was impressed, too:
This really is a fun read. Saltlick is adorable, I want one! It’s straightforward, linear, smack down the middle fast-paced goodness.
Giant Thief is released in mass market paperback in the US and Canada on January 31st, and in the UK on February 2nd. The eBook is released worldwide on January 31st in ePub and Kindle formats.
Guardian and Financial Times reviews
Posted by: | CommentsA couple of excellent reviews in the papers, today.
First up – City of Light and Shadow by Ian Whates, reviewed by Eric Brown in the Guardian:
Whates has developed an intriguing metropolis every bit as fascinating as his varied cast of characters… Compulsively readable.
And Empire State by Adam Christopher reviewed by James Lovegrove for the Financial Times:
Suffused with a love for noir fiction and the golden age of American comic books, Christopher’s Empire State is something of a tour de force. If, somehow, Raymond Chandler and Philip K Dick had collaborated on a Superman story, they might well have produced this novel.
Click on the links to read the full reviews, then go buy/order from your favourite indie, chain, or online retailer (including the Angry Robot eBook Store).
14 reasons you should read Debris and Darkness Falling
Posted by: | Comments
Both books out now in paperback and eBook formats.
“Debris is a strong, exciting debut that took me by surprise with its unique setting, interesting main character, and powerful “fight your way back to the top” narrative.”
- Tor.com
“The world building is spectacular with a concept that’s amazingly simple yet wonderfully constructed and when added to some decent characterisation it’s a title that really does make you think… this debut is pretty impressive.”
- Falcata Times
““Debris is a fast read, and very well put together. I was immersed in its world at every stage, and fascinated by its characters. Tanyana may be too proud for her own good, but Jo Anderton has written a novel she deserves to take pride in.”
- Warpcore SF
“Jo Anderton combines elements of steampunk with her own unique vision to create something striking. Debris is a first novel NOT to be missed.”
– Marianne de Pierres, award winning author of the Parish Plessis and Sentients of Orion series.
“Anderton demonstrates a mastery of storytelling and world building in this series opener that is reminiscent of the visionary works of China Miéville. This accomplished debut novel should enjoy a wide readership.”
- Library journal
“I did enjoy living within this very richly crafted world that the author presents in Debris and the magical system is not only pretty unique but such a great idea too.”
- SF Books Review
“If you want a novel that will sweep you up and take you to another world where a kick-ass heroine will do battle to right wrongs and save her planet, then you are going to thoroughly enjoy Debris! I know I did!”
- Popcorn Reads
“Crowther’s twisted rapture is a fast-paced, character-driven, funny, gruesome apocalypse.”
- Stephen Baxter, author of Flood and Stone Spring
“I was reminded of the best of Stephen King. It’s the smartest and most compelling end-of-the-world alien-zombie story I have ever read.”
- Adam Roberts, author of By Light Alone and Yellow Blue Tibia
“This book is told with a sure hand and careful attention to detail; it’s frightening where it should be, sensitive where it should be, and enthralling throughout.”
- Mike Resnick, author of the Starship series, and the John Justin Mallory Mysteries
“Peter Crowther is crafting the first great post-apocalyptic saga of the new century, one that may dwarf even such a benchmark work as The Stand.”
- Lucius Shepard, author of The Golden and Life During Wartime
“Anything that has Pete Crowther’s fingerprints on it is evidence of quality. Snap it up.”
- Joe R. Lansdale, author of the Drive-In series and Bubba Ho-Tep
“As intensely menacing and gruesome as any George Romero film. A virtuoso ‘tour de force’ by Pete Crowther.”
- Ramsey Campbell, author of The Grin of the Dark and Thieving Fear
“His writing is master storytelling at its finest — gripping, chilling and beautifully told.”
- Sarah Pinborough, author of the Dog-Faced Gods trilogy and The Language of Dying
Angry Robot Week at The Secret Lair
Posted by: | Comments
The Secret Lair is a bit of a misnomer – it’s actually really easy to find – here, for example. Not much of a secret, really, but we don’t mind – we’d prefer you to be able to actually find it. Partly because it’s a great blog, and partly because this week they’re running an Angry Robot Week.
Every day this week you’ll find reviews, interviews and commentary on some of the things Angry Robot are up to. For example:
There’s a Haiku Contest, where you can win five cool Angry Robot books.
There’s a review of the classic Morlock Night (recently reprinted by Angry Robot).
There’s an overview of our Nano Editions (short stories by our authors).
And today there’s an interview with Empire State author, Adam Christopher.
Go visit them every day this week for further goodies.
First Review of Reality 36
Posted by: | Comments
Reality 36 by Guy Haley is definitely one of our favourite science fiction titles of the year, and the first reviewer agrees with us!
While Robopocalypse is this year’s hottest robot release… Reality 36 is a superior novel in almost every way.
But why?
[The application of technology] just makes sense… This reality (so far as science fiction goes) is what makes the book so compelling. It’s an actual glimpse into the future as much as it’s a mystery yarn and an action thriller. Isn’t that what Science Fiction is all about?
He won’t get any arguments from us…
When bullets aren’t flying I felt like I was having a discussion with the author about the implications the Singularity will have on humanity. And that’s cool.
As I was reading the novel I was comparing it favorably to another debut from earlier this year – Hannu Rajaniemi’s The Quantum Thief. They really aren’t similar in any way other than they read with a similar pace and absence of information dumping (a pet peeve of mine).
Guy Haley has really produced a first rate robot novel. Angry Robot Books keeps churning out great additions in speculative fiction.
Awww, shucks!
You can read the full review at Staffer’s Musings.
