Archive for Robot Round-Up
Robot Round-Up 17.05.13
Posted by: | CommentsGather round drones, and check out what has been amazing couple of weeks for all things robotic and brilliant…actually makes us a little bit less angry, but don’t worry as it won’t last. Prepare yourselves…it’s a long ‘un.
I think it’s only right that we start off with the great news from the US, that Angry Robot has been shortlisted at the Locus Awards for Best Publisher. Not only that but Madeline Ashby‘s vN has been shortlisted in the Best First Fiction category, and fellow Angry Robot author Aliette de Bodard is up for Best Novella and Best Short Story! Couldn’t be better timing with Book Two in the Machine Dynasty, iD, coming very shortly! Check out Lee’s post on this good news.
Wesley Chu continues to take the world by storm with Tao & Roen in The Lives of Tao with reviews, interviews, and blog posts popping up left, right, and centre.
Reviews:
• Normal in London loved the book: “There are comic moments, there are tender moments and there are moments where I wondered what I would do if I had an alien inside me, and moments where I wished I did as it might push me into doing stuff! The climax was especially strong, and somewhat unexpected. And it has left me wanting more Roen & Tao.” There’s definitely a business opportunity for Wes if he can provide aliens for all the reviewers looking for their own Tao!
• Dangerous Dan awards Tao “four easy stars” believing the “ending[...]was perfect for the story and left it open-ended enough for future adventures of Roen and Tao.”
• Always Unmended don’t just focus on the fact that “Chu’s writing is strong, and his ability to write tragic, heart-rending scenes into such a fun, easy story is proof that he’s found his calling as a writer” but also believe we can all learn something from Roen: [the book] ”contains inspirational advice that is bound to make readers reflect on their own lives. There is much about being the person you want to be and not making excuses to let yourself fail. Much as the practice of Tao is The Way of life, the character of Tao shows Roen the way to live fully. And isn’t that something we could all use a little help with?” Now. Go out there and live your live…after the pizza dinner, it is Friday evening after all.
• For a review with a spin, check out Richard’s rhyming review; I can’t even pull a line from it, it needs to be read in whole…what are you waiting for? Shooo!
• Feathers & Tea get their review off to a great start, calling Chu’s debut “another triumph from the Angry Robot publishing stable”, why thank you! It continues thusly: “Chu’s writing is sparingly skillful [and the] key premise is novel and handled deftly, the transition of Roen from bumbler to Commander is a joy to read, and the book is as laced with humour and flashes of poignancy as it is with action scenes”
• The Lives of Tao has even managed to impress the self-proclaimed cross-genre wary 42 Webs! “The Lives of Tao is one of those good books that pulls off the mash-up perfectly. 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. Roen becomes the mix between James Bond and Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Assassin Creed 2, Brotherhood, Revelations).”
• “The most fun I’ve had all year” Staffer’s Book Review
• Mike over on Stuff and/or Junk calls Roen & Tao ”a sci-fi action Odd Couple” – I think the most apt description I’ve heard yet!
• Wes & the Prophus’ global domination continues with i109 proclaiming The Lives of Tao one of the Astounding Summer Reads!
• The Lives of Tao is ”top notch entertainment” and “the perfect summer read” The Eloquent Page
• The wonderful 52 Book Reviews allow no excuses for anyone not reading Chu’s amazing debut: “Chu’s cunning and hilarious mash-up of comedy, coming of age drama, espionage thriller, and science fiction has something for everyone.”
• Matthew Scott Baker is very excited about Tao! It’s “very clever with fun/deadly characters and a high-paced plot. Be ready to drop your social life for a few days, though…you will definitely want to use your free time finishing this one up!”
•Bandelier Girl Reads Everything is short and sweet with Tao: “A nice mash-up of genres that moves the reader thru the story with humor and interesting characters. Recommend.”
Blog Posts/Interviews:
• Wes has been interviewed on many a website, and get yourself over to Toonari Post, Sci-Fi Fan Letter, and Bastard Books…for a mammoth, brilliant, read which also includes a giveaway!
• Check out Stellar Four for Roen’s drink of choice, and Wes talks about Aliens on Dribble of Ink.
• Wes had a guest post with Mary Robinette Kowal which you can catch here
Events:
• Wes has also been busy with some fun & games and with the coolest cake ever, launched The Lives of Tao in Chicago. Take a look at the photos on Wes’ Facebook page
• If you’re in Chicago – or will be – on May 19, you can catch Wes on a panel at Open Books: 213 W. Institute Place Chicago, IL 60610 (1 block north of Chicago & Franklin el stop.) See the Open Books Website for further details.
• If you can’t make Chicago, Wes will be at WisCon May 24-27, on 4 panels no less, and for more info: check it out here
• And if Tao & Roen hadn’t provided Wes with enough to celebrate, didn’t he only go and win the April Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars over at The Qwillery! Thanks again to Argh! Oxford for the great cover! Here’s an interview The Qwillery also did with him.
• Adam Christopher‘s The Age Atomic has a very cool video review over on I’m Ellie Ann
• Paper Mages is putting future reading trust in the hands of Adam, a very wise move, whilst also praising Christopher’s dynamic characters!
• Listen in to Adam’s radio i/v on City FM 89 here
• And, it might be belated posting on my behalf, but check out the Bane of Kings review over on The Founding Fields: “A wonderful novel, The Age Atomic proves that Adam Christopher can write sequels just as well as anyone. The most fun read of 2013 so far, and one of the best.”
The wonderful Emma Newman has had the internet all a flutter between reviews for Between Two Thorns, advance talk on Any Other Name, the wonderful Three Wishes, and also her new podcast, Tea & Jeopardy!
Reviews for Between Two Thorns & Any Other Name:
• ”JK Rowling meets Georgette Heyer ” so say the Guardian along with praising how Emma “renders the Split Worlds with verve and an infectious sense of fun, and presents in Cathy a strong and personable heroine.” Get in, Between Two Thorns!
• “Between Two Thorns is in essence a mystery, with a dash of magic, suspense and intrigue combining with just a touch of romance, polictics and feminism to freshen it up a bit” Boy, do Vinx Books love Between Two Thorns! Vinx also highlights Em’s amazing short stories based in The Split Worlds, and the Three Wishes, thanks Vinx!
• Uncorked Thoughts give Between Two Thorns 4 out of 5 stars, and declare the ”story…an Austinesque fantasy, filling every chapter with action. I loved learning about this new world and am looking forward to sinking my teeth into the next book!” You don’t have long to wait, Leah!
• A Writer’s Sidequest is another eagerly anticipating the release of Any Other Name, having fallen in love with Between Two Thorns!
• 5 out of 5 stars. Why, thank you very much Geek Syndicate. “A word of warning, make sure it is somewhere comfortable though as once you start this magical book, you won’t be going anywhere until you finish it. Absolutely brilliant.” Just one of the many excellent proclamations from them, and rightly so!
• Here’s a review for the forthcoming Any Other Name from My Dear Bibliophage who call it “enchanting, shocking, and well-crafted”
Interviews:
• SQ Magazine have a great interview with our Em; find out what she thinks about the challenges facing female speculative fiction writers in today’s publishing world, amongst much more. Emma also has a short-story in SQ, here
• Keep an eye on Emma’s Split World interviews page for all her oot-and-abooot happenings!
Three Wishes:
• If you haven’t heard about Emma’s fantastic new project Three Wishes, you’re missing out on your chance to have some magical wishes come true! Get involved: make your wish but also try grant somebody else…it’s a magical Pay it Forward, and we like it! Read more here.
• Urban Fantasy Land have definitely got on board with Three Wishes and are urging everyone to be “part of something very exciting, wonderful, and of course, magical!”
Tea & Jeopardy:
• Geek Planet Online are very excited to have Emma onboard with her new podcast, and rightly so, it’s great! Check out the first podcast with our very own Chuck Wendig: Tea & Jeopardy
Chuck has kept the web busy with both Mookie Pearl and Miriam Black:
The Blue Blazes:
• For something “dark, gritty and fun” Three Crow Press recommend Chuck‘s first Mookie Pearl novel, The Blue Blazes. True that.
• “Wendig has taken the cast of Goodfellas and dragged them, kicking and screaming into a fantasy reality of New York, opened up the playground and let them run loose”, so says Wilder’s Book Review, who continues: “The dialogue is crisp and flows quickly, with a dark humour which Wendig relishes throughout…It’s a style which Wendig is well-known for and as my first Chuck Wendig novel, I found it to be a real breath of fresh air in a subgenre which sometimes feels a little stuffy and manufactured.”
• Odd Engine starts a glowing 4 star review with a shout-out to Joey Hi-Fi for the amazing cover, and continues by praising the “punchy dialog, snappy prose, and a gritty narrative voice”, calling The Blue Blazes “inventive, edgy, and a joy to read”
• Elf Machines from Hyperspace (what a cool name, and you’re welcome for the ARC!) after one book has declared Chuck’s writing “imaginative, funny, profound, tough, and poetic all at once” and they ain’t wrong!
Blackbirds:
• Blackbirds is “a bit fucking wrong” (a quote courtesy of Miss BookCunt) which for PublishThings sums up the second Miriam Black novel perfectly!
• The Cheape Book links Blackbirds with the perfect director: “This book begs to be done as a movie by Tarantino if he hasn’t already” Are ya listening, Quentin?
Finally, The 52 Review has a great interview with Mr Wendig, and if you’re an aspiring writer you definitely want to check out when he says about finding your own voice
With good timing as A Discourse in Steel‘s publication date (25 June / 4 July) is fast approaching, Geeks versus Nerds are talking all things Paul S. Kemp and The Hammer and the Blade: “This book is wonderful, funny and exciting with a pinch of spine shivering evil added in for flavor.”
The beautiful story that is Cassandra Rose Clarke‘s The Mad Scientist’s Daughter has certainly made an impression on ScienceFiction.com, who call it a “fantastically written science fiction novel about love and society”.
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!)
Robot Round-Up, 28.03.13
Posted by: | CommentsHello and welcome to a double-bank-holiday Easter special Robot Round-Up. No choccie eggs or anything, just lots and lots of luvverly links to some Red Hot Angry Robot Action. Without further ado:
It’s US/Ebook release week for Black Feathers, the first part of Joseph D’Lacey‘s post-eco-apocalyptic dark fantasy duology, The Black Dawn and it’s fantastic to see a whole gang of reviewers (of clearly impeccable taste, we might add) getting right behind the book:
• Chris at All Things Urban Fantasy, said: “D’Lacey does an excellent job interweaving the two narratives and the story moves along at a brisk pace … D’Lacey’s definitely an author you should be checking out and this is an excellent book with which to start.”
• Ryan at Fantasy Book Review said: “Black Feathers is one of the best books I have read this year … I don’t think I’ve read a book quite like Black Feathers, but I know I liked it and I suspect that many of you will like it too.”
• In the same double-header at Fantasy Book Review, Jasper added: “Black Feathers is a unique take on horror and it was for a me a story that did not turn out the way I expected. The narration of the book was great and it felt like the myth surrounding the Crowman is being read to me, being handed down to the next generation.”
• Tabitha at My Shelf Confessions said: “Seldom does it happen that I get so upset by a book that I literally have nightmares after having read it … If you like a gritty apocalyptic that will have you thinking this may be for you but definitely not recommended for the feint of heart, there be no rainbows and fluffy bunnies here kiddos.”
• Lou at More 2 Read said: “This story has epic qualities like that of The Dark Tower series by Stephen King that went on for many volumes. The Black Dawn Saga has plenty more to come in its next instalment”.
• Leanna at Leeanna.me said: “Read it. If, like me, you feel like you’ve read every post-apocalyptic book out there, you haven’t. Black Feathers is something different, with a new take on the end of the world.”
Joseph was also interviewed by Leeanna at Leeanna.me, delving into the background to Black Feathers and the Black Dawn duology, and by Kristin at My Bookish Ways, talking about Black Feathers and his writing career to-date.
Also out this week we have The Age Atomic, the sequel to Adam Christopher‘s dimension-shattering debut Empire State. It was reviewed by Christian DuChateau for CNN.com, who said: “The Age Atomic defies classification as it incorporates elements across the sci-fi and fantasy spectrum. Christopher has let his imagination run wild, with some fantastic results.” Christian also interviewed Adam in the same article – well worth a look-see. Chris at All Things Urban Fantasy also took a look and said: “You’ve got political intrigue, super heroes and villains, and a cracking good mystery. What’s not to like? My only word of warning though is that this is not a series you can just jump in to. You do need to read the previous volume or you’ll be completely lost. Which is a good thing, because the first book is stellar as well.”
Speaking of Empire State, OzNoir posted a review at Just a Guy That Likes to Read, which concluded: “Empire State is not an easily definable novel in terms of confining it within a single genre as there are simply too many facets and faces to the story Christopher tells … This is a must read for fans of superhero and sci-fi fiction.”
Adam has also been doing a superb job of putting himself about online this week, with a guest post on John Scalzi‘s Whatever on the subject of The Big Idea behind The Age Atomic, another guest post for Mary Robinette Kowall, telling her all about his Favourite Bit from the book, He’s also answered Ten Questions put to him by the mighty Chuck Wendig and was interviewed by Lawrence M. Schoen for his regular Eating Authors column, on the subject of all things foody.
We’ve spot another couple of early reviews of Wesley Chu‘s forthcoming (May!) debut The Lives of Tao, from Lisa at Wilder’s Book Reviews who said: “I think The Lives of Tao was very well done and I will definitely keep my eye out for the next one. Between the humor and the originality of the story, I would certainly recommend reading it.” and from Josh at Examiner.com, who said: “The Lives of Tao marvelously casts all of war, science, politics, religion, and economics into a stark new light. It switches well between action-packed scenes and philosophical discussions about human nature and the pitfalls of manipulation, even guided by the best of intents.”
Emma Newman‘s Between Two Thorns was reviewed by
Theresa at Terror Tree who said: “It has been a very long time since I have read a book that has enthralled me to the extent I become miserable at the thought of it ending. Well done Newman. I want more.” Good news, Theresa: the sequel, Any Other Name will be out in June.
Matthew Hughes‘s third To Hell and Back novel, Hell To Pay, was reviewed by Mieneke at A Fantastical Librarian who called it: “a highly enjoyable read, with some interesting philosophical underpinnings and surprising twists. The book makes for a satisfying ending to the To Hell & Back series, which gave us a quirky, off-beat story about an unlikely super hero, with unexpected depths.”
Ramez Naam‘s Nexus is still going strong, with new reviews this week from Stephen L. Macknik for the Scientific American Illusion Chasers blog: “This sophisticated page-turning techno-thriller is one of my favorite stories of all time … Naam is remarkable in his ability to address deep philosophical concepts while keeping the story line light, fast, and action-packed.” and from Larry at 42 Webs: “Reading Ramez Naam reminded me of a time when I was younger, in my high school years, when I dove into books that some would say were well beyond my comprehension … I expect much from Naam. He is a talented writer who can produce hope like Crichton but still make us feel weary like Philip K. Dick.” Larry also added Nexus (and the first To Hell and Back book, The Damned Busters) to his Top Ten Books I Recommend The Most list.
Lee Collins‘s weird western debut The Dead of Winter was reviewed at OwlCat Mountain: “I blazed through this book in record time and found much to enjoy. I’m looking forward to the second novel, which promises to be just as engrossing as the first. The Dead of Winter is a great read for these cold nights as we transition into spring.”
Paul S. Kemp‘s first tale of Egil and Nix, The Hammer and the Blade, was reviewed by Mike at Stuff And/Or Junk: “The story moves fast, the dialogue is witty, the combat is oiled slick and the characters are crazy enjoyable. It’s straight up fantasy but it’s not kowtowing to the stodgy traditionalist parts of the genre. The Hammer and the Blade is fresh with life in it, the kind of fantasy novels I want more of.”
Anne Lyle‘s first Night’s Masque book, The Alchemist of Souls was reviewed by Lor for Wilder’s Book Reviews, who had lots of good things to say about the book and only one that wasn’t: “My only complaint about this novel is that it was over too quickly. My first read was in one sitting over about 6 hours. It is addictive, the characters make you care, and the setting is beautiful. What more can you ask for from a novel?”
Zoo City author Lauren Beukes – whose brand new novel The Shining Girls will be published in the UK and South Africa in a month or so and a couple of months later in the US – was interviewed by Sci Fi Now, wherein she explains how to write a science fiction novel (in case you’ve ever wondered…)
And finally, brand new Angry Robot author Freya Robertson has braved Lee Battersby‘s blog as a guest of his Room 102 feature, wherein she gets to remove something from the universe for ever and ever and ever. Which is nice.
That’s your lot for this week. We’re off to the pub for four days. Except for Angry Robot Lee, who’ll be at Eastercon, in the bar, instead. Have a good holiday, everyone!
Robot Round-Up, 22.03.13
Posted by: | CommentsHello and welcome to this week’s whizz round all the online Angry Robot Action that’s fit to link to. Without further ado:
Emma Newman‘s Between Two Thorns was reviewed by Kathy at Kindle-aholic’s Book Pile, who said: “This is a book that contains MANY THINGS. This can be tricky sometimes … [but] Newman managed to corral the different worlds, characters and machinations to deliver an engaging read that left me wanting more.”
And you can enter a giveaway at The Founding Fields for your chance to win one of two copies of the book, before the closing date of April 1st.
Matthew Hughes‘s third To Hell and Back novel, Hell to Pay, was reviewed by David Brzeski for the British Fantasy Society and he said: “The first book in the series was very good, the second was better. The events of those books were leading up to this final volume in the trilogy and it’s the best yet.”
Lee Collins‘s second Cora Oglesby novel, She Returns From War was also reviewed by Kathy at Kindle-aholic’s Book Pile, who found the change in POV-focus from book one a bit of a wrench, but came to appreciate the twist: “I was reminded a few times of the movie Unforgiven, with the younger generation getting a look at the real life of a legend, and also learning about the costs of living such a life.”
Lee also had a chat with Larry at 42 Webs this week, all about The Dead of Winter, She Returns From War and his favourite genre books and writers.
Joseph D’Lacey‘s Black Feathers, the first part of the Black Dawn duology, which will be with you next week in US/CAN print and global ebook, received a 4.5/5 star review from Rebecca at Book Chick City, who said: “I really did love this book, as it had everything I was looking for and more, and really redefined the genres of fantasy and dystopian fiction. I know the two genres have been merged before, but this book just had that special un-put-down-able spark I couldn’t resist.”
Joseph has written a guest post for Upcoming4.me on the subject of the story behind Black Feathers. And he’s also endured a grilling from Chuck Wendig to answer Ten Questions About Black Feathers
Wesley Chu‘s The Lives of Tao is out in May and Wesley was the guest of Abhinav Jain’s latest Names: A New Perspective guest post series this week, talking about the importance of appropriately-named villains. You can also read an exclusive excerpt at Tor.com. And if you’re a US-based Goodreads user, you can put your name in the hat to win a signed ARC copy of The Lives of Tao by visiting Goodreads.com and clicking the ‘Enter to Win’ button. Easy as.
Cara Fielder, writing for the Waterstones Blog, has taken a look at the future of SF and declared that a good-sized chunk of it is Adam Christopher shaped. Adam has also been releasing a series of teaser excerpts from The Age Atomic, the soon-to-be-released sequel to Empire State. The latest snippet went live today at Em’s Place.
Wesley Chu, Adam Christopher and Tim Waggoner all participated in the latest SF Signal mind-meld. on the subject of ‘Reboots – The Good, The Bad and The Unnecessary’.
Cassandra Rose Clarke‘s The Mad Scientist’s Daughter was treated to an extremely thorough, in-depth reading by Michael Ann Dobbs for IO9.com, with the following conclusion: “It’s not a story of future heroism. It’s not even, really, a story about robots. It’s a story of live and failure and expectations. It is, perhaps, in its relentless examination of one woman’s life, one of the most realistic science fiction stories ever told.” And Adam-Troy Castro, writing for the (print only) Sci Fi Magazine enjoyed the novel’s characterisation: “Cat is a finely etched character, difficult, distant, and living in denial of her true feelings for years … Cassandra Rose Clarke does a fine job of staying inside her protagonist’s head, and capturing what it’s like to drift through life without the will or the opportunity to make the best decisions.” The book was also on was on the receiving end of a glowing review from Leah at Uncorked Thoughts, who said: “I found this novel absolutely fascinating … It has so many themes and issues running through it and it’s absolutely brilliant. If you’re a science-fiction lover, a robot lover, or even a lover of books which delve into romance, tragedies and the issues of real life then this book is definitely for you!”
Anne Lyle‘s The Alchemist of Souls and Lee Collins‘s The Dead of Winter have been entered into the BookSpotCentral 7th Annual Book Tournament. Voting will commence on March 21st and will involve all sorts of emailing and Facebook liking… check out the link for full details and vote, vote, vote!
Anne has also announced her founder-member status of the 16-strong fantasy writing team at the new author community The Booksworn. Check it out, fantasy fans!
Jo Anderton isn’t the only AR author who’s been nominated for an Aurelis Award or three – Kaaron Warren is also a triple nominee. Congrats Kaaron!
Aaaand that’s everything we’ve spotted in the past seven days or so. We’ve got a double bank holiday coming up in the UK next weekend, so depending on how things go there’ll either be a shorter Round-Up next Thursday or a bumper double-dose the Friday afterwards. See you then!
Robot Round-Up, 15.03.13
Posted by: | CommentsHello and welcome to our regular round-up of all the Angry Robot flavoured online activity and coverage that we’ve spotted since the last round-up. Getting things under-way this week, he have:
More reviews of the first part of Emma Newman‘s fabulous The Split Worlds urban fantasy series Between Two Thorns:
• Paul Weimer, writing for the mighty SF Signal said it was: “An enchanting novel from Emma Newman, an urban fantasy that has no sign of tattooed women in leather pants. A headstrong scion and an investigator discover dark doings in the outwardly genteel world of Bath’s secret mirror city.”
• Shadowhawk of Founding Fields fame added: “Between Two Thorns is a book that is packed with a ton of things to entice the reader … I can definitely recommend this to readers of urban fantasy if you are looking for something different”.
• Rebecca at Book Chick City said: “This was a well-crafted fantasy novel which makes a great start to a new series … I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
• Tsana at Tsana’s Reads said: “Between Two Thorns is an excellent read and I highly recommend it to fantasy fans looking for something a bit different, particularly in the form of merging modern day settings with fantasy worlds.”
Plus: a write-up of last week’s Forbidden Planet London book launch was posted by Cavan Scott and Emma braved Chuck Wendig‘s online lair to answer Ten Questions About Between Two Thorns.
The first part of Joseph D’Lacey‘s post-eco-apocalyptic Black Dawn duology, Black Feathers, is almost upon us (late March / early April, folks!) and the always-Epic Dave-Brendon de Burgh had this to say about it: “As can be expected from Joseph’s work, there are moments of horror, moments of wide-eyed disbelief, moments of laughter and tears and silence pregnant with either peace or rage. He managed to handle everything beautifully and with respect, making both his characters and the world they inhabit come alive.” And Theresa at Terror Tree said: “The images of a bleak and savage world are genuinely horrific … Gripping stuff and I look forward to the conclusion of this tale.” Theresa has also posted an interview with Joseph about his writing and plans for future work, at the same link.
Likewise, it’s not long now until we unleash Adam Christopher‘s The Age Atomic, sequel to his terrific debut Empire State. Over at Daily Steampunk, Traveler had the following high praise to hand out: “The Age Atomic is another masterful tale by Adam Christopher. An action-packed noir Atompunk tale with more layers, facettes and twists than one would expect and which keeps the reader enthralled from the first to the last page. Highly recommended reading!” And Brandon at Every Read Thing had this to say: “While the ideas behind this series show that Adam is imaginative and bright, it’s the writing that keeps you enthralled. I couldn’t tell you the amount of evenings where I lost track of time reading this book – it’s that good.”
Brandon has posted his interview with Adam Christopher as well; plenty there on Adam’s background as a writer, Empire State and The Age Atomic.
Wesley Chu‘s action-packed debut The Lives of Tao is a little further away (late April / early May) but we’re already starting to see a review or two surfacing here and there, including one at Being a Big Sandwich, in which blogger Scott declares: “I would highly recommend this book to fans who like their espionage tinged with sci-fi, or vice-versa.”
Eric Brown, in his latest science fiction column for The Guardian has this to say about Cassandra Rose Clarke‘s The Mad Scientist’s Daughter: “the twist is that the cool, rational Finn is a robot, and Cat’s love for him is unrequited because she ages while he does not, and he is not programmed to respond to her emotions. It’s a neat premise and Clark examines the ramifications with the precision of a poet”.
Peter at My Bookish Ways said of Ramez Naam‘s freshly movie-optioned Nexus: “reads like a high energy thriller and you’ll find his reluctant hero, Kade, worth rooting for … Nexus is a strong, and exciting, debut from an author to watch!”
The first of Lee Collins‘s Cora Oglesby novels, She Returns From War was reviewed by Shadowhawk at The Founding Fields and Shadowhawk said: “She Returns From War is a most excellent novel, and lives up to the promise of The Dead of Winter.” Word.
Madeline Ashby‘s vN was reviewed by Steve Jones for Terror Tree, who said: “vN is a thrilling adventure story with a well-developed cast of both humans and vNs, which challenges the meaning of being a person without ever being preachy about it.”
Josh at In Order of Importance took a look at Chris F. Holm‘s first Collector novel, Dead Harvest and called it a “classic mix of deduction, ultra-violence, narrow escapes, shocking revelations, and sudden turns of fortune that make noir such a satisfying genre. Also, possessions, demons, seraphs, and lucky cat statues. Just fantastic enough to be entertaining, but not so unrealistic that it stretches the bounds of credulity.”
And finally: the closing date for applications to be the Angry Robot Fiction Publicity Manager isn’t until March 25th, so you still have plenty of time to polish your c.v. and hone your covering letter. Go on, you know you want to. We promise the implant procedures won’t hurt too much…
Robot Round-Up, 08.03.13
Posted by: | CommentsHello and welcome to this week’s Robot Round-Up, our regular look at all the last week or so’s Angry Robot action that’s fit to link to. Starting with…
More reviews for Emma Newman‘s first Split Worlds novel Between Two Thorns, which was reviewed this week by:
• Pablo Cheesecake at The Eloquent Page, who said: “Treading similar thematic ground to the likes of Clive Barker’s Weaveworld and Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, Emma Newman’s first Split Worlds novel still manages to be a wonderfully iconoclastic affair. I feel like I’ve only been given a tantalising glimpse through a fantastical doorway.”
• Sarah at And Then I Read a Book summed things up rather neatly: “Missing people, kidnap, three wishes, charms, deception and Grand Tours collide in a story that’s part fairytale, part fantasy, part Jane Austen, with a sprinkling of bonkers brilliance.”
• Steven M. Long enjoyed the world-building: “What I want from an alternate, magical reality is a mix of the expected and the surprising, and Between Two Thorns does a good job of delivering that, primarily through the use of some off-beat points of view and the addition of some unique flourishes.”
Meanwhile, Emma has been interviewed over at My Bookish Ways – and don’t miss the feature interview in the latest issue of SFX Magazine – as well as talking to Abhinav Jain about how she picked great names for the great families in The Split Worlds. Plus, the fifty-second and final instalment of Emma’s truly epic Split Worlds short story writing project has gone live on Paul Cornell‘s blog. Read! Read them all!
The first review we’ve seen of Lee Battersby‘s The Marching Dead is a cracker from Bob at Beauty in Ruins, who said: “Battersby absolutely nails the narrative style, balancing humour and horror, fantasy and felony. It’s another quick-moving, well-written story that amuses, excites, and concludes with some rather deep, and remarkably heavy musings on the subjects of life, death, and the afterlife – or the lack thereof.”
Joseph D’Lacey‘s soon-to-be-unleashed Black Feathers has received another red-hot review, this time from Bane of Kings at The Founding Fields, who declared it to be: “A brilliant take on the post apocalyptic genre. Creepy, unnerving and page-turning, D’Lacey creates a compelling story with some fasnicating characters.”
There’s an interview with Joseph at Thirteen O’Clock with some searching questions from Alan Baxter on the subject of Black Feathers, writing and horror in general. And Joseph has been talking to Abhinav Jain about the character of names.
Tor.com have posted an exclusive excerpt from Adam Christopher‘s forthcoming Empire State sequel, The Age Atomic.
Ramez Naam‘s Nexus was reviewed by Barbara for the Portland Book Review and she called it “A Riveting Sci-Fi Thriller”, adding: “This is a fantastic novel that sci-fi fans must read.”
Lee Collins‘s The Dead of Winter was reviewed by firebreathingmonsters: “Collins really nails the balance between western and horror in the novel, with the plot moving at a slow boil punctuated by periods of intense action”.
Richard at Elf Machines From Hyperspace said Anne Lyle‘s first Night’s Masque instalment, The Alchemist of Souls is “a gem of a first novel” and went on to explain why: “I felt as if I walked those smelly Tudor streets as strongly as I’ve felt it reading writers like Mantel or Peter Ackroyd … Anne Lyle has given us the Elizabethan London we know from reading history and Shakespeare; but she’’s also created a London that has just enough strangeness in its shadows to keep us anticipating wonder.”
And finally… scared yet? No? Give it time…
Robot Round-Up, 01.03.13
Posted by: | CommentsHello and welcome to our regular Robot Round-Up of links out to Stuff About Angry Robot and our Awesome Authors that we’ve spotted out on the intertubes in the past week or so. Heck, you know the drill. Let’s just get on with the linkage action, shall we?
Out Now and flying off the shelves (we should really stop greasing our book covers), Emma Newman‘s Between Two Thorns has been reviewed this week by a number of fine, discerning lovers of top-notch fantasy fiction, including:
• MK at Popcorn Reads said: “I enjoyed every minute of these split worlds. The fairy-tale mythology, fantasy, sci-fi-mystery, police procedural, romance and all the other genre-bending elements worked together seamlessly.” MK is also giving away an Advanced Reading Copy of the book – click the link for details, closing date March 7th.
• Usagi at Birth of a New Witch who loved the prose: “The sensory language was fantastic – especially when we were in the Nether or in Exilium. That’s where Newman really shines the most – showing us entirely new worlds that are only connected by a thin string, and that are absolutely gorgeous to behold.”
• Deniz at Closet Geeks and Slow Mo loved the atmosphere: “Good fantasy is the ability to not only tell a good story set in a different world – but to create that world with beautiful worlds. Evoke it in the reader’s mind. Where it comes alive and leave the impression as if one visited there. Newman definitely has a gift for that.”
• Elloise Hopkins, called it: “a solid start to a great new fantasy trilogy that will be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys urban fantasy, stories about the Fae and detective stories.”
Also: Emma was a guest at John Scalzi’s legendary Whatever blog, where she explained the Big Idea behind Between Two Thorns. She was a guest on the 182nd episode of the mighty SF Signal Podcast as well, in response to which Timothy C. Ward had some very nice things to say. And if you’ve been stirred into a frenzy of anticipation and just can’t wait to get your hands on the book, there’s a chance you could do so for free – as long as you’re based in the US of A – via the Tor.com Sweepstake that’s running until noon on Sunday March 2nd.
Lee Collins‘s recently-released second Cora Oglesby novel, She Returns From War was reviewed by Keith at Adventures Fantastic: “This is a different book from the first one [The Dead of Winter]. That’s a good thing, because it means the author isn’t locking himself into a formula, in essence refusing to become a one trick pony … I recommend them both highly.” And Larry at 42 Webs enjoyed the story’s true-to-genre authenticity: “One of my major pluses for Collins work is that he writes a western that stays a western … He doesn’t try to build a computer for a cowboy or give him a ‘fancy flying machine’ to soar with. Cora uses six shooters, silver bullets, a blessed knife, and that’s about it. Thank you Collins.”
Another review of Cassandra Rose Clarke‘s The Mad Scientist’s Daughter has crossed our sensor screens, this time from Andrea at Cozy Up With A Good Read, who said: “Everything that Cat goes through is so heartbreaking and I loved seeing her and Finn have scenes together because there was so much tension.”
Anne Lyle‘s The Alchemist of Souls was reviewed by Alisa at The Book Bundle, who said: “An intricate story of political intrigue in an alternate Tudor London, Anne Lyle’s The Alchemist Of Souls is an engaging fantasy novel. I give it 8 stars.”
Anne is giving away two copies of the sequel The Merchant of Dreams over on Goodreads (you’ll need a Goodreads account to enter, but it’s completely free-to-join and you can log in with your Facebook account to speed the process).
Joseph D’Lacey‘s Black Feathers will be with us next month and was reviewed this week by Alan at Thirteen O’Clock, who suggested: “You need to go into this book knowing that its message is central to its existence. If you accept that, you will enjoy a superbly written dark fantasy with some truly original ideas and a very clever culture-crossing hero’s journey.” And Tiara at The BiblioSanctum said: “I really enjoyed this book … The ending made my heart drop and almost frantic for more … This is a story I will be thinking about for a very long time.” And Jason at The Mad Ravings of an Entertainment Junkie felt the empathy: “D’Lacey is not only a thought-provoking author who has the gift to make you think, he has the gift to make you feel what his characters are feeling as well (their fear, their pain, their emotion).”
Joseph has also written a guest post on the fine art of editing, over at fellow writer Wayne Simmons‘s blog.
Chris F. Holm‘s second Collector novel, The Wrong Goodbye was reviewed by Marion at Fantasy Literature, who said: “Another fine example of supernatural noir … Holm is working this sub-genre (sub-sub-genre?) really well.”
Madeline Ashby‘s debut vN was reviewed at Fictavia: “Ashby does a good job of immersing the reader in her vision of the future, through strong images and well-written prose. Overall, it’s a gripping read – check it out, even if (and maybe especially) if you’re not a sci-fi reader.”
There’s a feature interview with Madeline on the Globe and Mail website, as well as a video feature in which she discusses her creative process. No embedding options, alas, so you’ll have to click through to watch it.
Adam Christopher‘s Empire State was reviewed by Brandon at Every Read Thing: “When I finished the book, I was glad to know that a sequel is being written … I’d give it a good hearty recommendation.”
Chuck Wendig has posted details of his forthcoming appearances. In case you want to show up and buy him whisky or, y’know, get him to to sign stuff.
The 2013 Ditmar Awards are open for nomination and the eligibility list has been posted. We wouldn’t want you to think we were attempting to coerce you or anything, but nominating our three highly eligible authors – Trent Jamieson, Jo Anderton and Lee Battersby – might get you into our good books ahead of the coming Robopocalypse. Which means you might survive until the second wave. Or even the third. Just sayin’…
And Finally (speaking of the Robopocalypse…)
Ha! If this the best you meat-suits can do by way of defence strategies, it’s going to be a cake-walk for our lot:
(“Aim for the leg joints”? As if we haven’t triple-reinforced those already…)
That’s all for this week. See you again at the back end of the next.
Robot Round-Up 22.02.13
Posted by: | CommentsHello and welcome to the latest Robot Round-Up, bringing you all the very best in Angry Robot themed link action from around the Interwebs.
We’re going to kick things off this week with a fresh selection of reviews of Emma Newman‘s Between Two Thorns – the first volume of her Split Worlds series, which we’re publishing next Tuesday in US/CAN print and Ebook, with the UK print edition to follow on Thursday March 7th. Reviews we’ve spotted this week include:
• Sarah at SF Crowsnest: “This novel draws you in from the very first, tempting you with magical creatures set against present day Bath. I tried only reading one chapter just to test the writing style, etc but found myself, a few hours later, having read a vast amount of the book … It sits beautifully within my favourite type of fantasy novel, fairy tale within the present day.”
• Christal at Badass Book Reviews: “The world-building in this novel was very strong and was what transformed this novel into something distinctive.”
• Momo the Mome Rath at Where the Mome Raths Outgrabe: “Between Two Thorns had good prose, great characters, and was a well done mystery. I recommend it to anyone who loves faeries, high society related books, and/or a good mystery.”
Emma has also posted her 50th Split Worlds short story, over on Matt Forbeck‘s website. Only a couple more to go now, and you’ll be able to read, and listen to, the whole set.
Cassandra Rose Clarke‘s The Mad Scientist’s Daughter was reviewed by Lisa at Starmetal Oak Reviews: “I was impressed with the quality of writing and the flow of the story. I was absorbed for the entirety of the book and found myself emotionally involved with all the characters.” And by Tahlia Newland: “The Mad Scientist’s Daughter is the most extreme story of unrequited love that I have ever read.”
Cassandra was interviewed by Carl V. Anderson for SF Signal, and talked about The Mad Scientist’s Daughter, her Strange Chemistry books and the nature of love.
Joseph D’Lacey‘s Black Feathers won’t be with us until early April, but early reviews continue to come in. Shadowhawk at The Founding Fields said: “Spectacular is the word I’d use to describe [Black Feathers]. Nothing else can capture the reading experience.” And Vicky at Vicky Thinks thought aloud: “With memorable settings, vivid writing and important themes, Black Feathers is an extremely atmospheric and thought-provoking read.”
Ramez Naam‘s Nexus was reviewed this week by Ed at Starburst Magazine, who said: “Nexus is a strong debut novel; its central premise is interesting and Naam draws us into a highly detailed and technologically literate world. Fans of The Matrix, Strange Days or Wild Palms will find this an interesting read which will make you want to learn more about the issues raised.” And Paul at SF Signal: “Ramez Naam presents an interesting world and characters 30 years hence strongly grounded in the real life research and speculation he was hitherto best known for … An interesting and intriguing fiction debut from a non fiction pioneer in bio-technological issues.”
Chuck Wendig‘s second Miriam Black book, Mockingbird was reviewed in the latest issue Geek Syndicate Quarterly (link to a big ol’ pdf file there, folks, or you can read it on issuu.com), wherein it was said: “This is an earthy book, descriptive and dark, with black comedy at the oddest places. Miriam is a hardboiled heroine, who doesn’t pull her punches or her speech. For fans of horror and paranormal, this is well worth the read.”
Paul S. Kemp has posted a snippet from A Discourse in Steel, the first of several that he will be revealing over the course of the next few months in the run-up to publication.
Stories by Chuck Wendig and Matt Forbeck are included in the current Bundle of Holding, a package of fiction ebooks written by games writers, on a pay-what-you-want basis (bearing in mind that the more you pay, the more bonus material you get…)
Jo Anderton‘s new short fiction collection The Bone Chime Song and other stories is now available to pre-order from FableCroft.
Gav Thorpe is the latest guest of Abhinav Jain’s Names: A New Perspective blog post series and talks about the geography of names.
We’ve donated some ARCs to the current Con or Bust drive to raise funds to help fans of colour attend SF conventions. Between now and Sunday you can bid on rare print ARCs of either Black Feathers or The Mad Scientist’s Daughter and help the Con or Bust folks reach their target.
Our Robot Overlord Marc has been talking to Publishing Perspectives about what it takes to build a publishing house from scratch.
And finally: Want to write a novel? Chuck Wendig Tells You How. (Warning: just a tad sweary…)
That’s your lot for this week, folks. Have a good weekend. See you next time.
Robot Round-Up, 15.02.13
Posted by: | CommentsHello and welcome to this week’s Robot Round-Up. Having put our email woes behind us, our compiler-bot has been able to gather up another bountiful harvest of Angrily Robotic links.
The reviews of Cassandra Rose Clarke‘s astonishing and heart-breaking novel The Mad Scientist’s Daughter continue to pour in:
• Kristin at My Bookish Ways: “Think you can’t get invested in a romance between a human and a robot? Think again. Cat’s longing and desire for Finn is a force of nature, and the tragedy, and joy, of Cat and Finn’s romance will stay with you long after reading the last page.”
• Sophia at Page Plucker: “The writing is beautiful; highly atmospheric and rich in melancholy. I was convinced it was bound to have a tragic ending as it all seemed so very sad, but you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out if I was right”.
• Shweta at Literary Grand Rounds: “Cat and Finn and every other minor detail in this story makes for a very very absorbing and totally addictive reading. Highly recommended!”
• Jared at The Oracular Beard: “The style and substance of Clarke’s world-building catapults this story above and beyond my hopes for it. The Mad Scientist’s Daughter is a deep, dark tale of passion that fills the emptiness with the same lies and rationalities we tell ourselves to make us feel better about the choices we make.”
• Chris at A Writer’s Sidequest: “While it is a story of love, that story actually serves as a framing device for a larger narrative about the nature of programming vs emotions, and whether sentient machines deserve the same rights as people.”
• Kristin at OwlCat Mountain: “hits all the right notes and delivers a tale that is often heartbreaking but always has that element of hope that love will conquer all. The Mad Scientist’s Daughter is a lovely and moving story, and I highly recommend it.”
Lee Collins‘s second Cora Oglesby novel, She Returns From War was reviewed by Paul at Sci-Fi Bulletin, who enjoyed its lack of predictability: “Lee Collins’ follow-up to The Dead of Winter isn’t what you might expect – and that’s a very good thing … Like his characters, Collins hasn’t been afraid to take a risk, and it pays off.”
Joseph D’Lacey‘s post-ecopocalyptic thriller Black Feathers will be with us in April 2013 and the reviews of this one are starting to build up a nice head of steam as well:
• Lisa at Wilder’s Book Reviews: “full of powerful and beautiful passages that while written for this fictional Earth, are also very strongly advocating for us as a people to take better care of the Earth we live on.”
• Karl at Kodex Karlthulu: “I really, really enjoyed this book. I thought the elements of horror were woven into fantasy of the novel with real expertise … The mythology of The Crowman is well designed and feels very real.”
• Alisha at Dear Constant Reader: “There’s so much to be had in this book. The prose is stunning. D’Lacey’s imagery is complete without being overwhelming. The unique plot is well-paced, and populated with believable characters.”
• Richard at (careful, this one’s a bit spoilery…) Pan-Dimensional Elf Machines From Hyperspace: “D’Lacey has served up his most delectable treat yet with this novel.”
Anne Lyle‘s The Alchemist of Souls was reviewed by Nina at Death, Books and Tea: “Anne’s writing style is beautifully descriptive … I’ll definitely read on in the series!” And The Merchant of Dreams was reviewed by Theresa at Terror-Tree: “If you’ve read the first book, this escalates the world and mythology. If you are new to this world, you can read this independently, but if were you, I would buy both books. They are simply brilliant, and I can’t wait for the next installment.” That would be Prince of Lies, which we’re publishing in November.
We think it’s fair to say that Mieneke at A Fantastical Librarian absolutely loved Emma Newman‘s forthcoming Split Worlds series-opener Between Two Thorns: “Between Two Thorns really was an unalloyed pleasure to read and it’s hard to write a review for it that isn’t just gushing … Newman has created a unique blend of urban, historical, and crime fantasy clothed in a Regency veneer. Between Two Thorns is delicious, engrossing, and enchanting and, so far, my debut of the year.”
And if you just can’t wait for the first novel in the series to be posted, check out www.splitworlds.com, where for over a year now Emma has been writing and narrating short stories set in the Split Worlds, the latest of which can be found at Fantasy Faction, along with a guest post on the evolution of the series.
Adam Christopher‘s debut, Empire State, was reviewed by Weirdmage, deep in the forests of Norway: “Whether your preference lies in parallel universes, crime, or superheroes, this is a novel that should find its way into your hands at the earliest opportunity. The world, the characters, and the story are all excellent and together they will give you a great reading experience.”
Meanwhile, Adam has been talking to SFSignal.com for a SFFWRTCHT session, answering questions on his love of all things genre-y, his interest in superheroes, and of course Empire State, Seven Wonders and the forthcoming The Age Atomic (April 2013!)
Two from the archives now, as DaveBrendon de Burgh has reviewed both Harbinger of the Storm by Aliette de Bodard: “Action- and magic-wise, this book really kept me on the edge of my seat … deities enter the fray, and Aliette did a great job in layering them with incredible menace and danger; definitely not deities who sit back and move pieces on a board.” and Death’s Disciples by J. Robert King: “a thrill-a-second ride, supremely plotted, exciting, hard-hitting, and definitely falls into the Twisted Blockbuster category – one hell of an awesome ride!”
Ramez Naam is on the Hugo and Campbell campaign trail: he’s offering to buy and send a free ebook copy of Nexus to attendees of Worldcon 2012, or anyone who’s registered for Worldcon 2013, in the hope that they’ll read the book and consider nominating the book for the Hugo or Campbell Awards. See rameznaam.com for details.
David Tallerman has posted details of his 2013 convention schedule, so you’ll know where to turn up with your needing-to-be-signed copies of Giant Thief, Crown Thief, and if you’re aiming for Worldcon, Prince Thief as well.
That’s everything for this week, folks. Enjoy your weekend and we’ll see you back here in seven days. Last one in buys the first round.
Robot Round-Up 08.01.13
Posted by: | CommentsHello and welcome to our weekly Round-Up of all the Angry Robot themed online activity that’s fit to link out to. Starting with:
Another batch of glowing reviews for Cassandra Rose Clarke‘s rather wonderful The Mad Scientist’s Daughter this week:
• Sarah Elizabeth, of Sarah Elizabeth’s Bookshelf said: “I cried on more than one occasion, the story was just so sad in places, but it was so beautifully written that even the sad parts were heartbreakingly good. I actually find it really difficult to tell you how emotionally taxing this book was, and still I loved it, and I’m not going to forget this one in a long time.”
• Tammy at Books, Bones & Buffy said: “The Mad Scientist’s Daughter reminded me of a couple of books I haven’t read in years, books I loved dearly that still haunt me. It has the strange feel of Geoff Ryman’s The Child Garden, a terribly sad story that was ultimately so rewarding. It also sparked some of the same emotions I feel while reading anything by China Miéville.”
• Christa at More Than Just Magic said: “The Mad Scientist’s Daughter is a beautiful book. Even if you’re not a science fiction fan and don’t care for stories about robots (side note: Robots are cool! What’s wrong with you?) this book has definite cross genre appeal.”
• Kallen at Geeky Library said: “As soon as I started reading this book, I was swept along by the storyline. In my opinion, a really good book will cause you to experience a range of emotions and this one certainly succeeded.”
Have you tried The Mad Scientist’s Daughter yet? No? Honestly, you don’t know what you’re missing. But don’t just take our word for it, check out the ever-growing wall of reviews to see what the reviewers have been saying.
Ramez Naam‘s Nexus is most definitely still going strong. This week Liam at The Troubled Scribe found it reassuringly exciting: “I was worried that since this book was so ‘Far-future and Technologically based’ that it would be somewhat dull and action-less. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Start to finish Nexus is a thrill ride taking main character Kade into one unforgettable scene after another.” And Matt at The Fiction Stroker appreciated the mix of action and scientific clever bits (technical term): “Naam’s (frequent) action sequences are powerful and pull a lot of punches. His language is peppered with action words that hammer home the, at times, comical violence. Yet he has the skill to incorporate dense scientific concepts in an easy-to-follow manner.” Also, 115 four-star or five-star reviews on Amazon.com tells its own story…
Ros at Warpcore SF was impressed: “Between Two Thorns is a fascinating new take on the fairytale myth, and it keeps the elegance and old-fashioned glamour we tend to associate with the fae whilst adding a fresh modern perspective.” Kristijan’s review at Upcoming4me starts with: “Wow, what a book! I can’t remember when was the last time I enjoyed reading something so much” and ends by calling it a “stunningly original take on the Faerie myth and worthy beginning of one of the most exciting fantasy series on the market today.” And Beth at Sky Rose Reviews said: “As with all first of series there are slow moments and a lot of details that need to be absorbed but I felt that Newman did a very good job of introducing and creating a world of dangerous politics, magic and a resentment for those of us that were born on the wrong side of the barrier.”
Hannah reviewed Chuck Wendig‘s Mockingbird at her blog My Book Journey and declared: “Mockingbird is a hard edged thriller, with gory action and plenty of mystery. Handle with care.”
Chris Holm was interviewed by Brandon at , who also reviewed the second Collector novel, The Wrong Goodbye, and said: “I feel like the series gained a lot of ground in terms of Sam’s development … this series is only getting stronger.” He also answered questions five for Jen’s Book Thoughts.
Lavie Tidhar was interviewed by Every Read Thing and talked Bookman, Osama, the World Fantasy Award and what he’s got lined up next, among other things.
Lee Collins shared his publication day thoughts upon the occasion of She Returns From War hitting the bookstore shelves.
Aliette de Bodard was Abhinav Jain’s latest guest on his Names: A New Persective blog series, talking about appropriate forms of names and naming conventions.
David Tallerman writes about Giant Thief, Crown Thief and failing the Bechdel Test, over at Fantasy Faction.
Chuck Wendig has promised to write a twelve-part story-serial for Fireside Magazine, if the project can raise enough funding for another year’s worth of issues, via Kickstarter. He’s also been thinking thoughts on book piracy and used e-books and book piracy again, as well as taking the time to ask ten questions about Pantomime of Strange Chemistry‘s Laura Lam. Just another week in Wendig-World…
Anne Lyle shares her reaction to the news that the bones of King Richard III of England are definitely those found under a car park in Leicester.
Maurice Broaddus posted agreat idea for his fellow writers on how to dispose of those mountains of complimentary books: why not donate them to a captive audience, one with plenty of time on their hands..?
That’s all for now, but there’ll be lots more linky-goodness next week, you lucky, lucky people.
