Another great trailer. Excitement continuing to ramp up…
Year: 2015
Interview with PAUL STARKEY
Let’s start with an introduction: Who is Paul Starkey?
Who is Paul Starkey? I’m just a regular guy with a very irregular imagination. Aside from three years at University in Wales I’ve spent my whole life in the East Midlands. I was born in Derby, I live in Nottingham and I work in Leicester. I’m still amazed people like reading the words I put down on paper, but I’m even more amazed that I have the dedication to write entire novels given how lazy and easily distracted I am!
Your latest novel, The Lazarus Conundrum, will be published by Abaddon. It looks pretty cool: How would you introduce it to a potential reader? Is it part of a series?
The premise of most zombie fiction is ‘what would happen if the dead started coming back to life?’. For my story the flipside is the hook, ‘what would happen if the dead stopped coming back to life?’ Its set in a near future Britain where zombies are a fact of life and the NHS has never been so well funded, when a young woman named Trinity Brown is murdered and doesn’t come back it has the potential to cause chaos and the story follows Detective Inspector Helen Ogilvy as she tries to work out who murdered Trinity, and why she didn’t come back. It’s part of a series only insofar as it’s one of the Tomes of the Dead, otherwise it’s a completely standalone story. Continue reading
Guest Post: “Influences & Inspirations” by James A. Moore
I have been asked to write an article on the works that have inspired and influenced me the most and I’m delighted to, because if there’s one thing I dearly love above all else, it’s talking about my favorite books and movies.
I dedicated the first of the Seven Forges novels to Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber. When it comes to naming the greats in Sword & Sorcery, you don’t have to look much further. Conan the Barbarian, King Kull, Solomon Kane, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. I dedicated the book to them because they were inspirations from the very first. They were my first discoveries in the world of Sword & Sorcery and they were a very hard act to follow.
Honestly, I can’t begin to imagine a better foundation. You can factor in later authors, like Michael Moorcock, who gave us the Eternal Champion in all of his myriad incarnations, and far more recently Joe Abercrombie, whose prose stuns me every time I read it. They have definitely left their mark in the field, but they are hardly the only ones. If you want to get picky you can go all the way back to Greek and Norse mythology for tales of heroes who fought against often overwhelming odds and took chances no sane person would consider. The thing about it is, there have been as many influences on what I’ve written as there have been books I’ve read and movies I’ve watched. Oh, and lest I forget, there are the comic books to consider, too. Continue reading
Upcoming: Michael Cho Variant Covers for February 2016
I really like Michael Cho‘s artwork — from his comics work to his Back Alleys and Urban Landscapes book, I love his style. The book, a collection of paintings of alleys and streets around Toronto, lives on a shelf by my desk so I can always flip through it easily.
Anyway… In February 2016, Marvel will publish 24 of his variants, across their range of titles. Above and below you can see my favourites from the covers already unveiled.
Upcoming: SON OF THE MORNING by Mark Alder (Pegasus)
Mark Alder‘s Son of the Morning was first published a couple of years ago in the UK by Gollancz, but I just spotted that it is finally coming to North America, too — it is due to be published by Pegasus Books in February 2016. The cover is to the right, and the synopsis is as follows:
In an epic novel that reimagines the Hundred Years War — in a world where angels and demons choose sides on the battlefield — England and France find themselves locked in a holy war, but which country has God’s favor?
England, 1337: Edward III is beset on all sides, plagued by debt and surrounded by doubters. He refuses to pay homage to the newly crowned Philip Valois of France and seeks to secure his French holdings, but he’s outmanned. Philip can put 50,000 men in the field, but he is having his own problems: he has summoned the angels themselves to fight for France, but the angels refuse to fight. Both kings send priests far and wide, seeking holy relics and heavenly beings to take up the cause of their country, but God remains stubbornly silent, refusing to grant favor to either side.
Meanwhile, among the poor and downtrodden, heretical whispers are taking hold: what if God — who has never been seen to do anything for them — is not the rightful leader of the heavens after all? And as Edward’s situation becomes increasingly desperate, even his counselors begin to believe that if God won’t listen, perhaps they can find a savior not from Heaven, but from Hell.
In a sweeping tale packed with courtiers and kings, knights and priests, and devils and angels, Mark Alder breathes fresh and imaginative life into the Hundred Years War in this unique historical epic.
The sequel for Son of the Morning appears to be Son of the Night, which Amazon UK has listed for a November 2016 release, although this is possibly subject to change. No cover art as yet.
Mark Alder is a pseudonym, and the author also writes as M.D. Lachlan, whose Wolfsangel series is also published in the UK by Gollancz. The cover for the UK market is below:
Quick Review: THE DROWNING EYES by Emily Frost (Tor.com)
A new fantasy novella
When the Dragon Ships began to tear through the trade lanes and ravage coastal towns, the hopes of the arichipelago turned to the Windspeakers on Tash. The solemn weather-shapers with their eyes of stone can steal the breeze from raiders’ sails and save the islands from their wrath. But the Windspeakers’ magic has been stolen, and only their young apprentice Shina can bring their power back and save her people.
Tazir has seen more than her share of storms and pirates in her many years as captain, and she’s not much interested in getting involved in the affairs of Windspeakers and Dragon Ships. Shina’s caught her eye, but that might not be enough to convince the grizzled sailor to risk her ship, her crew, and her neck.
This was an interesting novella. As with the previous Tor.com novella I read, Alter S. Reiss’s Sunset Mantle, it is an interesting introduction to a fantasy setting by a talented new author, with plenty to offer fans of fantasy and shorter fiction. Continue reading
Upcoming: LEVIATHAN’S BLOOD by Ben Peek (Tor UK)
I shared the cover for Ben Peek‘s second novel a little while ago on Twitter, but Tor UK have recently posted a piece about the cover and novel, and I thought it should be up on CR as well. Leviathan’s Blood is the sequel to The Godless. Here’s what it’s about:
The city of Mireea has been destroyed and its survivors seek shelter, refugees from a great war. Among them, Zaifyr and his companions arrive at the gates of Yeflam, seeking asylum. Zaifyr’s immortal status might gain them access – but will that be enough? And although they are weary indeed, they also face a bigger threat than lack of sanctuary. A new child god has entered the world, and she will do anything to destroy those who might threaten her power. Zaifyr warns Yeflam of the danger she poses. But it’s too late. Priests of the new god have entered the city.
Meanwhile, Ayae becomes enmeshed in Muriel Wagan’s machinations. Now known as Lady of the Ghosts, Muriel seeks leverage to protect her people. But anyone in her way will find politics are more dangerous than the sword. Then on the other side of the world, the saboteur Bueralan returns home. Around his neck he carries a terrible cargo: the soul of a dead man. He’s been set on a dark path by the child god and he must face the consequences. For they will change a whole world.
I like the relatively-simple composition and idea behind the cover — and the execution is quite stunning. It was designed by Neal Lang.
Leviathan’s Blood is due to be published in April 2016.
For more on Ben Peek’s writing and novel, be sure to check out his website, and follow him on Twitter and Goodreads.
Also on CR: Interview with Ben Peek
Quick Review: THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNEW IT by Nick Cole
An interesting post-zombie apocalypse novel
In the future, an artist specializing in historical records creates a piece of art based on three separate accounts of the Pandemic. What follows is a patchwork tale of survival and horror as two lovers struggle to survive the undying dead and the collapse of an America turned charnel house. Told as memos from Ground Zero, and later in the journal of a Dark Tower-like quest by train and foot across a nightmare landscape of ruined cities and raving corpses, the three accounts reveal more than just the grim realities of society’s collapse. The Notebook meets The Walking Dead in this stained glass depiction of the end of the world as we knew it.
After learning about this book via a Tweet from BoingBoing, I promptly headed over to Amazon and bought it. I started it that same day, and blitzed through it pretty quickly. It’s an interesting read, offering something new for a genre and threw out some surprises. It’s an engaging, ultimately uplifting post-apocalyptic tale. Continue reading
Upcoming: SPELLBREAKER by Blake Charlton (Tor/Voyager)
Above are the covers for the long-awaited third novel in Blake Charlton‘s Spellwright Trilogy, Spellbreaker. The sequel to Spellbound, it works as a stand-alone. It’s due out in June 2016, published in the US by Tor Books and in the UK by Voyager. Here’s the synopsis:
Leandra Weal has a bad habit of getting herself in dangerous situations.
While hunting neodemons in her role as Warden of Ixos, Leandra obtains a prophetic spell that provides a glimpse one day into her future. She discovers that she is doomed to murder someone she loves, soon, but not who. That’s a pretty big problem for a woman who has a shark god for a lover, a hostile empress for an aunt, a rogue misspelling wizard for a father, and a mother who — especially when arguing with her daughter — can be a real dragon.
Leandra’s quest to unravel the mystery of the murder-she-will-commit becomes more urgent when her chronic disease flares up and the Ixonian Archipelago is plagued by natural disasters, demon worshiping cults, and fierce political infighting. Everywhere she turns, Leandra finds herself amid intrigue and conflict. It seems her bad habit for getting into dangerous situations is turning into a full blown addiction.
As chaos spreads across Ixos, Leandra and her troubled family must race to uncover the shocking truth about a prophesied demonic invasion, human language, and their own identities — if they don’t kill each other first.
I rather enjoyed the first two novels in the trilogy, but four years and many novels later, I have forgotten a fair bit of what happened in them…
Also on CR: Interview with Blake Charlton; Reviews of Spellwright and Spellbound
For more, be sure to check out the author’s website, and follow him on Twitter, Goodreads and Facebook.
Quick Q&A with NATHAN GARRISON
Let’s start with an introduction: Who is Nathan Garrison?
I am a father, husband, musician, chef, soldier, dreamer, and geek. Oh, and I write stuff too!
Your debut novel, Veiled Empire, is published by Voyager. It looks pretty interesting: How would you introduce it to a potential reader? Is it part of a series?
I’d say it’s got a decent blend of classic and modern styles, both in tone and content, and is packed with action. It is part of a (forthcoming) series, but it can also be read as a standalone. Continue reading
Civilian Reader 