Author: Civilian Reader

Excerpt: CITY OF STAIRS by Robert Jackson Bennett (Jo Fletcher Books)

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BennettRJ-CityOfStairsUKRobert Jackson Bennett‘s City of Stairs was one of my favourite novels from last year. Just released in paperback in the UK by Jo Fletcher Books, the publisher has provided and extract for me to share here. But first, the synopsis:

The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions — until its divine protectors were killed. Now Bulikov has become just another colonial outpost of the world’s new geopolitical power, but the surreal landscape of the city itself — first shaped, now shattered, by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it — stands as a constant, haunting reminder of its former supremacy.

Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov’s oppressors. Unofficially, she is one of her country’s most accomplished spies, dispatched to catch a murderer. But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem — and that Bulikov’s cruel reign may not yet be over.

Read on for Chapter 1…
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Interview with JAMES BENMORE

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BenmoreJ-AuthorPicLet’s start with an introduction: Who is James Benmore?

I’m the author of a trilogy of novels that further the adventures of Jack Dawkins from Oliver Twist – or the Artful Dodger as you and I might call him. The first of these books, Dodger, was released to a very warm reception last year and so it’s been a real pleasure to keep his story going for another two books.

Your next novel, Dodger of the Dials, is published in paperback this year by Heron. It’s your second novel about the Artful Dodger. How would you introduce the series to a new reader, and what can fans of the first expect?

So, Dodger picks up six years after the events of Oliver Twist. In that book, Jack was arrested for pickpocketing and was transported to an Australian penal colony. But now he’s back in London under mysterious circumstances with a task to locate a priceless jewel which is lost somewhere within the city. The story leads Jack back into some of the darker areas of his past and he finds out what has become of many of the other young orphans that once shared Fagin’s home with him. It’s a historical crime caper with one of literature’s most irreverent anti-heroes at its center.

Dodger of the Dials is set a year after that and now an even more emboldened Dawkins is establishing himself as one of London’s most ambitious criminals. He’s moved from pickpocketing and is now a burglar-on-demand, cracking great houses on behalf of dubious wealthy clients. He also runs a significantly large gang in the Seven Dials vicinity called ‘the Diallers’ but his success attracts unwanted attention from an even bigger career criminal called Weeping Billy Slade. We see the beginnings of what we now call organized crime but this prototype is a disaster for Jack. Before long he’s in a condemned cell awaiting his own execution like Fagin before him and with some desperate plans for escape. Continue reading →

Music: WE ARE HARLOT

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WeAreHarlot-WeAreHarlotAsking Alexandria’s From Death to Destiny was one of my favourite albums from last year. It’s probably one of my favourite albums full stop, too. I was most upset, therefore, to learn that Danny Worsnop (AA’s vocalist) was leaving the band. However, he has a new band! Teaming up with Jeff George (formerly Sebastian Bach’s guitarist), Brian Weaver (former bassist for the also excellent Silvertide) and Bruno Agra (former drummer for Revolution Renaissance), he’s back in We Are Harlot. The band’s eponymous new album dropped this week (released by Roadrunner Records).

WeAreHarlot-Band

Here are a couple of music videos:

“Dancing on Nails”:

“The One”:

And the audio for “Denial”:

Music: PVRIS

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Pvris-WhiteNoiseI stumbled across PVRIS‘s music quite by accident. But, after just one listen, I’ve become rather hooked on the album. There’s definitely a more pop-sensibility than I’ve usually seen in a Rise Records release, but the band’s debut album — White Noise — is damn fine. It offers a nice mix of pop’s pristine melodies and production, some electronica flourishes, some rock and/or punk attitude (but not contrived). Quite excellent, really.

Here are the band’s two music videos to date:

“My House”

“St. Patrick”

Change is Good…

Civilian Reader Uncategorized

I’m going to start winding this site down.

I started Civilian Reader (and the far less active Politics Reader) while at university, in April 2006.* The blog was a way to get a bit of a break from the academic books and articles I was reading. I wanted to read outside of my subject and area of ‘expertise’, while also doing something with what I was reading. It was cheap-and-cheerful writing practice.

I think the site grew pretty well. Readership grew, quite nicely at times, and I know I convinced some people to read new authors. That’s one of the main things I wanted to do.

The advance review copies were very nice, certainly. True, sometimes the volume was insane, overwhelming, but… I loved that — it proved how vibrant the genres and industry were (despite the doomsaying).

Since leaving university, I have had a very hard time finding proper employment, and Civilian Reader became a way to fill and mark time. A way to convince/fool myself that I was actually keeping busy and being productive. I’m not sure that’s healthy, and I’m pretty sure it’s been counterproductive.

So. I think I’m done with continuing to work on the blog as I have been. It’s just something I can’t expend as much energy on it anymore.

In the future, if a book elicits a particularly strong emotion (good or bad), I’m sure I’ll post a review or some quick thoughts. Some habits are difficult to break, after all. There are a few review copies that have come through that I will be reading over the next couple of weeks, too, so I’ll review those as well. But, ultimately, I won’t be spending nearly as much time on the site. I might start using it for slightly different things, too. Some more interviews will go up, as they’re scheduled already. Maybe the occasional article and/or guest post.

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New Books: March #2

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A few more thrillers this time around, most of which I bought – this has been part of a conscious decision on my part to read more non-SFF books. Mainly because I think I’m overdosing on those genres, and I feel like I’m missing out on authors I ordinarily would love to read.

Featuring: Zachary Brown, Kristi Charish, Harlan Coben, Eve Darrows, Lindsey Davis, Christopher Golden, Richard Kadrey, Robert Karjel, Paul S. Kemp, Shane Kuhn, Owen Laukkanen, Mike Lawson, Tim Lebbon, Scott McCloud, Keija Parssinen, Dan Simmons, Lachlan Smith, Sue Tingey

[GIF from Black Books – a fantastic, curmudgeonly UK TV comedy series. Recommended.] Continue reading →

Quick Review: THE PROFESSIONALS by Owen Laukkanen (Corvus/Berkley)

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LaukkanenO-S&W1-ProfessionalsUKA fast-paced, engaging debut thriller

Four friends, caught in a terrible job market, joke about turning to kidnapping to survive. And then, suddenly, it’s no joke. For two years, the strategy they devise works like a charm – until they kidnap the wrong man.

Now two groups are after them – the law, in the form of veteran state investigator Kirk Stevens and hotshot young FBI agent Carla Windermere, and an organized crime outfit looking for payback. As they crisscross the country in a series of increasingly explosive confrontations, each of them is ultimately forced to recognize the truth: the real professionals, cop or criminal, are those who are willing to sacrifice everything.

This is the first of Laukkanen’s Stevens & Windermere thriller, and it marked the arrival of a great new voice for the genre. The novel is quickly-paced. The characters are interesting and mostly well-developed. It has a few debut niggles, but it’s pretty polished and gripping. I’ll be reading the rest of Laukkanen’s novels, and be keeping an eye open for more in the future. Continue reading →

Guest Review: FINN FANCY NECROMANCY by Randy Henderson (Tor/Titan)

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HendersonR-FinnFancyNecromancyUSReviewed by Ryan Frye

Finn Gramaraye was framed for the crime of dark necromancy at the age of fifteen, when the surviving victim of a dark ritual was found in his bedroom. Convicted and exiled to the Other Realm for twenty-five years — twenty-five years as a disembodied soul, tormented by the Others — Finn is now being set free. But his return is met by a magical attack on his escorts, and Finn is framed again for dark necromancy.

Finn has only a few days to discover who is so desperate to keep him out of the mortal world, and find enough evidence to prove it to Arcane Enforcers who already view him as a criminal.

Unfortunately, his family are little help. Father has become a mad magical inventor. Brother Mort fears that Finn wants to take over the family business.  Sister Sammy is now a jaded hacker allergic to magic. And simple but sweet brother Pete still believes he’s a werewolf because of a childhood dog bite, yet wants Finn to help him find a girlfriend.

Finn is joined by Zeke, a former Arcane Enforcer and fellow exile seeking to prove himself worthy of returning to duty — even if that means proving Finn guilty. Together, they will battle magical creatures, family drama, and the challenges of Finn’s love life as they race to solve the mystery of who wants Finn returned to exile, and why.

Finn Fancy Necromancy is a book that came in completely under my 2015 “Hey that looks good I should check it out” radar. However, when I read the blurb I was sucked in, and accordingly bumped it up the reading pile for rapid deployment. Like many Urban Fantasies, this one features a first person perspective and a fast paced plot. Henderson doesn’t waste any time in ratcheting up the action and adventure. We first meet the titular character, Finn as he is being released from twenty-five years’ worth of magical exile. He’s been cut off from the world since 1985, so as you can imagine, he has lots of catching up to do.

Upon his return, Finn is immediately framed for another crime that will certainly put him back into exile unless he can somehow prove his innocence. This crime he’s been framed for sets up all the action for the remainder of the book, and since this all goes down in the very early stages of the narrative; it gives the book a breakneck pace which makes the pages just fly by. Continue reading →

Upcoming: THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS by Edward Cox (Gollancz)

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Gollancz unveiled the cover for Edward Cox‘s second Relic Guild novel today: The Cathedral of Known Things. Because I’m a fan of the first novel, as well as a friend of Ed’s (full disclosure), I’m sharing it here as well. It’s quite stunning, I think – shares the same aesthetic/style of the first novel’s cover (below). And that purple really pops… It’s due to be published in the UK in October 2015. I couldn’t find a synopsis, but I’m sure I’ll share it here when I do.

Also on CR: Interview with Edward Cox; Guest Post on “Writes & Wrongs”; Review of The Relic Guild

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