This has been doing the rounds already, but I thought I’d share it here as well. I’ve really enjoyed the first two seasons, and am (despite never reading the novels) really looking forward to the third season.
Official GAME OF THRONES Season 3 Trailer
Upcoming: “Before the Fall” by Francis Knight (Orbit)
I loved the first novel in Knight’s Rojan Dizon series, Fade to Black. I thought it was a fun, well-written and fast-paced fantasy thriller, in a very well-realised world. I have, therefore, been keeping my eyes open for more information about its soon-to-be-released sequel, Before the Fall. I’ve posted the artwork before, but was waiting on a synopsis. Which I now have. So here it is:
With the destruction of their main power source, the towering vertical city of Mahala is in crisis.
Downsiders are verging on a riot, and the mage Rojan Dizon is just trying to keep his head down and some power back to the city — whilst staying hopeful that he won’t get executed for using his magic. Then things go from bad to worse when a Downsider and emerging mage is found murdered. It’s a crime that divides all sides, and the result is mayhem.
But Rojan’s worst nightmare is just around the corner. When he discovers the killer’s identity, he’s either going to be responsible for all-out anarchy, or for a war with Mahala’s neighboring countries that no one is prepared for.
And there’s nothing Rojan hates more than being responsible.
Before the Fall will be published by Orbit in both the UK and US on June 18, 2013 (in paperback and eBook editions).
“Blood Blessing” & “Reaper” by Sarah Cawkwell (Black Library)
I have been woefully slow about reading Sarah Cawkwell’s full-length fiction for Black Library. I therefore decided to address this and, to get me in the mood for Valkia the Bloody, I thought I’d read the latest two (of three) short stories that feature Valkia, daemon princess and consort of the blood god Khorne (the third I have already read and reviewed). Both of these stories were considerable improvements on what I’ve read by Cawkwell in the past, and I really enjoyed both.
Blood Blessing
Approached on a blood-soaked battlefield by the terrifying, yet enthralling, Valkia the Bloody, a dying warrior is offered a choice: a bloody end or a life of eternal slaughter.
This is a (very) short story from Black Library’s 15th Birthday collection. It’s narrated as though Valkia is addressing the fallen warrior, but as if she is detached and rehearsing what she will say to him, when the time comes. It’s rather good.
“If you choose glory, Khorne will raise you up to more than you could ever imagine you could be. You will fight the Battle Eternal in His name, the endless thirst for blood and the desire to bring skulls to His Throne driving you ever onwards. You will fall countless times in those wars, banished to the eternal realm by the foul magic and enchanted blades of the living, but you will rise again and again.”
I liked the idea of a daemon taking a role similar to that of the Valkyrie from Norse mythology – only, here, she is a twisted and sinister version, and rather than carrying off the souls of brave warriors to Valhalla, she is offering bloodthirsty killers the chance to fight for eternity.
The extremely short format has meant Cawkwell has had to restrain some of the over-writing that has, in my opinion, weakened some of her previous BL work (especially the first Valkia short story). This is by no means Cawkwell’s weakness alone, I should point out: it is something that affects a number of BL’s authors (I had the same problem with Rob Sanders’s Atlas Infernal, for example), and it is a real hazard whenever something Chaotic is involved in a story. Here, however, Cawkwell has written a very tight, sharp slice of Warhammer fiction.
Overall, Blood Blessing is a masterfully-written and very well-constructed vignette, one that should appeal to fans of Warhammer, and perhaps also act as a good introduction to anyone interested in this character.
*
Reaper
Empire Captain Kale von Kessel lies dying upon the field of battle after a doomed defence against the forces of Chaos. As the enemy leader – the infamous consort of Khorne, Valkia the Bloody – approaches to claim his head in the name of her dark master, von Kessel realises that his life of battle has been leading to this moment, and that Valkia wants more than just his head – she has been sent to claim his very soul.
This is another very good story. It’s longer (though still only a short story), which means it gives us a little bit more time with Valkia on the battlefield. We get to see how she addresses and approaches those warriors she has chosen. It has a pretty similar premise to the story reviewed above, but instead of a one-sided narrative, here Valkia takes us into the mind and past of von Kessel. It’s quite sinister, actually, as Valkia walks us through the imperial captain’s warlike… tendencies. It’s interesting to see her twist von Kessel’s perception, to pull back the veil on the many lies he’s been telling himself about his bloodlust.
As with Blood Blessing, Reaper is tightly written, with an overall dark atmosphere, and plenty of restrained-though-vivid description. It’s another taste of Valkia’s life and character, and it certainly piqued my interest in reading more about her and her bloody exploits.
“Berthold’s Beard” by Joshua Reynolds (Black Library)
A Gotrek & Felix short story
When Gotrek and Felix agree to help an impoverished nobleman reclaim his birthright, they are thrown into a battle for survival against a creature from their darkest nightmares.
Previously printed in the Black Library Weekender 2012 Saturday Anthology, Berthold’s Beard is a quick tale featuring the Dwarf Slayer and his human companion. It’s quite fun, too, indicating once again that the Gotrek & Felix franchise remains in safe hands.
Berthold’s Beard captures the tone and fun of William King’s and James Nathan Long’s G&F fiction, but does not ape their style. The story is an odd one, to be sure, but no less fun for it. It is, however, very short, which makes it rather tricky to review without spoiling everything. Our heroes have been hired by an heir to the Berthold line, to complete a legacy quest – they must travel to the ancient Berthold family country estate and return with something, by way of proving the nobleman’s heritage and therefore gaining access to the family’s vast fortunes. Sounds easy, right? Yeah, it’s really not that simple. But then, it never is when Gotrek and Felix are involved…
If you’re a fan of the series, then this short story will tide you over until you can get hold of the latest novel, Road of Skulls (out now in paperback and eBook). As I said, the series is in very safe hands, and Reynolds has faithfully recreated the fun and adventure of the previous instalments of the series. I’m really looking forward to reading his first full-length contribution (I may read it next week, we’ll see).
If you’ve never read the series, I think it’s about time you pick up either the first Omnibus paperback, or at least the Trollslayer eBook. If you’re worried because you’ve never read any Warhammer fiction, then this would also be a perfect starting point. (Many moons ago, that’s exactly what this series was for me.)
Recommended.
***
UPDATE: Apologies for getting the second author’s name wrong – it was, of course, NATHAN Long who took over from Will King.
Review: FALSE COVENANT by Ari Marmell (Pyr)
Widdershins rides again, thieving and attempting to survive a nasty supernatural threat
It’s over half a year since the brutal murder of Archbishop William de Laurent during his pilgrimage to the Galicien city of Davillon. During that time, the Church of the Hallowed Pact has assigned a new bishop to the city — but it has also made its displeasure at the death of its clergyman quite clear. Davillon’s economy has suffered beneath the weight of the Church’s displeasure. Much of the populace — angry at the clergy — has turned away from the Church hierarchy, choosing private worship or small, independent shrines. And the bishop, concerned for his new position and angry at the people of Davillon, plans to do something about it.
But a supernatural threat is stalking the night-time streets, come to infiltrate the seedier streets of Davillon, to intertwine its tendrils through the lower echelons of society. Faced with both political upheaval and a supernatural threat to its citizenry, the local representatives of the Church are paralyzed and the Guardsmen are in over their heads.
Into this mix, you have to add Widdershins, the hero of Thief’s Covenant, gifted member of the Finders Guild, and sole worshipper of the god Olgun. This second Widdershins adventure maintains the fun and excellent pacing of the first, and shows that Marmell has the ability to write for younger readers and adults with equal skill. This novel, while not perfect, was a lot of fun and showcases Marmell’s gift for writing the sinister side of fantasy as well as the fun side. Continue reading
Review: THIEF’S COVENANT by Ari Marmell (Pyr)
A great new heroine in a great new world
Once she was Adrienne Satti. An orphan of Davillon, she had somehow escaped destitution and climbed to the ranks of the city’s aristocracy in a rags-to-riches story straight from an ancient fairy tale. Until one horrid night, when a conspiracy of forces — human and other — stole it all away in a flurry of blood and murder.
Today she is Widdershins, a thief making her way through Davillon’s underbelly with a sharp blade, a sharper wit, and the mystical aid of Olgun, a foreign god with no other worshippers but Widdershins herself. It’s not a great life, certainly nothing compared to the one she once had, but it’s hers.
But now, in the midst of Davillon’s political turmoil, an array of hands are once again rising up against her, prepared to tear down all that she’s built. The City Guard wants her in prison. Members of her own Guild want her dead. And something horrid, something dark, something ancient is reaching out for her, a past that refuses to let her go. Widdershins and Olgun are going to find answers, and justice, for what happened to her — but only if those who almost destroyed her in those years gone by don’t finish the job first.
This is the start of what promises to be a great new YA fantasy series. I’d only read one other novel by Ari Marmell before reading Thief’s Covenant, The Conqueror’s Shadow, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was intrigued by the idea of Marmell writing YA fiction, so came into this with high expectations. Luckily, my expectations were exceeded: this novel is a fun, action-packed and sneaky adventure. Thief’s Covenant features engaging characters and a great story, and kept me reading well into the night on more than one occasion. Continue reading
Review: THE CONQUEROR’S SHADOW by Ari Marmell (Gollancz)
A brilliant new fantasy, with a sense of fun and a classic feel.
They called him the Terror of the East. His past shrouded in mystery, his identity hidden behind a suit of enchanted black armour and a skull-like helm, Corvis Rebaine carved a bloody path through Imphallion, aided by Davro, a savage ogre, and Seilloah, a witch with a taste for human flesh. No shield or weapon could stop his demon-forged axe. And no magic could match the spells of his demon slave, Khanda.
Yet just when ultimate victory was in his grasp, Rebaine faltered. His plans of conquest, born from a desire to see Imphallion governed with firmness and honesty, shattered. Amid the chaos of a collapsing army, Rebaine vanished, taking only a single hostage – the young noblewoman Tyannon – to guarantee his escape.
Seventeen years later, Rebaine and Tyannon are married, living in obscurity and raising their children, a daughter and a son. Rebaine has put his past behind him, and given up his dreams of conquest. Not even news of Audriss – an upstart warlord following Rebaine’s old path of conquest – can stir the retired warrior to action.
Until his daughter is assaulted by Audriss’ goons.
Now, to rescue the country he once tried to conquer, Rebaine once more dons the armour of the Terror of the East and seeks his former allies. But Davro has become a peaceful farmer. Seilloah has no wish to leave her haunted forest home. And Khanda… well, to describe his feelings for his former master as undying hatred would be an understatement.
But even if Rebaine can convince his onetime comrades to join him, he faces a greater challenge: does he dare to reawaken the part of him that glories in cruelty, blood and destruction? With the safety of his family at stake, can he dare not to?
I’ve not got much experience reading Marmell’s work. I do know his Vampire: The Masqueradenovel, Gehenna: The Final Night, which I thought was good, but I am not familiar with his roleplay output at all. Despite his success in the US, the author doesn’t appear to be too-well-known in the UK; it probably doesn’t help that I’ve yet to actually see a copy of Conqueror’s Shadow in any bookstore, despite it’s recent publication over here. The author’s first foray into an entirely original setting, the Conqueror’s Shadow exceeded my expectations, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Continue reading
Civilian Reader 