My Malazan fix!

Though it's a wonderful read, Naomi Novik's Victory of Eagles (Canada, USA, Europe) has been relegated to my "work" book.

Indeed, now that the mailman has finally brought my ARC of Ian Cameron Esslemont's Return of the Crimson Guard (Canada, USA, Europe, and PS Publishing), my reading time at home is taken up by this latest Malazan offering. And with my set of page proofs of Steven Erikson's Toll the Hounds (Canada, USA, Europe) on its way, I'm salivating at the thought of reading these two novels back to back! What can I say!?! I need my Malazan fix!!!:p

As for Return of the Crimson Guard, I'm about 150 pages into the book and this one is as complex and convoluted as any of Erikson's Malazan installment.

We likes it. We likes it a lot!

Win an autographed copy of Ekaterina Sedia's THE SECRET HISTORY OF MOSCOW

A few weeks back, I read Ekaterina Sedia's enthralling The Secret History of Moscow (Canada, USA, Europe), and the book will certainly make my Top 10 of 2008. And now, you can find out for yourself how good this novel truly is! Thanks to the author's generosity, I have five signed copies up for grabs! She also offered to personalize each winner's copy, if they are so inclined! My advice: Read this book!

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "MOSCOW." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.

Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.

Good luck to all the participants!

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (May 6th)

In hardcover:

Jim Butcher's Small Favor is down eight positions, ending its fourth week on the charts at number 17. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

In paperback:

Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind is up one spot, finishing its fourth week on the NYT list at number 10. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box is up five positions, ending its third week on the bestseller list at number 29. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Sherrilyn Kenyon's Devil May Cry is down nine spots, finishing its third week on the prestigious list at number 33. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Quote of the Day

You should have seen the look on her face. It was the exact same look my father gave me when I told him I wanted to become a ventriloquist.

- GEORGE COSTANZA, Seinfeld

The lowdown on the US release of Richard Morgan's THE STEEL REMAINS

In light of all the grumbling generated by the fact that there was no US pub date regarding Morgan's fantasy debut, The Steel Remains (Canada, USA, Europe), I decided to inquire to lay the matter to rest.

I heard back from Betsy Mitchell, editor in chief at Del Rey Books, this morning. With the fall season already crowded, they felt that the book would benefit from a spring release date. Hence, the US edition of The Steel Remains will be published on February 24th 2009.

You see, sometimes I am the bringer of good news!;-)

Infoquake

Right off the bat, let me just say that David Louis Edelman's Infoquake just might be one of the very best science fiction debuts I have ever read. The book deserves all the praise it has garnered, and then some! Only rarely will a debut author produce the sort of work which habitually comes from celebrated veterans.

As the blurb implies, Infoquake takes speculative fiction into uncharted waters: the corporate boardroom of the future. And as such, Edelman's debut is truly unique in its approach. Technological advancements such as virtual reality and cybernetic enhancements have become staples in the genre. And yet, with David Louis Edelman's professional background in programming, software development, and marketing, the author's take on the technology and its cutthroat marketplace feels extremely genuine. Edelman brings a fresh vision to "old" ideas and clichés, which makes Infoquake something special.

Natch, the main protagonist, is a master of bio/logics -- the science of using programming code to extend the capabilities of the human body and mind. Unscrupulous and competitive to a fault, Natch managed to fight his way to the top of the bio/logics market. His sometimes questionable tactics have made him many enemies along the way. Nevertheless, the stellar rise of the Natch Personal Programming fiefcorp brought Natch to the attention of Margaret Surina, the creator of the mysterious new technology known as MultiReal. Ostensibly, Surina appears to have enlisted Natch's devious mind to keep MultiReal out of the hands of High Executive Len Borda and the Defense and Wellness Council. But events hint at a hidden agenda of her own. With enemies closing in on all sides, Natch and his team must accomplish an impossible feat; understand this strange new technology, run it through the product development stages, and have MultiReal ready for public release -- all in a matter of a few days. Hanging ominously over their colossal endeavor is the menace of the infoquake, the lethal burst of energy disrupting the bio/logics networks and threatening the integrity of the entire world.

Natch is an anti-hero and a bit of a nut job, all of which makes him an unpredictable character. Contrary to a majority of scifi yarns, its the characterization which carries Infoquake forward. Though Natch is a captivating character, the supporting cast is equally interesting, with characters such as Jara, Horvil and Quell. I'm really looking forward to learning more about each of them in the two sequels. . .

The worldbuilding is another enthralling facet of this novel. Similar to Frank Herbert's Dune, a massive machine vs mankind conflict known as the Autonomous Revolt brought civilization on the brink of destruction in the past. Edelman's story occurs a few centuries following the human race's Reawakening, in a disturbingly realistic future. The author has created a richly detailed universe. But instead of relying on info dumps throughout, Edelmen elected to include a number of appendixes at the end of the book. In addition, there seems to be a wealth of information available on http://www.infoquake.net/.

Ambitious, vast in scope, with a deftly executed plot and impeccable prose from start to finish, David Louis Edelman's Infoquake is a fascinating read. 2006 was one of the best years in memory in terms of impressive speculative fiction debuts. Had I read it when it was originally released, Infoquake would have trumped Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora, Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon, Brian Ruckley's Winterbirth, and Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself.

Highly recommended. I can't wait to sink my teeth into the sequel, MultiReal (Canada, USA, Europe).

The final verdict: 8/10

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe

Melinda Snodgrass contest winners!

Our three winners will each receive a copy of Melinda Snodgrass' The Edge of Reason (Canada, USA, Europe), courtesy of Tor Books.

The winners are:

- Mikey Reppy, from Wilmington, Delaware, USA

- Lisa Green, from Delta, British Columbia, Canada (Nienna on asoiaf.westeros.org)

- Scott Willis, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Quick Tidal on malazanempire.com)

Thanks to all the participants!

Jeff Somers contest winners!

Our two winners will get their hands on a complimentary copy of Jeff Somers' The Digital Plague (Canada, USA, Europe), thanks to the folks at Orbit.

The winners are:

- Mark Abbott, from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

- Andrew Lavigne, from Thurmont, Maryland, USA (AndrewJ on sffworld.com)

Thanks to all the participants!

Pre-order Richard Morgan's THE STEEL REMAINS at 50% off!

I don't know if this is a marketing ploy between Gollancz and Amazon. . .

But after Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie, it's now Richard Morgan's turn to enjoy a heavy discount regarding his fantasy debut. Indeed, you can now pre-order The Steel Remains at 50% off. Which means that you get a hardback edition for a little over six pounds on Amazon.co.uk!

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe

Win a copy of Troy Denning's STAR WARS: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: INVINCIBLE

My review copy of Troy Denning's Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Invincible showed up in my mailbox last Friday. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe. And since it's the final chapter in a series I haven't read, I've decided to host a giveaway for my copy!:-) If you hang out on any Star Wars message boards, feel free to spread the word!

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Second, your email must contain your full mailing address (that's snail mail!), otherwise your message will be deleted.

Lastly, multiple entries will disqualify whoever sends them. And please include your screen name and the message boards that you frequent using it, if you do hang out on a particular MB.

Good luck to all the participants!

The Farseer Graphic Adaptation

Yet another piece of Robin Hobb's forthcoming graphic adaptation of The Farseer, all in color, thanks to the folks at http://www.rivages-maudits.com/.:-)

OH JOHN RINGO NO!

Many thanks to Ran for bringing our attention to this veritable gem!;-)

You MUST read this review.

I find it shocking that stuff like this gets published, but what the heck!?! You will laugh -- or cry!:p

Though the books seem incredibly bad, I'm tempted, in a sick sort of way, to read at least the first one. . .