‘Ghost Omnibus, Volume 3’ – Various (Dark Horse)

If you were around for the last blog then you probably heard the story of how I got into reading ‘Ghost’ and many other comics when I went to college (roughly half a lifetime ago now but who’s counting?) If you weren't around for the last blog, ‘Ghost’ was a relatively new comic that offered me the chance to jump on board without having to know the minutiae of what happened in #960 etc, you know how it is.

What kept me reading though was the mystery of Elisa Cameron; who she was and why someone had killed her. There was a real depth of characterization that really made me care about finding out the answers to those questions (set against the glorious backdrop of Arcadia, grimy noir if ever I saw it).

I read along for a bit but then life went down different paths and I left ‘Ghost’ behind, until now that is. Thanks to the collected volumes (unwieldy phrasing I know but I still need to find out the plural of ‘omnibus’…) I’ve been catching up, two more volumes to go after this one. Volume Three it is then…

We've now reached the point with ‘Ghost’ where we’re not quite ready for the answers but we’re being prepared to receive them in Volume Four. Things start to become a little clearer then and, amongst all the regular stuff that Ghost does so well, I found myself strangely reluctant to continue. The mystery is the whole point of ‘Ghost’ and when that’s gone there’s nothing left, the story has to finish. I guess I’m not ready for that to happen just yet.

In the meantime though, there is plenty to read with Arcadia still trying to tear itself apart and Elisa trying to get her head round what happens next now that she has rid herself of a major threat. Eric Luke and a team of artists all combine well to show us the battles that Elisa must face in Arcadia as well as within herself. Sometimes these two themes merge and the introduction of the villain Silhouette makes Elisa really face up to who, and what, she is. It’s a compelling read, albeit tinged with a little sadness that the end is coming. The big ‘3’ on the cover is a not so subtle clue that this isn't the place to start if you’re a newcomer to the series; long term readers will find a lot to enjoy though. On to Volume Four…

Books In The Post (Aftermath Edition...)

Okay, aftermath is a strong word but it kind of felt appropriate after coming downstairs this morning and seeing birthday presents strewn everywhere. Hope turned four yesterday, where have the years gone? It doesn't feel that long ago that Hope was just starting to turn burbling noises into proper words; now she is trying to negotiate sweets for breakfast when I don't let her have chocolate cake...

But anyway... In amongst the debris were some books that turned up en-masse and are demanding room on the shelves. Check them out (apologies for the slightly blurry pic)

I want to read all of them but 'Crown of Renewal' didn't make the cut. Nothing against the book at all; it's the nth book in a series though and I don't have the time to get all caught up, not when there are other books that I want to read first.

The other books though will all be read, some sooner than others. I need a few laughs in my reading so 'The Serpent of Venice' will be read very soon as will 'God's War'; not a funny book at all (from what I've heard) but very well regarded and I want to see what the fuss is all about. The plan is for that to lead on to a read of 'Infidel' in the near future.

And what is that book in the bottom right corner? Would that be an ARC of Mark Lawrence's 'Prince of Fools'? It is and despite my being well behind in reading about that 'loveable rogue' Jorg Ancrath, I am really keen to get into this book. You might have to wait a little bit for the actual review though (I think that people are being asked to hold off reviews until a little closer to the publication date).

What else am I reading/watching? I'm still plodding my way through Stella Gemmell's 'The City' (just enough to keep me going but it's a real slog at times) and I'm halfway through the first season of 'Game of Thrones' (feeling very sorry for Gregor Clegane's horse, everyone else seems to be getting what they deserve though). It's awesome, why didn't you make me watch it sooner...? ;o)

What about you guys? What are you reading?

Cover Art! Weird West and a Fae P.I...

Having just written that title, I find myself wanting to read a novel about a fey detective (you know, just for a change) Maybe one day... But I'm digressing before I've even got going. The Red Bull is kicking in at exactly the wrong time.

There was once a time when I wasn't all that keen on the covers that Titan Books dressed their work up in. Don't get me wrong, it did the job but it felt very 'by the numbers' instead of trying to stand out. Not any longer though, check out these bad boys :o)

John Joseph Adams does great anthologies and it's great to see a UK publisher start to release them over here, long overdue in my opinion. I have a passing interest in the 'Weird West' so would have picked this up anyway but mention of Tad Williams, Elizabeth Bear, Seanan McGuire and Kelley Armstrong has got me eager to get reading. As far as the cover goes; an eye catching yet well balanced mix of 'Wild West' fonts, occult and western symbols against a 'parched' background. The cover does everything asked of it and then a little more, it looks gorgeous from where I'm sat.

Mick Oberon may look like just another 1930s private detective, but beneath the fedora and the overcoat, he’s got pointy ears and he’s packing a wand. Among the last in a line of aristocratic Fae, Mick turned his back on his kind and their Court a long time ago. But when he’s hired to find a gangster’s daughter sixteen years after she was replaced with a changeling, the trail leads Mick from Chicago’s criminal underworld to the hidden Otherworld, where he’ll have to wade through Fae politics and mob power struggles to find the kidnapper and solve the case.

I loved the hell out of 'The Conqueror's Shadow' and 'The Warlord's Legacy' so will definitely give 'Hot Lead, Cold Iron' a go in the hope that it will be similar. I also like the sound of Urban Fantasy in a historical setting (as oppose to the normal present day/near future stuff) so that's got me interested too.
The cover? I'm really into the colour scheme (if you can call it that). The black and white captures the stark feel of what I'm guessing will be a grim old setting; the subtle use of the green gives the cover an otherworldly feel that doesn't over power things. I'm all for subtle :o)

How about you guys, what do you think?

‘Tough Times All Over’ – Joe Abercrombie

Another day, another short story having its moment here on the blog. Joe Abercrombie is an author that I really need to be reading more of (well, start/finish ‘The Heroes’ anyway) and ‘Tough Times All Over’ seemed like as a good a place as any to find my way back in. In case you’re wondering; this is another story taken from the ‘Rogues’ anthology, a book that is already proving to be a handy book to dip in and out of on the daily commute. Seriously, if I didn't already have a copy I would buy ‘Rogues’ when it is published but any way…

‘Tough Times All Over’ tells the tale of the courier Carcolf and the somewhat circuitous route that one of her packages takes through the city of Sipani. I got into this story right away as, unlike GRRM’s contribution (reviewed further down the page), Abercrombie stuffs ‘Tough Times All Over’ chock full of rogues; you literally cannot read a single paragraph without tripping over a rogue up to something nefarious. It was because of this approach that I became well and truly absorbed in a tale full of thievery, daring escapades, well known characters making a return and at least one character that I would really love to see appear again. ‘Tough Times All Over’ is a glorious romp (with loads of surprises and twists, the story ends just before the flow of these becomes overly repetitious) and Abercrombie adds a human touch to the proceedings which means that the tale isn’t just a Technicolor piece of fluff. Rogues are roguish but there is always a very good reason, whether it’s because they’re in debt up to their eyeballs or they just like the thrill of being the best. A little bit of motive can go a long way and here it certainly does a fine job of fleshing characters and providing a hard edge to a fun tale.

On a day when London commuters are going through hell again (thanks for nothing RMT and TFL…) a story like ‘Tough Times All Over’ is a bit of a godsend. Thanks for that Mr Abercrombie!

‘A Game of Thrones, The Graphic Novel – Vol. 3’ – Daniel Abraham, Tommy Patterson (Bantam)

In King’s Landing, Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell—the Hand of King Robert Baratheon—is surrounded by enemies. Some are openly declared, such as Ser Jaime Lannister and his sister, Queen Cersei. Others are hidden in the shadows. Still others wear the smiling mask of friends. But all are deadly, as Eddard is about to discover.

Nor is the enmity between Eddard and the Lannister siblings the sole source of friction between these powerful noble families. For Tyrion Lannister, the Imp—whose stunted, twisted body houses the mind of a genius—has but lately won his freedom from Lady Catelyn Stark, Eddard’s wife, who had accused him of attempting to murder her youngest son, Brandon. Now he seeks out his father, his restless thoughts bent on revenge.

Far to the north, the bastard Jon Snow, newly sworn to the Night’s Watch, takes the first faltering steps toward a destiny stranger than he could ever dream—a destiny that will bring him face-to-face with unspeakable horrors from beyond the edge of the world.

While across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen, wed to the great Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo, and pregnant with his child—a son prophesied to conquer the world—will see her own destiny take an unforeseen turn.

I've really been enjoying these adaptations but now find myself in the position where I just want to get this review out of the way and move on to something else. Don’t get me wrong; I’m still enjoying these graphic novels but Abraham and Patterson have settled into such a well-oiled routine (putting the books together) that it’s actually impossible to say anything about this volume that I haven’t already said in the last two reviews. I’ve tried but I just can’t.
Daniel Abraham knows exactly what he is doing and shows that he has no intention of letting GRRM’s labyrinthine plot get away from him. Tommy Patterson’s art gets better and better; hints of Tomas Giorello’s work (in the lightness of the penciling) really appealed to me and I’m looking forward to volume four. There will be a volume four at some point and I’m hoping that will be where this arc ends, dragging it out to another volume would be one book too many. And that's it really; great storytelling as ever but nothing to write home about because all I'd be doing is just repeating what I write home about last time.


So, erm… yeah. Volume Three won’t surprise you at all but if you've read this far then you will be happy with that. ‘A Game of Thrones Volume Three’ doesn't need to change as it’s doing just fine thank you very much. Makes it really awkward to write about though… (I’ll be there for Volume Four though, of course I will) 

On a slightly different note, I'm two episodes into the first season of 'A Game of Thrones' and am loving it. I have a lot of catching up to do...

Cover Art! 'Fearsome Magics' (Edited by Jonathan Strahan)

Every so often, I'm mooching through other people's blogs and think to myself, "wow, I want to blog about that!" Thanks to Gav and No Cloaks Allowed then for pointing me in the direction of the cover art and TOC for the latest  New Solaris Book of Fantasy. I enjoyed the absolute hell out of 'Fearsome Journeys' (well, the bits that I read) so I'm looking forward to reading this new anthology already. It will be published in October this year just in case you were wondering.
But anyway... Have some cover art,

Very much along the same lines as 'Fearsome Journeys' then which is definitely a good thing. Don't waste your time trying to fix something that isn't broke after all. I reckon it will look just great sat next to its older brother on my shelf.
As far as the TOC goes...

• Introduction, Jonathan Strahan
• The Dun Letter, Christopher Rowe
• Home is the Haunter (A Sir Hereward and Mr Fitz story), Garth Nix
• Grigori’s Solution, Isobelle Carmody
• Dream London Hospital, Tony Ballantyne
• Safe House, K J Parker
• Hey Presto!, Ellen Klages
• The Changeling, James Bradley
• Migration, Karin Tidbeck
• On Skybolt Mountain, Justina Robson
• Where Our Edges Lie, Nina Kiriki Hoffman
• Devil’s Bridge, Frances Hardinge
• The Nursery Corner, Kaaron Warren
• Aberration, Genevieve Valentine
• Ice in the Bedroom, Robert Shearman

You know what? Out of all these authors I think I've only read K.J. Parker and Nina Kiriki Hoffman so 'Fearsome Magics' automatically becomes a book full of potential where anything could happen. I like that in a book so I will definitely be picking it up. How about you, do any of those authors jump out as 'must read'?

‘The Rogue Prince, or, a King’s Brother’ – George R.R. Martin

A consideration of the early life, adventures, misdeeds, and marriages of Prince Daemon Targaryen, as set down by Archmaester Gyldayn of the Citadel of Oldtown.

  

Anyone looking to get a little extra fix of ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ could do a lot worse than pick up the anthologies that GRRM edits with Gardner Dozois. I've still to read some (OK, most) of them but I know that GRRM has a rather welcome habit of popping ‘ASOIAF’ stories in these collections; usually right at the end.

With the forthcoming ‘Rogues’ anthology (I would have loved to have seen a ‘Rogue Squadron’ story here but can totally see why that didn't happen…) GRRM has given us a tale of the ‘Rogue Prince’ Daemon Targaryen and how his actions helped contribute to the tragic ‘Dance of Dragons’. I've got to say that Daemon doesn’t come across as particularly roguish in my eyes; sure there is a large amount of whoring and general dallying with royal cousins etc but the staid tones that GRRM has his narrator adopt rob Daemon’s actions of the kind of vibrancy that you would expect from a rogue. This isn't a story so much as it is a recounting of events and while there is a lot to recommend ‘The Rogue Prince’ the energy that it really needed to thrive just isn't there. GRRM also doesn't do himself any favours having Gyldayn question the veracity of the sources and introduce contradiction to the tales. Not only does Daemon come across as not particularly roguish but the reader is left wondering if certain things actually happened at all…

I get why GRRM took this approach and, when you look at the tale from its perspective as a historical text it’s an approach that works very well (posing the kind of questions that such a text would ask). It just doesn’t seem to work in the context of the collection that the story is a part of. Oh well…

That’s not to say that ‘The Rogue Prince’ doesn't work at all though. As a tale of dragons, courtly intrigue, a king who just wants a quiet life and knights hitting each other with big swords it’s an awesome read that I found myself really getting into. What I love most of all are the little details that open up GRRM’s world and leave you wanting to find out more. This time round it was mention of the Black Swan, a courtesan who rose to rule the city of Lys in all but name. Martin has a lot to finish off first but I’m hoping that one day, little asides like these will blossom into much longer works.

‘The Rogue Prince’ is an odd one then. While it has everything that makes GRRM’s work compelling reading it feels like it doesn't quite work as part of this anthology. Enjoy it for what it is though and I reckon you’ll be fine.