Tuesday, July 29, 2008

McNamara, Turner & Dutkiewicz - The Last Realm: Book One, Dragonscarpe (Book Review)


"The Last Realm: Book One, Dragonscarpe" (Amazon: US, UK)
by Pat McNamara, Gary Turner & Michal Dutkiewicz
Format: Coffee-table-sized Hardback, 230 pages
Publisher: Angel Phoenix Publishing
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Dragonscarpe” hit me from out of nowhere. I’ve received a considerate mail from Pat McNamara if I’d be interested in reviewing the first novel in a new illustrated epic fantasy trilogy called “The Last Realm”; the mail included a link to their homepage and because what I saw looked really promising I was more than happy to agree to review the book. The reply I got was prompt and in a couple of days time a colossal 320 page coffee-table-sized hardback encased in a quality wrapping arrived at my doorstep – so it was not only dispatched in no time at all, the condition of the book was also impeccable (if you are not a stranger to internet shopping then crumpled covers hardy even raise your brow). The presentation and the attitude bespoke of professionalism so I was eager to sink my teeth into this epic doorstopper. Unfortunately the course was not as palatable as I had hoped for; it was rather bland and tough to chew at times. But on overall I deem it an impressive and well thought out debut that I would recommend to young adults getting started in the genre. Let me elaborate this further, but first a quick recap.
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More than a thousand Realms -- each constrained by a magical barrier and interconnected by a series of Portals -- governed by a legendary Angelwitch that presides in the Crown Realm of Dragonscarpe, are being ravaged by recurring Rifts and their bloodthirsty spawns, the Rifters. The peace and all the alliances between the Realms are on verge of breakdown. Thrust into the heart of the turmoil are two boyhood friends – Zayd Mon Awes and Wyun Urkana, both Paladins of Dragonscarpe and Protégés to the Angelwitch, but where the former sets on an idealistic task to train four beautiful Elementalists who could hold the key to winning the war (if they don’t kill each other first), the latter fights a more indirect fight always in the first line of battle; although both have their own problems and doubts. A few bad decisions and an incomplete understanding of the situation on the Angelwitch’s part, the scheming of the power-hungry outcast Velcca and the dark truth behind the Rifts make for a majestic finale…
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Dragonscarpe” was created by a collaboration of three men: illustrations were provided by an Award-winning artist Michal Dutkiewicz (Batman etc.), it was written by Pat McNamara and the story concept was sketched out by Gary Turner. They claim to have been inspired by classic fantasy titans such as McCaffrey’s “Pern” and Burrough’s “Martian series”, but I actually found some similarities to the late Robert Jordan’s “Wheel of Time” series (writing-style, setting and lore). The PR blurb boldly claims “The Last Realm” to be a “Lord of the Rings” for the new generation, but this sales pitch really goes a bit too far.

First off, the book is rich with vivid illustrations; after reading text-heavy fantasy tomes without as much as a sketch here or there to break the monotony this really spices things up and comes as a welcome refreshment (some of the illustrations are available here, but I’ve also asked my brother to take some pictures of the book and the results are pretty awesome: pic1, pic2, pic3, pic4, pic5, pic6, pic7). If I had a niggle concerning the art it would have to be that some of the material is really trite and/or juvenile – namely, a lot of half-naked women with huge…attributes that defy the laws of gravity, by all means.

The writing by itself is competent enough, but McNamara’s style somehow failed to capture my imagination and my mind often wandered outside “The Last Realm”. It also feels that the seams between the writing, done by McNamara, and the concepts (lore, worldbuilding, character design etc.), done by Turner, are welded together too loosely and the cracks make for a somewhat clunky reading experience. Strong language is avoided for well-known commercial reasons (YA friendliness), but only in form; I mean, there are no explicit sexual scenes and the violence is portrayed with tactful care, but there is some concealed usage of swearwords (gonsdamned, go rew yourself etc.) and it felt kind of funny and out of place for me. I was also a bit disappointed by the dialogue and while it is never really bad it just doesn’t amuse, it is not memorable and it doesn’t stir your feelings or intellect in any way. Also, the pre-juvenile bantering between the Elementalists makes them one-sided and annoying characters.
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-Ersoola angrily folded her arms across her chest, and said, “You cannot expect…”

Her protest never finished because Alleyne shouldered her aside and gestured in distress at the room.

“But I am Alleyne El Emin, Grand Aeromancer, Fourth in Line of Ascension and Niece to the Grand Azure of the Sky City of Aran, finest Windrider in the Realm of Air, Champion of the Airsword, and revered Cloud Dancer. I demand separate quarters. And I cannot live without servants! Who will do my chores? And Where is my balcony so I can at least escape from time to time this crushing sensation of being buried alive? And the bathing area is completely unacceptable. I need it open to the sky so I can summon cleansing rains. And what of masseurs to aid my body in recovery after training, and banquets in the eve for when I am hungry, and silks to sleep amongst so I at least have a reminder of the comforts of Aran? And scented braziers, to rid these walls of their dreadful earthen rank? And incense to aid me in my meditations, and…” (pg.92)
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The characters are not that interesting and even though some of them have their bright moments they aren’t really well fleshed-out in general. Contemplation, inner-struggles and other basic personality traits are present, but once again - it often felt like I was reading a list of character traits, instead of reading about living and breathing individuals (Zayd is compassionate, idealistic, trusting, good and rather optimistic; Velcca is dark, beautiful, dangerous, evil etc.).

The best part for me (besides the illustrations) was the worldbuilding which is thought-out and detailed. Some of the aspects of the world are a bit simplistic, but on overall “Dragonscarpe” offers a real sense of history – if other aspects of the storytelling improve in the sequel Volumes one could really immerse into the world of the Realms. On the other hand, it must be said that the scene-setting suffuses a great part of the book and seems to serve little purpose, but its own – exposition is not predicated on character development and it doesn’t stem from the needs of the plot, it overwhelms them instead. It is plausible nevertheless and the illustrations enhance the texture and atmosphere of the world immensely. And like I’ve already mentioned, the world has a certain Jordan-esque vibe to it.

Some of the themes I’ve discovered in the story are: demand for personal sacrifice (love vs. duty, individual vs. community,…), need for cooperation, difficulties of leadership, questioning the authority, love/hate, good/evil, friendship and so on.

While “Dragonscarpe” certainly doesn’t offer us an A-grade story, I still believe it may hold a lot of appeal for older children and young adults that are eager to step into the world of fantasy, but are afraid of ‘big books with too many pages’. The pace of the plot picks up vastly in the last quarter of the novel as the setting fully establishes itself and we can only hope that the sequel looks up to the ending of this book and brings something more coherent and accomplished to the table.
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- ThRiNiDiR -

Friday, July 25, 2008

Shout-out & A Couple of (Not So) Lazy Links

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Recently, two new great blogs dedicated to the genres of fantasy and science fiction have come to see the light of day. They are called Blood of the Muse (link) and Speculative Fiction Junkie (link). I visit these two blogs regularly and both have a few quality reviews to offer and some other great content as well. Check them out!
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I've been a bit busy lately (still trying to put together something worth of the name diploma), so the content has been a little slow lately, but no worries, we've got a few reviews coming up shortly. I believe Blindman is posting a review of "Return of the Crimson Guard" by Ian C. Esslemont this weekend, which will be followed shortly by Trin's take on Catherynne M. Valente's "The Orphan's Tales" duology and my review of "The Last Realm: Dragonscarpe, Book One" by McNamara, Turner and Dutkiewitcz. In the last couple of days we've also recieved a review copy of Erikson's "Toll the Hounds" and Peter V. Brett's debut effort "The Painted Man", so these books will hopefully be reviewed shortly after that.

For now I'm giving you the taste of what's been going on otherwere:

  • The Vandermeer couple are the editors of the forthcoming...wait for it...pirate-themed anthology "Fast Ships, Black Sails". Yeah, you heard that right. Check out the cover art, it's really great. Thanks to Larry.
  • Check out this week's MIND MELD on SF Signal - some great authors were tackling worldbuilding.
  • Are all SFF Awards useless? Check out what Neth has to say about the Locus debacle...
  • Were you aware of Fighting Fantasy books? I weren't. Check out what Thea and James have to say on the topic.
  • Great review of Jim C. Hines' "Goblin Quest" can be found here.
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That's all for now, have a great weekend!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Dan Ronco - Unholy Domain (Book Review)


"Unholy Domain" (Amazon: UK, US)
by Dan Ronco
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Publisher: Künati Inc.

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A lethal computer virus roars across the Internet; more than a million people die before it is terminated. A decade later, civilisation has crumbled in an economic collapse. The world is divided between those who think technology will save them and those who believe it to be the tool of Satan. David Brown, son of the virus' creator, believes his father innocent and sets out to clear his name - but his efforts make him a target for both sides, the fanatics and the technos ...

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At first, I was a bit skeptic about the book. An author I've never heard of, an unknown publisher and a crucifix on the cover - it all made the "Unholy Domain" seem a bit suspicious. The blurb on the back, however, was promising, and so I gave the book a go.

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"It reads like a cross between Blade Runner and Angels and Demons."
-R.Douglas Weber
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To begin with, I must say that there is actually some truth in the book praise section. These are usually more or less similar, comparing the book at hand to the work of one or another famous author, and more than often the two have nothing in common. Comparing Ronco to Dick falls in the above section, but the comparison to Dan Brown hits the proverbial spot. I say 'almost' because Ronco is ... well, better, at least from what I've seen. I've read my share of Dan Brown novels and they could just as well be one and the same, sharing a predictable plot, unavoidable romance and a style that falters from time to time. While Ronco sometimes repeats some of Dan Brown's mistakes, he more often than not manages to avoid them, creating an easy, fast-paced SF thriller I enjoyed very much.

As said, there were some things that bothered me, but none spoiled the reading experience much. "Unholy Domain" can be very predictable at times - for example, it's all to easy to guess what fate befell David's father. There are other, similar occasions, when the reader can get ahead of the plot, and the most that the book got from me was a mild surprise. There is also a girl who's an obvious seducer, charming the main character in a heart-beat; a cliché if there ever was one and it doesn't really matter whether she's a good or a bad 'guy'. To his credit, Ronco pulled out the best of that one, not lingering on it and making her an 'in-between', neither good or bad. I was also glad that the romance was not playing an important part in the story - the girl stayed more or less out of the way of main plot.

Otherwise, the plot flows smoothly, including many POVs, and though it is set in the near-future, is light on inclusion of futuristic gadgetry, so there is no unnecessary info-dumping concerning technology. The style of writing is good, though a bit biased at the beginning, where the author appears to be too clearly on the side of the Technos (this evens out later on), including 'prayers' of Army of God which are not really as subtle as prayers about killing your enemies should be and therefore make a rather silly impression. Also, the ending itself surprised me, mostly because there is none. Uncle Google then informed me that "Unholy Domain" is in truth the second book of a trilogy starting with "Peacemaker" and ending with "Tomorrow's Children", the latter to be published in spring of 2009. Huh. If it wasn't for a missing ending, I'd never figure that out.

To sum it all up: "Unholy Domain" is for the most part an average thriller, but nevertheless a highly enjoyable read. I can't say it's a very memorable book, but it surely is great as a summer read.
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~ Trin ~

Friday, July 18, 2008

Movie Trailers: Watchmen, Terminator: Salvation, The Spirit

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Watchmen


About "Watchmen" (via Wikipedia):
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"Watchmen" is a twelve-issue comic book limited series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. Originally published by DC Comics as a monthly limited series from 1986 to 1987...To date, Watchmen remains the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award, and is also the only graphic novel to appear on Time Magazine's 2005 list of "the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present.
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"Watchmen" is set in 1985, in an alternative history United States where costumed adventurers are real and the country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union (the Doomsday Clock is at five minutes to midnight). It tells the story of a group of past and present superheroes and the events surrounding the mysterious murder of one of their own. "Watchmen" depicts superheroes as real people who must confront ethical and personal issues, who struggle with neuroses and failings, and who - with one notable exception - lack anything recognizable as super powers. The comic book's deconstruction of the conventional superhero archetype, combined with its innovative adaptation of cinematic techniques and heavy use of symbolism, multi-layered dialogue, and metafiction, has influenced both comics and film...
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Warner Bros. confirmed in June 2006 that Zack Snyder would direct a film adaptation of "Watchmen", which is set for release on March 6, 2009. The cast includes Patrick Wilson, Malin Akerman, Jackie Earle Haley, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Previously, directors including Paul Greengrass, Terry Gilliam, Darren Aronofsky, and screenwriter David Hayter have been attached to the project over the years...

Here is the first trailer:
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Terminator: Salvation
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About "Terminator: Salvation" (via Wikipedia):
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"Terminator: Salvation" is an upcoming science fiction action film set for release on May 22, 2009. Directed by McG, it is the fourth film in the Terminator franchise and stars Christian Bale as John Connor, Bryce Dallas Howard as Kate Connor, Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese, and Sam Worthington as the new terminator Marcus Wright.
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The film is set in 2021, focusing on the original war between humanity and the Terminator computer network Skynet. It abandons the formula of the series (Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Model 101 Terminator time traveling to the present to protect or kill someone of future importance), and the film could be rated PG-13, unlike the other R-rated films. Filming began on May 5, 2008.
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Trailer for Terminator: Salvation:
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The Spirit
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About "The Spirit" (via Wikipedia):
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[comic book] The Spirit is a fictional American masked crime-fighter, created by writer-artist Will Eisner in 1940, who starred in a Sunday-newspaper comic-book insert. His namesake, seven-page weekly series is considered one of the comic-art medium's most significant works, with Eisner creating or popularizing many of the styles, techniques, and storytelling conventions used by comics professionals decades later.
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"The Spirit" chronicled the adventures of a masked vigilante who fought crime with the blessing of the city's police commissioner, an old friend. Despite the Spirit's origin as a detective named Denny Colt, his real identity was virtually unmentioned again and for all intents and purposes he was simply "The Spirit". The stories ranged through a wide variety of styles, from straightforward crime drama and noir to lighthearted adventure, from mystery and horror to comedy and love stories, often with hybrid elements that twisted genre and expectations.
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[movie] "The Spirit" (also known as Will Eisner's "The Spirit)" is an upcoming 2008 American film adaptation based on the newspaper strip The Spirit created by Will Eisner. Batfilm, OddLot, and Lionsgate are set to produce. Frank Miller wrote and directed the film, which stars Gabriel Macht as The Spirit and Samuel L. Jackson as his nemesis, The Octopus. Filming began in October 2007, with release scheduled for December 25, 2008.
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Trailer for The Spirit:
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I was pretty impressed by all three trailers, but the trailer for "The Spirit" tops the other two simply by being the most visually stunning. The news about the new Terminator movie being PG-13 rated is rather disheartening though.
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[Thanks to John from SF Signal for the original article]
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Thursday, July 17, 2008

In The Limelight - Toll the Hounds (Malazan Book of the Fallen VIII)


It's that time of the year again; about a fortnight ago -- on July 1th to be precise -- a new entry, "Toll the Hounds" (Amazon: US available on Sep 16; UK), into the colossally ambitious and unprecedentedly epic "Malazan Book of the Fallen" saga was unleashed upon the world which is divided into two categories of people - those who are already devoted followers of the series, and those who are yet to become one. [I'm being "a bit" overdramatic here :)]

Away with my amateurish sense of drama..."Toll the Hounds", the eight installment of the ten that are announced in the series (now sixteen, if you don't count the spin-off novellas of "Bauchelain & Korbal Broach", since Erikson made a new deal with Bantam UK for two more trilogies set in the same universe - it is confirmed that one of them will be dealing with Anomander Rake's rise to power...) has garnered a fistful of reviews from my fellow bloggers. Here are the ones I managed to track down (and read):
From what I've managed to induce, the consensus is by no means absolute. The reviews vary by a fair margin and all of them are worthy to read -- Erikson is known to deliver thematically, stylistically and in terms of content rich and multilayered works -- since the individual reviews oftend tend to brush against a previously unencountered aspect of the book. The problem most of the reviews expose is Erikson's verbosity and a very slow and meandering buildup with many subplots leading nowhere, but the reader's patience is ultimatelly paid of by another bombastic ending (yup, a convergence). Other than that - a few reviewers deem it his best work, some say it's his worst to date, but "Toll the Hounds" is in general considered an o.k. book by Erikson's standards.

I still have "Reaper's Gale" and probably at least one of the Ian C. Esslemont's novels to read before plunging into "Toll the Hounds", but I'm curious about the book and would like to hear your opinion - so what do you think, if you managed to read it by now that is?
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p.s. If you are not nearly as far as the eighth book, then I urge you to read a great analysis of "Deadhouse Gates" (the second novel) over at The Cesspit.
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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Blade of the Immortal (Manga, Anime Series)

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O boy, o boy, o boy... I'm as happy as a little boy
with a key to the cabinet with cookies (or painkillers/alcohol/opiates... insert whatever (or combination of...) you like best).
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I discovered
"Blade of the Immortal" manga completely by accident (i.e. boredom + internet) and fell in love immediately. The original series was created in 1997 by Hiroaki Samura. Of course I can't read japanese if it bit me in the nose so I got my hands on some english translations from Dark Horse Comics and later on begun to hang on scanlation pages. Now, quality of translation may vary (depending on source) but the storyline and drawing was always great.



And how does the story go? You'll excuse me if I simply plunder the quote from Wikipedia:

Blade of the Immortal follows the deeds of Manji, a skilled samurai who has a decisive advantage: no wound can kill him, except for a rare poison. In the past, his criminal actions led to the death of 100 other samurai (including his sister's husband). He becomes immortal at the hand of a 800-year-old nun named Yaobikuni, and is compelled by the death of his sister to accept the quest that will end his agelessness. He has vowed to make amends by killing 1000 evil men, and until he does Manji will be kept alive by kessen-chū, remarkable creatures that allow him to survive nearly any injury and reattach severed limbs even after hours of separation. They work by sacrificing themselves to seal the wound - they're worms that were bred to be as close in their chemical and physical make-up to humans as you can get without being human. They cannot handle regrowth on a large scale, but, for example, can reattach a severed limb or seal a hole in the brain.

Of course the overall picture is more complicated. This quote denotes just the general idea, to get more you'll have to go back to the source. Now, some months ago everything went quiet. After the shakes of the withdrawal passed :) I started the stoical wait for some news; and lo and behold, the wait bore fruit - "Blade of the Immortal" is now an anime series, and here's the trailer I found on YouTube:



Anime has just started (the first episode premiered on July 13, 2008) so I can't really say if it's any good. You can find that out easily for yourself... as I intend to do. And as far as mangas go, I'm sure I'm gonna buy them (eventually), prohibitive prices or not.
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~Blindman~

Monday, July 14, 2008

Dragon Age: Origins


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Since I'm totally ensorcelled by the "Elder Scrolly IV: Oblivion" at the moment and Trin spends her every waking moment playing "Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal" I was overjoyed when I heard that BioWare released the first trailer for the forthcoming fantasy role-playing game "Dragon Age: Origins" (homepage). This is a massively anticipated title by the fans of the old-school FRP games. "Dragon Age: Origins" is supposed to be the unofficial successor of the legendary "Baldur's Gate", although set outside of the shared world of Forgotten Realms and made with newly developed game rules (i.e. not D&D) and a fresh graphic engine Eclipse.

The trailer is short, but rather impressive:


Sunday, July 13, 2008

Andrzej Sapkowski - The Last Wish (Book Review)

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"The Last Wish" (Amazon: UK, USA)
by Andrzej Sapkowski (Wikipedia)
Format: Paperback, 280 pages
Publisher: Gollancz
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---Geralt was always going to stand out, with his white hair and piercing eyes, his cynicism and lack of respect for authority... but he is far more than a striking-looking man. He is a witcher; his sorcerous powers, enhanced by elixirs and long years of training, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. He is no ordinary murderer, though: his targets are the vile fiends that ravage his land, preying on the unwary. But as he roams the country he comes to realise that first appearances are often deceptive: not everything monstrous-looking is evil, and not everything fair is good... and in every fairy tale, there is a grain of truth.
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In his role as a guardian of the innocent, Geralt, the witcher from Rivia, meets incestuous kings with undead daughters, vengeful djinns, rancorous maidens, shrieking harpies, love-lorn vampires and despondent ghouls. Many are pernicious, some are wicked, and none are quite as they seem.

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I usually avoid blurbs-slash-synopsis on the back of the book, since in most cases I see them as tedious, spoilerific, pompous and in most cases not at all in character that permeates the actual story. But in this case I've made an exception as the blurb hits the proverbial nail on the head.

Sapkowski is considered a bit of a superstar in Poland and in few other European countries that were lucky enough to get a translation of his works - ironically enough, the English speaking world had to wait for more than 15 years to get a translation of the first book featuring Geralt the Witcher. The second book in the series, entitled "Blood of the Elves" (US import, UK), is scheduled for release on September 18. So, was "The Last Wish" worth the wait? Without doubt. Sapkowski brings a set of fresh elements and twists alongside with the otherwise pretty straight-forward quest oriented epic fantasy.

First off the bat, despite 1the disjointed structure of the narrative - "TLW" is basically a set of short stories set apart by individual chapters and loosely interconnected by a story of Geralt's reprieve which is dissected and wedged in between the chapters that delve into the past exploits of Geralt - and 2simple adventurous-oriented plot I liked the book a lot. It read really well and besides, Geralt is a most sympathetic character (I'm a sucker for righteous outcasts with their own heightened sense of judgment and highly reflective approach to situations). We get to know little about his past and he doesn't show any signs of personal growth (since he is already a fully grown/developed adult), but he nevertheless displays incredible depth and complex personality which is revealed through well-timed and well-measured snippets of dialogue, through the way he looks at the world and through how he deals with situations. In some of the later adventures Geralt is joined by Dandelion - a sidekick in the form of a wandering scholar, famed bard and skirt-chaser. The novel's structure and the Geralt/Dandelion due resembles much the adventures of Gotrek and Felix. One of the downsides is that the rest of the crew is not as fleshed out as Geralt and usually cross the threshold of stereotypical by a fair margin, although if I'm honest this didn't bother me all too much as Sapkowski compensates elsewhere in abundance.

What makes "The Last Wish" stand out from the crowd is not the way it mixes fantasy tropes with their subverted and disfigured mirror images because this is not a groundbreaking practice anymore - it's become a bit of the latest trend really - but the inclusion of the (mainly) Slavic mythology within the faux-medieval setting; 1predomination of Slavic names for cities and people is a relief from the randomly generated multiple-vowelled names with apostrophes jutting here and there to make things more otherworldly and exotic, as is the 2inclusion of creatures such as strigas, spriggans, leshys, kikimoras, vyppers etc. where otherwhere we are being literally drowned with imps, orcs, goblins and other creatures from the Nordic folklore.

Worldbuilding is otherwise spare and the info-dumping dampened to boot - the book concentrates on Geralt and the tasks that lay at his feet. Magic is present, but subdued and complimented by vials, elixirs, Signs, intentional body mutations and other inventions. Like said, these elements are subdued and unobtrusive, but the mere hint of their presence really makes the otherwise unadorned storytelling work on a deeper level. If you are at least partly familiar with the structure of fairytales and myths you will probably be delighted by the way Sapkowski plays with conventions.

Sapkowski's dry wit permeates the whole book; from dialogue, characters' traits, to his use of language and so forth. There is little to no explicit content in the book so it is suited for the people of all ages (and convictions) without turning out childish or...well, anesthesised. The younger readers should be hooked on the awesomeness that is Geralt and those a bit older might appreciate his subtle cynicism and world-weariness that make him a truly memorable character.

"The Last Wish" is not all flowers, though. The world and the secondary characters could be done with more care so they wouldn't turn out so one-sided. The plot lacks real substance and coherence; all you get is a set of short stories that account for the Witchers exploits and not much else. The whole book works as an introduction into the word and the protagonist that Sapkowski created, but I think it is safe to expect that the later installments improve on this aspects of the storytelling, as the potential and talent are obviously present. All this niggles might be seen as shortcomings when you dissect the text, but on the accumulative level everything works as it should and that's what matters the most.
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~ Thrinidir ~

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Eye Candy Covers pt.VII

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I've perused Orbit's US titles scheduled for Fall/Winter 2008 - thanks for the link John - and I must say that I really like the covers of Brent Weeks' "The Night Angel Trilogy"; all three books will be released in rapid succession (from September till November) in mass market paperback editions. I admit that I never heard of Brent Weeks before, but the fact that he made a 3 book deal with Orbit as a debut author speaks for itself. Here is the premise of "The Way of Shadows", book one of The Night Angel Trilogy:
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"For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city’s most accomplished artist.

For Kyllar Stern, survival is essential. As a guild rat, he’s learned to judge people quickly-and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.

But to be accepted, he must turn his back on everything he has ever known.

The perfect killer has no friends. He only has targets."
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Another ninja/thief/assassin/shady guild-business (re)iteration of the polished fantasy convention? All looks like it, but let's give the author a benefit of the doubt. Enough talk, on with the fabled covers:
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~ The Night Angel Trilogy ~
  1. "The Way of Shadows" (Sep 30, available for pre-order: US, UK)
  2. "Shadow's Edge" (Oct 28, available for pre-order: US, UK)
  3. "Beyond the Shadows" (Nov 25, available for pre-order: US, UK)

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Ian McDonald - Brasyl (Book Review)

"Brasyl" (Amazon: US, UK)
by Ian McDonald (blog, Wikipedia)
Format: Hardcover, 357 pages
Publisher: PYR Publishing
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When I began reading "Brasyl", I could hardly believe that it was nominated for many prestigious awards (2007 Quill Book Award and John W. Campbell Memorial Award, 2008 Hugo and Locus), not to mention that it won 2008 British SF Association Award. It was supposed to be a great book, but for me, it felt long-winded, full of unnecessary explanations and sometimes, a bit too complicated. But since I have a personal policy to finish the book I start reading, I forced myself to continue instead of putting the book back on the shelf. Lucky for me, I guess! It certainly is a very good book, even if it falls a bit short of greatness.
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McDonald's style impressed me. It is obvious that he knows the subject he's writing on and the way he goes about it; even at the beginning, when I was still unsure what to think of the book, it was clear to me that McDonald is a master of style. The plot was another matter, though - the three main characters, each of them positioned in his or hers own era (2032, 2006 and 1732), were presented with great care and detail, but the point of the novel was nowhere to be seen and the story moved at sluggish pace. A great part of "Brasyl" consists of three people living their lives without a hint of connection between them, and frankly, I'm not really a fan of such stories. But, to my relief, things started happening soon, the plot evolved and connections began to uncover, if slowly; after the first part of the book, it finally becomes clear that there is something bigger going on behind the scenes.
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Although the book's genre is SF, not all three protagonists come from the future. Father Luis is a Jesuit missionary, sent to punish a disobeying priest in the middle of Amazon rain forest - which is a perfectly normal thing to happen since Father Luis lives in the 18th century. Marcelina, a Rio TV producer who is always hunting for provocative and scandalous stories, is a woman of our present, addicted to Botox and knowing no shame. Only Edson, a guy from 2032, could be regarded as a typical SF character, but even so, the problems he deals with are not very futuristic. What makes "Brasyl" a science fiction book is the idea behind the novel - a theory of parallel worlds. You may already heard of it before, since it's pretty widespread (I first learned of it a few years ago). It is, however, presented surprisingly well, awing the reader and making him think, at which point "Brasyl" becomes one of those addictive can't-put-it-down books.

If you're not familiar with modern Brazilian slang, you might have some trouble with the dialogue which is heavily tinged with the said slang. There is a glossary at the back, but it's not really handy to constantly flip between the pages. Both -- pure Portugeese and slang words -- add a lot to the atmosphere, but at the same time, they make "Brasyl" harder to read.

Long story short, everything more or less serves its purpose in "Brasyl". Long introductions to the lives of Marcelina, Edson and Father Luis seem redundant at first, but later on you see how the happening creeps slowly into their everyday and overwhelms it, which (at least for me) felt as a fresh and welcome take on the matter. Also, the seemingly unimportant details turn out to be crucial for the story, and the above mentioned slang words add to the overall atmosphere. "Brasyl" is a very good book written with style, but it has its flaw - the long, confusing beginning. Nevertheless, I strongly recommend it to all SF fans.
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-~Trin~

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Gardner Dozois (ed.) - Galileo's Children: Tales Of Science vs. Superstition (Book Review)

"Galileo's Children"
edited by: Gardner Dozois
hardcover, 343 pages
publisher: PYR (imprint from Prometheus Books)


Galileo Galilei is best known for his sotto-voce defiance of the inquisition. This, one of the most famous quotes in history - "Eppur si muove" (but still, it does move) - is without doubt apocryphal. The sentiment was surely present, but Galileo was a cautious man, well aware of the fate that befall Giordano Bruno. Some would say that so much of his fame comes from good PR, which made of him a martyr of reason, others look on his work at the fields of physics, mathematic, astronomy and philosophy and see in him a true man of science and ratio (which includes self-preservation, of course) and say without a doubt that he is a true father of (modern) science.

That being said, it is a little wonder, that his name that was chosen for the title of anthology of SF stories that PYR published in 2005, and his tale made the frame in which stories had to fit to be included. But Galileo is not the only great name that found its way on the cover of the 343 pages long book. PYR has left the selection of stories to the veteran of anthologies - Gardner Dozois and he proved that he wasn't named best professional editor for fifteen times in vain. Looking back over the last half a century he selected the stories which in his eyes best encompassed the conflict between the opposites of science and superstition, often written by authors with names as well known as his. Anthology includes thirteen tales:
As said, the main theme is the conflict between ratio of science and the intolerance, misapplication of facts, glorification of ignorance and use of all these in propagation of fear and ever increasing control found in every culture known to man. It will not come as a big surprise that the main "bad guy" that embody most of these in many of the tales is (organized) religion. With rampant fundamentalism on all the continents, screaming for return to one kind of so called "true values" or another and seeing science as the root of all evil, that is easy to understand, but nonetheless sometimes hard to swallow. In a way I found it odd. I agree with such a view of the situation, but when faced with such an en-masse fingerpointing I can not help myself but to think over some darker aspects of science.

I love short stories and novelettes. In some ways I consider them the true form of the genre that had lately put quantity over the "idea", which was the yardstick of a tale for better part of the century. Within these still lives that simple, playful "What if..." which, sometimes written softer, other harder and sometimes just for fun, is always a pleasure to read. Then again, perhaps in part such a feeling comes from my Slavic soul, with its romantically fatalistic individuality (LOL). I do hope you will not think worse of me if I confess that for me Clark's 'The Star' with it's simple but profound dilemma and many subtle points still shines most brightly (pun intended) among all of these tales. But if you were to ask me which I liked the least, I could not answer you, because all of the stories are great.

Those among you, that look first at the numbers of Fruitcakes, than at the cover and only then decide whether to read the review, by now probably wonder how come, with all the praise, there are only four (and a half) of our beloved maced barbarians beneath the text? For two reasons, and I have already hinted at both:
  • When one thinks about it, it is obvious that the tales were selected for a certain quality. Dozois's introduction offers explanation enough, but nonetheless I got the feeling that the book lacks a tiny bit of balance. There is a prominent "we are in the right" feeling which I found a tad irritating. This, I suppose, also explains the vague but nagging feeling of deja-vu that follows you through the book. It is also true that this impression can be easily avoided, simply by reading one story at a time.
  • The oldest among the tales was first published in 1955 and only three of them are less than a decade old. This assures us a quality of writing, that is true. Not because new authors would write worse than those decades ago, but because any such tale had already stood and survived the judgment of time and change of generations. This fact will on the one hand without a doubt put this anthology on many of 'must have' lists, but on the other it also represents a weakness of a sort. If one is a veteran reader of anthologies and publications that run such form of SF tales (or, in many cases had just read through award winning tales) he had already read most, if not all, of chosen tales.
So, as said (damn, I think this is the highest mark I've ever bestowed on this blog):





Well folks it's been a while, beeing the end of a school year and all. But now (or really soon) I'm back among the ranks of unemployed, so I suppose we'll be reading more of each other. THX for the wait (especially to ThRiNiDiR, for not skinning me alive, since I've been promising him this piece for the better part of three months). And a BIG "thank you!" to PYR.

 

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