Sigvald by Darius Hinks - Early Review!

Prince Sigvald the Magnificent has struck a pact with his Slaaneshi masters that bestows incredible power and beauty, but drives him to ever greater acts of hedonism. Despite his pre-eminence, the champion of Chaos is tricked into an impossible war with the promise of a powerful artefact to slake his dark desires. After centuries of debauchery, Sigvald rouses his army and leads them to battle against the legions of the Blood God Khorne. Obsessed with the Brass Skull, the object of his misguided yearnings, Sigvald is unaware his enemies are closing in around him. In a hellish quest that drives him across the twisted landscape of the Chaos Wastes and culminates in an epic confrontation, he realises that the lures of Slaanest can never be sated.

This is, unbelievably, the first Warhammer Fantasy novel I have read from the Black Library - so far all my BL reading has been confined to the Horus Heresy and some sterling work by Messrs McNeill and Abnett, and I was extremely interested to see how I would take to something set in the world of Warhammer Fantasy (which I've always found a little generic).

I'm pleased to report that my first experience with BL Fantasy novels is a decent one. Not a brilliant one, but more than good enough to have me reaching for more. Darius Hinks has been shortlisted this year for the Morningstar Award (handed out by the David Gemmell Legend Award for Best Fantasy Newcomer/debut) with Warrior Priest, and Sigvald showcases why the public have voted him onto that list.

Hinks' writing is some of the closest I have read to Gemmell himself - at times brisk and perfunctory, but at others willing to move into more poetic territory: "The densely packed pines knifed out of the snow like a threat."

He brings to life the chaotic, dreamy debauchery of the life of a Chaos Champion - perversions and pleasures walk hand in hand in Sigvald's world. Dark and twisted creatures revel in his shadows. I enjoyed seeing the descriptions of Chaos, having played against them for so long, and Hinks presents both the followers of Slaanesh and of Khorne with clear reverence of his subject matter.

So why is this novel merely good after the lavish praise above? Mostly for a reason that is not solely of Hinks' making: presenting a Slaaneshi Chaos Champion as a protagonist makes for rather hard reading.

Sigvald is neither a hero or an anti-hero; he is, pretty much, one of the bad guys, and as a consequence, a little difficult to root for. I like to have a little more humanity in my main characters.

The human interest is provided by the Norscan people, and this helps to mitigate the effect of Sigvald as the main character, but there were a couple of sections featuring the Prince of Chaos where I drifted badly and found my interest waning.

My other issue was that this novel felt very much like the opening novel in a trilogy or similar, which surprised me - I thought it would be a standalone book. Having said that, I would enjoying reading more about Sigvald's shenanigans and I *definitely* look forward to reading more of Darius Hinks' work.

Altogether, Sigvald is an entertaining piece of escapist fantasy fiction, and makes me perfectly happy to continue my foray into Black Library literature!

Sigvald by Darius Hinks will be published by the Black Library on 7th July.

The Emperor's New Clothes

The tale of the Emperor's new clothes goes thusly: "An Emperor who cares for nothing but his appearance and attire hires two tailors who promise him the finest suit of clothes from a fabric invisible to anyone who is unfit for his position or "just hopelessly stupid". The Emperor cannot see the cloth himself, but pretends that he can for fear of appearing unfit for his position or stupid; his ministers do the same. When the swindlers report that the suit is finished, they mime dressing him and the Emperor then marches in procession before his subjects, who play along with the pretense. Suddenly, a child in the crowd, too young to understand the desirability of keeping up the pretense, blurts out that the Emperor is wearing nothing at all and the cry is taken up by others."

I am curious right now about whether this effect is occurring with a book.

*breathes a deep breath* Let's go....

I want to preface this by saying that I adore China Miéville. I love his geeky credentials. I love the way he is so proud to be a part of genre literature. I love the way he is prepared to talk back to the establishment and make them listen. I thoroughly enjoyed The City and The City, which still remains the one and only novel of his I have read.

But not the only novel I have started. I started Embassytown the night I received it at the (much-derided) pre-publication launch. I read the first one hundred or so pages on the train on the way home. When I arrived home I put it down and have not yet felt inclined to pick it up and finish it.

I found it dense and virtually unreadable. I enjoyed the unfettered joy in language on display, but found the novel itself cold and difficult. I am quite prepared to stand up here now and tell you all that I felt stupid because I didn't appreciate it, and I was mighty curious as to the reviews that would emerge of the novel. Would the reviews deal with the difficulty in immersing yourself in Miéville's latest novel? Would they call him out at all for the fact that language gets in the way of enjoyment?

So far, all the reviews I've read have been *glowing*. China's best novel to date; a tour de force; a glorious novel that is sure to pick up awards; the most likely genre novel of recent times to be placed on the Booker shortlist..... And I found myself scratching my head.

Am I the only one who hasn't appreciated it? (with the caveat that I've only read the first hundred pages or so!) Or is everyone else falling under the spell of New Clothes and declaring the novel perfect, even if they believe, deep down, that it is not the book they say it is?

I know this is controversial and likely to be shouted down (I'm particularly waiting from comments from Martin, Kev and Larry, who have all told me I am wrong on many occasions *winks*) but I would be interested in two discussions.

The first being:

Is Embassytown worth pursuing? Does it all click into place? I want to hear reasoned arguments as to whether I can find anything of value if I pick it up again?

The second being:

Do you think the case of the Emperor's New Clothes occurs with novels? Have you been mystified about the success of a novel, and wondered if everyone is part of some strange conspiracy to talk it up? Which novel was it for you?

You can even yell at me for being stupid if you wish! But please do remember - I ADORE China. He's ace. I'm not attacking the author in any way, shape or form!

Crimefest - A Chance at Some Free Books!

It would be terribly remiss of me not to bring you the opportunity to enter some competitions for free crime books!

Here are all the details:

Crime Competition - Random House Group

As Crimefest starts tomorrow we have decided to give away a selection of crime books over the four day period.

Starting on the 19th we will give away three Tom Harper novels; followed on the 20th by four Simon Beckett books; 21st will see three Stella Rimington books and finally on the last day of Crimefest four S.J. Bolton novels.

These individual competitions won’t be open until the day they are scheduled to go live.

Once open all four competitions will be accessible until the 25th May 2011.

Tom Harper competition URL:
http://compbuilder.rhgdigital.co.uk/competition-day-1/


Simon Beckett completion URL:
http://compbuilder.rhgdigital.co.uk/competition-day-2/


Stella Rimington URL:
http://compbuilder.rhgdigital.co.uk/competition-day-3/


S.J Bolton URL:
http://compbuilder.rhgdigital.co.uk/competition-day-4/

I'll race you! *winks*

Prometheus Books’ Pyr Imprint Enters the YA Genre Fiction Market

Now this is some interesting news to hit my inbox! As far as I am concerned, Pyr really are one of the most exciting publishers currently putting out books, and I am thrilled to bring you the news that they are going to move into the lucrative and forward-thinking area of YA genre fiction. Here's the official press release:

Prometheus Books’ Pyr Imprint Enters the YA Genre Fiction Market

Introduces Pyr for the YA Reader with Three New Titles in Sci-Fi Adventure, Paranormal Romance, and Fantasy Adventure

Amherst, New York – In November 2011, Pyr, the science fiction and fantasy imprint of Prometheus Books, will introduce its first book specifically for the Young Adult (YA) market. Two additional YA titles follow, in December 2011 and February 2012.

“Several titles in the Pyr catalog have had crossover appeal to the young adult reader—including The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1), Sasha (A Trial of Blood and Steel Book One) and The Falling Machine (The Society of Steam, Book One),” says Prometheus Books president Jonathan Kurtz, “so it was a natural progression for us to decide to publish books intended specifically for this market segment.”

Prometheus Books, an independent publisher of thoughtful nonfiction based in Amherst, New York, launched the Pyr imprint in March 2005. Since then, it has become a brand known for books with quality both inside and out, from rich, engrossing narratives to award-winning cover art and design. Pyr’s editorial director, Lou Anders, is currently nominated for the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Editor—for the fifth consecutive year.

Anders says, “We believe there is a real hunger in the growing YA readership for narratives that explore the full, imaginative breadth of what science fiction and fantasy has to offer. Of our first three Pyr titles for the YA reader, two are from authors who primarily write for the adult book market, an acquisitions approach we decided best served this need. Also, it's long been said that 'the Golden Age of science fiction is twelve,' and while this is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, it speaks to the common interests of those who read speculative fiction, whether teen or adult. With many adult readers turning to Young Adult fiction to recapture the sense of wonder and fun that the best stories in any category have always embodied, it made sense for us to bring our expertise, and that of our authors, to this new arena.”

The first Pyr Young Adult title (in November) will be Lightbringer, the debut novel from K. D. McEntire. For ages twelve and up, Lightbringer is a YA urban fantasy/paranormal romance set in a world a breath away from our own. Similar in tone to Tithe by Holly Black and Unleashed by Kristopher Reisz, Lightbringer tiptoes down the line between love and horror with the tale of a young girl discovering love with a long-dead ghost.

In December, one of the most critically acclaimed Pyr authors—the Hugo and Philip K. Dick award–winning Ian McDonald—makes his YA debut with the sci-fi adventure Planesrunner. The first part of the new Everness series for ages twelve and up, Planesrunner stars a fourteen-year-old boy searching for his kidnapped father across the many parallel worlds of the multiverse. Cory Doctorow (Little Brother, For the Win) calls it “smashing adventure fiction that spans the multiverse without ever losing its cool or its sense of style. Ian McDonald is one of the greats of science fiction, and his young adult debut is everything you could hope for: romantic, action packed, wildly imaginative, and full of heart.”

Lastly, Ari Marmell’s Thief’s Covenant (A Widdershins Adventure), for readers twelve and up, will be published in February 2012. It features a young, female orphan-turned-thief making her way in a dangerous city with help from Olgun, a foreign god who, having lost his followers, has taken up residence in her head.

YA titles will be released in hardcover and in ebook formats and will have their own section in the Pyr catalog. YA is expected eventually to account for a third of the Pyr list.

Although technically an imprint, Pyr was called “one of a very few publishers I know of who have no bad books to their name” by a BiblioBuffet writer, and “one of the most exciting publishers in the business” by Black Gate magazine. Given the crossover in adult and YA readership, Prometheus Books is thrilled to introduce the Pyr brand of science fiction and fantasy to a whole new audience.

The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook

The release of Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides is upon us (I went to watch said film last night, in fact) and so now seems to be an appropriate time to bring you a review of The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook!

Published by Quirk and written by Jason Heller, The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook is a neat little hardback which more than justifies its £12.99 price tag. It is sturdy, with a front cover that shows Jack Sparrow in all his swashbuckling sexy glory, while the insides of the book reveal a sharp sense of humour and showcase some lush stills from the films.

Across six chapters, we are given hints and tips about how to become the most feared pirate across the seas. I particularly loved how the text was a mix of Pirates of the Caribbean canon and actual historical fact (or hearsay, depending on your perspective!)

There are sections on How to Pass the Time (including choosing a suitable pet to alleviate hours of boredom) and How to Disguise Your Gender (with such fine tips as "It also doesn't hurt to continually and crassly punctuate your discourse with belches, curses, and overall crudity.")

The tone of the films is very much present here - enormously tongue in cheek, with some great quotes from the Jack Sparrow character (which should help you to build your own pirate character *grin*).

Anyone who has enjoyed the Pirates films will find something to love within the pages of this great handbook. The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook would make a lovely gift for fans of the film (and for those who want to have more pictures of Johnny Depp all dolled up as Captain Jack *drools a little*). I really enjoyed reading my way through this, and will be passing it onto my thirteen year old nephew who will no doubt adore it! Recommended.

It Really Was A Fairytale Wedding....

I simply love this - it makes me grin!

Once Upon A Time

Okay, colour me intrigued - Once Upon A Time sounds like something that could be exceptionally good. Yesterday ABC announced that they had picked up a show for their fall season called Once Upon A Time - here is the official press release....

Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (Lost, Tron: Legacy) invite you to a
bold new vision of the world where fairytales and the modern day are
about to collide.

Anna Swan (Jennifer Morrison) knows how to take care of herself.
She's a 28-year old bail bonds collector who's been on her own ever
since she was abandoned as a baby. But when the son she gave up years
ago finds her, everything will change. Henry (Jared Gilmore) is 10
years old now and in desperate need of Anna's help. Henry believes
that Anna actually comes from an alternate world... and is Prince
Charming (Josh Dallas) and Snow White's (Ginnifer Goodwin) missing
daughter. According to his book of fairytales, they sent her away to
protect her from the Evil Queen's (Lana Parilla) curse, which trapped
the fairytale world forever, frozen in time. Of course Anna doesn't
believe a word, but when she brings Henry back to Storybrooke, she
finds herself drawn to this unusual boy and his strange New England
town. Concerned for Henry, she decides to stay for a while, but she
soon suspects that Storybrooke is more than it seems. It's a place
where magic has been forgotten, but is still powerfully close... where
fairytale characters are alive, even though they don't remember who
they once were--including the Evil Queen who is now Henry's foster
mother. The epic battle for the future of all worlds is beginning, but
for good to win, Anna will have to accept her destiny and fight like
hell.

Brace yourself for a modern fable with thrilling twists and hints of
darkness. Brimming with wonder, and filled with the magic of our most
beloved fairytales, Once Upon A Time is a fitting follow up to Lost
from two master storytellers.

I guess your excitement can be measured by how much you liked the ending of Lost *dry*, but this genuinely sounds right up my street. On top of that, the trailer looks stunning (is it just me, or are there Pan's Labyrinth vibes at times?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz9VFa7Z6Y0

Definitely give it a watch, and let me know what you think! Something you're excited about?

Ghost Writing - Yay or Nay?

From the definition, a ghostwriter is: "a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written material."

I caught a feature on a television programme last night concerning ghost writing, and the ethics behind it i.e. whether the ghostwritten books were failing under the sales descriptions act, by promising something that doesn't actually exist.

One of the examples given was novels by this author:

If you were a child and had read and enjoyed books in the Malory Towers series by Enid Blyton, when you picked the above novel off the shelf who would you believe had written the words within?

Enid Blyton, right?

Nope. Wrong. This book - and many others continuing the canon of Blyton's most famous series - are written by Pamela Cox.

Who?

You wouldn't know from glancing at the cover. Unfair, surely, to children who buy a book believing it to be by their beloved author? And unfair, almost certainly, to Ms Cox who doesn't receive any of the plaudits for said book.

How about this one?

People buying this book would expect that model and celebrity Jordan - aka Katie Price - had written Sapphire. A not unreasonable assumption, I think you'll agree, considering her name is emblazoned across the cover.

Wrong again.

Katie Price has admitted that she thinks up the ideas, but has an assistant actually write the novels that carry her name. Here we have a case of wondering exactly how much work should go into a book before a person can expect to have their name on the front of the book! I mean, I can dream up plenty of ideas for a book - but the writing of it, the hard graft, is beyond me. If I hire somebody to write for me, can I put my name on a book?

Take a look at this:

"Created by Tom Clancy." But written by David Michaels - which is, in turn, a pseudonym for Raymond Benson! Confused? Me too. I approve more of this one, however - at least Mr Clancy is not claiming ALL the credit....

Finally, last year there was a great deal of kerfuffle about this book:

James Frey is one of the names behind Pittacus Lore - and, in 2009, Frey formed "Full Fathom Five," a young adult novel publishing company that aimed to create highly commercial, high concept novels like Twilight. In November 2010, controversy arose when an MFA student who had been in talks to create content for the company released her extremely limiting contract online. The contract allows Frey license to remove an author from a project at any time, does not require him to give the author credit for their work, and only pays a standard advance of $250. A New York Magazine article entitled, "James Frey's Fiction Factory," gave more details about the company, including information about the highly successful "I Am Number Four" series, a collaboration between author Jobie Hughes and Frey. The article details how Frey removed Hughes from the project, allegedly during a screaming match between the two authors. In the article, Frey is accused of abusing and using MFA students as cheap labor to churn out commercial young adult books.

So, are we feeling positive about ghost writing?

I would love to hear a favourable impression about ghost writing because, personally, it seems to be all about the money. Milking a series once a beloved author has died; using a celebrity name to sell books to those who don't know better; forcing poor contract terms and abusing naive authors who just want to be published.

I have to say, I'm left feeling very negative about ghost writing, and as though it would actively deter me from reading something that has been ghost written.

What are your impressions of ghost writing? Can you tell me about any decent ghost written novels that might change my mind?

Roger Waters - The Wall Live

I have grown up with the music of Pink Floyd thanks to my Dad. In 1994 we missed the opportunity to see Pink Floyd play at Earl's Court, and I've always regretted that - so when tickets came up to see Roger Waters playing The Wall live at the O2 I jumped at the chance. In some ways, this was better than seeing Pink Floyd - The Wall is such a visceral and personal album, and has such an association with the man who wrote it that I would far rather see him produce the stage show and play it.

We had a few hiccups getting to the O2 last night (namely, the fact that apparently my brother's obstinate sat nav refuses to recognise the O2 exists) and arrived only a short time before the show started. We were right up in the rafters, and this was our view of the rest of the arena. Vertigo ahoy!

Both my dad:

and my brother:

were *painfully* excited *grin*

So, The Wall... This is one of Pink Floyd's concept albums, and was written as a result of Roger Waters' increasing disillusionment and isolation during the 'In the Flesh' tour. It involves the protagonist Pink, based on Water himself, who suffers through the early death of his father, a controlling mother, the bullying of teachers and sexual inadequacies. As he suffers, the metaphorical wall builds around him. Fantastically, during the course of the live show last night, an actual wall was built across the stage and images projected onto this - showing the horrors of war, dark images about corporate greed and various pictures that demonstrate the sheer isolation of this troubled singer.

I found so, so many of the songs last night to be fiercely relevant today, either personally or societally. There were jeers from the audience as Roger Waters sang the line: "Mother should I trust the government?" from the song "Mother", and applause when the words "Bring the Boys Back Home" appeared across the wall. Personally, the song "Comfortably Numb" says everything to me about the darkness and despair of depression. This is a vital album, a very relevant set of songs.

Last night was far more, however, that just a set of songs being played, as is the case with most concerts. This was a stage production. As I say, the wall appeared gradually as Waters sang each song. There were military flags, children singing to "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2", and fireworks. My favourite part was when an enormous flying pig hovered over the audience. It was surreal and perfect.

It was, simply, one of the best nights out I've had. As I said on Twitter: "FUCK! Roger Waters still has it in SPADES!" It was simply amazing. And all of you *have* to listen to The Wall.

Hollywood Sinners by Victoria Fox

Hollywood Sinners is an explosive tale of love, jealousy and revenge that hops between glamorous locations in LA and Las Vegas. It follows the four couples of Lana Falcon and Cole Steel; Nate Reid and Chloe French; Robert St Louis and Elisabeth Sabell; and Kate diLaurentis and Jimmy Hart - their stories intertwine, overlap and finally collide in a delicious finale at a film premiere in Las Vegas.

For a debut novel, Victoria Fox writes with assurance - the pages fly by thanks to short, sharp chapters, larger-than-life characters and an intriguing plot. It certainly doesn't feel at all like a debut novel, and sits well alongside classic bonkbuster authors such as Jackie Collins.

The characters are a mix of those you love and those you loathe - as is usual in these types of novels there is a central character who is warm and the reader is able to root for; in Hollywood Sinners this character is Lana Falcon. The nature of her marriage and the past that comes back to haunt her allows the reader to feel great sympathy, and hope that everything will come good in the end.

I enjoyed the fact that this ending to the novel was hard to predict, certainly after a twist that Fox revealed a little over halfway through the story. I was kept guessing, and felt I *had* to read all the way to the end just to find out what would happen. Having a plot as engaging as this is a great addition to the usual threads you find through your usual bonkbuster.

I will complain a little about the sex! It was decent enough, but most of it felt quick and perfunctory - I didn't find myself *ahem* satisfied, and felt that Fox shied away a little from more *ahem* lengthy scenes. In future novels, I would happily see more of this! *grins*

Seriously, Hollywood Sinners is a perfect summer beach read. As I flew through the pages, I could almost feel the sun and taste the pina colada! It was thoroughly entertaining, with a refreshing youthful voice joining the field of bonkbusters. I will definitely be picking up Fox's next novel.