Control Point Launch Day!
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While I was looking on the web for my list of 2011 novels of interest in the fantasy field, my next question came upon me. First of all, as you will see in the list I will post soon, 2011 could be one of the greatest year in fantasy (mostly in the epic sub-genre) since a while. My interrogation is a simple one, among the bigger guns, some of them are almost a myth already, which one is the book you are looking forward more than the others?
Which novel are your most eager to read in 2011?
- A Dance With Dragons - George R.R. Martin
- The Heroes - Joe Abercrombie
- The Crippled God - Steven Erikson
- The Wise Man's Fear - Patrick Rothfuss
- The Republic of Thieves - Scott Lynch
- Not in the list
Ok, I didn't include some great upcoming novels like The Book of Transformation by Mark Charan Newton, The Cold Commands by Richard Morgan, The White Luck Warrior - R. Scott Bakker or The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham since they seem (my interpretation) to be less mighty in term of eagerness. Also, I removed A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson since it's now almost officially set for a March 2012 release date.
My choice was really a tough one. A Dance with Dragons is something almost unreal and the expectations will be almost impossible to attain. But then, since I think the Malazan series is my favorite, I will go with The Crippled God. I ache to know how this will all come together for what I hope will be an unbelievable final convergence.
So what's yours? (more so if it's not on the list!)
My choice was really a tough one. A Dance with Dragons is something almost unreal and the expectations will be almost impossible to attain. But then, since I think the Malazan series is my favorite, I will go with The Crippled God. I ache to know how this will all come together for what I hope will be an unbelievable final convergence.
So what's yours? (more so if it's not on the list!)
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poll
This is time for a comeback on the last poll. The subject matter was one of the current talk of the town in the literary business. I was avid to know a little more on the current users of e-books and the reason why there was still people like me who were still a little cold about the switch of format for our beloved fantasy novels. Follow this link for the original post.
The results :
When do you think you'll start reading e-books?
- I already do - 48%
- Never - 19%
- In the near future - 9%
- Not until a couple of years - 23%
What is keeping you from reading e-books now?
- I already read e-books - 11
- The price of the books - 8
- The availability - 1
- The price of the e-readers - 14
- The loss of physical book feeling - 26
- DRM - 9
I have noticed since posting the last poll that there was much anger toward DRM. If we judge by the results of my poll, although it can be a considerable annoyance, it doesn't seem like its really the main factor keeping people from going with e-books instead of physical ones. Since half the respondents already read e-books and a fifth will never switch to the digital format, this applies only to 30% of the future readers.
I admit I'm slightly surprise by the answers. I had not anticipated that much readers to be already going with e-books, more so with all the fantasy e-books problems. These figures were recently supported by this announcement from Amazon. It seems that Kindle is now the bestselling product of all time on Amazon Wolrdwide, eclipsing even Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. With so many people owning a Kindle and other e-readers like the Ipod/Iphone/Ipad, it seems that the digital era is already upon us.
Then what is it that's keeping the rest of crowd from switching? Well the most popular answer was the loss of physical book feeling. That is my main reason and since it can't be recreated (even with a reader encased in a leather case....) it will probably be a turn down for myself and the other respondent for quite a while. The practicality, pricing and availability will probably eventually win us but I don't think this will be in the near future.
I admit I'm slightly surprise by the answers. I had not anticipated that much readers to be already going with e-books, more so with all the fantasy e-books problems. These figures were recently supported by this announcement from Amazon. It seems that Kindle is now the bestselling product of all time on Amazon Wolrdwide, eclipsing even Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. With so many people owning a Kindle and other e-readers like the Ipod/Iphone/Ipad, it seems that the digital era is already upon us.
Then what is it that's keeping the rest of crowd from switching? Well the most popular answer was the loss of physical book feeling. That is my main reason and since it can't be recreated (even with a reader encased in a leather case....) it will probably be a turn down for myself and the other respondent for quite a while. The practicality, pricing and availability will probably eventually win us but I don't think this will be in the near future.
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poll
Towers of Midnight is the penultimate novel in the Wheel of Time series. At last, we are on the verge of finality in this saga that went on for two decades with ups and downs. After fourteen books, I have to admit that I grew fond of many of the characters and still hate some of them fervently, be it that the book was written by Robert alone or by Brandon.
The Last Battle, Tarmon Gai'don has come. Perrin is taking back his army of followers from Malden to Caemlyn. On the road he will meet with his old nemesis, the Whitecloaks, while Slayer will be waiting for him in the wolf dream. Rand tells the new Amyrlin Seat, Egwene, that he is going to break the seals at Shayol Ghul. The head of the Aes Sedai will call on all the leaders of the world to convince him to stop. And then, Matrim is not in rest, he will prepare his journey to the Tower of Ghenjei and put into motion his plans for the production of dreadful dragons devised by Aludra. In the borderlands, the trollocs are marching and Rodel Ituralde will have to face them while being greatly outnumbered.
Let me begin with my feelings in regards to the way the author handled the protagonists. In Brandon's first shot at The Wheel of Time, I thought he was usually spot on (although I think the perfection in this endeavor is of the domain of the impossible) with most of the characters and my feeling was renewed. Mat was somewhat the biggest difference. In this novel, he felt closer to the old Matrim. The humorous element that the hero brings to the grim setting is refreshingly pleasurable. I grinned more than ever at his remarks even though is best smile was a too common occurrence (you can also take a peek at one of my kick ass moment staring Mr. Cauthon).
The Last Battle, Tarmon Gai'don has come. Perrin is taking back his army of followers from Malden to Caemlyn. On the road he will meet with his old nemesis, the Whitecloaks, while Slayer will be waiting for him in the wolf dream. Rand tells the new Amyrlin Seat, Egwene, that he is going to break the seals at Shayol Ghul. The head of the Aes Sedai will call on all the leaders of the world to convince him to stop. And then, Matrim is not in rest, he will prepare his journey to the Tower of Ghenjei and put into motion his plans for the production of dreadful dragons devised by Aludra. In the borderlands, the trollocs are marching and Rodel Ituralde will have to face them while being greatly outnumbered.
Let me begin with my feelings in regards to the way the author handled the protagonists. In Brandon's first shot at The Wheel of Time, I thought he was usually spot on (although I think the perfection in this endeavor is of the domain of the impossible) with most of the characters and my feeling was renewed. Mat was somewhat the biggest difference. In this novel, he felt closer to the old Matrim. The humorous element that the hero brings to the grim setting is refreshingly pleasurable. I grinned more than ever at his remarks even though is best smile was a too common occurrence (you can also take a peek at one of my kick ass moment staring Mr. Cauthon).
Among the tasks expected from Brandon was the closing of story arcs to eventually concentrate or agglomerate the plots toward Tarmon Gai'don. In The Gathering Storm, some side plots were coming to an end and in ToM, at long last, many smaller arcs are coming to an end. The table is now set. However, that's not really the principal element that I retain concerning this book. Although it sometimes feels like a huge bridging novel, there's still a main storyline that is not really the most captivating adventure I wished for. I like some aspects of Perrin's quests, although the whole run for the liberation of Faile was excessively stretched by Jordan. I think Brandon fell into the same mistake. The main protagonist of ToM is Goldeneyes and he still spends way too much time thinking about throwing away his axe and becoming a wolf in the wolfdream. That story could have been recounted in at least half the pages dedicated to the subject.
After The Gathering Storm, I had a feeling of understanding that the split into three books for the ending was necessary, well I'm not certain about that now. Hopefully, the novel is eventually saved from being a slightly boring bridging novel that has to occur before the great conflagration (about time after so many words written). This redemption comes mostly in the form of Mat's storyline and the brief passages where Rand or Rodel Ituralde make appearances. In those cases, plenty of action is in store and a good deal of furious use of saidin. Moreover, Aviendha, some Ashamans in the Black Tower and Nynaeve have also some sidestories worth the wait.
By the way, I still hate the character of Elayne and I find her to be tremendously annoying again. Couldn't she just take the bloody Sun Throne already! At least, for her brief moments in the book, Nynaeve shines as one of the deeper and most compelling feminine character, finally (there is less mighty looks from the women in the novel, Egwene included).
As far as the author's writing is concerned, I think Brandon has proven once again that he can deliver on the accessible but enriched writing front. He uses the WoT universe with mastery. However, in this case, aside from Maradon, there's not much that can be considered an addition to the world.
Finally, we learn the name of Asmodean's killer. As I feared, it's not really breathtaking. It doesn't come as a big surprise but mostly, I think the myth behind it was far greater than the interest in the knowing.
I could tell you that this book is a must for the readers that were patient enough to get this far, but you can already tell by the review. With everything in place, this is at long last the end of fill-up storylines. The expectations for A Memory of Light are now sky high since everything important will come to a conclusion in the next book. That's probably why Towers of Midnight felt a bit like a letdown for me, the good stuff will have to wait. There one exception toward the end, the Tower of Ghenjei is stormed by Mat and this create one of the best moments I have felt while reading WoT in a long while.
Technically, as with all the Tor covers for The Wheel of Time series, I find this one to be looking bad. It's not as ugly as some of the previous work (TGS and Lord of Chaos for example) but I can understand the "need" for continuity. The hardcover edition is 864 pages long. There's the usual world map at the beginning of the book but also a great rendering of the besieged city of Maradon. And don't forget, as I mentioned in this post, don't read the glossary if you don't want to know who is Asmodean killer before reading the novel.
Towers of Midnight review score :
Characterization............. 8.5 /10
World building............... 8.5 / 10
Magic system................. 8 /10
Story.............................. 7 / 10
Writing........................... 8 / 10
Overall (not an average) 7.5 / 10
Enjoy!
Brandon Sanderson page
The Gathering Storm review
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review
It happens sometimes, many covers are revealed in a small interval of time. This last two weeks were as such. I've got two reviews coming up and a new poll and discussion about the last one on the interesting subject of e-books, but for now, let's enjoy some more art!
First of all, two pics from the courtesy Seak's blog, The Stamp. Here's the cover and title (I don't think it was mentionned before) for Col Buchanan second novel in the Hearth of the World series (the first impressed me a lot), Stands a Shadow. It's in the same style (though not as bad) as the first missed attempt for The Book of Transformation by Mark Charan Newton, and I don't think it's as nice as his first novel, Farlander...
Next up is the cover art for the seventh book in the Shadows of the Apt series by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Heirs of the Blade. I really have to start this sequence. I love this one... with a Sephiroth like girl... ;)
I'm actually reading the first novel by Jon Sprunk, Shadow's Son and I enjoy it so far. As for the first book, Chris McGrath and the very talented Micheal Kormack came up with the covers for the US and UK editions of the second novel by Sprunk, Shadow's Lure. Not bad! Thanks to the Mad Hatter for the heads up.
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covers
After finishing the re-read of Night of Knives by Ian C. Esslemont, Tor.com posted an interview with the fellow author of Steven Erikson in creating the Malazan world. In this interesting round of questions by the fans, Esslemont told us the name of the next novel in his own thread of Malazan tales. The follow-up to Stonewielder will be named Orb Sceptre, Throne, and will be set in Darujhistan (Yay! one of my favorite Malaz location).
The script is completed so look out for a release date soon.
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updates
Back in October, a work-in-progress cover art for Daniel Abraham first novel in his new fantasy series was unveiled (The Dragon's Path, book one of The Dagger and the Coin). Today, Orbit Books posted the real deal. It looks even better, with the same sword handle but a different background and colors.
Also, they posted this blurb :
Summer is the season of war in the Free Cities.
Marcus wants to get out before the fighting starts. His hero days are behind him and simple caravan duty is better than getting pressed into service by the local gentry. Even a small war can get you killed. But a captain needs men to lead — and his have been summarily arrested and recruited for their swords.
Cithrin has a job to do — move the wealth of a nation across a war zone. An orphan raised by the bank, she is their last hope of keeping the bank’s wealth out of the hands of the invaders. But she’s just a girl and knows little of caravans, war, and danger. She knows money and she knows secrets, but will that be enough to save her in the coming months?
Geder, the only son of a noble house is more interested in philosophy than swordplay. He is a poor excuse for a soldier and little more than a pawn in these games of war. But not even he knows what he will become of the fires of battle. Hero or villain? Small men have achieved greater things and Geder is no small man.
Falling pebbles can start a landslide. What should have been a small summer spat between gentlemen is spiraling out of control. Dark forces are at work, fanning the flames that will sweep the entire region onto The Dragon’s Path — the path of war.
April 2011 is the month to watch for this title.
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covers
Here we go with some stuff that grabbed my attention lately in the lustrous world of fantasy books cover art.
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First up, is two covers coming from Poland! Jeff Vandermeer's Finch and David Anthony Durham's Acacia. Thanks to both authors for sharing them with us. As you can see here, there was already some better looking covers released for Acacia and I find this last one to be kind of bland... However, I actually like the feeling emanating from the Finch Polish cover.
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Next up is from an author I admit I didn't know. The Bone Palace is the sequel to The Drowning City that was define by Orbit Books as "The blend of investigation, intrigue, and magic– all in a distinctly exotic fantasy setting really set it apart from the field and got people’s attention." Anyway, my interest here is in the cover. This is really not my usual type, but I find this one interesting... maybe slick and gorgeous could be applied as adjectives?
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As many of you, I guess, I like Raymond Swanland work a lot. The artist did great again with the cover art for Surrender to the Will of the Night by Glen Cook. But despite a nice piece of artwork, I think the title and author name choice of font and color can kind of ruin some beautiful work....
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Finally, a title that will grab attention more than most fantasy books but will probably turn down one of my friend that doesn't want to be associated with "Dungeon and Dragons" players/readers but who reads fantasy, Ari Marmell's The Goblin Corps. I'm actually not really a fan either...
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covers
This is it folks, the real deal in term of preview this time. The making of video is ten minutes long and you can get a glimpse of a lot of new stuff aside from what was in last week trailer.
April 2011 is not near enough!
HBO page
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updates
It was already a fact that Brandon Sanderson writes a lot. While he gave in the last few years the Mistborn trilogy, Warbreaker, two Wheel of Time books, the first Stormlight Archives novel and some YA novelization, he was currently working on Memory of Light, the last Wheel of Time book and eventually the follow-up to The Way of Kings.
Well it's still not enough words written for the prolific (we have to find a new adjective for him) author. Tor announced that they signed a deal for a fourth Mistborn novel and a new stand alone project, The Rithmatist.
I'm actually really glad for this announcement. I liked all the works of Sanderson I've read so far (still some on my to-read list though).
As for the Mistborn novel, it's actually a stand alone book in the same world but set in a more modern setting. The title of the book is The Alloy of Law and will be published in late 2011.
Well it's still not enough words written for the prolific (we have to find a new adjective for him) author. Tor announced that they signed a deal for a fourth Mistborn novel and a new stand alone project, The Rithmatist.
I'm actually really glad for this announcement. I liked all the works of Sanderson I've read so far (still some on my to-read list though).
As for the Mistborn novel, it's actually a stand alone book in the same world but set in a more modern setting. The title of the book is The Alloy of Law and will be published in late 2011.
Let Tor explain The Rithmatist :
Set in an alternate-history America where magic users (called “Rithmatists”) battle wild chalk creatures, The Rithmatist introduces Joel, a student at the Rithmatist academy with great interest in but no ability to use the magic. But when students start vanishing, it’s up to him to expose the sinister figure behind the disappearances.
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updates
The end of the year is near but there's still at least one title that picked my interest in the December 2010 release calendar of the fantasy literature circle. Since I have many more books from this year to read, I think this will be my sole acquisition this month (in term of new releases).
At last, comes the third book by Ian C. Esslemont in his Malazan novels, Stonewielder!!! Hurrah! I can get another doorstopper (a bit less imposing at 640 pages) book full of Malazan goodness. At least, it's what I'm hoping for, I will be able to tell you more soon. Sorry Sam Sykes, but again, your book will be pushed aside when I finish ToM for Stonewielder, I can't let the Crimson Guard wait their turn.
By the way, the book will be released on December 6th.
Here's the blurb :
At last, comes the third book by Ian C. Esslemont in his Malazan novels, Stonewielder!!! Hurrah! I can get another doorstopper (a bit less imposing at 640 pages) book full of Malazan goodness. At least, it's what I'm hoping for, I will be able to tell you more soon. Sorry Sam Sykes, but again, your book will be pushed aside when I finish ToM for Stonewielder, I can't let the Crimson Guard wait their turn.
By the way, the book will be released on December 6th.
Here's the blurb :
Greymane believed he'd outrun his past. With his school for swordsmanship in Falar, he was looking forward to a quiet life, although his colleague Kyle wasn't as enamoured with life outside the mercenary company, the Crimson Guard. However, it seems it is not so easy for an ex-Fist of the Malazan Empire to disappear, especially one under sentence of death from that same Empire. For there is a new Emperor on the throne of Malaz, and he is dwelling on the ignominy that is the Empire's failed invasion of the Korel subcontinent. In the vaults beneath Unta, the Imperial capital, lie the answers to that disaster. And out of this buried history surfaces the name Stonewielder. In Korel, Lord Protector Hiam, commander of the Stormguard, faces the potential annihilation of all that he holds dear. With few remaining men and a crumbling stone wall that has seen better days, he confronts an ancient enemy: the sea-borne Stormriders have returned. Religious war also threatens these lands. The cult of the Blessed Lady, which had stood firm against the Riders for millennia, now seeks to eradicate its rivals. And as chaos looms, a local magistrate investigating a series of murders suddenly finds himself at the heart of a far more ancient and terrifying crime - one that has tainted an entire land..."Stonewielder" is an enthralling new chapter in the epic story of a thrillingly imagined world.
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I'm a fantasy and sometimes Sci-fi books lover and I want to share my reviews! As simple as that. I'm from Levis, Qc, Canada and I work in software development. Aside from reading? Gaming and movies!!!
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