Monday update

Since I skipped the week-end, had to change the title :)

I'm now more than two thirds of the way into The Crippled God by Steven Erikson. This is also my first complete e-book reading and I'll post about my experience soon. So far I really enjoy the book but I'm still anxious to get to that huge convergence. I hope to finish it soon to go back to that enormous to-read pile. Now, here's what I gathered lately :

Covers

In my first best of (for 2009), the runner up for most beautiful cover was the cover art for Brian Ruckely's Winterbirth, Czech edition by Kekai Kotaki (even though it really has no connection with the story...). Brian posted the Czech cover for Fall of Thanes, again by Kekai Kotaki. Again, a great illustration by the artist... although whether or not it represent something this time...

News

Amazon announced last Thursday that they were now selling more Kindle books than printed books (105 Kindle e-books for each 100 printed books, with the free stuff out of the equation). Kindle was already the bestselling product of all time on Amazon Worldwide so that doesn't come as a huge surprise but still it's way faster than I thought (three times more e-books sales for the first quarter in comparison with last year). How long before we all talk about the e-books editions of our novels as a standard?

Authors extract


Richard Morgan posted a fourth (a penultimate) extract for the upcoming The Cold Commands (for the previous ones head over here). Here's a glimpse :

Habit took his feet south, put him on the Boulevard of the Ineffable Divine. He didn’t think Archeth would be back from An-Monal yet, but there was always Kefanin to talk to in the meantime. Ishgrim to leer at, if she chose to put in an appearance. And anyway, he reminded himself, a little sourly, it was his job to keep an eye on them all; it was the genteel pretence he and Archeth maintained – that his place as long-term house guest was paid out by informal security duties on her behalf.

That this amounted to not much more than being visible – and visibly Majak – about the place was not discussed. Nor were the small purses of silver coin that showed up regularly in the pockets of his attire, when it came back from cleaning and was laid out in his rooms.

He tried not to feel too much like a kept hound.

Truth was, the Citadel raid on Archeth’s household was the best part of three full seasons in the past now, and the way it had worked out, it seemed unlikely the same powers would try again. Menkarak and his kind had backed off. There was a ticklish equilibrium in place across Yhelteth these days, like some massive set of scales hanging in the sky above the city, one cupped, brass weighing bowl dipped over the imperial palace, the other riding the air above the raised crag and keep of the Citadel.

No-one wanted to disturb that balance if they could help it.

He felt it again – that same coiling restlessness, familiar but just out of reach.

Could always look for a real job, of course. Dragonbane.

***


The first chapter of Stonewielder by Ian C. Esslemont was posted on Tor.com. You can also take a look at my review of the novel here.