Throne of the Crescent Moon review

Throne of the Crescent Moon is Saladin Ahmed first novel. The author was nominated for the Nebula and Campbell awards for his short stories. His debut was released back in February of this year and is the first book in a trilogy named The Crescent Moon Kingdoms. Throne is a sword and sorcery novel with a touch of Arabian Nights that will expand into 'higher' and larger scale epic Fantasy (taken from interviews).

The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, land of djenn and ghuls, Khalifs and killers, is on the brink of civil war. To make things worse, a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms. And it's up to Doctor Adoulla Makhslood to solve them. 

"The last real ghul hunter in the great city of Dhamsawaat," Adoulla just wants a quiet cup of tea. But when an old flame's family is murdered, he is drawn back to the hunter's path. Recruiting old companions and new, Adoulla races against time--and struggles against his own misgivings--to discover a plot for the Throne of the Crescent Moon that threatens to turn Dhamsawaat, and the world itself, into a blood-soaked ruin.

As you have supposed by now, the tale recounted in Throne of the Crescent Moon is taking place in a mid-eastern setting. It's not a fanciful and unearthly world infused with elements of that particular culture but an imaginative world digging its roots deep into the lore of the Middle East.  From the names to the buildings depictions; from the food description to the preternatural beings inhabiting it, the world building connects together smoothly to create a great tapestry clearly reminiscent of these so called Thousand and One Nights, a fantastically brilliant execution of it.

Before long, there's magic involved into the mix.  The boundaries of it are clearly drawn for the users dwelling into the human side of things while the ghuls are devious creations of more powerful and dreadful ancient fallen entities trying to recover power and some kind of life. One of the practitioner of a specific sort of sorcery found in Throne is Doctor Adoulla Makhslood (with the 'Arabic sounding', great naming scheme, it's a bliss in audiobook).  The Doctor is a slightly stereotypical senior and proud citizen of Dhamsawaat, a bearded epicurean with a light plumpness contained in his white kaftan. From his tea sessions to his humorous ideologies confrontation with his young antagonistic pupil, the pious and lovable old man will assuredly charm you.

Following the Doctor, in the third person perspective like all the PoVs, and his witticism which find its way into every situation, grim or joyous is entertaining and touching. He surrounds himself with a young Dervish (some kind of friar) assistant, Raseed and old acquaintances, Litaz and Dawoud, alchemists, healers and wizards. The last two of them don't bring much novelty to the story but they serve their purpose really well. As for Raseed, I'm not so sure.  He certainly is a good sidekick for the Doctor and is stepping up to the plate in battles with his swordplay but the author invested in him a deep devotion, which will be tried more often than not and a forbidden love story.

On the other side of this game of flirtatious affection is Zamia.  The dedicated young girl is the last of her nomad tribe, a fierce lion-shaper who stumble upon the two main heroes and finds herself in need of help to satisfy her vengeful hunger. For the two youngsters, Ahmed wrote skilfully the part of teenagers but for both of them I eventually felt annoyed at some of their redundant reactions.  I wouldn't cheer for them to the end but nonetheless, they were interesting enough to improve the threads of the tale they were part of.

From there I could even go farther in the analysis of such a full book for so few pages. The Djinns are simply hinted at and the Khalif and all his personnel guarding his city and enforcing his laws are clashing with rebel thieves under the leadership of the Falcon Prince. Typical? Some of it yes, however, they are actually greater than themselves, mostly so in the case of the Robin Hood of Dhamsawaat and his keen retort more than makes up for it.

Dhamsawaat. Cool name for a city, there's a flavor to it. I think Ahmed wanted us to feel how vivid it is and how grandiose and picturesque it could be to walk its streets.  When I think about those streets and all the locales the various characters pass through, I realize that Saladin Ahmed is really gifted to immerse the reader into his creation.

Throne of the Crescent Moon is a book in three parts.  The first is a quick rise of action where multiple  compelling (and sometimes marginally annoying) characters are presented through some deeds and conversations while they present their nature.  The second act is where the events resolve for a time, an aftermath shedding some lights on the life of the protagonists in the city.  That part has intriguing moments, the investigation itself, but I also sensed some laxism with the characters relationship development.  Hopefully, the third act brings the pace back to its former speed and the resolution is gratifying.

I haven't read any of Saladin Ahmed's shorts but I assume that they clearly permitted the author to try his hand at writing and the benefits show through his writing of Throne. Even though I would have liked a different pace and structure for that second act, the author has found his voice and now, he can push it beyond the limits of this first opus. I enjoyed myself at almost every moment.

There you have it. You may have the same reflex that I had when I saw this book coming out: "oh well, another Arabian Nights inspired sword and sorcery in a short time 'a la'  The Emperor's Knife or The Desert of Souls". Not quite. It's a fast and satisfyingly enjoyable read and you shouldn't miss it. I tell you, go pick it up now!

Technically, I find the DAW cover really interesting. Great color choice and lettering and the most important, a very credible representation of the protagonists in action.  The talented Jason Chan seems to have easily portrayed them from the well-described characters.  The book stands at 274 pages and a nice looking map is included. As for the audiobook, Phil Gigante is splendid and it's where the names really come to life.  The duration is 10 hours and 16 minutes.

Throne of the Crescent Moon review score :

Characterization.............  8.5  /10

World building...............   9 / 10

Magic system.................   7.5 / 10

Story..............................   8.5 / 10

Writing...........................   9 / 10

Overall (not an average) 8.5 / 10


Enjoy!


Saladin Ahmed page

King of Thorns map

Mark Lawrence posted on his blog the map (added to the index) included in his second novel coming later this year, King of Thorns, the follow-up to the spectacular debut of last year, Prince of Thorns. The map of the Broken Empire, a post-apocalyptic version of Europe, was centered roughly around Northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. The new map is giving a broader glimpse of Lawrence setting. Nice!

Coverage of women authors - some thoughts

Bastard at Bastard Books wrote a very interesting article about a study concerning the coverage of women authors by the SFF reviewers, an analysis by statistics posted on ladybusiness Dreamwidth.   The principal topic of his post was an exploration of the question of K.J. Parker's gender and, in an introductory explanation, he shared his thoughts on the subject and the way the stats were handled, his perceptions.  Many of the comments posted by the readers and bloggers resulted in a compelling read.

His conclusion about K.J. Parker's shrouded sex identity is more complex than simply stating that he/she is actually a male or a female. What he brings to the table is some correlations deduced by further exploring the particular case of the author in conjunction with the study by ladybusiness. I'm not here to comment on his post aside from recommending you to take the time to read it.

However, I wanted to share some thoughts on the subject myself. More so since the exploration of Parker's gender and the fact that it's not the only case of pen name created voluntarily to be gender unspecific gave me the motive to further develop on the topic and do some introspection.

First of all, let me clear up my current situation. I have read several times that women in Fantasy are usually (but not always justly) associated with Urban Fantasy and YA books which are often targeted toward a younger audience or a more feminine one.  In my specific case, judging by my reading pedigree, I tend to somewhat prove the point unintentionally.  When I was a teenager, I read many books by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Anne Rice or Anne McCaffrey, all of whom I have since deserted. And then, when I look at my reviews and the authors I chose to read in the past few years, aside from N.K. Jemisin and Robin Hobb, I can't say that I can find many female authors that caught my eye. Am I wandering?

Still, as I mentioned, this is in no way intentional. I think that it happened through a combination of circumstances, the most obvious one coming to mind being the really strong presence of male authors in Epic Fantasy, especially the popular ones. In that regard, I reciprocate with one of Bastard's statement.

If you follow the blog regularly, you know that I'm mostly into that specific niche of the broader genre. Hopefully, taking a look at the list of authors categorized into Epic Fantasy, I find big names like Jacqueline Carey, Trudi Canavan, Kate Elliot, Jennifer Fallon, N.K. Jemisin, Robin Hobb, Ursula K. Le Guin, Anne McCaffrey, Elizabeth Moon, Melanie Rawn or Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I know there are many names missing from that list but even if the male authors are much more numerous, the female authors are not outnumbered in a frightening proportion. Although, simply by enumerating that list, I think I ought to take care to read a bit more from women authors. At least, the next audiobook I will pick up is The Song of the Earth by Elspeth Cooper.

But then, my point here is not to judge whether I should read from more female authors (I don't feel ashamed but it will still be something to consider) but why is the situation as it is. So, I also started analyzing some of the numbers supporting the ladybusiness study but as Bastard mentioned, they have to be moderated a bit or explored in different lights or distinct genre. I didn't find more answers there.  There was an article on the subject last year posted on The Guardian and they concluded that it's mainly because of the fanbase. I'm not so certain about that point, it seems to me that there is a considerable crowd of female readers/reviewers roaming the web. Maybe that's slowly growing or they still don't have a strong enough voice in the 'business'.

Let's bet back to some authors dubious identity. In relation with that, one thing came to my mind when I read about Bastard's topic. I remember reading that Robin Hobb specifically chose the first name Robin as her pen name for Fantasy because it is gender neutral. The same can be said for J.K. Rowling whose first Potter book was published with the name Joanne Rowling but was switched to J.K. in fear that the young boy's audience would avoid the book because it was written by a woman. Some more examples? C.S Friedman? J.V. Jones? io9 also posted on this matter.

I know that names 'a la' J.R.R are popular, even for men, but for so many female Fantasy authors to pick up pen names that are not gender specific, there ought to be some problem. We, the readers, created that situation trough the years and since Tolkien himself, the majority of Epic Fantasy authors were men.  We got used to it.  Moreover, when you look at the protagonists filling the books of both female and male authors, I'm pretty sure that a significant majority of male will be present. Are we, the Epic Fantasy readers, sexists to a certain degree? I hope not and I tend to think that it's not the case.

In conclusion, I don't think that it's the fault of a specific element but I think that all this talk shed some light on the fact that women coverage in Epic Fantasy is indeed slightly insufficient.  The future will probably set things right or I should say balance things out and it's already doing so.

What do you think?  Should the SFF (or explicitly Epic Fantasy) reviewer crowd read/review more female authors? Is all that coverage thing really a concern?

Miles Cameron's The Red Knight US and UK covers

Miles Cameron is a Canadian author making his debut in Fantasy with his novel The Red Knight, the first book of the Traitor Son Cycle, that will be released by Gollancz in the UK in September (and by Orbit books in the US).  Both publishers posted the covers today:

UK (Gollancz)

US (Orbit)

I prefer the UK cover art, the old style illustration is seen less often, not bad. As for the US cover, it's not a bad execution but it's generic as far as Fantasy books covers go... what's your take on it?

Here's the blurb/synopsis:

Twenty eight florins a month is a huge price to pay, for a man to stand between you and the Wild.

 

Twenty eight florins a month is nowhere near enough when a wyvern’s jaws snap shut on your helmet in the hot stink of battle, and the beast starts to rip the head from your shoulders. But if standing and fighting is hard, leading a company of men – or worse, a company of mercenaries – against the smart, deadly creatures of the Wild is even harder.

 

It takes all the advantages of birth, training, and the luck of the devil to do it.

 

The Red Knight has all three, he has youth on his side, and he’s determined to turn a profit. So when he hires his company out to protect an Abbess and her nunnery it’s just another job. The abbey is rich, the nuns are pretty and the monster preying on them is nothing he can’t deal with.

 

Only it’s not just a job. It’s going to be a war . . .

E-reading for a year

Last year, roughly at the same date, I decided to go digital. Then after a couple of months, in June last year I posted an update with my feelings so far (I had finished my first e-book reading on my e-reader, The Crippled God by Steven Erikson).  I thought that after one year and approximately half of the books read since that date in an electronic way, it was time to share again on this subject.

Back in June, I mentioned these pros:

• Incredible portability
• Effortless sessions when holding the reader :)
• Stands easily (Nazgûl not an obligation)
• Pricing (it's even more significant since I don't buy much MMPB...)
• Book storage capacity
• Live dictionary
• Enables me to take notes

Now for the cons:

• Number of lines on a page with a comfortable font size
• DRM/non-amazon reader (I know... my choice and my fault...)
• Loss of physical sensation

I don't need to spend more time on these points since they are still quite as valid as they were after my first reading. However, they are more and more appreciable.  Even though I still like the weight and feel of a "real" book in my hands or on a crowded shelf in my bedchamber, I think that the digital revolution is a must for the readers. By now, if I have the choice, I will probably always go with an e-book over a paper book.

If you take a look at the stats, it looks like a fast going trend. Back in January, the USA Today reported that 32 of its 50 top titles were selling more copies in digital format than in print. Moreover, I found out form a post on Zdnet that "The Harris Poll also found that, quite unsurprisingly, owners of tablets and e-reader devices often buy and read more books in a year than someone who doesn’t." Interesting! That Harris Interactive survey also points out that three in ten Americans own e-readers (mostly iPads, Nooks and Kindles). For even more statistics on the subject, you can head on the The Digital Reader.

So then, as we are seeing with the movie rental shop increasingly closing, will we see libraries closing up soon? I think that it will probably take more time but it will probably happen faster than we think. I mean, cookbooks don't belong to e-readers but on a tablet, even them could sell less and less in paper format. Sadly, we will probably also hear "Oh, you're reading [that]!" less often...

Have you switched to e-reading? Completely, partially? On which device?  I'd like to hear you out!

Erikson's The Forge of Darkness cover and blurb

Steven Erikson first novel in the new Kharkanas Trilogy set in the past from the Malazan Book of the Fallen will be released later this year, on September 25th. The cover for The Forge of Darkness was found on the web this week alongside the blurb. Here you go:

The Forge of Darkness takes readers to Kurald Galain, the warren of Darkness, and tells an epic tale of a realm whose fate plays a crucial role in the fall of the Malazan Empire. 

It's a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, the warren of Darkness, where Mother Dark reigns. But this ancient land was once home to many a power… and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners' great hero, Vatha Urusander, longs for ascendency and Mother Dark's hand in marriage, but she has taken another Consort, Lord Draconus, from the faraway Dracon Hold. The idea of this union sends fissures throughout the realm, and as the rumors of civil war burn through the masses, an ancient power emerges from the long dead seas. Caught in the middle of it all are the Sons of Darkness, Anomander, Adarist, and Silchas Ruin of the Purake Hold.

New interactive maps - Beaulieu and Buchanan

Two authors updated recently their homepage to add interactive maps/gazetteer of their imaginary worlds. That is Col Buchanan and Bradly P. Beaulieu. Click on the image for the link.

Seven Princes review

Seven Princes is John R. Fultz first Fantasy novel.  It was released in January 2012 and is the start of the Books of the Shaper trilogy that will be followed by Seven Kings and Seven Sorcerers.  John previously worked on several short stories and a graphic novel.

It is an Age of Legends. 

Under the watchful eye of the Giants, the kingdoms of Men rose to power. Now, the Giant-King has slain the last of the Serpents and ushered in an era of untold peace and prosperity. Where a fire-blackened desert once stood, golden cities flourish in verdant fields. 

It is an Age of Heroes. 

But the realms of Man face a new threat-- an ancient sorcerer slaughters the rightful King of Yaskatha before the unbelieving eyes of his son, young Prince D'zan. With the Giant-King lost to a mysterious doom, it seems that no one has the power to stop the coming storm. 

It is an Age of War. 

The fugitive Prince seeks allies across the realms of Men and Giants to liberate his father's stolen kingdom. Six foreign Princes are tied to his fate. Only one thing is certain: War is coming. 

SEVEN PRINCES. 

Some will seek glory. 

Some will seek vengeance. 

All will be legends

Seven Princes is an example of conventional heroic/epic Fantasy. An evil is coming to the world and it's simply and literally evil. Its incarnations are found in the apparition of an ancient being from the void of immeasurable power and an empress thought long dead.  If the conventional adjective was to be removed from the epithet I affixed and even be replaced with original or surprisingly imaginative, these cruel beings ought to have some kind of motivation driving them to such extreme devotion toward death and destruction, which is not the case with this novel.  The only idea looming behind their behavior is raw power and control. I would have liked more depth and explanation concerning their inception, evolution and determination.

That being said, the epic struggles of the good guys could be the redemption for the novel.  Moreover, since it's a debut, it could be a somewhat clumsy start creating a nice setting for the next books. In any case, that's definitely not what I found in Fultz book. The so-called heroes react to the threat in a predictable manner, mostly so coming from lightly tested future rulers.

There is a plenitude of these lordlings; at least seven or so judging by the title. In the presence of several protagonists of note, I thought that the author would present very different points of view of a story intermixing the princes. That's indeed what is happening for the most part but the points of view frequently blend together. Vireon and Sharadza the young giants siblings, their cousin Andoses and the other human princes all have their individual personality but their narrative eventually feels all the same.  That's probably because they are all righteous to a certain degree and fighting evil at almost any cost.  With a deeper exploration in each case and a better focus on their disparities, some of them could have become more compelling.

As the story unfolds, we find out what I briefly mentioned before, the fact that the new ruler of Yaskatha, the necromancer Elhathym is completely unmatched in term of power. The forces that all the princes and their kingdoms can assemble are not even an argument against him and his collaborator in evilness, Ianthe the Claw.  To tip the scales, the protagonists will stumble on several sorcerers coming out of nowhere or in hiding to help them defeat the villains. Magic, at the same time blazing and boring is unleashed for a couple of more enlivening action sequence that are falling a bit on the short or brief side.

In term of world building, there is some work involved.  The race of giants, the various morphing sorcerers, the doomed and deathly spirits of Vakai each offer slightly more than the traditional Fantasy tropes, some variations. The cities and more specifically the throne rooms are thoroughly detailed and the people of each region have some kind of distinction. However, aside from the giant and human city of New Udurum, it looks like the tribes didn't mix much, there's not much semblance of interbreeding thought the ages or diversity of beliefs.  Sadly, there's a quick end to the inspiration found in the author world when we look at the terrain between the cities or forts. It seemed to me that it was completely empty aside from the cities sketched on the map (except for some dangerous monsters waiting patiently).

Fultz prose is substantially descriptive, even though it seemed to be circumstantial and the pace of the book is smooth and flowing most of the time. However, it's broken in a couple of instances when long journeys through the country are sped up.  I felt annoyed at the simplistic philosophical declarations of chivalrous intent found in the dialogues. I have read on other reviews that the writing of Seven Princes was reminiscent of good old pulp Fantasy. I think that comment is probably just and if that reference suits your tastes, you'll be moderately rewarded when reading the novel.

Some of my comments on the book may be a bit severe but with the crowd of authors I can find these days that push the genre to new horizons, I think that a classic or generic tale of good vs evil ought to give me more to chew on. Nonetheless, with a fluid but marginally encumbered prose and some creative elements to build upon, this book could quench some of your thirst.  Fultz has something in his hands that is not extensively exploited, typical but that still could turn out to become a series worth looking into in the future.

Technically, the Orbit books paperback edition cover is kind of cool with its flashy yellow that really stands out and the stylized and blurry characters. The book stands at 526 pages and a map (and I have it here) and dramatis personae are available.

Seven Princes review score :

Characterization.............   6.5 /10

World building...............   6.5 / 10

Magic system.................   7.5 / 10

Story..............................   6.5 / 10

Writing...........................   7 / 10

Overall (not an average) 6.5 / 10

John R. Fultz's Blog

Joe Abercrombie's A Red Country update

Joe Abercrombie posted an update about his upcoming novel, A Red Country.  He has finished his first draft of the whole novel and the words count so far is at 171 000 words, making it his shortest book (even though, as he mentions, after the edits, it could change a bit). He offers some words count for his previous books but here's the complete list:

Blade Itself - 194,000

Before they are Hanged - 200,00

Last Argument of Kings -  236,000

Best Served Cold - 230,000

The Heroes - 207,000

Even more interestingly, he also confirms the release date in the US, which will be on November 20th 2012 and it will be out in the UK in September or October.

Here's an extract of his post and the link:

Joe's blog

Finished the first draft of A Red Country today.  Well, kind of finished.  Any of you who’ve been through this process with me before will remember that there is a lot of work to do between writing the final words and seeing the book on the shelves.  Some of the most important work.  But also some of the most satisfying.  This is the part I really enjoy, cutting, refining, seeing the poor parts chopped away and the good parts refined and the whole hopefully coming into shape.  This week I’ll look over and tidy up this last part before sending it off to my editor, and then it’s a quick read through to see what I’ve got, some additions and heavy rewriting of one of the two central characters.  But hey, it’s a step in the right direction.

The synopsis again you ask? There you go:

“Shy South comes home to her farm to find a blackened shell, her brother and sister stolen, and knows she’ll have to go back to bad old ways if she’s ever to see them again.  She sets off in pursuit with only her cowardly old step-father Lamb for company.  But it turns out he’s hiding a bloody past of his own.  None bloodier.  Their journey will take them across the lawless plains, to a frontier town gripped by gold fever, through feuds, duels, and massacres, high into unmapped mountains to a reckoning with ancient enemies, and force them into alliance with Nicomo Cosca, infamous soldier of fortune, a man no one should ever have to trust…”

aSoIaF World speculative map

Ser Mountain Goat (I know, I didn't thought I would be writing a name like this in a post) is behind a splendid work of map making. As the title mentions, this is a speculative map that is not 100% accurate with George's mind (we would have to give him lessons in map making and design for it to reach that accuracy) but it looks amazing and it's the best we have so far for a world map of the setting of a Song of Ice and Fire, kudos to the Goat, the Mountain one!  Thanks to Adam at The Wertzone for the heads up!

Added to the index as usual!

Enjoy:

Just for fun - Reading speed

This app made by Staples may be an obvious publicity stunt for the e-readers they have on sale, still, it's amusing to use for the sake of questionable comparison or pure dedicated rivalry!  You may have seen it spreading slowly on Facebook...  The app enables you to 'validate' your reading speed results with several benchmarks. It's even more interesting when English is not you're primary language...

My result was at 475 words per minute, slightly over the average college student... What's yours? Are you a speed reader?

Source: Staples eReader Department

The Emperor's Knife review

The Emperor's Knife, book one of the Tower and Knife trilogy is the debut novel of Mazarkis Williams and was published on October 27th 2011. There is no official date for the second book but we know it is titled Knifesworn.

There is a cancer at the heart of the mighty Cerani Empire: a plague that attacks young and old, rich and poor alike, marking each victim with a fragment of a greater pattern. Anyone showing the marks is put to death. That is Emperor Beyon's law . . .  

But now the pattern is reaching closer to the palace than ever before. In a hidden room, a forgotten prince has grown from child to man, and as the empire sickens, Sarmin, the emperor’s only surviving brother, is remembered. He awaits the bride his mother has chosen: a chieftain’s daughter from the northern plains. 

Mesema travels from her homeland, an offering for the empire’s favour. She is a Windreader, used to riding free across the grasslands, not posing and primping in rare silks. She finds the Imperial Court’s protocols stifling, but she doesn’t take long to realise the politicking and intrigues are not a game, but deadly earnest.  

Eyul is burdened both by years and by the horrors he has carried out in service to the throne. At his emperor’s command he bears the emperor’s Knife to the desert in search of a cure for the pattern-markings.  

As long-planned conspiracies boil over into open violence and rebellion, the enemy moves toward victory. Now only three people stand in his way: a lost prince, a world-weary killer, and a young girl from the steppes who once saw a path through a pattern, among the waving grasses. 

The Emperor's Knife is the story of the Ceranian throne, the bloody and sulfurous intrigue surrounding it, a mysterious pattern disease and mostly and more importantly the players themselves.  Williams' tale is presented in the midst of a big empire derived from the culture of the Ottoman Empire and the Arabian Nights (I picked this up from an interview of the author). The young emperor's mother, his assassin, his counselor the High Vizier and several other protagonists are trying to improve their status or keep control of their assets.  For some, their motivations may seem conventional but for others, the incentive pushing them is more complex and ambiguous. I know, you will probably tell me that you have read several novels falling into that category and you will be right.  If this kind of novel is your cup of tea, you could stop reading the review right now and open the book.  For the others, I think you should consider it seriously and I will attempt to show you why.

The intrigue itself is what made me fly through the pages. Not the machinations themselves but the impact on  the members of the cast.  The scope is nothing to compare to George R.R. Martin's saga but the story is very tightly woven, though it is plagued with a couple of dumbfounding scenes and the characters making their moves are compelling. You may have witnessed this situation more often than not but when it is well executed, it creates splendid novels.  In the case of the Emperor's Knife, there were times when things got almost too blurry in term of comprehension of who stood where in the grand scheme of things but the big picture got clearer just at the right times, barely so in a couple of instances.  There is many rises of action, high or turning points, making a supposition of climax appear that turns out to be a jumping point to a storyline that brings ever more to the table.  A real page-turner, nicely executed but not without its flaws.

I will not start an analysis of all the characters since it would be quite lengthy. However, I will spend some time on the most important protagonists.  Sarmin, the emperor's brother, is standing on the border between madness and sanity. His imprisonment made him create a world of his own, which is as creative as the whole Cerani Empire and his storyline regularly brings some insight into the past. When the author brings up his point of view, you easily connect with his spirit, which is weirdly colorful, tense and effervescent.  Sadly, his magical prowess is intrinsic and I think the author should have elaborated more on its origin. It's frustrating to see him execute something incredible without insight...

Next is Eyul, the assassin.  On the negative side, as with many Fantasy novels starring assassins lately, we are in the presence of a genuinely kind and caring killer (to a certain degree). However, I have to admit that the person himself is probably having the hardest part to play in the story and even though his thread is not a coming of age experience, he lives through great transformations that justify the cliché. In the end, his adventures and all the interventions Sarmin has with the other characters are the most interesting parts. Tuvaini, the High Vizier, is caring a lot for the empire and although he is more straightforward, still, his struggles are worthy sub-plots.

Then, there is one of the few female point of view (even though there is a considerable cast of women), Mesema. In her case again, we are gifted with an engaging character but still familiar. I think that Williams is actually quite apt at writing female protagonists with his particular setting in mind. This conclusion came to me as a surprise.  I want to be fair here and I don't want you to judge my next statement wrongly, but when reading the book, on some occasions, I told myself with a grin: "this is really written by a guy". I see it as a positive aspect of the book, creating some refreshing remarks. On the other hand, maybe he ought to work a bit more on the romantic scenes.

I have read some praise for the magic system but basically, I don't agree completely, I didn't find much originality. The foundation of the author's magic structure is found in bonds with elementals, which are split into the classic categories (fire, water, air....). However, and hopefully, one aspect of it completely eclipses the mages framework.  The pattern.  Alongside the political scheming, the whole pattern aspect gives a unique voice to the novel and a strong one it is. The patterns are found on the body of the carriers, those who are affected by it, and in the world itself as it affects nature for those who can see it. The Pattern-Master is behind it all but the discovery of who is identity is not the best twist ever, you can see it coming sooner than ever.  Don't worry, there are other turns of events or resolutions that are deceptive and intriguing.

In term of writing, Williams' book can be considered a fast read where you won't find the unnecessary description or character deliberation. The pace is fluid and he uses skillfully the trick of switching the points of view frequently to make us eager for the return of a particular character or to present a scene through the right eyes at the right time.

When I finished the book, I remembered that it was actually the first part of a trilogy. I am not certain why, but at that moment, I thought that maybe it should have been a stand alone.  The resolution of almost all the important threads made me question what the author would be up to but I am not in Mazarkis Williams' head and I believe that he will be able to present another entertaining tale.  His debut is testament enough.

Technically, even though the cover is a pretty work of art, with great colors, lettering and representations, it is still the infamous hooded assassin. The book stands at 388 pages and a map is available (here too).

The Emperor's Knife review score :

Characterization.............   8 /10

World building...............   8 / 10

Magic system.................   8 / 10

Story..............................   8.5 / 10

Writing...........................   7.5 / 10

Overall (not an average) 8 / 10

Enjoy!

Mazarkis Williams Facebook page

Hugo category for the bloggers?

If you are following the SFF blogosphere, you are probably aware of Stefan's post on Far Beyond Reality and on Justin's Staffer's Book Review about the curious situation in which the Hugo Awards find themselves when we look at the future possibilities of the eligibility criteria for the Best Fanzine and Best Fan Writer categories.

The SFF blogs may not be eligible next year... Stefan is not the first to mention the incongruity of removing 'us' from the possible winners, however, he brings a good point: if we can't be nominated in the Best Fanzine\Best Fan Writer categories to preserve the traditional fanzines, why not create a new Best Blog category?  The SFF blogosphere is now a force to be reckoned with in the SFF literature talk world and I would say that it has become the best source of information! 

There you have it, I only wanted to share this topic with you as several other bloggers have done.  If you don't give a damn about awards, no harm done but if you are interested in helping or are big fans of SFF blogs and want to nominate one of them, now is the time, head on to the Hugo Award page. More importantly, here is an extract of Stefan's post:

So! Enough with the speechifying. I’m hoping that enough fans and bloggers and authors will include their favorite blogs in the Best Fanzine category. Personally, I’m putting only blogs on my ballot. I’m hoping that at least a few of the best ones will make it to the final ballot. And I hope that one of them will win the award. 

Aside from the Fanzine/blog category, you can also nominate individual Fan Writers. Things are a bit more straightforward and less exclusive there: you can nominate anyone who writes about SF&F in any format. Including bloggers. You don’t have to use a Xerox machine to be eligible for Best Fan Writer. So, if you have a favorite blog, you can nominate “Aidan Moher” or “Adam Whitehead” under Best Fan Writer as well as “SF Signal” or “Staffer’s Musings” under Best Fanzine. Even if blogs don’t count anymore in future years, you can continue to nominate the people behind the blogs in the Best Fan Writer. 

It looks like a few people have put my name on their ballots in this category. I am very flattered, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart, but I want to make it clear that I’m not asking you to nominate me here. I’m asking you to support your favorite bloggers. If that’s me, great. If not, also great. Just support your favorite bloggers, whoever they are. Buy a membership and nominate them.

Follow here for the full post.

New amazing Game of Thrones trailer

HBO released another trailer for the season 2 of Game of Thrones.  While it may have been only the latest in a series of those as we get closer to April first, the latest sneak preview, titled Seven Devils is simply amazing!  Now that's a great trailer!  Maybe the song choice is having a great influence on that statement but nonetheless, I don't think you can have it better than this:

Jemisin's The Killing Moon excerpt

N.K. Jemisin's next novel, The Killing Moon (first book of the Dreamblood series) will be out on May 1st and she posted an extract of the first chapter of the book on her page.  I enjoyed her debut (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms - review) and was just a little disappointed by the follow-up (The Broken Kingdoms - review). I will certainly go back to the series eventually to finish it.  Meanwhile, here's the blurb, the link and a small part of the excerpt:

In the city-state of Gujaareh, peace is the only law. Along its ancient stone streets, where time is marked by the river’s floods, there is no crime or violence. Within the city’s colored shadows, priests of the dream-goddess harvest the wild power of the sleeping mind as magic, using it to heal, soothe… and kill.  

But when corruption blooms at the heart of Gujaareh’s great temple, Ehiru — most famous of the city’s Gatherers — cannot defeat it alone. With the aid of his cold-eyed apprentice and a beautiful foreign spy, he must thwart a conspiracy whose roots lie in his own past. And to prevent the unleashing of deadly forbidden magic, he must somehow defeat a Gatherer’s most terrifying nemesis: the Reaper.

*****

Chapter 1 

The barbarians of the north taught their children to fear the Dreaming Moon, claiming that it brought madness. This was a forgivable blasphemy. On some nights, the moon’s strange light bathed all Gujaareh in oily swirls of amethyst and aquamarine. It could make lowcaste hovels seem sturdy and fine; pathways of plain clay brick gleamed as if silvered. Within the moonlight’s strange shadows, a man might crouch on the shadowed ledge of a building and be only a faint etching against the marbled gray. 

In this land, such a man would be a priest, intent upon the most sacred of his duties. 

More than shadows aided this priest’s stealth. Long training softened his footfalls against the stone; his feet were bare in any case. He wore little altogether, trusting the darkness of his skin for camouflage as he crept along, guided by the sounds of the city. An infant’s cry from a tenement across the street; he took a step. Laughter from several floors below his ledge; he straightened as he reached the window that was his goal. A muffled cry and the sounds of a scuffle from an alley a block away; he paused, listening and frowning. But the disturbance ended as sandals pattered on the cobblestones, fading into the distance, and he relaxed. When the love-cries of the young couple next door floated past on a breeze, he slipped through the curtains into the room beyond. 

The bedchamber: a study in worn elegance. The priest’s eyes made out graceful chairs upholstered in fraying fabrics, and wood furnishings gone dull for lack of polish. Reaching the bed, he took care to avoid shadowing the face of the person who slept there—but the old man’s eyes opened anyhow, blinking rheumily in the thin light.

Here for more

What to read next?

Alright, it's not often that I have to ask the question since I usually have at least one novel that I really want to read more than the others from my "way too big" to-read pile.  However, this time, after I finish Mazarkis Williams' The Emperor's Knife, I'm not sure what to pick up.  The "On the horizon" image on the blog showed David Tallerman's Giant Thief but after reading a couple of reviews (update: not that they are negative, quite the contrary), I think it will slip farther down the list  (to pick something different from a good old Fantasy debut...). In audiobook, my next pick should be Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed.  Here's the books I am considering:

R. Scott Bakker - The White Luck Warrior
Ian C. Esslemont - Orb, Sceptre, Throne
Col Buchanan - Stands a Shadow
Micheal J. Sullivan - Theft of Swords
Blake Charlton - Spellbound
Sam Sykes - Tome of the Undergates
Adrian Tchaikovsky - Empire in Black and Gold

Is there a novel in this list that you would want me to review more than the others?