The Last Dragon at Fantasy Cafe

Kristen over at Fantasy Cafe has a review up of J. M. McDermott's debut, The Last Dragon. Here's an excerpt:

J.M. McDermott's debut Last Dragon is one of the books published under the new Wizards of the Coast Discoveries imprint. Discoveries includes novels by new authors in all types of speculative fiction instead of just epic fantasy with settings outside of the Forgotten Realms universe. The goal is to publish more mature fiction that appeals to adult readers instead of the simplistic but fun stories that often end up getting adolescents hooked on reading fantasy. Far more original and artistic than the typical Wizards of the Coast book, Last Dragon succeeds at meeting this standard, though it is not flawless.

Check out the rest of it here.

Spotlight Review - The Red Wolf Conspiracy at The Wertzone

Adam Whitehead over at the Wertzone has an advanced review up of an upcoming UK debut. THE RED WOLF CONSPIRACY looks to be a nautical fantasy. Adam gave it four stars and expects that the author, Robert V. S. Redick will, "be 'the' big new fantasy author of 2008, and deservedly so."

THE RED WOLF CONSPIRACY comes out on February 1st. Gollancz is releasing it in both hardcover and trade paperback. Here is a small excerpt from Adam's review:

The Red Wolf Conspiracy is the opening volume of The Chathrand Voyage, a fantasy trilogy by debut author Robert V.S. Redick. Gollancz's pre-publicity draws comparisons with Scott Lynch and Philip Pullman, and I suspect over the coming months a similar word-of-mouth pre-release excitment will build that is comparable to Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora or Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind. Certainly The Red Wolf Conspiracy is an exceptionally fine novel and more than worthy of such comparisons.

Head on over to the Wertzone for Adam's review, plus Amazon links and more.

Spotlight Review - THE STEAM MAGNATE by Dana Copithorne

One of the guest reviewers over at The Fantasy and SciFi Lovin' Book Review posted a fabulous review that also let me know of what sounds like another excellent small press, Aio Publishing. The novel is THE STEAM MAGNATE by Dana Copithorne. I've not yet announced this book, so here is the blurb:

Departing from formulaic themes involving quests, magicians, and mythical animals, this fantasy novel follows a character with powers more ordinary than most uber-wizards. Having inherited the steam-power legacy and the mysterious ability to funnel the assets of others into his own coffers through the mere use of ink and paper, Eson is hated by some and feared by others. While recovering from a disastrous relationship with a woman of his own magical kind, he meets a young woman who isn’t who she claims to be, and Eson must now defend himself against challenges far too close to home. Set in a world that is a tempting concoction of fairy-tale charm and everyday existence, this work explores the inequities of social class and the realities living among the less fortunate.

Here's a little sample of S.M.D.'s raving review:

To put it simply, this work is stunning. Copithorne's prose is superb. It's fluid, powerful, and gripping. I found myself dragged right into the world and unable to escape. This is prose to look up to, in my opinion. This is also not your typical story. While it flirts with the lines of science fiction and fantasy, it isn't a story of adventure, but a story of characters. The focus is on Kyra, Eson, and Jado (a character I didn't mention in the summary), and how they are affected and influenced by everything that goes on. Taken into account that this is a highly literary work, The Steam Magnate never ceases to be beautiful in its creation.

Here is the rest of the review. I will research this book and put up an announcement in the next few days.

Spotlight Review -- ISABELLA MOON

I'll be shining the spotlight review in several directions for ISABELLA MOON, because reviews appear to be rather mixed. Some reviewers loved it, others could not get through it at all.

First up is Maria, a reviewer at FantasyBookSpot. Maria has this to say:

The premise of Isabella Moon is very, very good. It’s dark, mysterious, and intriguing. Isabella Moon is a dead girl, one that can’t rest until justice is served. Or so I believe, since I’m only about halfway through. It hasn’t been said, but you just know she was murdered. Why else does the little girl haunt, Kate, the main protagonist?

This debut novel by Laura Benedict has a lot of strengths; she has great subplots—we already know that Kate has a mysterious and troubled past. She’s running from something or someone, trying to build a quiet, respectable life. She doesn’t need the ghost of a little girl beckoning her to a gravesite and causing her problems with a suspicious sheriff. Kate is a compassionate woman, but she has trouble trusting people, especially men. She’s a strong woman, but conflicted.

A couple of things keep me from zipping through this book. There’s a lot of backstory dropped in. It’s handled well—shown rather than told, but we know Kate survived it because we know it’s backstory. The mystery of Kate’s past has to come out; it’s part of the main story and a large part of why Kate is who she is today. Backstory is just difficult—how much to tell? How much does it stand on its own?

The other thing that distracts me is POV. Anyone who has read my reviews over at FBS knows this is a killer for me. In many cases it is a complete and utter show-stopper. Some people don’t like romance. Some people don’t like first person novels. I really, really do not like multiple POV. Two POVs, I can handle. Three, well, I’m likely to go and get hot chocolate, and I might or might not come back to the book. That doesn’t mean that author Benedict isn’t skillful at POV. In fact she might be too skillful—she builds each character such that they have their own story. This makes for a lot of depth, and I think there are a lot of people that will enjoy these tangled lives as they unravel. Each snippet of a different POV shows us more mystery, more relationships. For me, well, every time the POV changes, I’m likely to put the book down.

However, Amanda Bittle over at BlogCritics had the opposite impression. I plucked this snippet out of the middle of her review:

The story is told through the eyes of a number of Carystown residents (and one dangerous out-of-towner). Benedict narrates the personal experiences of Kate and Sheriff Delaney, as well as Kate’s friend Francie, Francie’s secret lover, Paxton, Kate’s estranged husband, Miles, and various other characters. Sometimes the narration takes place in the form of a memory: Kate’s, of living in South Carolina with Miles, back when her name was Mary-Katie.

I really like this aspect of the novel; it provides insight from different perspectives into character motivation. There’s also the effect of a narrator who’s certainly not omniscient, but who is privy to all sorts of delicious gossip. As the story moves forward, readers get the skinny on who’s sleeping with whom, who’s making dangerous drug deals, and who just might have something to do with Isabella Moon’s unsolved disappearance.

Over at the Romantic Times, they gave ISABELLA MOON 4 1/2 stars in their short review.

This debut thriller shines, boasting evocative writing and a well-integrated mix of ethereal supernatural phenomena and gritty violence. Benedict employs that literary novel trademark of a somewhat ambiguous ending, but it works for this lush gothic-tinged potboiler.

Maria also adds that this novel is more thriller than fantasy:

This book is a bit of thriller, a lot mystery and a tiny fraction of fantasy. Well, I guess that last part depends on whether or not you believe in ghosts.

There are other reviews at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Curled Up. Maria also found an article about the author in the author's hometown newspaper, The Southern.

Spotlight Review - THE BOOK OF JOBY at The Book Swede

Chris has reviewed THE BOOK OF JOBY over at The Book Swede. Chris reviews all sorts of speculative fiction, and he doesn't let a novel with Biblical-inspired subject matter stop him -- even though he's an atheist. Here's a small quote:

It has occurred to me, that perhaps some people may shy from this book because of its religious nature, but as an atheist with a deep interest in biblical history and the stories of the War in Heaven (ironic, I know), I can say that it isn't trying to make a religious point ... and knowing some Christians who have read this book, it isn't insulting or disrespectful, either.

Read the rest of his very favorable review here.

Spotlight Review - BLOOD MAGIC at Katie's Reading

And now, a new feature! Since I cannot possibly cover all debuts, I'm going to try to do some spotlight reviews, where I point my readers over to my fellow blogger's debut coverage.

Katie, over at Katie's Reading, is a very prolific reader who reads a lot of dark fantasy and horror. She also reads a lot of debuts. She has really enjoyed Matthew Cook's Blood Magic. Here's an excerpt from her review:

Blood Magic is Matthew Cook’s debut and I have to admit that for a first book I am more than a little impressed. Once I started reading I found myself unable to put the book down as Kirin’s past and present rushed toward each other in a story that simply demands to be read. Not only does Cook tell a strong story, he gives us a strong convincing female protagonist, something not all male writers can pull off.

Read the rest here.

But wait! There's more! She's also interviewed Matthew Cook. Here's another excerpt:

What started you writing?

MC: I’ve been scribbling stories for almost as long as I can remember, actually. I remember showing some sort of Scooby Doo-esque monster whodunit to my grandfather when I was in grade school one time. He told me that he could see me being a writer one day and encouraged me to keep at it. He’s who I wrote Blood Magic's Dedication for (thanks again, Pops).

Read the rest of the interview here.