Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

GRIMSPACE (Amazon US, UK, Canada)
Ann Aguirre (website, blog)
Ace Books
Mass Market Paperback
Excerpt

Blurb:

By all accounts, Sirantha Jax should have burned out years ago…
As the carrier of a rare gene, Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace—a talent which cuts into her life expectancy, but makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. But then the ship she’s navigating crash-lands, and she’s accused of killing everyone on board. It’s hard for Jax to defend herself: she has no memory of the crash.

Now imprisoned and the subject of a ruthless interrogation, Jax is on the verge of madness. Then a mysterious man breaks into her cell, offering her freedom—for a price. March needs Jax to help his small band of rogue fighters break the Corp monopoly on interstellar travel—and establish a new breed of jumper.

Jax is only good at one thing—grimspace—and it will eventually kill her. So she may as well have some fun in the meantime…

The concept in this novel reminds me of the Pilot-Masters from The Hidden Worlds, in that a special inborn ability gives one the ability to jump a spaceship into lightspeed. In fact, I see several similarities, but as in most of these cases, they are "similar but different." Over at The Good, the Bad and the Unread, Loonigrrl gave this novel a great review.

What I'm Reading

I'm in the middle of several books, so I thought I'd break up the debut announcements with some miniature progress reports.

First a guilty admission--I'm reading non-debuts! And *horrors!* some of them are not even fantasy!

Actually, I read a lot of non-fantasy, which is part of the reason that it APPEARED like I only read about fourteen books last year. However this year, I have resolved to blog on all books, whether fantasy or not, giving special emphasis to debut fantasy, of course.

(This first one may make you men cringe.)

Duty and Desire, a Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman, by Pamela Aidan

Yes, it's Jane Austen fan fiction. I read the first book in this series last year (one of the Mysterious Unread) after spending about a year drooling over it. I must admit that I am a die-hard Jane Austen fan. I have multiple productions of various Jane Austen movie adaptations (2 each of P&P, S&S and Emma, and one each of the other titles, plus Clueless, which almost counts as another adaptation of Emma)

This one intrigued me because of course, I love Mr. Darcy. (I also love Mr. Tilney and Captain Wentworth. They are my favorite Jane Austen heroes.) The first novel in the series is called An Assembly Such as This, which refers to the assembly where Lizzy and Darcy first met.

The first book was very true to Austen, reproducing faithfully every line of dialog from the original, cast among Darcy's tumultuous thoughts. During this novel, the pace has slowed down quite a bit until it seems to be little more than the daily life of a country gentleman. It takes place during a separation between Lizzy and Darcy, and Lizzy's presence is much missed by both Darcy and this gentle reader. I'm about a third of the way through.

Magic Lost, Trouble Found, by Lisa Shearin

I'm about halfway through this book, and it's the only one I'm seriously reading right now. Or actually, I am rereading it, in preparation for reading the ARC that Lisa had her publisher send of the second book in the series, Armed and Magical. It's proving to be a lively reread, with details I missed during the first reading coming out during the second.

Incidently, Lisa is now hurtling toward the conclusion of the next book in the series, The Trouble With Demons. The book after that is called Bewitched and Betrayed. I must say that I love the titles of all Lisa's books.

In the Eye of Heaven by David Keck

In the wake of Febuary's multi-blog David Keck hoopla, I started reading his debut novel. I'm only a chapter or so into it, so I don't have much to say yet except I am enjoying the opening very much. It's been a long time since I read a knight novel. In fact, I think the last novel I read that featured knights was the omnibus version of The Deed of Paksenarrion, which is one of my favorites, ever. I have a soft spot for knights even though, as Keck's novel suggests, most of them were brutish thugs.

His novel is striking so far for its unflinching portrayal of medieval life. It must have been a very nasty time period to live in, and so the novel has lots of cringeworthy moments.

I have also tasted a bit of the first chapter of Liar's Diary by Patry Francis. It looks very good.

Other books sent to me by various parties are, in no particular order:

Apricot Brandy by Lynn Cesar
Queen Ferris by S. C. Butler. (Looks like I'll need to read Reiffen's Choice before tackling this one.)
Best of the Rest 4, edited by Brian Youmans (given to me by Sandra McDonald--thanks!)
Armed and Magical by Lisa Shearin
The Veil Gold by Kim Wilkins
The Ancient by R. A. SAlvatore
Griffin's Daughter by Leslie Ann Moore
The 13th Reality by James Dashner
Seekers of the Chalice by Brian Cullen
In a Time of Treason by David Keck

I'm going to put all of these in a backdated post on the sidebar, and I'll strike through them as I read them.

Dead to Me by Anton Strout

DEAD TO ME (Amazon USA, UK, Canada)
by Anton Strout (blog)
Ace Books
Mass Market Paperback
Excerpt (thanks, Anton!)

Blurb:

Psychometry-the power to touch an object and divine information about its history-has meant a life of petty crime for Simon Canderous, but now he's gone over to the good side. At New York's underfunded and (mostly) secret Department of Extraordinary Affairs, he's learning about red tape, office politics, and the basics of paranormal investigation. But it's not the paperwork that has him breathless.

After Simon spills his coffee on (okay, through) the ghost of a beautiful woman-who doesn't know she's dead-he and his mentor plan to find her killers. But Simon's not prepared for the nefarious plot that unfolds before him, involving politically correct cultists, a large wooden fish, a homicidal bookcase, and the forces of Darkness, which kind of have a crush on him.

Ok, this one looks awfully cute. Department of Extraordinary Affairs? Spilling coffee through a ghost? Politically correct cultists? And the forces of Darkness, which kind of has a crush on him? I adore quirky and this one looks it. I hope someone puts a comment up saying that they found an excerpt somewhere.

New blog discovery! Urban Fantasy Land has a review up. Angela the SciFiChick also loved it.

Birmingham, 35 Miles by James Braziel

BIRMINGHAM, 35 MILES (Amazon USA, UK, Canada)
by James Braziel
Bantam
Trade Paperback
Excerpt

Blurb:

When the ozone layer opened and the sun relentlessly scorched the land, there was nothing left but to hope. Mathew Harrison had always heard of a better life as close as Birmingham, only thirty-five miles away—zones of blue sky, wet grass, and clean breathable air. But to him it’s a myth, a place guarded by soldiers, off limits to all but the lucky few. Meanwhile Mat works alongside his father, mining only the red clay that the once fertile Alabama soil can offer.

Now, with the killing deserts on the move again and the woman he loves on a Greyhound heading north, Mat has a travel visa and every reason to leave. But his roots in this lifeless soil inexplicably hold him firmly to the past. Torn between hope and resignation, with time running out, Mat must make a fateful choice between a new life and the one that isn’t ready to let him go.

This debut releases tomorrow. I wasn't able to find a website for this author. If I find one, I'll update this post. I enjoy post-apocalyptic novels, and the idea of an off-limits paradise in the midst of a wasteland intrigues me. I do believe I will read the excerpt.

Crypt of the Moaning Diamond by Rosemary Jones

I have finished the highly entertaining CRYPT OF THE MOANING DIAMOND by Rosemary Jones. This novel is the first Forgotten Realms novel I've read in many years. The last trilogy I read in that fantasy world was the Dark Elf Trilogy about the drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden, by R. A. Salvatore. (Incidently, Tor sent me another Salvatore novel just last week, The Ancient.) Nothing in particular drove me away from reading the novels. I simply had started reading other things.

It is my belief that many fantasy readers have spent at least some time playing role-playing games. And if you've played role-playing games, you've probably at least tried Dungeons and Dragons. This novel is like reading a fictionalization of someone's role-playing game. Fights. Traps. Magic items. Undead. Puzzles. And of course, monsters. Weird ones along with the standard-issue ones.

But that's not all. The reality is like D&D rules as well. In D&D (or at least in the AD&D version, which is the last version that we purchased), a fighter who is fifth level or so doesn't have much to fear from a fall of less then, oh, about twenty feet. In real life, you could seriously break your ankle if you fall even ten feet. But in D&D, you can leap off ledges and suffer a small amount damage that might make you wince and groan with pain, but not much more than that. You'd still be in good shape to fight after said leap. Is this a critique? Not really. The author has made it consistent with the gaming world, even if that gaming world isn't quite consistent with reality. Just a head's up.

I just had a few minor quibbles. One character turns out to have an unexpected connection with someone they meet in the dungeon. I think it should have been foreshadowed earlier in the story. I wasn't particularly thinking of this character as mysterious until I got to this point. Also, the opening chapter was seriously bogged down by a bunch of information fed to the reader in a very short timespan. The lively voice of the author kept me going through this point. Once you get to the part where the characters are in the dungeon, things move along at a good, pageturning clip.

The plot of the novel is rather straightforward, at least at first. A group of siegebreakers falls into a dungeon when their digging weakens the floor. They must find their way out.

I'd say these characters are about third to fifth level, in gaming terms. Orcs give them a decent fight, but don't seriously threaten them. They are hesitant to attack a powerful mage, especially since their own mage did get badly damaged in the fall, and her spells are not functioning as well as they usually do. (Mages are physically weaker than fighters in D&D.)

(I suppose I am revealing myself to be a major geek with this review. But you probably knew that already.)

Complicating their attempts to find their way out are the undead guardians of the crypt and the fact that they aren't alone down there. They meet up with the other wanderers of the dungeon, and things go from bad to worse. And all the while, the water is rising.

Jones's strength by far as a storyteller is her use of humor. What is the last thing you would expect to discuss with a pair of bugbears while wandering through a dungeon? I ain't saying, but it was funny and unexpected. So are a lot of other situations. Jones does not try to get too serious in this novel; it's just pure entertainment.

Jones also takes stereotypes and turns them on their ear. The power-hungry mage? Well, she's actually more concerned by her looks than about power. Her magic helps her look well-turned out. And she doesn't really come across as vain.

The money-grabbing mercenary? Well, all she really wants is enough money to repair the roof of her barn. And her grubby appearance? It's all for show, to tweak the sensibilities of a certain straitlaced warrior. At least until she falls into the dungeon, that is. Then, they all get grubby.

The super-strong half-orc? Well, she's a woman for one, and a rather soft-spoken one, except when she must bellow. She is gentle and protective, but can put up a good fight when necessary.

The cantankerous dwarf? Well, he's not really all that cranky, and he doesn't come across as a very effective fighter. He IS good at figuring out traps along with . . .

The sneaky thief? He's the most interesting of all. He's some sort of pan-like creature, a sort of a faun out of The Chronicles of Narnia. He's polite and calls everyone "my dear." He's never fully explained, but I expect Jones to flesh these characters out in future books.

The honor-bound lawful-good fighter? Well, he pretty much looks and behaves as advertised. Except he has an attraction for a certain grubby mercenary and he manages to find friends in the strangest places.

I enjoyed this novel and if you are looking for a fun, quick read, you probably will as well. And if you are a former gamer, it may bring back some fond memories. I know I'll never look at a bugbear the same way again.

Links
Original Debut Annoucement (with Amazon links)
Rosemary Jones's Website and Myspace

UPDATE: I forgot to mention the dog! They inadvertently bring along a small, white dog. The dog belongs to the dwarf and the dwarf keeps it in his pocket. The dog is very good against the skeletal undead. Why? It will make perfect sense if you read it.

Giveaway Winners - David Keck Novels

The two winners of autographed copies of David Keck's In the Eye of Heaven and In a Time of Treason are . . .

Roy H. of Richmond, British Columbia and Sue L. of Citrus Heights, California!
Congratulations!

Feeling Icky

This explains the lack of motivation lately. Tonight will be a quiet night between the covers . . . of a book that is. Not much blogging. However, I have another Super Debut Tuesday coming up--five debuts this time. Therefore, I'll get an early start on them this weekend. And I'd like to do a news round-up, plus maybe a review.

Oh, and tomorrow I'll announce the winners of the contest.

So, Where's the Content?

I usually don't let this many days go by without posting and I want to assure any new readers who discovered this blog through the giveaway that I usually post much more often than this. Whenever I'm not posting, I'm still here, stuffing links into the Other Debut Coverage box.

In the meantime, here are a couple of shout-outs of new blog discoveries.

Speculative Horizons is a UK-based blog. The author, JG, has some interesting ideas, including "Crap Fantasy Book Covers" and "Recommended Reading", which focuses on authors rather than individual books.

Jumpdrives and Cantrips, which is run by Sara Johnson. I love the name of her blog; very imaginative. Her blog is a mixture of "tidbits" and reviews. I've learned some interesting news there, so her blog is well worth reading.

(I have to admit that I'm thrilled whenever new bloggers include Fantasy Debut on their short lists of other blogs!)

I'm halfway through The Crypt of the Moaning Diamond, and I'm in the midst of a battle right now. Or rather, the characters are in the midst of the battle. When the battle is finished, I'll put up a post on what I think so far.

DEBATABLE SPACE by Philip Palmer

Raven has finished reading DEBATABLE SPACE and has agreed to guest blog about it here. First, for some context, here's the blurb:

Flanagan (who is, for want of a better word, a pirate) has a plan. It seems relatively simple: kidnap Lena, the Cheo's daughter, demand a vast ransom for her safe return, sit back and wait.

Only the Cheo, despotic ruler of the known universe, isn't playing ball. Flanagan and his crew have seen this before, of course, but since they've learned a few tricks from the bad old days and since they know something about Lena that should make the plan foolproof, the Cheo's defiance is a major setback. It is a situation that calls for extreme measures.

Luckily, Flanagan has considerable experience in this area . . .

Now, here is Raven's review.

* * *

I had mixed feelings about Philip Palmer's scifi novel DEBATABLE SPACE, which I finished last week. On the one hand, Palmer created a very detailed world - no, a very detailed universe, and I thought he did an amazing job with the political and social structure. As our society advances, I could conceivably see it developing in the directions he chose. I also liked the fact that his universe wasn't entirely Anglo, although many of the main characters were. And I was pleased because he carefully avoided one of my pet peeves in scifi: there were no computers or robots that came to life. Those always break my suspension of disbelief. But Palmer's speaking computer repeatedly reminds the person it's speaking to that it has been programmed to behave the way it does. In terms of robots, I loved what Palmer came up with: Doppelganger Robots, remotely controlled from elsewhere. You get all the power and invincibility of a machine, but a human is controlling it. These robots are also set up with sensors so the controlling human can virtually experience whatever the robot is doing. Naturally, this leads to abuses at times, but I won't spoil anything by going into detail.

I had no problems with the story. The main issue I had was with the characters, because I simply couldn't get connected to some of them emotionally. It's not that they weren't well developed, it's just that I didn't connect. I'm not entirely sure why not, because Palmer does a great job of putting the reader inside the heads of the various characters. He switches viewpoints a lot, but it's not confusing. When we're in their heads, we basically get a stream-of-consciousness flow of thoughts using each character's individual syntax and way of thinking. That was fine. I liked it. I think the problem for me may have been that Lena, the main character, wasn't very likable.

I'm all about antiheroes, but I couldn't find enough redeeming qualities in Lena. However, I think she's the kind of character other people might really enjoy: rounded, individual, well developed even if she's not likable. So I can't say Palmer did a bad job with her. It's just that she didn't work for me.

I did like most of the other characters. My favorite was Alby, a flame beast who basically looks like a pillar of fire. He was so unusual that I couldn't help finding him fascinating, and Palmer conveyed his alienness very well. Alby can never really understand humankind (and vice versa), but he's trying.

Overall, I think DEBATABLE SPACE is a good book, even if it didn't completely work for me. The reasons it didn't work for me were personal and had nothing to do with the quality of the writing.

* * *

Thank you, Raven! Here are some links:

DEBATABLE SPACE (USA, UK, Canada)
Philip Palmer (Website -- doubles as a blog)
Orbit
Excerpt, Later Excerpt (scroll down)

Apricot Brandy by Lynn Cesar

Apricot Brandy by Lynn Cesar
Juno Books
Mass market paperback
Excerpt
Blurb:

Deep in ancient Darkness where seed and spore and root and sleepless worm commingle -- Xibalba awaits. To the ancient god, human life has become a disease destroying the earth and the now-demonic Xibalba is coming to feed on the good and the evil alike, to scour humankind from the face of the earth...

Returning to the family homestead after her father's suicide, Karen Fox finds herself haunted by her past and bound by rage and guilt to a place she despises. Her lover, Susan, shows up help Karen confront her past, but she, too, is overwhelmed by malevolent powers that have seeded the earth with evil. Only Karen, ex-con Kyle, an ancient Guatemalan bruja named Quetzal, and an army of ghosts Quetzal commands stand between Xibalba and the annihilation of us all.

This appears to be a fascinating journey into Central American mythology--a setting we don't see much in fantasy. I'll get a chance to read it because Juno books sent me a review copy, so expect to see my thoughts on it posted here soon.