Steelhands by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
Owen Adamo, a former Chief Sergeant of the Dragon Corps,now a professor of strategy at the university of Volstov, learns that Esar,
the ruler of the capital, has a covert agenda to bring back magically powered sentient robot dragons, despite
the likelihood of this action starting a new war. Adamo's confederates, the gay magician Royston, and the
former corpsman, Balfour, would like to stop Esar's risky ambitions, but have to watch their step.
Havemercy by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett
reviewed by Tammy Moore
Volstov has been at war with the Imperialistic Ke-Han for centuries; both sides have magic and both sides have armies,
but Th'Esar's Dragon Corps, a fourteen strong crew of magic-powered, mechanical dragons and their bonded riders, have
given Volstov the advantage. Ke-Han has no corresponding air-force. Unfortunately, the dragons do have their limitations: their range is limited
by the amount of fuel they can take on.
If the Ke-Han armies ever get their hands on a dragon they could reverse-engineer a flock of their own.
Shadowsong by Jenny Jones and Dreamcatcher by Stephen Bowkett
reviewed by Neil Walsh
These 2 stories begin a dark fantasy series of 6 from various authors, each one based
on an overall unified concept. Each detail the efforts of the Shadowman -- a sort of disgruntled Morpheus figure -- to extend his
nefarious reach from the realm of dream into the waking reality. Behind the contemporary setting of each book is
the influence of the myths and legends of the the applicable culture -- in the case of these 2: Greek, and Native American.
Dark Terrors 5 edited by Stephen Jones and David Sutton
reviewed by Lisa Brunetta
If you have a soft spot in your heart for horror and you enjoy the short
story genre, here's an anthology for you: the stories here are clever and
well selected. If you're in the mood to get freaked out, spooked, frightened
and creeped out, you could have a great time with this book.
Ghosts in the Snow by Tamara Siler Jones
reviewed by Hank Luttrell
A forensic medieval fantasy murder mystery. With ghosts. Magic of many sorts, not just ghosts, exists in this world. Most
magic has been banished or minimized during past conflicts, but magical influences
still lurk and threaten, and can't be dismissed. Normally, the scientific methodology of criminal forensic investigation would
routinely eliminate "the impossible," supernatural explanations, but this investigator doesn't have this option.
Douglas Adams's Starship Titanic by Terry Jones
reviewed by Margo MacDonald
Margo wonders how could anyone resist a
book that is a collaboration between Douglas Adams
(who brought us The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
and Terry Jones of Monty Python fame? In this case, Terry Jones wrote
the novel based on a scenario by Douglas Adams.
A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
reviewed by Christopher DeFilippis
Robert Jordan's epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time, which has spun out over 23 years, 14 books (not counting
a prequel) and two authors, finally winds to a climax in its final volume, A Memory of Light. And if you've been with the
series from the beginning, all that reading time and emotional investment begs the question: was it worth it? Do fans get
the payoff they deserve?
Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
reviewed by Christopher DeFilippis
The gathering storm has broken. Black clouds roil the skies and the Dark One's taint mars the land. Skirmishes rage
along the borderlands as Trolloc hordes surge out of the Blight in horrifying numbers. The Black Ajah is still
at large and death stalks the halls of the White Tower, with Aes Sedai found mysteriously murdered. And armies
are marshalling too late under the banners of Andor, Malkier and The Dragon Reborn, as the Forsaken scheme
in the shadows to thwart destiny and crush the Dragon before his final confrontation with Shai'tan at Tarmon Gai'don.
And thus the stage is set for Towers of Midnight.
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The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
reviewed by Christopher DeFilippis
Brandon Sanderson, has reinvigorated the Wheel of Time with a renewed sense of momentum.
The last battle between main character Rand al'Thor and the Dark One is finally imminent. Darkness covers the land
and the final seals are breaking on the Dark One's prison. Evil is becoming more manifest as spring blooms fail and
food inexplicably spoils, throwing kingdoms into famine and chaos.
The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan & Teresa Patterson
reviewed by Jim Seidman
Despite some sub-standard art, this book is one that every diehard Jordan
fan will want to have. While owning this book is certainly not necessary
to enjoy Jordan's books, it provides wonderful insight into the past
and the present of the denizens of The Wheel of Time.
From The Pest Zone: Stories From New York edited by S.T. Joshi and David E. Schultz
reviewed by Gabe Mesa
This collection contains the five stories H.P. Lovecraft wrote during the two year stint in New York City that
he would later refer to as his "New York exile." Lovecraft arrived in New York from his beloved Providence in 1924 with high hopes
for his new marriage and his future as a writer. He left the city two years later, wifeless, penniless and filled with an
abiding loathing for the metropolis that would accompany him the rest of his short life.
The Last Oblivion: The Best Fantastic Poems of Clark Ashton Smith edited by S.T. Joshi and David E. Schultz
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Those of you who have read his delectable short tales of fantastic horror such as "The Vaults of Yoh-Vombis" or "The
Black Abbot of Puthuum" know already of the author's vocabulary-rich prose, his dark sense of humour and his ill-fated protagonists. If
you're not amongst those graced with a knowledge of his prose, then pick up the recent reissue of his best stories
in Emperor of Dreams. Certainly, Smith is not for everyone...
The Shadow Out of Time by H.P. Lovecraft: The Corrected Text edited by S.T. Joshi and David E. Schultz
reviewed by Marc Goldstein
Often cited as pulp horror master H.P. Lovecraft's last major story (and some would argue, his greatest), it
has never been published as Lovecraft originally intended, until now. The introduction, by editors S. T. Joshi and
David E. Schultz, details the story's difficult path from conception to publication. Written between November 1934 and
February 1935, Lovecraft's confidence was so poor at the time that he refused to type a draft of the manuscript.
Fitzpatrick's War by Theodore Judson
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
A steampunk speculative future history beginning in the year 2415, the initial setting
is a North America under the control of the United Yukon Confederacy; a puritanical, militaristic regime, loosely
modeled on Victorian England. The story is presented as the memoir of Sir Robert Mayfair Bruce, and is a personal
account of a man who, at times, was a close friend of the most powerful political figure of his day.
The Martian General's Daughter by Theodore Judson
reviewed by Stuart Carter
The book follows 45 years in the life of General Peter Justice Black and his illegitimate daughter, Justa, as civilization collapses back
into a pre-industrial mode, helped along more than a little by its supreme ruler, the Emperor Luke Anthony. It seems apparent that the book
is heavily based upon the fall of the Roman Empire some 2,000 years earlier.
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