Microreview: Dragons of Deepwood Fen by Bradley P. Beaulieu

Introducing a new fantasy world, filled with the intrigues of an empire, its unwilling vassal state, a grasping church, and oh yes, dragons.

Rylan Holbrooke has a problem. Well, a bunch of problems. He is the illegitimate son of the local governor. He has a rapport with dragons, in fact he is a dragon singer, able to calm and work with the dragons that the empire relies on. But he is also a thief and scoundrel stealing from said empire as well.  His checkered nature, his straddling (however very uncomfortably) of two worlds puts him in position to notice the threads of a dreadful and dangerous plot. A plot that will change the vassalized realm of forest known as The Holt forever. And, perhaps, the entire Empire as well.

Rylan's story, and the stories of his fellow protagonists, are the matter of Bradley Beaulieu's The Dragons of Deepwood Fen.

Rylan is our primary protagonist and gets the most screen time out of all of the characters we see. He's caught between two worlds and trying to balance his lives in both worlds, and the author aptly shows his inner and outward struggles in handling that. This is best shown in the points of conflict--his lack of desire to have anything to do with the Red Knives except when forced, and then later, on the opposite site, the very prickly relationship he has with his half-siblings in his father's house. Where does, in fact, Rylan fit in and feel himself, the best? Alone, flying over the holt with his dragon, and, it is shown, nowhere else. 

Our other major protagonist is Lorelei. Lorelei is an Inquisitor (investigator) for the Empire, and with her queer partner Creed, she, like Rylan, goes from her day job to being wrapped up in the tendrils of the conspiracy and danger to the Holt and beyond. Starting off with investigating a drug smuggling ring, Lorelei starts to learn that there is something rotten in the Empire city of Ancris. Lorelei is a fascinating character and perhaps even slightly more interesting than Rylan on a character level. Rylan is interesting because of his spending time in two worlds. Lorelei is more connected, with her partner, with her mother. She also very clearly has what we would call undiagnosed ADHD with a side order of social anxiety disorder. We don't use and see those terms of course, but Lorelei is so clearly not a social creature, is always leaping ahead in her mind, and really is only herself when she is working on a puzzle or problem, in limited company. She does a lot of the intellectual heavy lifting to see the scope of the problem. 

Third, and to a lesser extent, is Rhiannon. Rhiannon is the youngest of the three, and has magical potential and power that she herself does not quite understand. Also, being young, she is also the one who is the most manipulated out of these three characters. This makes sense, but it makes for sometimes a bit of a frustrating read when she is on stage. Also, hers is the point of view that seems to have the most flashbacks to them. While these flashbacks provide extremely important context and development of the byzantine and labyrinthine "plots within plots" that the novel revels in, it means that as a result, that Rhiannon feels like she has less agency than Lorelei and Rylan, and is much more of a narrative device and tool than an actual character that I could really feel for. I could imagine (while holding my nose thanks to his odious smoking) talking with Rylan and meeting his dragon. I could definitely imagine getting to know (carefully!) the shy and introverted and socially awkward Lorelei. Rhiannon, by contrast, I have a far less good hold on, as a character in my mind. 

There are a couple of other viewpoint characters (this is epic fantasy, and so we have a good half dozen of them in all), but I actually want to hold my fire in discussing them, because it is very easy to get spoilery regarding them. Suffice it to say, Beaulieu is firmly in the Point of View Solves Problems school of writing, and we get other sides to the conflict through these characters. We also get some rather unusual twists regarding these characters and their nature, and once again, the author gives our characters very understandable, and sometimes rather painful flaws to deal with.

So given a thick fantasy novel with a complex plot, where does one start? For one thing, let's lay the groundwork. Refer to the map in the book (this is a case where audio is a weaker medium, because the map is definitely important here). The Holt is not part of the Empire at the heart of this world, it is an uneasy vassal state with a government that is a messy hybrid of control from the central Empire and local magnates having their say, with the current holder of the position, Rylan's father, about to face a regular vote of confidence. It feels like a somewhat more aristocratic and less monarchist version of the Roman Empire era Kingdom of Armenia. It's not officially part of the Empire, but its government certainly is overshadowed by the nearby Empire.

In point of fact, the right model is surely a flavor of the Roman Empire. Latin terms and names abound in the book. The Five rulers of the empire are called a Quintarchy. Lorelei's last name is Aurelius.  The center of Ancris is called the Quadrata. There are legionnaires as the military force. And so on.  Fortunately, as witness Lorelei itself, this is a far far less patriarchal Romanesque world than the real thing. Lorelei is not unusual for being a woman, she is unusual in her lack of social skills and the convoluted method by which she became an inquisitor in the first place. We see women in power and authority throughout the Empire, and the Holt as well. 

The plot of the novel does move slower than what is good for it. Beaulieu, even with the shorthands above, has a lot to try and get off the ground. So a lot of the novel has Rylan bustling about, and Lorelei wrapped up in her police procedural storyline that proves far more important than even she realizes. So this fantasy novel adds that as one of the balls that it is trying to juggle along with the hybrid low fantasy world of a lot of the work (a notable touchstone here might be the world of Joe Abercrombie except with significantly more magic and less gore). It does feel like its a while before Lorelei truly gets out of her storyline and really into the main action, or the main action in general. Beaulieu lays down a lot of the world in the time, including, of course, dragons.

So let's talk about the dragons, given the title of this work. There are two schools of dragons, and two supergroups of them. The metallics, based on metals, are the dragons used by the Empire. They are magically controlled and coerced, the Empire turning to raw power. This is what makes Rylan so valuable, his Dragonsinger nature means he has a better understanding of his charges than even the dragon's owners in many cases. It is a very hierarchical, dominance based system (I wish that Rylan made his feelings about this system planer earlier, but he eventually vocalizes just how horrid he thinks this whole thing is). 

By contrast, a rebellious faction living in the Holt, the Red Knives, and as mentioned above, secretly, Rylan, use a magical ritual of bonding to tie a rider to their sragon. The dragons of the holt are non-metallic, and their scales are often used for alchemical reagents. There is a much more sure pairing of dragon and human, and the connections to McCaffrey are obvious (also, Robin Hobb and Tracy Hickman, among others). Given how fraught the first meetings can be, I was also reminded of the movie Avatar, as Jake must bind and tame a flying mountain banshee, and then that bond is permanent.  The Rylan-Vedron connection and their relationship is one of the highlights of the book. 

In all, yes, Beaulieu does deliver on the dragons, and really, given all the intrigue and characters as given above, the prose and the feel of the book really do achieve lift-off when Beaulieu is writing passages with his dragons front and center. Be it a glorious aerial battle of dragon versus dragon, or the quieter ministrations of Rylan doing his job as Dragonsinger, Beaulieu clearly wrote this novel with the dragons front and center. 

I give good credit to Beaulieu for going beyond the usual settings in creating The Holt. Empires and colonialism are complex and complicated subjects. Rather than going for an occupied province, or a land outside the boundaries of the Empire entirely, The Holt is instead a vassal and dependency. This is inherently an uneasy and uncertain status for it and its inhabitants. It allows Beaulieu to have some of his cake and eat it too. They aren't quite part of the Empire, but the Kin (the inhabitants of this region) are certainly connected to the Empire. Rylan himself is half-Kin and suffers prejudice, particularly from the Empire, for his nature. It helps give depth and feeling for both Rylan and the Holt itself. I mentioned Hobb above, and I do believe that the Rain Wilds were an obvious inspiration for the forested vastness of The Holt, although more temperate in climate.

I do have some thoughts about other aspects of the worldbuilding here, ones that frustrated me.  Fortunately, not the map itself or the basic geography. There are no rivers that fork unexpectedly, or anything that violates basic conventions of geology. I am less clear on something that really isn't touched on and I wished it were. This is a novel, as discussed above, that is all about the vassalized but not incorporated Holt and how it chafes under that indirect control, and the interesting ideas that entails. We've plenty of works set in empires, and in "barbarian" (sic) lands, but the polder and borderlands of vassalized and client-kings, is a setting we get little of. But my question is, just where is the heartland of the Empire? It's not entirely clear. We have these important cities in the mountains, and we have the fivefold Quintarch structure to the government representing these five cities. But are the mountains truly their heartland? It sure seems so, and if that is the case, he missed a big worldbuilding opportunity. The Holt is very different than the mountains, but we never get a sense of the sense of place of those mountains. We definitely get a feel for the Holt, as mentioned above. But an Empire built and developed in those mountains, well, the denizens are sure to have opinions about lowland forests as a terrain. I've mentioned before how much Beaulieu has modeled his empire on the Roman, right down to the Latinate names. Well, the Romans complained incessantly about the cold north of England and Scotland, the forests of Germany, the desolate heat of Syria, the weirdness of ancient Egypt. And yes the Romans went there anyway. But this Empire feels pale by comparison. In making the Holt as such a rich tributary vassal and place for the action to take place, the Empire itself as a place suffers. Ancris, one of the five capitals, suffers in comparison to the Holt as a setting. 

The ending of this novel doesn't really have an offramp if you want to one and done the series. The immediate threat and problem, once the true scale of what is going on is revealed, is thwarted but not defeated. All of the major characters have gone through a lot, and the stage is set for the next novel, the next round in the conflict. Despite my reservations above, I did enjoy the novel, as I have enjoyed Beaulieu's work going back to his earliest novels. Perhaps with worldbuilding under him, the second volume can move from the strength of the last quarter of the novel (where things ramp up) into a stronger second book.

--

The Math

Highlights:

• Diverse and interesting fantasy world
• Rylan and Lorelei make a strong two hander of the primary protagonists and viewpoints
• Some issues with the worldbuilding and pacing. 

Reference: Beaulieu, Bradley P.,  Dragons of Deepwood Fen, [Daw, 2023]

POSTED BY: Paul Weimer. Ubiquitous in Shadow, but I'm just this guy, you know? @princejvstin.

6 Books with Bradley Beaulieu

The author of Twelve Kings in Sharakhai, Bradley P. Beaulieu's novels have garnered many accolades and most anticipated lists, including two Hotties–the Debut of the Year and Best New Voice–on Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist, a Gemmell Morningstar Award nomination for The Winds of Khalakovo and more. Brad's influences include J. R. R. Tolkien, George R. R. Martin, Robin Hobb, Guy Gavriel Kay, Glen Cook, and C. S. Friedman. He adores cooking, yoga, and currently lives in Racine, WI with his wife, kids, and a smattering of pets.

Today he tells us about his Six Books:

1. What book are you currently reading?

I'm currently reading The Heroes, by Joe Abercrombie. I really enjoy Joe's style in general, but I'm particularly digging this reimagining of a WWII siege movie. I'm also digging (read: taking notes on) Joe's economical style. It's spare but extremely evocative. It's quite something, really, the visual and emotional impact he manages to wring out of so few words.

2. What upcoming book are you really excited about?

Recently released but "upcoming" for me, I'm quite curious to read Red River Seven, by A. J. Ryan (Anthony Ryan's thriller pseudonym). Just check out the first line of the teaser: A man awakes on a boat at sea with no memory of who or where he is. He's not alone - there are six others, each with a unique set of skills. None of them can remember their names. All of them possess a gun. It sounds cool and right up my alley for non-genre fiction. I'm really looking forward to it.

3. Is there a book you're currently itching to read again?

I recently drafted a letter for a book club that picked The Dragons of Deepwood Fen for their subscribers, and in it, I talk about my love of dragons, coming across them for the first time when I read The Hobbit in third grade, and more. Along with my final episode playing The Shire Adventures with Gregory Wilson on his Twitch channel, it really has me hankering to re-read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

4. How about a book you've changed your mind about - either positively or negatively?

Related, in a way, to my comment about Joe Abercrombie's spare writing, I initially bounced off of David Gemmell's Legend. I'd never came across Gemmell in my high school years (when I was reading that sort of fantasy heavily), but his name kept coming up when writers talked about people who'd influenced their own writing, so I decided to give Legend a try. I didn't much care for the spare and somewhat distanced way he wrote his characters, but when I tried again recently, I appreciated it more. Though written not so long ago, it was a different time, then. The prevailing writing style was different, too, and that's partly why I bounced off of it the first time. But that's part of the enjoyment of reading, isn't it? Getting to see the world through a different lens, not just via the story itself but the writer's very approach to it? 

5. What's one book, which you read as a child or a young adult, that has had a lasting influence on your writing?

Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever had a profound impact on me. More used to lighter fantasy up until that point, the darkness in Donaldson's writing, while unpleasant at times, had a gravitas to it that spoke to me. It somehow made the story feel more real and more relatable (though not always in a good way; readers of Thomas Covenant will understand). And maybe the effect it had on me was partly because it was a portal fantasy. It felt like the things happening to Covenant could one day happen to me.

The darkness in that series carries through to a lot of my work. It's hard to escape at times. I have to remind myself to keep things lighter, add more humor, more joy, that sort of thing. Because even if there is darkness in a story, it's hard to appreciate unless you can see the light, too.

6. And speaking of that, what's your latest book, and why is it awesome?

My latest book is called The Dragons of Deepwood Fen, and I think its awesomeness stems in large part from the two main characters and the way their stories intertwine. While the book is epic and the cast quite large, our main protagonists are Lorelei Aurelius and Rylan Holbrooke. Lorelei is an extremely sharp and intuitive inquisitor in service to the empire. She's also agoraphobic, which presents some interesting problems for her along the way. Rylan, meanwhile, is the bastard son of the Imperator, the leader of a vassal state known as the Holt. He's also a thief out to right the scales of injustice in the Holt. Lorelei's dogged determination and Rylan's sneaky ways meet in spectacular fashion when they both try to unlock the mystery of why Aarik Bloodhaven, the leader of a group of freedom fighters known as the Red Knives, decides to meet with the Hissing Man, the ruthless head of a religious cult known as the Chosen. The Knives and the Chosen have always been sworn enemies, so why are they suddenly making nice? The answer, Lorelei and Rylan soon learn, may have dire consequences. As Lorelei digs deeper, Rylan becomes the focus of her investigation, but even as their game of cat and mouse begins in earnest, both see that Lorelei's home city of Ancris is under threat, and that what they do next will have massive implications on the empire, the Holt, and the world. In the end, Dragons is a story about the hidden costs of power, both to those who seek it and those it's used against. I felt like Rylan, a thief from the Holt who led a privileged life, and Lorelei, a smart young woman in a place of power, were the perfect characters to explore those facets of the story. I can't wait for you to meet them. 

Thanks, Brad!

POSTED BY: Paul Weimer. Ubiquitous in Shadow, but I’m just this guy, you know? @princejvstin.

6 Books with Brendan P. Bellecourt

Brendan P Bellecourt is an open pseudonym for epic fantasy author Bradley Beaulieu. As Brendan, he is expanding his writing reach from epic fantasy into historical fantasy. Today he tells us about his Six Books.

 1. What book are you currently reading?

I’m reading The Last House on Needless Street, a deliciously creepy novel from Catriona Ward. It’s the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. Revenge. Death. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street.

It’s a book that forces you to guess what’s going on, then keep on guessing, because you’re always wrong. Or so I’m told. I’m still in the early going but find it engrossing so far.

2. What upcoming book are you really excited about?

I’m cheating a bit here since it just came out, but I’m really intrigued by Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Elder Race.

The story is about “a junior anthropologist on a distant planet must help the locals he has sworn to study to save a planet from an unbeatable foe.” Sounds like straight-up sci-fi, right? Except it also involves “a demon terrorizing the land” and “an Elder sorcerer who has inhabited the local tower for as long as people have lived there.”

I’ve always enjoyed science fantasies, and I’m really curious to get Adrian’s take on one.

3. Is there a book you’re currently itching to re-read?

Every so often I re-read Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy, a book that never fails to tickle my funny bone. Come to think of it, I has been a few years... Maybe it’s time to pick it up again.

4. A book that you love and wish that you yourself had written.

I adore Sarah Pinborough’s writing in general, but she really outdid herself with Behind Her Eyes, a mystery about a woman who gets involved with a married couple, only to discover they have a disturbing and troubled past.

It earned all of its considerable praise for its twist ending, but the entire story had me gripped from start to finish. I couldn’t get enough of it.

5. What’s one book, which you read as a child or a young adult, that has had a lasting influence on your writing?

One of the trilogies that really struck me when I first read it was C.J. Cherryh’s The Faded Sun trilogy. It was my first exposure to a spec-fictional world based on our own Arabic cultures, and I loved it. I devoured these books, a science fictional tale that spoke to cultural identity, individuality, and sacrificing for the common good. It’s one of the tales that spurred me, many years later, to tackle Twelve Kings in Sharakhai, a story set in a vast desert with a massive city at its center.

Another series I’ll mention is Stephen Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series. I was really struck by the serious and somewhat somber tone of Donaldson’s writing. It’s something that stuck with me all the way through to my early works.

6. And speaking of that, what’s your latest book, and why is it awesome? 

I’ll start with the blurb: Absynthe is Inception meets Metropolis, by way of The Great Gatsby, in a deco-punk tale of unchecked technology and the unforeseen costs of utopia.

The story follows reclusive war vet Liam Mulcahey, whose memories of the Great War (fought on American soil) were lost to an injury sustained in the conflict’s last major battle. Ten years later, a foiled terrorist attack forces Liam into a debriefing with his former commanding officer, Leland De Pere, now the President of the United States. That meeting mysteriously jogs some of Liam’s memories loose.

Soon after, Liam’s best friend, Morgan, is abducted by a nefarious government group known as the Cabal. As Liam’s memories continue to unfold, he realizes his time in the war, and his squad’s participation in a project to link one another telepathically, is directly linked to Morgan’s abduction.

Now in a race against time, Liam must not only find and free Morgan, he must unlock his own memories and discover why the Cabal and the president himself wanted Morgan so badly before the Cabal’s sinister plans for the country are unleashed.

I love Absynthe for its Roaring 20’s, retro-futuristic mashup. I love it for the patchwork of friends and family that forms around Liam as the story progresses. I love it for the way it delves into the meaning of self as defined by our past and our collective experiences. But most of all, I love it for the slow-burn mystery that turns the story on its head near the end of the book.

I sincerely hope readers enjoy Absynthe as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Thank you!

POSTED BY: Paul Weimer. Ubiquitous in Shadow, but I’m just this guy, you know? @princejvstin.

New Books Spotlight

Welcome to another edition of the New Books Spotlight, where each month or so we curate a selection of 6 forthcoming books we find notable, interesting, and intriguing. It gives us the opportunity to shine a brief spotlight on some stuff we're itching to get our hands on.

What are you looking forward to? Anything you want to argue with us about? Is there something we should consider spotlighting in the future? Let us know in the comments!

Beaulieu, Bradley P. With Blood Upon the Sand [DAW, 2017]

Publisher's Description:

With Blood Upon the Sand is the second book in the Song of Shattered Sands epic fantasy trilogy.

Çeda, now a Blade Maiden in service to the kings of Sharakhai, trains as one of their elite warriors, gleaning secrets even as they send her on covert missions to further their rule. She knows the dark history of the asirim—that hundreds of years ago they were enslaved to the kings against their will—but when she bonds with them as a Maiden, chaining them to her, she feels their pain as if her own. They hunger for release, they demand it, but with the power of the gods compelling them, they find their chains unbreakable.

Çeda could become the champion they’ve been waiting for, but the need to tread carefully has never been greater. After their recent defeat at the hands of the rebel Moonless Host, the kings are hungry for blood, scouring the city in their ruthless quest for revenge. Çeda’s friend Emre and his new allies in the Moonless Host hope to take advantage of the unrest in Sharakhai, despite the danger of opposing the kings and their god-given powers, and the Maidens and their deadly ebon blades.

When Çeda and Emre are drawn into a plot of the blood mage Hamzakiir, they learn a devastating secret that may very well shatter the power of the hated kings. But it may all be undone if Çeda cannot learn to navigate the shifting tides of power in Sharakhai and control the growing anger of the asirim that threatens to overwhelm her…

Why We Want It: Twelve Kings of Sharakhai was a very well received epic fantasy and we can't wait to see what Beaulieu does next. It looks fantastic.

Chambers, Becky. A Closed and Common Orbit [Harper Voyager, 2017]

Publisher's Description:

Embark on an exciting, adventurous, and dangerous journey through the galaxy with the motley crew of the spaceship Wayfarer in this fun and heart-warming space opera—the sequel to the acclaimed The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.

Lovelace was once merely a ship’s artificial intelligence. When she wakes up in a new body, following a total system shut-down and reboot, she has no memory of what came before. As Lovelace learns to negotiate the universe and discover who she is, she makes friends with Pepper, an excitable engineer, who’s determined to help her learn and grow.

Together, Pepper and Lovey will discover that no matter how vast space is, two people can fill it together.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet introduced readers to the incredible world of Rosemary Harper, a young woman with a restless soul and secrets to keep. When she joined the crew of the Wayfarer, an intergalactic ship, she got more than she bargained for—and learned to live with, and love, her rag-tag collection of crewmates.

A Closed and Common Orbit is the stand-alone sequel to that beloved debut novel, and is perfect for fans of Firefly, Joss Whedon, Mass Effect, and Star Wars. 

Why We Want It: A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet was a delightful novel and we can't wait to see what else Chambers has in store for us. More, please!

Donnelly, Lara Elena. Amberlough [Tor, 2017]

Publisher's Description:

Welcome to Amberlough City, the illustrious but corrupt cosmopolitan beacon of Gedda. The radical One State Party—nicknamed the Ospies—is gaining popular support to unite Gedda’s four municipal governments under an ironclad, socially-conservative vision.

Not everyone agrees with the Ospies’ philosophy, including master spy Cyril DePaul and his lover Aristide Makricosta, smuggler and emcee at the popular Bumble Bee Cabaret. When Cyril’s cover is blown on a mission, however, he must become a turncoat in exchange for his life. Returning to Amberlough under the Ospies’ watchful eye, Cyril enters a complex game of deception. One of his concerns is safeguarding Aristide, who refuses to let anyone—the crooked city police or the homophobic Ospies—dictate his life.

Enter streetwise Cordelia Lehane, top dancer at the Bee and Aristide’s runner, who could be the key to Cyril’s plans—if she can be trusted. As the twinkling lights of nightclub marquees yield to the rising flames of a fascist revolution, these three will struggle to survive using whatever means—and people—necessary. Including each other.

Why We Want It: Any novel with Victo Ngai's cover is something I'd want to read. This is art I'd love to have on my wall and while we don't read books because of the cover art, but this art is selling me. So is the idea of John LeCarre meets Cabaret with fantasy.

Robinson, Kim Stanley. New York 2140 [Orbit, 2017]

Publisher's Description:

A new vision of the future from Kim Stanley Robinson, the New York Times bestselling author of science fiction masterworks such as the Mars trilogy, 2312, and Aurora.

The waters rose, submerging New York City.

But the residents adapted and it remained the bustling, vibrant metropolis it had always been. Though changed forever.

Every street became a canal. Every skyscraper an island.

Through the eyes of the varied inhabitants of one building Kim Stanley Robinson shows us how one of our great cities will change with the rising tides. And how we too will change. 

Why We Want It: One of my favorite science fiction novels of the last ten years is Stephen Baxter's Flood (see review) and New York 2140 appears to scratch some of that same itch of global catasatrophe and global flooding, which is my not at all guilty reading pleasure. If Kim Stanley Robsinson's novel can hit any of what I so loved in Baxter's novel, I expect this could be one of my favorite novels of the year.

Schwab, V.E. A Conjuring of Light [Tor, 2017]

Publisher's Description:

Londons fall and kingdoms rise while darkness sweeps the Maresh Empire—and the fraught balance of magic blossoms into dangerous territory while heroes and foes struggle alike. The direct sequel to A Gathering of Shadows, and the final book in the Shades of Magic epic fantasy series, A Conjuring of Light sees Schwab reach a thrilling culmination concerning the fate of beloved protagonists—and old enemies. 

Why We Want It: We loved A Darker Shade of Magic (see review) and while we don't have a review to link to for A Gathering of Shadows, let's just say that we're super exited for A Conjuring of Light.

Wallace, Matt. Idle Ingredients [Tor.com Publishing, 2017]

Publisher's Description:

Catering for a charismatic motivational speaker, the staff of the Sin du Jour catering agency find themselves incapacitated by a force from within their ranks. A smile and a promise is all it took.

And for some reason, only the men are affected. It’s going to take cunning, guile and a significant amount of violence to resolve.

Another day of cupcakes and evil with your favorite demonic caterers. 

Why We Want It: Faithful readers of this blog know how much I love Matt Wallace's Sin du Jour novella series and readers who paid attention to yesterday's review also know how much I loved Idle Ingredients. It's friggin fantastic, y'all.


POSTED BY: Joe Sherry - Writer / Editor at Adventures in Reading since 2004. Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2015, editor since 2016. Minnesotan.  

New Books Spotlight

Welcome to another edition of the New Books Spotlight, where each month or so we curate a selection of 6 forthcoming books we find notable, interesting, and intriguing. It gives us the opportunity to shine a brief spotlight on some stuff we're itching to get our hands on.

What are you looking forward to? Anything you want to argue with us about? Is there something we should consider spotlighting in the future? Let us know in the comments!

Cover Art by Richard Anderson

Beaulieu, Bradley P., & Rob Ziegler. The Burning Light [Tor.com Publishing, 2016]
Publisher's Description:

Disgraced government operative Colonel Chu is exiled to the flooded relic of New York City. Something called the Light has hit the streets like an epidemic, leavings its users strung out and disconnected from the mind-network humanity relies on. Chu has lost everything she cares about to the Light. She’ll end the threat or die trying.

A former corporate pilot who controlled a thousand ships with her mind, Zola looks like just another Light-junkie living hand to mouth on the edge of society. She’s special though. As much as she needs the Light, the Light needs her too. But, Chu is getting close and Zola can’t hide forever.

The Burning Light is a thrilling and all-too believable science fiction novella from Bradley P. Beaulieu and Rob Ziegler, the authors of Twelve Kings in Sharakhai and Seed.

Why We Want It: Our very own Brian had a chance to read The Burning Light back in August and he absolutely loved it. Who are we to argue with him?

Cover Art by Daniel Dociu

Corey, James S.A. Babylon's Ashes [Orbit, 2016]
Publisher's Description:

A revolution brewing for generations has begun in fire. It will end in blood.

The Free Navy - a violent group of Belters in black-market military ships - has crippled the Earth and begun a campaign of piracy and violence among the outer planets. The colony ships heading for the thousand new worlds on the far side of the alien ring gates are easy prey, and no single navy remains strong enough to protect them.

James Holden and his crew know the strengths and weaknesses of this new force better than anyone. Outnumbered and outgunned, the embattled remnants of the old political powers call on the Rocinante for a desperate mission to reach Medina Station at the heart of the gate network.

But the new alliances are as flawed as the old, and the struggle for power has only just begun. As the chaos grows, an alien mystery deepens. Pirate fleets, mutiny, and betrayal may be the least of the Rocinante's problems. And in the uncanny spaces past the ring gates, the choices of a few damaged and desperate people may determine the fate of more than just humanity. 

Why We Want It: Babylon's Ashes is the sixth volume in The Expanse, and honestly, if you're not a fan of the first five there's nothing I can tell you that will convince you to pick this one up - but The Expanse is thrilling space opera with a sprawling cast of characters. We've been waiting for this one the moment we turned the final page of Nemesis Game.

Cover Art by Dominic Harman

Egan, Greg. The Four Thousand, The Eight Hundred [Subterranean Press, 2016]
Publisher's Description:

Camille is desperate to escape her home on colonized asteroid Vesta, journeying through space in a small cocoon pod covertly and precariously attached to a cargo ship. Anna is a newly appointed port director on asteroid Ceres, intrigued by the causes that have led so-called riders like Camille to show up at her post in search of asylum.

Conditions on Vesta are quickly deteriorating—for one group of people in particular. The original founders agreed to split profits equally, but the Sivadier syndicate contributed intellectual property rather than more valued tangible goods. Now the rest of the populace wants payback. As Camille travels closer to Ceres, it seems ever more likely that Vesta will demand the other asteroid stop harboring its fugitives.

With “The Four Thousand, the Eight Hundred,” acclaimed author Greg Egan offers up a stellar, novella-length example of hard science fiction, as human and involving as it is insightful and philosophical. 

Why We Want It: We like our novellas here at Nerds of a Feather HQ and for years Subterranean Press has been the standard bearer for publishing some of the finest limited editions around. Greg Egan's The Four Thousand, The Eight Hundred was originally published in Asimov's in late 2015 and quickly garnered heaps of praise. This release gives us another chance to discover Egan's novella.

Cover Art by Vanessa Han

Larbalestier, Justine. My Sister Rosa [Soho Teen, 2016]
Publisher's Description

What if the most terrifying person you know is your ten-year-old sister?

Seventeen-year-old Aussie Che Taylor loves his younger sister, Rosa. But he’s also certain that she’s a psychopath — clinically, threateningly, dangerously. Recently Rosa has been making trouble, hurting things. Che is the only one who knows; he’s the only one his sister trusts. Rosa is smart, talented, pretty, and very good at hiding what she is and the manipulation she’s capable of.

Their parents, whose business takes the family from place to place, brush off the warning signs as Rosa’s “acting out.” Now that they have moved again — from Bangkok to New York City — their new hometown provides far too many opportunities for Rosa to play her increasingly complex and disturbing games. Che’s always been Rosa’s rock, protecting her from the world. Now, the world might need protection from her. 

Why We Want It: The premise of My Sister Rosa is terrifying and compelling and as written by Justine Larbalestier, it is also something we expect we won't be able to look away from.

Cover Art by Anxo Amarelle CGI

Newman, Emma. After Atlas [Roc, 2016]
Publisher's Description:

Acclaimed author Emma Newman returns to the captivating universe she created in Planetfall with a stunning science fiction mystery where one man’s murder is much more than it seems…

Gov-corp detective Carlos Moreno was only a baby when Atlas left Earth to seek truth among the stars. But in that moment, the course of Carlos’s entire life changed. Atlas is what took his mother away; what made his father lose hope; what led Alejandro Casales, leader of the religious cult known as the Circle, to his door. And now, on the eve of the fortieth anniversary of Atlas’s departure, it’s got something to do why Casales was found dead in his hotel room—and why Carlos is the man in charge of the investigation.

To figure out who killed one of the most powerful men on Earth, Carlos is supposed to put aside his personal history. But the deeper he delves into the case, the more he realizes that escaping the past is not so easy. There’s more to Casales’s death than meets the eye, and something much more sinister to the legacy of Atlas than anyone realizes… 

Why We Want It: We loved Planetfall and with After Atlas, Emma Newman brings us back to that setting, though with a completely different perspective. It appears to be less a sequel than a sideways novel, but a new novel from Emma Newman is to be celebrated.

Cover Design by Lauren Panepinto

Wagers, K.B. After the Crown [Orbit, 2016]
Publisher's Description:

The adrenaline-fueled, Star Wars-style sequel to Behind the Throne, a new space adventure series from author K.B. Wagers.

Former gunrunner-turned-Empress Hail Bristol was dragged back to her home planet to fill her rightful position in the palace. With her sisters and parents murdered, the Indranan empire is on the brink of war. Hail must quickly make alliances with nearby worlds if she has any hope of surviving her rule.

When peace talks turn violent and Hail realizes she's been betrayed, she must rely on her old gunrunning ways to get out of trouble. With help from an old boss and some surprising new allies, she must risk everything to save her world. 

Why We Want It: Brian reviewed Behind the Throne back in July and despite rating the novel 7/10, was not all that impressed by it. We seldom do multiple reviews of the same book here at Nerds of a Feather, but I would have given it the same score but with heaps more praise. Behind the Throne was a fast paced romp of a novel with the feel of condensing space operate into the political sphere. After the Crown takes the next step and I can't wait to see what sort of ride Wagers takes us on next.


POSTED BY: Joe Sherry - Writer / Editor at Adventures in Reading since 2004, Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2015, editor since 2016. Minnesotan.   

Microreview [book]: The Burning Light by Bradley P. Beaulieu and Rob Ziegler

Burning Bright

Novellas aren't really my thing. Not that I've got anything against them, it's just that the bulk of my reading is the standard 300 something page novel, sometimes venturing into those 1,000 page fantasy tomes (hello Malazan series). Novellas have to work hard; they've got a short amount of time to build a world, flesh out characters, and tell a story. But the synopsis of The Burning Light sounded like something I'd enjoy, and I'm really glad I went outside my comfort zone on it. The Burning Light delivers.

Colonel Chu is on a mission. The Light is spreading like an epidemic. It's destroyed her life and it's burning out people who come in contact with it. She's going to snuff it out. Zola used to be a pilot for a corporate collective, but the Light changed all that. She has a special connection to the Light, but Chu is closing in on her.

Being a novella, The Burning Light has to be efficient and it absolutely is. It moves fast to establish its setting and characters. It's aided by a lot of cyberpunk shorthand. Gov soldiers are black-clad and sleek, junkies are strapped for cash and burnt out, and the world is flooded and filthy. It's not that it's cliche or stereotype, but taking some smart shortcuts to get to the meat of what the story is about, which is Chu and Zola and the Light. It didn't take more than 10 pages for me "get it".

Then it gets to the characters, and their motivations. This is where no shortcut will really suffice, and Beaulieu and Ziegler handle it well. Both of the main characters have complex histories, supporting characters exist with enough to have voices of their own, and The Light is more than a MacGuffin.

I don't really have much negative to say. It does everything well and I didn't get tired of it. With only 100 pages, it would be easy to this go wrong, either leaving too little story or crafting characters out of cardboard. It's clear that The Burning Light was written with skilled hands. It packs a lot into a novella and left me wanting more.

The Math

Baseline Assessment: 9/10

Bonuses: +1 a lot of cyberpunk/dystopian goodness in very few pages

Penalties: -1 relies on some SFF tropes that could lose someone unfamiliar with the genre

Nerd Coefficient: 9/10 (very high quality/standout in its category)

***

POSTED BY: brian, sci-fi/fantasy/video game dork and contributor since 2014

Reference: Beaulieu, Bradley P. & Ziegler, Rob The Burning Light [Tor, 2016]