The Bodhisattva

*opens window and puts away the AK hoping today will be a good day*

Back for the weekly look back at all things BookSpot Central!

-Reviews:

- Jeff Sullins returns and reviews a new Dave Duncan book for us, Ill Met in the Arena:

The storyline serves up fantasy, action, and mystery. Rather than relying on swords and sorcery, the fantasy elements of the book stem from the psychic abilities of the noble caste of society.

- Rob gives us a look at classic Zelazny goodness with a review of Eye of Cat!

- Trinu looks at an author that always intrigued me in Juliet Marillier. She reviews the first two books in The Seven Waters trilogy, Daughter of the Forest and Son of the Shadows.

With this novel, which was awarded the 2001 American Library Association Alex Award, Marillier follows into the footsteps of such literary giants as the famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, who set his version of the tale of the swan brothers to paper in 1838.

- Maria reviews Shadowmagic by John Lenahan (that drew the third member of BSC cabal out of hiding to post!). Maria is now a limited edition collector!

Maria also reviews New Tricks by John Levitt:

Mason, the main character, is a musician and also a “practitioner.” Practitioners have the ability to do some magic. Mason isn’t all that interested in applying himself. He does work occasionally for Victor, the San Francisco enforcer—a guy that tries to make sure practitioners aren’t going around manipulating events just to get rich or killing off normals just for the fun of it.

This comes out at the end of the month!

- Brian gives us two books that draw my own interest. He reviews The Throne of Bones by Brian McNaughton:

In fact I’d go so far as to say that even though Throne of Bones is called horror that it probably would be more akin to that brand of pre-Tolkien, pre-marketing-term fantasy that was simply known as “weird fiction”. This is a book that draws from a different well of source material that we are used to seeing.

Brian also reviews Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse by Victor Gischler:

Putting aside these notions of subtext (I mean who really wants to hear about that) you should read this because it’s a huge departure for Gischler. His last four novels have been crime fiction and it was a huge gamble that took a lot of guts to go in a completely different direction. This is the zig that should be celebrated. Not just celebrated for merely existing, but celebrated for being a success.

- Columns/Articles:

- Mark’s Other Side of the Tracks returns highlighting TV On The Radio - Dear Science.

- Damon’s Weakly Noise remains on schedule!

-Contests:

More added this week!

- Just announced! I have 5 copies of Neal Stephenson’s Anathem!

- I have a signed copy of forthcoming Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card!

- Third week of George R.R. Martin/Dark Sword Miniatures goodness! This week it’s the Hound!!

- I have two copies of Couch for you as well! This is the latest from Small Beer Press and the debut of Benjamin Parzybok! Get a preview with our exclusive excerpt!

- We have the Brandon Sanderson Library contest where you get all things Sanderson. You will win signed copies of his entire Mistborn Trilogy and his stand-alone Elantris. Last day to get in on this!

I want to thank Atlantic Books, Tor, Small Beer Press, and Dark Sword Miniatures for choosing BookSpot Central to host these contests!

Please be sure to visit our contest page to be up to date with all current contests hosted at BookSpot Central. We are adding new prizes constantly!

Tomio stuff -

I suspect a bottleneck of interviews to start showing up, perhaps starting today! I have a lot of variety coming with a few On the Spot and BookSpot Beat and in terms of subject matter so be on the lookout for those.

Once again I want to thank our wonderful contributors and readers!

*closes window on week*