Sly Mongoose is the third novel of Tobias Buckell. It is part of the same future history as its predecessors Crystal Rain and Ragamuffin, but it is a self-contained story that can be read on its own.

It has been decades since humanity rose up and overthrew their oppressors, the alien Satraps and their client races. Now, the 48 linked worlds of the former Benevolent Satrapy are fought over by humans, once the very bottom of society. The largest of these factions is the League of Human Affairs; once revolutionaries who led the way against the Satraps, they have themselves become the oppressors as they seek to unite humanity under their banner by force and subjugate or destroy the alien races who once served the oppressive Satrapy. Their chief opponents are an alliance of free peoples centered on the formerly lost human colony world of New Anegada. Caught in the middle is the human world of Chilo, a Venus-like planet in the neutral buffer zone between the League and Nanagada. Its people live in huge floating cities, held up by Chilo’s ultra-dense lower atmosphere.

The story begins with fourteen year-old Timas, an inhabitant of one of Chilo’s poorest cities, Yatapek. He is one of the xocoyotzin, boys who periodically descend to the burning surface of Chilo to maintain the automated mining machines that sustain the city’s economy- the impoverished city is stuck with pressure suits too small for Yatapekan adults. The vital role he plays allows his family to share in the life of the city’s upper class- until Timas grows too big, or dies in the blazing Hell he descends into over and over to keep the machines running.

His life is thrown into chaos when a strange visitor from space crashes into Yatapek after making a desperate escape from a dying ship. He is pursued by the Aeolians, Yatapek’s more prosperous neighbors, who say that he murdered an entire starship crew. The stranger himself, a man named Pepper, has an even more horrifying story to tell of the crew’s fate- a fate that may overtake all of Chilo.

Sly Mongoose is the best of Buckell’s novels to date. Buckell’s greatest strengths- fast-paced action and intriguing settings- are on full display. Timas is an interesting protagonist and a well-done portrayal of someone being overwhelmed by the demands placed on him.

The novel is in some ways a return to the style of Buckell’s debut Crystal Rain; the story focuses tightly on a single world and its inhabitants, rather than continuing the wide-scale scope of Ragamuffin. This works out well, since Chilo has more than enough points of interest.

The people of Yatapek are Azteca, who have previously appeared in Buckell’s universe only as antagonists. They have abandoned the rituals of human sacrifice forced on their ancestors by the alien Teotl and sought to make a fresh start. Buckell does a great job portraying their society- poverty desperate enough to drive them to send their children into the hazardous inferno of the surface, leaders terrified that the lower classes will revert to the bloodthirsty ways of their ancestors, the fear and tension of the families of the xocoyotzin who have been given a taste of a better life among the upper classes but know it could end at any time.

While the story is confined to Chilo, the reader does still learn a number of interesting things about the wider fictional universe, some hinted at in previous books and others completely new. The shared setting of Buckell’s three novels has become increasingly intriguing with each book.

The menace to Chilo is called the Swarm- a malignant group consciousness that spreads by infection and turns humans into mindless thralls. They are a very interesting take on the idea of the zombie- they have elements reminiscent of both the modern American movie zombie and the older Vodou concept, built on a science fictional rather than supernatural base. Buckell does a great job of taking something that had become a bit of a cliché and breathing new life into it.

Buckell’s talent for action scenes is well-demonstrated here, with everything from aerial warfare between dirigibles in Chilo’s skies to desperate mass battle with the relentless hordes of the Swarm. Pepper was a powerful presence in Buckell’s first two novels, but here he really comes into his own, and some of his later scenes are among the most thrilling I’ve read in a while. The action is fast and intense, and visceral without being off-puttingly gruesome.

Sly Mongoose is an outstanding book, and one I’d recommend to any science fiction fan. If you enjoyed Buckell’s previous books, or like stories with a well-realized setting and a lot of action, you won’t be disappointed.

Brandon Mull ups the stakes in this third installment of the Fablehaven series. Things are looking bad for Fablehaven. The artifact protected there is gone and all over the world secret refuges for magical creatures are collapsing in disarray.

Grip of the Shadow Plague picks up right where Rise of the Evening Star, book two, left off. After defeating one enemy and unveiling a traitor, Kendra and Seth plunge into the international world of magic. As Kendra travels to another refuge to locate an artifact of incredible strength, Seth faces another attack at Fablehaven. The creatures there are turning, not falling into evil like the fairies previously but actually turning into shadow - evolving into powerful and more threatening forms never seen before. Even those creatures known to be resistant to falling are changing and infecting those around them.

This is by no means a capstone to Mull’s series, but a continuation of the adventures of Seth and Kendra that lives up to the high standards he set with his first two books. Brandon Mull takes it up another notch with this one. Seth and Kendra face decisions that have no clear cut answer, carrying more weight and responsibility than before. There is a sense of growth and maturity in both characters, of the two of them coming into their own in regards to their talents and abilities. This is one aspect I truly enjoy about these stories. Seth and Kendra are not static characters, but are growing and developing as people.

Mull’s gifts as an author are obvious as he develops this story, carrying the tale forwards as he both widens the scope of the magical world and fills in back story that satisfies our curiosity and piques our interest. Once again Mull highlights doing the right thing, but for both Kendra and Seth the right thing isn’t so obvious anymore. Much like real life, issues are no longer clearly marked black and white and the repercussions for making a wrong move are devastating.

This is a book for young readers, but it will do more for them than just entertain. They will be encouraged to think and examine the situations, challenge them to agree or disagree with what the characters choose. Well-crafted, there are no weak points or shaky aspects to this book. From cover to cover, readers will fall into the world of Fablehaven and never want to leave.

Gavril faces his deepest fear-that he cannot exist without his Drakhoul. His comfortable life was turned upside down in the first book of this trilogy with the appearance of a smoky presence that wrapped around him and invaded his being. The Drakhoul, a dark and demanding creature, promised strength beyond reckoning and breathed sulfur into Gavril’s soul. This power came with a heavy price, however. Gavril sustained physical changes without and within, his body changing into a dragon with the appetite of a vampire. Unable to face living as a monster, Gavril throws off his familiar with the help of Kiukiu and looks forward to living as a human again. Unfortunately, without the power of the Drakhoul to protect his people, Gavril is taken prisoner and Eugene proclaims himself Emperor of all he surveys.

Ms. Ash blazes through her descriptions of people. As the second book in the series entitled The Tears of Artamon, Prisoner of the Iron Tower is Act II of a three act play. There are many characters and most seem to be playing more than one role. Attempting to identify the alliances made and betrayed can leave one breathless. Like a typical second act, life seems dark for our hero Gavril and the countries fighting for independence.

I enjoyed this one more than the first, which is a bit unusual. The author seems to delve deeper into the primary characters, making them real. Readers see into the mind of Eugene, the self-proclaimed Emperor of New Rossiyan. He is not a flat, all-out bad guy but is very human, a contradiction. The loving father, afraid to emotionally embrace his new wife because the loss of the first was so painful. This alongside of the imperious ruler who demands instant groveling, paranoid about all around him and whose dreams consist of all he sees bowing to him. Readers sense that if Astasia and Eugene could just communicate better, a love could blossom that could heal the agony in his heart.

However, the character development of Eugene is balanced by a frenetic bouncing between other characters, shifting the focus so much I became a bit frustrated. I wanted the story to land in one place and develop more. I think she attempted to do too much here, trying to balance the story of Eugene as a budding emperor with the rebellion in the south and the destruction of Gavril’s country in the north. On top of all this is the search to understand the Drakhoul and his kind, to control or banish him forever. The story dashes one way and then swerves the other, like the daemon-dragon of the tale. Reader, beware! Ms. Ash invests effort in creating her characters only to pitch them off a cliff for the sake of the story. My hope is Sarah Ash will resolve this story effectively in book three of The Tears of Artamon, The Children of the Serpent Gate.

From the back cover of the paperback book (blurb) -

Now the people know that the dragon minions of Takhisis, Queen of Darkness, have returned. But the races have long been divided by hatred and prejudice. It seems the battle has been lost before it begins.

The companions are separated, torn apart by war. A full season will pass before they meet again—if they meet again.

It is always a pleasant surprise to find out that book that you loved, got turned into a graphic novel. That said though, visiting a world that you know and love in graphic form, it has to live up to some healthy expectations for the reader. Devils Due and their team brought it to life, and everyone should be very pleased by their work. Dragons of Winter Night, has the dark feel one would think it should and it comes across in the artwork and layout.

I thought the artwork was beautiful, and where it really seemed to shine was in the outdoor scenes and the artwork of the dragons. The characters were also depicted well for my personal tastes, whether or not they live up to what you envisioned them to be is something you have to look at for yourself. My favorite representation though was Kitiara, you can feel the evil bubbling below the surface, in her facial expressions. I always thought she was a great anti-hero to the group, and I can feel that in the artwork. I also enjoyed the depiction of Fizban as well; the humor of the character still shines through in the drawings. Overall the artwork had pretty big shoes to fill, if you go by the covers of the books done by Larry Elmore, and I think for the medium (a graphic novel can not be of the level of a single piece of canvas) the team of Kurth, Ruffino, Narvasa, Bradley, Rauch and Crowley, did an excellent job. They put together the perfect graphical companion to Weis and Hickman’s novel.

The adaptation by Andrew Dabb stayed pretty faithful and the overall feel and storyline stayed where they needed to be due to the restraints of the graphic novel medium. I personally find the graphic novel to be a nice companion to the book, but it still needs to stand on its own if one has not read the book. It worked for me on both of these levels as I had read this sometime in the 1980’s I believe. It does not hold the same weight as the book, but I do not believe it is supposed to. There is no way they can include everything and I found it to be a fun visualization after reading the books. Even if you are not familiar with the books though it is still very enjoyable just not of the same level I believe as someone that has read the books.

DDP always brings us something new for the fantasy crowd looking to dip their toes in the graphic novel and comic market. I think once you feel the temperature you will want to dive right in. Dragons of Winter Night, the graphic novel, is a great piece to own; visually telling what I consider a classic story in the fantasy book market

Written by a self-proclaimed geek, this is one twisted adventure full of hilarity, gut-wrenching action and gore. In a world bombed to (you guessed it) oblivion, five very different people are all that’s left of a small community on the edge of Florida. In a madcap race of survival, Vivian Gray struggles to bring the other four together to reach what may be a sanctuary somewhere in the distance. Not only do they have to scavenge for daily necessities, but they suddenly realize that there are other life-forms that see them as possible prey.

With shades of old-fashioned horror movies popping up here and there, you never know what to expect when you turn the pages of this book. The blend of pop culture and locker room humor somehow work, especially when placed on top of the fast-paced race to stay alive. Marcus Alexander Hart has found his niche in science fiction.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the development of the characters in this book. I was, by turns, laughing out loud or groaning in disgust. In spite of the their less-than-admirable traits, or should I say very human traits, the characters somehow captured my attention. I didn’t always like what happened but I kept reading, which is one mark of good writing.

Aimed at adults, the story contains cursing, adult situations and the pre-requisite gore. Oblivion Society is a non-stop romp that will satisfy readers looking for something different than the average story. Be prepared and have no preconceptions, this is one wild ride.

This is the second book in the Warcraft Sunwell Trilogy.
As with most middle books, the whole purpose is forwarding the story to the conclusion. Of course, this one has a cliffhanger ending, which made me glad that I had the third book (which will get its own review) to start immediately.

The plot picks up immediately where the first book ended and there is a nice summarization of the previous volume to refresh the readers' memory. Unlike the first book's introduction to the Warcraft Universe, this summary was much shorter and, while in an ornate calligraphic font, in larger print.

In the first volume our heroes were separated by the evil forces trying to take over the magic in the world for their own uses. The story now focuses on getting all four of them back into a single place. They are assisted by characters that are introduced into the story slightly abruptly, since, for the most part the characters seem to just stumble onto them. This should not give the reader the idea that this trilogy is a dull cliche-driven clunker of a book, either. The pacing is very good, which keeps the reader both engaged in the story and entertained and the help the heroes receive isn't of the deus ex machina type. These are logical characters with motives that are consistent with the information we are given about them and they are, in fact, introduced into the story in a believable manner. It's just that, all of the sudden, the reader needs (and does get) explanations of what, exactly, was missed in the implied part of the story that probably would have been dull and interrupted the flow of the book, so it was glossed over in order to give the reader a reason to care that it happened at all.

There are captures, escapes, magical artifacts, and characters that are not what they at first appear to be. Honestly, there aren't many surprises but the story is well crafted and should keep fans of epic fantasy and action fans happy.

The artwork is lovely and I don't think the covers of these books quite do the interiors justice. The introduction of Taurans, which are minotaur-like characters, really gave the artist a chance to show his talent. The combination of bovine and human anatomy was executed beautifully. The characters seem even more distinct in this volume, although I'm not sure if that's a byproduct of being familiar with the story or if it's simply an improvement in the artists' work. In this instance, I would prefer to give the credit to the artist himself. While the characters do carry that look that is particular to manga (particularly around their feet) there are still differences in their features that go far beyond costuming and hairstyles.

The backgrounds are well done, with no evidence of "floating character syndrome" in sight. Textures and lighting differences are all carefully rendered and it gives the artwork a very polished feel. This is the artwork of someone who cares about their subject matter and the world those subjects inhabit.

It's a solid story with above average artwork and definitely worth checking into, especially now that all three volumes can be purchased at the same time.

Resident Evil: Extinction by Keith R.A. DeCandido is the novelization of the movie by the same name, both based on the Resident Evil video game franchise. DeCandido is well known for his novelizations of many media intellectual properties including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Command & Conquer, and Star Trek to name a few. Extinction marks the third volume in the movie series that DeCandido has written. Extinction follows popular characters Jill, Alice, and Carlos along with a new hero, Claire Redfield. The group of heroes make an attempt to reach the perceived safety of Alaska all the while fighting off the zombie menace, ruthless survivors, and of course the Umbrella Corporation.

Extinction takes a new path in the Resident Evil world: beyond Raccoon City. The T-Virus has been spread across the globe and the world is in a state of apocalypse. Survivors are scattered in tiny pockets, each one trying to fight off the zombies created by the Umbrella Corp. This is quite a departure from the first two novelizations that take place mostly in or under Raccoon City. At the time of the story, thought it is not stated exactly when it takes place, it has been years since the massive outbreak that eventually spread across the map. Food, ammunition, and just about everything else have become extremely scarce fueling feuds and infighting among the survivors. Some of the most dangerous things in the world are no longer the zombies. Extinction has a definite post apocalyptic feel to it and somewhat reminds me of Mad Max meets Land of the Dead mix with a little Painkiller Jane for good measure.

DeCandido continues with the solid characters from the first two films. Extinction doesn’t expand too much on character development. Since this is the third book in the movie series, the lack of development of some of the core characters isn’t as big a deal as it might have been if this was a stand alone novel. Not to be worried, if you haven’t read the other books or don’t know much about the Resident Evil franchise, you should still find the characters pretty well defined. Sure, there are plenty of the clichéd character archetypes present but they are well done and don’t come off as cheesy. The obvious star character is Alice the superhuman badass, but Jill is also an interesting character who fills the “loner” role. The only issue I see with any of the characters is the dialect used for the African American characters is all the same (despite the fact that they are not all form the same area) and over the top to the point of nausea, at times.

DeCandido’s style isn’t one that is likely to wow you , but it is surprisingly clean, quick, and easy reading. This book read especially quick given the writing style and the hardcover print size. The action scenes are well done and are laced from one end of the novel to the other , always keeping me alert and into the book. I was also impressed with DeCandido’s effort in writing a novel more akin to other zombie fiction currently available. He managed to make zombies and a setting that would do Romero himself proud. If there is anything to complain about I’d have to say that Extinction lacks the spine chilling and thrilling twists that would make it a truly great story.

As a hardcore zombie fan I can recommend this book to those with a love for zombies where I could not recommend the other Resident Evil novels. As a fan of post apocalyptic fiction I can recommend this book to those who enjoy dying worlds. Extinction is not a great novel, but the end to end action and stand alone nature of the story makes this fun and entertaining read no matter how much exposure you have to Resident Evil and its T-Virus.

Most of us have read a zombie story or two: some good, some bad, and others that made us wretch. We hear the word "zombie" and immediately think of the slow shambling dead of Romero's films. Many of these stories are clichéd and spin tired stories with typical plots, with typical characters, and with predictable endings. Roses of Blood on Barbwire Vines by D.L Snell is not one of those stories.

Roses of Blood brings together two of the more popular monsters in horror fiction today: Zombies and vampires. The story follows Shade (the vampire queen and daughter of the slain king), General Frost who is cold as his name would suggest, and Ann a human blood doll left deranged by the horror she has experienced. Shade fights to honor her fathers Kingdom (The City of Roses), while Frost pushes for relocation to the island to avoid the zombie hordes. Ann simply wants to survive, be free, and save her breeding slave sister. As the vampires attempt to fight off the zombies and keep there blood cattle (the humans) alive- betrayal, tragedy, and all-out fight for survival takes place.

The zombies in roses of blood are not your typical Romero style shamblers; they are the result of Nazi experiments. Instead of a virus, which is the common mode in zombie fiction these days, Snell's zombies are powered by parasitic creatures that infect the brains of their hosts. The parasites, tentacled Cthulhu like creatures, have appendages growing from the head of the bodies they invade. The zombies learn and adapt unlike most zombies and that makes them scarier.

Snell's vampires are akin to the vampires in Underworld, with amped up libido, one hell of a mean streak, and downright evil nature. They can be killed by wood spike or sunlight, but regenerate from most other injuries. Largely, the vampires are cruel and cold beings.

Humans are cattle used solely for their blood. Some are taken for breeding purposes and have their limbs amputated and are given a lobotomy. The Torsos, as they are called, are then placed in harness swings where they are breed. The non-breeding humans are used for feeding and repeatedly bitten and drained, but not to the point of death. The humans seem to have been dominated to the point of despair and have become docile pets of the vampires.

The novel takes place in "The City of Roses" which has been complete overrun with zombies leaving their fortified building as the only isle of safety. Snell does a great job weaving description of the setting in without being blatant, but instead by implication. I truly felt the sense of dread and hopelessness that is the existence of few remaining humans and vampires.

Roses of Blood's plot certainly hooked me and the action kept me on my toes. Gun-fu is the order of the day for the pistol, M-16, and Uzi toting vampires and the action scenes are excellently described. The pulse pounding action starts early and powers all the way through the novel. Fear not, if you are looking for character exploration and development, Snell wedged some of that in there as well.

It's hard to find a true weak spot in the novel because Roses of Blood is great example of a subgenre novel. However, I do have an issue with Snell's style. He describes it as a more poetic style ,and I can appreciated what he was trying to do, but in the end it just came off as a little overly metaphoric. The overuse of metaphors at times makes reading difficult and keeping track of what's going on a chore. It's not all bad though because, even if overused, the metaphors did add vivid images throughout the novel. The other minor complaint I have is that gratuitous sex in the novel is a bit off putting. I'm not against sex scenes in novels if they serve a purpose, but I could not find enough purpose to warrant the amount of sex represented. Indeed, Roses of Blood comes out swinging with a savage right hook of the erotic. If the erotic scenes in the beginning don't destroy your interest you should find the rest of the book quite enjoyable. After the first few chapters the sex tones down and the story gets back on the rails. I will admit that someone more into erotica will likely enjoy the same scenes that I found to be gratuitous.

Roses of Blood is a great new addition to the zombie and vampire subgenres. It's clear that this book should be an adult's only type of book with its absolute bestial, brutal nature and vivid sexual content. I can recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an excellent horror novel where zombies and/or vampires are not used in their traditional roles. Roses of Blood on Barbwire Vines is a hard charging action packed book where the cruel and unusual are the norm: I liked it!

What would you do if you found yourself among the legion of the damned and undead? Would you walk lackadaisically and munch on someone's pink thinking machine like it was popcorn or would you chill out to Mozart in your secret lair while simultaneously protecting humans from your kind? Personally I'm rather particular to brains, but that's just me; now Dirge on the other hand, well, protecting humans and listening to Mozart happen to be two of his favorite things to do!

Dirge is the brain child of writer James Farr, this being the first work of Farr's I have read I was pleasantly surprised at the ease with which he demonstrates Dirge's wicked tongue. As the above quote demonstrates, Dirge finds the time to not only hack off a zombie gorilla's arm but to also toss out a quip at the same time! The downside to that same wit though is the transparency of it all. Dirge as a character is 2-D and nothing more, he only works on a single level as a sarcastic overprotective older brother of sorts. I can get a kick out of his quick one liners and enjoy the casual mean spiritedness with which he converses with others but he doesn't stray far from those two facets of thinking, feeling, or speaking.

Having said all that, on the flip side of things is that Xombie Reanimated #3 is a quickly paced issue that shoots straight out of the gates throwing exposition to the winds for the most part, making this book an easily read stand alone issue. Going along with that however, issue three also feels a bit like a point A to point B issue to me. There is not much said about what has happened in the previous issues and not much expressed about the future in this issue until the last two pages, which is good and bad as mentioned before.

The pace of the issue is really all thanks to Nate Lovett's crafty penciling. Lovett's style of pencils can be quickly brushed aside as cartoonish or simple but it is that simplicity that makes his technique so sleek. His inks are clean and crisp and work well to demonstrate the feelings of each individual character. For any fan of the first six issues of Image's The Walking Dead and Tony Moore's art therein you may appreciate Nate Lovett's artistry.

Having weighed and measured all sides of the equation the product of my thoughts on Xombie Reanimated #3 are thus: Dirge is a pretty funny character and some of the people he interacts with are interesting, nonetheless this issue is more aimed towards entertainment than any serious storytelling. Ultimately I found these things not to detract enough to make me stop enjoying reading it the entire time I sat there, which is enough to make me want to read the next issue.

~Jason Fahey

The Forgotten Realms is the most well known shared world in Fantasy and we get to talk about one of the most secretive areas of the Realms by venturing into Thay for this story. I am really happy to be able to step back in to somewhere I find familiar and intriguing at the same time, as the Forgotten Realms has been a reading home of mine for some time now. The Realms have an abundance of history, and while Thay is referenced time and time again, it is nice to fully visit this area and take a look at the inner working of betrayal and politics that are so common place. Why do they all wear red robes again though, can someone answer this question for me?

Byers gives us a few storylines at the beginning of the book, but the overall theme we have is Szass Tam and his overall plans to take over Thay and then all of the Forgotten Realms. By the end of the book, we see some of the story lines intersect and we know that all of the players introduced are part of a larger game. Bareris the bard, and his love interest, Tammith, give us our required save the damsel part of the story with a nice, interesting twist. Tammith's story is far from over, and even though her part played in book one was small, I believe she is part of the greater story. We have Aoth, who is a battle mage griffon rider. That seems a little out of place in the backstabbing politics being played, but she does give the reader an insight into the army fighting the undead from the Thay standpoint. We then have all the Zulkirs and Burning Braziers - with Milsantos and Nymia (Tharchions) commanding the army - trying to fight the undead menace. There is some nice interaction from some of the background characters, including Samas Kul; who is Master of the Guild of Foreign Trade, Iphegor Nath; High Flamelord of the Church of Kossuth; and others. Back to Szass Tam, this lich is a force to be reckoned with as master of magic. Though, we hear from others who are too awestruck to even make moves against the Zulkir of Necromancy. "I'm a Red Wizard of Illusion, and I have no idea how one would go about managing that." Okay, so if people who have a lifetime of study in an area of magic are in awe of the power of Szass Tam when performing magic that isn’t in his sphere of magic, we have a villain that is no push over. Don't worry about all these characters, at the end of the story there is a list of people under the title Personages of Thay. This really helps you keep track of everyone and the part they play in Thay, and I am very glad it was included.

Ah…one of the greatest things about a shared world, cross referencing - also one of the worst. The dilemma is that you have tons of back history and other plots and going ons in the world at large. This makes you feel you are in a breathing world that you know a lot about and isn’t just about one set of people pigeon holed in a world building exercise where you meet less then .01 percent of the population. The bad part as an author must be to integrate this in a way that if the user didn’t read one of those previous series you know what is going on. Byers does this in his referring the Rage of Dragons, "The Great Rage of Dragons two years ago was but one manifestation of a sort of universal ferment likely to continue for a while." I have read the Rage of Dragons and the reference is known to me, but even if not you still get the general meaning. It is also cross promotional as maybe you will now want to read more about what is going on in the world. A fine balance is necessary and Byers does that well.

Another strong point in the beginning to this series is the betrayal and political machinations that are going on as everyone tries to scramble for more power, as well as trying to stay alive. Thay always seemed to be teetering on some sort of political see saw where it could all implode upon itself or take over the rest of the realm at the same time, and this story line is no different. I like Thay as there is such an uneasy balance of power, not unlike the Drow, except that because of the human lifespan things seem to happen more often in Thay.

I am a huge fan of stories where magic is abundant, magic weapons, the supernatural around every corner, and large scale battles where wizards, priest, and warriors all play a big part of the strategy of the battle. From battle mages flying griffons to demons a lich commanding an undead army, you have it all: necromancers, gnolls, orcs and bards also included in the package. The Forgotten Realms is a true Monty Haul campaign and I enjoy every minute of it.

The Forgotten Realms have seemed to grow up recently by introducing more and more mature stories for the seasoned speculative fiction reader. This publisher does not only cater to the YA crowd or novice fantasy reader anymore. Byers writing is well formed and I enjoyed the flow of the story with only a few lines that seemed forced from the characters. A very strong start to "The Haunted Lands" and I am very eager to read more and how this touches the world at large. Richard Lee Byers should be well known to anyone who frequents "The Realms" and his writing is placing him in the top echelon of writers that Wizards of the Coast enjoys. You can feel safe in placing him in the same category as Salvatore and Kemp when we talk about fast paced, magic infused, sword and sorcery fantasy.

This was one of those reviews where I had a hard time keeping the spoilers out of the review and I think that is a good thing.

Stories, like people and butterflies and songbirds’ eggs and human hearts and dreams, are also fragile things, made up of nothing stronger or more lasting than twenty-six letters and a handful of punctuation marks. Or they are words on the air, composed of sounds and ideas--abstract, invisible, gone once they’ve been spoken--and what could be more frail than that?--Neil Gaiman in the Introduction to Fragile Things

Neil Gaiman’s Fragile Things is a collection of short stories. The author is fascinated by stories: where they come from, what they have to say, how they endure for years, even centuries. The majority of these stories were previously published in various anthologies, e-zines, etc, and more than a few are award winners.

The first story, A Study in Emerald, begins:

A beginning that many of the stories share in that the reader is told that something grand but not necessarily good is forthcoming, but then it is explained that the narrator is but a humble man relating the truth of the story as he knows it. This first story was a wonderful pastiche of Sherlock Holmes with a heavy dose of Lovecraft thrown in. Gaiman has a way of combining the practical with the supernatural and coming up with something utterly unique and more than a bit disquieting.


His stories ranged from the adroit, such as October in the Chair where the months of the year are engaging in their annual meeting:




and Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire (Gaiman does seem to have a fondness for lengthy titles) about an author struggling to write,




But, as Gaiman shows us, what’s real is relative. Or irrelevant.


Some stories were violent and disturbing (Keepsakes and Treasures,) while others were quirky and fun (Harlequin Valentine based on the comic servant of the commedia dell’arte and his eternal pursuit of Columbina). And then some were just comically bizarre (Sunbird: an Epicurean club whose goal is to eat everything, and I mean everything!)


Although many of the stories leaned towards horror, Gaiman is a multifaceted writer whose poetic deftness is exemplified in the following passage from How to Talk to Girls at Parties. When Enn comments on Triolet’s name, she explains that it’s a verse form like herself; when Enn questions her meaning she explains further:




My personal favorite was Diseasemaker’s Croup, which was written as an entry in a book of imaginary diseases that was edited by Jeff Vandermeer and Mark Roberts. A clever and ironic piece of medical text that was oddly amusing even though it quickly became evident that the physician writing said entry was also a victim of said ailment.


The last story is a novella based on American Gods. Fans of that book should enjoy this story as it catches up with Shadow some two years later in Scotland.


Only a couple or so of the thirty-one stories fell flat: either nothing remarkable happened (The Flints of Memory Lane) or the author’s intent was too elusive for me (as in Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox…Louisville, Kentucky-another one of those really long titles.)


Otherwise, this book is an engaging and varied collection of “short fictions and wonders” as Fragile Things is aptly subtitled.

It is the age of Napoleon, and France is at war with England on the high seas. Meanwhile, Captain Havelock of the Whirlwind receives orders from the British Admiralty to proceed to the west coast of Africa and hunt down the French frigate Elita, which has been hounding British merchant ships.

After engaging the Elita in an indecisive combat which leaves both ships in dire need of repair, Havelock discovers that they are not alone in the vast ocean. A dread ship manned by rotting zombies stalks him, eager to exact revenge for his ancestor's crimes...

Death Hulk doesn't have much in the way of surprises. The plot is more or less predictable to the end. It excels as a page turner, but not much else. It might have been nice to see more character development as well, but it wasn't absolutely necessary to the book, admittedly. However, Sprange has evidently done some research into naval combat of the era and has a good eye for action scenes, lending some verisimilitude to the sea battles and hand-to-hand fights.

All in all, I'd have to say this is a decent read with plenty of action to keep you going, but don't expect anything incredibly thought-provoking.

Jim Thurmond is locked in an underground shelter that he built for Y2K, in Virginia. The zombie invasion is already in full swing. His dead pregnant wife is outside pawing on the door and calling his name.

Going mad and on the verge of suicide Jim gets a call from his son from his first marriage in New York. The boy is trapped in the attic of his house with the dead step-father trying to break the door down. The cell battery dies. Knowing his son is alive rejuvenates him and he vows to escape his bunker and make it to his son to save him. On his way he meets up with an elderly preacher left to defend gods will, an ex-junkie prostitute from Baltimore (including scenes in the Baltimore Zoo), and a scientist who is responsible for the breach that allows the zombies to invade and cross over.

To give you an idea of Keene’s resolve and willingness to go all the way, when Jim escapes the bunker he comes into direct contact with his dead wife. She pulls back her robe and reveals that her belly has been gnawed open by the zombie baby creating a large cavity. He pleads with his wife to stop then is forced to kill both her and the unborn child, whom he finds out only now, is a girl. Keene doesn’t treat such an event lightly; he presents all of the moral difficulties in clear light. Jim’s decision isn’t an easy one, nor should it be, and Keene lets it carry the appropriate weight and importance.

The action kicks off right on the first page and the barrage of action, suspense and adventure never once let up. The Rising is relentless in its assault on the reader. But it’s much more then a catalogue of violent confrontations with the recent dead. Brian Keene is a solid writer with a sharp eye for detail and those quiet moments that make human contact and our relationships real. As the shreds of humanity bond together it’s the strengthening or the exploiting of these bonds that will define the individuals involved and humanity as a whole.

One new twist that Keene adds to the zombie canon, which could very well have turned into a gimmick, was to have animals that were zombies. This could have fallen on its face but Keene shows us very quickly that undead animals are just as scary, if not at times more so, then their (un)human counterparts. This being my first Keene novel I quickly learned to trust in his imagination as he fully explore this idea.

Normally the reason behind the origin of the zombies is biological in nature, but Keene presents us with an enigmatic world where demons (for lack of a better term), that had been banished to a hellish existence on another plane by god, have broken through to our world inhabiting our dead bodies. They indiscriminately kill to provide more vessels for their fallen brethren.

Unlike Romero's plodding zombies Keene's are possessed of a certain level of intelligence. They are fast when need be, or more specifically when the body allows it. They communicate with each other. They can operate motor vehicles, weapons and machinery. All of this escalates the level of tension if not downright claustrophobia when are human protagonists are faced with a legion of zombies. The zombies also retain the memories of the host body which allows for some unsettling moments when a demon is articulating something and the bodies old memories keep interjecting.

There is a larger back story at work here. The zombies are becoming increasingly organized and centrally located in major cities. They also seem to be able to communicate with each other over long distances though it isn’t clear yet if it is some sort of telepathy or if the undead animals act as messengers. Plus the full back story of the demons: their relationship to god and their pure hatred of humans isn’t fully explained yet, with only dark hints being provided.

Without dealing in specifics the ending is abrupt. It just stops in mid action, with no explanation or even an indication that there is a sequel to The Rising called The City of The Dead. I think this bears mentioning because without knowledge of the sequel this would cause many a reader to not like the book regardless of all the goodness that had come before

--Brian Lindenmuth

Over the course of 16 years, 4 novels and 2 story collections William Browning Spencer has been quietly carving out his own bit of territory. His voice is singularly unique combining a vivid imagination and an always odd and sometimes bizarre sense of humor.

In Resume With Monsters William Browning Spencer (yes, that's his name and no he isn't a Romantic Poet) asks the audacious question that cube monkeys everywhere had been asking themselves 'Is there a connection, or more specifically an unholy alliance between corporations and Cthulu?' The gloriously demented answer is YES! Cube monkeys of the world rejoice, their secrets are finally exposed (but remember to only rejoice at a pre-approved scheduled time that is off company property, please see your supervisor to have your leg chains unlocked)

Philip Kenan was employed at a major corporation (Micromeg), where he worked with his then girlfriend, Amelia. He successfully staved off an attempt from Yog-Soggoth and others to enter into this dimension. She leaves him to move to Texas for a fresh start. He follows her there to continue to protect her from un-knowable evils. When she starts working for another large corporation (Pelidyne) he once more has to face down the enemy and save her from a fate worse then death.

Philip is also writing his own never ending Cthulu mythos novel that serves as a humorous send up of Lovecraft's writing. On the surface Philip represents the everyman; workers of dead end jobs who feel like their souls are being sucked dry because this isn’t how they expected to live their lives: working over time, begging for a raise, sacrificing evenings and weekends in a competition with no real winner. It is in its very existence a passionless life and no one wants to live that way, yet we continue to do so. More importantly the presence of this novel in a novel forces the reader to weigh the possibility that Philip is becoming so obsessed with his writings that he is projecting the horrors in it onto the "real" world. Does you boss want you to stay late tonight because there is extra work to do or because he wants to steal your brain and inhabit your body with an unthinking force. Spencer maintains this balance until the end of the novel.

Throughout the book the one incident that gets alluded to the most is what exactly happened at MicroMeg. We know that there was an invasion and that Philip saved Amelia, other then that no one wants to talk about the incident. Spencer gives this story the full treatment in the section of the book entitled The Doom that Came to MicroMeg, with a fun twist. In the “present” the Elder Gods score a victory against Philip trapping his body in the present and sending his soul back in time to just before the invasion of Yog-Soggoth. He is fully cognizant of what’s going on and he also knows what’s going to happen, but he is helpless to do anything to stop it. This dichotomy presents a striking narrative that bustles with energy and also tension and helplessness. Philip fights to get back to the “present” to continue his quest to save Amelia and manages some small successes. He gets back into his body only to be forced back out of it again thus moving the Micromeg portion of the story ahead in a jump cut manner. It’s the highlight of the book and even coming out it one isn’t too sure of Philips sanity, which could be the greatest trick that Spencer pulls.

Resume With Monsters is a gleefully demented book with sharp observations on corporate culture. Anyone who has worked for a larger company will find a lot of enjoyment here though it certainly isn't a prerequisite. It also takes the Cthulu mythos into an under utilized territory that plays more for laughs then thrills and scares all the while mirroring in many ways the typical quest that a Lovecraftian protagonist undertook.


-Brian Lindenmuth

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (the masses refer to him as GRRM) is not your typical story of a land that holds similarities to the Middle Ages. Yes, knights joust, kings rule, and even dragons and magic are mentioned, but rather than stay on a level that would equal a sub-par King Arthur narrative, Martin is able to elevate the first book in the A Song of Ice and Fire (aSoIaF) series by introducing the reader to a substantial amount of characters, establishing a thick plot that favors sudden twists, and describing scenes and individuals like a sculptor depicting a famous actor for Madame Tussaud's wax museum.

A Game of Thrones veers from other popular formats by having each chapter title named after the character that it focuses on, rather than a chapter name that attempts to foreshadow an event. Through the means of devoting each chapter to one character, Martin introduces thoughts through the eyes of vastly different individuals. Firstly, there is the Stark family. Eddard Stark, father and Lord of Winterfell, holds to righteousness. Catelyn, his wife, may have a difference of opinion with her husband, but she supports his actions. Then there are the children. This is where true ingenuity came to play; it is sometimes difficult for grown men and/or women to understand the mindset of a child. Martin was not only able to establish different personalities that were believable, but he lured me into wanting to read more about all of them. Of course, I favored a few, but I enjoyed exploring through different perspectives. Next to last is Daenerys – a princess by name, but no land of her own to rule. Lastly is Tyrion; one of the most interesting characters I have ever comes across. His combination of wit and sincerity is not often found, and the uniqueness of his physical attributes only add to his allure.

As you can see, there are a lot of characters that Martin lets us learn from, but these are not even half of the main characters. Plus, unsubstantial characters such as guardsmen or handmaidens all have names and we even see into some of their pasts. With all of these characters though, there is a drawback: we have to remember all of them! When I first started reading, I was hard pressed to remember who was who. I found myself sorting back through the pages attempting to determine if I knew who this person was, or if I was getting them confused with somebody else, and what they had done in the past. After about two-hundred pages, I finally got a handle on it and it started to flow much easier. So if you start reading and get lost a little, DO NOT STOP! I implore you to trudge on; it will be worth it.

Characters are a big portion of a story, but without a plot to move the story along, those characters fall on blind eyes. This is not the case with A Game of Thrones. Martin knits a tale like a robin fashions a nest – complex, but comfy when you are in it.

In a land that once had seven kings, Robert Baratheon claimed the right to be named the sole king after taking the crown in battle. Eddard Stark, his most trusted friend, went home to Winterfell after helping Robert on that quest. Since then, Robert’s kingdom has fallen on difficult times. Money has been squandered, treachery lines the streets, and Robert’s Hand (second in charge) has mysteriously died. To help get his kingdom back on track, Robert has asked Eddard to accept the position of The King’s Hand. However, this becomes a difficult decision as the Stark family is forced to split up over it.

In a distant land, Daenerys and Viserys Targaryen – the last known relatives of the previous king – search for an army to satisfy the thirst for revenge that resides in their hearts. Willing to do whatever is necessary, a pact is made, but is it worth the cost? And will it even be enough to bring the crown back to Targaryen blood? While this threat is real, the biggest danger to the kingdom may lie within.

Martin’s writing style is not for the purest of heart. It encompasses more of an adult theme not only for the provocative scenes that he brings to life, but for some of the complexities. There are a lot of subtleties that he throws in here and there to give hints; sometimes it turns out like you think, and other times, well, you are about as far off as China is from Minnesota. That is one of the great things about it: it keeps you on the edge of your seat. His descriptive ability is another aspect that immediately reveals itself. Nearly every single knight and lady does not go without notice; every aspect of their apparel is made known. The portrait that he paints grabs hold of the mind and squeezes gently, letting you see only what he wants you to see.

A Game of Thrones is not a sock'em, bop'em action thriller, but it does not have to be. This tale engages the reader through family allegiance and betrayal, political positioning and wit, and the sheer enormity of identifiable characters. Couple those qualities with a seemingly unimaginable amount of smaller struggles directly related to the outcome of the larger conflict, and you have a storyline that will keep readers coming back book after book.

-Patrick Bergeron II