This book is a prime example of an author delving deeply into the history books to create a world full of accurate details and realistic settings but forgetting that his main job is telling an engaging story… It all seemed to flit from one place to another without any real characterisation, while the end was (how else to put it) a bit of a damp squib… It’s a shame, nice ideas, poor execution…

or as it says on the can

Tim’s brand new series to sail the seven seas with. Whilst we have come to know Tim as not only a practical author who has completed challenges to see how accurate the documentation or oral tales of the times are but also on the level of technologies of our ancestors were, we have also come to respect him for his hugely energetic and fast action paced Viking Trilogy adventure.

What I came to expect and hoped for with this new series made it one of my highlights for the second part of this year. Alas I was left feeling a little cheated with the first novel, well that’s not exactly accurate the beginning piece left me feeling cheated whilst the rest of the novel took a while to build up my trust in his talent. Why was this? Well personally I felt that we really didn’t get a chance to know the principle protagonist in much the same way that we did with his other series and as such made it difficult to come to grips with the challenges of his life let alone the agonies to which he was afflicted.

However as Tim Severin – Corsair continued we did get a glimpse of the talent that made me sit up and listen to his earlier fiction and gently brought me back into the type of tale I have come to expect. Whether this first novel was designed to be more of an introduction to his world rather than a full throttle excitement is what we will have to wait to see, yet we know that the next novel in the series will see not only massive challenges for our heroes but also allow the reader to see how each of them will rebuild their lives after the events in the first installment, whether I’d buy this novel before the second part is available I think that I’d probably leave it. This is due to my own chain of thoughts that if the second installment is going to do what I suspect it will, it will make the series a hard to put down necessity. I just hope that this is going to be the case and that Tim will not prove to be a one fiction series author.

Tim Severin – Corsair

Tim Severin – Buccaneer

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David Farland’s “Runelords” fantasy sequence began in 1998 with The Sum of All Men, a career-relaunch novel whose sales far outstripped earlier SF published under his real name Dave Wolverton. Runelords are supermen whose strength, stamina, vision, etc. are multiplied by magical “endowments” transferred from unfortunate donors who are crippled by their loss: the arch-villain is virtually invincible thanks to tens of thousands of endowments. This second book avoids middle-volume doldrums by introducing a vast onslaught of still tougher and memorably unpleasant non-humans which even the villains must oppose. Meanwhile various characters skirmish in different parts of the map, and the hero struggles with unreliable powers conferred on him when he was chosen as Earth King to save the land and humanity–or maybe only a tiny part of each.

Farland maintains a steady flow of new situations, reversals, gambits and surprises…it’s a real shock when one chap who has incurred a dreadful penalty for virtuous reasons is not spared (as expected in the normal chivalry of fantasyland) but pays the full, eye-watering price. One small criticism: the writing contains occasional sloppiness and repetition that a copyeditor should have removed. It’s still a rousing, painfully gripping story. –David Langford

David Farland Brotherhood of the Wolf (Runelords)

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Val McDermid – A Darker Domain

One of the best modern authors again we have to introduce Val McDermid as the author of 22 bestselling novels, translated into 30 languages, selling over 10 million copies, and won many awards internationally. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and has for many of those novels thrilled many of her fans.

BUT anyone can drop one. First the blurb from the book and then my say. —

1984. The National miners’ strike is dividing the country, and in a struggling coal-mining town, the miners and their families are living at the edge of their resources. They have no money, and there is no food or heating. On the 14th of December, five miners break ranks to travel to Nottingham and work. For those who stay behind, this is an unforgivable betrayal, and the men are branded as scabs. 23 years later, a young woman is asking the police to trace her missing father: miner Mick Prentice vanished, never to be seen again, although money has been sent to his family; he was widely considered to be one of the scabs. Soon, D I Karen Pirie and DS Phil Parharta find themselves investigating a forgotten disappearance.

This is the provocative premise of Val McDermid’s latest novel, A Darker Domain, and this utterly compelling book is further proof that McDermid is determined to stretch the parameters of what crime fiction is supposedly capable of. McDermid has always been prepared to freight serious issues into her work, and this novel — which, in many ways, is an examination of the conditions that produced the Britain we live in today — demonstrates the continuing high level of her ambition.

In fact, Karen Pirie, when taking on this new assignment, is already involved in a case of kidnapping that took place 22 years earlier (in which a woman was killed during a bungled handover of money). Journalist Bel Richmond makes a startling discovery concerning the MacLennan kidnapping while on holiday in Tuscany, and as the three protagonists dig deeper into ever-more labyrinthine mysteries, they are to make some remarkable discoveries — discoveries which throw light not just on the crimes involved, but on the whole of British society……

Yes OK Thats true as far as it goes, remember the BUT. in truth the plot is fairly simple and the reader can soon work out a likely ending. Whilst the plot is well laid out and the characters well drawn the ending falls far below the standards we have come to expect. In Val McDermid – A Darker Domain the ending, denouement or whatever is over in about two pages. First it seems the investigation is going nowhere and then BANG its all over goodbye ’till next time. I don’t know. Rarely does such an author make such a cockup.

Still it is well worth buying the paperback as its an interesting and provocative tail. Its only the ending that gets my goat!

Summer is on the way and it will make a good gentle read whilst sunbathing in a hammock or drinking a G and T by the pool.

Philip
P.S. Val McDermid – A Darker Domain is available here

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Andy McNab – Remote Control

Andy McNab:
like me joined the British Army as a boy soldier (except I was Royal Signals and he was Infantry) . Totally unlike me in 1984 he was ‘badged’ as a member of 22 SAS Regiment and was involved in both covert and overt special operations worldwide. During the Gulf War he commanded Bravo Two Zero, a patrol that, in the words of his commanding officer, ‘will remain in regimental history for ever’. Awarded both the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and Military Medal (MM) during his military career, McNab was the British Army’s most highly decorated serving soldier when he finally left the SAS in February 1993. He wrote about his experiences in two phenomenal bestsellers, Bravo Two-Zero: The true story of an SAS Patrol behind enemy lines in Iraq, which was filmed in 1998 starring Sean Bean, and Immediate Action. He is the author of the bestselling novels, Remote Control, Crisis Four, Firewall, Last Light, Liberation Day and Dark Winter. In addition to his writing work, he lectures to security and intelligence agencies in both the USA and UK.

Remote Control

Nick Stone left the Special Air Service soon after the shooting of three IRA terrorists in Gibraltar Now with British Intelligence on deniable operations, he discovers the seemingly senseless murders of a fellow SAS soldier Kev Brown and his family in Washington, DC. Only Kelly, the seven year old daughter of the family has survived, and immediately the two of them are on the run from unidentified pursuers.Stone doesn’t even know which of them is the target.

On his own, Stone stands a chance of escape. But he (reluctantly) needs to protect the girl and together they plunge into a dark world of violence and corruption in which friend cannot be told from foe. As events draw to their blazing and unexpected climax, Stone discovers the shocking truth about governments, terrorism and commerce – and the greed that binds the three together…

Remote Control is a new kind of thriller, gritty, vivid and menacing, with a pace that never lets up. Other thriller-writers talk the talk. Only McNab has walked the walk.

In fact its a gentle tale of skulduggery that I highly recommend for that afternoon with nothing else to-do but relax with beer or glass of wine. It is also the start of the Nick Stone series that McNab uses to show his obvious disdain of the ruling class in the UK.

A good read

Philip
P.S. Remote Control is available here at a discount price.

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In the pipeline —–

Andy McNab – Remote Control

Hard Girls – Martina Cole

Val McDermid – A Darker Domain

Tim Severin – Corsair

and

Tim Severin – Buccaneer

Philip

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Enter the spellbinding world of dragons . . . and those who tend them One of the most gifted fantasy authors writing today, New York Times bestselling author ?? has dazzled readers with brilliantly imaginative, emotionally resonant, and compulsively readable tales set in far-flung realms not unlike our own. In this enthralling new novel, ?? returns to the territory of ?? trilogies with a story of dragons and humans, return and rebirth, and the search for meaning, belonging, and home. For years, the Trader cities valiantly battled their enemies, the Chalcedeans. But they could not have staved off invasion without the powerful dragon Tintaglia. In return, the Traders promised to help her serpents migrate up the Rain Wild River after a long exile at sea-to find a safe haven and, Tintaglia hopes, to restore her species. But too much time has passed, and the newly hatched dragons are damaged and weak, and many die. The few who survive cannot use their wings; earthbound, they are powerless to hunt and vulnerable to human predators willing to kill them for the fabled healing powers of dragon flesh. But Tintaglia has vanished and the Traders are weary of the labor and expense of tending useless dragons. The Trader leadership fears that if it stops providing for the young dragons, the hungry and neglected creatures will rampage-or die along the river’s acidic muddy banks. To avert catastrophe, the dragons decree a move even farther up the treacherous river to Kelsingra, their ancient, mythical homeland whose mysterious location is locked deep within the dragons’ uncertain ancestral memories. To ensure their safe passage, the Traders recruit a disparate group of young people to care for the damaged creatures and escort them to their new home. Among them is Thymara, an unschooled forest girl of sixteen, and Alise, a wealthy Trader’s wife trapped in a loveless marriage, who attaches herself to the expedition as a dragon expert. The two women share a deep kinship with the dragons: Thymara can instinctively communicate with them, and Alise, captivated by their beauty and majesty, has devoted her life to studying them. Embarking on an arduous journey that holds no promise of return, the band of humans and dragons must make their way along the toxic and inhospitable Rain Wild River-an extraordinary odyssey that will teach them lessons about themselves and one another, as they experience hardships, betrayals, and joys beyond their wildest dreams.

Philip – Name in lights for the first correct entry

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Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell

I’m afraid that after Carol Jordan and Tony Hill Sam Fisher is very much an anti climax. I read them one after another witch was probably not the best thing to do.

David Michaels – PLEASE NOTE NOT TOM CLANCY – has done a fair job. The story is set in our here and now, immersed in the politics and wars and conflicts that are currently being waged in the middle east and this gives the story and immediacy and reality that I wasn’t expecting for a fictional hero. The Splinter Cell game is played in the third person, but Michaels has presented Sam Fisher in the first person. We learn of Fisher’s views on politics, war, women and the people he works with, and it gives us a much more rounded picture of Sam Fisher. This is an engrossing story, thoroughly researched and, surprisingly, educational, with Michaels highlighting, through Sam’s thoughts, the different cultures and histories of the middle east.

Sadly, it does disappoint if you are expecting this to be in the same style as real Tom Clancy novels. It seems to rely on the fact it has ‘Tom Clancy‘ written in big lettering to make you assume the book is written by Tom Clancy when it is not! The whole marketing issue relies on you not noticing the (‘s) after Tom Clancy.

I suppose what you want to hear is does it work. Well if you are a David Michaels yes, if a Tom Clancy fan NO.
Sorry David I have to vote NO. An enjoyable read but not what I expected.

Philip
P.S. Tom Clancy gets my vote in fact I think I’ll re read a few.

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First it has to be said that Val McDermid is the author of 22 bestselling novels, translated into 30 languages, selling over 10 million copies, and won many awards internationally. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and has for many of those novels thrilled many of her fans.

The Fever of the Bone is the latest and to my mind one of her best. I read it in one sitting or should I say sitting and laying as I read late into the night completely enthralled.

The Reviews – ‘So gripping that it puts your life on hold’ The Times ‘She is the real mistress of psychological gripping thrillers; no-one can plot or tell a story like she can. The hairs on my neck literally stood up’ Jenni Murray, Daily Express ‘McDermid’ remains unrivalled at yoking chilling scenarios to a pulsing narrative; and Hill’s torment is palpable in this scary, dark thriller. Brilliant’ Observer ‘Everything a great detective novel should be: pacy, gripping, clever and stylish and, most of all, a fantastic read’ Sunday Express ‘Another cracker in the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series from the most imaginative creator of serial killers we have’ Daily Mail ‘Gripping, well-written, nail-biting stuff’ Waterstone’s Books Quarterly ‘One of our finest crime writers’ The Times ‘A moving novel, not just a gripping one’ Financial Times ‘As good a psychological thriller as it is possible to get’ Sunday Express ‘McDermid’s’ mastery of this genre is evident, particularly in her dialogue, in which there is rarely a false note’ TLS ‘McDermid’s’ books are getting better and better…an absorbing novel of character’ Literary Review ‘…reminds us just how finely plotted and intelligently written McDermid’s novels are. More please – and soon’ Irish Times – - Do not begin to tell half of the story.

The Cases being investigated by DCI Carol Jordan and her elite investigation unit in The Fever of the Bone
- despite the obstacles put in her way by a replacement Chief Constable who wants to remove Tony Hill from the Bradfield police force. Soon however their talents are called upon in the case of a serial killer case who after much preparation and grooming of young teenagers on an Internet site, has just started to gather his victims and murder them, his motives as always with McDermid a complete mystery. With Tony Hill having to concentrate on his tortured personal life Carol Jordan and her team of fanatical specialists are even more more creative than ever.

McDermid’s writing makes this compelling reading. Added to all that, you have the lives of the officers, specialists and profilers. This wide cast of characters and what turns out to be a different serial killer angle are all brought together by McDermid with apparent effortless ease. The investigators may be frustratingly slower than the reader to make the connections and work out the identity of the killer, but that only adds to the tension in a terrific crime novel.

Val McDermid – The Fever of the Bone

Philip
P.S. Don’t think about it. Its BRILLIANT. BUY The Fever of the Bone NOW
P.P.S
For Tony and Carol Fans…… Wait for the very last page …… It may be what you have been waiting for… Or it may not??

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Val McDermid – Fever of the Bone
The Fever of the Bone

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell

and I hope at least one other. Get your comments in there is going to be a prize for the most/most useful comments!

For those of you with websites to advertize we will be looking at that shortly. At the same time we will probably be looking at monetization a subject usually ignored as too much trouble. BUT. Every Dollar Pound Euro Yen can go towards your site costs.

Philip
P.S. Don’t forget if you have any articles to publish is looking for articles

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I just looked and Four Days have gone by. I still have not fought my way or should I say waded my way thru Ian M Banks and Matter. Its no good I give up. Perhaps I can return to it if I am ever stuck in a Hospital bed or forced to sit in front of “Soaps” on TV. Both The Player of Games (The Culture) and Consider Phlebas (The Culture) are on order. I hope to report back on these later.

I moved on to something a little simpler and I rather thought I would hate it. Much to my surprise after Matter I quite enjoyed the quiet fun and games of Sookie Stackhouse and her local vampires. Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 1)is a simple silly tale for a quiet couple of hours on the beach. Here’s a mention from someone else.

With some editorial alterations so basically from – Susan Shedd (South Woodbury, VT USA) @ Amazon..com
I am a big Charlaine Harris fan and only mildly interested in vampires. But the combination of a an uncontrollably mind-reading heroine, newly legal vampires, a serial killer, a shape-shifter — how could I resist? I find I don’t want to say much at all about the plot, as it’s too easy to give away some really exciting twists. It’s fair to say that the story postulates vampires as a newly-emerged legal minority (word is they’ve been victimized by superstition, when really the poor people have been subjected to a terrible virus) with attendant vampire-philics and phobics roiling the waters of cultural change. In Dead Until Dark Vampires can now subsist on artificial blood, so they don’t have to be a danger to anyone. Harris has thought through vampire culture and the interaction of that culture with “normal” society to great effect — the book would be fun to read just for that .

I have to admit, though, that nothing about the vampires interested me as much as the main character, Sookie. If you think you want to be able to know what other people are thinking, the limitations of Sookie’s life will make you think again. She’s brave, brilliant and decent and watching her (and her (Boring .. ed) sex life) develop is a true joy.

Meanwhile, Dead Until Dark is tightly and extravagantly plotted and the psychological effects are fascinating and disturbing, absolutely gripping. Read it over a weekend or on vacation so you won’t have to put it down — you’ll just have to know what happens next!

Harris has set this up to continue as a series, and if she can continue this level of quality, people will be lining up for each new book.

I can’t agree with everything there but, I’m male! Dead Until Dark is still a good read and I for one will be hoping someone is going to send me the rest of the series.

Philip
P.S. English readers can get it here — Dead Until Dark: A True Blood Novel

American readers here — Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 1)

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