Book Review - The Autumn Republic by Brian McClellan

The capital has fallen...

Field Marshal Tamas returns to his beloved country to find that for the first time in history, the capital city of Adro lies in the hands of a foreign invader. His son is missing, his allies are indistinguishable from his foes, and reinforcements are several weeks away.

An army divided...

With the Kez still bearing down upon them and without clear leadership, the Adran army has turned against itself. Inspector Adamat is drawn into the very heart of this new mutiny with promises of finding his kidnapped son.

All hope rests with one...

And Taniel Two-shot, hunted by men he once thought his friends, must safeguard the only chance Adro has of getting through this war without being destroyed...

Review - 

The Autumn Republic is the epic conclusion of Brian McClellan's Powder Mage trilogy. And boy, what a conclusion it is! Laced with scintillating action, brutal twists, and an extremely addictive narrative, McClellan has arguably produced his finest work to date with this release. The Autumn Republic opens with the Kez invasion worsening, Adro still under occupation by a foreign army, and Taniel and Tamas still missing and presumed dead. From this starting point The Autumn Republic builds up the tension with every page, as events set up in book two continue to spiral out of control as the situation becomes more dire and dangerous. 

There is so much to love about this book. One of McClellan's greatest strengths has always been his ability to write a fast paced and entertaining story. We saw this in Promise of Blood and The Crimson Campaign, and again it was highlighted in The Autumn Republic. I ripped through this story at such a pace that before I knew it I was finished and feeling like I had just fought ten rounds in a prize fight. Made up of blistering and sprawling battles and insanely action packed moments, The Autumn Republic grabbed hold of me and refused to let go. 

The battle scenes and individual fights in The Autumn Republic are also amongst the best I have ever read. McClellan has a real knack (see what I did there!) for writing cracking and immersive battles, and at times throughout this book I literally felt like I was standing in line with the Grenadiers facing down a cavalry charge or snorting a line of powder to go toe to toe with an opponent. You know a book is good when you stare out of your window and picture the Adran troops facing down a Black Warden charge! 

The character development in this book is also top notch, with McClellan exploring old favourites and new characters in unique and fascinating ways. I loved seeing a different side to Tamas, and I especially adored the growth of Nila and Bo. The insight into how the Privileged live, train, and see the world around them was one of the best parts of this story. Adamat should be mentioned as well, and the twists that plague him as he tries to get to the heart of the mutiny in Adro were also brilliantly written and explored. 

The conclusion to The Autumn Republic was both gut wrenching and moving, and McClellan neatly sews up many different plot threads whilst also leaving some tantalisingly open for the next trilogy (which he has already started!). I was emotionally drained by how things played out, and I will admit to wiping away some tears. My only small criticism would be that I could see what was coming, but that didn't take anything away from how good it was. 

All in all The Autumn Republic is a stunning and epic conclusion to one of the most original and unique trilogies I have ever read. McClellan has gotten better with every book and novella, and I am excited for what the future will bring with his next books. The Powder Mage trilogy takes pride of place on my bookshelves, and I would recommend it to anyone with a beating heart and functional mind. If you haven't read any of McClellan's work yet do yourself a favour and go out and purchase Promise of Blood. You won't be disappointed. 

5 out of 5 stars... and deservedly so! 

smashdragons.blogspot.com.au

A review copy was provided. 

Book Haul

Hey Peeps,

Just a quick post... I've been a lucky boy this week... stacks of new books to read!

Check out my haul...

My sincere thanks to Bloomsbury Australia, Harper Voyager Australia, and Hachette Australia for the opportunity to review The Mime Order, Those Above, and The World of Ice and Fire. I treated myself and purchased Boneshaker, Lexicon, and Karen Memory. I cannot wait to dive in!

I also received galleys of The Devil's Detective by Simon Unsworth, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, and Love in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction by Judd Trichter. 

Exciting reading ahead!

Also, a quick update on Smash Dragon's author interview series. I can announce that we will be featuring Mitchell Hogan, Jo Anderson, Kaaron Warren and Keith Stevenson here on this blog over the coming fortnight. I am also working on getting an interview with Daniel Polansky to discuss his upcoming release Those Above (shown in photo). 

So stay tuned everyone!

Peace

Book Review - The Forever Watch by David Ramirez

An incredibly detailed and layered science fiction thriller, The Forever Watch is unfortunately let down by its execution and pacing. 

Blurb - 

All that remains of humanity is on a thousand-year journey to a new home aboard one ship, the Noah. Unfortunately this ship is also carrying a dangerous serial killer 

All that is left of humanity is on a thousand-year journey to a new planet aboard one ship, The Noah, which is also carrying a dangerous serial killer...

As a City Planner on the Noah, Hana Dempsey is a gifted psychic, economist, hacker and bureaucrat and is considered "mission critical." She is non-replaceable, important, essential, but after serving her mandatory Breeding Duty, the impregnation and birthing that all women are obligated to undergo, her life loses purpose as she privately mourns the child she will never be permitted to know.

When Policeman Leonard Barrens enlists her and her hacking skills in the unofficial investigation of his mentor's violent death, Dempsey finds herself increasingly captivated by both the case and Barrens himself. According to Information Security, the missing man has simply "Retired," nothing unusual. Together they follow the trail left by the mutilated remains. Their investigation takes them through lost dataspaces and deep into the uninhabited regions of the ship, where they discover that the answer may not be as simple as a serial killer after all.

What they do with that answer will determine the fate of all humanity.

Review - 

I was excited to read The Forever Watch. The blurb sounded amazing, and I was looking forward to experiencing a roller coaster ride of science fiction thrills and spills. A serial killer on the hunt... on a world ship with the remnants of humanity... sign me up and take my money. Unfortunately, it just never really reached the heights I thought it would. 

There were many good things to like about The Forever Watch. The world building was simply amazing, with technological elements like implants, and the generational ship Noah, working brilliantly alongside the more dystopian themes like mandatory breeding and a regimented social hierarchy. Ramirez in fact does a wonderful job in building, explaining, and exploring the world he has created in The Forever Watch. I especially adored the psychics and their various roles aboard the Noah, and I was enthralled by their backgrounds and origins. Hana Dempsey and Leonard Barrens were also both fascinating and interesting protagonists with a layered greyness and sterility that I loved. Ultimately however, I felt they were let down by the novel's pacing. 

The Forever Watch starts out at a slow speed, picks up intermittently, and then slows down again. And I hate to say it, but I found getting to the end a struggle during those slow periods. The characters and the plot development were really overwhelmed by the detail Ramirez poured into this world. Unfortunately this was a real shame for me, because the Forever Watch could have been such a wonderful story if the balance between the detail, plot, and pacing had been more equal. 

All in all this novel scores points for its stunning world building and innovation, but is ultimately let down by its denseness and slow pace at times. The good moments were mind blowing and crazy, but they were too few and far between. I was left feeling that The Forever Watch could have been so much more. I think some readers will absolutely adore this book, but in the end it wasn't for me. 

3 out of 5 stars. 

smashdragons.blogspot.com.au

A review copy was provided.

Book Review - The City Stained Red by Sam Sykes

What words even begin to describe Sam Sykes... enigma... charlatan... mystical hobgoblin? I could go on, but thankfully Sykes is also a bloody good writer, and in The City Stained Red he has produced an entertaining and subversive tale that the bards (or reviewers, if your feeling modern today) shall speak of for an age. 

I loved many things about The City Stained Red. As an avid follower of Sykes on twitter (your life is not complete if you haven't chuckled at Sam's wit and charm at least once a day) I looked forward to a cracking and funny tale filled with bloodsport and laughter. And boy was I not disappointed! Laced with gut wrenching humour, scintillating action and subtle observations, The City Stained Red was one of those books that danced across my eyes and made my heart sing. Lenk and his merry band of misfits were brilliant and interesting, and I especially loved how they interacted with each other and the world around them in different and unique ways. The world building was stunning, and the city of Cier'Djaal was brilliantly portrayed in a familiar, yet at times alien way (giant spiders anyone?). And come on people, Sykes has Dragonmen... and Simians... *punches air in awesomeness. 

However The City Stained Red is not just a DnD tale on roids... it's much more then that. Sykes has also managed to weave a fascinating sensitivity and heart into this story, and his examination of well used fantasy tropes makes this book well worth the read. I tore through this book, and before I knew it was over and I was left yearning for the next instalment. 

So basically, I loved The City Stained Red, and I have officially been SYKED. If you have a beating heart and operable brain then this is the book for you! 

4 out of 5 stars. 

smashdragons.blogspot.com.au

Book Piracy

I've been wanting to write something about the issue of book piracy for months now. Ignorance, and a  lack of time, have always stopped me. However, since starting Smash Dragons I have found myself mulling over the issue more and more. It has become common for me to stumble (in my many online searches) across websites offering digital copies of the latest speculative releases. And I won't lie... I have been tempted. 

When websites can offer me a swathe of the latest speculative releases in exchange for nothing but some download quota than naturally my first inclination is to click... and click often! Thankfully, I resisted. But it raised some interesting and pressing questions for me. 

Firstly, is piracy a plague upon authors and the publishing industry? Or is it, as Neil Gaiman and others suggest, a new form of advertising that actually benefits authors? And secondly, is the issue as black and white as many people (politicians and media especially) seem to think it is? 

The pro-piracy movement and their philosophy are not new, they have been around for years. Their position can basically be summarised as follows:

- Book piracy is a free form of advertising... your book gets exposure and it will bring new fans. 

- Your overall sales will increase due to this exposure. 

- Obscurity is a far greater threat than piracy. 

- Smart and successful writers will embrace the digital marketplace and create opportunity from a problem like file sharing.

- It is counterproductive to threaten legal action and sue... this will actually damage your sales. 

- The digital economy operates on the model of the long tail... copying and file sharing are the internet's word of mouth... and word of mouth will increase sales. 

Pitted against this is the anti-piracy movement and their (often moralistic) philosophy: 

- Book piracy is against the law... you are a criminal if you illegally download and/or share books.

- You are hurting the writer financially... every download is potentially lost income. 

- Book piracy is immoral... plain and simple. 

- The publishing industry is on its knees due to book piracy. 

Now there are passionate advocates for both sides of the field. And the battle between them is a fiery one. My initial inclination is to side with the anti-piracy movement. I don't feel comfortable, morally, stealing from an author. As a reader, writer, and blogger I have also come to appreciate just how much time, effort, and creativity goes into producing a story or book. To just steal a book, with no financial kickback to the creator, feels very wrong to me. But this brings me back to my initial question. Am I missing the point? Am I actually doing a disservice to my favourite writers by NOT pirating their work? 

Authors like Gaiman certainly believe piracy boosted their exposure and sales, but can he, and his status as a writer be used as the archetype for all other writers? I don't think so. For Gaiman, who is in that top stratosphere of writers who make a decent amount of money, piracy holds no real threat. He is able to easily shrug off any lost sales initially, and wait for the kickback in exposure and royalties further on. For most authors though this is not an option. Piracy is a direct threat, and every sale counts. Now I am not disagreeing with some of the principle philosophies of the piracy movement. I do believe exposure is incredibly important to authors and their sales. I can also see the value in embracing the digital marketplace in all of its forms, but I also don't believe authors should release their control over their work in order to do this (Gaiman himself seems to concede this point, and now offers free stories and the occasional book on his website for download). 

For a new author, or someone whose sales are fair to middle range, every illegal download represents lost royalties that can impact on their career severely. Some authors will never publish again because of this, and it pains me to think about the many talented writers whose careers have gone by the wayside due the piracy. Suing and closing down pirates is also only an option for authors in that upper echelon of earners. Litigation is expensive. There is a reason why authors and publishers simply don't just go after them. In the long run it just isn't worth it. So whilst piracy probably does benefit some authors in terms of exposure and future sales, I also believe it hurts more than the pro-piracy movement will admit. 

This brings me to my second question. Is the issue as black and white as it is portrayed in the media and by politicians? God no, it is a very grey and murky area! Book piracy is a complicated issue, and unfortunately it doesn't look like it will be solved in the near future. Torrent sites will continue to have new books available for illegal download within hours of their release, and the battle will rage on. On a positive note though writers seem to be getting smarter. They are embracing the digital market more so now than ever before, and are making stories and excerpts available for free download.

My stand against piracy is admittedly a moral one. I make no apologies for that. I personally know some of the authors that I read. They have children to take care of, bills to pay, and everyday financial problems just like you and me. They are not Neil Gaiman, Hugh Howey, or GRRM. They can't just shrug off lost initial sales and hope their is a spike further on from all the file sharing. Most of them need every single cent that their royalties bring just to keep on writing in the future. So you know what, don't be a dick and pirate. Support them by buying their work. Download their work when they offer it for free (and most of them do these days in some shape or form!). And pay their generosity forward by telling your friends about it. 

Peace. 

Note - My thoughts are still evolving in relation to this issue... I would love to hear from all of you about what you think... am very open to a calm and peaceful discussion. 

Book Review - Robogenesis by Daniel H. Wilson

"In its last days, the thinking machine known as Archos R-14 was trying to know humanity. It mastered the art of capturing a human mind. When it died, it left behind the tools. I found stories trapped in patterns of neurons. Using scavenged hardware, I took three accounts straight from three minds and I lined them up from beginning to end and back again. Three times to tell it. Three times to understand. They say history is written by the victors, but this right here is told by its victims. My name is Arayt Shah, and this is the story of how I won the True War."

Daniel H. Wilson stormed onto the scene in 2011 with Roboapocalypse, a tale of the war between humanity and robots. In this followup, entitled Robogenesis (Simon and Schuster, RRP $29.99), we learn that the war is not over, and that Archos-14, the supremely intelligent A. I. who started the war, has in fact survived. Lines of Archos' code exist in caches around the world, and they are starting to wake up. We also discover that an earlier version of Archos, calling itself Arayt Shah, exists. This sets the scene for a titanic conflict not only between robots and humans, but also now new robots, freeborn robots, and the parasitic dead. 

Robogenesis takes us on an epic journey of conflict and intense action. Wilson has again set a cracking pace, and this novel unfurls at a rapid rate as events spiral out of control for all of the players. Divided into three distinct parts, and focusing on the three characters of Lark Iron Cloud, Mathilda Perez, and Cormac Wallace, Wilson explores how the robots start to fight back and how the lines between humanity and the robots has become very blurred and grey. 

Darker and more grim then its predecessor, Robogenesis explodes with intensity whilst also posing the question of what actually does it mean to be human? Humans have started to resemble machines in Robogenesis, and the machines have started to resemble humans. In fact, Wilson's exploration of these blurred lines is one of the highlights of the book. Like in Roboapocalypse, Wilson is again technically very rigorous (as you would expect from someone with a PhD in Robotics) and on point in regards to the different AI's and their functions. 

The battle sequences (and how the robots would behave) were incredibly vivid, fiery and entertaining, and I adored the pervasive sense of hopelessness that oozed from the human protagonists in this book. Their narrative and dialgoue, as they attempt to adapt to the growing threats around them and from within, was brilliantly fascinating. Their backs are literally against the wall, and things are not looking bright for the future. 

Overall Robogenesis is a great read, and Wilson has definitely stepped up his game for this instalment. Robogenesis does feel like a middle book at times, and Wilson obviously has his eyes set on the third book with some of the events set up in this story. However this did not detract from my overall enjoyment, and I would recommend this book for any fan of science fiction or apocalyptic fiction. 

A cracking read! 

4 out of 5 stars.

smashdragons.blogspot.com.au

A review copy was provided.

Interview - Glenda Larke

Hi Everyone,

I am stoked to be able to bring you the latest edition of our interview series with Australian writers. Glenda Larke has been writing for many years now, and she is arguably one of Australia's most talented and witty authors (she has cut yours truly down on twitter before brilliantly! I have a long memory Glenda!). She graciously took time out of her busy schedule to talk about her latest series The Forsaken Lands and other various topics. 

Glenda Larke, welcome to Smash Dragons!

Thank you! Dare I say that the dragon does look a bit smashed?

First up, tell us a bit about yourself and your new fantasy series entitled The Forsaken Lands.

In summary: I was born on a very small farm in Australia, a long, long time ago. Life was good, but I decided the world was too exciting not to explore … I’ve lived and worked on four continents, and now I have returned to retire within 70km of where I was born. In fact, to where we holidayed by the sea when I was a kid.

My first published book was a standalone, Havenstar, in 1999. That was followed by three unconnected trilogies: The Isles of Glory, The Mirage Makers, and The Watergivers (also known as the Stormlord trilogy). I’m working on my thirteenth book at the moment, which will bring my fourth trilogy, The Forsaken Lands, to a close. 

Why did you become a writer? When did you first realise you had a knack for story telling?

I knew when I was about eight, after teachers kept asking me to read out my compositions and I realised that other kids liked to hear the stories I made up. I never wavered in the desire to write books — but, alas, I was not so steadfast in setting about achieving it! Life got in the way for a long while.

Where did the idea for your new series come from? What challenges did you face when writing this new series?

The ideas? 

From history:

The horror that a greed for spices brought to South-east Asia. People still cry on Banda Island today when recounting the horror of what happened to their people in the 17th century; it is seared into their collective memory and re-enacted in their folk dances.

From my own working and travelling life: 

My job involved time spent on many islands of the South China, Sulu and Celebes Seas. I have lived, as a local, longer in South-east Asia than anywhere else. 

I lived in Europe for years (Vienna) and I travelled widely there, exploring museums and old towns, ports and cities. Most of the trilogy actually takes place in what I think of as 18th century England and the Netherlands.

The Challenges?

Bringing big ideas into the novel (colonialism, trade rivalry, clash of cultures, religious wars) yet not allowing those ideas to swamp the intimate story of a small group of people trying to combat the viciousness of the evil that threatens them — all without losing their own humanity.

Did you undertake much research prior to writing this new series?

I always have a stack of books and papers on my desk. In this case, books and articles and DVDs on all of the following: household crafts prior to the industrial revolution; European plants and animals and fish; shipbuilding and ship designs, sailing and voyages of exploration; spice trees, sea battles of sailing ships, life on a sailing ship, 18th century Netherlands, castles, 18th century ports and maps…

I look up things when I need to know them.

You have lived overseas for a significant amount of time in your life. Has this experience helped shape your writing and the direction it has taken?

When you become an immigrant, you need to understand the underpinnings of that society and their culture. You learn to look for clues because you have to learn how to behave all over again. What’s polite in Country A can be bad manners in Country B.

I can’t think of a better grounding in worldbuilding than to live in another culture and climate, amongst people following a different religion and speaking a language not even vaguely related to your own. 

What was your worst experience whilst travelling?

Oh, the time I almost got arrested and deported because I mistook the expiry date of a visa. Long story, but I ended up making not one, but two planes late, and needless to say, missed my flight. Unravelling the result of my stupidity involved the Prime Minister’s Department of an Asean country… 

No, you don’t want to know. And I want to forget.

One of the things I adore about your books is how different they are to most other fantasy stories. Do you think that fantasy writers still rely too much on the same old tropes (knights on horseback for example) and ideals?

Not nowadays, no. There was a time when it seemed to be if you didn’t produce the “norm” of medieval settings, it was hard to get published, but those days have vanished, thank goodness. My agent was trying for eight years to sell Havenstar, Heart of the Mirage and The Aware in the  1990s. No one would buy them. And then, all of a sudden, perhaps because non-standard settings took off, she sold them all, one after the other. 

Nowadays, fantasy settings encompass everything from prehistoric to steampunk to modern urban to dystopia, from Africa to Asia to Europe to …anywhere really.

The fantasy genre is so exciting and challenging now, and the boundaries keep expanding.

Saker is a fascinating character. I especially found the dynamic of being a spy and also a member of the clergy very interesting. Did you draw from historical precedents when devising him?

Well, I’ve always found Mazarin fascinating — he started out as a 17th century diplomat and a papal agent. He was a brave peacemaker (mostly), a gambler, a wise administrator with a genius for thwarting court intrigues, and amazingly moderate and generous considering the times he lived in. He ended up a Cardinal and Chief Minister of France, virtually ruling with Queen Anne because the heir (Louis XIV) was a child …

The Lascar’s Dagger is set in a rich and deeply layered world. Do you draw upon your experience as a conservationist when designing fantasy worlds from the ground up?

Absolutely. Climate, natural disasters, natural resources, food sources, wildlife, humanity — everything fits together like a jigsaw. Working for twenty years in the rainforest taught me so much about how ecosystems interrelate. An excellent grounding for world building!

We both share a passion for bird watching. What has been your best bird watching experience so far?

So many wonderful times in so many different countries! A Blue-footed Booby untying my shoelaces in Galapagos, perhaps? What I’m proudest of though, was following and photographing the nesting of a pair of Malaysian White-bellied Woodpeckers, from courtship through two nesting seasons, including their prolonged warfare with a pair of nest-robbing Dollarbirds. It was the first record of a nest in the country. I also started (with three others) the Malaysian birding group, which is still extant.

What is your worst writing habit?  

Finding other stuff to do when I should be writing! Like birding.

Magic and nature seem to go hand in hand in your books (The Stormlord series springs to mind). Is this a conscious move on your part, or does it just occur naturally in terms of the storytelling?

A very conscious move. Nature is so magical anyway…

When writing are you an architect or a gardener?

Bit of both, but probably more slash and burn than design and construct…

If you were chosen as one of the first individuals to travel to Mars and colonise it what three books would you take and why?

Obviously, the manual titled “How to survive on Mars for Dummies”.

Probably “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” simply because of the amount of quality reading in it and things that can be re-read and still enjoyed. Third choice? The entire “Song of Fire and Ice” eBook, all volumes including the last, because I want to find out what happens…

Tell me about your latest release, The Dagger’s Path. What can readers expect in this book?

The first book stayed mostly in “Europe”. Half of the second, The Dagger’s Path, is set on the other side of the world — and what happens there is going to be the driving force for Book 3, which will take place back in “Europe” again. This middle book clarifies a lot of the mysteries of Book 1 — what Fox is really up to, what the dagger and the feathers really mean, why Saker was granted that particular witchery…

What are you currently working on?

Book 3. As yet unnamed. It will be out early next year.

What do you think about the state of Australian speculative fiction at the moment? Is there anyone we should look out for in 2015? 

We have amazing talent here. We have great small presses, podcasters, editors, writers… Many of the names on the Australian scene are huge internationally as well. Writers represent some of the best of every facet of SF/F/H, shorts and novels, adult and YA. Look at this selection of names, and the wide variety of the huge talent here in this short list: Trudi Canavan. Karen Miller. Juliet Marillier. Garth Nix. Keri Arthur. Jonathan Strahan. Margo Lanagan. Greg Egan. Kaaron Warren. People know these names the world over.

I could go on and on. 

My reading is way behind (I blame writing) so I’m not nearly up-to-date, unfortunately. I would hate to be an Aurealis judge this year.

And finally, will fans be able to see you at any events or conventions in 2015?

Only Swancon, I think. Perth, Western Australia, over Easter, with international guest John Scalzi.

Glenda Larke, thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to talk with Smash Dragons!

My pleasure.


You can find copies of all of Glenda's work at all reputable bookstores and online retailers. I highly recommended checking them out... they are simply unique and beautiful to read!

Until next time peeps, stay nice and keep on reading!