"Equations of Life" by Simon Morden (Reviewed by Liviu Suciu)

Official Simon Morden Website

Order Equations of Life HERE

Read the Author's Stories that Precede and Set-up the Novel (pdf)

INTRODUCTION: I have vaguely heard of Simon Morden, mostly through his - informative, polite and avoiding the self-important smugness of others there - comments on Torque Control and possibly other related sites, so I was partly intrigued when his Samuil Petrovitch trilogy - Equations of Life, Theories of Flight (check the blurb at your peril since it is quite spoiler-ish for Equations of Life), Degrees of Freedom was announced from Orbit to be published in consecutive month releases, March-June 2011.

To be honest, the blurb below sounded like a try at reviving the dated and almost dead cyberpunk of the 90's, so it was only of middling interest, but I really liked the way Mr. Morden expressed himself in those comments and Equations of Life became a higher priority for me than it would have otherwise been.

"Samuil Petrovitch is a survivor. He survived the nuclear fallout in St. Petersburg and hid in the London Metrozone - the last city in England. He's lived this long because he's a man of rules and logic. For example, getting involved = a bad idea.

But when he stumbles into a kidnapping in progress, he acts without even thinking. Before he can stop himself, he's saved the daughter of the most dangerous man in London. And clearly saving the girl = getting involved. Now, the equation of Petrovitch's life is looking increasingly complex. Russian mobsters + Yakuza + something called the New Machine Jihad = one dead Petrovitch. But Petrovitch has a plan - he always has a plan - he's just not sure it's a good one."

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Equations of Life took me by surprise and I found myself staying way, way too late to finish it in one sitting, so absorbing it was. On the surface the combination of standard cyberpunk/post-apocalyptic stuff seems both done to death and already dated, but this book just grabs one from the first page and never lets go and this is due to the style of the author and to the superb characters he creates:

Petrovitch first and foremost, a young almost-genius physicist, radiation scarred and with a weak heart that may kill him at any sustained effort, but the whole cast which contains Inspector Chain, the detective that investigates the attempted kidnapping mentioned above and related stuff, Sonja, the girl in the blurb, Madeleine, a big and strong young nun/bodyguard, member of a military Catholic order that has license to go armed and protect priests and churches from attacks, Sorenson, a dodgy American businessman and technologist, Oshicora, a very wealthy businessman/gangster/read the book to find out what more, who is an ultra-traditionalist Japanese trying to recreate at least virtually the now sunken under the waves Japan, while Sonja is his daughter with his English wife who is presumed dead in the disaster, his various minions,all Japanese survivors too, rival gangster Marchenko, a Stalin worshiper and gangster boss far-second to Oshicora in influence, who orders the kidnapping and provides lots of comic relief with his minions, Epiphany (Pif) Ekanobi, Petrovitch's fellow true genius scientist on the verge of proving a GUT and many more: assorted gangs, cafe owners, the priest protected by Madeleine...

Set in the 2020's in a future alt-hist diverging from ours in 2002 or so with Armageddon coming around that time - more about it is in the stories available free online - in the London Metrozone which is essentially the main governable part of England at the time, Equations of Life reads like a combination of JC Grimwood superb cyberpunk alt-history series (RedRobe, Remix...) with a dash of PF Hamilton Mandel series - this last one less in setting or tech, but more in general "feel".

So you will find a fast, furious novel with frantic action from the first page. While at first Petrovitch seems an innocuous character, a Russian student sponsored by a wealthy foundation who happens to have a somewhat shady past - though in the crazy world after Armageddon most people have something to hide - that makes him want to keep away from official attention, the author slowly reveals an unexpected depth, including the quite good reason that made Petrovitch take Sonja's hand and run with her when the kidnappers bungled the first attempt.

And from here the storyline is set since Petrovitch's options narrow quickly if he wants to survive the high stakes business he got entangled in and when some strange and seemingly unrelated disasters start affecting the Metrozone, his future looks even bleaker. But he has a plan and when that plan does not quite work the way he expected, he has another...

If there is a negative about Equations of Life (A/A+) is that despite that I enjoyed it a lot for its panache, I still cannot shake the feeling that I would have enjoyed it even more some fifteen years ago since sf moved from there. I plan to read Theories of Flight and Degrees of Freedom soon and review them together in a couple of months and while the trajectory of the second volume seems set from the ending of this one, already in the 50 odd pages I read there are some surprises that I hope will take the series beyond mundane into more interesting sf, so I will reserve a full evaluation until then. I truly hope the series will transcend its limited sub-genre since I really enjoyed the author's style and Petrovitch is just a great character, but three same cyberpunk novels are a little too much for me.

“Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy 2” edited by William Schafer (Reviewed by Robert Thompson)

Official Subterranean Press Website
Order “Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy 2” HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Review of “Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy”

EDITOR INFORMATION: William K. Schafer is the head editor at Subterranean Press, which was founded in 1995. Schafer’s bibliography includes Embrace the Mutation: Fiction Inspired by the Art of J.K. Potter and the first Tales of Dark Fantasy anthology.

ABOUT SUBTERRANEAN: TALES OF DARK FANTASY 2: Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy—published in 2008 to widespread critical and popular acclaim—provided a unique showcase for some of our finest practitioners of dark, disturbing fiction. This much anticipated second volume more than meets the standards set by its predecessor, offering a diverse assortment of stories guaranteed to delight, unsettle, and enthrall. Volume two proper is a full 20,000 words longer than the first installment in the series.

This stellar collection leads off with Joe Hill’s dazzling “Wolverton Station,” in which a predatory businessman travels to England, and to a primal confrontation he could never have imagined. Elsewhere, a number of contributors revisit familiar, well-established themes and settings. Glen Cook’s “Smelling Danger” gives us a brand new chapter in the long-running annals of The Black Company. “The Passion of Mother Vajpai” is a story of exotic—and erotic—initiation set against the backdrop of Jay Lake’s novel, Green. Kelley Armstrong reenters the Otherworld with “Chivalrous,” the account of a devious—and long-delayed—act of revenge.

And there’s more, much more, including a hallucinatory portrait of guilt, angst, and drug-fueled violence by Caitlin R. Kiernan, and an affecting reflection on love, death, and acceptance by Steven R. Boyett. These stories, together with first-rate work by the likes of K. J. Parker and Norman Partridge, offer provocative, sometimes visceral entertainment. As this rich, rewarding volume amply demonstrates, the tale of dark fantasy is alive and thriving, and continues to develop in new—and unexpected—ways...

FORMAT/INFO: Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy 2 is 292 pages long divided over eleven stories by eleven different authors. Publication date is April 2011 via Subterranean Press with the anthology available as a fully cloth bound Hardcover trade edition and a Signed leatherbound/custom slipcased edition limited to 250 numbered copies. The limited edition will also feature exclusive full color art not available in the trade edition and a chapbook by Joe R. Lansdale which includes two original short stories (over 15,000 words): “The Case of the Lighthouse Shambler” and “The Case of the Stalking Shadow”. The tales mark the beginning of a new series featuring supernatural sleuth Dana Roberts. Cover art is once again provided by Dave McKean.

ANALYSIS: As far as anthologies go, Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy may have fallen on the short end of the spectrum with only eleven entries—and not all of them of the same quality—but for the most part, the book offered readers a diverse and rewarding selection of stories penned by an impressive mix of established authors and exciting new talent. Looking to improve upon the successful formula that was established in the first anthology, Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy 2 is certainly longer than its predecessor, featuring an additional 20,000 words of content despite containing the same number of stories, but is it any better?

1) “Wolverton Station” by Joe Hill. What better way to start off an anthology that explores the darker side of fiction than a story by the critically-acclaimed, award-winning author Joe Hill? Or at least that’s what I thought upon opening the book. Unfortunately, while “Wolverton Station” is written with the author’s usual skill and keen insight, the story itself—a Twilight Zone-like tale about an American businessman specializing in franchise expansion who one day finds himself on a train with passengers that are anthropomorphic wolves/werewolves—was a letdown. In fact, “Wolverton Station” is one of the weakest Joe Hill short stories I’ve read, and a disappointing start to the anthology.

2) “The Passion of Mother Vajpai” by Jay Lake and Shannon Page. “Wolverton Station” may have been a disappointment, but “The Passion of Mother Vajpai” certainly made up for it. Set in the same world as Jay Lake’s fantasy novel, Green, “The Passion of Mother Vajpai” is the story of an aspirant who is only a test away from becoming a Lily Blade. Normally, the Seventh Petal involves killing someone, but in this particular case, the aspirant must attend a banquet and deliver a message to the master of the house. Of course the test is not nearly as simple as it sounds, and what follows is a passionate and poignant tale of seduction, love and regret. Now I haven’t read Green yet, but after reading “The Passion of Mother Vajpai”, I definitely want to. As far as Shannon Page, I’ve never heard of the author before, but if she’s even half as talented as Jay Lake, then I need to become more acquainted with her work.

3) “Chivalrous” by Kelley Armstrong. For every anthology I’ve read that included Kelley Armstrong, her contribution always ended up being one of the better stories in the book. This is also true with “Chivalrous”, an Otherworld story about a werewolf just trying to live a normal life, who then becomes involved in a romantic relationship that leads to heartbreak, tragedy, and revenge. Admittedly, “Chivalrous” is a familiar tale with a twist that is fairly easy to predict, but the writing and execution is sharp with the short story serving as yet another reminder that I should be reading more of Kelley Armstrong’s books...

4) “Smelling Danger” by Glen Cook. “Smelling Danger” is basically a sequel to “Tides Elba”, which can be found in the Swords & Dark Magic anthology by Lou Anders and Jonathan Strahan. Like “Tides Elba”, “Smelling Danger” is short on action and heavy on dialogue, banter and things not being what they seem, with the actual plot covering matters that were left unresolved in “Tides Elba” including the mysterious disappearance of the sorcerers One-Eye and Goblin, and incriminating evidence against the Taken Limper. As a fan of the series, I enjoyed the short story even though it’s not one of Glen Cook’s stronger efforts, but for readers unfamiliar with The Black Company, “Smelling Danger” is not a good place to start...

5) “The Dappled Thing” by William Browning Spencer. When was the last time you could say you read a story that channeled H.G. Wells, Rudyard Kipling and H.P. Lovecraft all at the same time? Well that’s exactly what readers can expect with William Browning Spencer’s “The Dappled Thing”, an elegantly written story—“a palpable evil, a malevolent spirit, had settled in his mind with the authority of truth, bringing with it a suffocating terror, a need to run, to flee, but robbing him of volition”—about an aged explorer sent on a mission to rescue a lord’s daughter, the mechanical sphere with tentacles that Sir Bertram Rudge uses for transportation, and a nameless horror that haunts the jungle natives...

6) “Not Last Night But the Night Before” by Steven R. Boyett. Michael can see people’s deaths. Not dead people. Not when a person is going to die or how, but their deaths, which is kind of like a diminished reflection or shadow of a person that is always hanging around, even though it may be entertaining itself by reading the newspaper or watching teevee. Why Michael has this ability isn’t important. What’s important is what happens to Michael after he starts seeing people’s deaths. After he watches someone die and learns the reason his death is always following him. And after he meets Hayley, a nurse who can also see people’s deaths. The end result is a uniquely touching and contemplative examination on life and death...

7) “Hydraguros” by Caitlin R. Kiernan. I love reading Caitlin R. Kiernan’s fiction, I really do, but sadly, “Hydraguros” was one of the author’s weaker offerings. At first I was intrigued by the mystery about the silver liquid and the gritty, hard-boiled narrative—“Nothing pisses me off worse or quicker than some bastard spinning off the rails, running around with that first-person shooter mentality that, more often than not, turns a simple, straight-up hit into a bloodbath. And that is precisely the brand of unnecessary crimson pageantry that me and Joey the Kike have just spent the last three hours mopping up.” But then there was the dream and the obvious reason behind it and the story’s sudden ending, which quickly turned my interest into disappointment...

8) “The Parthenopean Scalpel” by Bruce Sterling. Best known as a co-founder of cyberpunk, Bruce Sterling’s inclusion in Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy 2 was a bit surprising. Even more surprising was the story he contributed, about an Italian terrorist called “the Scalpel” who takes refuge in Tuscany after a political assassination, where he falls in love with a two-headed woman and crosses paths with an enemy he calls “the Transylvanian”. Sounds interesting, right? Unfortunately, there are so many different ingredients stirring in the pot that I had a hard time figuring out what “The Parthenopean Scalpel” was supposed to be: a love story, a historical fiction set during the First Italian Independence War in 1848, a vampire tale? If Sterling had done more to flesh out the story’s many different elements, then perhaps “The Parthenopean Scalpel” could have been something really special. Instead, “The Parthenopean Scalpel” is a disjointed and ultimately unsatisfying reading experience.

9) “A Pulp Called Joe” by David Prill. You’ve heard this story before. Boy falls for girl who is out of his league, but still thinks he has a chance. But then the old boyfriend—“Mr. Perfect” in every way imaginable—shows up and complicates matters. What happens next is inevitable right? Perhaps in a romance film. Except, “A Pulp Called Joe” is no ordinary tale of romance. Instead, David Prill’s story takes place in a town where the people’s skin has turned into paper. Where the boy of this story is a lowly pulp with untrimmed edges and mildew growing behind his ears while the girl of his dreams, Penelope, is a vellum: “She looked like a supple limited edition, flawless vellum with printed silk panels. I blushed when my eyes drifted down to her peach endpapers.” So even though the plot and themes in “A Pulp Called Joe” are familiar ones, the unique setting transforms an otherwise ordinary story into something extraordinary...

10) “Vampire Lake” by Norman Partridge. One complaint I had about the first Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy was the anthology’s lack of horror. As a result, I was pleased to see Norman Partridge’s inclusion in the new volume. After all, the author is considered a master of dark fiction, and after reading “Vampire Lake”, it’s easy to see why. Combining horror and fantasy within a gritty Western setting—think Jonah Hex meets Preacher meets John Carpenter— Norman Partridge’s unapologetically dark, violent and bloody tale about a bounty killer, a blacksmith, a dynamite man, a preacher and a boy who possesses the second sight, and their suicidal quest to reach Vampire Lake and the vampire queen that resides there, is wickedly entertaining. Easily my favorite story in the anthology.

11) “A Room With a View” by K.J. Parker. Despite repeated efforts, K.J. Parker’s novels have never managed to maintain my interest. The author’s short fiction on the other hand, have been a joy to read and “A Room With a View” is no exception. The story itself concerns an underachieving wizard sent on a menial job inspecting dogs for demonic possession and mentoring a student, only to become involved in matters much more personal and tragic than he ever suspected. “A Room With a View” is probably not the story I would have chosen to conclude the anthology, but it’s a fun read nonetheless, thanks mostly to the story’s humor, imagination and deception...

CONCLUSION: So is Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy 2 any better than its predecessor? Well, that depends. The anthology is certainly more consistent in quality from beginning to end, with no stories that are only three pages long, or that were noticeably weaker than the others, or were not faithful to the novel’s theme. On the contrary, every single story in the anthology is well crafted and skillfully written, brings something different to the table, and is rewarding in its own unique way. So in that regard, Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy 2 does indeed show improvement over the first anthology.

On the other hand, there is not a single story in the anthology that I would consider a ‘must-read’, except maybe for Norman Partridge’s “Vampire Lake”, while accomplished authors like Joe Hill, Glen Cook and Caitlin R. Kiernan fail to bring their ‘A’ game. Furthermore, I still believe the anthology could have benefited from a few additional stories. There are certainly plenty of authors out there who fit the bill after all, including Clive Barker, Laird Barron, Alan Campbell, Ramsey Campbell, Mike Carey, Steven Erikson, Neil Gaiman, Christopher Golden, Brian Keene, Sarah Langan, Tim Lebbon, China Miéville, Ekaterina Sedia, Catherynne M. Valente, Jeff VanderMeer and Conrad Williams just to name a few.

Regardless of these issues, Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy 2 maintains the diversity, creativeness and quality of the first volume, while showing enough improvement to easily justify a third Tales of Dark Fantasy. In the end, highly recommended for fans of the first anthology and anyone willing to explore the darker side of fiction...

The Locus Poll 2011 - April 15 Deadline Close + My Votes (by Liviu Suciu)

Since the April 15 deadline is fast closing, I urge you to spend 15 minutes and vote in the Locus Poll HERE since it offers a great chance of being heard. As usual, it does not matter how much you have read in any category, just vote wherever you feel you have applicable choices.

I will present below my votes in the original form submitted by me with some comments; for best novel I essentially followed my Top 25 List HERE with some minor tweaks. To avoid confusion due to the format mixing from the Locus recommended list vs write-ins, I will first list the order of my votes in most places.

*****************************************************************
SF: Banks/Valtat/Asher/Weber/Hamilton

sfnvl:Iain M. Banks, Surface Detail, Orbit: 1 FBC Rv HERE

sfnvl:WriteIn1Rank: 2

sfnvl:WriteIn1: Aurorarama, Jean Christophe Valtat, Melville House FBC Rv HERE

sfnvl:WriteIn2Rank: 3

sfnvl:WriteIn2: The Technician, Neal Asher, Pan-Macmillan FBC Rv HERE

sfnvl:WriteIn3Rank: 4

sfnvl:WriteIn3: A Mighty Fortress, David Weber, Tor FBC Rv HERE

sfnvl:WriteIn4Rank: 5

sfnvl:WriteIn4: The Evolutionary Void, Peter Hamilton, Pan-Macmillan Goodreads Rv HERE

*****************************************************************

Fantasy: Parker/Tchaikovsky/Weeks/Sullivan/Elliott

fnvl:K.J. Parker, The Folding Knife, Orbit: 1 FBC Rv HERE

fnvl:WriteIn1Rank: 2

fnvl:WriteIn1: The Scarab Path, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Pan Macmillan FBC Rv HERE

fnvl:WriteIn2Rank: 3

fnvl:WriteIn2: The Black Prism, Brent Weeks, Orbit FBC Rv HERE

fnvl:WriteIn3Rank: 4

fnvl:WriteIn3: Wintertide, Michael Sullivan, Ridan Publishing FBC Rv HERE

fnvl:WriteIn4Rank: 5

fnvl:WriteIn4: Cold Magic, Kate Eliott, Orbit FBC Rv HERE

*****************************************************************

YA: Bell/Deas/Matthias

yabk:WriteIn1Rank: 1

yabk:WriteIn1: Lex Trent Versus The Gods, Alex Bell, Headline FBC Rv HERE

yabk:WriteIn2Rank: 2

yabk:WriteIn2: The Thief Taker's Apprentice, Stephen Deas, Gollancz FBC Rv HERE

yabk:WriteIn3Rank: 3

yabk:WriteIn3: The Royal Dragoneers, MR Mathias, Amazon Digital FBC Rv HERE

*****************************************************************

Debut: Valtat/Huso/Tregilis/Bernobich/Jemisin

1stnvl:Anthony Huso, The Last Page, Tor: 2 FBC Rv HERE

1stnvl:N.K. Jemisin, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, Orbit: 5 FBC Rv HERE

1stnvl:WriteIn1Rank: 1

1stnvl:WriteIn1: Aurorarama, Jean Christophe Valtat, Melville House FBC Rv HERE

1stnvl:WriteIn2Rank: 3

1stnvl:WriteIn2: Bitter Seeds, Ian Tregilis, Tor FBC Rv HERE

1stnvl:WriteIn3Rank: 4

1stnvl:WriteIn3: Passion Play, Beth Bernobich, Tor FBC Rv HERE

*****************************************************************

Collections: Bernobich/Smith/Davidson

cln:WriteIn1Rank: 1

cln:WriteIn1: A Handful of Pearls, Beth Bernobich, Lethe FBC Rv HERE

cln:WriteIn2Rank: 2

cln:WriteIn2: Chimerascope, Douglas Smith, ChiZine FBC Rv HERE

cln:WriteIn3Rank: 3

cln:WriteIn3: The Library of Forgotten Books, Rjurik Davidson PS FBC Rv HERE

*****************************************************************

Anthologies: Strahan & Anders/ St. Denis/de Vries

anth:Jonathan Strahan & Lou Anders, eds., Swords & Dark Magic: 1

anth:WriteIn1Rank: 2

anth:WriteIn1: Speculative Horizons, Patrick St. Denis ed, Subterranean FBC Rv HERE

anth:WriteIn2Rank: 3

anth:WriteIn2: Shine, Jetse de Vries ed, Solaris, FBC Rv HERE

This last one was uneven, but the idea was great so it's worth a mention.

*****************************************************************

nf-art:Cathy & Arnie Fenner, eds., Spectrum 17: 1

*****************************************************************

Novellas: Reynolds/Chiang

nva:Ted Chiang, The Lifecycle of Software Objects: 2

nva:Alastair Reynolds, Troika: 1

*****************************************************************

Novellettes: Parker/Parker/Lynch

nvt:Scott Lynch, In the Stacks: 3

nvt:K.J. Parker, Amor Vincit Omnia: 2 FBC Rv HERE

nvt:K.J. Parker, A Rich Full Week: 1 FBC Rv HERE

*****************************************************************

The only magazine I follow consistently today is Subterranean Online which is just awesome.

mag:Subterranean: 1

*****************************************************************

Publishers: Orbit/Pan-Macmillan/Baen/Pyr/Tor

Here there are some major differences from last year - if you look at the lists of novels above, you will see them headed by Orbit books in both fantasy and sf with several more Orbit books listed, while Pan Macmillan (aka Tor.uk) is having a huge presence too, so the choices for #1/#2 are obvious.

Baen has been a perennial favorite for almost 20 years now and Pyr has become the same in the not so many years it's been around, so these two will always be on my lists for overall output, while in 2010 Tor put out some excellent books too, so it got the last spot.

To my surprise Gollancz had a string of disappointing (high expectations) books for me in 2010, so it dropped from #1 to out of the list for 2010.

pub:Baen: 3

pub:Orbit: 1

pub:Pyr: 4

pub:Tor: 5

pub:WriteIn1Rank: 2

pub:WriteIn1: Pan Macmillan - aka Tor.uk

*****************************************************************

Editor: Anders/Weisskopf/Pillai/Schafer/Crowther

Here the list is generally the same as always when limiting myself to imprint/novel editors - sadly this past year I read much less short fiction than usual so while I have the deepest respect for the top short fiction editors like Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan, I will limit myself as noted.

For his all around work in promoting sff and building a quality imprint Lou Anders is the best editor of today imho. For keeping Baen at the same high level as under the late Jim Baen, Tony Weisskopf is number two, while from Orbit the only editor I heard of is Devi Pillai so she gets the next spot from me. For the last two spots, the quality of work that Subterranean and PS put out speaks for my choices.

ed:Lou Anders: 1

ed:Peter Crowther: 5

ed:William Schafer: 4

ed:Toni Weisskopf: 2

ed:WriteIn1Rank: 3

ed:WriteIn1: Devi Pillai

*****************************************************************

Artist: Martiniere/Picacio/Royo/Vallejo

Here I would have had a #1 tie for all if possible since the quality of the sff art I've seen from these artists is superb.

artist:Stephan Martiniere: 1

artist:John Picacio: 2

artist:Luis Royo: 4

artist:Boris Vallejo: 3

"Spiral" by Paul McEuen (Reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)

Official Author Website

Order “Spiral” HERE

Read An Interview with the Author HERE

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Paul McEuen is a Physics professor at Cornell University, He has completed his BS degree from U. of Oklahoma, then got his doctorate in Applied Physics from Yale, and did his post doctorate research from MIT. He has received numerous awards for his research, including the Agilent Technologies Europhysics Prize, a Packard Fellowship, and a Presidential Young Investigator Award. He lives with his wife and five dogs in Ithaca, New York, this is his debut. The movie rights to Spiral have also been optioned.

CLASSIFICATION: This book is a techno-thriller in the vein of books by Michael Crichton, James Rollins and Douglas Preston. Spiral manages to give the readers a tale based on the premise of a relatively unknown fact from World War II.

FORMAT/INFO: Spiral is a thriller with a standalone plot. It is 312 pages long divided over a Prologue, an Epilogue, and fifty-four chapters which are spread over six sections designated in days. Narration is in the third person via Liam Connor, Hitoshi Kitano, Jake Sterling, Maggie Connor, Lawrence Dunne and Orchid the assassin. March 22, 2011 marked the North American hardcover and e-book publication of Spiral via Dial Press, an imprint of Random House.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Over the last few years I haven’t had much success in reading anything interesting in the techno–thriller genre. When I came across the blurb for the new techno-thrill novel Spiral, I was curious to see how this book would fare with the author’s credentials and the plot’s slightly unique background involving Unit 731 of Japan during World War II.

Spiral begins in March of 1946 near the Pacific Ocean, when Liam Connor is newly inducted into the American troops. He is on a ship which houses a Japanese detainee, a kamikaze soldier by the name of Hitoshi Kitano. Liam is asked to find out a secret this detainee might have. Liam is quickly able to extract the secret from Hitoshi and continues on in an effort to make sure the plans Hitoshi had; do not fall into place.

The book then advances by sixty-four years. Liam Connor is now a professor at the respected Cornell University where he has shared stage with the great minds of the 20th century like Watson, Crick and Einstein. He also loves to spend time with his grand-daughter Maggie and his great grandson Dylan both of whom share a decent amount of his fascination with Fungi. Jake Sterling is his protégé of sorts and a research collaborator; he works as a professor of nanoscience and is also an army veteran. His collaboration with Liam Connor has resulted in a sophisticated form of nanorobots called crawlers and it is these very crawlers which form one of the two main cornerstones of the plot.

The actual plot starts with Liam Connor working alone in the laboratory as per his usual work habits. However on this particular day things are different as there is someone else waiting in the lab wanting to have a private chat with Liam. Orchid takes Liam prisoner and inquires about his participation in the events that occurred during the prologue. She relentlessly tortures him while he refuses to indulge any specific details. Orchid then causes Liam Connor’s death while trying to extract the secret behind the events in the prologue. Before his death, he however does manage to leave clues for Maggie and Jake to figure out the reason he died and whatever Orchid is searching for.

Orchid goes forward with another part of her plan which is to get to Hitoshi Kitano and to make him atone for his World War II crimes. The secret that surrounds the majority of the novel, also comes into prominence, as Lawrence Dunne, the presidential advisor also wishes to get his hands on it and perhaps rid himself of Hitoshi Kitano with whom he shares an acquaintance.

The tale constantly switches the POVs as we get to see all the sides struggling and jockeying to clear the web behind Liam’s words and find out where and what is the secret.

The prose is very smooth for a debut author as the reader is exposed to some new concepts and intriguing historical detail. The technology and historical facts mentioned in Spiral have not been used in recent fiction novels and readers who might be jaded with the same “hidden treasure/bloodline/secret identity” plots will find a new and interesting element brought to this genre. The author has to be commended for integrating fascinating scientific aspects (eg. nanoscience, fungi) in with the book’s plot and keeping it simplistic enough for readers to wade their way through it. There are various factoids inserted in the prose to surprise the reader from time to time and I enjoyed reading them.

The book is fast paced with the opening pages detailing the background of the main characters and the death which kick-starts the main plot. The readers will constantly feel the need to keep on turning the pages to see what happens next as the author keeps on upping the tension for the characters on a individual character level as well as group level.

As with almost every thriller there is a bit of a predictability factor that is present in this genre and Spiral does not differentiate itself from that predictable nature. The plot first unveils the secret and then there’s a quest to get it. This plot structure is time-honoured and a vital component of this sub-genre and it is present in this novel as well. The author does well to mark himself from his luminous predecessors in this part by not making the tale overtly predictable. There are a couple of plot twists which would difficult for new readers to the genre to anticipate but the most experienced readers will probably be able to figure them out.

CONCLUSION: A good debut by professor Paul McEuen who showcases some deft writing skills along with a cool plot to give us a smooth techno-thriller for jaded fans of this sub-genre. If you are interested in learning a bit more about World War II Japanese tactics and the future worries of nanorobots then this is the book for you.

“The River of Shadows” by Robert V.S. Redick (Reviewed by Robert Thompson & Liviu Suciu)

Official Robert V.S. Redick Website

Official Robert V.S. Redick Blog

Official The Red Wolf Conspiracy Website

Order “The River of Shadows” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)

Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Review of “The Red Wolf Conspiracy”

Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Review of “The Rats and the Ruling Sea”

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Robert V.S. Redick is a writer of fantasy, mainstream fiction, creative nonfiction and criticism. Works include the unpublished Conquistadors, a finalist for the 2002 AWP/Thomas Dunne Novel Award; the memoir Uncrossed River, winner of the 2005 New Millennium Writings Award for nonfiction; “Palpable,” a finalist for the 2003 Glimmer Train Short Story Award; and The Chathrand Voyage epic fantasy series.

PLOT SUMMARY: The crew of the vast, ancient ship Chathrand have reached the shores of the legendary southern empire of Bali Adro. Many have died in the crossing, and the alliance of rebels, led by the tarboy Pazel Pathkendle and the admiral’s daughter Thasha Isiq, has faced death, betrayal, and darkest magic. But nothing has prepared them for the radically altered face of humanity in the South.

They have little time to recover from the shock, however. For with landfall, the battle between the rebels and centuries-old sorcerer Arunis enters its final phase. At stake is control of the Nilstone, a cursed relic that promises unlimited power to whoever unlocks the secrets of its use—but death to those who fail. And no one is closer to mastering the Stone than Arunis.

Desperate to stop him, Pazel and Thasha must join forces with their enemies, including the depraved Captain Rose and the imperial assassin Sandor Ott. But when a suspicious young crewmember turns his attentions to Thasha, it is the young lovers themselves who are divided—most conveniently for Arunis. As the mage’s triumph draws near, the allies face a terrible choice: break their oaths and run for safety, or hunt the world’s most dangerous sorcerer through a strange and deadly land...

CLASSIFICATION: The Chathrand Voyage series is a mix of modern and classic PG-13 epic fantasy marketed for fans of George R.R. Martin, Philip Pullman and Scott Lynch. The series has also drawn comparisons to C.S. Lewis and Charles Dickens. Personally, the series reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean if it was set in a fantasy world created by Tad Williams and Robert Jordan. Recommended for readers who like their fantasy large-scale, exciting and full of magic, intrigue and adventure...

FORMAT/INFO: The River of Shadows is 592 pages long divided over thirty-two titled chapters. Narration is in the third-person, mainly via the protagonists Pazel Pathkendle and Thasha Isiq. Minor viewpoints include Arunis, Neda Ygraël, Neeps, Felthrup, Thasa’s father Eberzam, Mr. Fiffengurt, Myett, Greysan Fulbreech, Ensyl, Counselor Vadu, Sander Ott, and Lord Taliktrum. The River of Shadows is the third volume in The Chathrand Voyage series after The Red Wolf Conspiracy and The Rats and the Ruling Sea, which will be concluded in The Night of the Swarm. It’s highly recommended that readers finish the first two books before attempting The River of Shadows.

April 19, 2011 marks the North American Trade Paperback publication of The River of Shadows via Del Rey. The UK version (see below) will be published in both Hardcover & Trade Paperback via Gollancz on April 21, 2011. UK cover art is provided by Edward Miller.

ROBERT’S ANALYSIS: In just a few years, Robert V.S. Redick has developed into one of the most exciting young voices in fantasy today. While The Red Wolf Conspiracy was a massively hyped debut that did not live up to expectations, the author showcased remarkable improvement in The Rats and the Ruling Sea—UK title—resulting in one of the best fantasy novels of 2009. Now in the third volume in The Chathrand Voyage, Robert V.S. Redick continues to make strides as a writer, while delivering another first-rate fantasy novel in The River of Shadows...

Originally planned as a trilogy, The Chathrand Voyage has evolved into a quartet with The River of Shadows the third volume in the series after The Red Wolf Conspiracy and The Rats and the Ruling Sea. A direct continuation from the end of The Rats and the Ruling Sea—MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!—The River of Shadows starts off with the Chathrand and its crew safely across the Ruling Sea, but far from danger. Not only is the Great Ship facing food & water shortages, ixchel command, and possibly mutiny in a strange land ravaged by war and a plague that has turned all humans into tol-chenni—mindless creatures—but Arunis also remains on the prowl.

From here, exciting blockbuster action; sweeping adventure; intriguing subplots—dlömu/ixchel politics, Eberzam Isiq’s imprisonment, time-skips, the River of Shadows—unlikely alliances; and startling revelations involving Pazel’s mother and Thasa’s connection to Erithusmé take readers on a massively entertaining roller coaster ride that culminates with a final epic confrontation between Arunis and those sworn to the sorcerer’s opposition. Through all of this, Robert V.S. Redick’s engaging narrative is aided by frequent viewpoint shifts between characters major, minor, good and evil as well as informative/amusing footnotes & notes to the reader from the Editor, a journal entry from the quartermaster Mr. Fiffengurt, and one of Captain Rose’s letters, while the story’s undeniable charm and excitement factor is further enhanced by deft storytelling and witty prose:

“My purpose here is simply a warning. If you are part of that infinitesimally small (and ever smaller) band of dissidents with the wealth, time and inclination to set your hands on the printed word, I suggest you consider the arguments against the current volume. To wit: the tale is morbid, the persons depicted are clumsy when they are not evil, the world is inconvenient to visit and quite changed from what is here described, the plot at this early juncture is already complex beyond all reason, the moral cannot be stated, and the editor is intrusive.”

The one complaint I have with the story is that certain parts were easy to unravel or predict like Greysan Fulbreech’s deception and the climactic battle with Arunis which involved the Nilstone and the Swarm of Night, but because The River of Shadows is so much fun to read and narrated in such entertaining fashion, it’s a minor issue.

Characterization is a somewhat bigger issue, and easily the novel’s weakest link. While Pazel, Thasa and the rest of their motley bunch—which includes heroes, villains, and those who fall somewhere in between—remain charming with interesting personalities and backgrounds, their sheer numbers have forced character development in The River of Shadows to a standstill. To make matters worse, the spotlight is far too small to properly accommodate everyone in the series. This is not so much a problem with Pazel and Thasa since they are prominently featured in The River of Shadows—as it should be—but some of the more intriguing characters introduced over the course of the series like Felthrup, Hercól Stanapeth, Neda Ygraël, Arunis, Thasa’s father Eberzam, Dr. Ignus Chadfallow, Sander Ott, Captain Rose and Lord Taliktrum only receive brief moments in the spotlight before disappearing back into the background, while new faces (Ibjen, Prince Olik, Counselor Vadu) struggle to make an impact. Honestly though, these issues with the characterization did little to dampen my enjoyment of the book. With such a huge cast of characters, one can only expect so much character development to begin with, while the brief moments I did get to spend with Hercól, Felthrup, Sander Ott, Captain Rose, etc., was time well spent.

World-building meanwhile, is less of a factor in The River of Shadows, especially compared to the first two books in the series, but what ideas Redick does introduce are once again creative and fascinating. Highlights include the immensely strange Infernal Forest; the city of Masalym with its unique docking system; Vasparhaven, a Spider Tellers temple; learning about the creation of The Merchant’s Polylex and Bali Adro’s Infinite Conquest; dlömic culture, superstitions and prejudice; the Orfuin Club; and the River of Shadows—“a tunnel between worlds, the channel cut by the wild pulse of life through a hostile universe, the thought that flees on waking, the pure stuff from which souls are distilled.”

In the end, even with characterization flaws and issues with the story, The River of Shadows is another outstanding work of fantasy from Robert V.S. Redick, ranking right up there with The Rats and the Ruling Sea in terms of pure fun & entertainment the book brings to the table, while surpassing its predecessor because of improved writing and the rewarding answers provided. Not to mention setting the stage for what should be an explosive and much anticipated finale to The Chathrand Voyage saga in The Night of the Swarm...

LIVIU'S ANALYSIS: Since I missed the opportunity to talk here about the first two Chathrand Voyage novels, let me summarize my impressions: The Red Wolf Conspiracy was one of my top 20 novels of 2008. It opened one of two series debuting in that year that I felt had the highest chance to reach my top-top level based on content and writing style that combined exuberance, inventiveness, sense of wonder and an all around infectious excitement - correctly as it turned out since the other series was Shadows of the Apt which right now is my #1 ongoing fantasy series with The Chathrand Voyages hot on its trail so to speak...

In 2009 The Rats and The Ruling Sea fulfilled the promise of the author's debut in spades and was my number 1 fantasy novel of the year and 2 sff overall, while the series vaulted in the top-top category. The Rats and the Ruling Sea continued the adventures of our cast with panache and it was one of those few novels that I really regretted that it ended, while I could have happily read another 500 pages; not to speak of the superb twist ending which left me stunned and realizing that the storyline of the series is even twistier than I thought.

So the highest possible expectations for The River of Shadows and on finishing it, not only they were exceeded but in an extremely strong fantasy year so far and with several upcoming major releases, I still give it reasonable odds to remain my top fantasy of the year since despite being only book three out of a tetralogy, it both explains most of the outstanding mysteries of the series and it completes brilliantly its major thread so far.

Of course there are a lot of loose ends and there are new elements introduced that will clearly be the focus of the final novel, but The Red Wolf Conspiracy, The Rats and the Ruling Sea and The River of Shadows just hang together perfectly and tightly with all the twists and turns you want.

Now after this summary a little detail on why I feel so strongly about this novel; first let's start with the title:

"The River is the dark essence of thought, for thought, more than anything else in the universe, has the power to leap between worlds. It belongs therefore to all worlds where conscious life exists. And yet strangely enough, consciousness tends to blind us to its presence. I have even heard it said that the more a world's inhabitants unlock the secret workings of the universe - its pulleys and gears - the deeper the River of Shadows sinks beneath the earth. Societies of master technicians, those who trap the energy of suns, and grow their food in laboratories, and build machines that carry them on plumes of fire through the void: they cannot find the River at all."

Already in the above short paragraph you can see the scope of the novel and the series - while clearly epic fantasy in tropes and action, its ambition is very sf-nal in a Multiverse-way and in this book we get to experience if not the full reality of this, its echoes as reflected in the world of our heroes.

The novel is exuberant and brims with "life", so while things get quite dark on occasion for our cast and with The Night of the Swarm coming soon to boot, reading The River of Shadows is a very "life affirming" experience that uplifts one's spirit while being very entertaining in the process.

Robert talked above about some of the many goodies of the novel: "the immensely strange Infernal Forest; the city of Masalym with its unique docking system; Vasparhaven, a Spider Tellers temple; learning about the creation of The Merchant’s Polylex and Bali Adro’s Infinite Conquest..", not to speak of the nature of the Time Storm in the Ruling Sea and those are only a part of the extreme inventiveness of the author, while all of these hang together in a very coherent whole.

And then there are the characters which generally make or break a novel or a series; while the three books so far had a very diverse cast - recounted above by Robert so I will not repeat their names - The River of Shadows is the novel of Thasha and Pazel first and foremost since the two take over the series here and eclipse everyone else and this felt "just right" for me. The two form a great action duo and there is real chemistry between them, while they complement very well too. But there is much more since we learn the secret of Nilus Rose' seeming madness, the true motivations of some of the villains as well as those of quite a few other characters of importance in the series.

Another thing I really liked here is that for once the villains have clear motivations beyond "me, evil and I want to lord over you just to show you how bad I am; if in the process I destroy the world and have no one to rule over just too bad..." that mars so many fantasy series. While Arunis' motivations make for too much of a spoiler to be talked into more detail though they are deeply intertwined with the River of Shadows description above, the lesser villain of the novel is just someone who feels Arunis will prevail and he wants to be on the winning team; that simple, human and a motivation that sadly has been with us forever.

Overall The River of Shadows (A++) is crazily inventive with great characters that you cannot help but root for, superb action, moments of pure joy but also of heartbreak and darkness and the "Hey, it's just me" line so seemingly innocuous is also one of deep meaning that caps the novel in great style. Fantasy at its best and the reason I read and greatly enjoy it...