"Icefall" by Matthew J. Kirby (Reviewed by Cindy Hannikman)

Visit Matthew J. Kirby's Website Here

OVERVIEW: After war has been declared on her father’s land Solveig, along with her brother -the crown prince and her older sister are sent to hide in a hidden fortress that is tucked between towering mountains and the frozen sea. Winter is fast approaching and once the sea freezes it could be months before the small group and those that are charged to protect them hear any news of the war.

As the glaciers and sea around them freezes, the group is faced with numerous problems ranging from small fights breaking out to lack of provisions. While waiting out the winter hints of a traitor amongst the group starts to appear. It is up to Solveig to uncover the traitor, restore order to the group, and discover who amongst them she can really trust and who is out to destroy the kingdom and the crown prince.

FORMAT: Icefall is a YA novel with hints of mystery and fantasy. While not the traditional sense of fantasy in the sense that there is no magic, there is a mysterious world that resembles the Vikings and there are hints of myths and legends that could be true.

Icefall stands at 336 pages and was published by Scholastic Press on October 1, 2011.

ANALYSIS: It’s amazing exactly what books will attract your attention and pull you in from the start. For one reason or another Icefall really grabbed my attention and had me staying up to the wee hours of the morning trying to finish this book.

Expectations going into Icefall weren’t really high. I had read Matthew J. Kirby’s debut novel The Clockwork Three and was utterly disappointed. It wasn’t so much the writing style or even the plot, but there is a continuing habit to market Kirby’s books as fantasy when in reality they are more about the characters, character interactions and emotions of the surrounding society. This was my biggest disappointment about The Clockwork Three, so I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up Icefall.

Icefall is very similar to The Clockwork Three in that the plot element surrounds character development and focuses on the emotions of the characters. While there isn’t any magic, the sheer fact that Kirby created this Viking society is enough to classify it as a “fantasy”. Readers going into the novel who know not to expect a rip-roaring adventure or tons of magic won’t be disappointed.

Kirby is an excellent master at creating a main character that is three dimensional and a supporting cast that is fleshed out and detailed. From the first couple of pages there was just something about Solveig that attracted me to her. Solveig is the second daughter to the king. She isn’t extremely beautiful, and since she won’t inherit the throne her father tends to overlook her. Throughout Icefall, Solveig learns who she really is and changes from a self-conscious, quiet daughter to a confident, young woman full of self-esteem.

Fans of Norse folklore will really enjoy the various mythology and cultural elements that Kirby weaved into the story. While the country and characters are made up they very well could have been any person or culture from the Viking era.

One of the most amazing things for myself was how Kirby took an essentially small area and made it really come to life. The whole novel takes place in this secluded area that is cut off for the winter. One would think that this could lead to a boring novel as there isn’t really a change in environment or world, but Kirby really brings it to life and knows just when to unveil a new plot element so the small setting doesn’t go stale.

There is only one element of Icefall that I would change. I really wish that the ending had been more developed. I am assuming this is a stand-alone novel and the ending was wide open and left a lot to the reader’s imagination. I would have loved to see what really happened to the characters in the novel as I had formed such close bonds with all of them.

Icefall is truly a whirlwind novel about survival that is filled with heartwarming characters, mystery and intrigue. Readers both young and old will find themselves attracted to Solveig and working alongside her to uncover who the traitor is and work to get her and her family back home safely.

"A Beautiful Friendship" by David Weber (Reviewed by Liviu Suciu)

Official David Weber Website
Read the original story A Beautiful Friendship HERE
Order A Beautiful Friendsip HERE or HERE (ebook)
Read FBC's Invitation to the Honorverse Post
Read FBC's Review of At All Costs
Read FBC's Interview with David Weber (mostly Safehold)
FBC Reviews: Safehold 2 (BSRA), Safehold 3 (BHD), Safehold 4 (AMF), Safehold 5 (HFAF), and Out of the Dark

INTRODUCTION: The Honorverse occupies a special place in my affection. I have been a huge fan since I have discovered the first several books in 1994 and I have been rereading the series books quite a lot across time. Today the series is still my #1 ongoing one and each new novel is a highly, highly anticipated one. I find myself visiting Baen's Webscriptions 5 times a day when I know there is the possibility of a Honorverse e-arc for sale.

When the novelization of the short story "A Beautiful Friendship" as the start of a new YA series was announced, I was a little mixed for several reasons - while I really liked it, I am leery of prequels and I also thought the scope of this series will be limited in many ways unless the author does a complete rewriting of the early Manticoran history in contradiction with what we know from almost 25 Honorverse volumes. On the other hand, the YA label did not bother me since Mr. Weber has written several Honorverse stories with YA as main protagonists and they were all interesting and entertaining.

Stephanie Harrington always expected to be a forest ranger on her homeworld of Meyerdahl, until her parents relocated to the frontier planet of Sphinx in the far distant Star Kingdom of Manticore. It should have been the perfect new home --- a virgin wilderness full of new species of every sort, just waiting to be discovered. But Sphinx is a far more dangerous place than ultra-civilized Meyerdahl, and Stephanie’s explorations come to a sudden halt when her parents lay down the law: no trips into the bush without adult supervision!

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: There are three aspects about "A Beautiful Friendship" that I will talk about: who is the audience of the novel, the Honorverse fan or someone new to the series, how does the novel integrates with the original story and where does it stand in the detailed universe created by the author?

Before that I will just note that "A Beautiful Friendship" is a normal Weber novel, YA label aside, so the same exuberant, talkative and flowing style, the occasional info dumps and the meticulous world building combine with his usual characters: the competent heroine or hero, the bumbling villain or the able villain who just may be on the wrong side for generic - eg born into a dictatorship and a "patriot" - rather than personal flaws. Also as expected treecats star quite a lot in the novel, though their role in the main story of the Honorverse has been important too.

I read A Beautiful Friendship in a sitting and it entertained me end to end, so I would say that even if you are a huge fan of the Honorverse and read the original story several times as I previously did, you will enjoy the novel. This being said, I think that a newcomer to this superb sfnal universe will enjoy it even more since he or she will stay in suspense about the main plot of the book to the end, will discover the world of Sphinx and will wonder about the future fate of the treecats in an occasionally merciless human universe. All points that are known to any fan of the series and proving again that prequels have intrinsic limitations that even the ablest author won't be able to go around.

To my surprise, the first part of "A Beautiful Friendship" which corresponds to the original story has been expanded to include much more detail about the treecat clans before "first contact" and about Stephanie's life, so it offered lots of new and interesting nuggets and I think that Mr. Weber did a great job integrating the original text with the new stuff. This part was as excellent as the earlier short story and it is a major highlight of the novel even for people who have read the short story.

The second part which continues after first contact was more conventional - various moneyed and powerful interests do not like treecats and/or the idea of treecats being protected and "given" vast pieces of land said interests want, others want to do good but only bumble and fumble, while others have even more sinister goals and it's up to Stephanie Harrington, Climbs Quickly and an assorted cast of helpers, both humans and treecats to thwart the bad guys and put the good but bumbling guys on the right path so to speak.

This part was still engaging and while it ended at a very good point, I am curious where this series goes next. It is true that the "big picture" scope is limited by what we know from the main series that takes place some 500 years later, but who knows since David Weber is extremely good at twisting and turning the story around even when you think you know what's what. So I expect to be surprised!

Overall, A Beautiful Friendship (A+) was a positive surprise for me and my fears outlined in the introduction never really materialized except for the prequel limitations which meant that a lot what happens, has to be in a certain way. Of interest to both younger and older readers, the Honorverse fan and the casual or new Weber reader, A Beautiful Friendship is an entertaining end to end romp.

“Hell & Gone” by Duane Swierczynski (Reviewed by Robert Thompson)

Official Duane Swierczynski Website

Order “Hell & Gone” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)

Read FBC’s Review of “Fun & Games”

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Duane Swierczynski is the author of several crime thrillers, many of which have been optioned for film adaptation, including The Blonde and Severance Package. He has also written six non-fiction books; is a regular writer for several Marvel Comics series (Cable, Punisher, Immortal Iron Fist, Werewolf By Night); and has collaborated with CSI creator Anthony E. Zuiker on the bestselling Level 26 series of “digi-novels”.

PLOT SUMMARY: Left for dead after an epic shootout that blew the lid off a billion-dollar conspiracy, ex-cop Charlie Hardie quickly realizes that when you're dealing with the Accident People, things can get worse. Drugged, bound and transported by strange operatives of unknown origin, Hardie awakens to find himself captive in a secret prison that houses the most dangerous criminals on earth.

And then things get really bad. Because this isn't just any prison. It's a Kafkaesque nightmare that comes springloaded with a brutal catch-22: Hardie's the Warden. And any attempt to escape triggers a “death mechanism” that will kill everyone down here—including a group of innocent guards. Faced with an unworkable paradox, and knowing that his wife and son could be next on the Accident People's hit list, Hardie has only one choice: fight his way to the heart of this hell hole and make a deal with the Devil himself...

FORMAT/INFO: Hell & Gone is 304 pages long divided over thirty-three numbered chapters. Also includes a teaser from the third Charlie Hardie novel, Point & Shoot. Narration is in the third-person, mostly via the protagonist Charlie Hardie, but the narrative once again ricochets between several other POVs, including FBI agent Deacon Clark. Hell & Gone is the second volume in the Charlie Hardie trilogy after Fun & Games, and ends on another minor cliffhanger. Point & Shoot will wrap up the trilogy in March 2012.

October 31, 2011 marks the North American Trade Paperback publication of Hell & Gone via Mulholland Books. The UK version (see below) will be published on October 27, 2011 via Mulholland UK.

ANALYSIS: Hell & Gone continues the incredible tale of Charlie Hardie that began in Fun & Games—a high-octane, contemporary pulp thriller in the vein of Charlie Huston, Dean Koontz, Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. Compared to Fun & Games, Hell & Gone offers a different kind of reading experience.

For starters, Hell & Gone is not a non-stop thrill ride like its predecessor. Instead, the sequel features a heavy dose of mystery and unpredictable suspense that constantly kept me off-balance. At first, it was a matter of trying to figure out what the Industry had in store for Charlie Hardie and how Julie Lippman and her missing boyfriend fit in the picture. Answers to the first question are provided when Hardie one day finds himself the Warden of a secret underground prison, but that leads to a whole new set of mysteries involving the Prisonmaster, a death mechanism, a prisoner who knows who Charlie is, and the prison itself. During this point of the novel—which comprises the largest chunk of Hell & Gone—I was reminded of Christopher Nolan and the movies Cube Zero and The Experiment due to the unorthodox prison setting and all of the psychological drama and intriguing plot twists going on. From here, Hell & Gone evolves into a more conventional revenge thriller before ending on another cliffhanger that brings up a slew of new questions to be answered in the third and final Charlie Hardie novel, Point & Shoot.

Other differences between the two Charlie Hardie novels include Hell & Gone’s lack of black humor. Missing from the sequel, for instance, are the various fun facts—Percentage of murder victims killed by someone they know: 58—and references/quotes to action movies, Hollywood and filmmaking that added to Fun & Games’ entertainment value. While the latter has been replaced with references & quotes applicable to Hardie’s current situation in Hell & Gone, including prison movie quotes—“Now, I can be a good guy, or I can be one real mean sum-bitch.”—the sequel is a more sober affair than its predecessor, which is reflected by the serious tone of the novel and action that never descends to Fun & Games’ level of absurdity, although the central premise remains improbable.

As much as Hell & Gone differs from its predecessor however, some things remain the same. For one, Duane Swierczynski’s writing continues to be skillful and engaging, highlighted once again by accessible prose, crisp pacing, intelligent plotting, inventive ideas and memorable characters. (I particularly appreciated the author’s efforts to flesh out Charlie Hardie’s relationship with his wife and son, but felt Swierczynski could have done a lot more with the novel’s supporting characters including Deacon Clark, Julie Lippman and her boyfriend.) More importantly though, Hell & Gone is entertaining. Maybe not as entertaining as its predecessor Fun & Games, and maybe not the same kind of entertainment, but Hell & Gone is nevertheless a blast to read, just like the first Charlie Hardie novel.

Meanwhile, drawbacks include a slow beginning, a conventional third act, and another cliffhanger ending, but as a whole, Hell & Gone is a successful follow-up to Fun & Games and another engrossing book from the twisted mind of Duane Swierczynski...

"Manhattan in Reverse" by Peter Hamilton (Reviewed by Liviu Suciu)

Official Peter Hamilton Website
Order Manhattan in Reverse HERE
Read FBC Review of The Dreaming Void
Read FBC Review of The Temporal Void

INTRODUCTION: Peter Hamilton needs no introduction since he is one of today's leading science fiction writers and the ‘King’ of modern space opera. Even his second tier space operas are head and shoulders above most everything written in the genre. But at his best like in The Night's Dawn trilogy which is my all time favorite finished sff series, or in “Pandora's Star” with its vividly described future and multilayered plotlines that converge in so many interesting and unexpected ways, the author evokes a sense of wonder that is unrivaled…

Manhattan in Reverse is the author's second collection after the superb A Second Chance at Eden which brought together all the stories related to his Night's Dawn universe. While in Manhattan in Reverse, the Commonwealth stories - most notably the two Paula Myo ones - have an unifying theme, the rest are more eclectic and do not have any commonality beyond "sense of wonder".

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: As I have read each story here close to original publication, I will present each story with comments including how they stood out the test of time for me.

Watching Trees Grow (very good) - Justin Raleigh is murdered in his quarters but police and the family representative Edward Raleigh cannot figure why; this happens in an alternate 18th century, where the Roman Empire never fell, technology developed quicker and consequently people are already much longer lived - here we see an embryonic form of the author's immortality theme that is so prominent in the Commonwealth and Void series. The story goes on in flashes for centuries, technology advances, Edward Raleigh is still around and the murder is still unsolved for a long time; an apt title and a story that still resonates though mostly for its world building than for the generic characters.

Footvote (mediocre) - a new planet is to be colonized by people escaping Earth's economic hardships, but there is one man that controls the entrance through the unique wormhole there. He makes some rules that reveal more of the author's beliefs than make sense; could be read as a parody I guess but it is mighty unimpressive otherwise, though it is quite short and thankfully ends fast.

If at First... - (excellent) - a sweet riff on the themes of time travel and multiple universes; would not do to spoil it beyond that but it brought a smile to my face when I read it long time ago; sure, it's a bit wish fulfillment but to be honest a lot of what Mr. Hamilton writes is anyway.

The Forever Kitten (pointless) - the shortest story of the collection and written to some stringent page limits for some mainstream magazine from what I remember and it shows; waste of creative talent here.

Blessed by an Angel (excellent; recounted in The Dreaming Void too) - the conception and birth of Inigo. Great overview of Commonwealth life between the end of Judas Unchained and the start of The Dreaming Void too. This can constitute a great introduction to the Void trilogy though it needs the Commonwealth books for full appreciation.

The Demon Trap (best story of the collection) - Quintessential Paula Myo in action on a colony world. This can constitute a great introduction to the Commonwealth duology that starts in Pandora's Star, but the main attraction is seeing at novella length why Paula is one the author's greatest characters and arguably the best of the whole Commonwealth/Void universe.

Manhattan in Reverse (very good) - The one new offering in the collection, this story takes place right after the end of Judas Unchained, when Paula Myo finds herself mighty unpopular for prosecuting and convicting a war hero for the recently discovered crimes of his youth. So she is "advised" by a senior Dynasty member to take a break and as it happens he knows the right place for Paula to go; while not quite a police matter, there is a puzzle with some non-sentient natives and their recent interactions with the human colonizers; an apt title gives a clear clue at how the story goes, while the tale remains very entertaining to the end.

Overall, Manhattan in Reverse (A+) is a great collection which brings together all the author's output at short length after the Night's Dawn series and I would highly recommend it for both fans and readers that are interested to see what the fuss is about Mr. Hamilton's doorstopper novels. Three very good to outstanding novellas and two excellent novelettes offer lots of value with the mediocre offerings being precisely and of course very unsurprisingly those at short to very short length.

My All Time Favorite Books (by Liviu Suciu)

Using Goodreads' wonderfully flexible shelving ability and covers collage - though with several modifications of my own for three titles that have no available covers there - I want to present the current list of my all time favorite books, ranked in order from 1-42, though from 13 on, the ranking is more fluid, especially the lower one goes on the list.

Titles sometimes mean series, occasionally just a sample of an author's overall work and I tried to keep to my rule of mentioning an author only once - there is one exception since the two series in cause are very different, while using covers from editions I own in as many cases as possible.

With 3 exceptions, all titles are available - though they are sometimes rare as my #1 title by Mircea Eliade, published as the Forbidden Forest rather than its original Midsummer Night - in English even if I included French or Romanian language covers which are more reflective and/or are from the editions I have. One of the covers below represents the longest book I own at 1620 pages though it's an omnibus of the seven novels of the series.

Edit: in the meantime I found a good short English description of my #1 title, The Forbidden Forest aka Noaptea de Sanziene HERE; note the "elements of fantasy" part, and while I would not really classify it as sff, I think it is quite associational in many ways and I strongly regret it is so hard to find in English outside good university libraries.

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1-12 and pretty firm ranking:

The title list is HERE.

Here there are six sff titles out of 12, with Iain Banks (#6), David Weber (#8), Peter Hamilton (#9), George RR Martin (#10), Jacqueline Carey (#11) and Adrian Tchaikovsky (#12). While one is a standalone though part of a loose series that stands at 8 novels and counting, the rest are part of series that stretch over many pages, from some 3000 minimum, with the longest one at 17 novels, 5 anthologies and going strong for another 10 maybe...

Considering that of the 6 non-sff titles, the only "slim" one is also part of a loose series of historical adventures - including having a direct prequel - with the rest ranging from 60o pages to 1000 and then to two seven volume series, my preferences for the epic are clear.

From the sff authors I have reviewed at least one title and for the non-sff books there is a little discussion in this post about recommended "non-sff for the sff-reader".

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#13-42 though the order is really fluid especially down below 24 or so

The title list is HERE

Here there are 13 sff titles and some strong associational ones like The Master and Margarita. There is KJ Parker (#21), Christopher Priest (#25), China Mieville (#27), Alastair Reynolds (#28), Jules Verne (#29), Eric Flint (#32), David Weber (again but with a very fantasy-nal series #33), Jack Vance (#34), Greg Egan (#35), Sean Russell (#36), Neal Asher (#38), Neal Stephenson (#39) and Lois Bujold (#42).

Same as above most books are part of series with few standalones and even those tend to be connected to other works of the author like say The Affirmation or The Scar.
For most sff authors above I have reviewed at least one of their works.