#ArtOfTheDay: 'Ester & Zahra' by Jaime Jones

'Ester & Zahra' by Jaime Jones.

Cover art for the novella, 'Untethered Sky' written by Fonda Lee, published April 11 2023 by Tordotcom Publishing.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Daughter Of Redwinter' by Galen Dara

'Daughter Of Redwinter' by Galen Dara.

Cover art for the novel 'Daughter of Redwinter', book 1 of the 'Chronicles of Redwinter' series written by Ed McDonald, published June 2022 by Gollancz / Tor Books.

Book Review: 'A Master Of Djinn' by P Djèlí Clark

Fantastic!

'A Master Of Djinn' by P Djèlí Clark, is the first full length novel in his 'Dead Djinn' universe, an alternative pre-WWI Cairo, Egypt, where the magical and otherworldly live side by side with the mundane and the mortal. And where the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities investigate disturbances between the two.

So when a mysterious individual claiming to be al-Jahiz, one of the most famous men in this reimagined world; who fifty years previously managed to open the veil between the earthly and the ethereal, then promptly vanishing, suddenly reappears at a secret brotherhood devoted him and immediately murders all that were present, it's up to the Ministry to solve the case.

In steps dapper agent Fatma el-Sha'arawi, the youngest woman at the Ministry, and known mostly for her bowler hat and sharp suits as she is for solving cases. Reluctantly partnered with wide eyed rookie Agent Hadia, and with the occasional help from the mysterious Siti, they set about unravelling the clues and cracking the case.

This was a delight to read. I've previously read the other short stories / novellas in this wonderful universe that P Djèlí Clark has imagined - The Angel of Khan el-Khalili, A Dead Djinn In Cairo, The Haunting Of Tram Car 015 (which are actually alluded to in conversations between characters during this story, although not essential to the plot, they are nice Easter Eggs for fans of the series) - and it was a real pleasure to return to this world and get reacquainted with the characters again!

 

The world building and the character development are a standout. Clark has crafted a vision of a vivid cosmopolitan city that feels very lived in, so full of life and details that you could easily find youself transported from reading the page to standing in the streets of this alternate Cairo and experiencing it for yourself. I also liked the strong female cast of characters, with their own distinct charms and personalities shining through. From the rapport between Fatma and Hadia - essentially the classic grumpy mentor / rookie dynamic - which takes time to develop as they get to know each other, Fatma's sapphic relationship with Siti, as well as the other interactions with the secondary and minor characters throughout the story, I felt they all worked really well, everyone had a sense of realism, feeling fleshed out and very human.

'A Master Of Djinn' is a slow paced but riveting read that works well in this longer format, giving the story more room to breathe whilst weaving in the twists and turns, the politics and the commentary, the magic and the mundane, the seriousness and the humour, into the narrative as the plot slowly unfurls itself before all is revealed in this magical murder mystery.

If you want to escape reality for a while, then you could do worse than lose yourself in this imaginative and highly enjoyable world crafted by P Djèlí Clark. Recommended!

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#ArtOfTheDay: 'A Beautiful Accident' by Tommy Arnold

'A Beautiful Accident' by Tommy Arnold.

Cover art for the novelette 'A Beautiful Accident', written by Peter Orullian, published 2015 by Tor Publishing

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Conan And The Emerald Lotus' by Ken Kelly

'Conan And The Emerald Lotus' by Ken Kelly.

Cover art to the novel written by John C Hocking, published by Tor Books.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'The Dream-Quest of Velitt Boe' by Victo Ngai

'The Dream-Quest of Velitt Boe' by Victo Ngai

Cover art for the novella written by Kij Johnson, published August 2016 by Tor Publishing

#ArtOfTheDay: 'The Red Threads Of Fortune' by Yuko Shimizu

'The Red Threads Of Fortune' by Yuko Shimizu.

Cover art for the novella, book 2 of 'The Tensorate' series written by JY Yang, published September 2017 by Tor Publishing.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Harrow The Ninth' by Tommy Arnold

'Harrow The Ninth' by Tommy Arnold.

Cover art for 'Harrow The Ninth', book 2 of the 'The Locked Tomb' series by Tamsyn Muir, published by Tor Publishing

Book Review: 'The Locked Tomb: Book 1 - Gideon The Ninth' by Tamsyn Muir

Cover art by Tommy Arnold

The buzz surrounding Tamsyn Muir's debut novel, 'Gideon The Ninth', book one of 'The Locked Tomb' trilogy was pretty strong. Lest it be said that Tor Publishing certainly knows how to hype up their titles! And with a blurb on the cover that reads "Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted palace in space...", (along with excellent cover art by Tommy Arnold) it's certain to draw some inquisitive looks on the bookshelf. But it's praise and buzz that is very deserving!

Having said that though, the blurb doesn't quite tell the whole truth of the book. Yes, the main protagonists - Gideon Nav and Harrowhark Nonagesimus - are lesbian necromancers that do get to explore a palace that appears to be haunted, although with necromancers, it ought to be kind of expected, and it is in a science fiction space setting. But 'Gideon The Ninth' is much more deeper than that. The main plot is that the Emperor has invited the heirs, and their cavaliers, of the nine loyal houses to mysterious deadly trials of skill, with the victor ascending to immortality. But once our protagonists arrive for the trials, nothing is what it seems, especially when other guests start to be found murdered. The Emperor's invitation turns into a race on two fronts, one: to complete the trials and puzzles before the other houses do, and two: to solve who or what is murdering the other guests!

It's a wonderful whodunnit of a story with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and engrossed, with some deliciously over the top characters thrown in for good measure. Gideon is definitely now one of my favourite book characters! A snarky badass, with the wit, muscles and swashbuckling sword skills to defeat any opponent. And we get to view the book mostly through her eyes, complete with all the sarcastic thoughts and snappy back chat between Gideon and Harrow, after all Harrow does kind of blackmail Gideon into becoming her cavalier for this invitation, so it's no surprise that things are a bit frosty between the pair of them, but after a situation changes their relationship forever, things begin to cool and the frostiness begins to dissolve when they are now in each other's company. I enjoyed the cast of supporting characters too, although as we're mostly experiencing the story through Gideon, they're not as well developed as her or Harrow, but they do occasionally have their moments to shine.

'Gideon The Ninth' is a unique read that's fun yet dark, simple but complex, with a glorious lead that is one of the funniest and most relatable characters I've read in a while, and a story that got better after each page as it shifted from oddball SFF to a murder mystery. After meeting the author, Tamsyn Muir, at a book signing at MCM Comic Con London this year, which was an absolute pleasure, you get the feel that her personality certainly weaves throughout the book. It's definitely one of the more original stories I've read, but it is one that I can definitely recommend! Looking forward to book two!

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Book Review: 'The Wheel Of Time: Book 1 - The Eye Of The World' by Robert Jordan

Cover art by David Grove

Due to the forthcoming streaming series and the overall acclaim of this series, I finally got round to starting book 1 in the series.

And my initial impressions were that it was an enjoyable read, if a little cliche. The lore and the world building throughout the book, however, stood out for me. I really liked the fusion of myth, religion, folklore and Eastern philosophy, giving the comparison that 'The Wheel Of Time' is to the fantasy genre what the 'Dune' series is to sci-fi. The world is slowly sketched out, giving us a look at the wider world as we experience it through the eyes of the main protagonists of the story; Rand, Mat and Perrin, as they leave their village for the first time and discover that there is more than their little corner of the world and that life outside of their village is vast and sometimes difficult and dangerous, it really adds depth to the story, and showed that Robert Jordan spent a lot of time and effort giving his huge multiple book series an impressive foundation of lore to build upon. And on top of that foundation is essentially a reworking of Tolkien's Middle Earth. Jordan takes the recognisable themes and tropes from Tolkien's classic and blends them with his own to create a story, with all the familiar beats. And given how much that Middle Earth has influenced the fantasy genre in general, it wasn't at all surprising, but it was surprising at how close it did stay to the epic tale.

'The Eye Of The World' is a classic fantasy read that certainly stands on the shoulders of giants. However, it did feel a bit long winded and slow paced for me, with the plot meandering off the path at times. Some of the characters did come across as bland and sometimes a bit whiny too, but as I progressed further into the story, and seeing how they coped with events, especially after they all get split up, the characters that I once didn't really feel engaged with were becoming more fleshed out and grew into a group that were, giving me enough to keep me invested with, especially with wanting to know more about Moiraine and the mysterious Aes Sedai, and I'm glad I got through to the end.

With book 1 setting the stage for this epic series, I can see why the series is so beloved, and I have read that the books do get better as the series progresses, so I will definitely be picking up book 2 in the future. But with that said, and as much as I did enjoy reading the beginnings of 'The Wheel Of Time', I'm in no rush to pick up the next book in the series (I do have plenty of other fantasy (and Sci-Fi) books on my (ever expanding) TBR list to get through first), but it has added to my anticipation of the Amazon series when it airs.

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#CoolArt: 'Gideon & Harrow The Ninth' prints by Tommy Arnold

'Gideon The Ninth' and 'Harrow The Ninth' by Tommy Arnold, cover art for the novels of the same names written by Tamsyn Muir, published by Tor.com Publishing.

12" x 17" Gallery-quality giclée prints on 100% cotton rag archival paper in a signed and numbered TIMED release edition for $49 each.

On sale in a timed release until Friday October 4 2019 at 12pm ET from Tommy's website.

'Gideon The Ninth' by Tommy Arnold

'Harrow The Ninth' by Tommy Arnold

Book Review: 'For He Can Creep' by Siobhan Carroll

Cover art by Red Nose Studio

A short story about a cat, a poet and the devil.

'For He Can Creep' by Siobhan Carroll is a darkly comic tale that's a tribute to Christopher Smart's poem 'Jubliate Agno', who was committed to an asylum, with only his cat Jeoffry for company.

In this story, Jeoffry protects his human, a poet, and some of the other inmates from the demons that haunt the asylum. But when the devil himself visits with an offer to tempt Jeoffry away from his human, so the devil can corrupt the poet to intice the end of days, he has to put aside his self-importance and team up with a small group of cats, including a kitten by the name of Nighthunter Moppet, to save his human.

It's a wonderfully imaginative tale, told from the perspective of Jeoffry, and seems to capture the nature of cats perfectly! It's dark, creepy and with plenty of humour woven in to keep it from becoming too dark. A story with a few twists and turns and a sprinkle of the supernatural to keep you engaged throughout the short read. Highly recommended. Especially if you like cats.

Available to read for free from the Tor.com website.

Book Review: 'The Mongolian Wizard #9: The New Prometheus' by Michael Swanwick

Cover art by Gregory Manchess

I really like Michael Swanwick's 'The Mongolian Wizard' series of short stories from Tor.com, and 'The New Prometheus' is another great addition to that list.

This time, Ritter and his wolf Freki are hot on the trail of an homunculus - an artificial man created by the Mongolian Wizard - in the frozen Arctic wastes. But when they catch up to him, they find that he's every bit as intelligent and cultured as Ritter himself, and proceeds to tell him his side of the story.

If this sounds all a bit familiar, that's because it is. Chances are you have read Mary Shelley's classic 'Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus'. Swanwick's story pays direct homage (the clue is in the title of this story after all), in particular to one of the best sequences in Shelley's tale, where the monster recounts his story to his creator, Frankenstein.

It's a classy retelling, with the creature having actually fled out of harm's way of his creator's evil ways, and over the course of a civil conversation, Ritter, having been sent by Sir Toby, must decide whether the creature is an abomination and be eliminated or if he doesn't represent a risk and to leave him alone in frozen north.

'The New Prometheus' is a fantastic read that grips you from the beginning of Ritter and the creature's conversation, wondering which way Ritter will decide by the end. Swanwick gives his homage his own twist that instantly feels a part of his series. A great read!

Available to read for free, as are the rest of the series, from the Tor Fiction website.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'The Killing Light' by Chris McGrath

Cover art by Chris McGrath for 'The Killing Light', book 3 of 'The Sacred Throne' series by Myke Cole, published November 2019 by Tor.com

#ArtOfTheDay: 'The Armored Saint' by Tommy Arnold

Cover art by Tommy Arnold for 'The Armored Saint', book 1 of the 'Sacred Throne' series by Myke Cole, published February 2018 by Tor Publishing

Book Review: 'The Mongolian Wizard #8: Murder In The Spook House' by Michael Swanwick

Cover art by Gregory Manchess

Another instalment in Michael Swanwick's excellent 'The Mongolian Wizard' short story series from Tor.com.

'Murder In The Spook House' sees Ritter and Freki called to investigate the murder of Sir Toby. But as is the case with this alt-history series, all is not what it seems.

I really enjoyed this. It's a fun and engaging quick read in the style of a Sherlock Holmes whodunit as Ritter sleuths in an effort to solve the mystery of Sir Toby's murder. I also liked the idea of the altering of timelines with the use of scrying into the future to bring back schematics and designs of future tech before their time to help with the war effort.

As this is #8 in the series, I'd also recommend reading through the previous short stories first before diving in with this one, as each of the stories expand on the world building, although really only hinting at things in the wider world, it could be a bit confusing wondering who's who and what's actually going on in the Mongolian Wizard universe.

Would love to see more stories set in this world, maybe even a full length novel. 'Murder In The Spook House' is another worthy addition to the series.

Available to read for free, as are the rest of the series, from the Tor Fiction website.

Book Review: 'The Haunting of Tram Car 015' by P Djèlí Clark

Cover art by Stephan Martiniere

'The Haunting of Tram Car 015' by P Djèlí Clark, is a stand alone story that is also set in the same alternative Egypt of his short story 'A Dead Djinn In Cairo', where the otherworldly and fantastical live and work amongst ordinary humans, with the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities keeping watch to deal with any issues between the factions.

Veteran Agent Hamed, and his enthusiastic new rookie partner Agent Onsi, have been assigned to investigate the possession of a tram car. What they think is a run of the mill exorcism becomes a lot more complicated when they discover what has taken roost in the tram car.

I really enjoyed the previous short story, which is also referenced to in this novella, and another visit to this alt-historical Cairo, where the magical and mundane mingle together, is a very welcome return. The world building is full of vivid detail and feels very much alive as the two agents travel around the city on their investigations. And as well as the main case storyline, there's a sub plot of the beginnings of a suffragette movement with the women of Cairo coming together to protest for the right to vote. With plenty going on, the narrative pulls you along at a steady pace, but never once does it feel too much or too dense. It also touches on a few interesting themes, introduces some charming and interesting side characters and expands upon this vibrant and diverse world. 

'The Haunting of Tram Car 015' is a short and fast paced read from an author that is fast becoming a must read with each new story. I hope it's not too long until we get to revisit this world again too. Recommended!

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Book Review: 'The Black God's Drums' by P Djèlí Clark

Cover art by Chris McGrath

'The Black God's Drums' by P Djèlí Clark, is a novella set in an alternative post US civil war New Orleans, now a place of neutrality where the Unionists and Confederates mingle with the locals, British, French and Haitians that make up the population. And in and amongst the city streets, Creeper, a young quick witted pickpocket who also happens to have a divine presence inside her, overhears a plot about a kidnapped Haitian scientist and a mysterious weapon, the Black God's Drums, information which could be her ticket off the streets, if she can find the right person to trade with.

I really enjoyed this. The world building of an alternative New Orleans in 1884, complete with skyships, magic and gods, is really deep and enriching. Even more so as the story is narrated through Creeper, complete with a slang dialect that makes the whole world really lived in and immerses you into the centre of the story.

It's a quick read (at only 128 pages), even still, the story introduces some really interesting characters that you fall in love with straight away. There's Creeper aka Jacqueline, Ann-Marie St Augustine - the one legged airship captain and her cohorts, a couple of questionable nuns, a feral orphan that is under the nun's care, and Madame Diouf of the Shá Rouj bordello in Madamesville. Really great characters that, although we're only with them briefly, draw you into the story and make you want to stay after you turn the last page.

Its an unusual, magical and delightful story that is fast paced and doesn't let up once it grips you from the start. I hope we get to revisit this wonderful world and people again. Recommended.

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