The Killing Song of The Dragon Below Trilogy
© Wizards of the Coast Publishing
The Tower of Shadows Looms onto Shelves
By: Pat FerraraDate: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Drew Bowling kicks of his Tides of Fate trilogy with the hardback release of The Tower of Shadows, Don Bassingthwaite concludes The Dragon Below series with The Killing Song, and Sergei Lukyanenko’s wildly popular The Night Watch returns from its summer English debut in a new paperback edition.
Dan Abnett of Games Workshop continues his Gaunt’s Ghosts series with the ninth and tenth installments this week. His Last Command is released on paperback today while the most recent novel, The Armour of Contempt, gets its hardback debut.
Early American author Edgar Rice Burroughs makes a comeback from the grave through Leonaur Ltd. to release some of his most classic science fiction novels. Creator of the jungle hero Tarzan, Burroughs also wrote copious amounts of genre literature in the Barsoom, Pellucidar, Venus, and Caspak series that has shaped modern SF since their conception in the early 20th century. Leonaur Ltd. re-releases some of his earliest works in the first volumes of John Carter of Mars, Pellucidar: The Inner World, and Carson of Venus.
Marina Warner’s Phantasmagoria: Spirit Visions, Metaphors, and Media, published by Oxford University Press, offers an intriguing and existentialist view of humanity, the soul, and its representations in media that I can’t recommend enough to anyone interested in the ethereal qualities of self. An undoubtedly heady read, this book is rich in historical context and pulls from a wide medium of art forms to engage the discussion of the spirit and how its ideas have changed with the advent of new technology.
Get to it!
New in Hardcover:
The Tower of Shadows, Drew Bowling (Del Rey Publishing)
Steeped in the traditions of its classic forebears, yet boldly original in its vision and sense of wonder, The Tower of Shadows swells with heroism, sings with enchantment, and carries the reader at full gallop into a marvelously wrought world of breathtaking adventure. Untold ages ago, vainglorious spirits battled with the three gods in a bid for dominion over all–only to be defeated and banished below the earth to fester in their unquenchable evil. One of these vengeful demons eventually broke free and rained bloody death upon an innocent village in the land of Ellynrie. Few survived. The Starcross brothers, mere children orphaned by their parents’ slaughter, suffered very difficult fates. Corin Starcross was delivered to safety by the wizard Dale, while his brother, Cade, was abandoned to the flames that devoured their childhood home. Likewise, the mercenary Wren Tident saved his infant daughter Kayla from the monstrous fate that claimed her mother. When the demon retreated to its black abyss, the haunted souls left in its murderous wake did their best to carry on–save for one, who vowed retribution. When Cade Starcross reappears, he immerses himself in a secret study of the blackest arts, and a grim dance of destiny begins. His humanity withered by grief and his mind twisted by his apprenticeship to darkness, Cade seeks to use sorcery to wreak vengeance on his demon nemesis. But in order to succeed, a dagger of unearthly power wrought by the gods themselves must be found. And the blood of Cade’s brother, Corin Starcross, must be spilled. Yet all of Cade’s fury and magic will prove no match for the evil set free upon the earth. By any means and at all costs, the doomed vendetta must be stopped. A fledgling wizard, a tormented warrior, and a young girl burning with her father’s untamed spirit must rally together as the only hope of a world poised perilously at the abyss. Book one of the Tides of Fate trilogy, The Tower of Shadows kicks off a pure swords and sorcery tale that appears to be promising… then again Harriet Klausner gave it a shining review so it’s gotta be fantastic! (read sarcasm)
Twice Dead Things © Elder Signs Press, Inc.
Twice Dead Things is a collection of the captivating, terrifying, and poetic writings of A.A. Attanasio, one of today's most powerful and insightful writers. This volume includes many rare and previously unpublished works, and the re-writing of his popular Lovecraftian tales into a solitary narrative. Over his lengthy career, Attanasio has written in many genres, proving a master of each. In Twice Dead Things A. A. Attanasio provides a new and retrospective collection of his lyrical writings. Here are an astounding combination of works that are limitless in vision. The bestselling author of The Moon’s Wife (1993), The Eagle and the Sword (1997), and Killing with the Edge of the Moon (2006) reveals his outstanding talent in these masterworks. Limited & Signed Edition.
Phantasmagoria: Spirit Visions, Metaphors, and Media, Marina Warner (Oxford University Press)
Phantasmagoria explores ideas of spirit and soul since the Enlightenment; it traces metaphors that have traditionally conveyed the presence of immaterial forces, and reveals how such pagan and Christian imagery about ethereal beings are embedded in a logic of the imagination, clothing spirits in the languages of air, clouds, light and shadow, glass, and ether itself. Moving from Wax to Film, the book also discusses key questions of imagination and cognition, and probes the perceived distinctions between fantasy and deception; it uncovers a host of spirit forms—angels, ghosts, fairies, revenants, and zombies—that are still actively present in contemporary culture. It reveals how their transformations over time illuminate changing idea about the self. Phantasmagoria also tells the accompanying story about the means used to communicate such ideas and relates how the new technologies of the Victorian era were applied to figuring the invisible and the impalpable, and how magic lanterns (the phantasmagoria shows themselves), radio, photography and then moving pictures spread ideas about spirit forces. As the story unfolds, the book features the many eminent men and women—scientists and philosophers—who in the Society of Psychical Research applied their considerable energies to the question of other worlds and other states of mind: they staged trance seances in which mediums produced spirit phenomena, including ectoplasm. The book shows how this often embarrassing story connects with some of the important scientific discoveries of a fertile age, in psychology and physics. Over a sequence of twenty-eight chapters with over thirty illustrations in colour and black and white, Phantasmagoria thus tells an unexpected and often uncomfortable story about shifts in thought about consciousness and the individual person, from the first public waxworks portraits at the end of the eighteenth century to stories of hauntings, possession, and loss of self as in the case of the zombie, a popular figure of soulessness, in modern times. For those interested enough to tackle it, Warner’s comprehensive tome is sure to reward.
The Armour of Contempt of the Gaunt's Ghosts Series © Games Workshop Publishing
The Imperial crusade, including Gaunt's Ghosts, are sent back to the planet Gereon to join forces with the Imperial defenders and liberate the planet from Chaos. However, the brutality of the 'liberation' pitches Gaunt into opposition with his commanders, who believe victory must be achieved at any price, no matter how cruel. Returning to Gereon, the beautifully detailed and rich theatre of war introduced in Traitor General (2004), Abnett unveils a planet-wide war that many fans have criticized as being too short (at 300 pages) to flesh out the dramatic weight of all the plotlines contained. The Armour of Contempt follows His Last Command (2005) in the Gaunt’s Ghosts series, released on paperback today.
New in Paperback:
Rags and Old Iron © Wildside Press
Amy is having dreams and visions that threaten her sanity and possibly her life. Some dark presence from her forgotten past is intruding into her reality and the lives of her friends, terrifying, maiming, killing. For her? A handsome Voodoo priest may hold the secret to Amy's possession by spirits of the past, and to her ultimate salvation, in this creepy and romantic story of childhood betrayed, love lost and secrets rediscovered.
John Carter of Mars, Volume One, Edgar Rice Burroughs (Leonaur Ltd.)
John Carter of Mars, Volume One includes the component stories of The Princess of Mars (1912) & The Gods of Mars (1914). John Carter is a red-blooded American civil war hero and fighting man from Virginia. A strange incident whilst prospecting in Apache country propels him to Mars where he immediately encounters the enormous war-like green men of Mars and the planets equally alien landscapes, animals and technology. Soon Carter falls in with the red men (and their beautiful red women) and his non-stop adventures begin. Classic early science fiction from the creator of Tarzan - here are the first two novels of John Carter's Martian adventures - soon to be entirely published by Leonaur.
Slaine: The Exile, Steven Savile (Games Workshop Publishing)
Exile is the first verse in the Lay of Sláine Mac Roth, son of the Sessair. It follows his life between the ages of 12 and 19, and begins with young Sláine coming to terms with his warrior's gift, the Warp Spasm. Exile chronicles his acceptance into the elite warriors of the Red Branch, and his eventual exile from his own people for crimes against his King. Sláine encounters Ukko, a filthy dwarven scoundrel, who attaches himself to the young warrior, 'guiding' him towards his eventual return to claim the Kingship of the Sessair.
His Last Command, Dan Abnett (Games Workshop Publishing)
Returning from a long mission on a Chaos world, Commissar Gaunt finds that his old regiment, the Tanith First-and-Only, has been redeployed under a charismatic new commander. As the fighting becomes bitter, Gaunt is finally reunited with his men as the Imperial forces make one last desperate attempt to hold the line against the invaders. Ninth in the Gaunt’s Ghosts, Warhammer 40k series, His Last Command follows 2004’s Traitor General.
The Night Watch, Sergei Lukyanenko (Anchor Canada Press)
The Night Watch © Anchor Canada Press
First released in an Andrew Bromfield translation this past July, The Night Watch returns in a new edition to capitalize on the holiday cheer. More so than any other book, this riveting first installment of Lukyanenko’s duology deserves the larger audience.
Mistral's Kiss of the Meredith Gentry Series © Random House
The time has come for Meredith Gentry to put aside her detective work and fulfill her ultimate obligation to the world of Faerie - where her efforts to conceive an heir to the throne of the Unseelie Court are crucial to restoring magic, and life itself, to the fey kingdom. And though her quest may be rife with pleasures, the shadows of intrigue continue to suffuse the royal court...and sabotage may lurk at any turn. While the Unseelie Mound reawakens in the dead gardens, powerful curses are at work. Merry's uncle, the King of Light and Illusion, schemes to accuse her immortal guardsmen of heinous crimes. And Merry's own command of magic has turned wildly and dangerously unpredictable. As plots and counterplots are hatched, and strategies and subterfuges played out, the destiny of an entire world turns upon the fortunes of Merry Gentry: object of obsession, target of treachery, pawn of uncertain fate. Book five in the Meredith Gentry novels.
Pellucidar: The Inner World, Volume One, Edgar Rice Burroughs (Leonaur Ltd.)
Pellucidar: The Inner World, Volume One includes the novels At the Earth's Core (1914) & Pellucidar (1923). Wealthy David Innes and his scientist friend Abner Perry use Perry's invention, the "iron mole," to bore 500 miles into the Earth's crust. In the great tradition of scientific romances, what they encounter inside our planet quickly turns human knowledge on its head. They discover savage tribes, strange animals and nascent civilizations and become involved in wars, retribution and empire-building… all while rescuing and falling in love with beautiful, scantily clad maidens. Pellucidar: The Inner World is classic science fiction that will delight readers both old and new.
The Killing Song, Don Bassingthwaite (Wizards of the Coast Publishing)
Sealed away for ages, a forgotten horror reaches out for new power. Three heroes know the danger. In the City of Towers, a tormented mystic and a soldier-wizard try to thwart a monstrous scheme. In the Shadow Marches, a disgraced warrior summons an ancient sect to battle. As a dragon rises, can their struggle succeed? Or will they fall to madness and the music of the Killing Song… Book three of The Dragon Below trilogy, The Killing Song provides the action-packed conclusion to 2005’s The Binding Stone and 2006’s The Grieving Tree. Yeaaaaaa dragons! Can you tell I’m getting excited for Eragon the movie? I don’t even care if it’s bad, I’ll still be at the theatre with my sword, beer, and cockney British accent.
Death’s Legacy, Sandy Mitchell (Games Workshop Publishing)
Rudi and Hanna seek refuge in Altdorf, capital city of the Empire. Rudi finally discovers the dark secret of his family, and is forced to turn to his mortal enemy, the witch hunter Gerhard, for help. Can Rudi ever be free from the evil trapped in his soul, or will the battle to destroy it also destroy him? Sandy Mitchell, a.k.a. British author Alex Stewart, has written science fiction and fantasy, television scripts (including BBC’s espionage series “Bugs”), comics, and gaming material.
Carson of Venus, Volume One, Edgar Rice Burroughs (Leonaur Ltd.)
Carson of Venus, Volume One includes the novels of Pirates of Venus (1934) & Lost on Venus (1935). When Carson Napier, the All American adventurer and scientist embarks in his rocket ship to Mars events go disastrously wrong. Soon he is careering into the sun, but bizarre fortune has him crashing into Venus instead. There - in the 'cloud covered realm' his adventures begin in earnest as he experiences strange and alien flora and fauna (which seems intent on eating him) and exotic people ruled by equally exotic scantily clad maidens! Action comes hot upon action in this classic of early science fiction. This book contains the first two Carson of Venus novels - with more to come. What’s the deal with Burrough’s fascination with exotic, scantily clad maidens? Not like I’m really complaining but… you’re right, stupid question.
Alright that’s it guys. Check back next Tuesday for all the latest buzz on new sci fi, horror, and fantasy book releases. Questions or comments? Hit me up at PFerrara.mania@gmail.com.
