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Weekly Book Buzz: Suck it, Wonder Woman by Olivia Munn
2009 Hugo Award Winners announced By
Tim Janson
September 07, 2010
Olivia Munn's Tell it like it is!
© St. Martins
The winners of the 2009 Hugo Awards were announced on September 5th during Aussiecon in Belbourne, Australia. For best novel there was a tie between The City & The City by China Miéville, and The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. For the complete list of winners visit here 2009 Hugo Winners Also at Aussiecon it was announced that Harper’s Sci-Fi/fantasy imprint Eos would change its name to Harper Voyager in January 2011.
This week our featured reviews are G4 Network Queen Olivia Munn’s Suck it, Wonder Woman, and a great new swords and sorcery anthology Swords and Dark Magic.
New in Fantasy
Twelve Jasper Kent [PYR TPB]
The voordalak--creature of legend, the tales of which have terrified Russian children for generations. But for Captain Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov--a child of more enlightened times--it is a legend that has long been forgotten. Besides, in the autumn of 1812, he faces a more tangible enemy: the Grande Armee of Napoleon Bonaparte.
City after city has fallen to the advancing French, and it now seems that only a miracle will keep them from Moscow itself. In desperation, Aleksei and his comrades enlist the help of the Oprichniki--a group of twelve mercenaries from the furthest reaches of Christian Europe, who claim that they can turn the tide of the war. It seems an idle boast, but the Russians soon discover that the Oprichniki are indeed quite capable of fulfilling their promise ... and much more.
Unnerved by the fact that so few can accomplish so much, Aleksei remembers those childhood stories of the voordalak. And as he comes to understand the true, horrific nature of these twelve strangers, he wonders at the nightmare they've unleashed in their midst....
Salute the Dark Adrian Tchaikovsky (Shadows of the Apt, Book 4) [PYR]
The vampiric sorcerer Uctebri has at last got his hands on the Shadow Box and can finally begin his dark ritual--a ritual that the Wasp-kinden Emperor believes will grant him immortality--but Uctebri has his own plans for both the Emperor and the Empire. The massed Wasp armies are on the march, and the spymaster Stenwold must see which of his allies will stand now that the war has finally arrived. This time the Empire will not stop until a black and gold flag waves over Stenwold's own home city of Collegium.
Tisamon the Weaponsmaster is faced with a terrible choice: a path that could lead him to abandon his friends and his daughter, to face degradation and loss, that might possibly bring him before the Wasp Emperor with a blade in his hand--but is he being driven by Mantis-kinden honor, or manipulated.
Path of the Sun: A Novel of Dhulyn and Parno Violette Malan [DAW TPB]
Mercenary partners Dhulyn Wolfshead and Parno Lionsmane think they're escorting the Princess of Arderon to her wedding with the new Tarkin of Menoin, but the Mercenary Brotherhood has a secret mission for them: find out what happened to the two Brothers who were sent on assignment to Menoin a year ago-and vanished.
Once in Menoin, they discover that the Brothers' disappearance is linked to a series of killings. And when the Princess of Arderon's corpse is found mutilated in the same way as the others, Dhulyn and Parno track the killer into the Path of the Sun, an ancient labyrinth from which people sometimes never return...
No Mercy (Dark-Hunter Novels) Sherrilyn Kenyon [St. Martin’s Hardcover]
Live fast, fight hard and if you have to die then take as many of your enemies with you as you can. That is the Amazon credo and it was one Samia lived and died by. Now in contemporary New Orleans, the immortal Amazon warrior is about to learn that there’s a worse evil coming to slaughter mankind than she’s ever faced before.
Shapeshifter Dev Peltier has stood guard at the front of Sanctuary for almost two hundred years and in that time, he’s seen it all. Or so he thought. Now their enemies have discovered a new source of power- one that makes a mockery of anything faced to date. The war is on and Dev and Sam are guarding ground zero. But in order to win, they will have to break the most cardinal of all rules and pray it doesn’t unravel the universe as we know it.
Key of Stars: Abolethic Sovereignty, Book III Bruce R. Cordell [Wizards of the Coast]
Raidon Kane survived his clash against the eldest aboleth, but came away with his mind shattered. Destiny hands Raidon one last chance to avert the Abolethic Sovereignty's agenda, but only if he can find within himself the strength to care. Raidon, the warlock Japheth, and Anusha, a young woman whose dreams are made real, must find Key of Stars before it is used to open the Far Manifold, and all reality drowns in a tide of horrific insanity.
Hellfire: Plague of Dragons Robert Weinberg [Running Press Hardcover]
In the fourteenth century, a horrific plague swept out from the barbaric East to decimate the great nations of Europe. This killer that spared no man, woman, or child—the Black Death—is well-known and documented. But there was also a second disaster that occurred at the same time, no less brutal than the Black Death, a living plague that killed without mercy which has gone untold and unrecorded—until now. A plague consisting of a horde of monstrous beasts unlike any seen before, or since: a plague of dragons.
This lavishly illustrated volume tells the story through a lost manuscript and accompanying artwork by fourteenth-century French wine merchant and confidant of popes and kings, Robertus of Avignon (1320–1387), found in the Historical Museum of New York in 2005. Discovered in a box of artifacts, historical documents, and original illustrations purchased by the museum in 1922, his illuminated manuscript and more than two dozen illustrations are reproduced in this spectacular volume that brings to life in great detail the majestic, domineering, and dangerous qualities of dragons.
Featuring the breathtaking images of best-selling fantasy art illustrator Tom Wood and written by prolific author Robert Weinberg, this vibrant and remarkably original book is sure to be a must-have for dragon lovers and historical fantasy fans alike.
The Grimrose Path (Trickster, Book 2) Rob Thurman [Roc]
Bar owner Triva Iktomi knows that inhuman creatures of light and darkness roam Las Vegas-especially since she's a bit more than human herself. She's just been approached with an unusual proposition. Something has slaughtered almost one thousand demons in six months. And the killing isn't going to stop unless Trixa and her friends step into the fight...
Coronets and Steel Sherwood Smith [DAW Hardcover]
California girl Kim Murray is unsatisfied with grad school and restless in life. Modern men disappoint her, and she studies ballet and fencing because they remind her of older, more romantic times.
She lives with her parents and her beloved but secretive aristocratic grandmother, who speaks only French and refuses to share stories about the mysterious family she left behind in Europe, inspiring Kim to travel there and find her roots. Kim soon finds herself swept up in an adventure of fantastic deceptions and passionate intrigue-and a shocking realization about her own bloodline that leaves her reeling.
New in Sci-Fi
The Hunt for Voldorius (Space Marines) Andy Hoare [Games Workshop TPB]
A warleader of the renegade Alpha Legion, the demon prince Kernax Voldrius's reign of terror has bled across the stars, leaving billions dead. Captain Kor'sarroKhan of the White Scars Chapter is petitioned to hunt down and destroy Voldorius. Tracking the beast doggedly for over a decade, Kor'sarro Khan finally drags Voldorius to battle on Quintus, a world that has totally fallen to the Alpha Legion. Now together with their Raven Guard allies, the White Scars must combat an entire planet if they are to slay the daemon price.
The High King of Montival: A Novel of the Change (Change Series) S. M. Stirling [Roc Hardcover]
With The Sword of the Lady, Rudi Mackenzie's destiny was determined. Now he returns to Montival in the Pacific Northwest, where he will face the legions of the Prophet. To achieve victory, Rudi must assemble a coalition of those who had been his enemies a few months before and forge them into an army that will rescue his homeland. Only then will Rudi be able to come to terms with how the Sword has changed him, as well as the world, and assume his place as Artos, High King of Montival...
New In Horror
The Disappearance Bentley Little [Signet]
When Gary's girlfriend Joan vanishes, calls to her parents' home yield only dead air. Her school records are gone. There is no longer any evidence that she even existed. Most disturbing of all is what Gary does find: a warning and a tantalizing clue, leading to a mysterious backward cult known as the Homesteaders. Now Gary may be the next to disappear.
Reviews
Suck it, Wonder Woman: The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek Olivia Munn (St, Martin’s Press)
To comic book and pop culture geeks all over the world she is both their queen and their court jester…she is Olivia Munn and this is her story. In a few short years Munn, co-host of the G4 network’s “Attack of the Show” has risen to cult-like status with her quirky personality, self-deprecating humor…not to mention she’s hot! But contrary to popular belief, Munn wasn’t an overnight sensation. Her book is part auto-biography, part Munn’s view on life, and all entertaining.
Munn is the product of a German-Irish father and a Chinese mother. However her mother remarried when she was two to a man in the U.S. Air Force and grew up on a military base in Japan where she studied theater and became a fashion model, eventually returning to the states to study journalism but eventually began pursuing acting.
Munn’s book alternates between her life story and her thoughts on a variety of subjects as diverse as unprotected sex, an impending attack on the Earth by alien robots, turning down an offer to pose for Playboy Magazine then doing it without nudity, and an ex-boyfriend confessing he fantasizes about performing oral sex…on another guy. Yes fanboy nation, Olivia talks about sex…a lot…in her book.
The book jumps around from subject to subject and in that regard it’s uneven but matches the flighty Munn. She is funny and engaging and not afraid to say what’s on her mind. Her greatest appeal to her fans is that she is one of them and not afraid to show it. Grade A-
Swords and Dark Magic Lou Anders (Eos TPB)
One of the things I’ve missed in fantasy are the great swords & sorcery anthologies of the 1970s and 1980s like Lin Carter’s “Flashing Swords” and Karl Edward Wagner’s “Echoes of Valor”. I’m happy to say the S&S anthology is back thanks to editors Lou Anders and Jonathan Strahan in Swords and Dark Magic. The book features 17 original stories from the likes of Glen Cook, Tim Lebbon, Michael Moorcock, Gene Wolf, Robert Silverberg, Tanith Lee, C.J. Cherryh, and Micheal Shea. These include all-new tales from their most well known characters and settings including a new Elric story; Cook with a new tale of his Black Company; a new Majipoor tale from Silverberg; and Shea with an authorized adventure of Jack Vance’s Cugel the Clever.
“Tides Elba” is Cook’s new Black Company tale and finds the group experiencing some unprecedented downtime…but it won’t last for long. A bit short on action but filled with intrigue and Cook’s usual colorful dialogue.
“The Singing Spear” by James Enge features his drunken wizard Ambrose in a light tale that is filled with humor and action.
Moorcock’s “Red Pearls” is an Elric novella and while its not the strongest story in the book, it expands the world of Elric although it might not go over well as a stand alone story if you’re not an Elric fan.
I had never read anything by Scott Lynch before his story “In the Stacks” and now I definitely have to check out more. The students as a school for wizardry have one last assignment. They have to venture down into the school’s library and return several books to their proper location…in a library that is intelligent and fraught with peril.
Bill Willingham, known primarily for his comic book writing provides a short but rousing adventure called “The Thieves of Daring” which harkens back to Leiber’s Fafrhd and the Grey Mouser stories. A group of adventurers are off to rob a wizard.
The biggest disappointment to Swords and Dark Magic is that the stories written by some of the best known writers like Silverberg, Wolfe, and Lee fall flat. I don’t know if I’m holding them to higher expectations but their stories failed to interest me. Grade B
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I chimed in super late on the last book buzz and figured no one would ever reply to me. So here it is again a bit edited.
There was a lot of talk about Way of Kings (never heard of it but is definitely now on my list) in the last Book Buzz, but what about Evolutionary Void? Anyone read these? I'm about 30 pages away from finishing it at the moment. Amazing series! I think I have enjoyed it even more than the Night's Dawn Trilogy, which was exceptional reading as well. What happens in the Commonwealth is great, but for me, Edeard's story puts this series over the top. I highly recommend these books. You'd have to start with Judas Unchained and Pandora's Star before moving on to the Void Trilogy though. The events in the Void take place 1500 years after the events in the first two books, so some of the characters you follow are still around.
I was happy to read about this 10 book series starting with Way of Kings though ... sounds like my cup of tea. I for one love these multi-novel sagas. Even though the waits between books are tough, you really get to know the characters and care for what happens much more deeply than any singular novel. Not saying a single book can't do the same. But if I really love a book, I usually want to read more. Not sure when I'll get to reading this new series though. I've got a list of about 6 sci-fi and fantasy series to read that a writer friend of mine gave me. His first book is finally getting published. Hopefully it will make this list whenever it comes out! Next on my list to read is The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.
I'm sure Munn's novel is pretty funny, but I'm not that into non-fiction. Although I did read some Bill Bryson a year or two ago and enjoyed his rants on 50's era life during his childhood. Being that Munn is a fellow nerd, it might be worth a read.