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Weekly Book Buzz: The Way of Kings
We Review Age of TV Heroes By
Tim Janson
August 31, 2010
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
© Tor Books
It’s all about Brandon Sanderson’s “The Way of Kings” this week, the first book in his new mega-epic fantasy series. For fans of Robert Jordan and George R.R. Martin who’ve been looking for a new series to sink their teeth into, Sanderson’s series expects to cover ten books over the next dozen years or so…and oh yeah…book one is over a thousand pages!
Sanderson’s book leads the way for a big release week that also includes The Evolutionary Void by Peter F. Hamilton, and a new novel based on the Supernatural TV Series.
The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive, The) Brandon Sanderson [Tor Hardcover]
Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.
It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.
One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.
Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.
Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar’s niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan’s motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.
Bearers of the Black Staff Terry Brooks (Del Rey Hardcover
Special thanks to Buzz reader Hobbs for pointing out that I missed this one off last week’s release docket! For more than three decades, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks has ruled the epic fantasy realm with his legendary Shannara series. With each new novel the mythos has deepened, ever more fascinating characters have arisen, and increasingly breathtaking vistas of magical adventure have emerged. Now the evolution of one of imaginative fiction’s most beloved worlds continues in the first book of the new series Legends of Shannara: Bearers of the Black Staff.
Five hundred years have passed since the devastating demon-led war that tore apart the United States, leaving nothing but scorched and poisoned ruins, and nearly exterminating humankind. Those who escaped the carnage and blight were led to sanctuary by the boy savior known as the Hawk—the gypsy morph. In an idyllic valley, its borders warded by powerful magic against the horrors beyond, humans, elves, and mutants alike found a place they believed would be their home forever.
But after five centuries, the unimaginable has come to pass: The cocoon of protective magic surrounding the valley has vanished. When Sider Ament, the only surviving descendant of the Knights of the Word, detects unknown predators stalking the valley, he fears the worst. And when Panterra Qu and Prue Liss, expert Trackers from the human village of Glensk Wood, find two of their own gruesomely killed, there can be no doubt: The once safe haven of generations has been laid bare and made vulnerable to whatever still lurks in the wasteland of the outside world.
Together, Ament, the two young Trackers, and a daring Elf princess race to spread word of the encroaching danger—and spearhead plans to defend their ancestral home. But suspicion and hostility among their countrymen threaten to doom their efforts from within—while beyond the breached borders, a ruthless Troll army masses for invasion. And in the thick of it all, the last wielder of the black staff and its awesome magic must find a successor to carry on the fight against the cresting new wave of evil.
Truthseeker C.E. Murphy [Del Rey]
Gifted with an uncanny intuition, Lara Jansen nonetheless thinks there is nothing particularly special about her. All that changes when a handsome but mysterious man enters her quiet Boston tailor shop and reveals himself to be a prince of Faerie. What’s more, Dafydd ap Caerwyn claims that Lara is a truthseeker, a person with the rare talent of being able to tell truth from falsehood. Dafydd begs Lara to help solve his brother’s murder, of which Dafydd himself is the only suspect.
Acting against her practical nature, Lara agrees to step through a window into another world. Caught between bitterly opposed Seelie forces and Dafydd’s secrets, which are as perilous as he is irresistible, Lara finds that her abilities are increasing in unexpected and uncontrollable ways. With the fate of two worlds at stake and a malevolent entity wielding the darkest of magic, Lara and Dafydd will risk everything on a love that may be their salvation—or the most treacherous illusion of all.
A Star Shall Fall Marie Brennan [Tor TPB]
The Royal Society of London plays home to the greatest minds of England. It has revolutionized philosophy and scientific knowledge. Its fellows map out the laws of the natural world, disproving ancient superstition and ushering in an age of enlightenment.
To the fae of the Onyx Court, living in a secret city below London, these scientific developments are less than welcome. Magic is losing its place in the world—and science threatens to expose the court to hostile eyes.
In 1666, a Great Fire burned four-fifths of London to the ground. The calamity was caused by a great Dragon—an elemental beast of flame. Incapable of destroying something so powerful, the fae of London banished it to a comet moments before the comet’s light disappeared from the sky. Now the calculations of Sir Edmond Halley have predicted its return in 1759.
So begins their race against time. Soon the Dragon’s gaze will fall upon London and it will return to the city it ravaged once before. The fae will have to answer the question that defeated them a century before: How can they kill a being more powerful than all their magic combined? It will take both magic and science to save London—but reconciling the two carries its own danger…
Queen of Shadows (A Novel of the Shadow World) Dianne Sylvan [Ace]
Meet Miranda Grey-music and magic are in her blood. Overwhelmed by her uncanny ability to manipulate people's emotions through her music, Miranda Grey comes to the attention of vampire lord David Solomon. Believing he can help bring her magic under control, David discovers that Miranda's powers may affect the vampire world too...
The Native Star M. K. Hobson [Spectra]
In the tradition of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, this brilliant first novel fuses history, fantasy, and romance. Prepare to be enchanted by M. K. Hobson’s captivating take on the Wild, Wild West.
The year is 1876. In the small Sierra Nevada settlement of Lost Pine, the town witch, Emily Edwards, is being run out of business by an influx of mail-order patent magics. Attempting to solve her problem with a love spell, Emily only makes things worse. But before she can undo the damage, an enchanted artifact falls into her possession—and suddenly Emily must flee for her life, pursued by evil warlocks who want the object for themselves.
Dreadnought Stanton, a warlock from New York City whose personality is as pompous and abrasive as his name, has been exiled to Lost Pine for mysterious reasons. Now he finds himself involuntarily allied with Emily in a race against time—and across the United States by horse, train, and biomechanical flying machine—in quest of the great Professor Mirabilis, who alone can unlock the secret of the coveted artifact. But along the way, Emily and Stanton will be forced to contend with the most powerful and unpredictable magic of all—the magic of the human heart.
Love Bites (Vampyres of Hollywood) Adrienne Barbeau [Thomas Dunne Hardcover]
Ovsanna Moore is a Hollywood siren, horror film legend, and cut throat producer. She also happens to be a 450-year-old vampyre. In the follow-up to the much acclaimed Vampyres of Hollywood, Adrienne Barbeau paints a wonderfully sly portrait of cinematic vampyres, as well as the nature of celebrity, and the entertainment industry. Her “Scream Queen” credentials make her the only author who could combine such a fastpaced, edgy plot with tongue-in-cheek references to the inner workings and vanity of Hollywood. A whirlwind of action, Love Bites is a clever take on vampyres readers will never forget.
King Rolen's Kin: The Usurper Rowena Cory Daniells [Solaris]
Now a slave, Piro finds herself in the Merofynian Palace where, if her real identity is discovered, she will be executed. Meanwhile, Fyn is desperate to help his brother, Bryen, who is now the uncrowned King. Bryen never sought power but now he finds himself at the centre of a dangerous resistance movement as the people of Rolencia flee vicious invaders. How can Byren defeat the invaders, when half his warriors are women and children, and the other half are untrained boys and old men?
As a wealthy few gather to bid on a predator capable of destroying all life on earth, the sorcerers of the Twenty Palace Society mobilize to stop them. Caught up in the scramble is Ray Lilly, the lowest of the low in the society—an ex–car thief and the expendable assistant of a powerful sorcerer. Ray possesses exactly one spell to his name, along with a strong left hook. But when he arrives in the small town in the North Cascades where the bidding is to take place, the predator has escaped and the society’s most powerful enemies are desperate to recapture it. All Ray has to do is survive until help arrives. But it may already be too late.
Game of Cages: A Twenty Palaces Novel Harry Connolly [Del Rey]
As a wealthy few gather to bid on a predator capable of destroying all life on earth, the sorcerers of the Twenty Palace Society mobilize to stop them. Caught up in the scramble is Ray Lilly, the lowest of the low in the society—an ex–car thief and the expendable assistant of a powerful sorcerer. Ray possesses exactly one spell to his name, along with a strong left hook. But when he arrives in the small town in the North Cascades where the bidding is to take place, the predator has escaped and the society’s most powerful enemies are desperate to recapture it. All Ray has to do is survive until help arrives. But it may already be too late.
The Darkest Edge of Dawn (Charlie Madigan, Book 2) Kelly Gay [Pocket]
It takes a strong woman to keep the peace in a city of endless night. . . .
Deep beneath Underground, a cunning bid for power and revenge has begun—one that threatens to make Atlanta the new battleground in the ultimate confrontation between good and evil. The powers of hellish Charbydon have the upper hand after plunging the city into primordial night. And under the cover of darkness, a serial killer targets the most powerful Elysians in the city, the angelic Adonai. For Detective Charlie Madigan and her siren partner Hank, tracking deadly predators is all in a day’s work . . . but this case will test the limits of their strength and friendship as it draws them into a deadly world of power plays, ancient myths, explosive secrets, and a race against time that risks all that Charlie holds dear.
Chosen (Anna Strong Chronicles, Book 6) Jeanne C. Stein [Ace]
Anna Strong's primitive vampire instincts are getting harder to control. And a new enemy wants to take advantage of that fact, for Anna has been chosen to shape the destiny of all vampires-and all humans.
Century of the Soldier (The Monarchies of God) Paul Kearney [Solaris]
By the mid sixth century of Ramusian reckoning the great struggle is approaching its climax. For the victor there will be supremacy; for the vanquished, cultural annihilation. Fighting that war, Corfe of Torunna will find that court intrigue can be as murderous as any martial foe. The monks Albrec and Avila will explode a bombshell of secret knowledge which will change the continent irrevocably. And Richard Hawkwood will return with the discovery of a New World. The sixth century is the crucible of history. The century of the soldier.
New in Sci-Fi
Noise: A Novel Darin Bradley [Del Rey]
This haunting debut from a brilliant new voice is sure to be as captivating as it is controversial, a shocking look at the imminent collapse of American civilization—and what will succeed it.
In the aftermath of the switch from analog to digital TV, an anarchic movement known as Salvage hijacks the unused airwaves. Mixed in with the static’s random noise are dire warnings of the imminent economic, political, and social collapse of civilization—and cold-blooded lessons on how to survive the fall and prosper in the harsh new order that will inevitably arise from the ashes of the old.
Hiram and Levi are two young men, former Scouts and veterans of countless Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. Now, on the blood-drenched battlefields of university campuses, shopping malls, and gated communities, they will find themselves taking on new identities and new moralities as they lead a ragtag band of hackers and misfits to an all-but-mythical place called Amaranth, where a fragile future waits to be born.
Killbox (Jax, Book 4) Ann Aguirre [Ace]
Navigational grimspace "jumper" Sirantha Jax forms an army to defend colonists stationed on the outskirts of space from a legion of flesh- eating aliens.
The Evolutionary Void Peter F. Hamilton [Del Rey Hardcover]
An innovator praised as one of the inventors of “the new space opera,” Peter F. Hamilton has also been hailed as the heir of such golden-age giants as Heinlein and Asimov. His star-spanning sagas are distinguished by deft plotting, engaging characters, provocative explorations of science and society, and soaring imaginative reach. Now, in one of the most eagerly anticipated offerings of the year, Hamilton brings his acclaimed Void trilogy to a stunning close.
Exposed as the Second Dreamer, Araminta has become the target of a galaxywide search by government agent Paula Myo and the psychopath known as the Cat, along with others equally determined to prevent—or facilitate—the pilgrimage of the Living Dream cult into the heart of the Void. An indestructible microuniverse, the Void may contain paradise, as the cultists believe, but it is also a deadly threat. For the miraculous reality that exists inside its boundaries demands energy—energy drawn from everything outside those boundaries: from planets, stars, galaxies . . . from everything that lives.
Meanwhile, the parallel story of Edeard, the Waterwalker—as told through a series of addictive dreams communicated to the gaiasphere via Inigo, the First Dreamer—continues to unfold. But now the inspirational tale of this idealistic young man takes a darker and more troubling turn as he finds himself faced with powerful new enemies—and temptations more powerful still.
With time running out, a repentant Inigo must decide whether to release Edeard’s final dream: a dream whose message is scarcely less dangerous than the pilgrimage promises to be. And Araminta must choose whether to run from her unwanted responsibilities or face them down, with no guarantee of success or survival. But all these choices may be for naught if the monomaniacal Ilanthe, leader of the breakaway Accelerator Faction, is able to enter the Void. For it is not paradise she seeks there, but dominion.
New in Horror
Vampires in Devil Town Wayne Hixon [Grindhouse]
One evening Rachel Stokes is yanked from her bed and dragged into a black van by two young abductors. They refer to her as a chosen sacrifice and her mind races, wondering where they might be taking her. She thinks she knows. There's a house located in a hollow of rural Lynchville. It's called the Sad House, a place of legend. Rumors say it appears and disappears. Even worse than the house are the people who live in it. They could be vampires. They could just be ghosts with teeth. They've come after Rachel before and she narrowly escaped. And now they've come back to finish what they started in this horrifying and suspenseful novel by first time author Wayne Hixon.
Supernatural : War of the Sons Rebecca Dessertine [Titan Books]
Twenty-seven years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. In the years after, their father, John, taught them about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America... and he taught them how to kill it.
On the hunt for Lucifer, the boys find themselves in a small town in South Dakota where they meet Don - an angel with a proposition... Don sends them a very long way from home, on a mission to uncover the secret Satan never wanted them to find out. A brand-new Supernatural novel that reveals a previously unseen adventure for the Winchester brothers, from the hit CW series!
Let Me In John Ajvide Lindqvist [St. Martins]
Set in 1983,Let Me In is the horrific tale of Oskar and Eli. It begins with the grizzly discovery of the body of a teenage boy, emptied of blood. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last—revenge for all the bad things the bullies at school do to him, day after day. While Oskar is fascinated by the murder, it is not the most important thing in his life. A new girl has moved in next door—a girl who has never seen a Rubik’s cube before, but who can solve it at once. They become friends. Then something more. But there is something wrong with her, something odd. And she only comes out at night. . . .
Reviews
Thun’Da King of the Congo Frank Frazetta (Dark Horse Archive Edition)
Most people know the late Frank Frazetta from his legendary fantasy paintings depicting Conan the Barbarian. Frazetta did as much to turn people on to Conan as the creator, Robert E. Howard. But many people may not know that Frazetta got his start working on comic strips and comic books. Most of his work was done for EC Comics but he branched out to other publishers such as Magazine Enterprises. It is here where Frazetta worked on his first, and ONLY, cover-to-cover, all Frazetta art comic, Thun’Da #1, in 1952.
Now Thun’Da may have appeared to be nothing more than a Tarzan knockoff and that’s at least partially true. Thun’Da was Roger Drum, a World War II United States Air Force pilot who was shot down while flying over a valley deep in the heart of Africa. The area in which Drum crashes, however, is less like Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Africa and more like The Savage Land of Marvel Comic’s Ka-Zar. In fact it’s quite easy to see how Stan Lee may have been influenced by Thun’Da when he created Ka-Zar. Drum’s Congo is a throwback in time and mixes eras as cavement live side-by-side with dinosaurs, mammoths, and saber-tooth tigers.
Thun’Da aids a group of jungle dwellers against a tribe of savage cavemen and becomes their champion. He gains the name Thun’Da for the sound his gun makes when fired and falls in love with Pha, the jungle tribe’s queen. That first issue featured four stories in all. Frazetta co-wrote the stories along with the prolific comic writer Gardner Fox. One problem though…Frazetta only worked on one issue of Thun’Da, then left to work on a newspaper strip. The other 5 issues of the series were drawn by Bob Powell, a competent, steady artist but who had nowhere near Frazetta’s talent.
The difference between the two styles is staggering. Frazetta provides fine line, very detailed work, giving his characters more depth. Powell’s art is typical of the 1950s when they were not so much concerned with style and more about getting work done fast and cheaply. Powell’s backgrounds are typically blank, solid colors while Frazetta put far more detail in the backgrounds. It’s hard to say if one issue of Frazetta Art makes this $50 archive edition worth the price tag. If you’re a completist, and huge Frazetta fan it may work for you. Grade B
Age of TV Heroes Jason Hofius George Khoury (TwoMorrows Publications Hardcover)
Age of TV Heroes is a tribute to superhero TV shows past and present published by TwoMorrows, the foremost publisher of books about comics. TV has always had a love affair with superheroes. From the Golden Age of TV through the present, TV networks have embraced adventure heroes as staples on their weekly lineups. Jason Hofius and George Khoury’s book guides readers through nearly 60 years of superhero and adventure TV shows that is fun and informative.
The book’s focus is on live action shows, not animated shows,,,perhaps another time for that one. It takes a look at ongoing shows, made-for-TV movies, as well as aired and unaired pilot shows. It all began in 1952 with the first and greatest superhero if them all, Superman. The Adventures of Superman hit the national airwaves in 1953, starring George Reeves as the Man of Steel. The book covers the shows entire run with a history of the character and the TV show. The authors have done a meticulous job of researching this, and all of the shows in the book, giving the reader a behind-the-scenes look at the production of the shows. For The Adventures of Superman, Jack Larson, who played Jimmy Olsen, provides his insight on working on the show and with his co-star, George Reeves. In all, the show ran for 104 episodes, half filmed in color and half in black and white.
Of course, you can’t talk about superhero TV shows without covering the 1960s camp classic Batman. No show may have bigger than Batman for such a relatively short period of time. The book not only covers the show but the many villainous guest-stars and perhaps the biggest star of all the Batmobile with an exclusive interview with the car’s creator, George Barris.
Saturday morning TV in the 1970s wasn’t all about animated shows, one of the most popular shows of the era was 1974’s “Shazam” featuring the live-action adventures of Captain Marvel. Played by Jackson Bostwick and later John Davey, Shazam was a show that tried to teach a moral lesson each week but featured better than expected special effects and action, considering the tiny budget. Bostwick provides his comments about doing the show and about his being replaced in unceremonious manner by network execs.
Also featured is a look at not only the Wonder Woman TV show starring Lynda Carter but also the earlier made-for-TV movie that starred Cathy Lee Crosby in the role, looking nothing like the comic book version. All of your other favorites are included: Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Witchblade, Smallville, Superboy, Swamp Thing, The Flash, Greatest American Hero, even The Tick! It looks at TV films like the two God Awful 1970s Captain America Films with Reb Brown, Doctor Strange, Nick Fury, and the rarely seen Generation X which preceded the first theatrical X-Men film by several years.
The gorgeous book is filled with hundreds of full color photos and features many other surprises. Just one question though…where the heck is the Green Hornet? Grade A
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Read WoK last night. It was pretty good. As some people point out, his magic duels still read like someone narrating video game moves. But there was a lot less of that in this novel and a lot more about the characters. It was a better book because of it.