A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin

Synopsis:

When a man is tired of London he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford - Samuel Johnson In fact, Dr Johnson was only half right. There is in London much more than life - there is power. It ebbs and flows with the rhythms of the city, makes runes from the alignments of ancient streets and hums with the rattle of trains and buses; it waxes and wanes with the patterns of the business day. It is a new kind of magic: urban magic. Enter a London where magicians ride the Last Train, implore favours of The Beggar King and interpret the insane wisdom of The Bag Lady. Enter a London where beings of power soar with the pigeons and scrabble with the rats, and seek insight in the half-whispered madness of the blue electric angels. Enter the London of Matthew Swift, where rival sorcerers, hidden in plain sight, do battle for the very soul of the city ...

I have waited a long while to finish reading this for one purpose only: knowing how much I would like it...I didn't want to have too long to wait for the second novel by Kate Griffin to appear. And The Midnight Mayor is due to grace our bookshelves around September, so it's not too long a wait.

Quite a few things are immediately apparent to anyone picking up a copy of A Madness of Angels - firstly, Kate Griffin loves London, she knows it inside out and she is a walking encyclopedia of small streets, graffiti and bridges. (I am sure she secretly works at the offices who produce the London A-Z.) Something else which is apparent is her storytelling prowess - the girl shines. Like Marie Brennan in Midnight Never Come, she has scratched the surface of the myths of the city and come up with a brand new set of archetypes which suit London and its residents perfectly. She twists and turns the storyline in interesting (and sometimes confusing) but always entertaining ways and makes you look past what you see every day as you commute into work and walk around in your all too brief lunch hour.

As for the story: it starts off a little chaotically and made me re-read it a few times. Until I got what was going on and then off I went; following Matthew Swift after two years of being dead, as he discovers why he's back, who brought him back, what's going on at the moment and how to survive in a world that he doesn't quite recognise all that much anymore. The reason for his confusion: he died an awful death. And thought himself dead...until he found himself alive again. Make sense? *sly wink*

I felt a bit ill during the course of the book as the creatures he comes across are not at all pleasant - for instance, he encounters the Litterbug and it is hugely reminiscent of the creature in Constantine (the movie) but quite a bit worse. It freaked me out, no end. A highlight of sickening creatures has to be the Hunger - whose sole purpose it is to feed. Hunger's "character" is written well and although I suspected how things were linked it was fantastic to see how Kate ties it all up. Especially when it came to the blue angels - the odd surreal moments in the novel where the narrative goes from I to we is a brilliant trick Kate uses to indicate the otherworldly nature of who Matthew Swift is and what he is becoming.

The magic used in the novel is very cleverly thought out. Sadly, saying more on the subject will make it sound trite but trust me when I say it is fresh and different and, once you think about it, you go "bloody hell, she got it right on the nose!" and hate/love Kate Griffin even more.

I would recommend A Madness of Angels to readers of the Jim Butcher Dresden Files, the Mike Carey Felix Castor books, along with fans of Neil Gaiman's books and Sandman graphic novels. Anyone who has ever played World Of Darkness RPG in any of its guises would love this too - it is taking world building and concepts to a different level. In fact, I would say that A Madness of Angels is on par with Neil Gaiman's American Gods...and probably more accessible as the archetypes dealt with in Madness is easier to access.

As this is one of our Summer Reads List, I am happy to score it a high 8 out of 10 stars!

The First Law trilogy: The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged & Last Argument Of Kings - Joe Abercrombie

My original idea was to do three separate reviews for the trilogy, looking at each book separately.

However, I found myself unable to stop after The Blade Itself; I had kind of suspected that this would be the case by the end of Chapter 1, to be honest. I had opened TBI without any expectations or pre-conceived ideas about what to expect and man, Joe’s gritty and hopelessly addictive style was a revelation, as was the seemingly effortless way that he deals with the various threads and points of view, keeping them tight and lean.

The story evolves as it progresses, building a cast of characters that are sympathetic, likeable and complex, without ever threatening to bog things down with excruciating lumps of exposition. The trilogy covers little over a year in the life of the characters, and crams in two different wars, a (almost) heroic quest to the Edge of the World, murder, intrigue, betrayal, ungainly sex, cannibals, feuding mages from the dawn of civilisation and the occasional exploding henchman.

Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he can write!

Some people might feel the trilogy is a bit light on the world building side of things, but any perceived shortcomings in this respect are more than compensated for by the fluid storytelling and irresistible pace. It’s a thoroughly entertaining body of work and deserves a prominent place on anyone’s bookshelf.

As this is one of our Summer Reads List books I have to give it 9 / 10 stars as it is just that blindingy good a read.

Eye of the Serpent by Philip Caveney

Synopsis

Egypt 1923.

Fifteen-year-old Alec Devlin is on his way to the Valley of the Kings. Accompanied by his faithful valet, Coates, Alec is to spend his summer holidays working on his Uncle Will’s archaeological dig. It’s not the first time he's spent his summer this way . . . but this year things are different.

Uncle Will and his young assistant, Tom Hinton, have recently made an amazing discovery – an ancient tomb hidden deep below the earth. But only hours after opening its doors, Uncle Will falls mysteriously ill and Tom seems to have disappeared without trace.

Together with Ethan Wade, the young American soldier of fortune who is managing the dig in Uncle Will's absence, and a pretty French woman called Madeleine Duval, Alec sets about unravelling the tomb’s mysteries. Seemingly harmless animals have turned into rabid killers . . . long dead mummies are rising from their tombs . . . the spirit of a powerful High Priest is claiming the bodies of the living as his living hosts . . . Together Alec and Ethan must confront a terror that has waited three thousand years to be reborn.

This novel for younger readers really does hold a flaming candle for the action adventure pulp stories from days gone by, recently resuscitated by Stephen Sommers and the Mummy franchise.

Although the novel is aimed at 9 - 11 year olds, the author does not stint on the horror or his storytelling. In fact, it is a little over the top and perfectly pitched to hold your attention.

I did like the main character, Alec Devlin, and am hoping to see more of him. He is one of those intelligent creations that you enjoy reading - he does not become tedious and too good for his own boots and unbelievable in his actions.

The setting of the novel is also well thought out - with the famous archaeologist Howard Carter making a cameo/guest appearance. His discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the King gives Alec's uncle the perfect excuse to "fly under the radar" as such as the world's eyes are turned on Carter's amazing discovery.

I was quite shaken by the scene which turns Uncle Will insane - not pleasant at all and quite terrifying but I am sure the kids will lap it up. The action and adventure is non-stop and with the amount of creatures attacking Alec and Ethan and the camp, I'm surprised they've not fled for the hills. Especially the bats! - shudder -

One point of great interest to me was how Caveney used language and dialogue to form a clear differential between the English, French and American characters in this book. Ethan's character comes through very well with his use of the words "okay" and other Americanisms. Compare him with Alec's almost formal way of speech and with Ms. Duval's hesitant English, and it makes for interesting reading.

Eye of the Serpent set Alec's character very well for further adventures. The era is also perfect for this "boys own" adventure and I am looking forward to seeing what else Mr. Caveney has up his multi-talented sleeve.

As Eye of the Serpent is one of our Summer Reads I am happy to score it at:

7.5 stars out of 10

The Poison Garden by Sarah Singleton

Synopsis:

It is the 1850's, and a young boy, Thomas, leaves his family to be apprenticed to a pharmacist, at the behest of his dead grandmother. He also inherits a magical box from her, which provides him entry into a mysterious garden. But while visiting it, he sees a ghostly vision of his grandmother, who tells him she was poisoned, and warns him that he must find the person responsible, and save her precious garden. For she was one of five members of an arcane guild, each of whom cultivated an individual garden, mastering the art of poison, perfume and medicine. The guild members jostle for power as, one by one, they are murdered... can Thomas solve the mystery, before he in turn is threatened?

I fell in love with Sarah Singleton through reading The Amethyst Child last year. This is from part of the review I did for The Amethyst Child:

The Amethyst Child is not really a book that you read as much as experience. It is an absolutely gripping book which I would highly recommend reading for Sarah Singleton's deft touch with the poetic pen, vibrant characterisation and for her pure unadulterated storytelling skill.

Sarah has moved on from this almost dreamlike summer laden novel from last year to offer us a deeply dark, wonderfully Gothic novel in The Poison Garden.

Written with an deceptive ease and skill we very quickly come to know the 1850's world Thomas inhabits. We are drawn into the strange garden he discovers and to the story of the arcane guild, relatively newly resurrected and by the driven character whose shadow seems to loom throughout the novel.

The story moves swiftly and is peppered with eccentric and intriguing characters, anyone of whom could be responsible for his grandmother's death. The group calling themselves the Guild of Medical Herbalists is a small and intimate one. The suspect list is limited and as each bit of information gets added to the story, you find yourself nodding and saying "maybe him...maybe her..."

It is a competently written murder-mystery with Thomas being the central figure holding all the strands. He is a lovely creation - at first slightly shy and hesitant but his character growth is well plotted and soon we have a very capable, stubborn and ultimately a very likeable character on our hands who starts unravelling the plot and picking up clues.

Some parts are terrifically complex and surreal and I felt that younger readers may not entirely quite grasp some of the concepts, which is why this should be handed to slightly older readers who enjoy more of a challenge. There are some grisly bits, as there is bound to be, but what is most striking in this novel is the complexity of the world Ms. Singleton's created. I would have loved for the novel to be a bit longer - purely because I wanted to spend more time with Thomas - and that is entirely a personal thought.

As The Poison Garden is one of our Summer Reads, I get to score it and am happy to give it a well deserved 7.5 stars our of 10.

Black and White by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge

Synopsis

Once best friends at an elite superhero training academy, Callie Bradford--code name Iridium--and Joannie Greene--code name Jet--are now mortal enemies. Jet is a by-the-book hero, using her Shadow power to protect the citizens of New Chicago. Iridium, with her mastery of Light, runs the city's underworld. For years the two have played a dangerous game of cat and mouse.But now playtime's over. A looming evil threatens both them and the world they share. As Jet works with a "normal" man who has an extraordinary ability to make her weak in the knees, Iridium teams with a mysterious vigilante called Taser. Both Jet and Iridium are convinced that the other woman is the key to a catastrophe of apocalyptic proportions.


Three things sold me on this book: 1. the cover, 2. the fact that it was about superheroes and 3. that well, it looked like two kick-ass authors had some tremendous fun writing this and I wanted to see what they threw into the mix. I've said this before and I'll say it again: I am a fickle soul.



What I did not expect is to fall deeply into smutty love with the two main characters, Iridium and Jet!


Jet is a Shadow, a by the book superhero, mouthing platitudes and the party line like some Judge Dredd clone. Jet is also bound to go insane because of her power. This is historically accurate and references are made in the novel to her father losing it. I had a lot of empathy for Jet, readily seeing how much she is a victim of the Corp which handles the Squadron. Her utmost fear is going insane, she remembers distinctly what happened when her father gave in to the Shadow...


Iridium is a Light, wild, reckless, honest, brave and a rabid. In other words, she's a superhero that's gone rogue. She sits in the centre of a web of criminal activity in the city of New Chigago and she uses her genius intellect to remain a thorn in the side of Corp. Her father, an ex-hero, is locked away from society and she heavily feels his continuing demand on her, seeing him as an unsung hero, the one who helped everyone, not just the people Corp preferred helping.


We get to learn to know Jet and Iridium during their formative schooling years at the Academy, alongside a group of secondary characters. The novel zooms in and out of various events, highlighting the girls friendship and how they are torn apart. The novel is very cleverly set-up. There is a lot of show-not-tell and the secondary characters are used to full effect here, something I liked seeing.


Each chapter is headed by a quote and the quotes run the gamut of being amusing, interesting, to the thought provoking.

From Chapter 58

Heroes must always have someone to play the villain. Otherwise, the world have no use for them.

Lester Bradford, statement made during sentencing at his felony trial.

Kessler and Kittredge manage to keep an even balance between the two main characters - you gradually come to be immersed in their personalities and their ongoing battles. The line between hero and villain is so very slender and they have taken great pains to show this. This also reflects - obviously - real life. Things are never ONLY ever black and white, no matter how much you try to be a palladin or virtue.


The cracks in the futuristic society are subtly highlighted - nothing in this novel is in your face. It is a textbook case of how to plot, create engaging characters, keep the pace going, and then spin it all around and deliver an even a better ending than you were expecting.


I'm a bit at a loss for words to continue describing B&W as it is so much more than just a superhero novel, or rather, so much more than an incredibly well written superhero novel. So much happens to the characters and in their futuristic world, that even trying to hint at it, would contain spoilers and that, dear readers, would seriously detract from your own enjoyment of this very cool novel.


Black and White serves to set the scene, very adequately, for the rest of the series. I am looking forward to the further exploration of the current world, its history and how these superheroes will be tackling the breakdown of its society and governing principles. A very interesting and astute read and hopefully the series will encourage some who would turn their noses up at reading a novel about superheroes! Especially if they think it's kids' stuff....


I do however have one complaint and regret. I was way too keen to read this. I should have waited. A little while at least. Because then the wait for the second novel, Shades of Grey, would not have been so long!


Find Jackie's site here - http://www.jackiekessler.com/blackandwhite/index.php and Caitlin's site, here - http://www.caitlinkittredge.com/ . This is the site that's been put up for The Icarus Project - http://www.jetandiridium.com/index.php .

As Black and White is part of the Summer Reads List, I am giving it a VERY conservative 8/10 stars.

Nights of Villjamur, Mark Charan Newton

An ice age strikes a chain of islands, and thousands come to seek sanctuary at the gates of Villjamur: a city of ancient spires and bridges, a place where banshees wail the deceased, cultists use forgotten technology for their own gain and where, further out, the dead have been seen walking across the tundra.

When the Emperor commits suicide, his elder daughter, Rika, is brought home to lead the Jamur Empire, but the sinister Chancellor plans to get rid of her and claim the throne for himself.

Meanwhile a senior investigator in the city inquisition must solve the high-profile and savage murder of a city politician, whilst battling evils within his own life, and a handsome and serial womanizer manipulates his way into the imperial residence with a hidden agenda.

When reports are received that tens of thousands of citizens are dying in a bizarre genocide on the northern islands of the Empire, members of the elite Night Guard are sent to investigate. It seems that, in this land under a red sun, the long winter is bringing more than just snow . . .

---

Unfortunately I missed the chance to have a quick chat with Mark at the recent signing hosted by Forbidden Planet due to a work commitment. It’s a pity, as I would have liked the opportunity to tell him how much I enjoyed Nights of Villjamur in person.

In Nights, he’s created a world on the cusp of an ice age that is tightening its grip across the lands, freezing oceans and bringing waves of refugees to seek shelter outside of Villjamur’s locked gates. Behind these uncaring walls, the shocking murder of a councillor sets an inquisitor on a path that will send him into a world of shadow and intrigue far more deadly than any ice age. Meanwhile, in the distant north, an implacable and mysterious enemy has arisen, insatiable and ruthless, slaughtering it’s way across the land.

The characters are well thought out, particularly Jeryd, the inquisitorial investigator. He’s a interesting, underestimated character. Shaken out of a mild case of depression, he’s plunged into a quagmire of deceit and murder that begins slowly, like a snowball rolling down a long hill. As his story arc unfolds, and others fall into place alongside his, the pace subtly increases until you don’t notice the pages turning anymore.

Nights is an epic fantasy chock full of fresh, off the wall ideas, yet Mark manages to keep the heady cocktail of cultists, flying soldiers, zombies, diabolical politicians, albinos and genocide under tight control, nimbly weaving the various storylines together into a satisfying whole.

It’s ambitious, interesting and great opening for the Legends of the Red Sun series - bring on part 2!

Summer Reads List Starred Rating:

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (Summer Reads List Choice)

Synopsis:

Nick and his brother Alan are on the run with their mother, who was once the lover of a powerful magician. When she left him, she stole an important charm - and he will stop at nothing to reclaim it. Now Alan has been marked with the sign of death by the magician's demon, and only Nick can save him. But to do so he must face those he has fled from all his life - the magicians - and kill them. So the hunted becomes the hunter… but in saving his brother, Nick discovers something that will unravel his whole past…

Three things about this novel:

1. Sarah Rees Brennan is someone to watch!

2. Bad boys are truly cool

3. Sarah Rees Brennan is someone to watch!

I almost wish that this can be my entire review but I know I'll get beaten up, so here's the rest.

There is so much that is just "right" in this astonishing debut - pace, characterisation, the plot, the feeling of an overall tale being told and the knowledge of more good stuff to come. (No pressure, SRB!)

In Nick and his brother Alan we have two very different people and the author takes great care in exposing us to that - she is very careful with her scenes, allowing us to zoom in on the action taking place and then skipping out before it gets tedious. This makes the book also a deceptively quick read but NOT an easy one. I gulped it down in two half an hour train journeys, two ten minute bus rides and one hour of lunch. And I don't think I'm a fast reader.

We quickly learn that magicians are after Alan and Nick – we have to very quickly become comfortable with the fact that beneath the façade of normality which they project, the boys are very capable when it comes to defending themselves. Alan has his bookish nerdy ways and Nick is the scary one who bristles with weapons and one-liners that are Whedonesque in their aptness.

Into their lives stroll Jamie and Mae Cameron – two kids who know nothing about the supernatural world but they suspect something is going on…and this is proved true when they walk into the aftermath of a magician/demon attack on Alan and Nick.

Nick’s resentment of Mae and Jamie’s presence is another item of conflict and serves to move the story forward rapidly, developing the storyline with great ease. The author keeps the emotional conflict interesting and Jamie’s continued terror in the presence of the inscrutable Nick is used as a comedic foil – it could have been grating if not handled properly but it works very well. Jamie’s terror and Nick’s apparent fearlessness contrasts vividly, serving to highlight Nick’s ruthless character.

Speaking of ruthless character – it’s only been in Kate Thompson’s Creature of the Night that I’ve previously come across someone as distanced, violently angry (seeming all the time) as Nick’s character in Demon’s Lexicon.

Nick cares about no one – Alan is his world. He would do anything to keep him safe and alive. Nothing else enters his mind – it is only that. He intensely dislikes his mother for her insanity, her dislike of him, her apparent love for Alan and for putting them in a situation as vile as this – running for their lives, all the time. Interestingly, unlike in Rob Thurman’s books and many other books written in the YA urban fantasy genre, Demon’s Lexicon is told in third person. I was surprised at first, but the author allows Nick’s observations and his thought processes to highlight how distanced he is from the normal world. It could have been jarring, it could have gone very wrong, we might have turned around and had issues with this awful character but we are pulled up short by how humane the author has made her main character in the small ways that matters.

The climax of the novel, the big reveal took me completely by surprise. You see what happens is…that you need to read the book to find out! I gaped when I read it, having expected a sneaky twist of a twister and you know, I did not expect the revelations. And looking back at what I had read I should go “duh, but of course!”

The novel works on many levels – oh it has the usual urban fantasy and young adult tropes, but it’s a testament to Sarah RB’s devious little mind that it never ever falls into the trap of being a trope and lifts it above being yet another novel following in the wake of the Stephanie Meyer cruiseliner. It is fresh, it is new and most of all, it has introduced two very well developed main characters and a supporting cast set in a world not so dissimilar to our own. Just keep an eye out for that mist.

Summer Reads List Score:

9/10 Stars

Find Sarah Rees Brennan’s site over at http://www.sarahreesbrennan.com/ . There is also a fun Q&A with Sarah at her UK publishers site here - http://authors.simonandschuster.co.uk/Sarah-Rees-Brennan/46599925/author_revealed . I’ve heard from my friends at The Booksmugglers - http://thebooksmugglers.com/ - that they are hosting Sarah on Monday, 8th June and that there will be a competition.

Sarah will also be in town next week – she will be appearing IN THE FLESH (as opposed to being a hologram) courtesy of the Murder One UK Film Club. Please note that the signing is a public signing but that the film event is only for those belonging to the Murder One Film Club. Those interested in joining, please contact Tania and Trisha on UK number: 0207 739 7796

Murder One UK Film Club

NEW FILM NIGHT!

Film night with Sarah Rees Brennan

June 8th (Monday)

6:30pm start

Approx. 7:30pm film start

Venue: HOME BAR (101-106 Leonard Street [EC2], in Shoreditch)

Murder One Film Club presents the launch of debut YA fantasy author Sarah Rees Brennan’s THE DEMON’S LEXICON (Simon & Schuster), plus a screening of her film pick, HELLBOY.

Awakening by SJ Bolton

Synopsis:

An idyllic village is thrown into turmoil in a startling, heart-racing thriller.

Veterinary surgeon Clara Benning is young and intelligent, but practically a recluse. Disfigured by a childhood accident, she lives alone and shies away from human contact wherever possible. But when a man dies, following a supposed snake bite, Clara learns that the victim’s post mortem shows a higher concentration of venom than could ever be found in a single snake.

Assisted by her softly spoken neighbour and an eccentric reptile expert, Clara unravels sinister links to a barbaric ancient ritual, an abandoned house and a fifty year old tragedy that left the survivors fiercely secretive. Then the village’s inventive attacker strikes again, and Clara’s own solitary existence is brutally invaded. For someone the truth must remain buried in the past...even if they have to kill to keep it there.

How did it all begin? Well, I suppose it would be the day I rescued a newborn baby from a poisonous snake, heard the news of my mother’s death and encountered my first ghost. Thinking about it, I could even pinpoint the time. A few minutes before six on a Friday morning and my quiet, orderly life went into meltdown.

For someone who loves reading the opening page of a book, reading this small paragraph from Awakening, the second novel by the 2008 debut author SJ Bolton, is a pure treat. And it just keeps getting better with the crisis escalating higher and higher.

Our heroine, Clara Benning, is a brilliantly created main character. She has a great affinity for animals and much prefer their company to those of humans. Having moved to a small village she keeps to herself and minds her own business. Needless to say everyone in the village is intrigued by Clara, who she is and how she came to carry an ugly scar on her face.

When she is called in to help a panicked mother rescue her infant from a snake in it's crib, her life takes on a different dimension altogether. Snakes are being found all over the village, in people's homes and everyone is panicking. The majority of the snakes are harmless British snakes and it is illegal for them to be caught and killed. But not all of the snakes are harmless and Clara very soon has her hands full with a deadly taipan snake, its origins in the very far Papua New Guinea. No one knows where these snakes are coming from and there is a panic as an elderly man dies from a snakebite, whilst gardening. There is the mystery of the ghost which more than one villager has seen - the ghost of an elderly gentleman who had died the year before. Or had he? What happened back in 1958 and how did it involve the village being overrun by snakes?

Tautly written, Awakening is a gripping thriller with more than enough creep-factor. It is also a story about Clara finding herself and her confidence to confront her own fears by standing up for the truth - even it means that there is an arrest warrant out for her!

I saw a reviewer in The Bookseller say: "she just writes so well..." and it is true. SJ Bolton is a very gifted writer and although I loved her first novel, Sacrifice, I did not expect the same level of excellence in Awakening and I am truly happy to say that Awakening is even better than Sacrifice. Clara's characterisation is handled deftly - almost everything is seen from her point of view as the novel is written from first person perspective. In some other books I have read, this can become tedious very quickly but we are saved from any kind of boredom by an involved plotline and an unusual heroine who doesn't go so much with the flow as run flatout against it. She is contrary, a bit surly whilst being engaging at the same time - it is a very fine line which SJ Bolton treads here, creating a difficult heroine who could veer so very easily into someone unlikeable.

There are several strands in the novel which are tied up in a series of reveals and the success of these alone should indicate that the author has done a very good job. There is a very faint strand of romance and personally, I enjoyed the two male characters in the novel which Clara comes into contact with. I would have loved to have seen more of them in more scenes, but then this is Clara's story about her journey to discover the truth about the village, whilst it forms a backdrop to her own "Awakening".

Awakening is a fascinating read and will be going onto our "Summer Reads List" which we will be compiling from the end of May onwards during Summer. Awakening is published by Bantam here in the UK and is now available in all bookstores and online. SJ Bolton's site can be found here, along with the extract of the first chapter.