Bona Fide: Weekly Roundup #13

Hello and welcome to issue #13 of my Weekly Roundup. A lot of things have happened within this week. That is the reason why you have had to wait some hours longer to read this Roundup. Spring weather left my region on Friday. Now it is colder, the sky is gray and it rains a lot. But I'm fine. I received great books and mails. And I enjoyed the pleasure of Twitter. Unfortunately my time for Twitter is limited due to my work. Anyway look forward to May. Seak and I are making plans for some combined reviews.... Enjoy reading

Bona Fide's Menu

Books

1. Book Trailer: Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw
   
2. The Ninth Avatar by Todd Newton
3. My Surprise of the Week: A package form Tor publicist Cassandra Ammerman

Blogosphere

1. Calendar: A Song Of Ice And Fire 2011
2. The Malazan Book of the Fallen: Blog Activities
3. The Pleasures of Twitter: Thanks to Beautiful Books
4. Two Interviews with Tad Williams
   

Movies

1. Today is Game Time: The Witcher 2. Assassin of Kings

Quotes

1. German proverbs, sayings and idioms Spring Tiredness . . . Blood
   

Books

In Weekly Roundup #08 I posted about Wintercraft (May 2010, ISBN-13: 978-0755370962) which the upcoming debut novel by Jenna Burtenshaw.

"Ten years ago Kate Winters' parents were taken by the High Council's wardens to help with the country's war effort. Now the wardens are back...and prisoners, including Kate's uncle Artemis, are taken south on the terrifying Night Train. Kate and her friend Edgar are hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. Silas Dane -- the High Council's most feared man -- recognises Kate as one of the Skilled; a rare group of people able to see through the veil between the living and the dead. His spirit was damaged by the High Council's experiments into the veil, and he's convinced that Kate can undo the damage and allow him to find peace. The knowledge Kate needs lies within Wintercraft -- a book thought to be hidden deep beneath the graveyard city of Fume. But the Night of Souls, when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest, is just days away and the High Council have their own sinister plans for Kate and Wintercraft. To help Artemis, Edgar and herself, Kate must honour her pact with a murderer and come face to face with the true nature of death." [Source]

A blurb without cover? Does this make sense? No, of course. But instead of the cover I like to present you the atmospheric Wintercraft trailer....


Like my good friend Harry Markov - the unbelievable guy behind Temple Library Reviews - I would like to spread word about The Ninth Avatar (2010, ISBN-13: n 978-0984207046) by Todd Newton. This debut novel has been self-published in 2009. Then it has been picked up by Trappdoor Books. What is the book about?
"Wizards have wondered for generations when a human would ascend to become the Ninth Avatar, and what would happen when they did. Opinions differ, but the Ninth Pillar of Magic—that of Darkness—is feared by many whether they use magic or not.
When Starka, an outcast priestess of the magic loathing Cathedrals of Myst, receives a prophecy heralding this ascension, a new force rises to threaten the entire known world. The Carrion army, a race of transformed humans bearing black horns and an unquenchable thirst for blood, destroys every city it comes across. Their leader, Zion, has only one goal: to become the living embodiment of magic that is the Ninth Avatar.
Aiding Starka in her quest to halt this are DaVille, a mysterious warrior bent on killing the Carrion leader; Cairos, a wizard from the betrayed city of Illiadora; and Wan Du and Lady Mayrah, a man and woman from rival nations now decimated by the Carrion. Amidst all this turmoil, Wadam, a Cardinal of Starka’s faith, seeks to seize control of Myst for himself and thereby subjugate the female leaders.
With the world in peril Starka must find the means to prevent these things, or die trying." [Source]
And now tell me which kind of cover would you expect? Left or Right?












UNBELIEVABLE!! A a difference like day and night!! The left picture shows the cover of the self-published edition. The right one shows the result of the Trappdoor Books cover art department.

Finally some more good news! Co-blogger Seak will get a copy of The Ninth Avatar soon. So expect a great review in April!


This week I received a package from Cassandra Ammerman, publicist at Tor.com. I knew that Alec tried to get some books for me but I was not sure what to expect. I opened the package with shaky fingers and ...... found two books - one ARC and one paperback. Both books have been written by one author. I speak about Kage Baker who died in January 2010 at the age of 57. Maybe you know her famous Company series.
Let's start with The Empress of Mars (2010, ISBN-13: 978-0765325518) which is a novel set in the world of the Company.

"When the British Arean Company founded its Martian colony, it welcomed any settlers it could get. Outcasts, misfits and dreamers emigrated in droves to undertake the grueling task of terraforming the cold red planet--only to be abandoned when the BAC discovered it couldn't turn a profit on Mars.
This is the story of Mary Griffith, a determined woman with three daughters, who opened the only place to buy a beer on the Tharsis Bulge. It's the story of Manco Inca, whose attempt to terraform Mars brought a new goddess vividly to life; of Stanford Crosley, con man extraordinaire; of Ottorino Vespucci, space cowboy and romantic hero; of the Clan Morrigan, of the denizens of the Martian Motel, and of the machinations of another Company entirely, all of whom contribute to the downfall of the BAC and the founding of a new world. But Mary and her struggles and triumphs is at the center of it all, in her bar, the Empress of Mars.
Based on the Hugo-nominated novella of the same name, this is a rollicking novel of action, planetary romance, and high adventure."

That sounds very promising for me. Let's have a look at the ARC of Not Less Than Gods (2010, ISBN-13: 978-0765318916) which is the ninth book in the Company series. Gulp!!! Should this mean I have to buy and read the other eight books before?? I turned the book, read the back and was relieved:

"Now that the main story arc of Kage Baker's Company novels is completed, she has embarked upon a goup of novels set in the same world and investigating some of the same characters. She has written the story of the young life of Edward Fairfax, who lives in a secretly steampunk version of Victorian England, and in a Europe filled with covered and hidden advanced technologies."

That convinced me to put away every other book and start to read . I know that's crazy!! But I tell you after 106 pages I DIDN'T REGRET! Expect a review soon..... This is the US cover and the blurb:

"Edward is an idealist, and as he grows into manhood, it becomes apparent that he is some kind of superman. He can think faster than normal people, has the utter charm to persuade others, and possesses physical strength. He has been manipulated from birth, created for hidden purposes, and now as a young man is sent on a European tour, as a spy and and an assassin. Edward the idealistic assassin - perhaps the most dangerous man alive."

I can promise you that I will definitely read more Company novels!

Blogosphere

Let me start this part with three questions. Do you like calendars? Do you like fantasy? Do you like ASOIAF? OK, it is not fair to work with abbreviations but in this case I could not withstand. ASOIAF means A Song Of Ice And Fire, a gorgeous series by George R.R. Martin. In July 2010 the new A song of Ice and Fire 2011 Calendar (ISBN-13: 978-0553808001) will be published.

Artist Ted Nasmith painted 12 castles located in Westeros, the world of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. I find the pictures more than impressive. And I think it is not only a calendar for fans...


Ever heard from the great series The Malazan Book of the Fallen? All these incredible books written by Steven Erikson. There is a community called Malazan Empire. They offer a lot of information but I found it difficult to enter this community as a newcomer.
Therefore I read the first book in the series - The Gardens of the Moon - in 2009 on my own and I have been blown away. Then I won a copy of The Gardens of the Moon (2009, 10th anniversary edition,ISBN-13: 978-0593065068) and I thought by myself that this right cause to reread the book which is so far the only book of the whole series I read. As I found out I'm not the only one who wants to read/ reread which is great. If you want to read/reread the series and to talk about it then I highly recommend to have a look at following posts: Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen: Joining forces by Mihai (Dark Wolf) and The Malazan Re-read of the Fallen: Introductory Post by Stefan Raets and Bill Capossere. Enjoy reading!


I have to avow that I like Twitter a lot. Why? If you follow the right people (publishers, authors, publicists, reader, blogger) you can get a lot information about books AND you can get books. From Monday to Friday I use the most part of my lunch break for Twitter. Let me share my story from Friday with you.
I read following tweet by beautifulbooks:

"If anyone wants to #FF us that would be grand. Would make my day to get to 200 followers by the end of the day."

My answer:

"@beautifulbooks I'm follower 203. So you reached your target. Maybe you get 222 by the end of the day ;)"

Then I have had a look at Beautiful Books website and found instantly to books I would like to read. Therefore I twittered:

"@beautifulbooks just had a look at your website and found instantly two interesting books: Sweet Smell of Decay and A plague of Sinners :)"

And this was the totally unexpected answer:

"@ediFanoB Excellent! DM me your address and I'll send you a copy of Sweet Smell."

Of course I sent my address. This is the book I will get. Expect a review within the next three months.
The Sweet Smell of Decay (2009, ISBN-13: 978-1905636426) by Paul Lawrence which is the first book in a new series entitled The Chronicles of Harry Lytle.

"Firmly located in Restoration England, these are universally enjoyable novels which combine wonderful period detail and atmosphere with a riveting page-turning quality.

It's London,1664, and Harry has a big problem. He's just discovered he has a young cousin, Anne Giles, and he’s had the pleasure of meeting her for the first time – mutilated and laid out on the slab for an autopsy. His father has tasked him with job of tracking down Anne’s murderer. Harry has some robust assistance from one David Dowling, a resourceful and impressively well-built, but equally hygiene-deficient, butcher. Together they follow a trail of blood, conspiracy and corruption that takes them to the dark and murky corners of Restoration London, featuring a great cast of ne'er-do-wells, cheeky wenches, harmless witches, likeable villains, and not a few unsavoury fellows keen on sending Lytle and his companion to an early grave." [Source]

One more book settled in my favorite town London...

Do you like the books by Tad Williams? I do. And so have been tickled pink when I - thanks to my Goodreads contact and my Google Reader entries - found out that there are two new interviews with Tad Williams are available. Jason Baki, the good guy behind KAMVISION, interviewed Tad Williams recently. Peter Williams, a member of the new blog Speculative Book Review, posted his interview with Tad Williams today. Well done Jason and Peter. I think interviews is one of things which should have to add to the blog in future. I still need to work on my interview skills. And I hope to present you my first interview within 2010... Tim will tell.



Movies

There has been I time where I played games like Morrowind, Oblivion, The Watcher. I liked them a lot. And then I discovered the book blogosphere abyss. I stopped playing.... Within this week I found the trailer for The Witcher 2. Assassins of Kings. That could be a reason to play again.... Watch the trailer. ATTENTION: There is blood, a lot of blood......


Quotes

Did you watch the Witcher 2 trailer? Then you know why I searched BLOOD quotes for you. Blood, the juice of life, vampire nutrition, Dexter - blood spatter analyst, ......

"Dexter Morgan: Blood. Sometimes it sets my teeth on edge, other times it helps me control the chaos ”
[Source]

"Humor is a rubber sword - it allows you to make a point without drawing blood.”
Mary Hirsch

"The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly', meaning 'many', and the word 'ticks', meaning 'blood sucking parasites'.”
Larry Hardiman

"Aristotle was famous for knowing everything. He taught that the brain exists merely to cool the blood and is not involved in the process of thinking. This is true only of certain persons.”
Will Cuppy