Review - The Ninth Avatar by Todd Newton

The first thing that drew me to The Ninth Avatar [US] [UK] (2010) by debut author Todd Newton was, like others, this awesome cover by Pete Thompson. It just screamed at me, you have to read this book!

Now add to that the fact that Todd Newton is a regular atSFFWorld.com, a great forum I frequent, I couldn't resist supporting a fellow forum member.

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.

Todd Newton has a great imagination and really does a good job of realizing that imagination through the story. The Ninth Avatar is a pretty traditional fantasy with a straight-forward plot, but Newton adds his own flavor and turns it toward his own ends. And by traditional, I mean more the plot and characters not elves and orcs.

From the prologue, the reader jumps into a quick-paced plot that continues throughout the rest of the book. Like George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, Newton uses p.o.v.'s as chapter headings to move the story forward and to keep the reader grounded.

I have to admit that the prose was a bit spotty at times for me; really good at points and not the best at others, and I felt like the timing and distance was a bit off, but overall The Ninth Avatar delivers for me and I was compelled to dive back into the story every chance I had. I am really looking forward to seeing Newton's progression after this debut novel.

Early on, we're introduced to the characters that I grew attached to and who were every bit three dimensional. From Starka, the reluctant heroine who's not your typical protagonist, to Cairos, the wizard who's filled with vengeance for his decimated home and people and of course many other characters who really leap off the page. Even the antagonists have p.o.v.'s and we're able to see their plottings against not only the rest of the world, but against each other as well.

There are two interesting religions and many cultures that were presented in this world , but I did feel that they could have been developed a little more, especially the relationship between Brong and Rochelle, two waring peoples whose survivors play an important role throughout the book.

Along with different cultures, there are two different schools of wizards with competing schools of thought and who even caused devastating war that the continent is still reeling from. One is sucked into the continent-spanning war, while the other attempts to remain neutral and does everything it can to ignore the problems facing the rest of the world.

These types of themes really interest me as I find myself subscribing to both wizarding philosophies at times and I wish it was more of the former and less of the latter.

Todd Newton is filled with great ideas which are apparent with each turn of the page. Like I said before, I'm really looking forward to finding out more from Newton as the rest of the series comes forth.

When Should You Read The Ninth Avatar?

The Ninth Avatar is a traditional type fantasy, but with an undead army out to decimate the entire world. It's fun, it's fast, and the characters are great. Recommended.

3 out of 5 Stars

Here's an interview with Todd Newton over at Of Blog of the Fallen. Also check out the publisher's website at trapdoorbooks.com.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher

It's News To Me #14

No, this is not The Way of Kings central, but we have been pretty excited lately about the first book of The Stormlight Archive. We are happy to announce that Jeremy R. from Boston is the happy owner of his very own, if slightly used, ARC of The Way of Kings. Jeremy expounds:

I just received the book today. Thank you!!! Couldn't be more excited. Now I just have to figure out how to read it on my honeymoon while not getting too obsessed :)

Our advice is pretty simple Jeremy. Cancel the honeymoon...
Also, for those of you not in the know, Tor's evil corporate overlords are quietly giving away more ARCs of the Way of Kings. Giveaway ends on the 13th so hurry over!

Cover Art

I have to thank Adam Whitehead (Wertzone) for asking permission on behalf of "bloggers" to post this cover for which I am extremely excited...

(thanks Bantam UK/Transworld for the sexy cover art of Stoneweilder)

Also find the prologue at the same link. Funny that's Stonewielder by Ian C. Esslemont (ICE) is yet another cover in the Malazan Empire series with a ship (3 for 3), but honestly...that always works for me. Very few ship covers drop the ball for me and this is no exception.

Look for Stonewielder in the UK 25 November 2010 and Amazon says December 28, 2010 for the US.

News

The first posts and chapters are up of Tor.com's Malazan Re-read of the Fallen. Just like the awesome chapter-by-chapter re-read that was done with The Wheel of Time, the Malazan re-read will be in the capable hands of Amanda Rutter and Bill Capossere (from fantasyliterature.com).

The best part is that both Steven Erikson and Ian C. Esslemont will be adding their $.02 at the end of each book, giving their reactions to the posts, comments, and even theories.

In related news, The Crippled God, the final installment in the Malazan Book of the Fallenseries will be out February 15, 2011.

Some more Brandon Sanderson news from his assistant, Peter Ahlstrom. Warbreaker is a stand-alone novel with a world I really wanted to revisit. Well...we'll be getting that chance, but it may not be for a little while.

Tentatively titled Nightblood (very fitting), the sequel to Warbreakerwas originally planned to come out this year, but, what with the Wheel of Time getting in the way, Sanderson decided to release The Way of Kings this year with plans to get Nightblood out sometime 2013 or '14.

In addition, there are also plans to get an Elantris sequel out sometime in 2015, but this may be effected by the Warbreaker sequel. Whew, glad there's lots more to come and I'm amazed at the production level. :)

Also lots of "Suvudu" news going on:

Dragon Week is going on right now and the first post is an interview with an expert in the Dragon field, well, at least in drawing them, Todd Lockwood. They're quite amazing as seen below.

Dragons are bigger than life. They have everything that the King of Beasts has in mystery and attitude and nobility, but in spades. Plus they can fly. And breath fire. They have roots deep in just about every culture, one way or another...Perhaps alone among the characters of the first religions, dragons remain. They have staying power. Cuz they're awesome.

"Wings of Fire" by Todd Lockwood (toddlockwood.com)

Also going on right now at Suvudu.com is their celebration of Spectra's 25 Year Anniversarywhere a classic Spectra publication is being featured each day. Here's a list of the posts so far along with those planned.

And that's the news...at least to me.

(This post was a combined effort by Alec and myself)

Review - The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman

The Left Hand of God is the story of sixteen-year-old Thomas Cale, who has grown up imprisoned at the Sanctuary of the Redeemers, a fortress run by a secretive sect of warrior monks in a distant, dystopian past. He is one of thousands of boys who train all day in hand-to-hand combat, in preparation for a holy war that only the High Priests know is now imminent. He has no reason to think he's special, no idea there's another world outside the compound's walls, and no hope for a life any different from the one he already knows.

And then, Cale opens a door.

What follows is a daring escape, an unlikely alliance, a desperate pursuit, a journey of incredible discovery, and an adventure the likes of which Cale could never possibly have imagined, culminating in Cale's astonishing realization that he alone has the power to save his world- or to destroy it.

While I agree with many reviewers lately that The Left Hand of God [US] [UK] by Paul Hoffman has its weaknesses, one of those being over-hype, I didn't think it was quite as bad as many were making it out to be.

I think the main problem reviewers were having had to do with expectations and since mine were relatively low given the numerous less than stellar ratings, I didn't start The Left Hand of God with any preconceived notions. Well, I guess I have to admit, those preconceived notions weren't very positive.

This should be your first step in approaching this book. Goodreads compares it with the Inheritance Cycle and Twilight and while I think the publishers were attempting to say, "Hey, this is the next phenomenon in reading!" What should actually be taken from this is that while better written (slightly), it is still along those same level of book, i.e. entertaining but don't expect much more.

Yes, I did actually say that I enjoyed it and I'm getting there...in just a bit. One of the main things I thought The Left Hand of God struggles with is its audience. It mainly follows a teenage boy, so you think "YA". Then there are a couple grisly scenes that he witnesses and you think "adult".

I found this a bit confusing and unsettling, but maybe that was what the author was going for.

While the prose has its moments, it is a bit unsettling itself. The First line of the book is Listen and not in quotation marks. Is there a narrator talking to the reader? Is someone thinking this? There are other points where the prose is jerky and altogether confusing as to where the author's picking up and leaving off.

After all that said, I did still enjoy the book. Even through the problems that, as you can well see, are not minimal, I found myself looking forward to reading further. The characters were entertaining and Cale could just be really cool at times.

Cale and his friends grow up with a sect of Redeemers at The Sanctuary where they are cowed into submission through daily beatings, whippings, and even outright murders. The Redeemers are raising an army and anyone who even remotely steps in their way will be thrown to the wayside in no time.

Although friendship is frowned upon, Cale finds like-minded souls who do what they can to resist the tirade that is the Redeemers. While Cale is constantly pushing the Redeemers' buttons, Vague Henry finds his own way to get under their skin by acting extremely slow-witted; both pushing the bounds of their captivity, but not enough to get themselves killed...although they're not far from it.

Because of their brutal upbringing, the youths from The Sanctuary have talents and willpower far beyond those in the outside world. It was really entertaining to read about their escapades in this world where everything is new to them, even women whom they've never seen before.

Add to this the fact that we begin to learn throughout the latter half of the book that there's more to Cale than we thought at first. His powers and skills are slowly revealed especially as he takes on bullies and others whom Cale makes as enemies.

When Should You Read The Left Hand of God?

I'm really happy I wasn't the first to read The Left Hand of God after all the hype that surrounded its initial release, so thanks Niall, Yagiz, and a few others who weren't particularly impressed with the book because you made it much more enjoyable for me.

While not without its flaws, overall I enjoyed The Left Hand of God and would recommend it as a fantasy without much in terms of magic, but with an intriguing story and setting. I look forward to the rest of the series.

3.5 out of 5 Stars

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher

Review: The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

The worst thing that can be said about The Way of Kings [US][UK] is that it is Brandon Sanderson at his finest, but reviewing the book has been a difficult task because it is, essentially, an introduction on an epic scale. It is like that first booming, silence-shattering crack that heralds an avalanche. It is a starting point, a beginning, and like all beginnings it needs direction before it can be properly evaluated. I struggled with this review because of all the expectations and hype surrounding not just the book, but the series itself. Case in point, the blurb on the back:

"What Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time has been to the fantasy genre for the last two decades, The Stormlight Archive will be to the next, and The Way of Kings is where it all begins."

For any Wheel of Time fan, the gravitas of the above statement is tantamount to a challenge. Read me, it proclaims, and tell me if I am worthy. And so far, the truth is that for all its potential for development and its sheer epicness, the Way of Kings simply isn't enough to answer the challenge, yet, but it is indeed a noteworthy beginning.

The novel is blessed with the trademark excitement and adrenaline filled action emblematic of Brandon’s style. Moreover, readers will notice a darker slant and harder edge to Brandon's writing when compared against his previous work – a welcome shift in my opinion. In addition to these relative improvements in tone and temperament readers will also notice that Brandon has gone above and beyond in providing backstory and creating a world that will surely be one of the most richly populated in the history of the Fantasy genre. Case in point, The Way of Kings weighs in at over 1000 pages and comes complete with annotated illustrations and assorted other bonus features which serve to flesh out the world of Roshar, and it is a hell of a ride.

The novel is epic, ambitiously so. What starts out as tightly focused flash and bash fantasy a la Mistborn quickly matures into something much more robust. Three characters, each comprising their own separate plot line, are the driving force behind the book. As familiar archetypes, they are best described as the Scholar, the Warrior and the Leader.

The Leader, with all his tragic heroism, nobility and promise-keeping will strongly remind readers of GRRM's late Lord Stark. He is the personification of duty and moral vigor. He is also, interestingly enough, insane. The central dilemma of his character is twofold. He must strike a balance between his duty to his king and what he knows to be right. Plagued by terrible visions of the past, the Leader must decide whether his hallucinations are gift or curse, and whether or not acting on them will doom not only him and his family, but the king and kingdom to which he owes his fealty.

The Warrior, a slave fighting for survival, will smack strongly of Terry Goodkind's Richard Rahl while prisoner of Jangang's war camp. Betrayed by his ideals and his leader, the Warrior will struggle to make sense of a life in which he has lost too much. Followed by a magical helper that only he can see, the Warrior must learn to master his newfound abilities or watch himself and his companions and fellow slaves march towards their deaths. By far the most appealing of the Stormlight Archive's characters to date, readers will revel in the vicissitudes of life as a slave and the ensuing quest to once again be something more.

The Scholar, a character present in all of Brandon's work, is her own creation and delightfully so. Her mission is to save her family after the death of her father, and to do so she must apprentice herself to a brilliant heretic sorceress. An artist as well as a scholar, the student must become the teacher if she is to survive the politics of court and the dangers of her emerging gift. The Scholar's point of view is one steeped in philosophy and thought and will assuredly please readers looking for more from their fantasy than the clang of steel on steel.

All three main characters, unknown to each other though they are, are united by loss. They all share a past in which someone they held dear has died, be it father, brother or wife. The silent bond of loss, on an abstract level, provides for some much needed thematic continuity between the different story lines, which are otherwise only loosely related.

Interestingly, Brandon has spoken a number of times about how The Stormlight Archive will be concerned with the ascendency or rebirth of magic in a world that has grown mostly ignorant of it. While this is true, The Way of Kings is more concerned with instilling in readers the knowledge base necessary to appreciate that development. As such, the first point I want to make is that many readers familiar with Brandon’s work will see the magic system of the Stormlight Archive as a combination of those from his Mistborn trilogy and Warbreaker duology. Think glowing heroes with enhanced strength and the ability to push/pull and, instead of being limited by the amount of metals in ones stomach, magic users are limited by the amount of stormlight trapped in gems/currency. Besides the obvious mechanical similarities, Brandon has left an enormous amount of room for the magic system to grow, both in terms of its own inherent logic but also in terms of some heavy foreshadowing and lore strategically placed throughout the novel. In fact, this is true of pretty much every aspect of the book – the potential for development is astounding.

Any discussion of the magic system of the Stormlight Archive would not be complete without at least passing mention of the total and utter awesomeness of the Shardblade. An incredibly rare relic of the age of magic, a Shardblade is a sword that can be called from nothingness (takes 10 heartbeats to summon) and forms in your hands as if from mist. Get this, they can cut through anything as if it were air. The only exception is when they cut people. Get you arm cut, and it withers instantly. Get cut somewhere more necessary and your eyes turn smoky black and your done for. Given their rarity and devastating effectiveness in battle, Shardblades play a significant role in the Way of Kings, and I imagine that they will play an even greater role in the series as a whole. An obvious question for Brandon if he should stumble by: what are the blades Shards of? Anyway, the cooler brother of the Shardblade is Shardplate. It glows, its studded with gems, it can take a hell of a beating, and last but not least, it gives you the strength to squat thrust mountains if you feel like it.

Lastly a brief discussion of this new world Brandon is introducing us to in the Way of Kings. In a geopolitical sense, the world of Roshar is a patchwork of diverse nations with radically different cultures and customs. For example, the country from which the protagonists hail is a tightly hierarchical society dominated by a nobility with blue eyes. A complicated and somewhat murky system of rank and privilege governs but the system is still obviously feudal at its origin. In that same nation men are trained to war while women specialize in the arts. The 'specialization' is a bit extreme to the point where, for example, men don't know how to write. The same national quirkiness is true of other peoples of which we see little but learn relatively a lot about.

The Way of Kings has given the Stormlight Archive an amazing start. In it, Brandon has admirably demonstrated his ability to grow as a writer, to learn from his previous projects, and to capitalize on his already significant strengths. That said, tWoK isn’t yet the world-shattering, mind-blowing, paradigm shifting contribution to the fantasy field that it is sometimes advertised to be. It is epic, yes, and it is awesome but it doesn't merit the acronym just yet. It has boundless potential and all the right ingredients to achieve incredible success, which it undoubtedly will, and given the relatively small glimpse of Roshar permitted to us so far readers cannot but help be entranced by the prospect of further installments to the Stormlight Archive. The only regret you'll have after putting down the Way of Kings is that the rest of the series isn't written yet.