Only the Best of 2014 - My Best Reads This Year

I had a really slow year this year when it comes to reading. It doesn't help that I moved a couple states away, got a new job that keeps me busier than ever, and I'm trying to keep up with three kids any moment they're awake. My Goodreads goal of 50 books, a decrease from last year because I knew there was a possibility of some changes, was only met by 64% (that's only 31 books).

However, a number of those books were new releases and it was a great year for those. Below you'll find my top 7 new releases for 2014. I was going to narrow it down to five, but I found myself trying to cheat by posting "ties" and I honestly hate that so I gave the actual number even if not so round.

Following that list are some more year-end wrap up awards if you can even call it that. Mostly, I wanted to have a chance to talk about the books I loved this year one extra time.

Top 7 New Releases of 2014

7) Hollow World by Michael J. Sullivan

6) City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett (still need to review this)

5) Breach Zone (Shadow Ops #3) by Myke Cole

4) Prince of Fools (Red Queen's War #1) by Mark Lawrence

4) Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) by Joe Abercrombie

3) Veil of the Deserters (Bloodsounder's Arc #2) by Jeff Salyards

2) The Magician's Land (Magicians #3) by Lev Grossman

1) The Crimson Campaign (Powder Mage #2) by Brian McClellan

Biggest Surprise

Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliott - Seriously, you need to read this if you haven't already. At first glance, it doesn't sound like much, but it was absolutely one of my favorites of the last number of years.

Best Stand-Alones

Tie for Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway and Blackdog by K.V. Johanson. Remember, I said I hate ties in numbered lists. No numbers here, so I can have a tie. Both these were absolutely astounding reads. They are completely different, one a contemporary mystery with a wonderful sense of humor (Angelmaker) and one an epic fantasy set in a non-European medieval times (Blackdog).

Best Audiobooks

Ilium and Olympos by Dan Simmons. This is really just one extended book that blew me away from start to finish. Simmons is a mad genius to combine all the elements he combines here and pulls it off stupendously.

Biggest Disappointment 

Impulse (Jumper #3) by Steven Gould - I had high hopes after the first two excellent installments. Combining the elements that made the first two great with teen angst and holier-than-thou characters made it a bit tough to stomach.

Missing

Blood and Iron by Jon Sprunk (currently reading), Of Bone and Thunder by Chris Evans (currently reading), Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson, The Emperor's Blades by Brian Stavely, Assail by Ian Cameron Esslemont (though I did make progress by reading Stonewielder), and tons more. There are plenty of authors I've just gotten behind in keeping up with their new series such as Brent Weeks and Daniel Abraham and tons more I'm dying to begin. I'll have to do better this year I guess.

Review - Veil of the Deserters (Bloodsounders Arc #2) by Jeff Salyards

Veil of the Deserters is one of those sequels I've been dying to get my hands on. Salyards created this captivating world through the eyes of his protagonist, Arkamandos (Arki), and then made us wait two years to see more! Not only that, Scourge of the Betrayer, book one of Bloodsounder's Arc, was relatively short. It gave us a number of answers, but it left so much untold. I just knew the sequel would take this series to the next level ... or kill it. 

Veil of the Deserters killed it ... wait, I mean took it to the next level by killing it in the best way possible. 

In Scourge (book 1), we only just find out the smallest bit about the Syldoons and their mission. In Veil, things are opened up wide and suddenly the story is completely different. The Syldoon are pulled out to return to the capital, but their mission is nowhere near completion. Facing the undesirable question of losing all their progress or angering the Emperor Cynead is only the beginning of their problems.

Veil is yet again told through the eyes of Arki, who also happens to be curious to a fault. This gives us answers as readers, but also leaves us in his shoes to flounder through mystery after mystery.

One of the best parts of this sequel was that we not only get to see more of the world as the Syldoon head back home, but we get a look into the magics. The Memoridons are a force all their own and independently powerful, with a form of mind magic. It's hard to tell where their loyalties lie and they bring a lot into the story.

In the end, I'm dying to read more of this series. I've even written a letter to Jeff full of nothing but truth.

To Herr Jeff Salyards,

Jeff, you're work called me and said you're fired. No, don't ask why they called me, they just did. Oh, and so did all employers everywhere, which means there's nothing else for you to look for. There's just no chance, I already heard from them. What's with all the questions? Trust me.

So ... I guess you have to make ends meet solely through writing. Please write more, right now. I can't get enough.

4.5 out of 5 Stars (very highly recommended)

Review - Scourge of the Betrayer by Jeff Salyards

Arki, short for Arkamandos, has been hired on as a scribe by a band of Syldoon, the most feared and treacherous soldiers in the world. Why did he accept this work? Well, it seemed a good idea at the time - he just wanted to get out and maybe see a little more adventure.

This may have also been the worst decision of his life.

As mentioned, the Syldoon aren't the kindest of people, nor are they even that pleasant to have a drink with (as we learn early on). They have some sort of plan, of which nothing is told to their scribe.

And that's part of the genius of this book. It's told in first person from the point of view of Arki. Therefore, as he knows absolutely nothing, neither do we...and yet you still can't help but read on to find out more.

Scourge of the Betrayer [US] [UK] has been making the rounds in the blog-o-sphere and for good reason. Somehow Salyards, a debut author by the way, comes up with this idea to just throw his readers into this situation with no heads up, no idea what's going on and you still can't put the book down.

Arki is a great character too. He really has no clue what's going on and on top of that he definitely doesn't belong amidst a band this bruised and blackened and well, scary.

He doesn't even know how to hold a knife let alone a sword/crossbow/other implement of death. He just kind of bumbles along and luckily has some help along the way.

Probably my favorite character, Braylar is the leader of this whole shindig. He's easily the knarliest of the bunch and he's got a nice set of flails to make it so. In the scale of cubicle-dweller to biker-bar, you have to lean on the side of the biker if you carry flails as a weapon.

Braylar also comes up with some good lines along the way:

[says Arki:] "We're not returning to the road." 

[Braylar] "Very astute. And I'll preempt a few more observations to save you the trouble: the sky is still above us; the sun continues trekking west; our wagon is pulled by horses, not unicorns."

And also: (since I just finished taking the bar)

"Clerics and lawyers are a pestilence on this world, but they do have their uses. A wise man would avoid their company altogether, it's true,..."

Overall, count me impressed. This is a great story that would only be ruined if I gave you too much. The slow build in both plot development and simply details is worth it alone. The brutality of the action and this crew definitely fit this story right alongside the likes of Joe Abercrombie for starters and I've heard Glen Cook as well although I've yet to read him.

I honestly thought I would rate Scourge lower, but there really isn't anything to complain about and I have no clue what I was thinking. The writing's great, great characters, great ending that really ramps things up. The only failing is that I wanted more...which I've been told is contained in the next volume. That's by far the best negative thing a book can have in my opinion. I am now highly anticipating book two in the Bloodsounder's Arc.

4 out of 5 Stars (Highly Recommended!)

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher

It's News To Me - Game of Thrones (Playmobil) and More

First, this is just awesome. I'm an addict to all things legos (like this one) and fully support all the legos trailers, especially in this instance - Game of Thrones. EDIT: Sorry, this is Playmobil not legos, but still awesome.

Cover Art for The Siren Depths: This is the third Raksura book (following The Cloud Roads and The Serpent Sea). I don't think I've heard a bad thing about this series.  


Interview with Bradley P. Beaulieu: Sarah at Bookworm Blues has been busy with her new site, author interviews, and discussion. I'll be guest-posting there next month and I'm really looking forward to it.

Agency in SFF: Justin at Staffer's Musings has a discussion going about agency, especially of women, in fiction. So far Elizabeth Bear and Michael J. Sullivan have chimed in as Guest Posts.

Embedded with the Enemy?: Jeff Salyards, author of Scourge of the Betrayer, guest posts on A Dribble of Ink discussing how journalists chronicle the action while being right in the middle of it and how he uses it in his own work.

Review of Pandemonium: Stories of the Smoke: Mieneke of A Fantastical Librarian reviews this anthology edited by the amazing Jared Shurin and Anne C. Perry (of Pornokitsch fame). Looks like a great read.