Cover Art | Xeelee Omnibus by Stephen Baxter (Gollancz)

Stephen Baxter's epic sequence of Xeelee novels was introduced to a new generation of readers with his highly successful quartet, Destiny's Children, published by Gollancz between 2003 and 2006. But the sequence of novels began with RAFT in 1991.

From there it built into perhaps the most ambitious fictitious universe ever created. Beginning with the rise and fall of sub-quantum civilisations in the first nano-seconds after the Big Bang and ending with the heat death of the universe billions of years from now the series charts the story of mankinds epic war against the ancient and unknowable alien race the Xeelee.

Along the way it examines questions of physics, the nature of reality, the evolution of mankind and its possible future. It looks not just at the morality of war but at the morality of survival and our place in the universe.

This is a landmark in SF.

I've never read the Xeelee books by Stephen Baxter, but with this upcoming omnibus I definitely plan on picking it up. One problem - it's a 900 page beast! Being released next March by Gollancz in a spine breaking trade paperback and much more suitable hardback, it contains Raft, Timelike Infinity, Flux and Ring. A must for any science fiction fan!

Competition | The Rats and the Ruling Sea Winner!

A big congratulations goes to Brian Stabler from East Yorkshire for winning a copy if The Rats and the Ruling Sea by Robert V.S. Redick. Hope you enjoy it :)

Review | Cadian Blood by Aaron Dembski-Bowden (Black Library)

Title: Cadian Blood
Author: Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Publisher: Black Library
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Release Date: 5th October 2009

When the Imperial shrine world of Kathur is blighted by Chaos, the brave Guardsmen of Cadia are sent to reclaim it. The plague of Nurgle has set in deeply on the planet, forcing the Cadians into battle with an innumerable legion of the infected. In the midst of battle, Captain Parmenion Thade is thrust into an unlikely commanding role. Yet, he cannot imagine what lies ahead on Kathur, and just how important it will be to ensure victory there.

When I first heard of Cadian Blood I knew I just had to read it. Not only was it set in the Warhammer 40K universe (which I am loving more and more), but it was a W40K book with zombies in. I love zombie stories, but I was very curious about how this was going to fit in the Warhammer setting, although I did have some ideas. Suffice to say that although it did what it said on the tin and gave the reader some zombie vs imperial guard action, it also gave an excellent story that wasn't constrained in any way and used the subject matter to expand the general premise.

Debmski-Bowden doesn't hang around with Cadian Blood and jumps straight into the action on the planet of Kathur. This is both a good way to introduce the main antagonists of the story, to bring our characters into the fold and also demonstrate just how capable he is at close fought battles, tactics and descriptiveness. It's through these descriptions that he paints a gloomy picture of the shrineworld of Kathur and the conditions that the imperial forces are facing. More than once I stopped to re-read some of the sections to fully appreciate the fighting going on. Yes, it may all be chainswords on las guns taking down hordes of the infected, but this isn't simply a hack and slash novel - it has a story and good progression, both of plot and characters.

Although we're immediately introduced to the ground fighting troops and their experiences against the infected, we start to see more behind the enemy than just the fodder. When we get the odd force of chaos thrown into the mix the action cranks up a level and the intense rush that accompanies it comes through clearly on the page. It is clear from the start that something is not quite right on Kathur and it is through the eyes of Thade and his men that start digging to find just what the problem is.

Speaking of Thade and his men, these guys are a throughly bad-ass squad, raised to fight and are extremely good at what they do. This is where the story splits me slightly - with a squad as good as this in a situation that, although pretty dire, has a fairly predictable outcome (i.e. the good guys are going to win) I struggled to see where any real peril or danger would come from. Granted, towards the end the events unfold to cast a huge shadow over Kathur that seriously shake things up, but this seemed a bit too late in the day to cause any continued feeling of real threat throughout the novel. Dembski-Bowden does disadvantage his soldiers through limited use of weapons so that the landmarks of the shrine world remain relatively unaffected, but I never truly felt that the threat to the men was that grave.

Despite this one point I thoroughly enjoyed Cadian Blood. Not only did it live up to expectations, it surpassed them many times. The story was much more than I originally thought it would be and it expanded the Warhammer 40K universe a little more for me. This is the sort of book that once you pick up won't be put down easily, and for its length it delivers a great story with a lot packed in and much to admire. Highly recommended!

Overall rating: 8/10

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

Cover Art | Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding (Gollancz)

Frey is the captain of the Ketty Jay, leader of a small and highly dysfunctional band of layabouts. An inveterate womaniser and rogue, he and his gang make a living on the wrong side of the law, avoiding the heavily armed flying frigates of the Coalition Navy. With their trio of ragged fighter craft, they run contraband, rob airships and generally make a nuisance of themselves.

So a hot tip on a cargo freighter loaded with valuables seems like a great prospect for an easy heist and a fast buck. Until the heist goes wrong, and the freighter explodes. Suddenly Frey isn't just a nuisance anymore - he's public enemy number one, with the Coalition Navy on his tail and contractors hired to take him down.

But Frey knows something they don't. That freighter was rigged to blow, and Frey has been framed to take the fall. If he wants to prove it, he's going to have to catch the real culprit. He must face liars and lovers, dogfights and gunfights, Dukes and daemons.

It's going to take all his criminal talents to prove he's not the criminal they think he is ...

Retribution Falls was released earlier this year by Gollancz and was a great read (see my review here). The cover for the book (above) is pretty impressive and is a great indication of what to expect. However, Gollancz have decided to mix it up a little for the mass market release due next April:


Thoughts? Personally I quite like the text change and closer look it presents, though I'm not too keen on the bluish background to the text. Good for the mass market, but the trade and hardcover suit having the cleaner style.

If you've not read this one yet I seriously suggest picking it up - it's a blast to read!

Review | The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert VS Redick (Gollancz)

Title: The Red Wolf Conspiracy
Author: Robert VS Redick
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 480
Release Date: 1st February 2008

The Chathrand - The Great Ship, The Wind-Palace, His Supremacy's First Fancy - is the last of her kind - built 600 years ago she dwarves all the ships around her. The secrets of her construction are long lost. She was the pride of the Empire. The natural choice for the great diplomatic voyage to seal the peace with the last of the Emperor's last enemies.

700 souls boarded her. Her sadistic Captain Nilus Rose, the Emperor's Ambassador and Thasha, the daughter he plans to marry off to seal the treaty, a spy master and six assassins, one hunderd imperial marines, Pazel the tarboy gifted and cursed by his mother's spell and a small band of Ixchel. The Ixchel sneaked aboard and now hide below decks amongst the rats. Intent on their own mission.

But there is treachery afoot. Behind the plans for peace lies the shadow of war and the fear that a dead king might live again. And now the Chathrand, having survived countless battles and centuries of typhoons has gone missing.

This is her story.

Since starting to read more fantasy this year there have been a few novels that get good recommendations from sources I trust. The Red Wolf Conspiracy by debut author Robert V.S. Redick is one that falls into this category and has come to my attention now because of the release of the sequel, The Rats and the Ruling Sea. Whenever a series gets a new addition talk of the previous books comes up and I was pleased to hear what I did - enough to make sure that I had the first book read and ready for the sequel upon its release. Well, not quite, but almost! What I found in The Red Wolf Conspiracy was a book that gave me what I enjoy in fiction these days - interesting characters, a great setting and world building, and a story that has a depth to it that gives the reader much to think about.

The first thing I have to talk about is the setting, and specifically the Chathrand - look at the cover above and it will give you an idea of the sheer size of this thing. The Chathrand is a character in its own right and is the last of the Great Ships. The descriptions that Robert VS Redick uses when talking of the Chathrand are superb and bring some great visualisations, although he does not bog down the story with unnecessary passages, everything we read has a purpose and we learn about the ships along with the characters.

With the Chathrand used for a supposed voyage of peace between two empires - Mzithrin and Arqual - that have a long and bloodied history, we have many different characters and races on board for the journey. Among these is Captain Rose, the former captain chosen once again to run the ship, although to the disdain of many people due to his violent history. We also have Thasha, daughter of the Arqualian Emperor's ambassador, who is due to marry into the Mzithrini to cement the peace everyone is hoping for. Perhaps the main character of the novel is a young tarboy by the name of Pazel Pathkendle, the son of a traitor and in possession of a unique gift that allows him to understand any language when it is spoken - very helpful on a ship where many are spoken.

Redick handles the characters with flair and allows the meetings and exchanges between them to show more than simple story progression. We get to find out more of the history of Alifros, what preconceptions and prejudices that certain characters and countries have, and also what motivates the characters. I know this is something that should be done in every good novel, but Redick manages to build characters that are relatable and enjoyable while never losing sight of the wider picture.

Some of the other things I found I enjoyed with The Red Wolf Conspiracy were the more typical fantasy elements. Magic is practiced and spells are imparted with great effort involved, while the hint at another world elsewhere is made clear when relating to one particular character. We also have many creatures, from the tiny Ixchel to the huge Augrong, that populate this world which Redick has created. We also have 'woken' animals, those that have gained sentience, and although this is interesting, it does raise some questions on how and why this happens. Still, the world of The Red Wolf Conspiracy is truly amazing and has much to admire.

I would say that picking up The Red Wolf Conspiracy has left me wanting much more of what Robert V.S. Redick has to offer. Luckily I can jump straight into The Rats and the Ruling Sea and continue to follow this great journey. Only problem I have now is the waiting until the third book is released - blast these fantasy writers and their multiple volume stories!!

Overall rating: 8/10

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com