Books on my radar...

The whole ‘themed month’ thing seems to have totally fallen by the wayside; I’m not giving up on it completely but I’ve found that a lot of (if not all of) the books on that particular pile aren’t screaming at me to be read right now. If that wasn’t bad enough, reading time has been hard to come by of late (for a whole load of reasons that you’re really not interested in hearing about) so you’ll have to wait a couple of days before the reviews kick in again. Sorry about that; normal service will hopefully review soon, promise!

That left me with a bit of a blank space to fill today until, as per usual, the ol’ reading pile hit me with a little inspiration. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself poring over your ‘to read’ pile making up little lists of books that have caught your eye (for whatever reason) and planning to read them very soon. Whether you actually do or not is another matter entirely and one that I know only too well! I was running my eye over the pile last night and a few books caught my attention. I’m not promising anything (especially after pretty much breaking a promise to read only books that I’ve promised to read this month!) but I wouldn’t mind giving all these a go before Christmas. I’m notoriously fickle with my reading right now so, like I said, it’s also entirely likely that something shinier will catch my eye in the meantime. We’ll see how it goes...

Before I get on to any of those books though, I’m currently working my way through Nick Kyme’s ‘Firedrake’ and having some fun while I’m there. It’s an entertaining read but, at the moment, Kyme hasn’t quite done enough with it to break into the ranks of my favourite Black Library Writers. I’m only just over halfway through though so there’s plenty of time yet for things to change. Look out for a review early next week. Mark, over at My Favourite Books, has written a review if you fancy a look.

Right, onto those books that have caught my eye...

‘Helfort’s War Book 4: The Battle for Commitment Planet’ – Graham Sharp

It doesn’t usually stop me but I’m normally a little wary about starting a series on the fourth book. The blurb here convinced me otherwise...

It was insane, it was suicidal, it was wrong -
and by God he was going to do it.

The Hammer Worlds have Helfort exactly where they want him. The ultimatum is brutal and precise. Unless the Federated hero surrenders, the Hammer World's prisoner Anna Cheung - the only woman Helfort has ever loved - will be handed over to a bunch of depraved troopers to be violated, then executed by firing squad.

Helfort can obey, or he can do what the crew proposes: sail his three frontline dreadnoughts into the Hammers' stronghold Commitment Planet, liberate Anna and the rest of the POWs held captive there, and continue the fight in the jaws of the enemy. Helfort's decision? Bring it on!

I just love the whole sense of honesty in this blurb. You know exactly what you’re getting here; there may not be a lot to ponder over but you can bet that the explosions will be really cool. Like the blurb says, bring it on!

‘The Silent Land’ – Graham Joyce

This one actually arrived in the post a couple of days ago but favourable reviews elsewhere have prompted me to check this one out fairly soon (as well as the fact that I really enjoyed ‘The Tooth Fairy’). Check out what Adam and Niall have to say. Once you’ve done that, have a look at the blurb for this one...

A young couple are caught in an avalanche during a ski-ing holiday in the French Alps. They struggle back to the village and find it deserted. As the days go by they wait for rescue, then try to leave. But each time they find themselves back in the village. And, increasingly, they are plagued by visions and dreams and the realization that perhaps no-one could have survived the avalanche. THE SILENT LAND is a brooding and tender look at love and whether it can survive the greatest challenge we will ever face.

I think I know where this one is going and I’m just going to have to read ‘The Silent Land’ and see if I’m correct...

‘The Last Page’ – Anthony Huso

I don’t normally pay too much attention to cover quotes but this one by Glen Cook grabbed me,

"A first novel of unusual scope, power, and imagination that, for me, had much of the sense of wonder feel of Kuttneresque science fantasy set in a grownup world filled of real people desperately trying to cope.  I loved it."

I haven’t seen much of Glen Cook online but from what I have seen, he isn’t normally this enthusiastic (yep, I’m thinking of the interview that Pat did with him)... I’ll be checking this one out just to see what all the fuss is about. Here’s the blurb in the meantime,

The city of Isca is set like a dark jewel in the crown of the Duchy of Stonehold. In this sprawling landscape, the monsters one sees are nothing compared to what’s living in the city’s sewers.
Twenty-three-year-old Caliph Howl is Stonehold’s reluctant High King. Thrust onto the throne, Caliph has inherited Stonehold’s dirtiest court secrets. He also faces a brewing civil war that he is unprepared to fight. After months alone amid a swirl of gossip and political machinations, the sudden reappearance of his old lover, Sena, is a welcome bit of relief. But Sena has her own legacy to claim: she has been trained from birth by the Shradnae witchocracy—adept in espionage and the art of magical equations writ in blood—and she has been sent to spy on the High King.
Yet there are magics that demand a higher price than blood. Sena secretly plots to unlock the Cisrym Ta, an arcane text whose pages contain the power to destroy worlds. The key to opening the book lies in Caliph’s veins, forcing Sena to decide if her obsession for power is greater than her love for Caliph.
Meanwhile, a fleet of airships creeps ever closer to Isca. As the final battle in a devastating civil war looms and the last page of the Cisrym Ta waits to be read, Caliph and Sena must face the deadly consequences of their decisions. And the blood of these conflicts will stain this and other worlds forever.

‘Corum’ – Michael Moorcock
Because I really enjoyed working my way through the ‘Runestaff’ series and fancy having a go at another of Moorcock’s ‘Eternal Champion’ series. This particular book collects ‘The Knight of the Swords’, ‘The Queen of the Swords’ and ‘The King of the Swords’. I’m not sure if this will come in three separate reviews or just the one though, we’ll see...

I may not read these books straight away but these are the ones on my radar right now. Any of them grabbed your attention? And what books have piqued your interest in general...?