Sunday 15 July 2012

A couple of books arrived in the post...

And I just wanted to quickly mention them before I run off and start getting ready for work tomorrow.

Arrested by the Ald, scholar Bon Ugane and merwoman Leki Borle find themselves on a prison ship bound for the island of Skythe - a barren land and the site of long-ago wars.
Warped and ruined by the ancient conflict, survival on the island is tough and its original inhabitants are neither friendly nor entirely still human. But something else waits on the island, a living weapon whose very existence is a heresy. Destroyed many years ago, it silently begins to clutch at life once more.

For my money, Tim Lebbon doesn't get the attention he deserves as a very fine writer of... well, whatever he turns his hand to really. Check out a few of my reviews and you'll see what I mean. Give 'Echo City' a go if nothing else. 'The Heretic Lands' has muscled its way into the top end of the reading pile so you can expect a review soon(ish).

The game is afoot!


London's geniuses are being picked off by a vicious killer, and Emma Bannon, a sorceress in the service of the Empire, must protect the next target, Archibald Clare. Unfortunately he's more interested in solving the mystery of the murders than staying alive . . .

In a world where illogical magic has turned the Industrial Revolution on its head, Bannon and Clare will face dark sorcery, cannon fire, high treason and the vexing problem of reliably finding hansom cabs in the city.

Is Steampunk the new Urban Fantasy? I for one hope so, I really do (but I'm pretty much indifferent to nine tenths of Urban Fantasy so there you go). It would be refreshing to see something else on the shelves I have to say. I will give 'The Iron Wyrm Affair' a go but 'The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities' is a slice of Steampunk that looks far more appealing right now. Look out for a review of that instead.

1 comment:

Cursed Armada said...

I agree that Tim Lebbon is highly underrated. Echo city was very original and cool... I'll be buying that one for sure!