What's your favorite fantasy world?

Underland Press is inviting readers to nominate their favorite secondary worlds for possible inclusion in their forthcoming book, If You Lived Here: The Top 30 All Time Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Worlds. Some of my favorite science fiction and fantasy books are those that take you on a trip of the imagination to elsewhere. There's so many great science fiction and fantasy worlds; which ones will you nominate? Click here to submit your nominations. My only complaint is that the nomination form only has space for three nominations. I don't know that I can pick only three!

Harry Potter Exhibit

A few weeks ago, when we were in New York City for Book Expo America, we went to see the Harry Potter exhibit at Discovery Times Square. This is a wonderful exhibit of props, costumes, and set pieces from all of the movies, and I highly recommend it to any Harry Potter fans. Even if you aren't a fan of the movies (I've never liked them as much as the books) it's still a wonderful experience to see real-life versions of all the amazing things from the books: the Fat Lady, the Sword of Gryffindor, the horcruxes, even Dobby and Kreacher.

The exhibit is organized into thematic groupings, such as Quidditch, the common room, and the various classes such as Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions. You can see the Marauders' Map and try to puzzle out the margin notes in the Half-Blood Prince's potions book. There are even a few interactive areas where you can sit in Hagrid's chair (it's big!), throw a Quaffle, and pull up mandrakes.

The exhibit runs through September 5 and advance tickets are recommended.

Harry Potter Exhibition information

Buy Tickets

Canadian Prix Aurora Awards Announced

Last month, the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association announced the finalists for the Prix Aurora Awards for the English language awards:

www.prixaurorawards.ca/wordpress/

(Thanks to nominated author Craig Russell for the news)

The Fellowship of the Rings Extended Edition in Theaters Tonight!

See The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition in theaters for one night only TONIGHT, June 14! The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers will show on June 21, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King on June 28.

From the press release:

The events will begin with a new and personal introduction for each film from The Lord of the Rings™ director Peter Jackson captured from the set of his current film, and The Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit, and will be immediately followed by the Extended Edition feature presentations which altogether include nearly three hours of additional feature footage carefully selected by Peter Jackson.

For more information and to purchase tickets:
http://ping.fm/6Ulqh

Book Review: Rot & Ruin

Rot & Ruin
by Jonathan Maberry

Benny Imura was just a toddler on First Night, when the world fell to the zombies, but he has flashes of memory from that night. He remembers his half-brother Tom taking him and running away, leaving his mother behind to become one of the walking dead. Because of this, Benny knows that Tom is a coward, even if other people think he's some bad-ass zombie hunter. Benny refuses to apprentice with Tom, even though he has to find a job by the time he turns fifteen, or his rations will be cut in half. Finally, jobless on the eve of his fifteenth birthday, Benny has no choice but to ask Tom to take him on as an apprentice zombie hunter. But when Tom takes Benny on his first trip into the Rot & Ruin, the zombie-infested world outside the walls of the town, Benny begins to learn that things are not as simple as he expected. For who can make sense of a world where heroes become monsters and monsters turn out to be human?

I'm not all that interested in zombies, and when this book was nominated for the Cybils award, I resisted reading it initially. But when several of my fellow Cybils panelists not only added it to their working shortlists, but actively pushed for it, I had to read it. I was glad that I did!

Rot & Ruin is not only an action-packed story with suspenseful scenes that will keep you reading late into the night, but it also has depth and character development. The heart of the story is Benny's developing relationship with Tom, and coming to terms with the past and the present. Even killing zoms is not as simple as it seems; Benny learns from Tom to recognize that they once were human, with loved ones who might mourn them still. As often is the case in horror, the real monsters are not the zombies, but the humans.

On its surface, Rot & Ruin is a zombie novel, but it's really much more than that. At it's heart it's a Western, with some Samurai mythos added for good measure. (But then, there are close ties between Westerns and Samurai movies, anyway). In one scene where Tom steps into a confrontation, I swear I could hear the music from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in my head.

There's an ethnic diversity in this book that feels genuine, not forced. Of course the survivors of a diverse nation would be diverse, and the population of the town of Mountainside reflects that. Benny himself is half Japanese, and his half-brother Tom is a full Japanese-American. (Tom and Benny share a father but have different mothers). Tom is a hot guy, a deadly fighter, and yet sensitive too, which makes a welcome change from the frequent stereotypes.

With a couple of strong female characters, and a credible teen romance (from a guy's point of view), Rot & Ruin has something for everyone.

Rot & Ruin was the 2010 Cybils Winner for Teen Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Buy Rot & Ruin from:
Amazon.com
Your local independent bookseller through IndieBound
Audio book from audible.com
Barnes & Noble

The sequel to Rot & Ruin, called Dust & Decay, will be published August 30.

Preorder Dust & Decay from Amazon.com

Preorder Dust & Decay from Your local independent bookseller through IndieBound

Preorder Dust & Decay from Barnes & Noble

Reviewed from library copy. FTC required disclosure: The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Book Review: Thirteen Days to Midnight

Thirteen Days to Midnight
by Patrick Carman

Jacob Fielding can’t die. He can’t even suffer injury. His foster father transferred this amazing power to him just before they crashed into a tree, killing Mr. Fielding instantly. But while being indestructible sounds great, it has a darker side, as Jacob and his friends Milo and Oh (short for Ophelia) discover as they try to understand the power, then use it to help people. Death can’t be defeated; put on hold it lies in wait. And the three teens find that there is a terrible price to pay for trying.

Patrick Carman has a knack for writing gripping stories with lots of teen appeal. The straightforward writing style, combined with a dark and creepy story and credible teen characters, should make this a win with reluctant readers. Yet there’s enough depth and character development to also appeal to good readers who enjoy a creepy story. I like that Jacob, the narrator, is just an ordinary teen boy who does the kinds of things that teens do, like trying to impress the girl. Mr. Fielding never explained the power to Jacob, and as the three friends struggle to understand the “black lion,” as they call the power, they make mistakes that they will have to pay for in the end.

Thirteen Days to Midnight was a 2010 Cybils nominee in the Fantasy & Science Fiction—Teen category.

Buy Thirteen Days to Midnight from:

Amazon.com
Your local independent bookseller through IndieBound
Audio book from audible.com
Barnes & Noble

FTC required disclosure: Review copy provided by the publisher to enable me to write this review. The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Book Review: Firebrand

Firebrand
by Gillian Philip

Seth is the bastard sun of the dun captain Griogar. His father barely acknowledges his existence, and most of the people in the dun revile and torment him, when they aren't ignoring him. But when his older half-brother Conal takes him under his wing, the two form a special bond. So when Conal is exiled to the full-mortal realm, of course Seth goes with him.

Seth and Conal are Sithe, and have the ability to speak mind-to-mind. Sithe also live extremely long lives, but they aren't immortal and can die on the point of a sword—or in a fire. And in the late 16th century, full mortals consider Sithe abilities to be witchcraft, and witches are burned at the stake. Can Seth and Conal survive long enough to live out the term of their exile and return to their own world?

Firebrand is an exciting story driven by a strong narrative voice that leaps off the page. Seth is an interesting character: stubborn, arrogant, and temperamental, yet redeemed by an abiding loyalty to his brother. Although initially he appears to care about no one but himself, he grows through his love and loyalty to Conal, and he shows a deep ability to care in spite of his prickly exterior. Gillian Philip did an amazing job of creating a narrator who should be unlikeable, but whom we can’t help but begin to like and care about.

The plot is exciting, with enough action to keep the pages turning. In fact, it leaps right into the action as Conal is about to be burned at the stake, then much of the book is a flashback that shows how they got to that point. There’s also plenty of political intrigue, and romance as well.

Firebrand appears to be primarily only available in the UK at this time. I was lucky enough to receive a review copy as a Cybils panelist. There are some copies available on Amazon Marketplace, but other than that, readers in the US may have difficulty finding copies. I hope that this excellent fantasy series will be available in a US edition before too long.

Firebrand was a 2010 Cybils nominee in the Fantasy & Science Fiction—Teen category.

Firebrand on Amazon.com (try the used and new link)

Firebrand on Amazon UK

FTC required disclosure: Review copy provided by the publisher to enable me to write this review. Some of the bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Inheritance Book 4 announced

Random House has announced that the fourth and final book of Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle will be published on November 8, 2011. The book will be titled Inheritance. Click here for more information on the Random House web site.

Authors for Japan

The pictures and reports coming out of Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami are horrifying. When I read things like this:"In the town of Otsuchi, out of a population of 15,000 people, 12,000 people are missing," I want to cry. The thought of it is staggering.

A group of authors in the UK has organized an online auction to raise money to help the Japanese through the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal. You can bid on 150 donated items and services, including things like autographed books, critiques, cover designs, and web site creation. All money raised goes directly to the British Red Cross. Bidding is open now, and continues until 8pm GMT on Sunday, March 20.

Although the auction is hosted in the UK, overseas bids are accepted as long as those bids are in UK pounds. This is a great opportunity for those of us in the US to get copies of books currently only available in the UK, and help the people of Japan at the same time.

I'd like to point out a couple of items that might be of particular interest to readers of this blog:

Signed first edition hardback of SCRIVENER’S MOON by Philip Reeve
Sequel to Fever Crumb and A Web of Air. I don't think that Web of Air is even available in the U.S. yet, and it looks like Scrivener's Moon isn't even available in the UK until April, so it'll probably be a while before there's a US edition. Reeve says, "...if the buyer wishes, I can do a drawing on the title page as well." Who wouldn't wish a Philip Reeve drawing on the title page? Bidding will probably go pretty high on this one, but it's for a good cause, right?

Signed copies of FIREBRAND and BAD FAITH by Gillian Philip + two signed FIREBRAND posters + character naming
Firebrand, by Gillian Philip, is an excellent UK fantasy that I read for the Cybils. I'm actually rereading it right now so that I can review it, and I'm enjoying it just as much the second time around. This one is not generally available in the US either, and I highly recommend it. It combines fey folk with medieval witch burnings and a strong narrative voice from an interesting POV character.

There are many other excellent items and services to bid on, so head on over to Authors for Japan and check it out.

Book Review: Finnikin of the Rock

Finnikin of the Rock
by Melina Marchetta

As the son of the Captain of the King's guard, Finnikin grew up at the palace with the royal children as playmates. All that changed when the royal family of Lumatere was brutally assassinated, and the land invaded by a cousin of the King. After five days of horror, a barrier of darkness surrounded Lumatere, trapping half of the population inside the kingdom, while those who had fled were trapped without, exiles from their own land.

Finnikin is one of those exiles, and he has spent the last 10 years growing up under the protection and guidance of the former King's First Man, Sir Topher. The two travel all the lands, doing what they can to help the other exiles in the refugee camps, and trying to find a new homeland for their people. Then Finnikin and Sir Topher are summoned to the cloister of the goddess Lagrami, where they are introduced to a girl, the novice Evangeline, who claims to know that the crown prince is alive.

Accompanied by Evangeline—one might say bullied by her—Finnikin and Sir Topher begin a dangerous journey to try to find the truth, seek the crown prince, and gather together the remnants of their people.

Finnikin of the Rock is a lovely, meaty fantasy: the kind I cut my teeth on. The world building is rich, with not one, but many different cultures sharing the continent. The Lumateran culture in particular is interesting, different enough from our own to seem exotic. At times, though, the differences are off-putting and make it hard to identify with the characters. For example, the Lumaterans have a habit of insulting those they care most about. The insults are, to my ear, cutting, but they apparently are a type of bonding.

The writing seems forced in places, such as when the author is too-obviously concealing information from the reader. Of course, limiting the reader's knowledge to what the character knows and figures out is a valid and frequently used technique in these types of stories, but in some places here it's done so obviously that the reader is left feeling like Finnikin must be an idiot for not figuring things out.

Some things are not well-explained. For example, what is the cause of the dark barrier surrounding Lumatere? There's generally no magic in this world, although there are some magical-type abilities that come from the goddess. However, one wouldn't think that a goddess would create such a thing that would cause such pain to her people, and if not her, then where did the power come from to create it?

Overall, I found reading Finnikin of the Rock frustrating, because I liked a lot of it so much, but there were enough things that bothered me that I couldn't lose myself in it. Even so, I think this is a book with strong appeal to fans of high fantasy. There are enough other bloggers who loved it unreservedly that I think it deserves a place in a school or library collection, where I think many young epic fantasy readers will eat it up.

Finnikin of the Rock was a 2010 Cybils nominee in the Fantasy & Science Fiction—Teen category.

Buy Finnikin of the Rock from:
Amazon.com
Your local independent bookseller through IndieBound
Audio book from audible.com
Barnes & Noble

FTC required disclosure: Review copy provided by the publisher to enable me to write this review. The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.