May 14, 2008
Book Review: Obsidian Ridge by Jess Lebow
* Genre: Sword and Sorcery, Media Tie-In, Forgotten Realms
* ISBN: 0786947853
* ISBN-13: 9780786947850
* Format: Mass Market Paperback, 313pp
* Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
* Pub. Date: April 2008
* Series: Forgotten Realms Citadels Series, #2
In a writing style throwback to the adventure stories of Robert Howard and others of his generation of sword and sorcery writers – light on dialogue, big on action - Jess Lebow has brought some of the adventure back to the Forgotten Realms campaign setting in his latest novel, Obsidian Ridge. Foregoing character introspections (except to a limited extent) Lebow allows the action to drive his narrative. It is much like the early Ed Greenwood, when he first began writing media tie in novels for his Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
Obsidian Ridge tells the story of three primary heroes. The Claw is the king’s assassin, whose bladed gauntlets remind me of nothing less than Wolverine. And the Claw uses them to equal effect. Mariko is the king’s daughter, but she is also a budding spellcaster and damsel in distress. Korox, King of Erlkazar - a newly formed nation that broke off from Tethyr - is forced to make a decision about whether or not to give up his daughter to the arch magus Xeries, master of a floating mountain in the sky called the Obsidian Ridge. Twisted in body and mind, Xeries threatens to destroy all of Erlkazar if he does not receive Mariko for his payment. But there are other forces at work. The criminal underworld of Lhorbauth – capital of Erlkazar – has captured Mariko and holds her for ransom from a desperate king. The king and the Claw must find Mariko, all the while wondering whether or not to turn over Mariko to the evil Xeries.
As you can see from the synopsis in the previous paragraph, there is a lot of potential for action in the story, and Lebow leverages it to the hilt. The story is light on dialogue, and instead moves from action sequence to battle scene, from battle scene to fight scene, with a dose of mystery thrown into the mix rather than conversation to move the narrative forward. The identity of the Claw, and the king of the underworld both remain a significant mystery for a large part of the story, although the astute reader will guess their identities quickly.
Although it is action that drives the plot, there is some time given over to introspection. Korox especially wrestles with what it means to be king. But Lebow’s skill is not in getting us to emotionally connect with the characters, rather it is in giving us heroes that we cannot help but cheer for. Reading Obsidian Ridge was like watching a football game in which you know nothing of the players except their names. As you watch, the announcers give you little tidbits of information about the players, and you appreciate them, but that isn’t why you tuned in. You tuned in because you needed something to cheer for, to watch one team beat another. In Obsidian Ridge you want to watch the team of Korox, Mariko, and the Claw beat Xeries and the criminal underworld. What you learn of their characters in the meantime is interesting, but is not why you choose to read the book.
The novel has flaws. It is a simple plot, and Lebow uses deus ex machina a few times. The Claw and Mariko get out of a few scrapes a bit too fortuitously and this can seem a little contrived. When the plot tries to zig or zag, it is usually pretty obvious where the author is going, and when a surprise does occur, it is because the reader had little foreshadowing and so had no reason to expect it.
If you enjoy dialogue as part of the story, Lebow uses only what he must. The story is mostly told through a description of events as they unfold. Characterization is simplified and the motivations of the characters are not in any way complex – except for Korox. He alone really struggles with himself.
I don’t think that this novel makes a good entry point for new Realms readers. It explains little of the Realms mythos, and in fact only has a very few mentions of the standard races and denizens of the realms. Even those are usually part human, part something else. A little prior knowledge of the Realms would stand the reader in good stead for understanding the Realms story Lebow has written. The book could have been placed in another setting other than the Realms and still have been essentially the same story. I do recommend it for all Realms readers to add to their collection. It is not a stand out novel, but neither is it mediocre, and so it fits snuggle into that area of fiction that is best classified as an enjoyable read.
In Obsidian Ridge Jess Lebow took a difficult topic - it is part of the Forgotten Realms The Citadels series, where the writers try to write a story about fortresses and castles - and made an interesting story of it. It has inescapable dungeons, a love story, truly evil villains, battle and fight scenes, and a hero who uses gauntlets as weapons. What more could you ask for from a sword and sorcery novel?
May 13, 2008
Book Review: Breach the Hull by Mike McPhail
* Genre: Military Science Fiction. Short Stories
* ISBN: 1892669439
* ISBN-13: 9781892669438
* Format: Paperback, 232pp
* Publisher: Marietta Publishing
* Pub. Date: November 2007
Since the publication of Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, stories about the soldiers who fight the wars in space have had an enduring popularity among science fiction fans. Of late, though, its popularity has waned with the rise of fantasy, steampunk, and urban fantasy novels. Editor Mike McPhail has attempted to revive this sub-genre with the publication of his collection entitled Breach the Hull. Collecting 16 tales of military SF, Breach the Hull does a good job of covering the spectrum of military style SF, while only including three previously published tales.
There are two stories by veteran writer Jack McDevitt, “Cryptic” and “Black to Move”. “Cryptic” tells a modern story of the SETI project and the need to question just what we might encounter out there if we are not careful. Continuing in that vein, “Black to Move” mixes chess and war, and left a cold feeling in my heart with its chilling ending. Both stories are very well-written and their inclusion makes this anthology extremely strong. Even though both have been previously published, they are hard to find, and are an excellent introduction to an SF writer everyone should read.
John C. Wright, another excellent SF author has two stories in this anthology. The first, “Peter Power Armor” is a new story for this anthology. “Peter Power Armor” is about a child’s toy in a man’s war, and the salvation it can bring. This story was heartwrenching. “Forgotten Causes” is a story about a weapon and a man, but a planet destroying weapon of an unusual nature. I would vey much like to read more stories of Marshall Lamech. Wright’s stories had well integrated themes of heroism and revenge and would make anyone want to find more stories by Wright.
Mike McPhail’s own contribution to the anthology, “Wayward Child”, is actually the one least liked. It was disconnected and vague. It tried to tell the story of a soldier on the ground, and the sacrifice one makes for a comrade. McPhail’s protagonist simply did not generate empathy, and the final conclusion of “change” was too vague to be of use in defining the character’s future.
“Not One Word” by James Daniel Ross is a spy story. The protagonist is on the run with some sensitive information, and the reader will experience the thrill of the chase as he runs from his pursuers. Ross’s story brings the thrill of excitement by telling an action packed tale. It is actually part of lager world he has developed, so you I recommend you visit his website to learn more.
“In the Dying Light” by Danielle Ackley-McPhail was one of my favorite stories of Breach the Hull. An Alien style horror tale, it is about the dangers of the strange uncharted regions of space. Ackley-McPhail builds tension well, and by the end you may find yourself gripped in the cold sweats of fear.
James Chambers' “Killer Eye” explores the reasons that some go to war. For his protagonist, it is revenge for a family killed. Bringing to mind the close confines of spaceships and the sometimes lonely life on would expect in such situations, Chambers' story find enemies both within and without in a wartime situation. Well-conceived, “Killer Eye” shows why and us-versus-them mentality can bring about solidarity.
“Compartment Alpha”, by Jeffrey Lyman, is an epic space battle. Each ship fires on another, and eventually one is destroyed, but the true heroes never stop fighting. Lyman brings the bravery of soldiers to the forefront, and envisions what happens to the survivors of those huge spaceships after they go silent.
John Hemry’s “Dead End” looks at the diplomatic side of military SF. Sometimes our understanding of the enemy is too clouded by our own perceptions. Hemry’s tale really drives that point home, and you will look at our own conflicts a bit differently after reading “Dead End”.
Bud Sparhawk’s “Broadside” wants to point out the colossal waste in life and potential in war. By describing a battle instigated for reasons of trade, Sparhawk makes allusions to the Gulf War and the current conflict in Iraq. Although the story was politicized, it’s still worth a read. Sparhawk’s second story “Alliances” is a pirate tale, a story of rebellion against a ruling empire. And sometimes rebellion makes for strange bedfellows.
Making allusions to Shakespeare throughout, Lawrence M. Schoen’s “Thresher” is another pirate tale. Although not really a military SF story, I can see why the editor included it in this anthology. Schoen’s paean to Shakespeare in this tale piques the interest. Schoen’s story is a worthwhile addition.
“Dereliction of Duty” is an admixture of zombie fantasy and military SF. Sometimes fear can overrule even the best of soldiers, but if one person stands up and does what is right, many innocents can be spared. Patrick Thomas adds urban fantasy elements to an older genre, and out pops an inventive little story.
“Perspective” by Tony Ruggiero is another urban fantasy/military SF mix, and gives a sci-fi explanation to our own myths about vampiric beings. I truly was surprised by its ending. Sometimes our change in perspective makes us see things in a whole new light.
C. J. Henderson closes out the collection with a humorous tale called “Shore Leave”. As you can imagine, the story is about a couple of gregarious soldiers who do the right thing when an unusual situation presents itself. The story was a good one to end with, as it allows the anthology to end on a high note.
McPhail’s editing is superb. Breach the Hull is full of excellent stories, no two of which are the same. While similar themes crop up throughout, each writer has managed to take the subgenre and make it his own. McPhail, a graphic designer as well as editor, has given each story an opening illustration that heightened the sense of military splendor and pageantry. I highly recommend this little known anthology for all SF enthusiasts.
Odds and Ends
Thrinidir of Realms of Speculative Fiction pointed out to me that the full trailer for Star Wars: The Clone Wars is available for viewing. This full length animated film hits theaters August 15th.
Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas character has been turned into a four part web only movie. The orginal story is called "Odd Passenger" and takes place after the ending of BROTHER ODD and start of ODD HOURS (on sale in hardcover May 20th). The first episode is on Youtube. As is the second. And episode 3.
The List Universe has the top ten fantasy adventure movies.
Jeffrey Overstreet's Auralia's Colors, which I reviewed a while back, ahs been nominated for the Clive Staples (i.e. C.S. Lewis) Award.
Mental_Floss has 7 wizards...or are they all the same guy?
Some of my interviews and reviews will now also be appearing on the Flashing Swords e-zine website. They can be found in the right hand column on the home page under "Interviews" and "Book Reviews".
May 09, 2008
Movie Review: Iron Man
The wife and I went last night to see Iron Man. I once was an occasional reader of the comic book. Such things were not approved of in my parent’s house, more for the expense than the subject matter, when the library starting having subscriptions I read it a lot more. This meant I sort of read Iron Man rather piecemeal as issues were returned, or I was forced to skip those issues that were not returned or replaced. (Maybe that’s a good deed opportunity for Marvel?)
We, I have to say, enjoyed the movie immensely. I generally do not like blockbuster hits (The movie grossed nearly $100 million in box office receipts in its first weekend; I heard that was some kind of record.) The visual effects were amazing, and there was no clunky integration of CGI and real life. Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jeff Bridges gave excellent performances, and each was perfectly picked for the role. Jon Favreau’s directing was neat and clean, with no extra scenes for explanation or political agenda purposes.
Iron Man’s terrorists are really bad guys, and the story doesn’t shy away from depicting evil as evil. When Iron Man destroys them and their weapons, you cheer for this hero who wants to fix what he broke. Favreau could have taken the opportunity to use the weapons-maker-turns-conscientious-citizen story to make a political statement, but he doesn’t. Sure, we see how weapons getting into the wrong hands can cause a lot of problems, but we also find out that it was not the manufacture of such that was the problem, but the greed of certain individuals. Truly, if Favreau feels one way or another about the politics of weapons manufacture, it doesn’t come through the screen. And that is as it should be. Superhero tales should entertain, not try and convince us to agree with certain principles, except perhaps for the universal ones of heroism, friendship, freedom and patriotism. I think there are very few who would think those were bad things to desire.
Robert Downey Jr. must draw on his own experience with making a turnaround in one’s life to create the emotions of the character of Tony Stark/Iron Man. Stark’s epiphany is believable and energizing for the viewer. Downey Jr. makes us believe that people can change their behaviors away from self destructive to positive.
Both my wife and I commented on how Gwyneth Paltrow is perfect with reddish hair. My experience with her as an actress is usually depicting strong female leads, whose personalities are nothing like Pepper Pots. But Paltrow gives an excellent performance as the demure, loving-Stark-from-afar, woman. Yet her character is not melodramatic, but efficient and caring. It’s an odd juxtaposition, as we normally do not associate one with the other, by Paltrow makes it happen with skill and grace. My hope is that the sequel (and of course there will be one) will retain her as Ms. Potts.
I also find it interesting that Favreau was able to do so much with so few settings. In particular, the cave and Stark’s workshop. Tony Stark spends a great deal of time in these settings during the movie, but it never gets dry or boring. Yet you would think you would. I mean we return to Stark’s workshop so many times, you would think Favreau would run out of ways to change camera angles. Yet somehow it works. This is first superhero movie in the recent revival of them where I felt that the “lair” of the superhero was really a useful place, and not some melodramatic tool.
I’m actually not qualified to speak to whether it follows the original stories closely enough. I will say this, from my occasional reading of the comics; it seems that the movie really has little difference from the printed matter, except to update the technology and bad guys to reflect the real world political situation. That isn’t much different from setting Spider-Man in NYC. The essence of the story and the characters remains the similar, if no the same, so to the casual viewer, or even the reader of Iron Man the story retains all that makes it great.
I highly recommend everyone go see Iron Man if you haven’t already. Stay till after the credits for a surprise visit from a well-known actor, and a little promo for what can only be a sequel.
Snippet from Paul Kemp's Shadowrealm
Paul S. Kemp has posted a little scene from his latest Forgotten Realms novel Shadowrealm at his livejournal. Shadowrealm is currently slated for publication in December of 2008, and will conclude the Twilight War trilogy.
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LinkedIn - Oops, Sorry
Some of you may have received and invitation from me to join LinkedIn. I was attempting to integrate my gmail account into my profile and get some of my business contacts from there to be LinkedIn with me. Something went wrong however, so many of you received an invitation to join even though you are not already on there at the moment. It was NOT my intent to invite you, although I don't mind it if you do want to connect of course.
I always try to be intentional about that kind of thing, and NEVER send out blanket requests to everybody on my email list. I find that offensive when people do that, so I would NEVER choose to do so on purpose.
I apologize to any authors, publishers, or commenters on this blog that mistakenly received an invitation. I am very sorry for my mistake.
May 08, 2008
Book Review: Return of the Sword edited by Jason M. Waltz
* Genre: Sword and Sorcery, Short Fiction
* ISBN: 097957885X
* ISBN-13: 9780979578854
* Format: Paperback, 344pp
* Publisher: Flashing Swords Press, an imprint of Cyberwizard Productions
* Pub. Date: March 2008
The Return of the Sword is the first anthology published by the newly minted Flashing Swords Press, itself the publishing arm of the formerly defunct and recently revitalized Flashing Swords e-zine. Giving itself the byline “An Anthology of Heroic Adventure” Return of the Sword is editor Jason M. Waltz’s collection of 19 new stories, one classic reprint, and one article that look at the character of the hero, particularly as he appears in the sword and sorcery subgenre of fantasy. In Waltz’s introduction to the anthology, he writes that “heroes continue to do the ordinary in extraordinary times and do the extraordinary in ordinary times.”
The stories contained in Return of the Sword manage to show that truth in many ways, with varied success.
The anthology begins with a female protagonist in “Altar of the Moon” a story by Stacey Berg that thinks about the problems inherent in the magical weapons that heroes use. What this hero is forced to do to quell the magic in her sword may surprise you. Berg’s writing is fluid, and this very short story is an interesting take on the magical weapon trope.
“The Wyrd of War” by Bill Ward is a graphic battle story. It is sad for its protagonist and the ending will wrench you heart. Ward has his protagonist make a fearsome decision, one I hope no one in this modern age must face, although I fear that in some ways it is more common than you think. The story has repercussions in the euthanasia debate. (Likely this is something the author did not foresee, but I came away thinking about it.)
“The Last Scream of Carnage” by Phil Emery uses strange word placement, replacement of quotes with italics, and a sense of raw emotion to tell the story of a heroes sacrifice. Waltz’s “editors choice” it is the most groundbreaking story in the anthology. Although groundbreaking in style, I found its narrative difficult to follow and I did not enjoy this story, for all its creativity.
I also disagree with Waltz’s decision to have an “editor’s choice” since in reality, he chose all of the stories contained in the anthology, and to elevate one above all the rest is unnecessary and distracting. His job as editor is to choose stories readers will enjoy, not tell us which one we should like best, as our tastes are not necessarily going to conform to his. His “editor’s choice” decision led to this story being the only one that is illustrated and I’d like to say I feel slighted on behalf of the other writer’s who contributed work to this anthology.
“The Battle of Raven Kill” by Jeff Draper is a story of self-sacrifice. The story is one man’s last stand against a horde of barbarians. Draper weaves an elegant and protracted fight scene that is thrilling to read.
Nicholas Ian Hawkins’ “What Heroes Leave Behind” is about an aged warrior. Tolasun is a hero who has lived longer than his legend. Hawkins writes a believable tale about a warrior who comes full circle, and how when heroes die, there are those who will pick up the mantle. The “shadow” that is part of the story is nicely woven in, and Hawkins makes that spectre an interesting and unique foe.
“Fatefist at Torkas Nahl” is an alright tale. David Pitchford pits the leaders of three opposing armies against each other, a unique type of battle, but it was overly complex, and the Fatefist himself was inexplicably obtuse. This story was neat to read, but I turned its final page not feeling that I had really been told much of a story, just a sequence of events.
Ty Johnston delves into the hero versus fate story with “Deep in the Land of Ice and Snow”. It is a story that has some of the feel of legend. Ultimately though, this story would have better served as a prologue to a larger novel or novella.
“Mountain Scarab” looks into the “knight in shining armor” story. Although in this case, the knight is less than shining, and his reasons for saving the fair damsel are unknown even to him. Jeff Stewart is reprising a character that he has used before, but he story is enjoyable and the way the protagonist wins his battle is quite different if a little too much deus ex machina.
Angeline Hawkes “Lair of the Cherufe” was the least likable story of the anthology. There are glaring plot holes in her story (such as the need for the blood of royal virgins to satiate the monster’s desire. If this were true, it is unlikely the king would ever have let his daughter near the man who worshiped the monster!) It is also is two stories crammed together into one. One is about the search for a sword and the other the killing of the monster. The sword is necessary for the second to be completed, but the tale of its finding either needed to be expanded to hold more interest or done away with altogether. Hawkes also throws in new confrontations with no foreshadowing. (The guardians of the lava monster.) The story ended up being poorly written even in a subgenre that is deeply tolerant of such things as I have mentioned.
“To Be a Man” by Robert Rhodes is a little crude in its content, but it is an interesting flip-flop of the barbarian chases damsel tale. The laughs Rhodes gets for his tale are more likely ones of discomfort that true laughter. Still, it is unique and there are many men who would not have done as the protagonist did for the entire world.
A collection and expansion of some of his blog posts, “Storytelling” is a nonfiction article by E. E. Knight which has a lots of very specific tips and tricks for the budding writer. With several novels to his credit, Knight’s advice is worth reading for any aspiring writer.
James Enge gives readers of Black Gate a new Morlock Ambrosius story in “”The Red Worm’s Way”. Though not as strong a story as those in Black Gate is still true to form and continues to entertain. New readers of Morlock should go back and read the first stories in Black Gate.
“To Destroy all Flesh” by Michael Ehart is another story with female heroes. Though this story is not particular exciting, it serves as an excellent introduction to Ehart’s characters, stories if whom have recently been collected into a single volume. I was intrigued enough that I might want to read Ehart’s other stories. His writing is fluid and his characters heroic with a twist.
Thomas M. MacKay looks at the use of rage by the hero in “Guardian of Rage”. MacKay is using a character from other stories he has published and unfortunately what results is a character that those who have not read those prior stories can get attached to. While I applaud the protagonist’s heroic actions the element of rage that MacKay introduces is not distinguishable from the standard behavior of the hero and so adds little to the story.
Christopher Heath tackles the stereotype of the “brute barbarian” in “Claimed by Birthright”. Heath’s story owed as lot to the Conan tales (he even uses the word “Cimmerian”) but twists it just slightly to allow wit combined with brute force to win the day. Not a stand out story, but still solid and entertaining.
Nathan Meyer’s “The Hand that Holds the Crown” is a story about betrayal. There is actually no clear hero, and I am a bit surprised it was included in this anthology. Still, it is a story with not one, but two surprising twists, and I enjoyed how it ended.
“The Dawn Tree” by S.C. Bryce is another story about betrayal, but this time about a hero being tricked into betraying himself. This was an excellent story, and Bryce’s concept of the Dawn Tree ushering in the new epoch is creative.
Allen B. Lloyd and William Clunie’s collaborative story “An Uneasy Truce in Ulam-Bator” is the only truly humorous tale in this collection. It introduces two characters that Clunie and Lloyd plan to write more about. I look forward to the stories these two will tell with this unlikely pair of companions.
Steven Goble writes a tale of a heroes driving force in “The Mask Oath”. In this case, it is not revenge that drives the hero. This is a tale of the noble hero, whose heroism comes from honor, justice, and love of country. It subtly praises the characteristics we prize so highly in our own armed forces.
“Valley of Bones” by Bruce Durham is a story about the front line soldier. The heroism and selflessness displayed by the protagonist is the same we all would aspire to have in our own lives. Durham’ story exemplifies how anyone may be a hero given the right motivation and the right set of circumstances, the type of hero who says that “I only did what anyone would do.”
The final story in this anthology is one of Harold Lamb’s Cossack historical fantasy stories. This is good story for people unfamiliar with Lamb to read to get a sense of those prolific but until recently forgotten author. Now, thanks to Howard Andrew Jones and Bison Press we can read the stories of Lamb again, or for the first time.
Overall, this anthology is enjoyable. It has some stories that are less the stellar and I have pointed them out as well as I could. Readers should also know that although this story is about heroes, it is also mostly about heroes of the sword and sorcery variety. These are the heroes who most often tend to fight for gold, women, and glory. So in some ways, the stories can get repetitious because the same tropes are encountered again and again. This does not mean that he stories are poorly written, quite the contrary, but the reader might want to break up the reading of these stories.
If you like sword and sorcery fantasy, you will like this anthology. If Conan style stories bore you or seem to simplistic, there are no stories here for you. Everyone who writes will benefit from E. E. Knight’s writing suggestions, but they can be found in another form on his blog. Overall, I enjoyed the anthology and read through it quite quickly, proving to me that I was having fun. And that is what this first offering from Flashing Swords Press is meant to do. Return of the Sword is meant to entertain, and it succeeds, for the most part.
Must Read Books for Writers
Mental Floss has a list of 4 Must Read Books for Writers. If you are a writer, I recommend you take a look.
