The Hike is one of those reads that quite unexpectedly takes you by storm. I had no idea what the book was about and in fact confess I felt a little anxious before picking it up but as it happens this story grabbed my attention completely from the start and held me captivated for the duration. I think my biggest dilemma now is how to actually write an effective review that gives nothing away at the same time as making you want to pick a copy up. I can say that this book has something of a surreal feel, well, that’s how I felt reading it. It’s a strange journey of discovery following in the tracks of a hapless man, Ben, who seems to have stumbled onto the strangest path, a path on which, having witnessed a murder and being forced to flee for his life deep into the wilderness, is nothing like you could ever imagine unless in your wildest dreams. So, being unable to really say too much more about the plot, because this really is a journey that you have to make on your own, I’ll make this review simply about why this worked for me. I…
Here’s a rundown of the books we think you should look out for in coming in the week. See any that you are really looking forward to? Find any you had not heard of yet? Know of books we missed? We know we don’t have everything and would love to hear what you feel we may have overlooked. FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR The Swarm Card, Orson Scott 8/2/2016 Tor Books Behind the Throne K.B. Wagers 8/2/2016 Orbit Spiderlight Adrian Tchaikovsky 8/2/2016 Tor.com An Accident of Stars Foz Meadows 8/2/2016 Angry Robot The Hike Drew Magary 8/2/2016 Viking Bone War Steven Harper 8/2/2016 Roc Blood of the Earth : A Soulwood Novel Faith Hunter 8/2/2016 Roc The Twice and Future Caesar R. M. Meluch 8/2/2016 DAW Thunderlord : A Darkover Novel Marion Zimmer Bradley, Deborah J. Ross 8/2/2016 DAW Highway to Hell Max Brallier 8/2/2016 Gallery I…
Diving into a debut novel is always a bit of a gamble, but it can also prove exciting and extremely rewarding—especially when a book ends up surprising me or blowing away all my expectations. These are the moments I live for and this is exactly what I felt with Mark Tompkin’s The Last Days of Magic, a breathtaking historical fantasy saga about mysticism and mythology through the ages. I am absolutely in love with this novel and its premise, which posits that magic is real but merely forgotten, suppressed and denied. Today we dismiss the tales of the Sidhe as nothing but folklore and legend, but just a few centuries ago humans co-existed with all kinds of supernatural creatures, and in no other place was that bond stronger than in Ireland, the last bastion of magic against the encroaching powers of the Vatican Church. Much of island’s strength comes from the protection of its patron deity the Morrígna, a goddess whose three aspects come together to rule over the Celts and the Sidhe. One of Her aspects resides in the Otherworld as a source of power, while the other two—known as Aisling and Anya—are always reborn in the mortal realm…
Here’s a rundown of the books we think you should look out for in coming in the week. See any that you are really looking forward to? Find any you had not heard of yet? Know of books we missed? We know we don’t have everything and would love to hear what you feel we may have overlooked. FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR The Reburialists Nelson, J. C. 3/1/2016 Ace Quantum Night Sawyer, Robert J. 3/1/2016 Ace The Courier Brandt, Gerald 3/1/2016 DAW Black City Saint Richard A. Knaak 3/1/2016 Pyr Borderline Mishell Baker 3/1/2016 Saga Brotherhood of the Wheel R.S. Belcher 3/1/2016 Tor The Devil You Know K. J. Parker 3/1/2016 Tor.com Submerged Thomas F. Monteleone 3/1/2016 Samhain The Last Days of Magic Mark Tompkins 3/1/2016 Viking Arkwright Allen Steele 3/1/2016 Tor United States of Japan Peter Tieryas…