Tag Archive: brian ruckley

New on Kindle: Never Say Die Part 1

At this point I’ll just start covering a smaller subset of books that seem extremely interesting to me, because right now things in ebook-land have gotten to the point that “NOT on Kindle” would be more unusual.

It’s hard for me to choose at times.

Dancing on the Head of a Pin: A Remy Chandler Novel by Thomas E. Sniegoski

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Remy Chandler is really Remiel, an angel of the Christian stripe, and wanders the Earth as a private investigator. One day, in A Kiss Before Apocalypse, Heaven starts hiring him for jobs and life has been… interesting ever since.

Starring a talking dog (but Remy talks to animals, so…).

A Madness of Angels: Or The Resurrection of Matthew Swift by Kate Griffin

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A young sorcerer in London dies brutally at the hands of a evil mage and is resurrected two years later as… something else. Whatever he is now, he has vengeance on his mind.

Orcs: Bad Blood by Stan Nicholls

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The second in the Orcs series, where the orcs, usually the monstrous other side in its massive numbers, are trying to find peace away from relentless persecution, ever since thefirst book.

Fall of Thanes by Brian Ruckley

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The conclusion of the gritty low-fantasy trilogy, Godless World, following Bloodheir and Winterbirth.

Monster by A. Lee Martinez

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Can’t do a better blurb than what’s already there: “Meet Monster. Meet Judy. Two humans who don’t like each other much, but together must fight dragons, fire-breathing felines, trolls, Inuit walrus dogs, and a crazy cat lady – for the future of the universe.”

I am really quite curious about the walrus dogs.

Orphan’s Triumph by Robert Buettner

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Part of the Jason Wander series, a troubled teenage orphan in a future where aliens are attacking earth (indeed, they killed his family). A long time ago, he had to choose between the Army or jail. Fortunately he made the choice that resulted in the more interesting series of books.

The series thus far is all accounted for on the Kindle:

  1. Orphanage
  2. Orphan’s Destiny
  3. Orphan’s Journey
  4. Orphan’s Alliance
  5. Orphan’s Triumph

Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

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A new stand-alone book set in the world of his acclaimed First Law series (not yet available for the Kindle), a war-mongering duke decides have his far-too-deadly leading mercenary, Monza Murcatto, murdered, and leaves her for dead. In this awfully genre-blind act, the duke is going to get what’s coming to him.

The Company by K. J. Parker

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Parker, who penned what can only be defined as a hard low-fantasy war series, turns a new story about four retired soldiers seeking peace on an island with a hidden temptation, into a reflection on what happens to the machinery in people’s heads and their relationships after war.

Against a Dark Background by Iain M. Banks

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Library Journal’s description: “On the run from a cult of intergalactic religious fanatics who want her death, the Lady Sharrow emerges from retirement to seek out a powerful artifact that may save her life–the legendary Lady Gun, a weapon that kills by altering the reality around it.”

I’m going to take Banks at his word from the title that this is a book of his which, while I would enjoy reading it, would also leave me emotionally drained at the end.

Black and White by Jackie Kessler, Caitlin Kittredge

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In the Corporate Owned Future, two superheroes, Jet and Iridium, grew up together, went to superhero academy—and then a tragedy set them apart. One is now the Hero of New Chicago, and the other is a Hero with Bad Publicity. When a reporter disappears and Iridium is suspected, there’s either going to be a throw-down or a reconciliation or even something else.

This particular superhero battle is anything but Black and White.

The Burning Skies by David J. Williams

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Apparently most people’s reactions to the predecessor in the Autumn Rain series, The Mirrored Heavens, was along the lines of “… waaaoooh.” Featuring a female protagonist in a darker, grittier cyberpunk future, in The Burning Skies Claire Haskell takes more of a back seat compared to The Mirrored Heavens, while the political machinations of the Throne are front and center.

Charmed Destinies by Mercedes Lackey, Rachel Lee, Catherine Asaro

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Three high fantasy romance novellas in one package. Nice.

Urban Shaman by C.E. Murphy

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A Seattle cop discovers her shamanistic powers. And also that she has to save the world from conquest by the Fae. In, like, three days. No pressure.

The first book in the series, the other two—Thunderbird Falls and Coyote Dreams—are also on the Kindle at the same time, as publishers learn the wisdom of/gain the ability of putting out as many series books as possible out, all at once.

Staying Dead by Laura Gilman

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An urban fantasy romance series set in Manhattan, featuring Wren, a Retriever (finds dangerous magical things for you) and her lover Sergei, an agent who negotiates the fees involved. Things, you know, get interesting in multiple ways.

The complete Retrievers series is now available in the Kindle store, including:

  1. Staying Dead
  2. Curse the Dark
  3. Bring It On1
  4. Burning Bridges
  5. Free Fall
  6. Blood from Stone

Gloriana by Michael Moorcock

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Won the World Fantasy Award, although it’s a book I find difficult to like. I mention it in passing partly because of the WFA, and partly because there’s a 2004 flamewar going on in the Amazon reviews, back before Amazon had proper forums to have flamewars in (seriously, with 1-star review replies to each other and everything).

  1. I can only assume the last word was added to bring the title into “respectable” territory. BRING IT would be an excellent book title…. []

New on Kindle: December 9th to 20th – Part 2

Continued from Part 1.

Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley

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The first book in the Godless World series that debuted in 2007 with much success, its sequel Bloodheir is also on the Kindle.

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

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If you’ve played The Witcher you’re probably familiar with the lead character, but what you probably won’t be familiar with is the twisted way he works in the Grimm fairy tales into the story of Last Wish.


Elven Star by Tracy Hickman And Margaret Weis

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The Death Gate Cycle is a post-nuclear war fantasy that takes place in the far future; think of it as Tolkien’s Middle Earth taken into another direction and on another plane. This series is seven books long, and started with Dragon Wing which is… not yet on the Kindle.

The full series:

Presumably the others will show up at some point.

The Poison Master by Liz Williams

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I know Williams from her distinctive Inspector Chen series; truth is, her writing has always had the distinct touch of fantasy wrought with science fiction, coupled with wonderful writing. Think Ursula K. Le Guin.

The Poison Master predates Inspector Chen by a few years, wherein Alivet Dee (descendent of alchemist John Dee) tries to save her twin from slavery in the hands of the Lords of Night, visiting multiple planets during her quest.

Baltimore,: Or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire by Christopher Golden

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Illustrated by Mike Mignola, whom you may know from the gothic horror comic Hellboy. Christopher Golden has written Hellboy novels before (such as The Dragon Pool), but this isn’t one of them. Instead, it’s an original novel with more than a little bit of Hellboy flavor, with the mix of 20th century warfare (WWI in this case, WWII in that of Mignola’s world) and the supernatural—specifically, vampires.

The Braided World by Kay Kenyon

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In this sequel to Maximum Ice, Bailey Shaw needs recover the genetic diversity of an entire world ecosystem after most of it was killed by a global disaster. The world? It happens to be Earth. The solution lies on another Earth-like planet, but with a rather un-human like species….

The Eye of Night by Pauline Alama

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A disillusioned priest, a foolish beauty, and an abused prophet (who happens to be a human dwarf) make their way across an elegantly drawn fantasy world, carrying The Eye of Night, which may end the world or save it.

The Fire Dragon by Katharine Kerr

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Part of a long (over 14 books and counting) series that occurs in the kingdom of Deverry, the Dragon Mage series is but a later subset. Currently only this and the latest in the series, The Shadow Isle, are available on the Kindle.

Turning the Storm by Naomi Kritzer

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The second part of the duology Eliana’s Song, which began with Fires of the Faithful (not yet available on the Kindle) and ends with Turning the Storm: sixteen-year-old musician Eliana becomes the unlikely leader of a revolt against the Circle, mysterious and powerful mages who control the land.

Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody

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In a post-apocalyptic world where the population has been reduced to small and remote communities, it’s not a good idea to have a mental mutation not understood to be anything other than a danger that must be kept under strict control. For one thing, they can communicate with animals, as if beasts were intelligent. Elspeth is such an unfortunate—and she is sent to Obernewtyn, a mountain ward and prison.

All of the Obernewtyn chronicles are available on the Kindle:

Dr. Sigmundus: The Cracked Mirror by Brian Keaney

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The second book in the Promises of Dr. Sigmundus trilogy. In the future, every person over the age of 14 is regularly dosed with a mind-altering substance that removes all violent tendencies and, as these things tend to do, hollows them out personality-wise as well. Dante and Bea find themselves immune to the effect—and you know that’s just going to get them into trouble.

The previous book, The Hollow People, is also available on the Kindle.

Wiley & Grampa #1: Dracula vs. Grampa at the Monster Truck Spectacular by Kirk Scroggs

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A series of children’s books involving a feisty and rambunctious 80-year-old grampa who gets involved in phenomenon at once supernatural and also somehow over-the-top normal. Also in this series:

Vasco, Leader of the Tribe by Anne-Laure Bondoux

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Vasco is a rat—just a regular rat. When his entire family dies, he discovers a conspiracy by the city humans to eliminate rats entirely, and decides to come up with a plan to save his people. Translated from the French series, Le peuple des rats.

Falcondance by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

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Part of the Keisha’ra series, five books that detail a saga involving the intrigue and conflict between races of animal shape-shifting peoples, such as the serpiente (snakes), the shm’Ahnmik (falcons), and others.

All of the books are now available on the Kindle:

  1. Hawksong
  2. Snakecharm
  3. Falcondance
  4. Wolfcry
  5. Wyvernhail