King of the Nerds!!!

I don’t know if anyone out there who reads this uses LibraryThing but it’s a bit addictive. It’s also a great way to find new reads. If you’re on there you can find my profile here and my library here.

Wow.  Some major world shattering changes in the final pages of Toll the Hounds amidst a entertaining and tense action packed series of confrontations.  It’s difficult to discuss everything sans spoilers it but the slow build-up of the novel pays off in big ways.  Major changes in the Malazan world are going to really shake up events in the final chapters of the series and I shudder to think what kind of final confrontation Erikson will pull off.

That being said some of the viewpoints in the novel don’t feel quite as fleshed out as they could be and I’m not quite sure what they contributed to the overall plot of the novel.  There is an underlying theme of redemption throughout most of the book and most of the character’s whose head’s we dip into reflect that.  This is reinforced by the final confrontations in the book which, by and large, resolve each character’s own external and internal conflicts in regards to redemption; except in the case of a select few who seem to get left by the wayside.  If you’ve been reading the series so far this won’t stop you now but it was a little frustrating to see characters that I like make little progress in terms of character.  But that is the nature of such a large and diverse cast.

On a related note I think the Dramatis Personae needs some better organization and a return of a glossary/Deck of Dragons listing from earlier books would certainly be appreciated.

That being said this was one hell of a ride and I find myself continually and increasingly impressed with Erikson’s skill as a writer.  I can thing of few, if any, authors that can manage so many viewpoints at once with such a deft hand.  Erikson, unfortunatley, tends to be overlooked in US; which is a shame.  I don’t know where to point the blame for that.  Erikson deserves to, and in my mind does, stand shoulder to shoulder with the respected “greats” of the fantasy genre.

Damn shame I have to wait another year for Dust of Dreams.  At least I’ll have Return of the Crimson Guard (Esslemont’s Malazan novel) and The Lees at Laugher’s End (Erikson’s third Bochalain and Broach novella set in the Malazan world) to tide me over in the mean time.

I am more or less three quarters through Toll the Hounds the eigth volume in Erikson’s massive Malazan Book of the Fallen series.  I find that I need to start organizing my thoughts a bit earlier on this book than in previous efforts.  Never the most concise with words Erikson reaches new heights of verbosity and while the text never feels bloated the entire novel groans and creeks under the ponderous weight of each sentence (see what I did there!).  I find myself both in awe and staggered by the sheer scope of Erikson’s tale, especially the story contained in this latest volume, and yet find myself hesitant to ascribe accolades to the work therein.

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Stealing Light

Gary Gibson

Tor Books, 2008

Contrary to what I initially thought this is not an official US release.  In fact both versions currently on offer over at Amazon appear to imports of the hardcover and paperback US versions.  Which is a shame since I think this book would do well in the U.S.  In terms of scope and style Gibson is most comparable to Ian Banks and Alistair Reynolds (and likely other who I haven’t read) but those two in particular stuck out in my mind as I read.  However I think Gibson’s work, for the most part, stands on its own.

Dakota Merrick is a “machine-head” pilot; a human augmented by cybernetic implants that allow her to interfaces with computers.  Unfortunately, do to tragic events in the past, machine-heads are illegal and Dakota must hide who she is.  She is forced to eke out a living on the fringe of society and take whatever jobs come her way.  A job gone awry and forced to take on assumed identity Dakota is stuck working for people who hate her kind the most while trying to figure just what the alien Shoal, gatekeepers of faster than light travel, are up to.

The book is fast paced and easy to read with plenty of action and mystery to keep things moving.  Which in turn is both the books weakness and its strength.  It’s exciting yes but also sparse in the slower moments that allow for more robust character development.  What we do get of that plays as a mere footnote to the action which is sad since those character moments are particularly interesting.  In particular I thought Dakota’s relationship with her ship was interesting; and by relationship I mean that in every sense of the word.  Gibson’s heavy focus on action takes something away from the initial exploration of the alien derelict a scene that could have been cool and atmospheric again becomes a footnote to driving the action onwards (Just thinking of derelicts makes me want to watch Event Horizon again).

Gibson manages to craft a real sense of history and life to the human aspects of the story.  From the various human colonies to the other machine-heads we meet it is easy to see that Gibson has a particular vision for his universe.  The city in the giant Shoal ship was especially impressive scene that reminded me of the cantina scene from Star Wars, with its motley collection of characters and high-stakes chase.  Most impressive perhaps is the final section of the novel which, as action-packed as it was, still manages to play out in an almost stately pace with multiple points of view and world-defining revelations occuring right up until the end.

Stealing Light is an exciting read that pays homage to the space opera genre; a fact that is both a boon and curse for the novel.  The elments that truly reveal Gibson’s potential often take a backseat for the more familiar scenes fans of space opera have read before.  Which is a shame, since Gibson’s instincts, from gripping opening page to the well choreographed finale, are spot on.  Recommended for sci-fi fans looking for a good, epic sci-fi yarn though not something completely ground-breaking or original.  Good luck finding a copy though.

The Well of Ascension

Brandon Sanderson

Tor Books, 2007

Wow.  If I truly felt that were sufficient I’d stop there.  The second book in Sanderson’ Mistborn series takes everything from the first book, The Final Empire, and improves on it; and then some.  This book is half-again as long as the first one (816 pages in mass-market vs. Final Empire’s 676) and it took me half as long to read it.  Where The Final Empire had issues with pacing the Well of Ascension managed to keep me gripped from start to finish.

This novel opens up where the last one finished, though a bit later.  With an army sitting outside the Walls of Luthadel and our heroes scrambling to deal with that threat while Vin remains haunted by the dead Lord Ruler’s final worlds.  Elsewhere Sazed uncovers secret’s about the mysterious Hero of Ages while investigating whether or not the mists that shroud the land at night are striking during the day.  The slick plotting of the politically sections of the novel is equally exciting as the mystery of the more epic magical elements and both are glued together by Sanderson’s skill at characterization.

The truth of it is, at least for me, is that the human elements drew me into the novel almost more so than the epic aspects of the plot.  Sure there are the requisite big things happening (war, major magical threat) but it’s the development of the character’s within that setting that is truly fascinating.  The way Vin and Elend struggle with their identities, while potentially overbearing, is handled with a subtlety and care by Mr. Sanderson that is truly remarkable.  Both character’s are introspective without veering into outright whininess and are plagued with conflicts, both external and internal, that manages to keep their self-examination both interesting and exciting.

Vin, in particular, is thrown into the spotlight by a new character Zane.  Zane is a very obvious foil for Vin but again is an interesting character in his own right.  He is what Vin might have become without the influence of her friends and left alone on the streets.  There is a lonliness to the Mistborn, a sense of being outside of things, that draws Vin to Zane and creates a complex emotional tension between the characters.  What makes it even more exciting is that we, the reader, know (whereas Vin doesn’t) the inner workings of Zane’s twisted mind.  It’s like watching two cars on a colision course with no way to intervene.

Sanderson throws you a curveball late in the novel in regards to Zane that makes the whole thing even more entertaining and amps up the mystery behind the character.  As before: RAFO.

Sazed stands out again in this book and is yet another character struggling to find his place in the world.  He is discontent with his role as Keeper, spreading knowledge to the freed skaa, and feels there is unresolved business at hand.  Like Vin he is contrasted with the introduction of Tindwyl another Keeper; who seems content in spreading her stored knowledge.   Their differences and interactions, a subtle pushing and pulling between their emotional attraction and mutual frustrations with one another, helps to better define each as a person.

Which in that end is what all the relationships in this novel reveal.  Whether it be the subtle tension of Vin’s attraction to Zane and her love for Elend, the complex emotional interplay between Sazed and Tindwyl, or the relationship of all of Kelsier’s crew to one another, it is their interactions and feelings toward one another that help define them as characters.  Reinforcing the weight of the emotional conflict in the novel we actually get some minor POV from Breeze, the allomancer who is in expert at Soothing emotions whose comments reinforce the importance of relationships and emotion to each of the characters in the novel.

All of which has nothing to do with the politiking and mystery of the novel; I’m not saying that it is somehow inferior to characterization only that the characters serve as the impetus of the novel.  Late revelations in the novel about the Hero of Ages makes for some truly compelling reading and really whets the appetite for the third book, approriatley enough, The Hero of Ages.  The fight scenes that use allomantic magic are still as exciting as ever with some startling twists that elevate them above and beyond what was seen in The Final Empire.  Combine this with Sanderson’s deft plotting, masterful pacing, and superior characterization and you get one hell of a ride.  Highly recommended for fantasy lovers of all stripes.

Mistborn: the Final Empire

Brandon Sanderson

Tor, 2006

While I read and enjoyed Brandon Sanderson’s first novel Elantris I had not been in a huge hurry to pick up and read his Mistborn books.  Then it was announced last year that Mr. Robert Jordan picked Sanderson as his successor; the man left to finish up what the late great Jordan did not have time to finish himself.  So have followed Sanderson’s blog for bit as he reread the Wheel of Time series I decided it was about time I gave the Mistborn books a try.  While Sanderson’s position finishing Wheel of Time brought me to this book/series that will be the last time I mention that aspect of his writing.  This book deserves to stand on its own.

I’m going to start with pacing since, as co-workers pointed out to me, I took more time reading this book than I have recent others.  The pacing isn’t slow but it isn’t fast either.  One might best describe it as deliberate.  The book builds momentum at a steady pace and, while this serves a definite purpose, never feels contrived.  My most recent foray’s into fantasy this last year have been the likes of Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie and I admit that the kinetic focus of those earlier reads made falling back into the more measured pace of other fantasy a major adjustment on my part.  Do parts of the novel seem to drag?  Occasionally, yes but I was always drawn forward by the blurbs.

Using bits of fictional non-fiction to enhance a fantasy world is no new trick, but Sanderson manages to take that to the next level.  The pre-chapter blurbs here are essential to the story here and at the same time serve as a look into the pre-history of the world as the reader sees it.  Now I hesitate when discussing these blurbs a bit because as I was reading there were times when I felt that the story being told there was more interesting than the story being told in the main narrative.  In hindsight, the book finished, I can see that there is a greater parallel between these two stories than is readily seen when first starting the book.  In truth this deeper relationship between both narratives is rather masterful but that fact only becomes apparent towards the end of the novel.

In truth perhaps deliberate is a good word for the novel as a whole.  Sanderson’s use of pacing and character serve a very specific purpose especially as they pertain to Kelsier.  In the opening chapter Sanderson pulls a bit of a magic trick calling out Kelsier as the main character, then introducing the true main character a bit later.  In truth, while he is central to the novel, he is more a foil (though a fleshed out, three dimensional foil) for the true main character: Vin.  Kelsier’s characterization goes further as well as Sanderson goes out of his way to make him an uncomfortable figure.  Kelsier is like Han Solo, except where Han only shot first once Kelsier continues to shoot first for the majority of the novel.  Throw in his deliberate manipulation of people and events around him and he isn’t a very likable character.  Which, if he were the hero of our story, would likely cause a lot of people to throw in the towel and put the book aside. However, the discomfiture the reader feels as a result of Kelsier’s character is echoed by the characters that surround him.  Kelsier isn’t a character you really “get” until towards the end of the novel.  His motives are seemingly clear yet, through that lense of discomfort and distrust, Sanderson manages to make the reader (and the other characters in the novel) question Kelsier and what exactly he is all about.

That raw edge the Kelsier has, despite his apparent joviality, serves as interesting juxtaposition to the paranoia and distrust of street-urchin Vin.  As I sad earlier Kelsier serves as a kind of foil for Vin who, despite her hard upbringing on the streets, manages to come off as the more innocent of the two regardless.  Despite her initial distrust and constant paranoia she lacks that level of cold hatred and violence that practically oozes of Kelsier in his darkest moments.

If fascinating characters weren’t enough Sanderson went ahead and crafted a fascinating magic system to enhance his world.  Based off the properties of certain metals it is perhaps the most unique magic system I’ve seen in a fantasy.  It is simple in a sense but the means through which Sanderson has his characters use it displays a level of depth that belies those first impressions.  I won’t ruin it for you; to quote a certain other author: RAFO.

In the end Mistborn: The Final Empire is a great read that I recommend to all fans of fantasy.  Like some of the more recent author’s in the genre Sanderson plays with the accepted fantasy tropes in an interesting way; creating not only a brilliant story but causing the reader to think about values, power, and responsibility.  It was so good in fact that rather than read the copy of Neuromancer that’s sitting on my desk I opted to go for the second Mistborn book, The Well of Ascension, instead.  Book two is something like half again as long as the first which I have to read in a week since Amazon.co.uk  informed that Toll the Hounds is on its way.

Also, if you’re really enjoying the book I recommend visiting the author’s blog where he has annotated every chapter of books 1 and 2!

I’m going to try and be breif here.  For a comprehensive review of all the books, the DMG included, check out Martin Ralya’s review over at Gnome Stew, and for a decent overiew of the DMG I recommend Chatty’s review over at Chatty the DM.  I’m going to cover a lot of the same ground and both those guys are way better at me than this anyway.

The Basics:

More so than any previous iteration of the DMG this is a book designed to help instruct and prepare you for being a DM.  That may sound stupid to say but the previous editions of the DMG were more focused on providing tools and rules for DMs to use.  The 4e DMG is about practical instruction which is a fantastic change of pace.  With the diffusion of most mechanics into the PHB there is a more level playing field between what the players know of the rules and what the DM knows of the rules.  This in turn lets the DM focus on the more important aspects of his job: crafting challenges for players, creating atmosphere, and managing the story.  Definitely a change for the better.

That doesn’t mean that the DMG is absent of rules for “eyes only” so to speak.  Indeed the DMG has rules aplenty but they’re rules that pertain only to aspects of the game that only the DM is responsible for.  The majority are rules based on some sort of construction whether it be new monsters, npcs, whole encounters, or even house rules.  I’d say about the first third of the book is made of pure advice while the remain 2/3 is a mixture of both advice and rules.

What’s To Like:

Traps.  There is a feel of depth and complexity to traps that was never there in 3.x.  Traps function in a way similar to monsters (complete with stat block) that manages that complexity in an easily digested format.  Triggers and bypasses are typically laid out in specific terms and the rules try to cover what happens when PCs take a specific action (typically attacking a trap).  All in all good stuff.

Artifacts.  Artifacts are a fusion of the late 3.5 legacy weapons and the artifacts we all know and love.  Where old school artifacts were essentally plot devices that PCs were never intended to really touch new 4e artifacts are designed to be used and have specific limitations on them to prevent their use.  First off they only stay with PCs for a specific amount of time, typically defined as a certain teir (heroic, paragon, or epic) with powers dependant on what tier the item is designed for.  They are all intelligent but instead of the old ego score the PCs are encouraged to generate a rapport with their item represented by how the goals of the item match with the actions of the PC.  The more in line those are the better their relationship and, as a result the more powers available to the artifact user.  A cool system that makes artifacts both desirable and ultimately useful; rather than mere fluff.

A fuller explanation of monster roles.  I like how this keeps the players with a Monster Manual in the dark about what those terms mean.  In addition the templates are nice allowing for easy customization of monsters and the quick and handy NPC charts are damned handy.

What’s Not To Like:

Skill Challenges.  I hesitate to put them here because honestly I do like them.  It is unfortunate that one of the more interesting mechanics of the game is marred by a inadequet explanation of the mechanics behind it.  It is still a worthwhile and interesting mechanic, and the example skill challenges certainly help explain the mechanic, but the nuts and bolts of the skill challenge need some serious errata in order to make complete sense.  Again, this isn’t bad, just poorly defined.  Experienced DMs good at riffing on rules will find a lot of use here but will require a lot of stabbing in the dark with little help from the rules as written.

Treasure tables.  Again, not bad per se, and certainly better than the random tables in the previous editions, but at the same time fairly limited in terms of what you can do with them.  There aren’t any easy ways to do treasure and what we have here is certainly workable.

The Verdict:

This is a solid book and IMHO leaps and bounds ahead of the 3.x DMGs.  If you plan on DMing don’t let the book’s size fool you (it is the smallest of the three) it is chock full of information that you will find interesting, fun and, most certainly, useful.  A great book definatley worth the price of admission.  Novice DM, I think, will get a lot of mileage out of this book.

Do two interviews really constitute an explosion?  I don’t know.  But given my excitement for the forthcoming Toll the Hounds, and my general enjoyment of all things Steven Erikson, my enthusiasm is rather abundant.

Jay Tomio of The Bodhisvatta has an interview over at FantasyBookSpot while Fantasy Book Critic has another interview over at his site.

So read up and get excited about Toll the Hounds.

D&D fans should might be interested in the Tomio interview, where Erikson mentions the early genesis of the Malazan world as a homemade campaign setting for his AD&D game, and talks about his first gaming experience.

Continuing my compulsory round-up of advance reviews of Richard K. Morgan’s The Steel Remains, nets me the first “meh” review over at Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist.  I’m not sure I agree with some of his points, in particular his opinion that Morgan’s strongest point is character.  I think that Morgan is equally strong in his actions scenes. The chaos and violence sown by Kovacs in Altered Carbon stay with me to this day, and the action set-piece with the nano-monster from Broken Angels was pretty thrilling stuff.  Regardless, the review is worth a look, and as a video game player I’m well versed in tempering expectations and questioning the hype machine.

Opening note:  “bad” is a relative term here and likely inappropriate.  “Less good” or “not quite as awesome” might be better.

The Good:

UPDATE:  Forgot about the no penalties thing!  All defenses are modified by 1 of 2 possible stats.  You choose which at character creation.  Have a lumbering fighter with low dex?  No problem, simple add your strength to AC instead of dexterity!  A wizard smarter than she is nimble?  No problem, use intelligence to determine your reflex defense in place of dexterity.  Again this all serves towards the general trend of defining your character by what the CAN do rather than by what he/she CAN’T do.

Save for opening chapter the PHB lacks fluff and is super crunchy.  Not different from previous editions, but reads more like a Manual than other editions.  Essentially this lets the player learn the game before settling into a campaign, and leaves the DM free to craft the environment and atmosphere of the campaign world.  I’ve always felt that established campaign worlds have a lot of baggage for a DM to manage, by sketching only the barest outlines of a game world WotC leaves things wide open from a creative standpoint.  Of course this leaves later, non-essential, supplements to add flavor and fluff to the campaign world.  For those who love their established settings late 3.x saw WotC place emphasis on the Player’s Guide to [insert Campaign Setting]; a trend I like and a trend that will continue with September’s Player’s Guide to the Forgotten Realms.  The separation of Player info and DM info is a good thing and a published guide for Players certainly takes some of the onus off of the DM for conveying the mountain of information often needed to introduce a new campaign setting.

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