Subscribe

     

    Subscribe via email

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Book Smuggler Specialties

    We do at least two of these conversational-style joint reviews a month
    ------------------------------------
    Interviews with authors whose books we have reviewed
    ------------------------------------
    Authors whose books we have reviewed talk about their writing inspirations and influences
    ------------------------------------
    Reviews of books that have made it to the big screen
    ------------------------------------
    Monthly feature in which we "dare" guest reviewers to read & review books outside of their comfort zones
    ------------------------------------
    Feature in which each Smuggler reads and reviews a book that the other has already reviewed
    ------------------------------------
    Weekly feature in which each Smuggler discloses upcoming titles they cannot wait to read
    ------------------------------------
    Feature in which each Smuggler talks about their favorite television moments from the past week
    ------------------------------------

    Reviews by Rating

    Rating System

    10 One of the best books I have ever read
    9 Damn near perfection
    8 Excellent
    7 Very good
    6 Good, recommend with reservations
    5 Meh, take it or leave it
    4 Bad, but not without some merit
    3 Horrible, barely readable
    2 Complete waste of time
    1 One of the worst books I have ever read; I want my money (and a few hours of my life) back
    0 Did not finish


On the Smugglers’ Radar

“On The Smugglers’ Radar” is a new feature for books that have caught our eye: books we heard of via other bloggers, directly from publishers, and/or from our regular incursions into the Amazon jungle. This is how the Smugglers’ Radar was born, and because there are far too many books that we want than we can possibly buy or review (what else is new?) we thought we could make it into a weekly feature – so YOU can tell us which books you have on your radar as well!

On Thea’s Radar:

*rubs hands together* I cannot freaking wait for this upcoming anthology, that includes the likes of Diana Peterfreund, and is edited by the formidable duo of Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier. Can we say, AWESOME?

Edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier, this teen anthology asks the question: which is better and badder, the zombie or the unicorn?

Saw this cover over at Aidan’s blog, A Dribble of Ink, and am intrigued. I have The Adamantine Palace on my TBR (and will be reviewing it in the next two weeks), so I’m excited to see more form Stephen Deas!


When Berren makes the mistake of stealing a purse from a thief-taker, it should have condemned him to a short and brutal life in the slave-mines. So when the thief-taker offers to train him as an apprentice instead, he can’t believe his luck. The thief-taker has secrets of his own, though, and Berren is soon sucked into a faraway war, filled with mercenary soldiers, necromancers who brew potions that can change your destiny, and a psychotic girl-princess with a penchant for cutting pieces out of her lovers’ souls.

It’s no secret that I am an unabashed Rachel Caine fangirl – her Weather Warden series is amongst my top 3 favorite currently running UF series’ PERIOD. New cover art is out, and I. Am. Stoked.

Did you know Dan Simmons has a new novel coming out this year? Hmm? I am a sucker for anything this man writes. He, like Neil Gaiman, is a Writing God in my mind. I cannot wait for Black Hills.


When Paha Sapa, a young Sioux warrior, “counts coup” on General George Armstrong Custer as Custer lies dying on the battlefield at the Little Bighorn, the legendary general’s ghost enters him – and his voice will speak to him for the rest of his event-filled life.

Seamlessly weaving together the stories of Paha Sapa, Custer, and the American West, Dan Simmons depicts a tumultuous time in the history of both Native and white Americans. Haunted by Custer’s ghost, and also by his ability to see into the memories and futures of legendary men like Sioux war-chief Crazy Horse, Paha Sapa’s long life is driven by a dramatic vision he experienced as a boy in his people’s sacred Black Hills. In August of 1936, a dynamite worker on the massive Mount Rushmore project, Paha Sapa plans to silence his ghost forever and reclaim his people’s legacy-on the very day FDR comes to Mount Rushmore to dedicate the Jefferson face.

Also, as the release date draws ever closer, I am really getting excited for the next installment in Claudia Gray’s Evermore books. And I really like this cover for Hourglass.


Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can’t escape her destiny.

Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything . . . but can it survive what’s to come?

I just recently saw the formidable Danielle of Opinionated, Me? review this older YA book, and immediately thought: MUST HAVE.


Since the war and the bombs, Hatfork, Wyoming, is a broken-down, mutant-ridden town. Young Chaos lives in the projection booth of the abandoned multiplex, trying to blot out his present unable to remember his past. Then the local tyrant, Kellogg, reveals to him to over a can of dog food that the bombs never fell. The truth is a little more complicated. With a fur-covered girl and an automobile, Chaos sets out on journey, following the empty highway to the edge of the American nightmare, ins search of a missing identity and a stolen love. The truth he finds,is indeed a little more complicated. or a lot . . .

And finally, saw this over at Angie’s blog, Angieville. Now, I am a huge fan of Moira J. Moore’s Hero books. I *love* Taro and Lee. But seriously, these covers blow chunks. Instead, compare the lovely art from Chris McGrath and imagine if THIS was the art for Ms. Moore’s wonderful books.

On Ana’s Radar:

I am currently madly, unhealthly in love with Angry Robot’s entire catalogue. They have what appears to be, some crazy shiz coming out. Evidence #1:


On the streets of Indianapolis, the ancient Arthurian cycle is replaying in the lives of rival street gangs. Told through the eyes of King, as he gathers like-minded friends and warriors around him to venture into the fastness of Dred, the notorious crime lord, this is a stunning mix of myth and harsh reality. A truly remarkable novel.

Evidence #2:


There is a box. Inside that box is a door. And beyond that door is a whole world.

In some rooms, forests grow. In others, animals and objects come to life. Elsewhere, secrets and treasures wait for the brave and foolhardy.

And at the very top of the house, a prisoner sits behind a locked door waiting for a key to turn. The day that happens, the world will end…

and I know that this is way more like Thea’s cup of tea, but I liking the sound it so..evidence # 3:


Botanica is an island, but almost all of the island is taken up by the Tree.

Little knowing how they came to be here, small communities live around the coast line. The Tree provides them shelter, kindling, medicine – and a place of legends, for there are ghosts within the trees who snatch children and the dying.

Lillah has come of age and is now ready to leave her community and walk the tree for five years, learning all Botanica has to teach her. Before setting off, Lillah is asked by the dying mother of a young boy to take him with her. In a country where a plague killed half the population, Morace will otherwise be killed in case he has the same disease. But can Lillah keep the boy’s secret, or will she have to resort to breaking the oldest taboo on Botanica?

I mean, don’t these sound fa-bu-lous?

Earlier this week, Thea sent me the link to this YA book. I have never read any of Carrie Vaughn’s books, but her new series may be a good place to start:


On one side of the border lies the modern world: the internet, homecoming dances, cell phones. On the other side dwell the ancient monsters who spark humanity’s deepest fears: dragons.

Seventeen-year-old Kay Wyatt knows she’s breaking the law by rock climbing near the border, but she’d rather have an adventure than follow the rules. When the dragon Artegal unexpectedly saves her life, a secret friendship grows between them—even though the fragile truce that has maintained peace between their two species is unraveling around them. As tensions mount and battles begin, Kay and Artegal are caught in the middle. Can their friendship change the course of a war?

In her young adult debut, New York Times bestselling author Carrie Vaughn presents a modern tale of myths and machines and an alliance that crosses a seemingly unbridgeable divide.

And finally, this one, by my new author crush, John Green. Apparently there is no blurb and all we know is: it’s out in April and it is about two guys named…Will Grayson.

What about you? Any books on your radar?



Guest Author: Lavie Tidhar on Inspirations and Influences

“Inspiration and Influences” is a new series of articles in which we invite authors to write guest posts talking about their…well, Inspiration and Influences. The cool thing is that the writers are given free reign so they can go wild and write about anything they want. It can be about their new book, series or about their career as a whole.

Our guest today is Lavie Tidhar author of The Bookman, released this week in the UK (by publisher Angry Robot). The novel is the first in a Steampunk series (with the tags: Alternate Victorian London | Reptilian royalty | Diabolical anarchists | Extraordinary adventure!) about a terrorist who kills by planting bombs inside books. We are happy to receive the author here so that he can talk about the inspiration behind the story.

Ladies and gents, Lavie Tidhar:

********************

My Inspirations for The Bookman

Lavie Tidhar

I blame the whales.

It’s hard to track the earliest seeds for The Bookman – my just-released-in-the-uk steampunk novel (the American edition comes out in August). In some ways they go back to my first published short story, The Ballerina in Nemonymous 3, and even earlier, to a never-written novella. What did prompt the actual writing of the book, though, is easier: it was that lost whale in the Thames.

That, and Munich.

I went into Munich dreading a heavy-handed political message film. It turned out to be an almost pitch-perfect 70s B-movie (heavy-handed politics and a very weird sex scene notwithstanding). A group of guys go around blowing people up, hiding the bombs in all kind of everyday objects, phones and light bulbs and so on. Wouldn’t it be cool, I thought, leaving that wonderful old Richmond-upon-Thames cinema (it used to be a theatre), if some sort of mysterious assassin used books for the same purpose?

You sometimes hear that refrain, “books are dangerous”. And they are, or can be. But what if they were literally explosive?

And so the Bookman was born, in a Richmond cinema, on the banks of the Thames – the same river a lonely whale made the mistake of coming to, at around the same time.

The whale was front page news. Like many Londoners, I went out to look for him – along the South Bank embankment, and along the Hungerford Bridge, looking for that impossible image – a whale rising from the water of the Thames, blowing a fountain of spray into the air beside Parliament. I never did get to see it, and the whale ended up the way so many other transplanted Londoners did over the centuries – which was dead in the water.

But…

Wouldn’t it be cool if the whales really did come to London? And wouldn’t it be cool if someone was using books to assassinate people?

And how the hell does that become a book?

My first published short story, then. It was less than a thousand words, a semi-made up history of a mechanical doll across the centuries. The thing about history, see, is that you don’t need to make up a lot of the truly weird stuff – Edison’s obsession with creating a mechanical doll, for instance, or the fact Jacques de Vaucanson worked on a secret project to build an artificial man for Louis XV…

And what would have happened if he had been successful?

And so the first part of The Bookman was coming into existence. It was only meant to be a novella, but then, I was telling my friend Nicola about it in an old London pub (is there another type?) and she said, ‘Make it into a book.’

So I did.

The Bookman is partly a love letter to London. Some of those strange old pubs had to make their way into the novel, of course. Like the Nell Gwynne,

forever in a dark alley just around the corner from the Adelphi Theatre. Or the Red Lion in Soho, where Karl Marx used to drink (and write Das Kapital). And some of my other favourite places, my very own secret map of London – Davenport’s magic shop under Charing Cross Station, or Simpson’s on the Strand, the same restaurant Sherlock Holmes used to dine in… London is best in the fog, in winter, along the embankment – a dark and secret city with a history written into the very stones of the city.

And of course, The Bookman is also a love letter to steampunk itself, an affair that began for me when I picked up a remaindered copy of Tim Powers’ On Stranger Tides many years ago. There was a lizard on the throne in Paul di Filippo’s Victoria…

Which I just had to steal.

And so it came along, with a tip of the hat to Powers and Blaylock, di Filippo and Sterling & Gibson and Kim Newman – and to Arthur Conan Doyle, and Jules Verne, and all the other great writers who have been writing this particular imaginary space, this Victorian-era-that-never-was, not quite – because The Bookman, thirdly but most importantly, is a love letter to books themselves.

Books are dangerous. Books can, occasionally, kill.

But they are dangerous precisely because of what they are. They are keys, into other universes. Gateways in space and time. At their best, the entertain us – and make us think. They ask questions we sometimes find hard to answer. About identity, and purpose, and right and wrong. About the meaning of life, or death. And they are also mirrors we hold up, reflecting our own prejudices and doubts and misguided certainties back at us.

They can be everything we want them to be, and everything we don’t.

And so The Bookman is, in many ways, a book about books. The books I love. It has chases, and escapes, and love, and loss… and giant lizards. It has intrigue, and secret tunnels, conspiracy, and pirates.

And it asks some questions, too, but what they are, and how we answer them, depends on each bookonaut on their own journey through the book.

********************

Lavie Tidhar is the author of The Bookman , released this week in the UK, and forthcoming sequel Camera Obscura. Other books include linked-story collection HebrewPunk , novel The Tel Aviv Dossier (with Nir Yaniv), novella An Occupation of Angels and a host of to-be-released novels and novellas including Cloud Permutations , Gorel & The Pot-Bellied God and Martian Sands. He also edited The Apex Book of World SF and runs the World SF News Blog .

A big thank you to Lavie Tidhar for the post!



Smugglivus Day 9 – Guest Publisher: Lee Harris of Angry Robot

Welcome to Smugglivus 2009 – Day 9!

Throughout this month, we will have daily guests – authors and bloggers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2009, and looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2010.

Today’s guest: Lee Harris, Assistant Editor for Angry Robot, the new HarperCollins imprint specializing in Fantasy, SciFi, Horror, and WTF!

Please give it up for Lee with some of the titles we can expect from Angry Robot in 2010:

********************

Well, what a year it’s been for Angry Robot! At the beginning of January this year, the imprint doubled its full-time workforce by employing me, and six months later our first books started to hit the shops. All the books published in 2009 were chosen by Angry Robot’s publishing director, Marc Gascoigne, before I joined, so I can’t claim the credit for any of this year’s title choices (much as I’d like to), but as we move into 2010 I’m looking forward to seeing titles that I’ve chosen, and titles that I’ve had a hand in choosing.

We’ve had a great year – we’ve sold more books than we planned (which is always good), and though we originally intended to launch in the US and Canada in October, our decision to hold it back until April/May 2010 has meant that we can plan even more effectively, and get our authors’ books into even more people’s hands. We start our conquest of the US and Canada with 6 titles a month, as we publish 3 new Angry Robot titles, and 3 from our back catalogue, eventually whittling this number down to an easily-manageable 3 a month in 2011, to match our UK/Australia output.

I’m genuinely looking forward to every book we publish next year (all 33 of them). Some I’ve read, some I’m currently reading, some haven’t been written yet, but they all add something to the Angry Robot list.

It’s difficult to pick out some favourites, but I’m going to, anyway. It feels wrong not to mention each book individually, as there’s something to love about all of them, but that would take all day to read. The dates mentioned below are the UK/Australia launches. For the US/Canada dates, see our schedule at Angry Robot.

January sees debut novels from two very well-known writers of short and novella-length fiction, the always excellent Aliette de Bodard, and the equally superb Lavie Tidhar. Both books are a departure for us (though as a new imprint, so many of our books are!) and I’m very much looking forward to reading the reviews of both Servant of the Underworld and The Bookman.

In February, Kaaron Warren’s second novel Walking the Tree will delight everyone who enjoyed Slights. Same unmistakable style, very, very different book.

In March, as well as the next Nekropolis book (gotta love that zombie PI) and a wonderful Gormenghast-like fantasy from debut novelist Ian Whates, we have King Maker by Maurice Broaddus. This is a very special book, indeed, and one of my favourite books of the year. Honestly – if Maurice doesn’t get a lot of attention for this series, there’s no justice in the world.

In April, we have Kylie Chan’s Dark Heavens trilogy, which has previously been published in Australia. An enormously successful series, it should find a dedicated following here, too, and an awesome future thriller – Amortals by the great Matt Forbeck.

My tip for May is Zoo City. Lauren Beukes’ Moxyland was the first book I read when I joined Angry Robot, and it blew me away. Zoo City is better – much better!

For sheer, unadulterated fun, Vegas Knights by Matt Forbeck in June will be this year’s must-have summer read. It’s Harry Potter meets Oceans 11 as a bunch of young wizards try to take Vegas.

In July, J Robert King brings us his second book – Death’s Disciples – and it sounds wonderful and horrifying and worrisome all at once, and I adored his Angel of Death so this is going to be a highlight for me, I’m sure.

August sees the second in Guy Adams’ World House series. I’ve read the first book (out in February) and it’s huge fun! Mad old bollocks, it’s true, but huge fun! And after reading the end of the first volume, I’m fascinated to see what he’ll put his poor characters through this time (in Restoration).

We’ve not announced the details of September onwards, yet, but there are some more great titles, and don’t get me started on the artwork, yet – some of which is in, some of which is still being commissioned, but wait until you see the covers of King Maker and Walking the Tree and Dead Streets and… oh, just keep checking out our website – we talk on there. A lot! And we occasionally give stuff away, too.

If any of our authors are reading this, and I haven’t mentioned you, don’t worry – I still love you (and your books), but there is a limit to how much I can write on here. I’ll buy you a drink when I see you. Maybe a bag of peanuts, too.

What else am I looking forward to? Well, I’ll be at World Horror Con (Brighton) in March and EasterCon (London) in April, Alt.Fiction in June, and FantasyCon (Nottingham) and WorldCon (Melbourne) in September. It’s always great to meet up with old friends and make news ones at conventions – but that’s the subject of a whole new post…

Have a fantastic Christmas, everyone, and make sure you find some time during the festivities to sit down with a good book, and relax. I know I will.

********************

Thanks Lee!

Next on Smugglivus: Jennifer Echols



Smugglivus – Week 2 Calendar

Hello! We leave week one of Smugglivus behind and prepare ourselves for week two with loads more of exciting posts – if we may say so ourselves. But first, last week’s giveaway winners:

Joel Sutherland Giveaway

This is a special giveaway: the three winners get an e-copy of Frozen Blood -which by the way, was nominated last week for yet another award, The Black Quill award for Best Small Press Chill, congratulations, Joel! – plus the chance to become a character in his next book. Drum roll, please. The winners are:

Mariska (comment #29)
Veronika F (comment #44)
Sharon K (comment #14)

Congratulations! We will email you with further details!

Jackie Kessler Giveaway

The winner of one copy of Black and White is: Danielle (comment #40)

Alma Alexander Giveaway

The winner of ONE AUTOGRAPHED copy of Spellspam is: Caitlin Usignol (comment #25)
The winner of ONE AUTOGRAPHED copy of Cybermage is: Mishel (comment #18)

Congratulations! You know the drill – send an email to contact AT the book smugglers DOT com with your snail mail address, and we’ll get your winnings out to you as soon as possible! Thanks to all that entered, and if you didn’t win this time, don’t worry. There’s plenty more where that came from!

And you can still enter the fabulous Simon and Schuster UK giveaway (they are giving away 6 upcoming titles to one lucky winner) .

This week on Smugglivus

We start the week with a post by YA writer Dan Waters later today, in which he talks about his favourite 2009 reads.

On Monday, our guest author is contemporary romance writer Julie James! She talks about the books she loved this year and in the spirit of Smugglivus, gives away copies of her two books. Her post will be followed by Thea’s review of Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines.

On Tuesday, PNR writer Nalini Singh talks about her favourite reads of 2009, and about what she is working on at the moment. You will have a chance to win two of her latest books too! Later on that day, Ana reviews Fantasy novel The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick.

Wednesday’s guest is Lee Harris, Assistant Editor for Angry Robot (the new HarperCollins imprint specializing in Fantasy, SciFi, Horror, and WTF!), talking about exciting releases for 2010. His post is followed by a guest review by Harry of Temple Library Reviews of Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon and will have a major swag to giveaway with Harry’s post.

On Thursday, YA author Jennifer Echols lists her own 2009 faves and tells us all about her upcoming books. Her post will be followed by Thea’s review of YA fantasy novel The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima.

On Friday, historical romance writer Loretta Chase dishes all about her upcoming release, and later we post a joint review of Going Bovine by Libba Bray.

Finally (phew), on Saturday it’s horror author Kaaron Warren’s turn to talk about the books she read in 2009, and we will have a huge Smugglivus giveaway.

Stay tuned, Smugglivites! And as Mr Spock would say:

~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers


Book Review: Triumff – Her Majesty’s Hero by Dan Abnett

Title: Triumff, Her Majesty’s Hero

Author: Dan Abnett

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Angry Robot
Publishing Date: Oct 1 2009
Paperback: 352 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone

Summary: Sir Rupert Triumff. Adventurer. Fighter. Drinker.

Saviour?

Pratchett goes swashbuckling in the hotly anticipated original fiction debut of the multi-million selling Warhammer star.

Triumff is a ribald historical fantasy set in a warped clockwork-powered version of our present day … a new Elizabethan age, not of Elizabeth II but in the style of the original Virgin Queen. Throughout its rollicking pages, Sir Rupert Triumff drinks, dines and duels his way into a new Brass Age of Exploration and Adventure.

Why did I read the book: I saw the cover and knew I wanted the book and when I got an ARC from the publisher, I was mucho pleased.

Review:

The year is 2010. Queen Elizabeth XXX (Vivat Regina!) is in the throne of England which along with Spain forms the Unity. In this alternate version of the world, Elizabeth I married the heir to the Spanish throne and their descendents, all of them Elizabeths have reigned ever since and the Renaissance saw the rebirth of Magick. More than the Elizabeths, Magick is what holds the Unity together but also what eventually prevented the scientific and industrial revolutions from happening. Thus, England stopped in time and language, fashion, technology are stuck in the Golden Age of Elizabethan England.

But something is afoot in the Kingdom of Elizabeth XXX (Vivat Regina!) . Not only her majesty’s life is being threatened by conspirators, but the entire Unity and Magick are being challenged. Who could help?

Cue to Sir Rupert Triumff, one of her majesty’s favourites, discoverer of the lands of Australia and an altogether dandy fellow. Whilst trying to keep his very own mysterious Ploy, his personal enemies at bay and his girlfriend satisfied, he is caught in this web of political intrigue and is enlisted by The Powers That Be to help thwarting the Unthinkable Plot. Can England be saved? Can Triumff…..triumph?

I am SO conflicted about this book. On one hand, Triumff is a quaint read, a cracking adventurous non-stop romp intercalated with quite a lot of funny moments. I was entertained for most part, I liked the main character, Triumff and I thought the overall plot was rather interesting and deftly dealt with in the end. I thought the premise which upheld that Magick prevented England from progress was intriguing, especially when it was disclosed that the newly Australia was much like the Australia we know today, because they did not rely on Magick.

On the other hand, I had several issues that prevented me from enjoying it completely. I wasn’t a fan of the writing or the narrative choice. I thought the prose, in Old English style was not very accessible and I kept having to re-read paragraphs to be able to understand them. Even though the very use of said style is somewhat amusing:

Water rattled off slopes of broken slates, streamed like horse-piss from split gutters, cascaded from the points of eaves, boiled like oxtail soup in leaf-choked drains, coursed in foamy breakers across flagged walks, and thumped down drainpipes in biblical quantities. For the same measure of time that it had taken the Good Lord God to manufacture Everything In Creation, the entire city was comprehensively rinsed. There was water, as the Poet had it (the Poet, admittedly, was wont to have it mixed with brandy), everywhere, and every drop of it was obeying Newton’s First Law of Apples.

In the rents of Beehive Lane, near Boddy’s Bridge, un-potted chimneys guzzled in the rain and doused more than a score of ailing grates. The steep cobbled rise of Garlick Hill became a new tributary to the Thames, and the run-off that washed down it from the foundations of the spice importers’ hilltop barns had loose cloves floating in it and tasted like consomme. At Leadenhalle, the rapping of the rain upon the metal roof drove several market traders temporarily psychotic, and deprived many more of their usual cheery dispositions, and so the cheap was suspended until the inclement weather subsided (“if sodden London don’t subside first” remarked more than one tired and emotional stall-holder). Many worried that, if the fantastically grim weather persisted, the Great Masque that coming Saturday might itself have to be abandoned. And that didn’t bear thinking about.

As for the narrative choice: the book is narrated by one Wllm Beaver who is at the same time third person narrator (although not an omniscient one, as the story has been relayed to him by the main character) and first person narrator when he happened to be present in the events he narrated. The first time the narrative jumped from third to first person, I admit to being startled and I remain not entirely convinced that it works that well. Although I will also concede that this in fact, can be seen as ingenious – please refer to the part where I mention I was very conflicted about the book.

But I think that in the end, probably the main issue for me was that Triumff is a strictly plot-driven book with the characters existing at the service of the plot. I knew very little about Triumff, the character, and what moved him and there is little alteration to what I could perceive him to be by the end of the novel. Plot-Driven novels are literary equivalents to Macdonald’s Meals for me, I am willing to enjoy them from time to time but generally speaking, it is just not for me.

So, yeah. Conflicted.

Notable quotes/ Parts: Definitely my favourite thing about Triumff were the funny parts. This totally cracked me up : Triumff facing off with a member of the secret service called…Eastwoodho…

Eastwhooho’s words crackled softly like burning leaves.
“This is a Fulke and Seddon all-steel ten-shot pinfire harmonica pistol,” he said, “the most powerful handgun in the Unity. From here, it could take your balls clean off.”
“Is there any way I could get out of this without bleeding profusely?”
“Shhhhh!” rasped Eastwoodho in annoyance. “I haven’t finished. Now, do you feel opportune, punk?”

I then imagined Clint Eastwood dressed in Elizabethan clothes and it was I could do not die laughing. Yeah. I am that easy.

Additional Thoughts:

This is the first original fiction novel by Dan Abnett but he is no newbie to writing. He has penned several comics for Marvel and DC (OMG check out his bio in comic book style!) , tie-in novelizations and several novels for Games Workshop. If you are already a fan of the above, I don’t see why you wouldn’t enjoy Triumff.

For the newbies that think that the plot is interesting but you are not sure about the writing style, you can check excerpts from Triumff here.

Verdict: Triumff is a fun read, a plot-driven novel which although not completely knocking my socks off, it kept me entertained for a couple of hours.

Rating: 6 Good. Recommended with reservations

Reading Next: Ash by Malinda Lo



Free Reading: Triumff by Dan Abnett – Excerpt #5

In conjunction with Angry Robot, the new global publishing imprint from HarperCollins,

we are pleased to present five daily excerpts from their upcoming Fantasy novel, Triumff by Dan Abnett (which sounds gloriously good and we will be reviewing in the future):

Sir Rupert Triumff. Adventurer. Fighter. Drinker.

Saviour?

Pratchett goes swashbuckling in the hotly anticipated original fiction debut of the multi-million selling Warhammer star.

Triumff is a ribald historical fantasy set in a warped clockwork-powered version of our present day … a new Elizabethan age, not of Elizabeth II but in the style of the original Virgin Queen. Throughout its rollicking pages, Sir Rupert Triumff drinks, dines and duels his way into a new Brass Age of Exploration and Adventure.

Day Four Excerpt:

(more…)



Free Reading: Triumff by Dan Abnett – Excerpt #4

In conjunction with Angry Robot, the new global publishing imprint from HarperCollins,

we are pleased to present five daily excerpts from their upcoming Fantasy novel, Triumff by Dan Abnett (which sounds gloriously good and we will be reviewing in the future):

Sir Rupert Triumff. Adventurer. Fighter. Drinker.

Saviour?

Pratchett goes swashbuckling in the hotly anticipated original fiction debut of the multi-million selling Warhammer star.

Triumff is a ribald historical fantasy set in a warped clockwork-powered version of our present day … a new Elizabethan age, not of Elizabeth II but in the style of the original Virgin Queen. Throughout its rollicking pages, Sir Rupert Triumff drinks, dines and duels his way into a new Brass Age of Exploration and Adventure.

Day Four Excerpt:

(more…)



Free Reading: Triumff by Dan Abnett – Excerpt #3

In conjunction with Angry Robot, the new global publishing imprint from HarperCollins,

we are pleased to present five daily excerpts from their upcoming Fantasy novel, Triumff by Dan Abnett (which sounds gloriously good and we will be reviewing in the future):

Sir Rupert Triumff. Adventurer. Fighter. Drinker.

Saviour?

Pratchett goes swashbuckling in the hotly anticipated original fiction debut of the multi-million selling Warhammer star.

Triumff is a ribald historical fantasy set in a warped clockwork-powered version of our present day … a new Elizabethan age, not of Elizabeth II but in the style of the original Virgin Queen. Throughout its rollicking pages, Sir Rupert Triumff drinks, dines and duels his way into a new Brass Age of Exploration and Adventure.

Day Three Excerpt:

(more…)



Free Reading: Triumff by Dan Abnett – Excerpt #2

In conjunction with Angry Robot, the new global publishing imprint from HarperCollins,

we are pleased to present five daily excerpts from their upcoming Fantasy novel, Triumff by Dan Abnett (which sounds gloriously good and we will be reviewing in the future):

Sir Rupert Triumff. Adventurer. Fighter. Drinker.

Saviour?

Pratchett goes swashbuckling in the hotly anticipated original fiction debut of the multi-million selling Warhammer star.

Triumff is a ribald historical fantasy set in a warped clockwork-powered version of our present day … a new Elizabethan age, not of Elizabeth II but in the style of the original Virgin Queen. Throughout its rollicking pages, Sir Rupert Triumff drinks, dines and duels his way into a new Brass Age of Exploration and Adventure.

Day Two Excerpt:

(more…)



Free Reading: Triumff by Dan Abnett – Excerpt #1

In conjunction with Angry Robot, the new global publishing imprint from HarperCollins,

we are pleased to present five daily excerpts from their upcoming Fantasy novel, Triumff by Dan Abnett (which sounds gloriously good and we will be reviewing in the future):

Sir Rupert Triumff. Adventurer. Fighter. Drinker.

Saviour?

Pratchett goes swashbuckling in the hotly anticipated original fiction debut of the multi-million selling Warhammer star.

Triumff is a ribald historical fantasy set in a warped clockwork-powered version of our present day … a new Elizabethan age, not of Elizabeth II but in the style of the original Virgin Queen. Throughout its rollicking pages, Sir Rupert Triumff drinks, dines and duels his way into a new Brass Age of Exploration and Adventure.

Day One Excerpt:

TRIUMFF

Her Majesty’s Hero
-*-

Being the true and authentick account of the expl’ts and
incid’nts following the re-turn to London
of
Sir Rupert Triumff, adventurer,
from his celebrated Voyage of Discovery to the Meridional Climes.
Never before made publick.
-*-
Given in this, my hand, this XXIIIrd day of Aprile,
XX hundred and X Anno Domini,
in the splendid reign of the thirtieth Gloriana.
Vivat Regina!
Wllm Beaver, esq.

Editor’s Notice to the Great Variety of Readers

(more…)





    Steampunk Week

    About Us

    We are two completely obsessed, sad, sick addicts when it comes to books. Faced with threats and cynicisms from our significant others and because of the massive amounts of time and money we spend at Amazon.com, we resorted to getting books delivered to our offices and then smuggling them into our homes (in huge handbags) to avoid detection. Here we found a perfect outlet for our obsession! Reviews, recommendations, and other ponderings are our specialty.
    Widget_logo
    Book Blogger Convention



    FTC Disclaimer

    In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, The Book Smugglers would like everyone to know that while we do purchase our own books for review on occasion, you should assume that every book reviewed here at The Book Smugglers was provided to the reviewers by the publisher or the author for free unless specified otherwise.



All content, unless otherwise noted, © 2010 The Book Smugglers
Blog design by Splendid Sparrow