Release Date: 04/05/17
Publisher: Ace
SYNOPSIS:
Jane Yellowrock is a shape-shifting skinwalker, and the woman rogue vampires fear most. As the Enforcer to Leo Pellisier, Master of the City of New Orleans, she walks softly and carries a big stake. But Leo's power over vast American territories is being threatened. A delegation of European fangheads has arrived, and Leo fears their influence. Jane is tasked with overseeing their visit. But when a revenant vampire is raised, and several humans are killed, she has to wonder if they're already making trouble
REVIEW:
I've been a big fan of Faith's work for quite some time so I've really been looking forward to Janes next outing to see how she would be tested by not only the author but the characters she was faced against.
What happens within the pages is a bloody battle for New Orleans and the New World as players from the Old one seek to take over with not only outright conflict but enough subtle nuances and chess like moves to make it not only difficult to see what they're up to but the overall goals.
Its well written, the principle characters work well together and when you throw into the mix the bonds of all concerned you care about each of them in the conflicts that occur within, so much so that you're heart is in your mouth as to whether they'll survive or not. Add to this top notch prose and of course villains worthy of our heroine and all round I was a more than happy reader.
My only real qualm about the while book was the sheer amount of clothing they went through, surely no one has the budget or the wardrobe space for so many to get ruined? Other than that though a pure joy.
Release Date: 08/03/16
Publisher: Orbit/Ace, Berkley Publishing
SYNOPSIS:
Mercy Thompson is back, and she'll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it's the children who suffer . . .
Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.
Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans and the fae, Mercy, Adam and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?
REVIEW:
The new Mercy Thompson title and one that shows that the fae are up to something as Mercy’s pack sets itself up to be defenders of the humans against all comers. It’s not only a ballsy move on their part but works wonderfully well for the caring nature of the principle character herself.
Its well written, the prose is sharp and the story is one that is hard to put down as for me, one more chapter is a common phrase when I have a cracking book. Back this up with top notch dialogue as well as the readers already established relationship and feelings towards the subsequent cast members all round makes this a cracking addition. Magic.
Release Date: 29/10/13
Publisher: Ace
SYNOPSIS:
They call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its border - but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human. Boston's zombies have suddenly become inexplicably violent - horror movie-style - resulting in a catastrophic all-out battle against humans. More troubling to Vicky is that she's had dreams and visions of herself fighting alongside the demons. At least, she hopes they're just visions. If not, she's on the front lines of the wrong side of the war.
REVIEW:
Ah Deadtown, I love spending time in this cracking world created by Nancy Holzner. As usual the writing is top notch, has some great twists and when you throw into this the principle players emotional problems played our for all to see all round gives you not only a fabulous tale to follow but one that will pull at the heart strings as the tale unfurls.
Back this up with a top notch support cast, an arc that is moving to a superb conclusion which when added to the folklore lovingly interwoven within, makes this a book that was hard to put down. Great stuff.
Release Date: 21/02/13
Publisher: Gollancz (UK), Ace (US)
SYNOPSIS:
From one of the masters of SF comes this new collection of stories, all set on his most famous creation - the world of Majipoor. A massive world of adventure, romance and danger. A place where dreams can soothe the restless or flay the minds of the guilty. Where humans, aliens and natives live in a shifting, uneasy alliance and where two great men rule over all. No matter who bears the title, there is always a Coronal and a Pontifex, forever miles apart, forever striving to maintain the balance of their far-flung civilisation. Here, collected for the first time, are the final tales of Majipoor. From the earliest legends of the Shapeshifters to an untold mystery late in the reign of Valentine Pontifex, the seven stories in this collection expand upon and flesh out the remarkable world that Robert Silverberg has created. Spanning a decade of writing from one of the masters of science-fiction, this collection is both a fantastic introduction for those new to Majipoor and a welcome return for those who have visited before.
REVIEW:
To be honest I’ve never really tackled a book purely by Robert, yes I’ve read books he’s edited and yes I’ve read the odd short story but this was years ago when I was on an extremely limited budget so when I found this new title by Gollancz (and having remembered the name) I jumped at the chance to sit down and embark on my first full adventure with him.
What unfurls is a set of tales that are wonderfully woven around the one world. They have great characters, the prose is sharp and to be honest each tale stands alone wonderfully (even though they are interlinked.) Add to this the an author who has a clear idea about how the world would develop and has the talent to bring the reader an imaginative tale in a wonderfully direct way, all round made this a book that I had a lot of fun dipping into on my travels.
All round I loved this book, yes there was the odd story that I felt didn’t work quite as well but all round they helped fill out this imaginative world and added extra layers to the historical context. Great stuff.
Release Date: 04/10/12
SYNOPSIS:
They call it Deadtown: the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its border—but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human…
Boston’s demons have been disappearing, and Vicky’s clients are canceling left and right. While fewer demons might seem like a good thing, Vicky suspects foul play. A missing Celtic cauldron from Harvard’s Peabody museum leads her to an unwelcome conclusion: Pryce, her demi-demon cousin and bitter enemy, is trying to regain his full powers.
But Pryce isn’t alone. He’s conjured another, darker villain from Vicky’s past. To stop them from destroying everything she loves, she’ll have to face her own worst fear—in the realm of the dead itself.
REVIEW:
I love a dark urban fantasy and for me, Nancy Holzner is one of my go to authors (although only published in the US for some reason), the lead character is a real kick-ass sort of girl with a whole host of fascinating back up cast members that really make it all work on a believability level (Go Team Tina.)
Add to the mix a wonderfully twisted plot line, some great one liners and of course a whole host of problems that only our heroine can solve at a breakneck speed which by the books end will leave you grasping for breath. A real treat and for me, when I want some Urban Fantasy Chicken Soup that’s got some hidden tasty ingredients, I readily reach for one of the Deadtown tales.
Release Date: 27/09/11
SYNOPSIS:
Boston's Back Bay district is known for high society, not lowlifes. So when mutilated human bodies begin turning up in the area, the entire city takes notice. And even though there's no real evidence pointing to a paranormal culprit, the deaths are straining relations between human and inhuman residents. As the bodies pile up, demon-hunter Vicky Vaughn investigates, only to find that the creature behind the carnage is after much more than just blood...
REVIEW:
The third and latest offering in the Deadtown series and one that brings not only the community closer together but throws some of Victory’s relatives into the firing line. As usual with Nancy’s writing, it has a cracking pace, the characters grow and when you add to this a touch of snark that for me really brings it to life, it’s a series that I really can’t wait for.
Add to this a whole host of evil denizens, double dealing and of course a police force that doesn’t want anything to do with the matters other than to bury their heads in the sand. It’s magical, it’s frightening and when you add to this a real sense of danger and threat to Nancy’s world, and it’s one that you really can’t let pass you by. Storming.
Release Date: 31/03/11
SYNOPSIS:
A demon is stalking Vicky's dreams-just as several of Deadtown's zombies are viciously attacked and become really dead. And when Vicky realizes she is the only connection between the victims, she suspects that the demon is somehow working through her dreams to become Deadtown's living nightmare.
REVIEW:
When I read the original novel in the series, I was instantly struck by how much scope there was for the world within, the author had some outstanding characters which had been beautifully detailed in such a way that there was someone within that would appeal to any fan of the urban fantasy.
So when I heard that the second novel was being released I really couldn’t wait to get a copy. What Nancy does well is create drama with characters that the reader will love, backs that up with some seriously delicious prose and tops it off with a good dollop of kick ass action that is so fulfilling it feels like a five course banquet. Add to this dialogue and backstory to die for (or undie in some of the cast’s cases) which leaves you desiring more. A real treat and one that demonstrates that Deadtown is here to stay.
Release Date: 07/12/10
BOOK BLURB:
Escorting souls into the afterlife leaves Maddy little time for socialising - until devilishly handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in her building. But when demons start appearing on Maddy's front lawn, she realises there's more to her new tenant than meets the eye.
REVIEW:
I always love the opportunity to try and new author, so when Christina’s title flitted across my vision I just had to give it a go. Death, as they say is a certainty, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before the embodiment took over the Urban Fantasy genre to such a degree that they’d give the vamps, Were’s and witches as serious run for their money. Not that it’s a bad thing but with so many titles featuring the reaper in all sort of incarnations each author has had to do something different to avoid being compared to the ones that have gone before.
Here in this title, Death takes the form of human agents with the blood of angels who take over the roll of certain fallen angels aiding humanity to pass onto the other side and whatever fate has in store. It’s clever, the characters are cracking and to be honest the way that the story is woven really will lend the title up to multiple follow ups. Whilst many will concentrate on the romance of the characters within, the real star of the show for me, was a minor character, Beezle the Gargoyle. He’s definitely the star and whilst many could end up wondering why, any author who lavishes that much time and love into a supporting cast member has taken a lot of care to create the other players.
All in, beautifully creative with some great prose, a serious sense of style alongside some cleverly built devices and dialogue. A great title to kick off a writing career and I wonder how much further Christina will be able to go. The only question is how much more complex is our heroines life going to get with the twists that have been left open to be resolved? I guess we’ll have to wait to find out.
With the year drawing to a close, readers always love to hear about new talent, so we thought that we'd go out with a bang and whats better than guns, Urban Fantasy and Zombies in Miniskirts? Here with her first Urban Fantasy Nancy brings all this and more to the table, so sit back, grab a beverage of choice and overindulge in the luxurious...FALCATA TIMES: Writing is said to be something that people are afflicted with rather than gifted and that it's something you have to do rather than want. What is your opinion of this statement and how true is it to you?NANCY HOLZNER: Whoever said must have been in the middle of a bad writing patch. There are times, when you’re in the middle of a story and things aren’t yet coming together, when you wonder why the heck you do this. Yet you can’t put it aside, either. The characters stay with you, possible solutions bubble up from somewhere in the subconscious. You dream about the story. Thoughts about it pop into your head while you’re in the shower. Writing can feel like an affliction at those times, because the story isn’t doing what you want but it also won’t leave you alone. But I don’t agree with that statement because it takes all the joy out of writing. I don’t write because I’m afflicted; I write because there’s nothing more satisfying than the creative process, with all its frustrations and pleasures.FT: When did you realise that you wanted to be a writer?NH: I’m one of those people who started writing as soon as they could hold a pencil. So I’ve always written, although I went back and forth about whether I wanted to be A Writer. (Yeah, I thought of it with Capital Letters like that.) For a number of years I pursued an academic career, getting a Ph.D. in English and working as an assistant or adjunct professor. While I was doing graduate work and teaching, I didn’t do much creative writing. I loved research and teaching. Teaching was my form of creative play. But seven or eight years ago, I started getting ideas for stories and writing them down. I took an online writing class, and there was no looking back.FT: It is often said that if you can write a short story you can write anything. How true do you think this is and what have you written that either proves or disproves this POV?NH: I think short stories and novels are different experiences for both readers and writers. From a reader’s point of view, a short story is kind of like peering through a window into a house, while a novel is like moving in and living there for a while. Both forms contain all the elements of fiction: plot, character, setting, point of view, tone, style, theme, and so on. But short stories use all that in a form that requires a precision almost like poetry. Short stories teach writers not to waste words, and that’s a skill that benefits novelists, too. But I think that writing a novel requires an additional skill, and that’s the ability to sustain a story over hundreds of pages. Short stories don’t teach you how to do that.That said, I admire short story writers. I think it’s a difficult form to write well. I’m one of those writers whose short stories get longer and longer until I realize that I’m actually writing a novel. FT: If someone were to enter a bookshop, how would you persuade them to try your novel over someone else's and how would you define it?NH: Yikes, I’d be very uncomfortable trying to say, “Don’t buy that book, buy mine!” I don’t think I could do that. But I might suggest to people browsing in the science fiction and fantasy section to take a look at Deadtown’s first page and hope that it grabbed them. I’m a lousy salesperson; I think Deadtown can sell itself better than I could ever sell it.FT: How would you "sell" your book in 20 words or less?NH: Shapeshifter Victory Vaughn kills other people’s personal demons for a living. When the Hellion who murdered her father threatens Boston, Vicky must face the demons of her own past.Okay, I needed more like 30 words, but that’s the best I can boil it down to.FT: Who is a must have on your bookshelf and whose latest release will find you on the bookshops doorstep waiting for it to open?NH: I started my career as a medievalist, so all my must-haves are at least 600 years old. The complete works of Chaucer, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Malory’s Morte d’Arthur and a bunch of obscure medieval texts. I’ve got my favorites from every period, which is probably why we’ve got bookcases in every room of the house. I also read pretty widely in urban fantasy—I find the myriad approaches to the genre endlessly fascinating. I’ve got too many favorites to name them all, but I never miss a new book by Ilona Andrews or Devon Monk.FT: When you sit down and write do you know how the story will end or do you just let the pen take you? ie Do you develop character profiles and outlines for your novels before writing them or do you let your idea's develop as you write?NH: A little of both. I work with a loose outline that sketches out a novel’s inciting incident, plot points, and climax. The outline helps me get started and gives me goals to write toward, but it’s subject to change as I write. It’s helpful to revisit the outline from time to time during the first draft and to make changes that reflect the unfolding story. Working this way gives me a sense of structure but also lets me be open to surprises along the way.FT: What do you do to relax and what have you read recently?NH: I don’t have a lot of downtime. I write how-to and reference books as my day job, and I write fiction every spare minute I can. To clear my head, I’ll take a walk (I live in a wonderfully walkable neighborhood and within walking distance of two waterfalls). For pleasure, I read. But sleeping is the only way I know for sure that I’m relaxing. J I’ve just finished reading Three Days to Dead, Kelly Meding’s debut urban fantasy—fun book.FT: What is your guiltiest pleasure that few know about?NH: Even though I’m a crazed opera fanatic, I sometimes listen to ’80s pop music. (You won’t tell anyone, will you?)FT: Lots of writers tend to have pets. What do you have and what are their key traits (and do they appear in your novel in certain character attributes?)NH: I don’t have a pet right now, but I’d love to have a dog. When my daughter was small, we had a border collie named Loki. He was a terrific dog—smart and loyal and loving. I still miss him.FT: Which character within your latest book was the most fun to write and why?NH: In Deadtown Tina, Vicky’s teenage zombie apprentice, was a blast to write. She’s kind of a brat; she comes across as shallow and self-centered, and she doesn’t listen, so she gives Vicky a hard time. But she’s also a kid who lost everything when she was zombified. There’s something very brave in the way she insists on being herself, despite the fact that she’s become a monster. Plus she’s just fun. She always surprises me.FT: How similar to your principal protagonist are you?NH: Vicky’s a lot more physical than I am. She lives very much in her body; I live more in my head. I think our emotional reactions are similar sometimes, although she’s braver than I am. And she also looks way better in leather jeans than I would.FT: What hobbies do you have and how do they influence your work?NH: I used to call writing fiction a hobby. Even though I’m making some money from it now, it’s still what I do for fun.FT: Where do you get your ideas from?NH: Ideas are everywhere; you just have to pay attention. I brainstorm a lot by playing “What if?” When I get the seed of an idea, I ask myself a lot of “What if?” questions to flesh it out and see where it wants to go. I can brainstorm for weeks before I start plotting.FT: Do you ever encounter writers block and if so how do you overcome it?NH: When it’s time to sit down and write, I can put up a lot of resistance to getting started. But that’s procrastination, not writer’s block. If I get stuck when I’m writing, I usually find it’s because I’m grasping the role of “author” too firmly, trying to make things happen rather than let the story unfold. The best way I’ve found to deal with that is to step back from being the “author” and try to get more fully into the characters’ point of view. I might write out a conversation with the character, for example, or freewrite in the character’s voice.FT: Certain authors are renowned for writing at what many would call uncivilised times. When do you write and how do the others in your household feel about it?NH: I write fiction in the evenings and on weekends. My husband and I both work at home, so in the evenings we go out to a coffee shop and I take along my laptop and write. I’ll write from about eight until ten in the evening—until midnight or later if I’ve got some momentum going.FT: Sometimes pieces of music seem to influence certain scenes within novels, do you have a soundtrack for your tale or is it a case of writing in silence with perhaps the odd musical break in-between scenes?NH: I concentrate best when I’m not distracted by sound. I can usually tune out coffee-shop conversation and whatever’s playing over the PA system. But ideally, I like it to be quiet. I can slip inside the story faster that way.FT: What misconceptions, if any, did you have about the writing and publishing field when you were first getting started?NH: By the time I sold a novel, I’d written several nonfiction books and before that I’d done some freelance editing, so I was familiar with the basics of the acquisition, editing, and production processes. Fiction publishing moves much more slowly than nonfiction publishing, which made it hard to stay patient at times. With this novel, I’m learning that promotion takes a lot more time and effort than I’d imagined. But it’s also fun.FT: If music be the food of love, what do you think writing is and please explain your answer?NH: Writing is the playground of the imagination—and that’s true for writers and readers both. I love it that I can put words on a page and somewhere, a reader picks it up and lives the story. Readers bring their own experiences and perceptions to the story, so no two people ever read it in the same way. That’s amazing to me.FT: What can you tell us about the next novel?NH: Deadtown’s sequel is currently with my editor. In it, actions Vicky took to solve the central problem of Deadtown cause a whole new level of trouble for her, and she has to travel to Wales for further training from her Aunt Mab.FT: What are the last five internet sites that you've visited?NH: Facebook. Twitter. Amazon. Sirius Radio’s Metropolitan Opera channel. Gmail.FT: Did you ever take any writing classes or specific instructions to learn the craft? If so please let us know which ones.NH: When I decided to give writing a serious try, I signed up at Writers Village University (www.wvu.org) and took their free online course. I was in a group of aspiring novelists there for several years and made some really good friends among my critique partners.FT: How did you get past the initial barriers of criticism and rejection?NH: My very first submission was a short story to a small, local literary journal. Not only did they accept it, they made it the first story in the issue. I was thrilled. That gave me a boost that kept me going when the rest of the literary world didn’t follow suit. I try to look at rejection and criticism as part of an author’s life. Those things are part of completing a manuscript, part of having book out there. I want people to read my books, and it follows that not everyone will love them. That’s part of the deal. With criticism, I look to see if there’s something I can learn from it. If so, great. If not, I move on. I’ve never been particularly thick-skinned, though, so thickening my skin is something I’m still working on.
FT: In your opinion, what are the best and worst aspects of writing for a living?NH: I’m a full-time author, but right now most of my income comes from writing nonfiction. As a freelance writer, all too often I find that projects tend to bunch up on me, and I end up working frantically trying to meet too-close deadlines on multiple projects. That’s the worst. (But it’s really not a bad thing at all, because multiple projects equal money coming in.) The best aspect is letting the people who live in my head come out and play.
BOOK BLURB:
They call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders - but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human.
REVIEW:
Urban Fantasy is perhaps the genre that’s grown most over the last few years. With a bumper year set for releases from many UK publishers next year, its been booming in the US for slightly longer. What is perhaps worth noting is that it also feels like the genre that is increasingly giving the readers more new names who currently fight it out amongst themselves for shelf space. But how do you find a goodie from the baddies that are out there?
Well it’s always difficult but if you can find a book that has an opener that just grabs you by the eyeballs and run’s you’ve got a great start there. A prime example being this offering from Nancy Holzner who not only grabs the reader by the unmentionables but also tops it off with a Zombie in a Pink Miniskirt in the first couple of paragraphs.
That’s a seller right there and with that as an opener you know that you’re in for a serious treat with this book. Its engaging, the characters are fascinating and above all whilst many authors are having virtually unkillable protagonists leading the way, the vulnerability of this tough cookie makes it even more gripping. Yep she’s a smart ass, yep she’s got a tough outer shell but in the centre of her being is much gooeyness that the reader can’t help but like. It’s a good opener, it’s a cracker of a story arc but perhaps most of all it’s a story that will lead the reader by the hand into a series that will capture the imagination as the author interweaves myth’s, legends and prophecies into a web of intrigue. Great stuff.
