As If This Month Wasn't Great Already, Now This!

As Steampunk Month draws to a close I don't think it could end on a higher note than this. Take a gander at the full cover spread for Tim Akers' The Horns of Ruin. If you can't read the back cover click in to embiggen and read the 4th quote.  That's is right a quote of mine made it to a back cover. This is pretty much the height any book blogger can attain outside of writing a book themselves that gets published. This is the second time I've had a quote on a book with Tome of the Undergates by Sam Sykes being the first. The quote was actually from my review of Akers' debut Heart of Veridon, but it applies just as much if not a tad more in this case.

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CHARACTER INTERVIEW | Eva Forge from The Horns of Ruin by Time Akers
REVIEW | Heart of Veridon by Tim Akers
REVIEW | The Horns of Ruin by Tim Akers
REVIEW | Tome of the Undergates by Sam Sykes

CHARACTER INTERVIEW | Eva Forge from The Horns of Ruin by Tim Akers

Tim Akers has been doing some very interesting things with his style of Steampunk called Noird, a fusion of Noir and the New Weird. After I started The Horns of Ruin I knew I wanted to do something a little different and was immediately drawn to the star of the book Eva Forge. This interview acts as a nice vignette of what is to come and takes place before the events The Horns of Ruin.

***********

MH: Eva, thanks for joining us today. I know your duties with the Scions of Morgan keep you quite busy.

EVA: Of course. I'm always thrilled to play the part of Public Relations goon for the Cult. It's precisely the sort of thing my years of training in sword and pistol have prepared me for. Sitting. And talking. Just thrilled to be here.

MH: Can you tell us a little about yourself and what you do for the Morganites?

EVA: What I do? (leans back in her chair, sighs, runs a finger across her temples and then to the revolver at her hip) What I do. The Cult is the earthly embodiment of Morgan, Brother Immortal, Champion of the Fraterdom and God of War. Our temples are battlefields, our liturgies are the clash of blade and bullet. For centuries we have stood between civilization and chaos, carrying the standard of battle against any who would oppose the Godking.

As Paladin of the Cult of Morgan, it is my holy and sworn duty to lead the charge against the darkness, to bear my sword and sight my iron against the enemies of the Fraterdom. In their blood I find redemption. In their bones I sanctify my soul.

(folds hands neatly across her knee)

This is what I do. What warriors do.

MH: Ummm, I mean no disrespect. Your skills are well known, if not quite understood. The people of Ash need to be educated about Morgan what with The Betrayer's lot still lurking around. Speaking of the Cult of Amon. Given their pedigree do you think it is fair that they are all imprisoned? None of the current followers were even alive during Amon's time.

EVA: It's an interesting question. Many ways to ask that question. Let's try this: Three hundred years ago, Amon the Scholar murdered his brother in cold blood. His brother, who had dedicated his life to defending the citizens of humanity from the darkest threats this fractured world could conjure. Murdered him as he slept.

I'm not saying that they're murderers. They aren't the Betrayer. But they worship him, do you see? They are dedicated the what he was before the Betrayal, to the Scholar and the Engineer and the Scientist. But there's the seed of murder there, somewhere. They worship who he was, but that Brother, that God, he was becoming a murderer.

I don't understand it. I don't understand giving yourself over to a God who became something so awful. But that's their choice, and the Godking allows it. Encourages it. And if there are going to be Amonites, then yes. They must be kept locked away. They must be kept from us. It's unfortunate that it has to be that way. But it is their choice, not mine.

MH: Devotees of the Fraterdom are often given by their parents at a young age to the Cults. What was your childhood like growing up in the Strength of Morgan?

EVA: Hard. Barnabas was good to me, always, but he was always honest with me, too. He never made it easy. The ones who let up on the training because I was a girl, because I was a child and an orphan (or as good as an orphan) did me no favors. Barnabas expected a lot of me. And he got it.

MH: Barnaba is still a bit of enigma to me given he hardly leaves the Strength, but he has always been known as honorable. Eva, there are some that are saying the Cult of Morgan is dying with no chance of a resurgence. How would you answers these detractors? Are they right?

EVA: The way things are going? Yes. Absolutely. Precious Alexander coddles the Scholars, bleeds them for the latest gadget, drains his damned war machines out of their corrupt brains... and Morgan is forgotten. Morgan, who stood on the walls of Eliathas and fought back the hordes of Malcontent King, who led the charge at the battle of Veri-dunne. Morgan, the God of War. And war has been taken from him, and entrusted to the machines of a murderer. So, yes, I think the Cult is dying. Because the Fraterdom is dying. Alexander has stopped caring about honor, or respect, or an honest fight. All he cares about is what he can get out of the servant of Amon, and that the servants of Morgan pay the proper respect.

(she waves her hand, clearly frustrated)

This is a matter for the Elders. It is not my place, and if Barnabas were here I would be scrubbing pots for the rest of my life. I am only the Paladin. My place is the battlefield. Not the Council Chamber, or the marketplace, or the newspapers. Or, for that matter, the interview room.

Morgan keep you. (She stands and leaves, muttering about words, words, words...)

MH: But...but...but...Hrrrmmm... (drops face into hands) I knew this wouldn't go well. Damn Alexander and his insipid request. Oh! I hope nobody heard that.

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

Read more Eva Forge in The Horns of Ruin, which will be available November 22nd from Pyr Books.  Learn more about Tim Akers at his blog or check out his other book Heart of Veridon, the first in the Jacob Burn cycle.

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REVIEW | The Horns of Ruin by Tim Akers (Pyr)

Eva Forge is the last Paladin of the God of War Morgan. The problem is he is long dead from his brother's hands Amon. This leaves only the last brother immortal Alexander as the last living god in charge of the city of Ash and its surrounding areas. As Paladin Eva is entrusted with the security and protection of the Cult of Morgan and its followers. Not an easy thing for just one person, but with sword and magicked gun she soldiers on with loose lips and a hothead attitude. While on a mission to take the leader of her order somewhere and back some craziness with zombies of a sort goes down and she must track down one of her own.

The Horns of Ruin is very different tonally from Heart of Veridon so don't expect more of the same. It has an almost animalistic and visceral feel with loads of fights and colorful language that may be more at home in a Fantasy novel. Eva Forge is one tough lady who doesn't have much of a feminine side, but that is what you get when you train a person from childhood how to kill. I was immediately taken in by Eva's brusque disposition, which is best shown in her dialogue where she verbally combats people just as much as physically. Yet outside of Eva most characters aren't given much depth or detail that would connect you better with them.

The system of magic is based off of chanting and belief of past events, which was a nice way of mixing religion and magic given the nature of their gods. There is sometimes an over abundance of the chanting magic as Eva stretches herself to keep going. The Horns of Ruin often blends magic and science that comes off very blurred at times, which made my mind want to rebel not knowing which aspect was intended. Finally I just decided to go with it and not try to read too much into how something in particular was possible. The followers of Amon's abilities are particularly intriguing being that have a mastery over technology, but can also affect power through chanting including an impressive unmaking type spell. There are some Steampunk elements to be sure such as some jet packs and monorails, but this feels like a post Steampunk world with a healthy dash of magic and gods thrown in.

You'd be hard pressed to name a faster paced book. Akers barely gives you time to contemplate all the happenings as Eva bounces from one fight to the next. The relationships between the brother/gods are left very vague for quite a longtime, but as pieces are unfurled a new mystery takes shape. I particularly enjoyed the way Akers handles his gods and how their powers originate and the deep history that is alluded to.

If anything I'd call The Horns of Ruin Swords & Science. Fans of hack and slash Fantasy just may have found the steampunky read they've been looking for. The Horns of Ruin is an energetic rollercoaster ride in a well accentuated world that needs to be further explored. I give The Horns of Ruin 7.5 out 10 hats. The ending while satisfying does leave much left open. There has been no word yet on another Eva Forge book, but the second Jacob Burn book Dead of Veridon is schedule for June 2011 from Solaris.

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CHARACTER INTERVIEW | Eva Forge from The Horns of Ruin by Time Akers
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Covers Unveiled for new Resnick, Akers, Barclay, & more

Pyr's Fall list has started appearing on Amazon along with a few of the covers. The first three are the Steampunk covers, which are all winners and exude the fun ascetic of the genre. The last 3 are for James Barclay's series Legends of the Raven, which sport some gorgeous and action packed art. Again these may not be the final versions and I'll add artist credits as I find them. UPDATE: Artists added via Lou Anders.

(Art by J. Seamas Gallagher. Design by Nicole Sommer-Lecht)

The Buntline Special by Mike Resnick is the start to his Weird West series. The art is very reminiscent of Dr. Grordbort. If I wasn't already interested in this it would have turned into an emphatic YES! This is guaranteed to be a wild and fun ride. December release.

The year is 1881. The United States of America ends at the Mississippi River. Beyond lies the Indian nations, where the magic of powerful Medicine Men have halted the advance of the Americans east of the river.

An American government desperate to expand its territory sends Thomas Alva Edison out West to the town of Tombstone, Arizona on a mission to discover a scientific means of counteracting magic. Hired to protect this great genius, Wyatt Earp and his brothers.

But there are plenty who would like to see the Earps and Edison dead. Riding to their aid--old friends Doc Holliday and Bat Masterson. Against them stand the Apache wizard Geronimo and the Clanton gang. Battle lines are drawn, and the Clanton gang, which has their own reasons for wanting Edison dead, sends for Johnny Ringo, the one man who might be Doc Holliday's equal in a gunfight. But what shows up instead is The Thing That Was Once Johnny Ringo, returned from the dead and come to Tombstone looking for a fight.

Welcome to a West like you’ve never seen before, where “Bat Masterson” hails from the ranks of the undead, where electric lights shine down on the streets of Tombstone, while horseless stagecoaches carry passengers to and fro, and where death is no obstacle to The Thing That Was Once Johnny Ringo. Think you know the story of the O.K. Corral? Think again, as five time Hugo winner Mike Resnick takes on his first steampunk western tale, and the West will never be the same.

(Art and type by Benjamin Carre.)

The Horns of Ruin by Tim Akers is the start to a new world for Akers after his Heart of Veridon, which started him on the Noird path. Ohh, rocket packs! I love the detailing on the lettering. November release.

Eva Forge is the last paladin of a dead God. Morgan, God of battle and champion of the Fraterdom, was assassinated by his jealous brother, Amon. Over time, the Cult of Morgan has been surpassed by other gods, his blessings ignored in favor of brighter technologies and more mechanical miracles. Eva was the last child dedicated to the Cult of Morgan, forsaken by her parents and forgotten by her family. Now she watches as her new family, her Cult, crumbles all around her.

When a series of kidnappings and murders makes it clear that someone is trying to hasten the death of the Cult of Morgan, Eva must seek out unexpected allies and unwelcome answers in the city of Ash. But will she be able to save the city from a growing conspiracy, one that reaches back to her childhood, even back to the murder of her god?

 

(Art by Jon Sullivan, design by Nicole Sommer-Lecht)

The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder is the first in the Burton and Swinburne series and also his debut novel. Wow. This cover is electric.  It is almost a little too busy what with the long title and series name, but it  works miraculously well with the art. September release.

When one man changes history, history changes everyone!

London, 1861.

Sir Richard Francis Burton--Explorer, linguist, scholar and swordsman; his reputation tarnished; his career in tatters; his former partner missing and probably dead.

Algernon Charles Swinburne--Unsuccessful poet and follower of de Sade; for whom pain is pleasure, and brandy is ruin!

They stand at a crossroads in their lives; and are caught in the epicentre of an empire torn by conflicting forces: Engineers transform the landscape with bigger, faster, noisier and dirtier technological wonders; Eugenicists develop specialist animals to provide unpaid labour; Libertines oppose repressive laws and demand a society based on beauty and creativity; while the Rakes push the boundaries of human behaviour to the limits with magic, drugs and anarchy.

The two men are sucked into the perilous depths of this moral and ethical vacuum when Lord Palmerston commissions Burton to investigate assaults on young women committed by a weird apparition known as Spring Heeled Jack, and to find out why werewolves are terrorising London's East End.

Their investigations lead them to one of the defining events of the age; and the terrifying possibility that the world they inhabit shouldn't exist at all!

(Click to embiggen, artist has been confirmed to be Raymond Swanland)

Elfsorrow, Shadowheart, and Demonstorm by James Barclay are the first three books in the Legends of the Raven series, which Pyr is bring over to the US for the first time in an accelerated published schedule with one a month starting in November. Another jaw dropper set of covers and they are much better than their UK counterparts as the designs are very much in the vein of Forgotten Realms. I have a feeling the artist is Raymond Swanland as it has the feel and color palette of his work on Glen Cooks's Black Company omnibuses.

Look for my interview with Lou Anders, the Editorial Director of Pyr, who discusses quite a few of these books.


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MISHMASH | Tim Akers and Coming Attractions

Tim Akers confirmed via twitter that he has just signed a contract for the sequel to Heart of Veridon, which is titled Dead of Veridon.  Jacob Burn has been resurrected from the ashes to kick some butt and discover more secrets.  Congratulations to Akers, who is working on The Horns of Ruin for Pyr first.  Dead of Veridon should appear sometime in the first quarter of 2011 from Solaris. 

Lou Anders is asking for opinions on Matte vs. Gloss cover finishes.  I chimed in a bit, but feel free to add your own thoughts as Lou is looking for as many data points as he can get.

I'll be posting an interview with Couch author Benjamin Parzybok this coming week.  I've got loads of other interviews in the pipes as well including my first group interview, a debut fantasy author's first interview, and a World Fantasy Award winner.  Also, my next installment of Looking Forward should be going up in the next week or two.


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REVIEW | Heart of Veridon by Tim Akers (Solaris)

Heart of Veridon immediately caught my interest because of its Crime Noir and Steampunk themes, which it more than lives up to.  Jacob Burn born into one of the founding families of Veridon is a cyborg of sorts with mechanical parts surgically implanted in his body in addition to his eerie silver eyes, which mark him as a zepliner pilot with the ability to standup to a lot of physical damage. Zepliner pilot is a very prestigious position for any citizen of Veridon as it take years of study and dozens of surgeries. Yet Burn failed as a pilot and turned to a life of crime for lack of motivation to do otherwise than drink.  The noir style works well with wonderful dialogue and sequencing.

From the first chapter Akers keeps the octane on high and never lets off the gas.  The quick paced Heart of Veridon is very action oriented with Jacob getting into some kind of scrap every other page.  He is able to get out of all it only to fall into the next trap or barging somewhere he knows nothing good will come out of.  Yet he soldiers on to find out the truth.  Still you have to get 200 pages in before you even begin to know what is going on and the motivations behind everything Jacob has been tossed into, which are pretty intricate.

Jacob is helped out by a mysterious Anansi named Wilson. Akers creation of the Anansi species was impressively cool and original. They are a cross of humans and spiders, but don't call them spidermen or bugs. I'm very curious about their culture as you only meet Wilson, but there is obviously a lot more to them. The female lead, Emily, needed more fleshing out earlier on as she comes off a bit sidekick-ish. Akers was clearly trying to make her the strong-willed type, but it didn't really pan out that well and she came off bit as the damsel-in-distress who kept putting herself in danger in the first place. Her actions in one particular scene towards the end seemed unneeded and very impetuous given her nature throughout the rest of the narrative. 

Another problem I have is with the title.  While Heart of Veridon is wholly apt I don't find it is evocative of much.  If it had been given a title that spoke of the Steampunk and Noir aspect a bit better I think a larger audience would find the book on shelves, because it deserves a wide readership. Akers knows how a spin a tale with depth, complexity, and a bit of humor. There are are a lot of interesting aspects including the mysterious Church of the Algorithm and a mechanical Angel who means business along with aristocratic echelon intent on selfishness, which always means a good time.

This review came out a bit more negative than I anticipated because I did enjoy it immensely.  Heart of Veridon had me enrapt with the pulp style story and characters until the last page.  I give Heart of Veridon 7.5 out of 10 Hats.  There is a lot left to this world to explore and I hope Akers gets the chance to tell those tales.  He has already mentioned the follow-up was to be titled Death of Veridon, but since Solaris has been taken over he is unsure of the fate of the series. UPDATE: It has been confirmed the sequel now called The Dead of Veridon will be released in 2011.  Akers has signed on for a a new series with Pyr starting with  The Horns of Ruin, which is another Steampunk and Noir or Noird themed book in an urban setting slated for a late 2010 release.  I'll definitely be checking it out as I'd like to see how Akers grows.


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