Chaotic Cyborgs: Omega Point

Readers, at first I didn't know if I would write about this new novel from Guy Hayley that I read care of the nice boys and girls at Angry Robot.  I realized however that it made sense for me to as I always have a soft space in my heart for Cyborgs.  I find cyborgs an interesting expression of fear of technology as well as a blessing of the union of man and machine started by Leonardo Da Vinci.

In this book, our heroes private detectives in the future, one human and one AI are working the problem of how another AI v5 managed to overtake the gaming worlds in the inter web.  In cooperation with the AIs of Europe and the Uncle Sams of the US, these two are looking for the solution to stopping the breakdown at the Omega Point - a theory of enormous potential to recreate the ultimate moment of creation.

My first impression of the book after I was done is that Mr. Hayley is a worthy successor to William Gibson.  The world's internal logic is just right and the build between the forces assembled on either side and the corruption of humanity and machine invigorates the story deliciously.



Omega Point
By: Guy Haley
Released: Mar 27, 2012, Angry Robot Books
ISBN: 978-0857661494

Dangerous Demons: City of Light & Shadow

Another new book, children.  It's very exciting.  This one is an intriguing much more fantasy / sci-fi tip for me....Not so much the vampire, witch or demon....more sword and sandal really.

I will be frank that I did not read the first two books in this series - I KNOW! - I hate it too.

That being said though, I didn't find myself so upset that I was missing elements.  We meet Tom the ironic hero who is learning from his goddess how to save the City of a Hundred Rows.  In the meantime, the world is falling apart between the bone flu and the Rust Warriors, an offshoot of those who died of bone flu.  While the City erupts in chaos, Tom returns, reuniting with his friend from Under City Kat who is now the Death Queen of the warriors in the Pit.  Between their hard work and the machinations from above the two must overcome the Demon in the system and refresh the Core before all is too late.

I have to say that what appeals to me besides coming back home to fantasy / sci-fi is the well crafted world and the exquisite dance of politics that put me in mind of Dune.

Read it, children!
XX
RHW


City of Light and Shadow: City of a Hundred Rows, Book 3 (The City of a Hundred Rows)
By: Ian Whates
Published: Dec 27, 2011, Angry Robot
ISBN: 978-0857661906

Dangerous Demons: Dead Harvest

Soul Representation from Blog

I'll admit it dear readers, mine.  I have a crush on the boys and girls at Angry Robot Books.  Let's be frank; I like their style.  They like mine enough to add me to their ARC list which makes me all tingly.

One of the first books I will review based on that is a new book name Dead Harvest.

This series (The Collector) focuses on one of the damned who now makes a living chasing down souls and collecting them for Hell.  Not just anybody is fit for h-e-double hockey sticks but those who are get the pleasure of Sam's hand clutching their soul and ripping it from their body.

As he is assigned by his lieutenant, Lilith, he is to hunt down a girl named Kate who has apparently murdered her whole family and is a prime candidate for the Legion.

What follows is a chase down Manhattan streets fraught with drama despair and heart ache as Sam and Kate try to stave off an unbalancing of Above and Below kicking off the War to finish all.

What I enjoy about this book besides of course the interweaving of humanity and demons and angels, is the tight writing, referencing New York of the past and present.  Chris has deftly put us in the mind set of desperation of the damned mixed with a mystery of heavenly import.

I enjoyed how the characters were created especially, perhaps the demons that keep the story moving throttling to the conclusion.

A fun book and worth a read!
XX
RHW



Dead Harvest (The Collector)
By: Chris F. Holm
Published: February 28, 2012, Angry Robot Books
ISBN: 978-0857662187

Aliens - As I Lay Me Down to Sleep

So, I gotta take a second as I am getting ready for bed and thinking a lot about aliens.  Not so much the Ridley Scott aliens but rather the aliens that we keep hearing about in pop culture - UFOs, Area 51 and all of that.

I personally believe that UFOs do exist and aliens have probably landed on Earth in the last 10,000 years.  What I find interesting is the amount of page space / TV time that aliens are getting right now.  Is it because of 2012?  Have we as a culture engaged our apocalyptic paranoia and all this alien stuff is an off-shoot of that?

Not too sure.  I think there may be an uptick in that because of the impending "end of the world" but I also feel like its almost a marketing gimmick.  I mean, I watch Ancient Aliens on H2 and many others do too.  Its always a safe seller, much like vampires, witches and demons......

Another way to think on it is that UFO activity always is a part of our culture and it also adds a nice hint in troubled times that the universe is bigger than what we see in front of us every day.

On the back side of that however, is it a way to wash away the attention where it needs to go....or as our pal Octavius aka Caesar Augustus would say, pane et circus - a grand distraction away from the harsh realities of our everyday world.

What do you guys think?

RHW

Dangerous Demons: Deadtown

Dear Readers,

Back on the scene am I this fine Spring and interested in really more demons for the blog....

So....

Without further adieu, please let me present for your consideration the fabulous book, Deadtown by Nancy Holzner.

As you may have gathered reading my posts, I do so enjoy a strong female lead character.  Especially ones that kick ass.  So, perhaps it is not surprising to find me reading about the trials and tribulations of Victory "Vicky" Vaughn, professional demon slayer and member of the Cerddorion race.

That makes her a shape-shifter.  She's living in Boston, post the plague outbreak which changed humans into zombies.  While it was only a short stay with the virus PA (Paranormal Americans) are caught in the Deadtown, the center of downtown Boston.

While Vicky makes a living slaying people's demons (mostly in their heads but sometimes elsewhere) she is dating a high profile werewolf lawyer and lives with a vampire who was the inspiration for Romeo & Juliet.

Things start to get interesting when she starts having to deal with a Hellion on the loose, the same one who killed her father 10 years prior.  This starts a chain of events that leaves her fighting off the Hellion before he can find a way to influence the Massachusetts election and get the Paranormals caught up in a new slice of hell.

I really enjoyed the fast pace of the book and the characters who inhabit Vicky's world of Boston.  Vampires are there mostly for color but the werewolves and zombies are an interesting fit and the zombies really provide a unique view into what makes someone a monster.  Oh yes, kinda like the Anita Blake novels, but a very different take on the whole affair.

I also enjoy the idea of a flushed Welsh mythos in play interwoven into the story.  Go hang with Nancy's imaginary friends, they'll be yours too.

XX
RHW




Deadtown (A Deadtown Novel)
By: Nancy Holzner
Published: December 29, 2009, Ace Books
ISBN: 978-0441018130

Vicious Vampyres: Red-Haired Stepchild

Sadly, I read these three books at least 4 months ago but never got a chance to start furiously typing away on them.

Let's get 'er done.....

This series by our new author type friend (at least in my mind, dear readers) Jaye Wells.  She introduces us to some of her dark and twisted world where the vampires are fighting with the sorcerers.  The vampire council (the Dominae) are three ancient vampires - like the Fates people - that rule the affairs.

Sabrina Kane is the fix it man, er, wo-man, who is there to police the vampire community.  She is then sent undercover by the Dominae to infiltrate a cult in SF where a sexy demi-demon is trying to have the races of Lilith unite.  After a demon comes to kill her (yes, really) she finds herself talking to a mage who seems to know more than he's letting on about Sabrina's past, and potentially, her future.

I think the best part of this series is really the compelling interplay between the characters and the (pardon the pun) human issues they have trying to deal with each other.

What are you going to do when your life turns upside down and what's right is now wrong and what's wrong now seems like the way to be?

Join me at the blood table and find out.

XX
RHW







Red-Headed Stepchild (Sabina Kane)
By: Jaye Wells
Published: April 1, 2009, Orbit
ISBN: 978-0316037761

Dangerous Demons: The Outlaw Demon Wails

Care of ervine_880

I know, Ladies & Gentlemen ~

I'm sorry this is out of order but i did want y'all to start limbering up on Kim Harrison's the Hollows in time to start reading her next one, "A Perfect Blood (The Hollows, Book 10)"

So I wanted to catch you up to where we are in the story now.  In "The Outlaw..." our itchy-witchy Rachel is stuck between a rock and a demon.  She is having a problem as Al, the demon hunting her down was put in jail and because of her.  Rather than pine away, Al is on the loose and looking for blood.  Her blood.

In the midst of this affair, another demon Minias is looking for her and Newt the only female demon is sure that Rachel has something of hers, if only she can remember what.  The power struggle is intense for both control of the supernaturals in Cincinnati as well as the illegal drug trade, a demon artifact made for the weres, and a myriad of problems that somehow always involve Rachel with her two friends/ roommates, Ivy the vampire scion and Jenks the pixy, the co owners of their runner organization "Vampric Charms".

What I find thrilling on this book is the turn into the deeper part of Rachel's story - why do the demons care so much about her?  Why did Trent's father fix her as a child? Dear readers, Rachel is a great character and her story is what drives the plot forward for the next 4 books.

Get into it, readers!

RHW




The Outlaw Demon Wails (The Hollows, Book 6)
By: Kim Harrison
Published: Feb 26, 2008 (Harper Voyager)
ISBN: 978-0060788704