Edi's Book Lighthouse

Short Story Giveaway Winner 2012

2012-01-23T20:01:00.001+01:00

Dear Readers,

today is the day to draw and announce the winners of the Stephen Zimmer and Seventh Star Press giveaway.

THE PRICE

THREE SETS of EIGHT E-BOOKS

I reviewed five of the eight stories last week. So you got an impression what to expect.

Before we continue I want to thank you everyone who took part. Don't be sad in case you do not belong to the winners. Let me remind you that you can buy each story for unbelievable 99 cents (USD) [ or 89 cents (EUR)]. If you are interested in the follow this link: (where to buy)

Every valid mail got a number. Then I used the True Random Number Generator over at Random.Org for the drawing.

AND THE WINNERS ARE

Ria Bridges

RaveAir

Rosalie Skinner

Congratulations !! As soon as the post is online, I will forward your names to Stephen Zimmer who will take care the you receive your price.

Before I close this post let me say thank you to Stephen Zimmer and Seventh Star Press for the giveaway and a special thank you to for the interview. It was a pleasure to post a whole week about fascinating stories.

The year is still young. But I promise there will be more interviews and giveaways within 2012.

ENJOY READING

Edi's Weekend Wave #1203

2012-01-21T23:51:00.014+01:00

Hello and welcome to issue #1203 of Edi's Weekend Wave.

What a week! Five ediments (reviews) in a row. Today I feel a bit tired. The gray and rainy weather is not really helpful. Anyway I try to deliver something interesting for you.
Let's have a look .....

ENJOY READING

Edi's Guidepost

The Lighthouse
News and information straight from the horse's mouth by Lighthouse keeper ediFanoB

Reading progress
DON'T FORGET THE GIVEAWAY!
From Monday to Sunday next week

Books
The latest report from our shelf shop net correspondent Bona

E-book fever
Do you like Dwarfs?

Blogosphere
Messages from the depths of the blogosphere by spheronaut Bona Fide

The incredible 500! The "Choose Your Novel" Giveaway
The voice of an author
Weather

Movies
Remote control junkie Fide and his zapping highlights

Homage

Quotes
The member of the house of quotes and a quote himself the Keeper of the minutes ( we call him Kotm) fished for you

~~German proverbs, sayings and idioms~~ Something about language

The Lighthouse

Last week O wrote and posted five ediments (short reviews), visited a lot of blogs and left comments, worked on a secret project. The impact of my reading progress is immense. I read in sum 176 pages! Anyway it was enough to finish one book.

I finished

- The Burning Sky (ecopy, 2011) [Kindle ASIN: B004MDLL9K] by Joseph Robert Lewis
I liked the steampunk novel a lot and work on my review

I'm

- 450 pages in The Wise Man's Fear (994 pages, trade paperback, UK 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0575081420] by Patrick Rothfuss
NO PROGRESS

- 124 pages in Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon (November 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1616145354] by Mark Hodder
NO PROGRESS

- 101 pages in Hearts of Smoke and Steam (327 p., November 2011)[ISBN-13: 978-1616143756] by Andrew P. Mayer
A lot of action ...

- 259 pages in Songs of the Dying Earth (2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0765320865] edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.
NO PROGRESS

- 111 pages in Hawk Quest (2012, print and digital) by Robert Lyndon
NO PROGRESS

This result is sad for me. But that will change soon. Conclusion: When I post the whole week there is nearly no time left for reading. So I will post less except times when I will do something special.

REMINDER! REMINDER! REMINDER!

The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM CET January 22, 2012.

For details visit

Stephen Zimmer visit the Lighthouse: Interview and Giveaway

As I mentioned recently I will be on a business trip to Rome from Wednesday to Sunday next week.
On Monday I will announce the winner of the giveaway. Beside that I would like to inform you, that there will be NO Weekend Wave on next Saturday. I will post something different instead. In case I find time till Tuesday I will prepare one more post.

Enjoy your weekend ....

Books

Dear readers, I'm the one to tell you about books - only books? What about novellas and other stuff? My name is Bona. I scour shelves, shops and the net for books. If you call me a book whore I would not gainsay you. But be aware I have my own, sometimes elusive taste.

E-book fever is contagious! It seems I'm infected. I try my best to be cured but copies of three books found their way to our Reader. They are related to two series.

Recently I finished Gabriel's Redemption by Steve Umstead (available in paperback [ISBN-13: 978-0765329561] and also for all major e-reader platforms). The first book of the Evan Gabriel Trilogy trilogy has been published in July 2011. I want to know how the story continues. So I needed copies of book two and three. But instead of buying two books I bought one. The whole trilogy is now available in one book

Gabriel's Journey by Steve Umstead

Available for all major e-reader platforms.
Please visit Steve Umstead's site for details.

As I wrote above I finished The Burning Sky (ecopy, 2011) [Kindle ASIN: B004MDLL9K] by Joseph Robert Lewis today. For me it was quite clear, that I wanted to read the remaining book of the trilogy. The second one is The Broken Sword (ecopy, 2011) [Kindle ASIN: B004Z81SCC]

"For fans of swashbuckling adventures such as The Princess Bride and The Three Musketeers:
When they tried to conquer the New World, the Espani lost everything: soldiers, ships, wealth, and even their faith. But Don Lorenzo Quesada believes an ancient holy relic will restore his country to prosperity and honor, unless the military finds it first. Accompanied by his best fencing students, his Incan wife, and her sabre-toothed cat, Lorenzo races across his wintry homeland through a gauntlet of blood-thirsty assassins, undead demons, and giant beasts to recover the sacred skyfire stone.
But when the stone is stolen and a massive Espani warship sets sail for Marrakesh, Lorenzo must stop a war that could destroy all the nations of the Middle Sea, even if it costs him both the holy stone and his life." [Source]

The third book is The Bound Soul (ecopy, 2011) [Kindle ASIN: B005IGHZGS]

"A murder in a hotel lobby. A high-speed chase across the entire length of the continent. And a manhunt through the ancient and deadly streets of Alexandria.

Qhora Yupanqui has always feared being alone, and now she is. Exiled from her Incan homeland, deprived of her dashing husband, and separated from her beloved beasts, she must gather her own allies to find a killer and free the souls of hundreds of murdered men and women.

With the help of Taziri Ohana's amazing inventions, Mirari Velasquez's unshakable loyalty, and Salvator Fabris's deadly blade, Qhora unravels the mystery of the soul-stealing metal aetherium and the ancient cult of priests and assassins who not only want to rule the world, but overthrow Death itself." [Source]

Steampunk, swashbuckling adventure and action adventure in one trilogy sound great and looks fascinating.

Author D.W. Hawkins sent me an electronic copy of The Sentient Fire (e-book, 2011) [where to buy] which is Book One Of The Seven Signs.

"In one short night, Dormael Harlun’s life was changed forever.
Tired and half drunk, Dormael stumbled upon Shawna Llewan, a beautiful young woman, wounded and near death. What he didn’t realize was that his decision to come to her aid would be only the beginning of his unwitting role in a labyrinthine and perilous game.
Suddenly, Dormael and Shawna find themselves surrounded by enemies bent on their destruction. All avenues to safety are closing rapidly, and their only hope is to find the key to a dangerous secret lost to antiquity. With every ally a potential foe, they can rely only on Dormael’s brother Allen and his cousin D’Jenn to escape the will of a tyrant, the designs of a traitor, and the attention of powers beyond their imagining. Dormael has never been much for games, but destiny has rolled the dice for him and irrevocably placed him in the middle of a deadly game he must desperately play for keeps. Should he lose, he will forfeit not only his own life, but the lives of the ones he loves." [Source]

Do you like dwarves? Then following press release should be of interest for you.

Cover Art Revealed and Special Print-eBook Bundle Announced for Reissue of First Two Titles in The Brotherhood of Dwarves Series

Seventh Star Press proudly announces the reissues of the first two books in The Brotherhood of Dwarves series, The Brotherhood of Dwarves, and Red Sky at Dawn.

To commemmorate the Seventh Star Press editions of these two titles, the publisher is offering special bundles that combine both the print and eBook versions of the books. Readers can get the first two books in this fashion, or a bundle of all three books in the series including the recently-released third title, The Fall of Dorkhun.

The Brotherhood of Dwarves and Red Sky at Dawn feature covers and illustrations from fantasy artist Bonnie Wasson. The latest artist to work with Seventh Star Press, Bonnie created and designed a new look for the first two titles that is consistent with the brand new third release.

The first two books were originally self-published by D.A. Adams and edited by Sherrie Shuler. They became strong sellers on the convention circuit and received a wave of positive reviews. The reissues were planned when D.A. came aboard Seventh Star Press for the release of his latest installment, The Fall of Dorkhun.

( interior illustrations by Bonnie Wasson for The Brotherhood of Dwarves and Red Sky at Dawn)

Living and working in East Tennessee, D. A. Adams is an established novelist, a farmer, and professor of English. He has contributed writing to literary and fine art publications, and maintains an active blog, entitled "The Ramblings of D. A. Adams".

Softcover and eBook formats will be available by mid-February, with a collectors' hardcover limited editions planned for mid-summer of 2012.

(all three covers side by side)

Those wanting to pre-order one of the special softcover-eBook bundles should visit: http://www.seventhstarpress.com/documents/books.html

Updates and additional information can be obtained at the official site for Seventh Star Press, at www.seventhstarpress.com , or at the author's site at www.brotherhoodofdwarves.com

I found an extraordinary giveaway. I don't want to repeat the details. Please go and read

500! The "Choose Your Novel" Giveaway!

I hope you took part and if not I really would like to know the reason why.

In December 2011 I reviewed King's Envoy (pb, July 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1936850136] by Cas Peace. Now the author did something new. She recorded her reading of the first chapter of King's Envoy. I think itis for everyone a surprise to listen to the own voice for the first time.
Regarding that this was no professional recording, I must say it sounds promising. Built up your mind:

WEATHER

"The state of the atmosphere with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc. Weather refers to these conditions at a given point in time (e.g., today's high temperature), whereas Climate refers to the "average" weather conditions for an area over a long period of time (e.g., the average high temperature for today's date)." [Source]

We talk about it every day. We watch the weather report. We are longing for weather forecasts.
Weather has definitely an influence on our life. And when we look back in time we will easily detect its importance especially during wars and battles. Let me give you just two examples: Normandy Landings 1944 and Battle of Waterloo 1815. But if you would like to know the weather on a certain day in the past it is getting difficult to get proper data.
That leads to the question why do we need that information. In fantasy and science fiction it is up to the author to think about it. He or she decide if weather is important or not.
It is getting difficult when we look at historical fiction. Imagine you want to write a book set in London, first week of September 1666 . If you would write that there have been heavy showers the whole week, you would change history because you would drown the Great Fire! In reality the weather report looked as followed: Sunday 2nd September 1666 Weather Report - hot, dry and windy [Source]. I think that shows the importance of weather in historical fiction. I'm no author. But I'm sure and author can give you far better explanation about the importance of weather in historical fiction. If your are interested in I highly recommend to read

'Whether Weather Matters' by A. L. Berridge

over at The History Girls

Movies

Hey, it's me Fide. I'm a remote control professional. I'm that fast that I can watch two movies at the same time.
But don't worry. All the stuff I present to you will be shown at normal speed.

Honestly I did not find a trailer I would like to share with you. Instead I found something special. With the following two videos I pay homage to two guys which let me still laugh out loud.
I like them a lot.

That's all for today. See you next time....

Quotes

I 'm the Keeper of the minutes. But I don't mind when you call me Kotm. No, no. I don't explain to you how to pronounce.

I still try to improve my English. But what will happen when I reach a certain level?

"Even if you do learn to speak correct English, whom are you going to speak it to?”
Clarence Darrow, US defense lawyer (1857 - 1938)

Ediment: Lion Heart by Stephen Zimmer

2012-01-20T06:01:00.005+01:00

Dear Readers,

this is the fifth and final post related to the
Stephen Zimmer visit the Lighthouse: Interview and Giveaway
post from last Sunday. For details read the post.
The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM CET January 22, 2012.

THE PRICE

THREE SETS of EIGHT E-BOOKS

Each virtual set contains following stories

Goodnight by Michael West
More information

For the River Is Wide And The Gods Are Hungry by Michael West
More information

Temples Rising by Stephen Zimmer (Rising Dawn Saga)

More information

Lion Heart by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
More today

Insurmountable by Stephen L. Shrewsbury (Legends of La Gaul)
Ediment (Review)

Land of Shadow by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
Ediment (Review)

Author and Finisher of Our Flesh by Stephen L. Shrewsbury (Legends of La Gaul)
Ediment (Review)

Into Glory Ride by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
Ediment (Review)

EDIMENT

Lion Heart by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Series)
[ebook, where to buy]

I bought the copy I read for this post.

Everything comes to an end. Today I review the third and latest short story in Chronicles of Ave Collection. You can read these stories in any order which I did. But it was up to me to decide in which order I wanted to post my reviews. And yes, there is a sorting order:

Save the best for the last

And that is what I did with my ediment (review) of Lion Heart by Stephen Zimmer.
With the you can visit the lands of the Amazu for the very first time. Meet the young warrior Sigananda. He is a man who hates senseless killing and who respects nature. Be the eye witness of the birth of a legend. Travel with him through a part of Ave which reminds of Africa with tribes, magic and wild and dangerous animals. A fascinating journey and adventure is waiting for you.
Lion Heart is Stephen Zimmer at his best. This story demonstrate his brilliance to create a whole world (in this case a region of a world) within a few pages. Everything is there: Human beings, animals, plants, landscape, a society with rules and rites, powerful wizards and, and, and, ...
But there is more. There is a story including, rumors, war, prevision, revelation, action, mystique, magic and nature.
After I finished the story I had the impression I read a full novel. It seems magic Stephen has the ability to manipulate words in a way that every word express a full sentence. Unbelievable!

I'm sorry. No thumps up for Lion Heart. Why? I need my hands for my E-Reader. I must read Lion Heart again instantly!!

Normally I do not talk about book prices. But this time I make an exception:

You can buy this story for unbelievable 99 cents (USD) [ or 89 cents (EUR)]

Now it is up to you to decide if you buy the story (where to buy) or you take part in the giveaway.

ENJOY READING

Ediment: Insurmountable by Steven L Shrewsbury

2012-01-19T06:01:00.005+01:00

Dear Readers,

this is the fourth post related to the
Stephen Zimmer visit the Lighthouse: Interview and Giveaway
post from last Sunday. For details read the post.
The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM CET January 22, 2012.

THE PRICE

THREE SETS of EIGHT E-BOOKS

Each virtual set contains following stories

Goodnight by Michael West
More information

For the River Is Wide And The Gods Are Hungry by Michael West
More information

Temples Rising by Stephen Zimmer (Rising Dawn Saga)

More information

Lion Heart by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
More information on January 20th

Insurmountable by Stephen L. Shrewsbury (Legends of La Gaul)
More information today

Land of Shadow by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
Ediment (Review)

Author and Finisher of Our Flesh by Stephen L. Shrewsbury (Legends of La Gaul)
Ediment (Review)

Into Glory Ride by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
Ediment (Review)

EDIMENT

Insurmountable by Steven L. Shrewsbury
(Blood & Steel: Legends of La Gaul Collection)
[ebook, where to buy]

Who is Gorias La Gaul? I answered this question on Tuesday, January 17.

Today I will talk about the second short story by Steven L. Shrewsbury. Insurmountable is different in some ways and similar in some ways to Author and Finisher of Our Flesh. It is definitely as violent as the first one. This time Gorias La Gaul is not "called" for. Not in the way we are used to be. He gets a more inner call. You may understand that his father plays a role. The relationship to his father give the reader a view into the soul of Gorias La Gaul. This shows that Gorias is more than just a soldier.

One of the highlights of the story is definitely the excellent described Gorias' fight against Kangmi. Five pages full of incredible action which is nearly have of the story. A fight at the edge of death.
Even it is a real short story it is no reading fast food. Of course you can gulp down Insurmountable within a few minutes with the result that you will ask yourself why you could not taste anything. This is slow food. You will taste the delicacy of the action while reading in slow motion. That sounds like a contradiction. But there is none. Just try ...

Normally I do not talk about book prices. But this time I make an exception:

You can buy this story for unbelievable 99 cents (USD) [ or 89 cents (EUR)]

Now it is up to you to decide if you buy the story (where to buy) or you take part in the giveaway.

ENJOY READING

Ediment: Land of Shadow by Stephen Zimmer

2012-01-18T06:01:00.006+01:00

Dear Readers,

this is the third post related to the
Stephen Zimmer visit the Lighthouse: Interview and Giveaway
post from last Sunday. For details read the post.
The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM CET January 22, 2012.

THE PRICE

THREE SETS of EIGHT E-BOOKS

Each virtual set contains following stories

Goodnight by Michael West
More information

For the River Is Wide And The Gods Are Hungry by Michael West
More information

Temples Rising by Stephen Zimmer (Rising Dawn Saga)

More information

Lion Heart by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
More information on January 20th

Insurmountable by Stephen L. Shrewsbury (Legends of La Gaul)
More information on January 19th

Land of Shadow by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
More information today

Author and Finisher of Our Flesh by Stephen L. Shrewsbury (Legends of La Gaul)
Ediment (Review)

Into Glory Ride by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
Ediment (Review)

EDIMENT

Land of Shadow by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Series)
[ebook, where to buy]

I bought the copy I read for this post.

Today I'm back with the second short story in the Chronicles of Ave Series by Stephen Zimmer.
On Monday I delivered information about the world of AVE. I can assure you that even I as a big fan of the series do not know everything about AVE. Like you I depend on the revelations by author Stephen Zimmer.
Anyway today's story Land of Shadow will satisfy new readers as much as the readers of the Fires in Eden Series. There is always a danger to give away to much of a story especially when it is a short story.
Recombine the letters of the story title and you now which part of AVE we visit today. Welcome to the Shadowlands, a dangerous place. Goose flesh promised in form of animals with more than seven legs and as big as .... no, no, you have to read the story on your own. It is the place where Gunther (one of my favorite characters in the Fires in Eden Series.) found the Jaghuns but that is a nother story. With Land of Shadow Stephen Zimmer reveals two new races. New means new to everyone except Stephen Zimmer. Fortunately you do not have to discover the Shadowlands on your own. A band of Avanoran mercenaries is doing that for you. Anyway you should keep some distance to your Reader in order to avoid blood and gore and sweat. Now I have your interest. But isn't it that what you expect from mercenaries?
Shall I tell you more? Yes? NO!
Maybe I can tell you that much: Into Glory Ride was a great start of the Chronicles of Ave Series.
with Land of Shadow Stephen Zimmer continues the series on a high level. I like Land of Shadow a little bit more than Into Glory Ride.
On Friday I will tell which of the three stories in the Chronicles of Ave Series I like most.

And now hurry up: Goose flesh and revelations and blood and gore and sweat are waiting for you!

Normally I do not talk about book prices. But this time I make an exception:

You can buy this story for unbelievable 99 cents (USD) [ or 89 cents (EUR)]

Now it is up to you to decide if you buy the story (where to buy) or you take part in the giveaway.

ENJOY READING

Ediment: Author and Finisher of Our Flesh by Steven L Shrewsbury

2012-01-17T06:01:00.006+01:00

Dear Readers,

this is the second post related to the
Stephen Zimmer visit the Lighthouse: Interview and Giveaway
post from last Sunday. For details read the post. The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM CET January 22th, 2012.

THE PRICE

THREE SETS of EIGHT E-BOOKS

Each virtual set contains following stories

Goodnight by Michael West
More information

For the River Is Wide And The Gods Are Hungry by Michael West
More information

Temples Rising by Stephen Zimmer (Rising Dawn Saga)

More information

Lion Heart by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
More information on January 20th

Insurmountable by Stephen L. Shrewsbury (Legends of La Gaul)
More information on January 19th

Land of Shadow by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
More information on January 18th

Author and Finisher of Our Flesh by Stephen L. Shrewsbury (Legends of La Gaul)
More information today

Into Glory Ride by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
Ediment (Review)

EDIMENT

Author and Finisher of Our Flesh by Steven L. Shrewsbury
(Blood & Steel: Legends of La Gaul Collection)
[ebook, where to buy]

I bought the copy I read for this post.

Who is Gorias La Gaul? The answer depends on whether you read Thrall (pb, 2010) [ISBN-13: 978-09780983108634] by Steven Shrewsbury (my review) or not.

This is the answer from artist Matthew Perry:

That is not helpful either for new readers. I think it would be best to ask the author himself.

Mr. Shrewsbury, who is Gorias La Gaul?

Mr. Shrewsbury: "Hi Edi, of ourse I will do that. Gorias La Gaul is an aging warrior who has lived for centuries battling the monstrosities of legend and lore."

Thank you Mr. Shrewsbury.

Now you - new or experienced - know enough to enjoy the first Gorias La Gaul short story.

Let me try a different and unusual approach. Do you know these hard-boiled detective novels like The Maltese Falcon? The star of the book is private detective Sam Spade. Like him Gorias La Gaul is a genuine character. Stone old, headstrong, full of emotions which often erupt in acts of violence - that is Gorias La Gaul.
In detective stories the lone wolf is called to solve problems. In Author and Finisher of Our Flesh
it is Gorias La Gaul whom you "call" in case of problems. And that is the only option left for general Thynnes when the contact to a colony fail and vessel do not return. Author and Finisher of Our Flesh is a story divided into two parts. It begins with the "call" of Gorias La Gaul. How do you interest a several hundred years old warrior to solve your problems? A wrong step a false word will cost your life. Within a few pages you get the impression of partly broken but still restless warrior showing an unexpected band with of emotions. The second part culminates in an awesome fight including blood and gore.
If you have problems with explicit violence then I recommend to stay away from stories and books starring Gorias La Gaul.
Everyone else get a tough story from Gorias La Gaul's life which delivers enough insight for new readers and Thrall readers get a new tough Gorias La Gaul story.

Normally I do not talk about book prices. But this time I make an exception:

You can buy this story for unbelievable 99 cents (USD) [ or 89 cents (EUR)]

Now it is up to you to decide if you buy the story (where to buy) or you take part in the giveaway.

ENJOY READING

Ediment: Into Glory Ride by Stephen Zimmer

2012-01-16T06:01:00.006+01:00

Dear Readers,

this is the first post related to the
Stephen Zimmer visit the Lighthouse: Interview and Giveaway
post from last Sunday. For details read the post. The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM CET January 22th, 2012.

THE PRICE

THREE SETS of EIGHT E-BOOKS

Each virtual set contains following stories

Goodnight by Michael West
More information

For the River Is Wide And The Gods Are Hungry by Michael West
More information

Temples Rising by Stephen Zimmer (Rising Dawn Saga)

More information

Lion Heart by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
More information on January 20th

Insurmountable by Stephen L. Shrewsbury (Legends of La Gaul)
More information on January 19th

Land of Shadow by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
More information on January 18th

Author and Finisher of Our Flesh by Stephen L. Shrewsbury (Legends of La Gaul)
More information on January 17th

Into Glory Ride by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Collection)
More information today

With the begin of 2012 I decided to introduce a new format - I named it ediment - for books where I do not find the time to write a full review and for short stories.
And today I present you my first ediment.

EDIMENT

Into Glory Ride by Stephen Zimmer (Chronicles of Ave Series)
[ebook, where to buy]

I bought the copy I read for this post.

Let's have a short look at the background of the story. There is a world called AVE. This world is at the same time the setting for the Chronicles of Ave Collection and for the Fires in Eden Series
which consist so far of Crown of Vengeance (2009) [ISBN-13: 978-0983108627] - my review - and Dream of Legends (2010) [ISBN-13: 978-0983108627] - my review.

"I wanted a way for readers of my series to explore more of my worlds in a way that was also accessible to new readers." Stephen Zimmer

I'm a big fan of the Fires in Eden Series and I was totally curious for these new series. And as fan you have of course expectations ...

Into Glory Ride is a story about the Trogen race, well known to all readers of Fires in Eden Series. It is the story of the young warrior Marragesh, who has been a hero of his race and it is a story from the past of the Trogen history. Within the story Stephen Zimmer delivers a complete new point of view of the Trogen race for all Fires in Eden readers! It was unexpected for me and a valuable information too. Every reader of the Fires in Eden Series will understand what I mean as soon as you read the story. But there is more: The Sea Wolf Clan, the Elves and their relationship to the Trogen, ...
That sounds like a very "dry" historical read! Maybe if the story has been written by someone else. But this is a Stephen Zimmer story. That means you get interesting characters AND a lot of action (would it be a spoiler when I mention following two words AERIAL BATTLE) AND information AND landscape description AND emotions! Into Glory Ride reads like a Fires in Eden chapter but is a full stand-alone story. As I expected the story is executed on the high Fires in Eden level.

That sounds like I butter Stephen Zimmer up. On the contrary! Stephen Zimmer will confirm that beyond all friendship I deliver(ed) honest reviews of his books.

From my point of view Stephen Zimmer delivered everything he promised. Into Glory Ride is a great read but I can tell you, even the story is a hit, there is one (two more reviews to come), which I like a little bit more.

From me Into Glory Ride gets a double thumps up! A must read for every Fires in Eden reader and a great opportunity for every newcomer.

Normally I do not talk about book prices. But this time I make an exception:

You can buy this story for unbelievable 99 cents (USD) [ or 89 cents (EUR)]

Now it is up to you to decide if you buy the story (where to buy) or you take part in the giveaway.

ENJOY READING

Stephen Zimmer visit the Lighthouse: Interview and Giveaway

2012-01-15T01:45:00.003+01:00

Dear Readers,

the following post is something special for me due to following reasons:

- It contains my first interview ever, even it is a mini interview. There is always a first time. And I interviewed the author whom I promised that whenever I will start with interviews on the blog, he would be the first one to be interviewed.

- It is the first time that I host a giveaway.

- This post will be followed by five related posts on the next five consecutive days!

I'm so glad the indefatigable Seventh Star Press author Stephen Zimmer agreed to be my first "victim".

Hello Stephen would you be so kind as to introduce yourself?

Hi Michael! So great to be on Edi's Lighthouse for an interview! Thanks for having me aboard. I am an author, and also a filmmaker, with two active novel series, a number of short stories, a feature film and some short films. Writing-wise, I have the epic fantasy Fires in Eden series, and the epic-scale urban fantasy series The Rising Dawn Saga. I also write the Harvey and Solomon steampunk stories. I have new short stories coming out with the Seventh Star Singles line, in epic fantasy, urban fantasy, and soon, horror. 2012 should see a couple of other tales published within some quality anthologies. Film-wise, I wrote and directed the supernatural thriller Shadows Light, an indie feature, as well as the horror short film The Sirens. My latest project as a director was last year's Swordbearer, a medieval fantasy short film based upon the H. David Blalock novel Ascendant.

Can you tell my readers a bit about the series you are writing?

The Fires in Eden series is epic fantasy. It contains few modern day characters that get introduced in book one, Crown of Vengeance, who get taken back into the world of Ave. I feel this series has a nice balance between iconic fantasy elements, as it has some things like a race of Wizards and dragons, and inventive elements, such as the underground-dwelling Unguhur, the Skiantha sky steeds that many cultures of Ave ride, and the hardy Trogens, a robust, warrior race of beings whose facial appearances are fairly reminiscent of pit bulls! It is a very immersive series, for those who like layers and depth to their fantasy worlds and stories. The Rising Dawn Saga is urban fantasy, but on a true epic scale. It leans more heavily on the supernatural and paranormal than my other series does, and also blends in elements of military thrillers, science fiction, and even horror. It follows several individuals drawn into conflict by a group of power elites bringing the world under one system, through an ages-old effort called The Convergence. The Rising Dawn Saga has a decidedly dystopian flavor, as well as an apocalyptic tone. Both series are structured in character threads, with ensemble casts.

Steven and you wrote short stories. Tell us about the concept and the reasons?

I have a ton of material that I created as background for my two series. I have always wanted an outlet in which I could have some fun with parts of this background material, elements that won't make it into the novels, or are briefly mentioned in one of the books.

I wanted to give my readers some more content as well, for those that want to explore the worlds of Ave, or the world in the Rising Dawn Saga more extensively. The notion of doing some short stories as eBooks was attractive as it was something that I knew could be done, as doing short stories in print would be too costly.

Once I saw the potential of doing eBook short stories, I conceived of a pair of collections tied to each of my novel series. They would be the kinds of short stories can stand on their own, but at the same time offer much more content to fans of the series, and hopefully help tide readers over in between the novel releases.

As the other SSP authors have series of their own, I thought this concept be of interest to at least a few of them. After I presented the idea to the others, I found there was a lot of interest, and the SSP camp decided to move forward with the Seventh Star singles line.

I think readers will of either myself, Steven Shrewsbury, Michael West, or any of the other SSP authors who participate will really enjoy and appreciate these short story collections.

How do these short stories fit into the series?

They are stand alone stories, so the reader does not have to be familiar with the novels. But they are set within our respective worlds. With Steven, his stories are tales involving Gorias, the Sword and Sorcery character introduced in the novel Thrall. With Michael West, the stories are set in Harmony, an Indiana town that serves as the setting for other tales and books of his such as The Wide Game and Cinema of Shadows. With mine, the Chronicles of Ave are set, you guessed it, in Ave, the world that my Fires in Eden series takes place in. The Annals of the Rising Dawn, similarly, are set in the world where the Rising Dawn Saga takes place. As such, the stories are connected to our various worlds, places, or characters.

With respect to mine, they will sometimes portray an event, person/character, or place mentioned in the novels, and might even give some hints about things to come in the novels! Sometimes they will introduce some places that may not even make it into the novel series at all. No matter what, though, they will offer some fresh exploration of the worlds of the series.

How do you find time to write these stories and does that not hinder you to write the books?

As an epic fantasy writer, I do tend to get some good word counts during my main writing sessions, and with short stories, if I have a good grasp of the story I want to tell, I can get a rough first draft done in a couple days.

Some days I have more than one extended writing session, and sometimes I will use my second writing session of the day to do some work on the short stories. Writing the short stories does not hinder me at all. If anything, writing them helps me with the novels, as they keep my mind within the worlds of the series. The short stories make me think even more extensively about the worlds of the novels, and I can already see that this helps with the process of creating the larger works.

The short stories are also a nice outlet when I am in a phase where I am just polishing and doing tweaks on a novel manuscript, giving me a chance to be fully creative while honing a manuscript for an editor. So, ultimately, I strongly feel that doing the short stories actually helps, not hinders, the books.

Again, thank you for having me on Edi's Lighthouse! May your lighthouse guide readers through the current storms of the publishing world!

Thank you Stephen for taking time to answer my questions

Now you know a lot more about Seventh Star Press, Stephen Zimmer and the growing new single short story collection. By the way you can buy these stories right now on THE PUBLISHER'S SINGLES SITE.

GIVEAWAY TIME

Stephen did not visit me with bare hands. On the contrary!
I proudly present my first hosted giveaway on this blog.
Stephen and Seventh Star Press have been so kind to give away copies of the so far eight stories from three different authors in digital format.

THE PRICE

THREE SETS of EIGHT E-BOOKS
Each virtual set contains following stories

Goodnight by Michael West

In this Tales from Harmony short story, a frightened child, in a rural Indiana farmhouse, attempts to fool the Angel of Death.

For the River Is Wide And The Gods Are Hungry by Michael West
In this Tales from Harmony short story, it should be the best time of Becky’s life. Her studies at Stanley University are going well, and her boyfriend, Mark, has just asked her to marry him. But when she returns to her childhood home, Becky finds she must deal once more with the events of one horribly hot summer day, a deadly past that now threatens to steal all her future happiness.

Author and Finisher of Our Flesh by Stephen L. Shrewsbury (Legends of La Gaul)
More information on January 17th

Insurmountable by Stephen L. Shrewsbury (Legends of La Gaul)
More information on January 19th

Temples Rising by Stephen Zimmer (Rising Dawn Saga)

In this short story from the Annals of the Rising Dawn collection, the reader ventures back into an ancient world when demonic entities and humans have bred a race of monstrous creatures. In league with Fallen Avatars that have taken on flesh and blood, the Raven Queen is preeminent among the human rulers involved with the building of a great temple site in Albion.

Into Glory Ride by Stephen Zimmer (Fires in Eden Series)
More information on January 16th

Land of Shadow by Stephen Zimmer (Fires in Eden Series)
More information on January 18th

Lion Heart by Stephen Zimmer (Fires in Eden Series)
More information on January 20th

THE RULES
1. This Giveaway is open worldwide.

2. In order to take part just send a mail including your name and your format of choice (Kindle, Nook or ePub (for Sony e-readers, iPad, iPhone etc.)) to Edi's Book Lighthouse.

UPDATE!
You do not need to own a Kindle or an other E-Book Reader.
If you use the Firefox browser then you can read books in EPUB format with the EPUBReader add-on.
It is also possible to read Amazon e-Books on PC, MAC, IPHONE and IPAD.
Link for MAC user Link for PC user Link for IPHONE user Link for IPAD user

3. Giveaway starts with release of this post and will end at 11:59 PM CET January 22th, 2012.

4. Every valid mail gets a number. The True Random Number Generator over at Random.Org will be used for the drawing on January 23rd 2012.

5. On January 23rd 2012, I will post the winner and inform Stephen Zimmer.

6. Good luck to all who enter the contest!

Edi's Weekend Wave #1202

2012-01-14T23:21:00.003+01:00

Hello and welcome to issue #1202 of Edi's Weekend Wave.

I like to get up early in the morning but I don't like it when it is still dark outside. Do you know the feeling when you get up full of energy, making plans for the day and when you come home from work you fall asleep on the sofa? That nearly describe most of my last week. To my surprise I found time to write a review. Even I think I dreamed most of it. But when I opened my blog today I saw the review. Maybe I got some support from edifanossa ...
Don't forget to come back on Sunday, January 15th 2012.

ENJOY READING

Edi's Guidepost

The Lighthouse
News and information straight from the horse's mouth by Lighthouse keeper ediFanoB

Reading list and reading progress

Books
The latest report from our shelf shop net correspondent Bona

An unexpected review copy
An accepted e-copy for review

Blogosphere
Messages from the depths of the blogosphere by spheronaut Bona Fide

Tor.com 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards
Books unread, interviews ahead
Things you can't do with an e-book
Colors and Spirals
Skyrim Diseases

Movies
Remote control junkie Fide and his zapping highlights

History on Youtube: Crimean War

Quotes
The member of the house of quotes and a quote himself the Keeper of the minutes ( we call him Kotm) fished for you

~~German proverbs, sayings and idioms~~ Another true word

The Lighthouse

It seems last week I used the time between 24:00 and 00:00 to read in sum 504 pages. I still in the search of a reading rhythm.

I'm

- 450 pages in The Wise Man's Fear (994 pages, trade paperback, UK 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0575081420] by Patrick Rothfuss
A progress of50 pagesis not that bad. From Monday to Friday I read every morning 10 pages before I went to work.

- 124 pages in Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon (November 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1616145354] by Mark Hodder
Time plays a role ... an excellent read

- 101 pages in Hearts of Smoke and Steam (327 p., November 2011)[ISBN-13: 978-1616143756] by Andrew P. Mayer
A lot of action ...

- 330 pages in The Burning Sky (ecopy, 2011) [Kindle ASIN: B004MDLL9K] by Joseph Robert Lewis
I expect to finish the book next week. good stuff.

- 259 pages in Songs of the Dying Earth (2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0765320865] edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.
I read following stories
- Inescapable by Mike Resnick
- Abrizonde by Walter Jon Williams
- The Traditions of Karzh by Paula Volsky
- The Final Quest Of The Wizard Sarnod by Jeff Vandermeer
- The Green Bird by Kage Baker

After my disappointment with the first four stories. I can tell you I liked the five stories I read last week a lot. My top story so far is The Traditions of Karzh by Paula Volsky followed by The Green Bird by Kage Baker and Abrizonde by Walter Jon Williams. 13 stories left ...

- 215 pages in The Burning Sky (ecopy, 2011) [Kindle ASIN: B004MDLL9K] by Joseph Robert Lewis
This another great steampunk novel. It is great to see how many good books are available which are not published by a publisher.

- 111 pages in Hawk Quest (2012, print and digital) by Robert Lyndon
I could not stay away. What a great read!

Finally I made the decision that I will take our SONY Reader with me on my business trip to Rome,Italy (25th -29th January 2012). I have a lot of interesting books stored on the reader. Amongst others
- Giant Thief (UK, January 31st 2012) [ISBN-13: 978-0857662118] by David Tallerman
- Empire State (448p., pb, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0857661937] by Adam Christopher.

Attention! Attention!
There will be something special on this blog
from Sunday, January 15th to Friday, January 20th.

Enjoy your weekend ....

Books

Dear readers, I'm the one to tell you about books - only books? What about novellas and other stuff? My name is Bona. I scour shelves, shops and the net for books. If you call me a book whore I would not gainsay you. But be aware I have my own, sometimes elusive taste.

To my surprise Tor/Forge.com (a big thank you goes over the pond) sent me a review copy of Tribulations (mmpb, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0765365583] by Ken Schufeldt

"An asteroid storm has obliterated the Earth. Billy and Linda West have built enough space-going arks to save a small number of people who now roam the void in search of a new home.
Desperate to find a safe haven, Billy makes a dangerous attempt to exceed the speed of light. When his plans go terribly wrong, the Wests’ severely-damaged ship is separated from the fleet and left drifting near a mysterious planet.
This world’s conditions are hospitable—but its inhabitants are not. Suddenly the Wests and their fellow survivors are caught in the middle of an ancient war between two brutal nations. Faced with horrific dangers, they are forced to choose a side just to survive." [Source]

The blurb did not swept me off my feet. Then I found three one star reviews on Amazon.com. I read them.
Did anyone of you read Tribulations by Ken Schufeldt and can give me a thumps up/down?
At the moment I do not want to read the book.

London 1666. You know what happened? Yes, it was the year of the Great Fire. On Friday I received a review request.

London 1666 was for me like resistance is futile!

After a few mails to and fro I could download a digital copy of The Last Seal (2011) by Richard Denning.

"September 1666: a struggle between two secret societies threatens to destroy London. Three hundred years previously the Praesidum defeated and incarcerated a demon beneath the city. Now the Liberati aim to release it and gain its power for themselves.
Meanwhile agents of the King are seeking four suspected foreign spies who are, in reality, disparate and unlikely heroes: GABRIEL, the sole remaining member of the Praesidum, crippled by his fear of failure; FREYA, a young thief orphaned by the Great Plague, driven by poverty and self-interest; TOBIAS, a cynical physician, obsessed by his desire for vengeance against the Liberati cavalier who killed his father, and finally and most vitally, BEN, a Westminster schoolboy, whose guilt over his parents’ death threatens to destroy him.
Thrown together by chance when Ben finds an ancient scroll revealing the location of arcane seals that bind the demon beneath London, the story launches into a battle between the Liberati and Praesidium, a battle which takes place within the Great Fire of London. These four must overcome their personal problems and work together if they are to foil the plans of the Liberati, protect the city and gain the means to defeat the demon." [Source]

There is a lot of positive feedback on GOODREADS. Anyway you should know that this is a YA novel. But Richard Denning promised me that it is also interesting for adults. Time will tell.

No more today, see you next week ......

Blogosphere

Hey, I'm Bona Fide. I just came back from my last foray through the blogosphere. What can you expect from me? I tell you: Everything from Art to Fart as long as there is any faint connection to books. And here is some honey from the beehive blogosphere...

As I wrote some time ago, my wife and I share a SONY PRS-T1 Reader and it works well maybe too well because it seems we have been infected with the eBook buy fever. But that is not the reason why I want to talk about eReader and eBooks. Wouldn't it be interesting to know how you could make your own eBooks for different eReaders? You do not need it? Wouldn't it be great to surprise your friends with your own electronic private cook and bake book? It is easier as you may think. If you would like to do that, then I hig

The Tor.com 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards is open until 11:59 PM Friday, January 20th, 2012. By leaving a comment you can vote for your 2012 favorites in following categories:
Best Novel, Best Short Fiction, Best Comic, Best Book Cover.
You find my votes at comment 322. I voted as followed:

Best Novel
Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

Best Book Cover
The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder (Coverart by John Sullivan)

Best Short Story
An Island Sojourn By Stephen Zimmer

In the meantime more than 600 people posted their votes. There is also a daily post showing the current standing. You find all posts related to the 2011 award when you follow THIS LINK.

Like me a lot of people have unread books on their shelves. I like to read interviews with authors of books which rest unread on my shelf. It can happen that I change my reading plans after reading such a review.
This week I found interviews with two authors where I received digital review copies.
End of January 2012 David Tallerman's debut novel Giant Thief (UK, January 31st 2012) [ISBN-13: 978-0857662118] will be available in stores.
You find the latest interview with David Tallerman's over at The Mad Hatter's Bookshelf & Book Review.

Anyway don't forget to visit David Tallerman's blog. He likes visitors as much as every blogger does.

Since I read the interview I know that the second book -Crown Thief - will be published in September 2012.

"The stunning superhero-noir fantasy thriller set in the other New York " [Source] has been published a couple of days ago.
Like the book before it is a debut novel.
Sorry! I talk about Empire State (448p., pb, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0857661937] by Adam Christopher.

There is a new and detailed interview with Adam Christopher available over at The Ranting Dragon.

If you visit my blog regularly then you will know that I did not any interviews so far due to several reasons. That will be one of the 2012 challenges for me.

I must admit that I like our SONY Reader a lot. But that does not mean I lost my love for real books. There are a lot of things which you can't do with digital copies. I'm sure that some of you have seen the following video on other blogs. It delivers in an impressive way The Joy of Books which is at the same time the title of the video.

Time for a bit of art.
When you own a house you may have the wish to change the colors adequate to the season. In reality nobody is doing that because it is expensive. But there is an interesting way to do that without painting. Follow THIS LINK where you can see where I got the idea from. If I would tell you the title of the post it would take away the joy.

Spirals. You paint them during boring telephone conferences and meetings. I'm sure your spirals look similar like my spirals. But there are people who paint different spirals. The result is absolutely incredible. You want to be dumbfounded? Then have a look at

Spiral Pen Portraits Use Pressure to Make Amazing Art

SKYRIM is such an awesome game. I know that some of you play it too. You know that there are diseases in the game. I found an excellent post with detailed descriptions of each of the diseases. Have a look at Skyrim Diseases.

"We think in generalities, but we live in detail.”
Alfred North Whitehead, English mathematician & philosopher (1861 - 1947)

Edi's Spotlight: Gabriel's Redemption by Steve Umstead

2012-01-13T23:51:00.000+01:00

Introduction

The year is still young and so far I finished only one book. And today you get my review of the first book in the Evan Gabriel Trilogy. I have to say thank you to author Steve Umstead who sent me an electronic copy of Gabriel's Redemption (available in paperback [ISBN-13: 978-0765329561] and also for all major e-reader platforms). Before I go into details let me emphasize that it was me who asked him for a reviewer copy!
And before I forget the Evan Gabriel Trilogy is a science fiction series.

Book Store Information
In general my decision to read a book is mostly based on the cover and the blurb/synopsis delivered on the back cover. You do not get more information when you are in a book store.
The world of books is changing which means I also will take in account blurbs and descriptions on GOODREADS and other places.
Here we go:

Gabriel's Redemption by Steve Umstead

is available in paperback [ISBN-13: 978-0765329561] and also for all major e-reader platforms. Please visit Steve Umstead's site for details.

"Can a disgraced Special Forces soldier find redemption, and will redemption cost him more than just his own life?
North American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel was dishonorably discharged after losing his covert team on a far off world called Eden. Now, he’s being offered an opportunity to command a new team, on a new world, with a new mission, but the true motives behind the mission are unclear.
From the decaying Caribbean to politically-charged South America, from the slums of Mars to a tiny colony on a planet six hundred light years from Earth, Gabriel’s Redemption follows the disgraced Commander Gabriel as he leads a Special Forces team to an ice-bound world. Their given mission: to eradicate a drug cartel that is producing a highly-addictive stimulant brutally extracted from the bodies of the native inhabitants. Upon arriving, Gabriel and his team find the mission isn’t exactly what it appeared to be, and that they weren’t the only force dispatched to the planet." [Source]

My Expectations
My expectations have been nebulous. There was something in the blurb which forced my wanting to read the book. It was something like a gut decision. And mostly I'm happy with the result when I follow my gut.

Theme
Gabriel's Redemption is a near-future military science fiction story of a personal journey seen from the perspective of a soldier who has lost everything; one who desperately needs to redeem himself not only in his government’s eyes, but also his own. Interstellar action and political intrigue mixed with one-on-one battles on the surface of a frozen planet in this exciting tale of salvation.
Not to forget the recurring questions of responsibility, honor and humanity.

Setting

The setting is definitely one of the highlights for me. Steve Umstead delivers a sometimes appalling but always believable description of the near future. The timeline at the end of the book is very helpful. It is incredible to see that with a few sentences the reader can imagine a fully developed world. I also appreciated that it is possible to reach other worlds by using wormholes but that the final approach still takes time. The distance between our world and Steve Umstead's Earth is nearly nothing compared to Star Trek.

Plot and Character(s)

Gabriel's Redemption does not accelerate as a Ferrari. It gave me time to get comfortable with the world the characters and the style of the author. Without the blurb you would not have a clou in which direction the the story will develop. I like that because it gives me the opportunity to speculate. I found it refreshing and promising at the same time that the reader only gets hints about the terrible event on Planet Eden. You know something worse happened. It is a deep impact on Gabriel's life, his actions and opinions.
I also liked the unobtrusive depiction of the inhabitants of Poliahu. There is more behind them as you can see at first sight. The reader seems to know the "good" and the "bad" guys from the beginning. But there are more janus-faced persons as you assume.

Style

Even in fast paced action scenes Steve Umstead takes his time to deliver details and that does not interrupt the flow of the story.
Most of the time the writing is rich and let you forget that you are reading a book. It sounds more like a good friend tells you an amazing story. But there are parts where I felt ripped out of the story. That was the case when it got too technical. I do not mind to read technical explanations as long as I'm able to imagine what I read.

The Inevitable

What shall I say. A well done science fiction debut and a good start into a new series. My only complaint is that some parts of the story have been too technical for me. I do not want to understand every single detail but it must be possible for me to imagine what I read.

You like to read science fiction with
- a great and convincing back story,
- well done action scenes,
- a main character who does not reveal everything from his past
- a believable story with twists and turns and without a cliffhanger
then you should give Gabriel's Redemption a try and then you will end like me:
Hungry to get more information about Gabriel and his world.

I look forward to read Gabriel's Return and Gabriel's Revenge.

Bookbookistan News January 2012

2012-01-08T06:01:00.003+01:00

Dear Readers,

today I have the pleasure to introduce to you an old friend of mine who has books in his veins.
Welcome edifanossa, a former travel book keeper from Bookbookistan . Before I hand over the word to him let me tell you, that edifanossa agreed to write twelve posts for my blog. There was only one prerequisite from my side. Every post must be related to books.
To be honest I do not know what edifanossa will deliver. I'm as nosy as you.

Thanks for the kind words ediFanoB. Aaah! I see a lot of question marks in the faces in front of the screen. First of all do not try to find information about Bookbookistan. It is such a wonderful country that nearly every Bookbookistan inhabitant wrote a travel book about it. My job was to herd them and to take care that none leaves the country. So far we have had only one visitor: edifFanoB. When he told me that he was searching for something imaginative and inspiring for his blog, I offered my support spontaneously.

So, here I am, a former travel book keeper, who would like to share with you his passion for books. I will do it in a Bookbookistan way. Follow me and let me surprise you.

Bookbookistan, the land of books and untold stories. We do not read books We inhale them - but not every book. I know that ediFanoB has a knack for epic fantasy, steampunk, space opera and historical fiction. I would lie when I would deny that I love these kind of books too.

Before I started to work on this post, I traveled to your book blogosphere. Impressive! There are countless blogs. If I would try to read them all I would not need books any longer. It is helpful, that blogs stick to certain genres. Now I come back to ediFanoB's blog.

I had a look at his posts and reviews. Obviously he likes historical mysteries and thriller. I found a lot of books (it was a pain to see that so many of them rest unread on the shelves) which underpin that. But something happened in August 2011. And I think I found the trigger:

GUEST BLOG: Historical and Fantasy - Two Sides of a Coin? - A L Berridge posted on August 5th 2011 over at Falcata Times

Since then I noticed an increasing interest in books which deliver historical facts and fantasy. The books he ordered since then and also a few hints here and there on the mirror this awakened interest. But let me assure you it is more an reawakening. You do not know like me which ediFanoB read before he entered the book blogopshere. But I must admit that he always have had particular interests. He never read about the Romans. England is the country which he prefers.

And that is the point where I discovered a slight change. It seems he is more open-minded. You will understand what I mean when you look at following list (the R in front of a book means ediFanoB read the book):

ENGLAND
- Dark Fire (pb, 2004) [ISBN-13: 978-0330450782] by C. J. Sansom
- Prophecy (pb, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0007317738] by S. J. Parris
- Hereward (pb, 2012) [ISBN-13: 978-0141043746] by A. L. Berridge
- The English Monster (pb, 2012) [ISBN-13: 978-0141043739] by Lloyd Shepherd
- Bloody Winter (pb, 2012) [ISBN-13: 978-0141043739] by Andrew Pepper

FRANCE
R - Honour and the Sword (2010) [ISBN-13: 978-0141043739] by A L Berridge (review)
- In the Name of the King (2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0141043746] by A L Berridge

RUSSIA

(- Crimea (pb, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0141013503] by Orlando Figes.)
- Into the Valley of Death (pb, 2012) [ISBN-13: 978-0241954102] by A. L. Berridge

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

- Clash of Empires: The Great Siege (pb, 2012] [ISBN-13: 978-1409102830] by William Napier

ORIENT
R - The Lion of Cairo (pb, 2011] [ISBN-13: 978-0553819830] by Scott Oden
R - A Place called Armageddon (pb, October 2011)
[ISBN-13: 978-1409121602] by CC Humphreys
R - VARANGIAN: The Stone of Babylon by Sabine Atkins (review)

But there is something more obvious. Look at the authors. Did you recognize that A L Berridge appears thrice? Seems there is a new favorite author.

I must admit I can understand ediFanoB in this case.

Did you read Honour and the Sword (2010) [ISBN-13: 978-0141043739] by A L Berridge? Did you read edi's review? I liked especially following statement:

"The title of the book - Honour and the Sword - is the shortest summary you can get which includes all you get."

It makes sense when you listen to following interview:

She knows what she is talking about. she breathe her books. I admire her.

And now I think I understood why ediFanoB bought this history book: Crimea (pb, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0141013503] by Orlando Figes.

"The Crimean War was the defining conflict of the nineteenth century and one of the fiercest battles in Russia's history: pitting its empire against an alliance of Britain, France and Turkey, killing at least 800,000 men and completely redrawing the map of Europe.It was the first conflict to use photography, the telegraph and newspapers; the original 'total war'.

Orlando Figes' vivid new book reinterprets this extraordinary conflict. Bringing to life ordinary soldiers in snow-filled trenches, surgeons on the battlefield and the haunted, fanatical figure of Tsar Nicholas himself, Crimea tells the human story of a tragic war." [Back of the book]

Isn't it true that you enjoy and admire something more when you know the background?

So I'm pretty sure that ediFanoB will read Crimea before Into the Valley of Death (pb, 2012) [ISBN-13: 978-0241954102] by A. L. Berridge

"1854 - The Allied armies prepare to besiege the Russian stronghold in the Crimea

Harry Ryder is a maverick hero. Resentful of the army that destroyed his father and his own career, he has no time for incompetent commanders. He clashes with his superiors as fiercely as he fights the Russians.

Four men, one woman and a game of cards will change everything and alter the course of a war.

Something evil has crept into the ranks of the British Army's own officers, an unknown enemy who plans lure men to ruin on the battlefields. The only path to victory lies in uncovering the truth, but to find it and confront his own destiny Ryder must charge with the Light Brigade into the Valley of Death itself . . " [Source]

Oh my! edi will be angry with me because I did not deliver more information about the other books and I'm afraid I bothered you with stuff you absolutely do not want to read.

But you can prove that black is white.

Do you know other novels about sieges like Clash of Empires: The Great Siege (Malta in 1565) and A Place called Armageddon (Constantinople 1453) except books about Troy?

Which historical books would recommend for my friends in Bookbookistan?

In February 2012 I will return with a new issue of the Bookbookistan News.
So far I have no idea what I will write. Fortunately there is some time left to think about.

Yours truly,

edifanossa

Edi's Weekend Wave #1201

2012-01-07T19:40:00.002+01:00

Hello and welcome to issue #1201 of Edi's Weekend Wave.
The first week of January passed and it is time for the first issue of the Weekend Wave in 2012.
I hope all of you have had a good start into 2012. I have been busy at all fronts - work, dentist, blog, reading, playing ... of course I slept a bit. This is an exciting weekend for me and also for edifanossa. Don't forget to come back on Sunday, January 8th 2012.

ENJOY READING

Edi's Guidepost

The Lighthouse
News and information straight from the horse's mouth by Lighthouse keeper ediFanoB

Reading list and reading progress
A special week

Books
The latest report from our shelf shop net correspondent Bona

Edi goes e
A delivery after a long time
New Fantasy Anthology

Blogosphere
Messages from the depths of the blogosphere by spheronaut Bona Fide

An interesting tutorial
If you like steampunk novels
Where to win a great read
Sometimes you need scroll down to the bottom
David Gemmel Award 2011/2012
So amazing and beautiful

Movies
Remote control junkie Fide and his zapping highlights

Electroshock

Quotes
The member of the house of quotes and a quote himself the Keeper of the minutes ( we call him Kotm) fished for you

~~German proverbs, sayings and idioms~~ Another true word

The Lighthouse

Dear readers,

I will continue to post about my reading progress. January 1st 2012 was a Sunday. Therefore this year my reading week goes from Sunday to Saturday.

Before we talk about reading progress I would like to tell you which books I will read in January beside The Wise Man's Fear which I started in 2011.

- Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon (November 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1616145354] by Mark Hodder

- Hearts of Smoke and Steam (327 p., November 2011)[ISBN-13: 978-1616143756] by Andrew P. Mayer

- The Burning Sky (ecopy, 2011) [Kindle ASIN: B004MDLL9K] by Joseph Robert Lewis

- Songs of the Dying Earth (2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0765320865] edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.

- And finally there are several short stories on my list. The titles will be revealed on Sunday, January 15th.

I still have not decided yet which books I will take with me on my business trip to Italy. Anyway I tend to take our Sony Reader with me. I have some great stuff on it.

It seems January will be reading wise a steampunk month. Three of my five current reads are steampunk related. Last week I read in sum 821 pages which is more than I expected. I finished one book and five short stories.

I'm

- 401 pages in The Wise Man's Fear (994 pages, trade paperback, UK 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0575081420] by Patrick Rothfuss
I thought about how I will continue reading this book and I think I found a good solution. Depending on the length I read two to four chapters very morning before I go to work. The advantage is that I leave the house in a good mood.

- 65 pages in Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon (November 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1616145354] by Mark Hodder
What shall I say about this book?
This definitely a candidate for my top read of 2012. The previous book - The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man (my review) - made to the second place in 2011.
I hope Mark Hodder will continue the Burton & Swinburne series.

- 52 pages in Hearts of Smoke and Steam (327 p., November 2011)[ISBN-13: 978-1616143756] by Andrew P. Mayer
I read and reviewed The Falling Machine which is the first part of The Society of Steam duology. I loved the first book a lot and it seems the second book continues on the high level of book one.

- 117 pages in Songs of the Dying Earth (2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0765320865] edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.
I expected a lot after reading the three part review (one two three) by fellow blogger Bryce L.
I read the first four stories
- The True Vintage of Erzuine Thale by Robert Silverberg
- Grolion of Almery by Matthew Hughes
- The Copy Door by Terry Dowling
- Caulk the With-Chaser by Liz Williams

Maybe I expected too much because I could not get in one of these stories. For me it was like sitting under water looking at and listening to what happens on the surface on the water. I hope it will not continue with the 20 remaining stories ...

- 215 pages in The Burning Sky (ecopy, 2011) [Kindle ASIN: B004MDLL9K] by Joseph Robert Lewis
This another great steampunk novel. It is great to see how many good books are available which are not published by a publisher.

I finished

- Gabriel's Redemption by Steve Umstead (available in paperback [ISBN-13: 978-0765329561] and also for all major e-reader platforms).
I wrote on GOODREADS:

"This is the first book I read in 2012.
Set in a not to far away future, Steve Umstead delivers a believable story centered on Evan Gabriel, an dishonored special forces commander. I liked that the story is embedded into a greater time line.
I gave four stars because there have been parts in the book which have been too technical for me.
A full review is in progress. "

- all five short stories I wanted to read.

I think one book and five short stories is not that bad for the first week in 2012.

Attention! Attention!
There will be something special on this blog
from Sunday, January 15th to Friday, January 20th.

I can't tell you details at the moment but it will be something new for me.
And the good thing is that there will be something you can .......
So don't forget to come back on Sunday, January 15th and the consecutive days.

Enjoy your weekend ....

Books

Dear readers, I'm the one to tell you about books - only books? What about novellas and other stuff? My name is Bona. I scour shelves, shops and the net for books. If you call me a book whore I would not gainsay you. But be aware I have my own, sometimes elusive taste.

eBooks are definitely infernal stuff. I need to learn NOT to buy every book which might be interesting. But how can you resist books which are sold for less than one Euro!!

Thanks to RaveAir who is "guilty" that I now own a digital copy of The Complete Sherlock Holmes & Tales of Terror and Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle [a Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. authorized Kindle eBook edition].

As I posted on Monday, that I never read a Sherlock Holmes story so far. That will change ....
I would like to know how many people who like the Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey Jr have ever read on of the original stories.

When we talk about detectives we should forget the famous Jane Marple which appeared in twelve Agatha Christie crime novels. I never read one of them. But I love Murder, She said, Murder at the Gallop, Murder Most Foul and Murder Ahoy! starring the unforgettable Margaret Rutherford as Miss Jane Marple.

But that was not the only eBook I bought this week. The year is still young and I must say it is a great week regarding books. I'm reading a candidate for my top read of 2012 and I'm glad that I follow a blog which is one of my reliable sources when it comes up to what I call book gems. What do I mean by this? For me this are books where fall immediately in love with and which I normally do not find on other blogs I follow. I talk about the excellent, distinguished and well informed FALCATA TIMES. It is time to send a big thank you to Dros Delnoch and Lady Eleanor for their fantastic work. And there is one more reason for me to say thank you. I found my first gem in 2012 over at Falcata Times. It was this post which led me to the wonderful books of A. L. Berridge. Don't ask my why in detail why I could not resist to buy a copy of the book a few hours after I read following two posts over at Falcata Times.

GUEST BLOG: The Inspiration for Hawk Quest by Robert Lyndon

This post contains a lot of information. It is one these incredible stories. Just let me quote two sentences:

"Soon after the UK deal, I got my first foreign sales; to date the rights have been bought by nine overseas publishers, including Orbit in the United States. That’s something I’m particularly pleased with, because Orbit specialises in Fantasy and Sci-Fi, and Hawk Quest will be their first historical novel."

It is neither epic fantasy nor steampunk nor space opera nor crime/mystery thriller. It is historical fiction! It seems I like these kind of books more and more.

The whole time I talk about Hawk Quest (2012, print and digital) by Robert Lyndon.

"In this sweeping epic set in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest, a rogue French knight named Vallon accepts a dangerous commission: he must travel to the ends of Europe in search of four rare gyrfalcons demanded as ransom for a Norman knight held captive by Seljuk Turks in Anatolia. Accompanied by a young English falconer and a Sicilian scholar, Vallon sets out on a quest that takes him from Iceland to Greenland to Russia and south to Byzantium. On the nine-month journey the company is joined by other adventurers. Together they brave raging seas, icy arctic wastes, treacherous rapids. They fight furious battles against Normans, Vikings and steppe nomads, pit their wits against warlords desperate to steal their precious cargo. And these are not the only perils they face, for among their company is a man who will stop at nothing to prevent them from fulfilling their quest.

At more than 200,000 words, Hawk Quest is one of the most vast, utterly thrilling historical adventures ever written." [Source]

And finally read

HISTORICAL FICTION REVIEW: Hawk Quest - Robert Lyndon

Maybe you now have an idea why I needed to buy the book ... I will definitely read it as soon as I have finished one of my current reads.
In case you did not read the guest post by author Robert Lyndon, let me tell you, that he now is working on a sequel ....

Last year I won a copy of The Vampire Empire: The Rift Walker (2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1616145231] by Clay and Susan Griffith. It took a long, long, long time until the book arrived last week. Anyway I'm happy that I received the copy and that it has not been lost like some other books.

"Princess Adele struggles with a life of marriage and obligation as her Equatorian Empire and their American Republic allies stand on the brink of war against the vampire clans of the north. However, the alliance's horrific strategy for total victory drives Adele to abandon her duty and embark on a desperate quest to keep her nation from staining its hands with genocide. Reunited with her great love, the mysterious adventurer known to the world as the Greyfriar, Adele is pursued by her own people as well as her vengeful husband, senator Clark. With the human alliance in disarrray, Prince Cesare, lord of the British vampire clan, seizes the initiative and strikes at the very heart of Equatoria.
As Adele labors to bring order to her world, she learns more about the strange powers she exhibited in the north. Her teacher, Mamoru, leads a secret cabal of geomancers who believe Adele is the one who can touch the vast power of the Earth that surges through ley lines and wells up at the rifts where the lines meet. These energies are the key to defeating the enemy of mankind, and if Princess Adele could ever bring this power under her command, she could be death to vampires. But such a victory will also cost the life of Adele's beloved Greyfriar." [Source]

It is funny. I also won the first book in the series - The Vampire Empire: The Greyfriar (2010) [ISBN-13: 978-1616142476] (my review) - at a giveaway ....

Post-apocalyptic fantasy - how does this sound for you? As far as I remember I did not read any post-apocalyptic fantasy so far. I also do not have a real clue what kind of stories I can expect. But I would like to know. Therefore I read following Seventh Star Press announcement with great pleasure:

"Seventh Star Press Announces Call For Submissions For New Fantasy Anthology

Seventh Star Press is proud to announce a call for submissions for an exciting new anthology to be edited by Joshua Leet, entitled The End Was Not the End: Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Tales.

The stories can be up to 10,000 words in length, and must be set within a setting ranging between ancient worlds, like the Sword and Sorcery Hyborean Age of Robert E. Howard, to medieval settings like those found in many epic fantasy series. Timed appropriately for 2012, the anthology will focus on the aftermath of an apocalypse.

The stories can have any style or feature any Earth culture-inspired background, such as the more commonly encountered european-based knights and wizards, to Viking sagas, Russian folklore, Chinese wuxia, Japanese samurai, and Native American environments, just to name a few. The apocalypse itself can be whatever suits the writer, be it magical catastrophe, plague, monster horde, the death of gods, etc. It can include modern catastrophes that precipitated regression in technological level to a medieval or ancient world type level. The stories should have a serious overall tone, and can range from action-driven to tales with a darker edge.

The concept for the anthology was first pitched by Seventh Star Press author Stephen Zimmer, who writes the Fires in Eden series (epic fantasy) and the Rising Dawn Saga (epic-scale urban fantasy). Joshua Leet expressed a desire to serve as the editor of Seventh Star Press' first anthology project, and worked with Stephen to solidfy the project concept. The project represents Stephen's first as a commissioning editor.

Joshua is currently serving as the editor for Sela, the forthcoming second book in the Leland Dragon Series by Jackie Gamber, as well as the newest Gorias La Gaul adventure from Steven Shrewsbury, titled Overkill. Joshua is not only an editor, but is also an author, whose credits include the recently released historical work Civil War Lexington, Kentucky: Bluegrass Breeding Ground of Power, co-authored with Karen Leet, as well as business projects such as two volumes he co-authored in the Compliance and Ethics field. Joshua's love for the fantasy genre and range of technical literary expertise promises to bring forth a debut anthology of outstanding quality for Seventh Star Press.

Submissions must be in by midnight on July 1, 2012. Provide a cover letter, and use standard manuscript format. RTF or Word Documents preferred for the file format. Communications and submissions should be directed to Joshua by email, using the address Joshua (at) seventhstarpress.com

The agreement on accepted stories will be for first print and digital rights, with exclusivity for one year from date of publication. After this time, authors are free to re-sell their stories in other markets. The stories need to be original works, and no previously published characters or properties will be accepted.

The anthology is planned for release in eBook, limited hardcover, and softcover formats in the 4th quarter of 2012. A royalty pool will be generated on print and eBook sales, at a rate of 10% royalties for print, and a rate of 50% royalties for eBooks, with each included story having an equal share of the royalty pool. Royalty statements and payments will be made biannually. All included authors will receive a complimentary trade paperback copy of the anthology.

Updates and additional information can be obtained at the official site for Seventh Star Press, at www.seventhstarpress.com "

I know the year has just begun and fourth quarter is far, far away. But for people like me it is good to know what to expect within the whole year.

No more today, see you next week ......

Blogosphere

Hey, I'm Bona Fide. I just came back from my last foray through the blogosphere. What can you expect from me? I tell you: Everything from Art to Fart as long as there is any faint connection to books. And here is some honey from the beehive blogosphere...

Tutorial: How to make ebooks for Kindle and Nook using Calibre

by Joseph Robert Lewis

I'm sure every author is thinking about how to write a great novel. The genre does not matter.
Anyway I like to read when an author writes about this topic because you get a lot of interesting information about the author, their opinions, their books, ..... So I was happy when I found following post because I love to read steampunk.

How to write a great steampunk novel
by Joseph Robert Lewis

And I must say Joseph Robert Lewis knows how to write a great steampunk novel after I read 215 pages of his book The Burning Sky.

I still love giveaways, even I did not receive all the books I won in 2011. And whenever I find one which could be interesting for you I post about it. And today I can show you two. The first one is open worldwide and the second one for US residents only.

Bookworm Blues is celebrating 100,000 hits with the giveaway of an awesome book which I read recently.

THE PRICE

HOW TO TAKE PART (copied from the originslpost)

"The giveaway will end on Friday, January 13th and is open worldwide. To enter, send me an email (bookwormblues (at) live (dot) com) with the subject line THEFT OF SWORDS. I'll randomly choose a winner on the morning of Saturday, January 14th."

Congratulations B and thanks for a great giveaway!

In case you are an US resident I would like to send you on a short travel. There was following text

"And if you have a second, scroll to the bottom of my blog - I completely forgot my publisher was doing this! "

inside this post. You want to know what it means? It is the description how you find the entrance to a special giveaway. Which book? I did and "early" review in December.

Summary
In case you would like to find the entrance to a giveaway for US residents only then CLICK HERE and then scroll down to the bottom of the page. Good Luck!

A new year means also the return of Award voting. In the past years I voted for The David Gemmell Legend Award. So far none of the books I voted for won. But that will not hinder me to vote again. What's about you? You do not neither to pay nor to subscribe in order to vote. The only price you have to pay is a click on the following links and more click for your favorite cover, debut and novel.

THE MORNINGSTAR AWARD - BEST DEBUT
I voted for Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

THE RAVENHEART AWARD - BEST COVER
I read only two of all the nominated books. Finally I voted for Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham
THE LEGEND AWARD - BEST NOVEL
I did not read most of the nominated books. In sum I read two books from the list. Regarding my 2011 top 15 reads I finally voted for A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin

It was impossible for me to keep the following link secret. You know my admiration for Dark Roasted Blend. You will definitely miss something when you do not have a look at

The Most Incredible Space Imagery

I nearly forgot to finish this post because I was nearly impossible to avert my gaze from the amazing and gorgeous pictures. Don't miss it.

"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”
Sir Winston Churchill, British politician (1874 - 1965)

Edi's Lighthouse Chatter: No Jerk But Work

2012-01-04T06:01:00.002+01:00

Dear Readers,

on Monday I read You Can't Reach 1000 Followers by Being a Jerk by Alex J. Cavanaugh.

I left following comment:

"True, true words Alex.
After reading your post I asked myself if I would like to have 1000 followers.
My answer is NO. It would definitely overburden me because I'm afraid I cannot give back enough in my available time for the blog."

I definitely know that I can't deliver more than one post per week on a regularly base.
Now you will reply why this is the fourth post in 2012?
The answer is simple I have had some days off and therefore time to prepare posts.
On January 4th I return to work and then my time will be limited.

Since December 28th I posted daily and the blog statistic express a significant change in the number of visitors.

So I know what will happen in near future: Less posts -> less visitors -> less followers. I understand this logic very well and I have to cope with. There is no way out: I need my job and fortunately I have an interesting one. But it is good to see what is possible.

And what did I do in the past two days? Mostly reading! I finished my first book in 2012!
Was it one of the books I showed you in the past days? NO

I compared the books on my laptop with the books on our SONY PRS-T1 and I found books which I still have not transferred to the reader. In October 2011 I described how I got an electronic copy of Gabriel's Redemption by Steve Umstead (available in paperback [ISBN-13: 978-0765329561] and also for all major e-reader platforms).

"Can a disgraced Special Forces soldier find redemption, and will redemption cost him more than just his own life?
North American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel was dishonorably discharged after losing his covert team on a far off world called Eden. Now, he’s being offered an opportunity to command a new team, on a new world, with a new mission, but the true motives behind the mission are unclear.
From the decaying Caribbean to politically-charged South America, from the slums of Mars to a tiny colony on a planet six hundred light years from Earth, Gabriel’s Redemption follows the disgraced Commander Gabriel as he leads a Special Forces team to an ice-bound world. Their given mission: to eradicate a drug cartel that is producing a highly-addictive stimulant brutally extracted from the bodies of the native inhabitants. Upon arriving, Gabriel and his team find the mission isn’t exactly what it appeared to be, and that they weren’t the only force dispatched to the planet.
Gabriel’s Redemption is a near-future military science fiction story of a personal journey seen from the perspective of a soldier who has lost everything; one who desperately needs to redeem himself not only in his government’s eyes, but also his own. Interstellar action and political intrigue mix with one-on-one battles on the surface of a frozen planet in this exciting tale of salvation." [Source]

I transferred it to our Reader and read it yesterday (January 2nd) in one session. I gave four stars on GOODREADS and wrote:

"This is the first book I read in 2012.
Set in a not to far away future, Steve Umstead delivers a believable story centered on Evan Gabriel, an dishonored special forces commander. I liked that the story is embedded into a greater time line.
I gave four stars because there have been parts in the book which have been too technical for me.

A full review is in progress. "

You must know that never bothered my to write a review. Therefore and for the following text at the end of the book and because I liked it, I will write a review as soon as possible (depends on what happens in the next few days.)

"An Independent Author's Plea

Did you enjoy Gabriel’s Redemption? Please help support an independent author by leaving a review on the site of your preference (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony, Smashwords, etc.) Your Kindle may even have a rating link after this page.

Reviews and comments are worth their weight in gold for authors, and I would love to hear your comments. Thank you, and I hope you are looking forward to Book 2, Gabriel’s Return!

-Steve"

Anyway you should read following post where you get the latest news about the Evan Gabriel Trilogy:

The Gabriel Arc is Complete – Happy Holidays Everyone!

by Steve Umstead

ENJOY READING

Edi's Lighthouse Chatter: A&P Waiting Part Two

2012-01-03T06:01:00.003+01:00

A&P Waiting, what a strange title for a post.

I was thinking about how to express that I wait for books which I would like to read and that there are books which wait to be read by me.

Today I would like talk about a few books are waiting for me. I buy and get more books than I can read. The leads to the situation that books slowly move into the back part of the book shelf. I decide between review copies I receive and books I buy on my own. To be honest I buy most of the books by my own. Of course it is great when you receive a review copy. But it is also a burden. I feel a kind of pressure to give those books a higher priority. But in the end I decide what I would like to read next.

Last year I received following three review copies ( two hardcover and one paperback). I was really interested in to read them but to whatever reason I failed. And the did not appear in my books to read until end of 2011 list. I'm sure a lot of you will know at least one of these books.
Nevertheless to write about these books is a like an appetizer for me. I present you the books in no specific order.

While I was thinking about this post I remembered, that last year I received a big fat book from Tor/Forge.com.
Songs of the Dying Earth (2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0765320865] edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.

"Danny North knew from early childhood that his family was different, and that he was different from them. While his cousins were learning how to create the things that commoners called fairies, ghosts, golems, trolls, werewolves, and other such miracles that were the heritage of the North family, Danny worried that he would never show a talent, never form an outself.
He grew up in the rambling old house, filled with dozens of cousins, and aunts and uncles, all ruled by his father. Their home was isolated in the mountains of western Virginia, far from town, far from schools, far from other people.
There are many secrets in the House, and many rules that Danny must follow. There is a secret library with only a few dozen books, and none of them in English — but Danny and his cousins are expected to become fluent in the language of the books. While Danny’s cousins are free to create magic whenever they like, they must never do it where outsiders might see.
Unfortunately, there are some secrets kept from Danny as well. And that will lead to disaster for the North family." [Inside of the book cover]

To whatever reason it found a way to be buried under a huge pile of books. But in the past days I received a mental message: "Dig me out! Dig me out! Dig me out!" Then I searched for reviews and found one over at Only The Best Sci-F/Fantasy which I contributed in former times. Good friend Bryce L. delivered an awesome and terribly convincing review in three parts (one two three)!! I understood the message and will read the 24 stories.

In February 2010 I reviewed Spellwright by Blake Charlton. I really liked it. And I definitely wanted to read the next book in the series. somehow I lost track. I must have been in the for me busy 2011 autumn period when I got a review copy of Spellbound (hc, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978- 076531728-5]. I checked my book history list where I note down every book I receive and could not find an entry forSpellbound. In this case I did not receive a mental message. it was not necessary because Spellbound was at them same place as Songs of the Dying Earth. Now I want to read and review before the publishing date of the forthcoming Spellwright.

"Francesca DeVega is a healer in the city of Avel, composing magical sentences that close wounds and disspell curses, but her life is thrown into chaos when a newly dead patient sits up and tells her that she must flee the infirmary or face a fate worse than death. Now Francesca is in the middle of a game she doesn’t understand—one that ties her to the notorious rogue wizard Nicodemus Weal and brings her face-to-face with demons, demigods, and a man she hoped never to see again.
It has been ten years since Nicodemus Weal escaped the Starhaven Academy, where he was considered disabled and useless, where he battled the demon who stole his birthright and murdered his friends. Unable to use the magical languages of his own people, Nico has honed his skills in the dark Chthonic languages, readying himself for his next encounter with the demon. But there are complications: his mentor suffers from an incurable curse, his half-sister’s agents are hunting him, and he’s still not sure what part Francesca DeVega will play. He certainly doesn’t know what to make of Francesca herself…." [Source]

The third and last review copy for today found its way to my late in December 2011 as I reported on December 28th 2011. There was no more time to read it. But I knew for sure that I will read it early in January 2012 and therefore I did not put it on a shelf. lays right beside my laptop. So I can't forget it. Do you know now about which book I talk? After reading all the best of post on other blogs I hardly remember what I posted last week. Therefore you get the cover and the blurb again.

"Sir Dennis Darby has been murdered, the Automaton has been destroyed, and Sarah Stanton has turned her back on a life of privilege and comfort to try and find her way in the unforgiving streets of New York. But Lord Eschaton, the villain behind all these events, isn’t finished with her yet. His plans to bring his apocalyptic vision of the future to the world are moving forward, but to complete his scheme he needs the clockwork heart that Sarah still holds.
But she has her own plans for the Automaton’s clockwork heart—Sarah is trying to rebuild her mechanical friend, and when she is attacked by the Children of Eschaton, the man who comes to her rescue may be the one to make her dreams come true. Emelio Armando is a genius inventor who had hoped to leave his troubles behind when he and his sister left Italy for a life of anonymity in the New World. Now he finds himself falling in love with the fallen society girl, but he is rapidly discovering just how powerful the forces of villainy aligned against her are, and that fulfilling her desires means opening the door to a world of danger that could destroy everything he has built.
The Society of Steam takes place in a Victorian New York powered by the discovery of Fortified Steam, a substance that allows ordinary men to wield extraordinary abilities and grants powers that can corrupt gentlemen of great moral strength. The secret behind this amazing substance is something that wicked brutes will gladly kill for, and one that Sarah must try and protect, no matter what the cost." [Source]

Hearts of Smoke and Steam (327 p., November 2011)[ISBN-13: 978-1616143756] by Andrew P. Mayer is the second and final book in The Society of Steam duology.
I liked the first part - The Falling Machine - a lot which I tried to express in my review from May 2011.

Now you know three more books from my 2012 to read list.

ENJOY READING

Edi's Lighthouse Chatter: A&P Waiting Part One

2012-01-02T06:01:00.001+01:00

A&P Waiting, what a strange title for a post.

I was thinking about how to express that I wait for books which I would like to read and that there are books which wait to be read by me.

Today I would like talk about a few books I'm waiting for in 2012. Do you order books in advance?
I do it quite often. So far I ordered copies of 26 books in advance! That is nearly a third of the books I read in a year. To be honest I wait for all the books I order. I do not buy books to cover the walls in our home. Anyway there are more books on my radar. In some cases I do not know the final publishing date. I present you five books out of the 26 I ordered in advance and explain why I wait especially for them. These books have one thing in common. They are all paperbacks.

I like to read series. But I'm not that good in finishing series. It is crazy. I own complete trilogies but I read only the first book.
There are few series where I read all the books so far and wait for the final installments.
The Chathrand Voyage series by Robert V.S. Redick is one of them.
After
The Red Wolf Conspiracy (2008) (my review),
The Rats and the Ruling Sea (The Ruling Sea) (2009) (my review)
The River of Shadows (2011)
the fourth and final book is ahead.
The Night of the Swarm will be published in May 2012.
How will the story around tarboy Pazel Pathkendle and his friends end? The previous books delivered epic fantasy with unforgettable characters. And not to forget the secret star of the series: Chathrand! A ship like no one you ever read about before.

The next book also belongs to a series, the sf series Expanse by James S A Corey which is the pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. The first book in the series - Leviathan Wakes (pb, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-031612908] - has been my 2011 top read. and therefore I'm eager to find out if the second book continues on that level. I have to wait until June 2012 when the second Expanse novel will be published.
Caliban's War (pb, 2012) [ISBN-13: 978-031612908]

"The alien protomolecule is clear evidence of an intelligence beyond human reckoning. No one knows what exactly is being built on Venus, but whatever it is, it is vast, powerful, and terrifying.
When a creature of unknown origin and seemingly impossible physiology attacks soldiers on Ganymede, the fragile balance of power in the Solar System shatters. Now, the race is on to discover if the protomolecule has escaped Venus, or if someone is building an army of super-soldiers.
Jim Holden is the center of it all. In spite of everything, he’s still the best man for the job to find out what happened on Ganymede. Either way, the protomolecule is loose and Holden must find a way to stop it before war engulfs the entire system.
CALIBAN’S WAR is an action-packed space adventure following in the footsteps of the critically acclaimed Leviathan Wakes." [Source]

The following is just an example for the discovery of new authors. In this case I neither received a review copy nor I read about the book on an other blog. I found it on the site of publisher Angry Robot.

"Egil and Nix, adventurers and swords for hire, are pulled into the dark schemes of a decadent family with a diabolical secret.
A fast paced adventure redolent with the best of classic sword and sorcery tales."

I know that does not sound like something new under the sun. Therefore I switched to the author's site and found following additional text:

"Egil, a burly, brooding priest of the Momentary God, is the muscle of the duo, while Nix Fall (aka, Nix the Quick, Nix the Lucky), a thief and College of Wizardry drop-out, provides the brains. In these stories I’m trying to echo the sword and sorcery tales I love, while bringing to them modern sensibilities and pacing." [Source]

And that was the point where I decided to order a book from an author new to me. I talk about Paul S Kemp and his new series The Tales of Egil and Nix. Book one The Hammer and the Blade
will be published in June/July 2012 in paperback and digital. I case I will enjoy the book, I will buy the next one - a Discourse in Steel (planned to be published in 2013) - too.
Unfortunately I could not find the cover for The Hammer and the Blade.
Anyway it seems classic sword and sorcery is still a topic.

The last but one book I would like to show you. It is one of the debut novels to be published in 2012 by Angry Robot. It is not a debut novel and at the same time the first book in a series. I ordered the book because the blurb contains some for me important key words: London, Elizabethan England, Magic.
The Alchemist of Souls (pb, February 2012, UK) [ISBN-13: 978-0857662149] is the first book in the Night's Masque series which will be continued with The Merchant of Dreams (2013) and The Prince of Lies.
Author Anne Lyle offers on her blog information about The Book, The World, The Characters and Historical Figures.

"When Tudor explorers returned from the New World, they brought back a name out of half-forgotten Viking legend: skraylings. Red-sailed ships followed in the explorers’ wake, bringing Native American goods—and a skrayling ambassador—to London. But what do these seemingly magical beings really want in Elizabeth I’s capital?

Mal Catlyn, a down-at-heel swordsman, is seconded to the ambassador’s bodyguard, but assassination attempts are the least of his problems. What he learns about the skraylings and their unholy powers could cost England her new ally—and Mal his soul." [Source]

It seems the man who resides in London, Baker Street 221b is immortal. We meet him again and again since his first appearance in a publication in 1887. I must admit I did not read any of the original books and stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. But I must admit I would like. I know another wish, another dream. But then something happened in 2011 which took sometime until I recognized it.

"Sherlock Holmes is the greatest detective in literary history. For the first time since the death of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a new Holmes story has been sanctioned by his estate, whetting the appetites of fans everywhere. Information about the book will be revealed as deliberately as Holmes himself would unravel a knotty case, but bestselling novelist and Holmes expert Anthony Horowitz is sure to bring a compelling, atmospheric story to life. With access to the estate's archives and careful study of the original stories, Horowitz is sure to weave a tale that satisfies new fans as well as the most dedicated Baker Street Irregular." [Source]

I did not take long and I ordered a copy which expect to be delivered in April 2012. I don't know if I will like it but I'm excited. And this is the book:

The House of Silk(pb, April 2012)
[ISBN-13: 978-0316213127]
by Anthony Horowitz

That's all for today.

ENJOY READING

Edi's Lighthouse Chatter: Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T06:01:00.005+01:00

Welcome 2012!

First of all I wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR wherever you are. I hope you have had a pleasant start into 2012. The day is dawning and as we soon will glide into our daily business I would like to share some thoughts and news with you.

Do you have any plans for the time after December 21, 2012? I think it depends on what you believe.

Anyway I do not want to write or even think about end of world scenarios on the dawn of the first day in 2012.

I decided against a New Year Resolution because most of the time they are not worth the time you spend for writing them.

Nevertheless I thought about ways to improve my blog, my reviews, my reading and in a more general way how I would like to spend time beside work in a satisfying way.

As I wrote yesterday it is impossible for me to write full reviews for every book I read.
So far I left sparsely comments over at GOODREADS.
From now on I want to do something new.
I asked myself what I would expect as additional information beside author, title, series, blurb, publishing date, number of pages, ISBN, format, cover. I would like to know the genre (sf, crime and so on), characters, style, complexity, setting, likes/dislikes, recommendation.
It should be no longer than a comment and shorter than a review. A length of 300 to 350 words seems appropriate. The name of my new format will be edshort which is a new artificial word. I derived it from following two words: , EDIfanob, comMENT = EDIMENT.
I will also add anew page to my blog where you get an overview of my ediments.

In the first quarter of 2012 I will check all my outstanding reviews and decide which book will get a review or an ediment. By end of 2012 all books I read in 2011 and 2012 should be connected either with an ediment or a review.

I hope that will work as I expect. By the way in case you need once a while a tool to count words online I recommend to have a look at Word Count Tool.

I also decided to continue to post my reading progress in number of pages because it is helpful for me.

So far I know two periods of time where I do not have time to write actual posts. I work on a solution for that.

January 25th to 29th - Business trip Italy
April 29th to May 13th - Holiday without phone and computer

Will there be activities on the blog beside the regularly weekend post?
Yes. Do I want to reveal details? I think it is possible to let you have a look in my crystal ball.

Every first Sunday in a month will be the date for a new post series. My dear old friend edifanossa a former Bookbookistian travel book keeper agreed to provide me with priceless information from his mysterious sources. Hope you will like him. Give him a warm welcome on January 8th when he presents the first issue of the Bookbookistan News.

Will you tell as more? Not at the moment. I will do it in time.

That is all for today. Come back tomorrow when I will talk about A&P Waiting.

Have a great day and

ENJOY READING!
[Number of words: 555]

XCIX of XCIX in MMXI - Bye-Bye 2011

2011-12-31T06:01:00.001+01:00

Welcome to
XCIX of XCIX in MMXI - Bye-Bye 2011

This is definitely the last post in 2011. In the past days I delivered you several posts. Did I surprise you with my top 15 reads in 2011? Compared to other blogs the list looks different. Maybe I could animate you to read one of these books.

On January 1st 2011 I posted:

"Did you ever think about how you spend an average day? How much time can you spend for reading?
I estimate I can spend an average of two hours per day for reading within a year.
One year = 365 days
Two hours reading per day multiplied by 365 days equals 730 hours
I'm not the fastest reader. My limit is around 35 pages per hour.
730 hours multiplied by 35 pages equals 25550 pages

25550 pages mean how many books? It is impossible to say because the umber of pages per book differ a lot.
Let's assume an average of 375 pages per book.
Then I would read 25550 pages divided by 375 pages = 68 books - never read so many books within one year.
Anyway it does not matter how many books ..... I'm totally nosy how many pages I will read in 2011.
You can follow my progress. I added the information in the right column of the blog. It will be updated weekly."

As far as I can see I delivered my weekly progress which is a satisfying result at the end of a year.

But there is something which I'm really, really proud of: I read in sum 26627 pages in 2011!!
I have had doubts when I posted the text above. In case you followed my blog throughout the year you know my reading progress has been like roller coaster.
To be honest I did it without pressure and I still enjoy reading.

And what will I do in 2012? You will find the answer in the first 2012 post.

I also learned several things like:
- be really careful with your promises; you never know what will happen tomorrow.

- It is possible to keep a blog alive with one regularly post per week for a certain period of time.

- It is impossible for me to write a full review for every book I read. That is sad for authors and readers. But everything else as to be honest with myself in this case would be a mirage.

- An eReader is boon and bane at once. Anyway I like the eReader which I share with my wife.

- Nobody can force you to read a book you do not like.

- I do not easily accept book recommendations. I prefer to choose on my own.

- Try new things; gain experience; give your blog an individual touch.

- Be kind to your readers. If you get feedback in form of a comment let you readers know you read the comments.

I think that is not bad for one year. Most important will be the consequences. And yes, there will be a few. Don't worry, I will be back in 2012.

As in previous years there have been up and downs in 2011.

On the downside is the loss of a highly appreciated colleague after a heart attack. He was just 57. I can tell you that you start to think about your way of life when you are only a few years younger.

But there have been also good things.
My wife and I have had our best holiday ever. We are still in love after more than 20 years of marriage. I can't imagine what I would do without her.

She gave me the power and Alex J. Cavanaugh forced me in a kind way to write a guest post which in return offered me an unexpected positive feedback.

I think that should be enough.
What is the best solution to end the last post of a book blog? Any ideas? I don't know what you would do. Therefore you have cope with my solution.

"Babylon Steel, ex-sword-for-hire, ex... other things, runs the Red Lantern, the best brothel in the city. She's got elves using sex magic upstairs, S&M in the basement and a large green troll cooking breakfast in the kitchen, and she'd love you to visit,except...
She's not having a good week. The Vessels of Purity are protesting against brothels, girls are disappearing, and if she can't pay her taxes, Babylon's going tolose the Lantern. She'd given up the mercenary life, but when the mysterious DaraskFain pays her to find a missing heiress, she has to take the job. And then her past starts to catch up with her in other, more dangerous ways." [Back of the book]

This is no joke. To be honest I never expected I would buy a copy of a book about someone who runs a brothel; about sex and sexuality in a fantasy setting.

Want to know what the author is saying about her book:

"I never expected that I would write about someone who runs a brothel; about sex and sexuality in a fantasy setting. Heavens, I wasn't even brought up to think about such things in any setting. But there. There's probably some apt saying about this, and if I ever find it, I shall quote it." [Source]

Sounds similar. So I received my copy on December 29th. When will you get your copy of Babylon Steel (544p., pb, 2011] [ISBN-13: 978-1907992384] by Gaie Sebold.

And this is the cover:

I know I should no make any promises but this book definitely scream for a review.
Maybe I should tell you that is Gaie Sebold a client of literary agent John Jarrold ...

See you in 2012!

XCVIII of XCIX in MMXI - 2011 in Books and Reviews

2011-12-30T22:07:00.005+01:00

Welcome to

XCVIII of XCIX in MMXI - 2011 in Books and Reviews

The Baenglish runaway from Germany with his 2011 annotations

Facts Summary
- I wanted to read books in 2011 (94)
- I did not finish books in 2011 (2)
- I failed to read Books I wanted to read in 2011 (21)
- I read books in 2011 (70)
- I will continue reading books in 2012 which I started in 2011 (1)
- I posted a half time report including a ranking (top five)
- I wanted to review all the books I read in 2011 (70)
- I reviewed books I read in 2011 (24)
- I failed to review books I read in 2011 (46)
- In 2011 I read six books more than in 2010
- Regarding reviews October to December have been a mess (2)
- For the first time I did an "early" review and received a lot of feedback (1)

Top Five End of June 2011
5.) Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick
4.) Prinz der Dunkelheit by Mark Lawrence (my review in German)
3.) Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham
2.) The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder (my review)
1.)Thirteen Years Later by Jasper Kent (my review)

Top 15 Reads 2011 (by December 30th 2011)
15) Phoenix Rising by Pipa Ballantine & Tee Morris
14.) Exiled: Autumn's Peril by Rosalie Skinner (my review)
13.) The Lion of Cairo by Scott Oden
12.) Honour and the Sword by A.L. Berridge (my review)
11.) Debris by Jo Anderton,
10.) The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer
9.) Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick
8.) A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
7.) Prinz der Dunkelheit by Mark Lawrence (my review in German)
6.) Thirteen Years Later by Jasper Kent (my review)
5.) A Place Called Armageddon by C.C. Humphreys
4.) Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
3.) The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
2.) The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder (my review)
1.) Leviathan's Wake by Daniel Abraham

This list is based on the 70 books I read. You may wonder why I ranked George R.R. Martin on eight. I think I expected far too much.

Conclusion: To read 70 of 94 books was satisfying for me. Only 24 reviews is not acceptable for me.
Reading outlook: Continue reading on a high level and write more reviews.

The "early" review of CassaFirE (February 28th, 2012, pb, 240 p.) [ISBN-13: 978-0982713945] by Alex J. Cavanaugh received a lot more feedback than my other reviews in 2011. CassaFirE does not appear in my Top 15 Reads End of December 2011 because it will be published in 2012.

That was 2011 in books and reviews delivered from a German by using the KISS rule.

Keep It Short and Simple

See you in 2012

You look quite surprised. Did you expect more? I did not want to waste your time. But in case you would like to get some meat on the bones just scroll down a bit or klick on MEAT

MEAT

- I wanted to read books in 2011 (94)
I will show the cover of the books which include a link to Goodreads. That means just click on a pic and you get more information. Whenever I found it worth or necessary I added a comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- I did not finish books in 2011 (2)

There has been a lot of hype around these books and again in walked into the "hype" trap.

The Lies by Justin Cronin
My comment:

"I stopped reading after 218 pages which is a quarter of the book.
So far I found only two passages interesting for me. I could not connect to any of the characters. the story went along slowly and partially as tough as leather.
I have had high expectations after all the hype and I have been disappointed.
It seems I should should stay away from hyped books."

The Unremembered by Peter Orullian
My comment:

"I know there is some hype around THE UNREMEMBERED and Tor is pushing it a lot.

I stopped reading after 98 pages.

I remember when I read the blurb for the first time. I decided that I did not want to read this book. So I did not make it to my list. Then I received an ARC from Tor and I still did not want to read it. Finally my wife convinced me to give THE UNREMEMBERED a try and I did. I should have trusted my first impression ...

It started promising with the prologue but then ...
- I never got any connection to one of the characters
- I did not find the rhythm of the book
- I felt separated from the story
- The style of the author was not my cup of tea "

I hope I have learned my lesson and do not follow any hype.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- I failed to read Books I wanted to read in 2011 (21)
I commented on most of these books in my Picks for rest of 2011 post.
Anyway I will move these books to my 2012 to read list. Then I have to think about how to combine these books with the new ones. Time will tell ...

--------------------------------------------------------

- I will continue reading books in 2012 which I started in 2011 (1)

It is a strange thing with The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. There is nothing wrong with the book except the pace is sometimes a bit slow. I must say that in this case the reading progress really depends on my mood. xxx belongs to the kind of book where you really have to get into it 100%. That means for me I must read it exclusively. Will see how I can manage this.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unbelievable but true I read a few books within in 2011. And tomorrow (December 31st) I will finish book LXX which is by the way A Place called Armageddon (pb, October 2011)[ISBN-13: 978-1409121602] by CC Humphreys.

As you can see it is a "wild" mix of old and new ones, small publishers and big publishers, several sub genres, real books and digital ones and two books in German.

I hat a lot of fun reading these books and to read books parallel is a fascinating experience.

----------------------------------------------------
Finally I would like to talk a bit of my top five and top fifteen book list.
This list is based on the 70 books I read. You may wonder why I ranked George R.R. Martin on eight. I think I expected far too much from him. Number 3.) from June - Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham - dropped dramatically. That does not mean it is a bad book. I just read books which I liked more.

The top five from end of December definitely reflect my current book taste:
Epic fantasy, science fiction, steampunk and historical fiction.

Top Five End of June 2011
5.) Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick
4.) Prinz der Dunkelheit by Mark Lawrence (my review in German)
3.) Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham
2.) The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder (my review)
1.)Thirteen Years Later by Jasper Kent (my review)

Top 15 Reads 2011 (by December 30th 2011)
15) Phoenix Rising by Pipa Ballantine & Tee Morris
"An action paced steampunk adventure with a lot of humor.
Loveable characters and an interesting story.
I hope there will be more adventures with Wellington Thornhill Books and Eliza D. Braun."

14.) Exiled: Autumn's Peril by Rosalie Skinner (my review)
"I like books where the main character is not always loveable and where most of the characters are neither black nor white. Mixed with a fascinating background story which is revealed slowly, fantasy and science fiction, supernatural, magic and tech, Autumn's Peril is a great start for a new eight book series. "

13.) The Lion of Cairo by Scott Oden
" A great read. Ancient Cairo comes alive and the Emir of the Knife is an impressive character. "

12.) Honour and the Sword by A.L. Berridge (my review)
"The title of the book - Honour and the Sword - is the shortest summary you can get which includes all you get.
In the tradition of Alxandre Dumas, Honour and the Sword offers with André de Roland the French answer to Robin Hood. Enter a time where honour was something completely different and the rapier the weapon of the nobleman.
Remember the time when you read first Robin Hood and The Three Musketeers. You can't turn back the time but instead you can read Honour and the Sword and feel young again. "

11.) Debris by Jo Anderton
"I own an electronic review copy which means "food" for our eReader. I started to read and I could not stop.I read the book in a few days. It has something special.
I'm not sure how to describe it. It is compelling. I did not expect that after reading the blurb.
Anyway it was a fascinating read. Even there are a few confusing parts I gave five stars. "

10.) The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer
"Beside all the stress I finished reading another great fantasy reading.
There is more behind the story as you think at first sight.
Mountain climbing plays an important part in the book. I do not have any experience in this area but Courtney created breathtaking scenes.
I liked the two main characters - Dev and Kiran - more and more after every revelation.
I look forward to read the next book in the series. I hope I will write and finish my full review before the publishing date of the next book."

9.) Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick
"The best fantasy debut in 2011 so far (2011-04-25) .
As you can see I read some more great books. So the book dropped a bit."

8.) A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
" I did it. I did it. I finally finished A Dance with Dragons.
For me it was a great read because I could follow some of my favorite characters.
A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons form a unit.
I expect a lot from the next two books. And I hope it will not take so many years until we get the next book. "

7.) Prinz der Dunkelheit by Mark Lawrence (my review in German)
"I read the German edition. What a great debut. I compared the German and the Englich edition and must say the translator did a great job."

6.) Thirteen Years Later by Jasper Kent (my review)
"What a great read! The mix of historical facts of Russian history supernatural horror is brilliant. I have been emotionally touched by Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov's fate.
The second book in the Danilov Quintet is more than a worth sequel."

5.) A Place Called Armageddon by C.C. Humphreys
"Absolutely awesome!
Read the review by Liviu Suciu over at Fantasy Book Critic.
He found the right words to describe this book.."

Is it fair to add a book to the list even I have not finished it? From my point of view it is no problem. I read a large part and it is as good as Liviu described it.

4.) Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
"DONE! I finished Theft of Swords.
What a great and entertaining read. A story with twists and turns and loveable characters.
If you are looking for an extraordinary good traditional epic fantasy then read
the Riyria Revelations series. "

3.) The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
"What a great read!! I did not expect that.
It delivers all what you can expect from an epic fantasy book.
I fully agree with the George R.R. Martin quote on the cover:
"FRESH, ORIGINAL, AND ENGROSSING ... GORGEOUSLY REALIZED"
I can't wait to read the sequel Red Seas under Red Skies"

2.) The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder (my review)
" Awesome, Awesome Awesome!!!

Can't wait to read the next Burton & Swinburne adventure

It started with an excellent debut.
The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack
is the intelligent, terrific, magnificent
and fulminating hooray into the world of steampunk novels.

And now it continues with a sequel on the next level of inventiveness and execution.
The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man
is a world full of bizarre characters, phat steam-driven technology, mysterious mysteries and unbelievable conspiracies."

1.) Leviathan's Wake by Daniel Abraham
"That is space opera at its best!!!
One of the best books I read in 2011 so far!!"

And now I continue to read the rest of A Place called Armageddon (pb, October 2011)[ISBN-13: 978-1409121602] by CC Humphreys.

Edi's Spotlight: King's Envoy by Cas Peace

2011-12-29T23:51:00.006+01:00

I'm sorry for the delay. I thought I had posted the review yesterday. Seems it has been a dream. So better now then never. Enjoy reading.

Introduction

The working title for this post was XCVII of XCIX in MMXI due to the information I gave you yesterday. I have been tempted to use it as the official title but to be honest that would not have been fair for author Cas Peace. Nobody will google XCVII of XCIX in MMXI in order to find a review of King's Envoy (pb, July 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1936850136] by Cas Peace.

I'm sure you will agree. Nevertheless this is post XCVII of XCIX in MMXI and at the same time the review of the first book in the Artesans of Albia trilogy which has been published by Rhemalda Publishing.
So far I read and reviewed two books by Rhemalda Publishing:
The Bone Sword (2010) [ISBN-13: 978-0982743720] by Walter Rhein (review )
The Light of Epertase (August 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0765365651] by Douglas R. Brown (review)
I really liked both books. Now let's see if King's Envoy (pb, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1936850136] by Cas Peace is playing in the same league.

Book Store Information
In general my decision to read a book is mostly based on the cover and the blurb/synopsis delivered on the back cover. You do not get more information when you are in a book store.
The world of books is changing which means I also will take in account blurbs and descriptions on GOODREADS and other places.
Here we go:

King's Envoy (Paperback , 360 p., August 2011)

[ISBN-13: 978-1936850136]

by Cas Peace

"Taran Elijah's quest for knowledge uncovers a plot that threatens the world. In Albia, the fourth realm, the precious Artesan gift is dying. Although born to the craft, Taran is struggling to achieve his potential. Against his friends' advice, he embarks on a foolhardy plan to acquire the teaching he craves. Alone, he crosses into Andaryon, the fifth realm, but instead of finding a mentor, he stumbles upon a treacherous plot. In the wake of Taran's actions, Albia suffers a series of vicious raids. Major Sullyan of the High King's forces is sent to oppose them. But a dark and treacherous force is moving through the realms and both Taran and Sullyan will feel its power. Their craft, the lives of their friends, the very existence of their realm are under threat unless they expose and oppose the evil." [Source]

My Expectations
Based on the blurb I expected a character driven story showing a formidable adventure with action elements and magic.

Theme
For me there are two major themes. We have a self-finding process which is inescapably connected with true friendship/love.

Setting

Now we come to the first highlight of the book. A fully developed world which consists of five realms. Do not wory. You do not get lost because this book does not leave the reader in the dark before, while and after reading the book. Two maps and a seven page appendix delivers all what a reader could wish. You will be thankful for that.
There is no easy way of traveling between the five realms because these are separated by a kind of magic. It reminded my of the border between North and South Korea. people know that there is more beyond the border but only a few can see it.
This separation led to different developments in each of the realms. King's Envoy is set in Albia (4th realm) and Andaryon (5th). I'm sure that will deliver more information about the other realms in King's Champion (book two, available August 2012) and in King's Artesan (book three, available August 2013). To be honest I would like to tell you more about this fascinating world but that would abridge your reading pleasure too much.

Plot and Character(s)

At first sight the plot looks quite simple. There is a young man wants to learn more about the metaforce - Taran Elijah is a young man is an Artesan. That means he belongs to a minority who is able to control metaforce through the elements fire, water, earth and air. But his knowledge is limited and he yearns to learn more. His unstoppable wish sets the wheel in motion which .....
No,no, no I do not tell you more about the story. I'm sure that exactly in this moment you start to think about what will happen.

Taran is not alone. There are more characters, varying from white to black. Some are that gray that it is impossible to say to which side the tend. Why do I see drooping corners of the mouth from fans of strong but loveable female characters? That is absolutely not necessary. Meet the powerful fragile Major Sully. And there are more interesting characters. The appendix delivers 40 more persons which are more or less important. Please do me and yourself a favor and avoid to read the character list before you read the book because the list contains a few spoiler.

I assume it will not hit you unexpected when I tell you that King's Envoy ends with a cliffhanger. You see there is no way out to avoid King's Champion and King's Artesan after reading King's Envoy.

Style

To be honest I could not believe that King's Envoy is Cas Peace fantasy debut. She comes along as an engaged and experienced writer. Her writing is forcing when it comes to discoveries and revelations, fragile in every aspect of emotions, reverberating and thoughtful when comes to inner dialogue, Clear as a spring when it comes to landscape.

The Inevitable

What shall I say. Are you looking for a fantasy series which is compelling, powerful, fresh and fragile and nevertheless easy to read then you get both my thumbs up for King's Envoy (pb, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1936850136] by Cas Peace .
If you are looking for a dark,dirty and gritty book then please turn your head in an other direction.

Edi's Lighthouse Chatter: XCVI of XCIX in MMXI

2011-12-28T23:50:00.008+01:00

Dear readers,
for nearly two weeks I thought about the last post in 2011 and the first post in 2012.
A time to think and write about the blog, reading experiences, likes and dislikes. Most of the book blogs I follow posted their top of 2011 books, their most anticipated books in 2012, new targets and more. At the end of the past two years I wrote a big fat end of the year post (2009, 2010). I read them again and reasoned I should do something different at the end of 2011. Off course I want to deliver a lot of information but it should be easy to digest. I do not want to spend two hours for reading one post. Therefore I decided to write a series of posts.

Are you still thinking about the title of the post? Is it nonsense or a conundrum?
XCVI of XCIX in MMXI has a meaning. I'm sure you found out that I used Roman numerals.
That means we have something like 96 of 99 in 2011. Let me add some letters:
96th post of 99 in 2011.
Today is December 28th which means I can reach a maximum of 99 posts in 2011 when I publish one post per day including today. And that is how I want to celebrate the end of 2011 on my blog.

You will have the pleasure to read
XCVI of XCIX in MMXI - this post
XCVII of XCIX in MMXI - One of my outstanding reviews
XCVIII of XCIX in MMXI - 2011 in books and reviews
XCIX of XCIX in MMXI - Bye-Bye 2011
in the following days.

What to expect in 2012 will topic of the first post on 2012
I - Welcome 2012

There will be no Edi's Weekend Wave on upcoming Saturday. Therefore I would like to show you three books I received in the past days.

Let me start with the Christmas gift from my daughter. I wanted to read something by Eric Brown. I got a copy of Necropath (pb., 2008)[ISBN-13: 978-1844166022] which is the first book in the Bengal Station trilogy.

"Science fiction meets crime noir, as Jeff Vaughan, jaded telepath, employed by the spaceport authorities on Bengal Station, discovers a sinister cult that worships a mysterious alien god. We follow Vaughan as he attempts to solve the murders and save himself from the psichopath out to kill him. This is Eric Brown's triumphant return to hard SF." [Source]

I could not withstand and started to read. I must say I really like the mix of crime noir and science fiction. I'm sure I will finish it until end of 2011. I know for sure that I must read Xenopath and Cosmopath.
I'm glad that I discovered Eric Brown for me.

A big thank you goes to Meghan Qinn Thanks from PYR for sending me a review copy of Hearts of Smoke and Steam (327 p., November 2011)[ISBN-13: 978-1616143756] by Andrew P. Mayer which is the second book in The Society of Steam duology. In May 2011 I reviewed The Falling Machine which is the first part.

"Sir Dennis Darby has been murdered, the Automaton has been destroyed, and Sarah Stanton has turned her back on a life of privilege and comfort to try and find her way in the unforgiving streets of New York. But Lord Eschaton, the villain behind all these events, isn’t finished with her yet. His plans to bring his apocalyptic vision of the future to the world are moving forward, but to complete his scheme he needs the clockwork heart that Sarah still holds.

But she has her own plans for the Automaton’s clockwork heart—Sarah is trying to rebuild her mechanical friend, and when she is attacked by the Children of Eschaton, the man who comes to her rescue may be the one to make her dreams come true. Emelio Armando is a genius inventor who had hoped to leave his troubles behind when he and his sister left Italy for a life of anonymity in the New World. Now he finds himself falling in love with the fallen society girl, but he is rapidly discovering just how powerful the forces of villainy aligned against her are, and that fulfilling her desires means opening the door to a world of danger that could destroy everything he has built.

The Society of Steam takes place in a Victorian New York powered by the discovery of Fortified Steam, a substance that allows ordinary men to wield extraordinary abilities and grants powers that can corrupt gentlemen of great moral strength. The secret behind this amazing substance is something that wicked brutes will gladly kill for, and one that Sarah must try and protect, no matter what the cost." [Source]

To be honest I would like to read it within 2011 ....

And finally I bought a copy of the third book in the Burton & Swinburne series.
Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon (November 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1616145354] by Mark Hodder is the final one in the first story arc.

"It is 1863, but not the one it should be. Time has veered wildly off course, and now the first moves are being made that will lead to a devastating world war and the fall of the British Empire.
The prime minister, Lord Palmerston, believes that by using the three Eyes of Naga—black diamonds possessing unique properties—he’ll be able to manipulate events and avoid the war. He already has two of the stones, but the third is hidden somewhere in the Mountains of the Moon, the fabled source of the Nile.
Palmerston sends Sir Richard Francis Burton to recover it. For the king’s agent, it’s a chance to redeem himself after his previous failed attempt to find the source of the great river. That occasion had led to betrayal by his partner, John Hanning Speke. Now Speke is leading a rival expedition on behalf of the Germans, and it seems that the battle between the former friends may ignite the very war that Palmerston is trying to avoid!
Caught in a tangled web of cause, effect, and inevitability, little does Burton realize that the stakes are far higher than even he suspects.
A final confrontation comes in the mist-shrouded Mountains of the Moon, in war- torn Africa of 1914, and in Green Park, London, where, in the year 1840, Burton must face the man responsible for altering time: Spring Heeled Jack!

Burton and Swinburne’s third adventure is filled with eccentric steam-driven technology, grotesque characters, and bizarre events, completing the three-volume story arc begun in The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack and The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man." [Source]

What shall I say? There is definitely no time left to read it within 2011. I love the the Burton & Swinburne series.
My reviews of The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack and
The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man should explain why I like the books so much.

I write this last part of the post after a visit to cinema. My wife and I watched Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.
That was an awesome end of the cinema year 2011. We hope there will be a third movie.
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are a congenial duo. I liked especially the two camouflage scenes.

ENJOY READING ...

Edi's Weekend Wave #1152

2011-12-24T18:00:00.003+01:00

Hello and welcome to issue #1152 of Edi's Weekend Wave.
Today is December 24th and that means this is the Christmas edition of the Weekend Wave.
It is a special day for special words and emotions. Don't worry, that will not end in a long and boring speech. Let me pull it altogether in just one sentence:

I wish all of you and your dear and near ones
a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I feel well after two days of rest. Rest does not mean I slept most of the time. Just the opposite. I played Skyrim. I baked cookies for my wife. We did our weekly shopping. I discovered two new bands for me on Youtube. Wrote some special Christmas mails. And now I write this post.

ENJOY READING .... Whenever you find time for it

Edi's Guidepost

The Lighthouse
News and information straight from the horse's mouth by Lighthouse keeper ediFanoB

Reading progress - Success

Books
The latest report from our shelf shop net correspondent Bona

My first purchased ebooks

Blogosphere
Messages from the depths of the blogosphere by spheronaut Bona Fide

Literary landscapes

Movies
Remote control junkie Fide and his zapping highlights

A Prequel
Precious, my Precious
The end of a story

Quotes
The member of the house of quotes and a quote himself the Keeper of the minutes ( we call him Kotm) fished for you

~~German proverbs, sayings and idioms~~ A true word

The Lighthouse

Dear readers,

I did it, I did it, I did it. I read 25550 pages within one year. I crossed the line in the past week.
Anyway it feels good. I crossed the line because I read a book which has been on my to read list but not on my list for the last two weeks.

I finished

- Debris (pb, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0857661548] by Jo Anderton.
I wrote on GOODREADS:
"I own an electronic review copy which means "food" for our eReader. I started to read and I could not stop.I read the book in a few days. It has something special.
I'm not sure how to describe it. It is compelling. I did not expect that after reading the blurb.
Anyway it was a fascinating read. Even there are a few confusing parts I gave five stars.
I look forward to read the next book in the series."

I'm

- 329 pages in The Wise Man's Fear (994 pages, trade paperback, UK 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0575081420] by Patrick Rothfuss
Now progress. A book on my eReader kept me away form this real copy.

- 144 pages in - A Place called Armageddon by C C Humphreys
A slight progress.

And this is what I would like to do in the seven remaining days in 2011.
- Finish reading of The Wise Man's Fear and A Place called Armageddon
- My big fat end of the year post - Maybe I will split it
- One more review from my review back log
- Continue to play Skyrim
- Cinema: Sherlock Holmes 2
- To think about what I want to do in 2012 regarding reading and blogging

I think that should be enough ....

Enjoy your weekend ....

Books

Dear readers, I'm the one to tell you about books - only books? What about novellas and other stuff? My name is Bona. I scour shelves, shops and the net for books. If you call me a book whore I would not gainsay you. But be aware I have my own, sometimes elusive taste.

Yesterday evening I bought my first three eBooks. To be more precise I bougt three short stories.

It seems I forgot to inform you about interesting news from Seventh Star Press.

"December 12, 2011
Seventh Star Press Proudly Announces New Seventh Star Singles eBook Series

Seventh Star Press is proud to introduce Seventh Star Singles, an exciting new eBook series that represents a creative approach to eBook publishing. The debut of the new line kicks off with brand new tales from sword and sorcery/fantasy author Steven L. Shrewsbury, and epic fantasy/urban fantasy author Stephen Zimmer. Best of all, the new eBook short stories are all priced at just 99 cents.

Seventh Star Singles offer more for fans of the authors' novel series, as well as being stand-alone stories. The short stories are set in the worlds that the authors' novels with Seventh Star Press are based. For example, readers who came to know Gorias La Gaul in Steven Shrewsbury's Thrall will now be able to go on more adventures with Gorias in the Blood and Steel: Legends of La Gaul short stories included in the Seventh Star Singles line. Similarly, fans of Stephen Zimmer's Fires in Eden series and Rising Dawn Saga will get to explore more of those worlds in his Chronicles of Ave and Annals of the Rising Dawn short story collections for this new line.

"I was the instigator of the new Seventh Star Singles, as I wanted a way for readers of my series to explore more of my worlds in a way that was also accessible to new readers," Stephen Zimmer commented. "They are entirely stand-alone stories, but provide all kinds of background, further depth, and perhaps even some foreshadowing that all relate to the novel series. They have been a blast to develop, as there are so many stories to be told from these worlds that can't be addressed in the plotlines of the Fires in Eden and Rising Dawn Saga novels. I'm really excited that Steven Shrewsbury stepped forward to develop a Gorias La Gaul collection. Any fan of Robert E. Howard is bound to love Steven's work and this new series opens things wide for him to write all kinds of Gorias adventures! "

Steven Shrewsbury's collection Blood and Steel: Legends of La Gaul starts off with two new Gorias La Gaul tales, Author and Finisher of Our Flesh, and Insurmountable. Stephen Zimmer has three contributions to the Chronicles of Ave collection, Into Glory Ride, Land of Shadow, and Lion Heart. Stephen has one story for the Annals of the Rising Dawn, Temples Rising.

A new page on the Seventh Star Press website gives full synopsis and availability on the various story collections. The page can be found at: http://seventhstarpress.com/documents/seventh_star_singles.html

Many new titles are planned in the series in 2012, to be released on a monthly basis alongside the scheduled novel releases."

As you may know I'm a big fan of Stephen Zimmer's Fires in Eden series.
The series started with Crown of Vengeance (2009) [ISBN-13: 978-0983108627]. To read my review follow this link.
I also reviewed Dream of Legends (2010) [ISBN-13: 978-0983108627] which is the second book in the Fires in Eden series. To read my review follow this link.

And yesterday evening I could no longer withstand and bought the first three available Fires in Eden short stories.

I can't present you covers because there are non. But I hope title and blurb gives you an impression. I appreciate to get more information about the series beside the full books.

Into Glory Ride [Kindle Link, just 99 cents]

"In this short story from the Chronicles of Ave collection, you are invited into Trogen lands. A brave young warrior of the Sea Wolf clan, Marragesh, sights the approach of an Elven raid while on a scouting foray along the cliffs of the northern coast.
Long under the shadow of the Elves, the Trogens have quietly been preparing a new development to aid in the defense of their lands. As the Elven fleet nears their land, brimming with sky steeds and warriors, a momentous choice must be made that has major implications for the Trogen clans." [Source]

Land of Shadow [Kindle Link , just 99 cents]

"In this short story from the Chronicles of Ave collection, the reader is invited to take an adventure into the Shadowlands. When a band of hardened Avanoran mercenaries take up an offer to search out a favorable site for a fortress, they are well aware of the warnings about the Shadowlands. Even a large, armed group of warriors is not safe, however, as the knight Godfrey finds out during a harrowing journey." [Source]

Lion Heart [Kindle Link, just 99 cents]

"In this short story from the Chronicles of Ave collection, the reader is invited to explore the lands of the Amazu and meet Sigananda, one of their greatest, legendary warriors. In this story, Sigananda is shown as a young man, just coming of age. When powerful Wizards threaten the Amazu people, Sigananda is sent on a journey that will test his resolve and courage. At ease against opponents of flesh and blood, he must contend with powers that transcend the laws of the physical world." [Source]

Literary landscapes - that sounds interesting. What is your imagination of literary landscapes?
I'm sure it will differ from what you can see over at then WebUrbanist. Enjoy the

Literary Landscapes: Carved Books by Guy Laramee

That's it for today. Come back next week for more ......

Movies

Hey, it's me Fide. I'm a remote control professional. I'm that fast that I can watch two movies at the same time.
But don't worry. All the stuff I present to you will be shown at normal speed.

Today I show you three trailers. Two of the movies I definitely want to see. Let me start with the one which left me indecisive after watching the trailer.

I still remember when I met officer Ellen Ripley for the first time ..... in cinema. And in 2012 - 33 years after the first Alien movie - it is up to Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) to face the aliens in the prequel Prometheus. I did not build up my mind abou tPrometheus yet. But starring Noomi Rapace as one of the main characters is definitely a plus.Before I show you the trailer let talk Noomi Rapace on her Prometheus character.

And this is the Prometheus trailer ....

What comes up in your mind when you hear the words "MY PRECIOUS"??
For me it means three unforgettable movies. But that will change in 2012. Gollum returns to screen. But not alone. I can't believe that I have to wait a whole year until The Hobbit: An unexpected Journey will hit the cinemas. I'm pretty sure that we will get some trailers in the meantime. And this is the first one.

The last trailer for today marks the end of a legend. With The Dark Knight Rises Christopher Nolan delivers the final part in his Dark Knight trilogy.

That's all for today. See you next time....

Quotes

I 'm the Keeper of the minutes. But I don't mind when you call me Kotm. No, no. I don't explain to you how to pronounce.

Christmas! Do you expect Christmas related quotes? Then I must disappoint you. I found a quote which I liked so much that I stopped research. have a look ...

"Anger is the feeling that makes your mouth work faster than your mind.”
Evan Esar, American Humorist (1899 - 1995)

Edi's Spotlight: CassaFirE by Alex J. Cavanaugh

2011-12-21T23:50:00.002+01:00

SOLSTICE

WINTER SOLSTICE

Is there any better day/night to post a review of a book which delivers an essential turning point in the life of a person?
It ... oh dear! I'm sorry. that should be part of the cherry on the cake. I love cake but that is a completely different story. The cherry. I wanted to talk about the relation between a cherry and a book I reviewed on October 17th, 2010. I wrote in my review:

"Conclusion: For me CassaStaR* is a well executed, character driven, easy to follow debut novel about friendship, I mean real friendship, set in space including battles. I look forward to the next Alex J. Cavanaugh story - the groundwork is done and now I wait for the cherry ...."

(*= CassaStaR (October 19th,2010) [ISBN-13: 978-0981621067] by Alex J. Cavanaugh)

CHERRY is the catchword

Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh and Dancing Lemur Press for sending me an unproofed review copy of the possibly cherry CassaFirE (February 28th, 2012, pb, 240 p.) [ISBN-13: 978-0982713945].

At the end of this early review you will know what to expect:

Cherry - Farrago - Lemon

I think it should be obvious by now that this is not a review which follows my standards. I think CassaFirE deserves something different which is in terms of the main protagonist Byron.

The Book

CassaFirE (February 28th, 2012, pb, 240 p.)

[ISBN-13: 978-0982713945]
Alex J. Cavanaugh

All of you, who would like to read the extensive, three parted description (the past - the setting - characters) please follow THIS LINK.

In case you are the more audio/visual type then spend a minute to watch the CassaFirE trailer.

I think all has been said with the conclusion I wrote for CassaStaR.
But that does not mean I expected a celestial novel. I want to see character development and a new part of the Cassa universe
If you do not know CassaStaR - it would be a great Christmas gift - let me tell you, that CassaStaR and CassaFirE have much more in common with Star Trek than with Starship Troopers.

This is a book of inner and outer journeys, of inner and outer adventures, mysteries and revelations. It is also a book of friendship, relationship and equality. And last but not least it could be easily part of Byron's biography because All is connected and related to Byron, the Cosbolt fighter hero of the Vindicarn war twenty years ago.

I admit that sounds a bit sophisticated. But Alex J. Cavanaugh delivers a lot which you may not discover at first sight.

It is amazing to follow the mirroring themes inside of Byron and the world around him. Let me give you an example. Any progress with the decipher of the alien language goes along with the revelation of an inner thought of Byron. And Alex J. Cavanaugh does it in a light footed manner.
You do not march through the book. You follow Byron and the other characters like a swallow which is the merit of the author's writing style.

The plot looks simple. Alien ruins on a distant planet inhabited by another civilization. An exploration vessel full of scientists who are keen to unlock every secret. But there are pirates and aliens and there are characters with their own agenda. Alex J. Cavanaugh combines these elements to a story with meaning and depth.

CassaFirE is a character story which mirrors in the outer events. Of course it is possible to read CassaFirE without knowing CassaStaR. BUT you will miss an important part of Byron's development.
There are no doubts that is a character driven book. Byron, Athee and Mevine are like a magic triangle. For most part of the book I was not really sure in which way the relationship between these three characters would develop. It was like the author was twinkling behind the words.
It is absolutely necessary to mention that women play an important part. CassaStaR showed a world without women. with the introduction of the talented Athee, a Tgren woman Alex J. Cavanaugh did somehing very clever. Because Athee is not only a member of another civilization. She is at the same time a mystery like the alien ruins detected on the planet and to top that she tend to be a thorn in the flesh of Cassan society. Athee is young, emotional, intelligent, thirsty for knowledge and on several levels a challenge for Byron.
Of course there are more characters either on the planet of Tgren and on board the exploration vessel Rennather. But to tell more about them would give away too much of the story.

For me CassaFirE is definitely the cherry I expected. Great characters who are far beyond to be over the top. A main character who develop in depth. The great idea with mirroring themes. the well dosed mixed of action and dialogue. Science which does not overstrain the reader. Mysterious aliens who deny to reveal their identity. A book in best Star Trek tradition.

CassaStaR is the cake. CassaFirE is the cherry. And CassaXxxX will be the cream on the cherry.
There is no way out for you Alex J. Cavanaugh. An author who pampers his readers with excellent books is doomed to write one more. The end of CassaFirE is a clear end. It is that clear that it screams for a third Cassa novel. I'm sure Athee and Mevine will agree.

Edi's Weekend Wave #1151

2011-12-17T23:05:00.002+01:00

Hello and welcome to issue #1151 of Edi's Weekend Wave.
The pendulum is moving. Less time at work and more time for reading. Even the weather was not that good, my wife and I enjoyed our visist of the Christmas Market in Mainz. We are happy that we bought all Christmas gifts last month. So we do not have any shopping stress.
And now

ENJOY READING ....

Edi's Guidepost

The Lighthouse
News and information straight from the horse's mouth by Lighthouse keeper ediFanoB

Reading progress on the home stretch
Plan for the fourteen remaining days in 2012

Books
The latest report from our shelf shop net correspondent Bona

Expected deliveries until end of 2011

Blogosphere
Messages from the depths of the blogosphere by spheronaut Bona Fide

If I could go to London before Christmas I would ....
Poster Minimalism

Movies
Remote control junkie Fide and his zapping highlights

From 1962 to 2012
After 15 years: J and K

Quotes
The member of the house of quotes and a quote himself the Keeper of the minutes ( we call him Kotm) fished for you

~~German proverbs, sayings and idioms~~ Quotes related to the use of words

The Lighthouse

Dear readers,
today I start with the reading progress! I found time to read in sum 528 pages which rocks. That means I will hit my magic 25550 pages definitely by end of next week. That will be my own Christmas gift. I finished two more books and started a new one!

I finished

- The Whitefire Crossing (ebook, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1597802833] by Courtney Schafer.
I wrote on GOODREADS:
"There is more behind the story as you think at first sight. Mountain climbing plays an important part in the book. I do not have any experience in this area but Courtney created breathtaking scenes. I liked the two main characters - Dev and Kiran - more and more after every revelation. I look forward to read the next book in the series. "
- CassaFirE (pb, Feruary 28th 2012) [ISBN-13: 978-0982713945] by Alex J. Cavanaugh.
Twenty years later. Byron kept his promise. But a young scientist and a female pilot disturb his life ....
I liked the book a lot. And this will be the book to return to reviews on this blog. For the first time I will do a so called "early review". The review will be available before Christmas.

I'm

- 329 pages in The Wise Man's Fear (994 pages, trade paperback, UK 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0575081420] by Patrick Rothfuss
It is fascinating to see that there is no problem to read the book with a lot of breaks.

- 111 pages in - A Place called Armageddon by C C Humphreys
So far I met some intriguing characters. I like that the story starts a year before the siege of Constantinople in 1453. Gregoras, the man without nose, the mysterious Leilah, John Grant, a man with a lot of knowledge in engineering and alchemy .....

Of course I have plans for the remaining fourteen days in 2011.
- Finish reading of The Wise Man's Fear and A Place called Armageddon
- My big fat end of the year post
- Review: CassaFirE
- One more review from my review back log
- Edi's Weekend Wave #1152
- Continue to play Skyrim
- Cinema: In Time and Sherlock Holmes 2
- To think about what I want to do in 2012

I think that should be enough ....

Enjoy your weekend ....

Books

Dear readers, I'm the one to tell you about books - only books? What about novellas and other stuff? My name is Bona. I scour shelves, shops and the net for books. If you call me a book whore I would not gainsay you. But be aware I have my own, sometimes elusive taste.

The last week I did not receive a book. Therefore I would like to show you the books which I expect to be delivered until end of 2011. as both of them are debut novels they could be also interesting for you.

Let me start with"The stunning superhero-noir fantasy thriller set in the other New York. " [Source]. I talk about Empire State (448p., pb, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0857661937] by Adam Christopher.

"THE EMPIRE STATE IS THE OTHER NEW YORK. A parallel-universe, Prohibition-era world of mooks and shamuses that is the twisted magic mirror to our bustling Big Apple, a place where sinister characters lurk around every corner while the great superheroes that once kept the streets safe have fallen into dysfunctional rivalries and feuds. Not that its colourful residents know anything about the real New York… until detective Rad Bradley makes a discovery that will change the lives of all its inhabitants. " [Source]

I want to read this book since I read the blurb for the first time. Things like Batman and Fringe came up in my mind.

The second book is not really a debut but it is the first published novel of author Gaie Sebold. Babylon Steel (544p., pb, 2011] [ISBN-13: 978-1907992384] which seems to be a kind of fantasy mystery mix.

"Babylon Steel, ex-sword-for-hire, ex… other things, runs the best brothel in Scalentine; city of many portals, two moons, and a wide variety of races, were-creatures, and religions, not to mention the occasional insane warlock.
She’s not having a good week. The Vessels of Purity are protesting against brothels, women in the trade are being attacked, it’s tax time, and there’s not enough money to pay the bill. So when the mysterious Darask Fain offers her a job finding a missing girl, Babylon decides to take it. But the missing girl is not what she seems, and neither is Darask Fain. In the meantime twomoon is approaching, and more than just a few night’s takings are at risk when Babylon’s hidden past reaches out to grab her by the throat." [Source]

Gaie Sebold wrote about Babylon Steel:

"I never expected that I would write about someone who runs a brothel; about sex and sexuality in a fantasy setting. Heavens, I wasn't even brought up to think about such things in any setting. But there. There's probably some apt saying about this, and if I ever find it, I shall quote it." [Source]

And you should know that Gaie Sebold is working on a sequel ...

Two books with in sum nearly 1000 pages. I think there will be no way out. Next year Imust read more ...

No more today, see you next week ......

Blogosphere

Hey, I'm Bona Fide. I just came back from my last foray through the blogosphere. What can you expect from me? I tell you: Everything from Art to Fart as long as there is any faint connection to books. And here is some honey from the beehive blogosphere...

If I could go to London before Christmas I would .....
visit the Dickens and London exhibition at the Museum of London. But that will not happen. Fortunately there are people who visited the exhibition and posted about it. If you are interested in the exhibition then you should not hesitate to visit The Cat's Meat Shop and enjoy the excellent Visiting Dicken's London post.

I know a lot of people like movie poster. Would you like to get a new view on movie poster? Then WebUrbanist has the right post for you. Go and have a look at

Movie Poster Minimalism: 41 Stripped-Down Examples

That's it for today. Come back next week for more ......

Movies

Hey, it's me Fide. I'm a remote control professional. I'm that fast that I can watch two movies at the same time.
But don't worry. All the stuff I present to you will be shown at normal speed.

Welcome to 1962. I hope you all went to cinema to see the amazing Jack The Gina Killer movie based on the British fairy tale with the same name. Breathtaking monsters, a beautiful princess and a brave hero. You missed the movie? Have a look at the trailer:

You think this movie is not state of the art? It has been in 1962! Don't worry. In couple of months a new Jack returns on the big screen. Watch the trailer and you will agree that the 2012 Jack the Gian Killer looks different ...

MIB - I'm sure you what this stands for. In Germany we have a saying: All good things come in threes. Are there people from outer space living on Earth or why do certain actors not grow older.
No I'm not nuts. I talk about a movie which will hit the cinemas in May 2012. Here comes the first trailer of Men in Black 3.

It all began in 1997 with

Agents K and J still look the same. Are they really human beings?

That's all for today. See you next time....

Quotes

I 'm the Keeper of the minutes. But I don't mind when you call me Kotm. No, no. I don't explain to you how to pronounce.

The use of words is something essential in our life. The wrong use of words caused wars and destroyed uncountable numbers of relationships. May following quotes give is some hints for the proper use of specific words .....

"Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use.”
Wendell Johnson

"I have learned to use the word 'impossible' with the greatest caution.”
Wernher von Braun, US (German-born) rocket engineer (1912 - 1977)

"The word 'meaningful' when used today is nearly always meaningless.”
Paul Johnson

"LOVE: A word properly applied to our delight in particular kinds of food; sometimes metaphorically spoken of the favorite objects of all our appetites.”
Henry Fielding, English dramatist & novelist (1707 - 1754)

""Luck" is a very good word if you put a P before it.”
Author Unknown

"Fame - a few words upon a tombstone, and the truth of those not to be depended on.”
John Christian Bovee

Edi's Book Lighthouse #1150

2011-12-10T22:05:00.003+01:00

Hello and welcome to issue #1150 of Edi's Weekend Wave.
THE WORK IS DONE!! Last Wednesday I finished my big project which kept me more than busy in the past two and a half months. I started to return to normal working days. I still feel a bit exhausted. But that will change in a couple of days. I look forward to Tuesday when my wife and I will visit the Christmas Market in Mainz. Anyway today the Weekend Wave will be a bit longer than last week.

ENJOY READING ....

Edi's Guidepost

The Lighthouse
News and information straight from the horse's mouth by Lighthouse keeper ediFanoB

Light and Breezy
I did a guest post
Reading progress

Books
The latest report from our shelf shop net correspondent Bona

One+one+one=three
A discovery

Blogosphere
Messages from the depths of the blogosphere by spheronaut Bona Fide

My guest post
Manhole Cover Art
Insight into blogger's heart

Movies
Remote control junkie Fide and his zapping highlights

The Grey

Quotes
The member of the house of quotes and a quote himself the Keeper of the minutes ( we call him Kotm) fished for you

~~German proverbs, sayings and idioms~~ Quotes related to time

The Lighthouse

Dear readers,
light and breezy! That's how I feel today. As I wrote above, normal working days are ahead. I started to return to a more normal life. That means time for reading, reviewing and blogging.
While writing this post I listen to following song: Somebody That I Used To Know perfomed by Gotye (featuring Kimbra). The video has been uploaded in July 2011. I took me only five months to discover it - better late than never. There is something in this song which force me to hear it again and again and again and again and again, and ....

Again I read only on two days last week! I read in sum 272 pages and finished an omnibus. I know it will change from now on. Only 735 pages left until I reach my target ....

I finished

- Theft of Swords (pb, November 23rd 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0316187747] by Michael J. Sullivan
I wrote on GOODREADS:
"What a great and entertaining read. A story with twists and turns and loveable characters.

If you are looking for an extraordinary good traditional epic fantasy then read
the Riyria Revelations series."

I'm

- 226 pages in The Wise Man's Fear (994 pages, trade paperback, UK 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0575081420] by Patrick Rothfuss
Sixteen pages more ....

- 233 pages in of The Whitefire Crossing (ebook, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1597802833] by Courtney Schafer.
The more I read the more I like Dev and Kiran. Every time when you think Dev and Kiran found a way to escape their trouble more trouble arrives ...

- 33 pages in CassaFirE (pb, Feruary 28th 2012) [ISBN-13: 978-0982713945] by Alex J. Cavanaugh.
Twenty years later. Byron kept his promise. But a young scientist and a female pilot disturb his life ....

That means there are only 1598 pages left to be read in 22 days.
Then I will have finished
- The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
- The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer
- A Place called Armageddon by C C Humphreys
- CassaFirE by Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Enjoy your weekend ....

Books

Dear readers, I'm the one to tell you about books - only books? What about novellas and other stuff? My name is Bona. I scour shelves, shops and the net for books. If you call me a book whore I would not gainsay you. But be aware I have my own, sometimes elusive taste.

In sum I received three books last week - Two real copies and one electronic copy. Let me start with the electronic one. On August 24th I posted my review of Fistful of Reefer (Kindle edition, 553kb, July 2011)[Amazon ASIN: B005DUB4X4] by David Mark Brown. Last week the author sent my a copy of The Austin Job (Kindle edition, 525kb, December 2011)[Amazon ASIN: B006J0X0IO], which is the second book in the Reeferpunk universe.

"With the world embroiled in the Great War, power-hungry forces threaten to tear apart the state of Texas in a secret plot to rule the resource that will fuel the future. In The Austin Job, James Starr, bronc rider turned politician, stumbles into a high stakes game of power and lies that he must master before it masters him.
Exploding with double-fisted, cheek-puckering action, including the world's fist parkour stunt horse, The Austin Job dares you to cinch your saddle to a bolt of Lone Star lightning and hold on for dear life.
In this second book of his Reeferpunk series, Author David Mark Brown invites the reader into a world illuminated by human torches and moonlight towers, an underground Austin inhabited by machine and monster alike, where what you don't know can get you killed--or just really, really messed up." [Source]

I liked the first book which I read on my notebook. Fortunately I can read the second book on our eReader.

The next book is the third and final book in the The Ancient Blades trilogy: Honor Among Thieves (December 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0062021267] by David Chandler.

"When allies become enemies, to whom can a clever thief turn?
Armed with one of seven Ancient Blades, Malden was chosen by Fate to act as savior . . . and failed dismally. And now there is no stopping the barbarian hordes from invading and pillaging the kingdom of Skrae. Suddenly friends and former supporters alike covet the young hero’s magic while seeking his destruction—from the treacherous King and leaders of the City of Ness to the rogue knight Croy, who owes Malden his life.
It will take more than Malden’s makeshift army of harlots and cutpurses to preserve a realm. Luckily the sorceress Cythera fights at his side, along with the ingenious, irascible dwarf Slag. And the wily thief still has a desperate and daring plan or two up his larcenous sleeve . . . " [Source]

I wanted to read the whole trilogy back to back. Now I own all books. But there is not enough time left to read The Ancient Blades trilogy in 2011. So I moved the books to my 2012 to read list.

The third and final book is a special one. If you are not interested in history, the following book presentation maybe be boring for you. Like a lot of fantasy lovers I'm interested in history. I must admit I do not know much about Russian history. I know that A.L. Berridge author of The Chevalier Series) is working on a book set in the Crimean War. Be honest, what do you know about this war? I know that it was one of the first wars which has been well documented by photographs and written documents. Florence Nightingale nursed wounded soldiers over there.
I did not really think about to read a Crimean War history book. And then following happened last week. In a supplement of a daily newspaper I read a praise for a book about the Crimean War. This enlightening book delivers a better understanding of the world. There is none who write about battles and wars as entertaining as the British historian Orlando Figes.
I'm sure you know the end of the story. I ordered a copy of Crimea (pb, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0141013503] by Orlando Figes.

"The Crimean War was the defining conflict of the nineteenth century and one of the fiercest battles in Russia's history: pitting its empire against an alliance of Britain, France and Turkey, killing at least 800,000 men and completely redrawing the map of Europe.It was the first conflict to use photography, the telegraph and newspapers; the original 'total war'.

Orlando Figes' vivid new book reinterprets this extraordinary conflict. Bringing to life ordinary soldiers in snow-filled trenches, surgeons on the battlefield and the haunted, fanatical figure of Tsar Nicholas himself, Crimea tells the human story of a tragic war." [Back of the book]

I can't wait to read it. I need to finish my current reads as soon as possible. It sounds like the kind of history books we wanted at our school time. So far I did not find any negative review.

The following discovery is a result of my guest post over at Alex J. Cavanaugh. Later on you will read more about it. M Pax left a comment at my guest post and on my blog. I did not take long to find out that M Pax is the author of the space opera novelette Semper Audacia (ebook, available at Smashwords and other shops).

"Alone. Leda is the last living member of the brigade, the sole defender of her world. War took everyone she knew, leaving her in the company of memories and ghosts. Or is it madness? The siren blares. The enemy is coming. Or is it? The approaching vessel isn’t a friendly design, but it answers with the correct code. Leda must figure out whether the arrival is reinforcements or the final assault. In an aging flyer, she ventures out to meet her world’s fate, the last stand." [Source]

I found the synopsis interesting enough to present you the book.
You get a more intense impression when you read the first chapter.
Maybe you are looking for an eReader owner Christmas present. It seems you will get a good story for only $0.99 USD.
Have a look at the trailer:

.

No more today, see you next week ......

Blogosphere

Hey, I'm Bona Fide. I just came back from my last foray through the blogosphere. What can you expect from me? I tell you: Everything from Art to Fart as long as there is any faint connection to books. And here is some honey from the beehive blogosphere...

Despite the fact, that I had nearly no time for reading and my blog, I found time to write a guest post for Alex J. Cavanaugh. I promised it at time when time was not a big issue for me.
Anyway I kept my promise. Maybe you would like to know what I wrote. You are just one click away.

Does Anyone Speak Baenglish?

I must say I have been surprised by the number of comments. It took some time to reply answer them all. One result of my guest post is a growing number of followers. I don't want to miss to give a warm welcome to all my new followers. Hope you will like what I deliver.

Again and again WebUrbanist surprise me with excellent and refreshing posts. When we walk through a town we do not often look at the ground. Obviously it is too dangerous to lose sight of traffic. But without looking at the ground we definitely miss pieces of art. Fortunately we can trust in WebUrbanist. Sooner or later they show us what we miss. Have a look or two at

Manhole Cover Art That Is Far From Pedestrian

The blogger I know do not get paid for their blog. It is a hobby like knitting. But we are surrounded by professionals. We are proud of what we are doing. But we are not without self-doubt.
SQT over at Fantasy & SciFi Lovin' News & Reviews wrote a great post which gives you an insight into blogger's heart. The post reflects my feelings too.
Read Why Blogging Sometimes Scares Me to get more information.

That's it for today. Come back next week for more ......

Movies

Hey, it's me Fide. I'm a remote control professional. I'm that fast that I can watch two movies at the same time.
But don't worry. All the stuff I present to you will be shown at normal speed.

Big bad wolves, severe cold and a tough guy are some of the ingredients of the upcoming survival thriller The Grey. And this is the official trailer:

That's all for today. See you next time....

Quotes

I 'm the Keeper of the minutes. But I don't mind when you call me Kotm. No, no. I don't explain to you how to pronounce.

I'm glad that I got more time for quote search. I decided to go for time quotes because there is nearly no post on this blog which does not contain the word time ...

"What very mysterious things days were. Sometimes they fly by, and other times they seem to last forever, yet they are all exactly twenty-four hours. There's quite a lot we don't know about them.”
Melanie Benjamin, Alice I Have Been, 2010

"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”
Carl Sandburg, US biographer & poet (1878 - 1967)

"Nothing is as far away as one minute ago.”
Jim Bishop

Edi's Weekend Wave #1149

2011-12-03T23:50:00.001+01:00

Hello and welcome to issue #1149 of Edi's Weekend Wave.
Edi's Book Lighthouse is fighting against its decay. What to do when nearly no time is left. This is is the second time only that I'm online in the past week. How shall a find stuff to present you? How shall I write reviews? How shall I read books? All these things are reduced to nearly nothing. But I fight. Nobody and nothing will destroy my love to books and my blog. And I'm sure there will be better days. Until then I will make the best of the situation.

ENJOY READING ....

Edi's Guidepost

The Lighthouse
News and information straight from the horse's mouth by Lighthouse keeper ediFanoB

How I feel
Reading progress

Books
The latest report from our shelf shop net correspondent Bona

Ray of Light

Blogosphere
Messages from the depths of the blogosphere by spheronaut Bona Fide

The largest model railway of the world

Movies
Remote control junkie Fide and his zapping highlights

Something to get in Christmas mood

Quotes
The member of the house of quotes and a quote himself the Keeper of the minutes ( we call him Kotm) fished for you

~~German proverbs, sayings and idioms~~ Yes, I found one which begged me to quote it

The Lighthouse

Dear readers,
how often pictures and music describe far better our moods and feelings than words. And this is the song I'm listening to while writing this post. I know it is a famous one and forever affiliated with the American Civil War (you will know why when you have seen The Civil War series by Ken Burns), even the song has been written by Jay Ungar in 1982. The name of the song is Ashokan Farewell.

I read only on two days last week! Therefore I'm happy that read 272 pages within these two days. 130 pages more compared to the 142 pages the week before. ithin two days where I found time for readingy reading progress is not worth mentioning: 142 pages in seven days .....

I'm

- 210 pages in The Wise Man's Fear (994 pages, trade paperback, UK 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0575081420] by Patrick Rothfuss
A slight progress of 57 pages. I yearn for days off!!

- 513 pages in Theft of Swords (pb, November 23rd 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0316187747] by Michael J. Sullivan
112 pages more is better than nothing.

- 157 pages in of The Whitefire Crossing (ebook, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1597802833] by Courtney Schafer.
I like Dev and Kiran. I have no clue how the book will end ...

That means there are only 1859 pages left to be read in 29 days.
Then I will have finished
- The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
- Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
- The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer
- CassaFirE by Alex J. Cavanaugh.
- A Place called Armageddon by C C Humphreys

Enjoy your weekend ....

Books

Dear readers, I'm the one to tell you about books - only books? What about novellas and other stuff? My name is Bona. I scour shelves, shops and the net for books. If you call me a book whore I would not gainsay you. But be aware I have my own, sometimes elusive taste.

Last I wrote about the books I still wait for the delivery. To my surprise copies of two of these books found their way to my home:

A big thank you goes to Nightshade Books and Courtney Schafer for sending me a signed copy of The Whitefire Crossing (pb, 2011)[ISBN-13: 978-1597802833]. It is the first book of The Shattered Sigil series. I'm reading an electronic copy of the book and it's great.

"Dev is a smuggler with the perfect cover. He's in high demand as a guide for the caravans that carry legitimate goods from the city of Ninavel into the country of Alathia. The route through the Whitefire Mountains is treacherous, and Dev is one of the few climbers who knows how to cross them safely. With his skill and connections, it's easy enough to slip contraband charms from Ninavel - where any magic is fair game, no matter how dark - into Alathia, where most magic is outlawed.
But smuggling a few charms is one thing; smuggling a person through the warded Alathian border is near suicidal. Having made a promise to a dying friend, Dev is forced to take on a singularly dangerous cargo: Kiran. A young apprentice on the run from one of the most powerful mages in Ninavel, Kiran is desperate enough to pay a fortune to sneak into a country where discovery means certain execution - and he'll do whatever it takes to prevent Dev from finding out the terrible truth behind his getaway.
Yet Kiran isn't the only one harboring a deadly secret. Caught up in a web of subterfuge and dark magic, Dev and Kiran must find a way to trust each other - or face not only their own destruction, but that of the entire city of Ninavel." [Source]

And another big thank you goes to Meghan Quinn from PYR for sending me a review copy of
Hearts of Smoke and Steam (327 p., November 2011)[ISBN-13: 978-1616143756] by Andrew P. Mayer.

"Sir Dennis Darby has been murdered, the Automaton has been destroyed, and Sarah Stanton has turned her back on a life of privilege and comfort to try and find her way in the unforgiving streets of New York. But Lord Eschaton, the villain behind all these events, isn’t finished with her yet. His plans to bring his apocalyptic vision of the future to the world are moving forward, but to complete his scheme he needs the clockwork heart that Sarah still holds.
But she has her own plans for the Automaton’s clockwork heart—Sarah is trying to rebuild her mechanical friend, and when she is attacked by the Children of Eschaton, the man who comes to her rescue may be the one to make her dreams come true. Emelio Armando is a genius inventor who had hoped to leave his troubles behind when he and his sister left Italy for a life of anonymity in the New World. Now he finds himself falling in love with the fallen society girl, but he is rapidly discovering just how powerful the forces of villainy aligned against her are, and that fulfilling her desires means opening the door to a world of danger that could destroy everything he has built.
The Society of Steam takes place in a Victorian New York powered by the discovery of Fortified Steam, a substance that allows ordinary men to wield extraordinary abilities and grants powers that can corrupt gentlemen of great moral strength. The secret behind this amazing substance is something that wicked brutes will gladly kill for, and one that Sarah must try and protect, no matter what the cost." [Source]

I look forward to read and review xxx which is the second and last book of The Society of Steam duology. In May 2011 I reviewed The Falling Machine (278 p. May 2011)[ISBN-13: 978-1616143756] by Andrew P. Mayer ...

Beside that I still hope to receive the other outstanding books.

No more today, see you next week ......

Blogosphere

Hey, I'm Bona Fide. I just came back from my last foray through the blogosphere. What can you expect from me? I tell you: Everything from Art to Fart as long as there is any faint connection to books. And here is some honey from the beehive blogosphere...

As I told you at the beginning of the post, there was not much time to find some content worth to share with you. Like millions of other men I love model railway. As you may know there is a large one in Hamburg, Germany. It is called Miniatur Wunderland. Now the new 2012 video trailer is available. It is a must see! So far I did not find time to visit the Wunderland. Therefore I enjoy the video like you. And the comment is in English!

That's it for today. Come back next week for more ......

Movies

Hey, it's me Fide. I'm a remote control professional. I'm that fast that I can watch two movies at the same time.
But don't worry. All the stuff I present to you will be shown at normal speed.

A new fantasy movie with a lot of action will hit the cinemas in 2012. John Carter is based on the novel A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. First thing I noticed, it is a 2D film ...

If could jump like John Carter it would take me less than a minute to leave home and arrive at work ....

That's all for today. See you next time....

Quotes

I 'm the Keeper of the minutes. But I don't mind when you call me Kotm. No, no. I don't explain to you how to pronounce.

True but not well accepted quote ...

"If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it.”
Margaret Fuller, US Transcendentalist author & editor (1810 - 1850)

But unfortunately there are not so many people who would like to light their candle.....

Edi's Weekend Wave #1148

2011-11-26T23:50:00.002+01:00

Hello and welcome to issue #1148 of Edi's Weekend Wave.
I'm frustrated, disappointed and totally tired. In the middle of past week I was not sure whether you well get a new issue of Edi's Weekend Wave or not. But a couple of minutes ago I said to myself: "You are not defeated yet and you will not surrender. Even you are terribly tired, you will deliver this issue. It is one of the last bastions between a life with a hobby or a life mainly consisting of work and sleep." Now have a look at one of the shortest Edi's Weekend Wave ever.

ENJOY READING ....

Edi's Guidepost

The Lighthouse
News and information straight from the horse's mouth by Lighthouse keeper ediFanoB

Reading progress
Reading list until end of 2011
DISAPPOINTMENT and a question

Books
The latest report from our shelf shop net correspondent Bona

C C Humphreys

Blogosphere
Messages from the depths of the blogosphere by spheronaut Bona Fide

Surreal Art

Movies
Remote control junkie Fide and his zapping highlights

Something to get in Christmas mood

Quotes
The member of the house of quotes and a quote himself the Keeper of the minutes ( we call him Kotm) fished for you

~~German proverbs, sayings and idioms~~ Yes, I found one which begged me to quote it

The Lighthouse

My reading progress is not worth mentioning: 142 pages in seven days .....

I'm

- 154 pages in The Wise Man's Fear (994 pages, trade paperback, UK 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0575081420] by Patrick Rothfuss
NO PROGRESS!!!!!!!

- 401 pages in Theft of Swords (pb, November 23rd 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-0316187747] by Michael J. Sullivan
A slight progress in an excellent book.

- 55 pages in of The Whitefire Crossing (ebook, 2011) [ISBN-13: 978-1597802833] by Courtney Schafer.
This is the second book which I'm reading on our new e-book reader. A promising beginning.

Including today there are only 36 days left until end of 2011. High time to have a look at the books which I imploringly want to read until then. Fortunately I will have a few days off between Christmas and New Year. So I hope to read and finish following five books:

- The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
- Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
- The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer
- CassaFirE by Alex J. Cavanaugh.
- A Place called Armageddon by C C Humphreys

That means three times epic fantasy , one science fiction and one historical fantasy with in sum 2131 pages. Enough for 36 days.

Disappointment!
What happened.
In September and October I won books in giveaways and some publishers sent my review copies of books.
BUT so far I did not receive one of these books. In one case I contacted the blog who did the giveaway. The blog owner replied that the copy has been sent to me. He has been so kind to contact publisher again and they sent me a second copy which also did not arrive at my home.

That means I do not receive books from UK and US and I really do not understand why.
Did someone steal all these books (I talk about five books) ? Have they been lost in transit?

I'm at a loss with the situation and thankful for any advice.

Enjoy your weekend ....

Books

Dear readers, I'm the one to tell you about books - only books? What about novellas and other stuff? My name is Bona. I scour shelves, shops and the net for books. If you call me a book whore I would not gainsay you. But be aware I have my own, sometimes elusive taste.

Last week I received a book which I ordered at Amazon.de. I was my top pick for the rest of 2012. I talk about A Place called Armageddon (pb, October 2011)[ISBN-13: 978-1409121602]
by CC Humphreys.

"To the Greeks who love it, it is Constantinople. To the Turks who covet it, the Red Apple. Safe behind its magnificent walls, the city was once the heart of the vast Byzantine empire. 1453. The empire has shrunk to what lies within those now-crumbling walls. A relic. Yet for one man, Constantinople is the stepping stone to destiny. Mehmet is twenty when he is annointed Sultan. Now, seeking Allah's will and Man's glory, he brings an army of one hundred thousand, outnumbering the defenders ten to one. He has also brings something new - the most frightening weapon the world has ever seen...And yet, through seven weeks of sea battles, night battles, by tunnel and tower, the defence holds...and will until the final assault and a single bullet that will change history. But a city is more than stone, its fate inseparable from that of its people. Men - like Gregoras, a mercenary and exile, returning to the hated place he once loved. Like his twin and betrayer, the subtle diplomat, Theon. Sofia, loved by two brothers but forced to make a desperate choice between them. And Leilah, a powerful mystic and assassin, seeking her own destiny in the flames. This is the tale of one of history's greatest battles for one of the world's most extraordinary places. This is the story of people, from peasant to emperor - with the city's fate, and theirs, undecided... until the moment the Red Apple falls." [Source]

No more today, see you next week ......

Blogosphere

Hey, I'm Bona Fide. I just came back from my last foray through the blogosphere. What can you expect from me? I tell you: Everything from Art to Fart as long as there is any faint connection to books. And here is some honey from the beehive blogosphere...

Do you like surreal art? Then I recommend to have a look at Surreal Art Update: Glass Garage Gallery over at Dark Roasted Blend.

That's it for today. Come back next week for more ......

Movies

Hey, it's me Fide. I'm a remote control professional. I'm that fast that I can watch two movies at the same time.
But don't worry. All the stuff I present to you will be shown at normal speed.

How do you get in Christmas mood? Singing songs, reading books, shopping or see a movie. Nearly every year we get a Christmas movie. The 2011 Christmas movie is in 3D:

Arthur Christmas

I saw the trailer recently in a German cinema and it looked nice and showed humor.

That's all for today. See you next time....

Quotes

I 'm the Keeper of the minutes. But I don't mind when you call me Kotm. No, no. I don't explain to you how to pronounce.

Sometimes you surf around the net and find quotes like the following one ....

"A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.”
H. L. Mencken, US editor (1880 - 1956)