City at the End of Time - Greg Bear

This book took a few chapters to get going. Once started I was hooked. Some pretty mind bending concepts and probably not a good one for someone who hasn't read any scifi stuff before. Take Doctor Who and fuck off - this is actually good. And so well written.

Love story that spans aeons.

I loved it.

Patrick Rothfuss - The Wise Mans Fear

Dear reader, I have just spent an unforgivable amount of time finishing The Wise Mans Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. I had been eagerly anticipating the release of this title for a long time now, religiously following Pats blog for updates on its arrival. I was not let down. My fear was that this title wouldn't live up to his debut novel The name of the Wind, which blew me and a lot of other people away. His first novel was a coming of age story that followed the hero Kvothe on his journey through the younger years of his life. No only was this book set in an autobiographical way but also in a compelling, new and fresh type of story telling.

Ok. Maybe thats exaggerating slightly as this has been done countless times before, but never in this setting and with the level of world building that Rothfuss is so good at. It's hard to explain how easily these books captured me, normally I would only start rating an author when they had had a few titles under their belt. Not so with Pat, he gripped me from the first and I hate to admit it I fell in love with the story and author from the off.

Now normally I have a few problems with coming of age stories, especially ones that are as generic as - young person - parents die - all alone - conquers and overcomes adversity - get's help - makes friends - trials etc, etc. But something was extremely refreshing about Pats take on this. Less was this about the action and adventure even if this did play a heavy part, but more on the dialogue. The use of language and extremely original and thought provoking ideas he plants are the pinnacle of the universe he creates.

I could ramble on and on about Rothfuss and how he creates a beautifully realized and enchanting world for his story, but I just don't have time. I urge anyone to read his blog, he updates frequently and is not only an extremely funny blogger but has some real and interesting views that he has no fear of expressing.

The Wise Mans Fear quickly takes a leap straight back into Kvothes life at the university where he studies and readily pulls the reader back into the hectic and unexpected life of our young hero/antihero - depending on stance. The story has no need of much back story or catch up as it is a direct sequel to the first and so we waste no time in following the intense and somewhat cruel lifestyle of Kovthe.

The story never strays from the lead as he is convinced to leave the university and find a patronage in another city. As expected in any coming of age novel he overcomes adversity in the form of adverse poverty, violence and different cultures who treat him as a pariah.

Anyone who hasn't heard of Rothfuss and is a fan of any fantasy whether it be from Rowling or Tolkien to R.R.Martin or Richard Morgan - do not hesitate if you see this book somewhere and dont turn your nose up at the idea of a Potter-esq / Twilight cover/title. Its undeniably one of the best pieces of writing in an absolute age.

Iain M Banks - Surface Detail

Iain M Banks - Surface Detail

I had been waiting for this for an age. It has been two years since his last Culture novel and not soon enough too. This book really brought back to me why I love Banks. He knows how to balance a book out nicely, always pushing the plot along with a steady pace but also giving us something to really get gripped into.

This book brought back my favourite Sci-Fi culture - The Culture. Banks has even written an essay on his ideas.

http://www.vavatch.co.uk/books/banks/cultnote.htm

Anyway! God damn was this book good. This multi layered novel had me going from start to finish. Its main plot line revolving around Lededje a tattooed slave for one of the most powerful men in the system. She gets killed horrifically by her master and gets a second chance. The story follows her trials to get back to her former master and kill him. Running in tandem with this is the War between the Pro and Anti Hell factions. Both waging a simulated war that has lasted for three decades to decide if the simulated Hells that housed billions of dead souls should be destroyed.

Well in a nutshell this is Iain M Banks back to his former glory. His last few novels had been a bit slow and hadn't held the atmosphere that piqued my interest to Banks in the first place. This book just had everything I look for in Banks - I've grown up with this guys writing and he is definitely the paragon so many authors aspire to. His writing is gripping, funny and fraught with adventure.

He can push forward themes no other genre can handle, huge and epic ideas that couldn't possibly be implemented into fantasy or standard fiction. The Culture holds such a massive influence over its fans because it just is that good - anyone who doesn't have a clue - should.

Banks is able to weave a complex thread for his characters, bringing to the forefront of his novels the intense atmospheres aroused by the dark and often times sick themes. The skill with this is not being overly crass and being able to subtly move the tone of the book - he moves from different plot lines to give the reader a break from some darker moments. His use of scale is one of the techniques that puts him at the pinnacle. The ability to describe vast conflicts and then be able to hone in on select and important events all create a brilliant sense of epic-ness - the perspectives that Banks gives really sold this book to me.

I've got to sum this up. The ending of the book was just awesome. I didn't see it coming at all, Iain M Banks is a titan of good writing. Go read some.

Richard Morgan - Broken Angels

Some great things about Richard Morgan. Where do you start? He writes like a movie, I admit that can be a let down with some authors, but with Morgan he manages to pull off a gripping pace with a deeply involving plot. A definite noir feel permeates all of Morgans writing, always revolving around crime, war and nostalgic thought lines.

Broken Angels is a loose sequel to Altered Carbon, Morgans first. The book revolves - well follows really, Takeshi Kovacs (Eastern european "che")

He is an ex envoy, a trained killer and now a freelance mercenary. Takeshi finds himself going AWOL from his platoon and embarking on a desperate mission to recover some ancient alien artefacts.

I loved this book. It had a nice grounding, given to it by its predecessor on which Morgan could go wild, in a way this must have been a nice ride for him as an author just to focus on the characters and plot - rather than explaining away fifty pages on world building. Granted some of this book was fairly linear, only following the day to day of Kovacs, but makes up for with a gripping story and evocative scenes.

I cant fault Morgan really, he is so much the contemporary author - I revel in it.

(Side note: I didn't know he wrote the script for Crysis 2, and is supposedly on the line up for a movie adaption of Altered Carbon, Cross Fingers.)

James Barclay - Dawnthief

I finally gave in and read some Barclay - not for lack of trying. I'd been owner to one of Barclays books for ages but didn't realise at the time it was a good few books into the series. I thought now was the right time to try again.

Anyway, Barclays Dawnthief is a fast paced, frenetic, adventure filled gorefest. It's mainly character driven - more about the camaraderie and relationships than the staple in-depth world building other fantasy novels thrive on. This brand of heroic fantasy drew me right in.

The focus of this novel is based on an impending war and a spell that can save them all. Ok. Not the most original - but to be quite honest I'd be disappointed if it didn't.

It follows the journey of The Raven, a group of mercenaries who get brought into the fray between the Wesmen and the Four Colleges. Personally I think this read is definitely something you'll love or hate. Its simplistic plot rarely strays far from the unexpected, but it does work. It sets up a great canvas for Barclay to build on for the future - with another six novels in the same world.

Barclay is a rough diamond, I found myself drawn in by the pace and enthusiasm Barclay imbues into his writing. Not too much beneath the surface, but a thoroughly enjoyable read.

The Night's Dawn Trilogy

The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, The Naked God

Finally. Finally I'm done. After finishing this epic three piece story, I'm slightly overwhelmed and a little bit sad that it's over. My constant companion for the last month has really changed my perspective on what a good trilogy should be.

Hamilton certainly doesn't hold back when plot development is involved. He meanders his way through all his books, multi tasking you around a web of expanding plot lines but also keeping you focused on the main point. The Nights Dawn Trilogy (A name I actually really like) put me at ease from the off, immersing me in far future humanity with no warning whatsoever.

Somthing that I find refreshing about Hamilton though is his ability

to not get too involved in the technobabble - things just happen - because they can. This suits me down to the ground - and I can see why some people find his novels very accessable even though they are huge tomes.

The arc of the story follows Joshua Calvert, a renegade space junkie who spends his spare time shagging and trying to scrounge cash to restore his fathers ship. Along the way seeds of the story root themselves along Joshuas path. But basically put - the dead start coming back to life. I know that sounds wierd considering its a sci-fi but i assure you - it still is.

Another favorite for me in this book was the development of Al Capone. He gets reincarnated in another body and works his way to creating an organization. The fantastic thing about this book is just how much fun I imagined Hamilton had whilst writing it, so gripping is it that I dreaded coming to the end. After three thousand plus pages you just need to have a good ending - and that it did.

The clincher for this book that made it rise a level above its contemporaries like Banks or Morgan was just how involved you could get. Quinn Dexter brought me in - following his footsteps through his life as a sadistic Cult member, his eventual rise to pure psycopath. Not once did this character bore me. His abhorrence reminded me of Patrick Batement from American Psycho and just how dark you can be to "Release your serpent beast."

It's not all nasty though, lots of subplots spring up surrounded by unrequited love, betrayal and good old human nature. These things brought the tone of the book to a nice equilibrium, giving me just enough Umph to keep me enthralled and leaving me some breathing space for a good journey.

One thing that got me was the huge vistas that Hamilton paints. Huge disk cities in space, edenist habitats on the surface of gas giants, the naked god a sentient singularity, and my favorite - the

huge spanning Arcologies of future Earth, so destroyed is our eco system that the residents live in huge domes to shelter from the super-storms that ravage Earth. All these apt places to set a space opera on such a scale.

I'll sum it up. Peter F Hamilton is good. He writes in a shed, he has kids, seems like a damn clever guy and I'll definintly be reading more. But for now I need a lighter read, go towards Hamilton if your keen - but you've got to be in it for the long haul.

Enough said.

Fallen Dragon - Peter F. Hamilton

Let me start somewhere. I am a massive advocate of Science fiction, to the point where I will tell just about anyone how much I god damn love it. In no other genre do you get such huge scope apart from fantasy - and even with that you will be hard pressed to find anything comparative.
But I will say, this book blew me away. I cannot fathom how I had managed not to read any Hamilton, I kept telling myself "Yeah I'll get round to it." but I was just lazy! Something I am regretting a lot right now.
This book literally has everything I look for in a good read. Involving characters, substantial plot development and a hugely realized universe to boot. My mind was literally blown by the huge ideas and sheer scope of Hamiltons future Earth universe.

It all starts with our main character, Lawrence Newton, the son of the aristocracy on Amethi (a future Human colony). His life is charmed and with it he is expected to uphold and lead in his fathers footsteps towards a lead role on the families estate and shares. The start of the book progresses evenly, a smattering of Lawrence Newtons upbringing and rebellion as well as some other mysterious ramblings of a nursery teacher on Thallspring (another Human colony). From here we start to get into the thick of it.

The narrative of Lawrence Newtons first love pulls the reader unabashedly in, exploring all the grit of a teenage romance in vivid detail. Along with all the angst and self obsessed misery trailing behind. In parallel we follow Newton as an officer embarking to Thallspring on an "asset realization" mission on behalf of Zantiu-Braun, the readers shade of grey bad guys.
Interestingly I found I was on the fence for a lot of this book. This really makes you think about the scope of evil - everyone in this had a reason for what they did, whether for following orders or having a cause that was humane but wasn't in line with the typical.

The action and thrill of this book really pick up half way through, vast arrays of technology and "cool as fuck" weaponry bring all the elements into focus. From optronic interfaces and dwritten bodies(dna writing I guess) - to the "Prime" program which is held in mystery for most of the book - a semi sentient program for hacking the shit out of anything.

I honestly can't bring all the details in - not for fear of spoiling this book for anyone who reads, just for the fact that the scope of this standalone novel spans everything - I couldn't begin to explain the plot to the any decent extent so take my word for it when I say this book puts so many to shame.

I envy Peter F. Hamilton for writing this.