Links Return

I haven’t done a link post in a while, but I think there’s some interesting stuff out there these days, so here we are.

• Patrick Rothfuss’ Worldbuilder’s fundraiser through Heifer International – give to a good cause and win cool prizes.

• Mark Charan Newton says ‘Science Fiction is Dying and Fantasy Fiction is the future’. A few people disagree – I think he has a pretty good point.

• It’s a couple weeks past it’s Twitter prime, but I really laughed at this:
  
  
  

Finch by Jeff VanderMeer

Finch is in a pinch.
Sold himself to mold,
Will he fold
or be rebellious and bold?
Finch is no cinch.

My poor attempt at Seussian poetry illustrates multiple aspects of Finch by Jeff VanderMeer (US, Canada, Indiebound). Dr. Seuss is brilliant, his creations beyond strange, and upon reflection, more than a bit creepy. VanderMeer’s Finch is brilliant, his creations beyond strange, and it takes absolutely no reflection to be creeped out. Likewise, the protagonist, Finch, is indeed in a pinch – between several rocks a few hard places – or more correctly, between several competing interests and a spongy, fungal world that rots you from within rather than smashing you outright.

Finch is the final volume in the Ambergris Cycle, a trilogy of books that span the history of Ambergris, a wonderful and horrific second-world city, beginning with City of Saints and Madmen (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound, my review) and continuing with Shriek: An Afterward (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound). While Finch does complete the thematic cycle, it also stands on its own, apart in form and function from the rest – probably the most benign introduction to Ambergris of the three.

At its core, Finch is a standard noir detective story. John Finch is the disillusioned, cynical detective with a dark and mysterious past who is assigned an unsolvable murder case by his seemingly evil Gray Cap boss. The case with ramifications beyond Finch’s imagination draws the attention of spies, mobsters, rebel forces, indigenous insurgents, loyalists and the government.

The city of Ambergris has been in the grip of hostile third party known as the Gray Caps for seven years that took control in the chaos created by long-time civil war. Finch leaves his old identity behind and survives as a reluctant detective in the employ of the tyrannical government in the surveillance society of a ruined city. Questionable loyalties, double-crosses, triple-crosses, historical consequences, foreign lands, torture, death all await Finch as he struggles to solve his last case.

Only VanderMeer’s vision of noir takes an entirely different form with the setting of Ambergris. Gray Caps aren’t human – they are intelligent fungal-based life forms of undetermined origins. They are either evil – or at least so alien that they seem evil. They have control over other fungal-based life forms – they can ‘see’ what the population is doing through fungal ‘cameras’, they drug the population with fungal drugs, buildings can completely decay under fungal onslaught in only days, humans can be infected with fungus that turns them into tools of the Gray Caps that are something more and less than human, and any fungal infection can be horrifyingly fatal. Humans are slowly being exterminated – either through death or conversion to fungal-hybrids. Rebel forces fight for survival and foreign interests interfere – selfishly seeking advanced technology while sometimes aiding in the fight against the Gray Caps.

Always stylistic, VanderMeer’s writing takes some getting used to. In Finch, VanderMeer uses short, choppy sentences. Connectors are absent, sentences fragmented – but what’s left is focused and often powerful. The style was a bit hard to adjust to and very noticeable at the beginning, but it didn’t take too long for me to fully adjust and appreciate it (I couldn’t help but wonder at how difficult this would be to edit – in my uncorrected proof, was it an error or style?).

This is Finch’s book – we only see the world through is point of view. The reader is left with the need to trust his interpretations and conclusions – his blind spots are our blind spots. Finch has a troubled past that slowly reveals itself as the novel progresses and he is shaped by what he encounters in the investigation. His distrust and hatred of the Gray Caps increases, his self delusions fluctuate, and the ever-present fungal assault on Ambergris haunts him. Finch is introspective, tough, lonely, imperfect, and a reluctant (anti)hero. Finch is the classic noir detective.

As typical of VanderMeer’s writing, deep thematic elements abound. The commentary seems to be aimed at society, government, and the consequences of one’s actions, but it’s so well integrated into the story and Ambergris itself, it doesn’t stand out and is open to layers of interpretation.

Finch answers many of the mysteries posed in the first two books of the Ambergris Cycle while standing well enough on its own to introduce new readers to Ambergris. I must be described as noir though the setting of Ambergris sets it apart – is it fantasy, urban fantasy, horror, a political thriller, noir, fungalpunk? Is it all of the above, none of the above? Finch is what you make of it – for me, it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year. 9/10

Will Finch, the not cinch, be spore gore?


Related Posts: Review of City of Saints of Madmen

The Other Lands by David Anthony Durham

With Acacia: The War with the Mein (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound), David Anthony Durham made the relatively rare leap from literary to genre fiction. Reactions were mixed, but generally positive and lead to Durham winning the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Building on this momentum, The Other Lands (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound) is the second book in the Acacia Trilogy.

The Other Lands picks up about 9 years after the events of Acacia. Princess Mena hunts fowl-creatures created as an unexpected consequence of the release of Santoth sorcery that plague the land. Prince Dariel is haunted by decisions of his past and seeks his place in the empire. Queen Corinn maintains an iron grip on her empire while lacking the mist drug that previously kept the population numb. The seeming calm of Corinn’s rule changes as multiple plots surface and threats emerge from beyond the Known World.

I liked The Other Lands a good bit more than I did Acacia. In my review, I mentioned that Acacia gets off to a relatively slow start – I didn’t feel that way about The Other Lands. This time we start with action, and while the remainder of the action is largely in the political and personal arenas, it still hums along at a pretty good pace. While the shear number of political plots at hand dwarfs the standard political thriller and had me anxious to see how they unfold.

The Other Lands is in many ways a very typical middle book of a trilogy. Acacia stood fairly well on its own – it had complete story arcs that came to fruition. The Other Lands picks up about 9 years after the end of Acacia and seems to largely serve as a bridge from the first to the last book in the trilogy. And it ends with something of a cliff-hanger – a pending war and pretty much nothing resolved.

In Acacia Durham tackles some weighty topics under the guise of epic fantasy. Four princes and princesses learn after the death of their father that the wonderful empire they will inherit is actually pretty evil, thriving on trade in slavery and drugs – they provide the slaves and in turn, get drugs that keep the populace controllable. As if that wasn’t enough, in a coup d’etat, an oppressed ethnic group takes control of the empire and actually makes things worse. With Acacia Durham takes on drugs, slavery, ethnic/racial tensions, gender disparities, personal responsibility, and much more.

In The Other Lands, Durham builds on this foundation. Can ideals reform the empire, or must the empire be ruled by a pragmatism that largely reinforces the status quo? What happens when royalty meets slaves his family sold? If you take away one drug, must it be replaced with another? Actions have consequences, some of which get dealt with in The Other Lands and many are yet to be realized.

The above questions and more mold the various characters of The Other Lands. They all dwell on the past while looking to the future. Each grows in their own way, and not always in a positive direction. These basic struggles of human nature that show through these characters in their extraordinary situations are the underlying strength of Durham’s writing.

The Acacia Trilogy is shaping up to be a cerebral, yet entertaining take on second-world fantasy with a little bit for everyone. The Other Lands builds on the potential of Acacia as Durham finds firmer footing in the genre arena and leaves me waiting anxiously for the third and final book. Fantasy fans should definitely give this series a go. 8/10

Related Posts: Review of Acacia, David Anthony Durham Answers Questions Five

Something Completely Different (Thanksgiving Edition)

So, it's Thanksgiving here in the US and I figured I post a relevant picture. This is flock of wild turkeys in the Chuska Mountains in Northeastern New Mexico. I normally don't mess too much with my digital images - but when I hit autobalance on the cropped image, it ended up looking like a impressionist/post-impressionist painting. I think that's kinda cool.

My Evening with Brandon Sanderson

On Monday night, November 16th, I got to spend the evening with Brandon Sanderson. Of course it wasn’t only my evening – it was my evening along with 5 other Storm Leaders, a handful of bookstore and library employees, a professional media escort, and about 250 other fans. Now there is an official Arizona Storm Leader report at Dragonmount that I encourage you to read (I'll link it when it goes live) – this post is separate, this post is dedicated to my experience over the evening, and I’ll warn you now, it’s lengthy and more than a bit about my own relation to The Wheel of Time. Also, I’ve got a collection of detailed, spoiler-ridden questions and answers about The Wheel of Time and The Gathering Storm (my review) that I include at the end of this post along with videos of the evening from fellow Storm Leaders and a great slide show prepared by a particularly creative Arizona Storm Leader.

I’ve been a fan of The Wheel of Time since about 1994 when it was first recommended to me by a cousin – I lost endless hours in my dorm room devouring these books. When I finished all the books the available at that time, I read them again. I was hooked – I anxiously awaited the next books in the series, re-reading all or part of the series prior to each new release. Some of my earliest forays on to the internet were to find out information about these books where I discovered the infamous WOTFAQ developed by Leigh Butler and some early message boards and user groups.

As the release of Winter’s Heart approached, something changed – occasional forays to the internet become near-daily affairs. I became a regular lurker on the early forums of many websites, but it was Wotmania that I kept coming back to (sadly, Wotmania closed earlier this year). Lurking eventually led to posting and active discussion. I became one of those internet geeks spending hours talking about books on-line and writing up well-researched theories full of supporting evidence and references. Eventually I began to hang out at the OF Section to seek out other books I may like while I waited for the next Wheel of Time novel. Before long I was a well-respected member and I became an admin on the OF Section. Not long after that, I decided to start a blog. I’ve said it elsewhere before, but I’ll say it again, the existence of this blog is a direct result of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series.

Along with thousands of other fans, I was shocked by the death Robert Jordan. This isn’t the place to eulogize (I’ve done that already), but it hit me hard. This was a man I admired and really owed a lot to in the way my own life has turned out. Mourning with everyone else, I was also increasingly anxious about the fate of my beloved Wheel of Time. As so many others likely experienced, it was a conflicted time – there was the premature death of a man I admired greatly, yet I couldn’t help but wonder on the fate of the books he wrote. Rumors and speculation began to multiply about just what that fate would be.

Then it was announced that Brandon Sanderson would be finishing the series. By this time, I wasn’t overly surprised – you see I had read Sanderson’s own eulogy and at the time I distinctly thought ‘this is the guy who will finish the series’. By this time I was already a fairly well-known blogger, so I was familiar with Brandon – heck, I’d even exchanged a couple emails and interacted on message boards with him. But I hadn’t yet read any of his books. So, along with legions of other fans of The Wheel of Time, I read Sanderson’s books to get a feel for the man who would finish the books.

I read the Mistborn Trilogy, and I liked it. It was clear to me that Sanderson was a writer who was already making himself well-known. Of course, taking on The Wheel of Time rapidly made him a much more well-known author, but I’m confident he’d have gotten there on his own right given time. I was also confident that he was a writer who should be able to finish The Wheel of Time.

But, as time went on, it became clear the Sanderson brought much more to the table than just his writing pedigree. You see, Sanderson was a fan. He read Eye of the World when it first came out. He also re-read the series before every release. Rand, Perrin, Mat, Egwene, and all the others weren’t just characters in the book – they were long-time friends. Brandon’s first foray on to the internet was to visit the old Wheel of Time usernet group. He lurked on the message boards, he once saw Robert Jordan at a convention but was too star-struck to go talk to him. Brandon was a fan, and a fan I could relate to.

Brandon was more that just a writer with the skills to finish The Wheel of Time. Brandon was more than a great guy humble enough to pull this off. Brandon was a fan. Many people may be one or even two of the above, but few could be all three – and Brandon is clearly the top of that list. Those that have followed along as I have, those that have read his books and now The Gathering Storm, his first contribution to The Wheel of Time, now know that Brandon was the right choice.

Why have I gone through such lengths to introduce my evening spent with Brandon? I need you to understand just what it means to me – on Monday night I wasn’t a blogger who got to meet yet another author, I wasn’t going to just some book signing. I was a fan having a dream fulfilled. I can only lament that I never had a similar experience with Robert Jordan, and I simply can’t adequately express all that this opportunity meant to me.

Before I go any further, I need to thank Brandon, Tor, and Dragonmount for the opportunity. Dragonmount and Tor were the organizing forces and Tor went above and beyond a normal book tour with this one (heck, they bought us dinner). But above all, I want to thank Brandon. This is a guy who’s been on tour for 4 weeks – that’s 4 weeks away from his pregnant wife, that’s 4 weeks away from his 2-year old son who doesn’t understand why his daddy isn’t home, that’s 4 weeks of eating restaurant food, that’s 4 weeks of going to an airport, through security, and on a plane everyday (in cold and flu season no less), that’s 4 weeks of signing hundreds of books every night, that’s 4 weeks of meeting, greeting and talking with complete strangers every night. The toll is showing on Brandon – he’s exhausted and he misses his family. Don’t get me wrong, he clearly loves the opportunity and is having a great time with it all. But we fans should know and appreciate the sacrifice he’s making for us – and we need to make that appreciation known.

My day started with me visiting a used bookstore with a few months worth (boxes) of books to trade-in for store credit. It’s not really the beginning of my day, nor is it the end of day, but it is a beginning. With some of the trade credit, I decided to finally start accumulating the Wheel of Time audio books, figuring this is the only realistic way I’ll get to do a re-read anytime soon. Next I visited a comic shop – I needed to get Brandon some Magic cards for his upcoming battle with Jason of Dragonmount. Knowing nothing of the game, I sorted through a box of used cards and picked out a few dozen that seemed pretty cool. I was already wearing my Storm Leader t-shirt and the guy at the checkout told me ‘cool shirt – I have no idea what it’s about, but it’s really cool’.

I got to the signing location pretty early to set-up, easily being the first there. I took the time for a nice walk in the beautiful weather, locating the restaurant where we would have dinner and picking up some caffeine for the long night ahead (it was 8 hours later that I finally left). When I got back to the auditorium, several of the other Storm Leaders had arrived – I passed out shirts and we worked at getting the computers hooked up for the live-feed and getting the lighting right (Storm Leader Mahesh was in charge – Brandon later pointed out that we should all call him M’hael). We also got a preview of the excellent slide show (embedded below) that Storm Leader Megan put together – it’s long, but well worth it (I wish I were so creative). Copies of the live-feed from the event are also embedded – much of the Q&A, interviews with fans, the whole quiz event hosted by Storm Leader Maureen (whom Brandon called Moiraine), and some of Brandon signing books and answering questions are all there.

The Links below are to recordings of what were at one time live feeds of the signing.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2575286
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2575312
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2576311

Somehow an hour flew buy and it was time for us to walk over to the restaurant. We all got settled (I made sure that the 2 open seats were on either side of me, forcing Brandon into my presence) and took a few pictures. This is when Brandon slipped in the door. We excitedly introduced ourselves – when I said ‘Ken’, he looked at me and said ‘Neth’. At this point I joking exclaimed to the group ‘he’s heard of me’. This kicked off the first conversation of the evening – a bit about blogging and how Brandon generally doesn’t read negative reviews because they get him down and he doesn’t want that affecting his writing. The context was his reading a discussion on a certain message board by certain well-known blogger-reviewer who seemed to not care too much for The Gathering Storm. Afterwards, introductions continued.

The restaurant was Indian food, and Brandon took charge. A little of this, a little of that and next thing we knew he had ordered a lot of food for a family-style meal. He then said that this time was for us and that we should take advantage. The others were still a bit hesitant, but I immediately got out my list of questions and started grilling him (in a good natured way of course). We had a great time talking back and forth about lots of stuff – the others slowly gained confidence and it wasn’t long before everyone was fully engaged. The Q&A at the end of this report covers much of what was discussed. There were also a few ‘off the record’ discussions and quite a bit about writing in general.

The hour and a half literally flew by and ended all too soon. On the short walk back I continued talking with Brandon and took the time to give him the Magic cards I had picked up. He was very thankful as he eagerly flipped through them to see if in my ignorance I had somehow managed to pick a good card or two.

Back at the library auditorium Brandon met the bookstore and library people and quickly helped organize things. We all had duties to do. A bit later the event began with Brandon talking about things as he’s done elsewhere and reading from the opening section of the prologue. Questions were asked and answers given (which I also cover in my discussion at the end). And yet another hour passed by incredibly quickly. I estimate about 150 people at the start with a steadily growing audience (one bookstore employee said the final count of the evening was about 240 with many people showing up late and getting in line).

Now it was time to sign – the Storm Leaders dispersed to their duties. M’hael Mahesh re-situated the live-feed and helped clear out the auditorium, Moiraine Maureen entertained the crowd, Ted helped out everywhere he could, Matt gathered names for Brandon’s email list and handed out bumper stickers, Megan took pictures, and I sat next to Brandon, prepping books and stuffing promo material (no where near as glamorous as it may seem). Though it was constant work, I wanted to hear what others asked and how Brandon answered. It was all I could do not to jump in at times and join the discussion, but no one was there to seem me, so I (mostly) resisted. Eventually I switched out with Matt – after 2+ hours I needed a break, but Brandon was still going strong.

After the final raffle for a prize that amazingly went to the first person to show up that afternoon things cleared out and it was time to sign Storm Leader books, take a few pictures and then sign stock. The night ended with me walking out with Brandon, asking a final bunch of questions. Brandon was happy to answer a few more. He also said that he was really happy when he found out I was one of the Storm Leaders – wow, I’m still amazed when an author has heard of me. Brandon got into the media escorts car (who had been waiting rather impatiently) and was gone to what he said would be an even longer day in LA (I later learned that he had an appointment with the Wheel of Time movie people).

I was exhausted, my head was full and buzzing, and it took me forever to fall asleep as I replayed events of the evening. Wow, but the wheel keeps turning.



OK, on to the Q&A. Warning: These include major spoilers to all Wheel of Time books and The Gathering Storm in particular. If you don't want to be spoiled, stop now and go no further. The questions and answers are not exact, but I was taking notes (not that I can read my chicken scratch). I will also include my own commentary and interpretation. Brandon very much wants to be forthcoming with answers – he doesn’t seem to like RAFO (Read And Find Out for the unitiated). Mostly it would be something like ‘I can’t answer that, but I will say …’ Unfortunately, I didn’t get to ask many spoilery questions about The Gathering Storm because one Storm Leader hadn’t finished yet – this means that my craving for more info about Verin, the Black Ajah and such was not meant to be. The questions below are what I intended to ask – I didn’t necessarily ask them word for word as written. Also, I’ve already posted this in discussion forums, so there is quite a bit of discussion already out there.


Q: Have any characters we’ve seen been converted to the Shadow via the 13 Myrddraal/13 channelers method? Has this method been used at the Black Tower?

A: RAFO (wow the first question and I got RAFO’d). But he did go on to say that this is a ‘gun on the mantle’, which refers to an old saying that ‘when you put a gun on the mantle in the first act, it needs to be used by the third’

My interpretation: More on this will come in Towers of Midnight.


Q: What’s up with Rand’s sword? Was it Lews Therin Telamon’s?

A: There are some really good theories out there on the message boards and I don’t have anything to add on this.

I followed up on where it was found, basically ‘In water, under a statue, not near Falme’

Q: Did Graendal use compulsion on Rodel Ituralde when they met previously in Lord of Chaos? Is it still there?

A: MAFO. (Maria And Find Out)

This lead to quite a bit of discussion. Basically, Graendal pretty much uses compulsion on everyone she interacts with. He also asked if it had been revealed that King Alsalam’s letters were revealed to be fake. I went into a discussion at The 13th Depository forums and Dominic’s interpretation in particular. Brandon seemed to like it. He also said that if Ituralde was compulsed, that it’s still there – Rand’s ta’vern does not have the power to break compulsion. And he said that it’s certain that Ituralde was under the influence of Graendal.

My interpretation: He was compulsed. It’s still there, but since Alsalam is dead, it most likely doesn’t matter anymore.

Q: Please tell me all you can about the potential novella that fills in holes? What holes? Who? Where will it be published if written? Is this material that you really wanted to include in Towers of Midnight or The Gathering Storm but just couldn’t fit in? How does this match up with your feeling about not writing other stuff in the Wheel of Time world?

A: There are about 50,000 words of secondary plots that Sanderson wants to include in Towers of Midnight. He’s just not sure all of it will get into the book. If something gets cut, he’d like to get to his fans on his website.

This lead to quite a bit of discussion about Towers of Midnight. It will be a very different book that The Gathering Storm. The Gathering Storm was very intentionally focused. Brandon felt strongly that a ‘hit’ wasn’t good enough, that The Gathering Storm needed to be a home run. (At the table, we all thought it was a home run). Towers of Midnight will need to catch up many plot threads and will be much less focused. This will have its problems and it will be a big struggle to find the right balance – they aren’t there yet in the writing process. Brandon mentioned a few plots as examples which strongly suggests they will be in Towers of Midnight – Loial, Lan, Fain, Taim, Logain, Elayne, if Mat does what fans think he will, etc.

My impression is that the novella will actually be a series of prologue-like scenes that just don’t make it into the final book.

This also lead to lots of discussion on the Encyclopedia. It will include lots of spoilery stuff that doesn’t make it into the books. But, there are several examples in the notes where Robert Jordan specifically says that certain plots will not be revealed. Someone asked about Merilille Ceandevin – the Aes Sedai in Caemlyn who ran away with a Sea Folk apprentice. It was implied that this may be a thread that goes unresolved.

Q: Can you clear up the timeline issues? How do Mat, Perrin, Rand, and Egwene all match up in the timeline?

A: The Gathering Storm begins sometime in April. It ends around the end of June/beginning of July. However, Perrin advanced very little – only about 2 weeks. Mat advanced a bit more, but was still about a month behind Rand and Egwene (this gets an astrix as a MAFO), but Mat traveled to Caemlyn about 30 days before the end of the book – he emphasized 30 days and asked if I understood the significance of that – I said that I do. (Interpretation: Mat will wait in Caemlyn for the full 30 days without opening Verin’s letter – but I still think he’ll open it eventually).

Tuon’s timeline jumps around the most. In Knife of Dreams she ended about a month ahead of everyone else. There were probably (MAFO) about 2 weeks between her meeting with Rand and the launch of the attack on the White Tower.

Q: How does Nynaeve compare with Semirhage in One Power strength?

A: I’m pretty sure she’s stronger, but they are very close. Robert Jordan has a list of all the channeler’s strengths. On that list, only 6 people are stronger than Nynaeve. It’s such a rare event that pretty much anytime we meet someone stronger than her, it’s explicitly said. There are two One Power strength scales – an ‘old’ and a ‘new’. Nynaeve was the top of the female list for the ‘old’ list. Six are stronger on the ‘new’ list.

Brandon was pretty certain that Nynaeve is stronger than Mesaana, who isn’t particularly strong in forsaken terms.

Brandon was very open and willing to talk about this issue – people who care about these things should ask at every opportunity.

Q: Tell me what you can about Laras’ back-story. Is she an agent of the Kin?

A: Basically RAFO. Laras is in New Spring (which I didn’t recall).

This lead to a fair amount of discussion about backstories – he doesn’t want to spoil something that could be revealed. So, I followed up with something like ‘presumably, if the prequels are written, we’ll learn more of Laras’. Brandon said yes, presumably.

Q: Are there any circumstances of death that could prevent the Dark One from resurrecting someone (other than balefire)?

A: Yes, but I’m not going to tell you what.

This lead to a fair amount of discussion about balefire and such. At one point, Brandon said ‘all forsaken other than Sammael who haven’t come back were balefired’. I immediately jumped on this and asked if that included Asmodean – Brandon said that he wasn’t talking about Asmodean (we all didn’t even want to go there), but this is further evidence of Brandon slipping hints that Asmodean was balefired. This lead to a small debate about Osan’gar – I didn’t think he was balefired, everyone else at the table thought he was. (note, after checking the books, Osan’gar wasn’t balefired – he was blown to bits as he prepared a balefire weave)

Brandon also said that the Dark One would have liked very much to transmigrate Sammael but didn’t. Apparently, since he died by Mashadar, Sammael was either unable to be transmigrated or it would have been a very bad idea. Basically, Mashadar tainted Sammael’s thread somehow.

It was also mentioned that balefire does not mean that someone can’t be reborn into the patter. I was very surprised by this and hadn’t heard it before, but apparently Brandon has said it in previous Q&A’s. Brandon said he was also surprised but that Maria was very insistent about this – so if the Dragon Reborn was balefired, he could still be reborn.

Q: Did Rand directly have the Dark One’s permission to channel the True Power?

A: It’s very difficult (but not impossible) to channel the True Power without the Dark One’s direct permission.

This lead to lots of discussion about the whole Semirhage death scene. Basically, she felt betrayed by the Dark One, and Brandon says she’s a very astute person. Brandon also said that Moridin and the Dark One are on the same page with most things and that Moridin is the most trustworthy forsaken for the Dark One.

My interpretation is that Rand channeled the True Power through the link with Moridin, but this was not discussed. Also it was strongly implied that idea that Dark One served Semirhage up on a platter for Rand to balefire is true.

Q: You mention that Shaidar Haran has quite a few limitations on his power. Can you give us a few concrete examples of these limitations?

A: Shaidar Haran needs a minion to most of his work for him. Elza was essential to Shaidar Haran in getting things done.

This lead to lots of discussion about swearing to the shadow – basically, it’s a very bad idea and you forfeit some very basic protections when you do. Shaidar Haran has special power over those that swear to the Dark One, and the forsaken in particular. I asked about Alviarin’s special mark, and he said Shaidar Haran has similar power over her. The implication is that there are lots of ramifications for swearing to the Dark One. Brandon mentioned that this makes Verin all the more remarkable.

Q: Where did Cyndane’s new body come from?

A: Where have any of the new bodies come from? He then mentioned that it’s not confirmed who Cyndane is, though he didn’t refute me when we all said that it’s pretty certain.

I asked about her strength in the One Power – Brandon says she’s very, very weak. This surprised me since I didn’t think she was that weak.

This was clarified at the Pasadena and by Brandon directly on Twitter – Brandon says that Cyndane is weakened, but not weak. In the context of our conversation, he clearly thought Cyndane is weaker than Nynaeve. I think the breakdown in communication and interpretation occurred because Brandon is trying to discuss Cyndane’s strength without outright confirming that she’s Lanfear reborn, which is very difficult. He also indicated that Maria corrected his thoughts on Cyndane, apparently Brandon thought she was weaker than she actually is.

Q: Whatever happened to the kidnapped King of Illian – Matin Stepanos?

A: He’s still in the White Tower. Brandon thought about mentioning him a few times, but it just didn’t work out. It was implied that we’ll see further mention of this in Towers of Midnight.



A few other interesting notes from my discussion and the general Q&A.

-There are over 4,000,000 words of notes

- Verin’s revelations will have ramifications throughout the last two books. Brandon is surprised that more people haven’t been asking about this.

- Maria and Peter lurk on lots of message boards to keep in touch with the what the fans are talking and theorizing about (Hi guys). They occasionally talk to Brandon about stuff, especially when they feel it’s something Brandon should know about. But Brandon generally keeps his distance so as not to influence his writing.

- His goal is 2000 words a day, but it doesn’t work like that. Some days are much more, others much less.

- Robert Jordan left detailed descriptions of people after the Last Battle (make of that what you will)

- Hinderstap is a re-imagining of the old ‘Stone Soup’ folk tale

- Michael Whelan will do the cover for the first Way of Kings book (which will be released in August or September, 2010).

- Darryl K. Sweet will do the covers for Towers of Midnight and A Memory of Light. Tor will re-release the series with new cover art after it’s done. (Lots of discussion on this one at various times, but we’ll leave it off the record).

- For Towers of Midnight, expect a shorter tour – 2 weeks, with another 2 week tour for the Way of Kings.

- Towers of Midnight refers to the actual Towers of Midnight in Seanchan, but it also refers to other towers. At one point his working title was ‘The Three Towers’ (yes and intentional riff on the Lord of the Rings, but it was never going to be the real title). I (and most others) interpret this to mean that the Towers of Midnight will deal heavily with the Seanchan, the White Tower and the Black Tower – my own belief (much inspired by Dominic of The Thirteenth Depository) is that Caemlyn will be caught square in the middle of this conflict and be completely destroyed.

Winners of 10th Anniversary Edition of Gardens of the Moon

Anyway, enough about me. With the help of Random.org, winners have been chosen for the 10th Anniversary Edition of Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound) from the good people over at Transworld. So the winners are…

Shellie from Scottsdale, Arizona
Kevin from San Francisco, California
Michael from Egelsbach, Germany
Philip from Olathe, Kansas
Maria from N. Ionia , Greece

Congrats to all the winners!

Fast Ships, Black Sails Edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer

I review pretty much everything I read, but here’s a case where I’m so thoroughly uninspired to write a review, that I have finally decided to not do (well, mostly). So, I’ll give a few general thoughts here, but I certainly don’t consider it a full review (probably not even a mini-review).

My being uninspired to write much about Fast Ships, Black Sails Edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer (US, UK, Canada, Indibound) actually makes sense because I was quite uninspired while reading it. I found the majority of the stories to simply be uninteresting. I’m not sure why – it could be that the stories tend toward a more literary side than I fully appreciated, it could be that I’m not really into pirates (which I’m not sure is true), it could be that I read this just before (and a bit after) the a book I was very excited to read, and it could be that the stories just didn’t appeal to me. Whatever case is, I simply didn’t enjoy reading most of the stories in this anthology, or I didn’t enjoy them enough to care.

Of course there were a few that I did enjoy – generally the stories that tend towards the absurd (people who know me and my sense of humor well would not find this surprising in the least). “Castor on Troubled Waters” by Rhys Hughes and “Voyage of the Iguana” by Steve Aylett are prime examples of these sorts and they both amused me greatly. I also quite enjoyed “Elegy to Gabrielle, Patron Saint of Healers, Whores, and Righteous Thieves” by Kelly Barnhill. But the rest failed to stand out at all. And one comment that I don’t want to forget – just how many gender-bending twists with surprise female captains are necessary? By the end of the anthology, I couldn’t help but think ‘surprise, yet another female captain’. I understand (and approve of) the idea, but it just felt way overdone by the end.

So, Fast Ships, Black Sails is an anthology that really missed the mark with me (with only a few exceptions out of the 19 stories). Tread at your own risk with this one. 4.5/10

Something Completely Different

Jelly Bean (Cloud Gate) Sculpture, Chicago

Brandon Sanderson Signing Event: Scottsdale, Arizona

While the vast majority of content on this blog is not focused toward the geographic area I call home, occasionally I do post local events. The event below is the Brandon Sanderson signing event for The Gathering Storm, Book 12 of The Wheel of Time (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound). What makes it extra nice for me is that I'm a Storm Leader through Tor and Dragonmount, which basically means I'm a volunteer for the event and in exchange I get a t-shirt and the chance to meet and hang out with Brandon over dinner. Anyway, on to the event info (along with some nice fliers put together by a fellow Storm Leader).

Brandon Sanderson Signs

The Gathering Storm

The Wheel of Time Book 12

Monday, November 16th, 7:00 PM
Civic Center Library Auditorium

3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251-4452

More information is available at the Scottsdale Public Library website and at The Poisoned Pen bookstore who is sponsoring the event and will have books and refreshments for sale at the event.

If you are in Arizona, spread the word and I hope to see you there!

Giveaway: 10th Anniversary Edition of Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

I’ve got 5 copies of the 10th Anniversary Edition of Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound) to giveaway courtesy of Transworld. This sounds like a great edition for fans and is the first hardback edition of GotM in the UK.

It’s been an astounding 10 years since the first Malazan title, Gardens of the Moon was published in the UK. To celebrate this we are releasing a special edition hardback of the title and I have a handful of these available for competition prizes for you to giveaway on your sites or in your magazines. This is the first ever UK hardback edition of the book and it includes a special foreword from Steven Erikson. Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen has established itself as one of the most celebrated and acclaimed works of epic fantasy in the new Millennium.

Erikson is an extraordinary writer...my advice to anyone who might listen to me is: treat yourself to Gardens of the Moon.
STEPHEN R. DONALDSON

Bled dry by interminable warfare, infighting and bloody confrontations with Anomander Rake, Son of Darkness, the Malazan Empire simmers with discontent. Its legions yearn
for some respite from the chaos and killing.

For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his Bridgeburners, and Tattersail - the lone surviving sorceress of the Second Legion - the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to draw breath and mourn the dead. But Empress Laseen's gaze has moved on and fallen upon the ancient citadel of Darujhistan. The last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, it proclaims its defiance and still holds out against her. However the empire is not alone in this great and bloody game. Sinister forces are gathering, and it would seem that the gods themselves are preparing to play their hand...

Gardens of the Moon is the defining opening chapter in what has been hailed a landmark of epic fantasy - Steven Erikson's awesome, multi-volume sequence, 'The Malazan Book of the Fallen'.

Rare is the writer who so fluidly combines a sense of mythic power and depth of world, with fully realized characters and thrilling action, but Steven Erikson manages it spectacularly.
MICHAEL A STACKPOLE

Gripping, fast-moving, delightfully dark...utterly engrossing.
ELIZABETH HAYDEN

A world that is both absorbing on a human level and full of magical sublimity...a wonderfully grand conception...splendidly written...fiendishly readable.
ADAM ROBERTS

I stand slack-jawed in awe of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. This masterwork of the imagination may be the high watermark of epic fantasy.
GLEN COOK

Erikson's strengths are his grown up characters and his ability to create a world every bit as intricate and messy as our own.
J. V. JONES

Entry is easy – just send me an email at nethspace [at] gmail [dot] com. Remove the anti-spam measures as appropriate or use the handy link in the sidebar. Include GARDENS as the email subject and make sure to include your full mailing address. Only one entry per person and this contest is open to anyone. The contest is open for 2 weeks – so make sure you enter by November 17th.

Best Endings in SFF

John over at Grasping for the Wind has a new Inside the Blogosphere article. The question is 'What are the best endings in science fiction / fantasy novels?

I give my 2 cents in a pretty wide-ranging field of participants.

Something Completely Different

Conwy Castle, Wales

Winners of the Fantasy Firsts Contest

With the help of random.org, I have the winners for the Fantasy Firsts contest curtesy of Tor. Each winner will receive a copy of The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound) and Mistborn: Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound).

The winners are

• Oren D. of Herndon, Virginia
• Mark J. of Grenada Hills, California
• Joel J. of Spring City, Utah

Contrats again to the winners and thanks again to Tor for sponsoring the giveaway. With only 17 entries, the odds on this were pretty great.

The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

The Wheel of Time is probably the most popular contemporary epic fantasy series and one of the most popular of all time. It’s huge both in volume and popularity – a new book in this series is sure to make the New York Times Best Seller list and crack the top10 over at Amazon.com. Legions of fans interact at various websites and message boards where they spend their time theorizing about the books, role playing, or just enjoying the company of others who enjoy the same books. The Gathering Storm (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound) is the 12th book out of an anticipated 14 in The Wheel of Time (not counting one prequel).

So, what makes a late series book such a big deal beyond the much needed fix for fans? This is the first book of the series published since its author and creator, Robert Jordan, sadly and prematurely left this world after a battle with terminal illness. Honoring Jordan’s wishes that someone complete the series, his estate asked Brandon Sanderson if he was willing to take on the task. Full of mixed emotions (after all, Sanderson himself was a fan before he was a writer), he accepted the job. Armed with hundreds of thousands of pages of notes, completed, semi-completed and outlined text, dictation from Jordan’s last days, two extremely knowledgeable assistants, Jordan’s widow and long-time editor, and the passion of both a fan and a writer, Sanderson offers our first view of how he will complete the series – honoring Jordan’s style and plan while not pretending to be Jordan, and offering a bit of himself to the story.

The Gathering Storm is the 12th book of a series, so any discussion will contain some few ‘spoilers’ of previous books. Nothing big is revealed of past books, but the discussion alone allows clues of what has happened before. Likewise, with a story of this magnitude and fans as passionate as Wheel of Time fans, any spoiler (perceived or real) of The Gathering Storm is quite controversial. This review does not contain what I would consider a single spoiler, however, it does discuss the characters of the book, I address the story-arcs of these characters, I discuss how these characters add to or take away from this book, and I even include a few teases that don’t spoil, but can add to speculation for those that haven’t read the book and should be recognizable to those that have. Some will consider such things to be spoilers, know that no plot revelations occur – but read at your own risk. This review is intended to be ‘safe’ territory and along those lines, if you do choose to comment, please refrain from including spoilers – I will remove any comments that I feel violate the spirit of this being safe territory.

It’s also appropriate for me to say that I’ve been one of those insane fans endlessly discussing these books on the internet. I’ve been reading The Wheel of Time since the mid-1990s and I’ve re-read the series multiple times. I think true objectivity in reviews is a fallacy, but I do believe that reviews need to be thorough and fair. So know that I’m a biased fanboy but also someone striving to write a decent, holistic view of The Gathering Storm that won’t come off feeling liked the biased praise of just another blind fan. It’s also worth knowing that I did not re-read the series before reading The Gathering Storm and the last Wheel of Time book I read was Knife of Dreams (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound) when it was released several years ago. I come into this book as a fan who knows a lot about the series but not off a fresh re-read of events that have come before with a strong feel for the tone of Jordan’s world.

The Gathering Storm is primarily the story of Rand and Egwene. The last few books have typically only given us bits and pieces of Rand’s story through the view of others. Here, Rand is front and center. Likewise, the other primary story we follow is that of Egwene and the divided White Tower. Mat and Perrin both make appearances, but their time is limited and Elayne is absent altogether.

One of the most interesting aspects of The Wheel of Time is how it presents archetypes. Many of the characters and events of the series are distant interpretations of the archetypes of various cultures of our own world, often twisted and nearly unrecognizable. The Gathering Storm takes a step back from this – this is not a big picture book. Instead, it turns inward – the threats are not as external, but primarily threats from within. This approach is exemplified by the two story-arcs concentrated on – Egwene and Rand. Rand is The Dragon Reborn, the man destined and cursed to save the world (or destroy it). Rand’s decent into darkness and madness has been well documented throughout the series, though mainly approached through the view of others. In The Gathering Storm, much of the time is spent in Rand’s own view. And the resulting interpretation has to be that things are even worse than we suspected. Rand is dark, as dark as the Shadow he’s destined to battle, and events in this book only push him further. A victory at the hands of Rand may be no victory at all. The primary battle fought is within Rand – will darkness or light reign? Sure, along the way he may tangle with a Forsaken or three, but the primary battle is internal, with the few external forces present fighting for one outcome or the other.

The same internal conflict is present in Egwene’s story. The White Tower is divided and must stand united to face the coming Final Battle. The rebel forces loyal to her lay siege and she’s captive to her rival in the White Tower. Her focus is inward – in healing the White Tower, whatever the cost to herself.

Rand’s story is dark, depressing and often seemingly devoid of hope. Balancing this is Egwene, who’s story is hopeful, even inspiring. As Rand descends further into darkness, Egwene shines. It’s appropriate that the pivotal moment in Rand’s internal struggle, indeed the final moment of The Gathering Storm occurs in relative close proximity to Egwene.

Honestly, and bluntly, the few chapters devoted to Perrin and Mat are unnecessary bulk to this already long book. Neither fit in well with the internal struggles discussed above (though arguments could be made) and they feel out of balance in an otherwise well-balanced story. The only justification for their inclusion in this story is that fans would have been outraged at their absence, particularly in the case of fan-favorite, Mat. However, I will admit, that Mat’s meeting with Verin Sedai leaves me wanting, no needing, to know more (particularly after events that occur later in the book).

I feel that the pace of The Gathering Storm generally shows some very real improvement over recent volumes of The Wheel of Time. The internal battles described above are well presented, with little wasted space. As mentioned, the pace stumbles a bit with Mat and Perrin, but fans will likely react favorably to seeing old friends again. The beginning is where Sanderson is frustratingly true to Robert Jordan. The first few chapters are full of infodumps – yes, with the length of this series and time since the reader last saw these characters, it’s good to get a bit of a reminder, but as with other volumes in the series, it quickly annoys. This is perhaps the only glaring example of where I could sense Sanderson striving to be like Jordan. Thankfully, such blatant infodumps are rare later in the story. Otherwise, Sanderson succeeds by blending in – this does feel like Robert Jordan’s world. I’m sure many a fan will see (or imagine that they see) Sanderson’s imprint on their beloved series and find complaint. But, from my viewpoint, which is one where I haven’t read the other books in the series for several years, I think that Sanderson does a wonderful job of capturing the feel of The Wheel of Time, (generally) without reading like a simple copy.

In all this, The Gathering Storm comes across as I expected – this is a book that those who are still excited about The Wheel of Time will love and it’s a book that will have plenty to complain about for those seeking it. Sanderson does an admirable job of picking up a series at its climax and staying true to it and its fans. Exciting events occur, longstanding mysteries revealed, plots and arcs come to fruition – some scenes in this book will become iconic to the series as a whole. But, the Last Battle hasn’t yet begun, the characters still haven’t been brought together, and major anticipated events remain. All in all, I couldn’t be happier – reading The Gathering Storm brought back my love for these characters and this world. They’ve been a part of my life for nearly 15 years and getting more was a joy. The series is on the right track and Sanderson has proven to me that he deserves to be in the driver’s seat – I simply can’t wait to read what comes next. 9/10*




*remember, I’m a fanboy and these ratings reflect my overall enjoyment of book, which in the case of a Wheel of Time book, will always be high.

Addendum: The Storm Is Coming

So, within a few hours of my previous post on The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound), Tor comes out with a newsletter dedicated to the TGS that includes new stuff. So, I’ve included it below (I didn’t include all of the link just because it would take too long).


Dear Community,

With one more week to go, we are very excited for Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson’s The Gathering Storm, Book 12 of the Wheel of Time®. We are headed towards the Last Battle!

This book would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication from Team Jordan: Robert Jordan’s amazing widow and editor Harriet McDougal, long-time friend and publisher Tom Doherty, the incomparable Maria Simons and Alan Romanczuk (to both of whom the book is dedicated), and the extraordinary Brandon Sanderson. Many others also contributed to this incredible journey (you know who you are) and deserve a special thanks.

So in this edition, you will find Tour Dates! Storm Leaders! Exclusive WoT Items! Bonus Videos! And more.

Without further ado, we kick things off with a few words from the unstoppable Team Jordan:

“To say that I’m excited about the release of The Gathering Storm is like saying Mat is a little lucky. I can’t wait!” —Maria Simons

“Now perhaps Elaida will stop yanking at my stole.” —Harriet McDougal

“I’ll be happy when this book is released, so that the bloody dice can stop rolling around in my head!” —Alan Romanczuk

* Tom Doherty was bursting with spoilers and could not be reached for comment. As he was hurrying away, he could be heard muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, “RAFO.”

And of course…“Let the Dragon ride again on the Winds of Time.” —Brandon Sanderson

Wheel of Time® Bumper Stickers!

Something fun—pick up one of these Wheel of Time bumper stickers, available almost exclusively at any of the live events on the national tour!*

For those unable to make the events, do not fret, as there will be opportunities to win some of these online soon.

Storm Leaders!

We are pleased to introduce the inaugural Storm Leader program! Born out of the incredible WoT community that has grown for almost two decades around the world, the program has hand-selected a group of Storm Leaders in each tour city to head up community outreach and gather fellow WoT fans for the special occasion. (Remember, I'll be a Storm Leader in Scottsdale/Phoenix, AZ)

This October and November 2009, say hello to your local Storm Leaders, as they will be handing out WoT material and taking photos and blogging about the events for those who couldn’t make it. You’ll recognize SLs by their TGS Storm Leader Tour™ t-shirts!










RSVP here for your local tour event.

Oh yes, and don’t miss next year’s JordanCon!

And some new videos: