The Breach by Patrick Lee

I am always on the lookout for a great new thriller, one that promises to be as entertaining as it is possible to be. I am especially a fan of thrillers that manage to combine the traits of the thriller genre with science fiction or fantasy elements, without crashing on the toes of either genre. Solid contributions to the sub-sub-genre include Temple and the Jack West series by Matthew Reilly, the Atlantis series by Thomas Greanias, the simply brilliant Deep Storm by Lincoln Child (which is one of my all time favorite thrillers), and Steve Alten’s Domain Trilogy. What new author Patrick Lee was presenting seemed to be right up my alley.


Travis Chase enters the Alaskan wilds to escape both the exterior and interior forces that are pushing and prodding at him. Yet, when he discovers a downed 747 that is more than it seems, he is thrust into an adventure that takes him to the edge and back, with an experiment-gone-wrong deep below Wyoming and a villain who knows their every move. Yet what is truly behind all of the danger and violence is even more mysterious.

Patrick Lee plays with some fun tropes, combining the pace of a thriller with the SF-nal element of some type of dimensional tear, with objects falling through from the other side. Travis Chase, along with secret government agent Paige, are fun characters to follow and get to know, even if their eventual role as a couple is a given from the outset.

One problem I had with The Breach was what I felt was a gap in logic. Travis Chase is taken into complete acceptance and confidentiality with little to no effort, on a top secret government project. No way does it work that easily. While I am willing to stretch my suspension of disbelief pretty far, this stretched it past the point that it was credible. Yet, if you get over that gap, a lot of fun can be had.

I won’t point at Patrick Lee’s first novel as the most original or credible of SF/F thrillers, but it isn’t bad.

7/10

Top 15 Books for 2009

After celebrating the end of the year, and the whole of of the 2009 releases reviewed at Luke Reviews, it is time to celebrate the best.  After some tough calls while narrowing down the list, Luke Reviews presents "The Luke Reviews Top 15 Books of 2009"!  Listed in alphabetical order of the author's last name, here are the books selected as the creme of the crop from 2009, along with comments from a number of the authors (and editor!) who made the list.  A huge thanks goes out to all of the people who got back to me and said something (particularly those of you who went above and beyond the call of duty; your responses were pure gold to read), and for all of the kind words.

The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade: Volume Two by Dan Abnett & Mike Lee


From Dan Abnett: I'd just like to say that Mike and I are delighted and honoured that the second Darkblade omnibus has made your best of 2009 list.  Thank you for the accolade--Merry Christmas and a very Happy 2010!


Resistance: The Gathering Storm by William C. Dietz


From William C. Dietz: It was a thrill to learn that Luke had chosen Resistance: The Gathering Storm as one of his top fifteen books of the year.  Working with the folks at Insomniac and Sony is a wonderful way to build out a really compelling universe in a way that compliments the games.  I'm writing a second book for them now and enjoying every moment of it.  I write original novels too, like my Legion of the Damned books, but tie-in work provides an opportunity to be part of a team.  And an excuse to play games and call it work!


Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan


(Sadly, Luke Reviews never heard back from Harry Dolan)


The Hidden Man by David Ellis


(Sadly, Luke Reviews never heard back from David Ellis)


Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman


(Neil Gaiman has a rule of thumb that he doesn't answer questions for websites unless you go through his agent, so Luke Reviews didn't contact him)


Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey


From Hugh Howey: It's a real honor to make an "best of" list, but this is a special thrill for me (and not because it's my first and only one).  That it comes from a reviewer brave enough to be a critic, someone I trust to point out my work's faults and help me improve as a storyteller, makes inclusion a real treat.


When I wrote the book, I didn't dare dream of it getting picked up by a publisher.  I just wanted to please my wife, the most discerning and ornery reader I know (in a good way).  That it has gone on to win rave reviews, selling far more copies than I have friends and family, was quite unexpected.  That it landed on an end-of-the-year list such as this, I can only say: publish in October, not in January.


Thanks, Luke.  And congratulations to all the other authors.  They are now on my reading list.


The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, Volume Twenty edited by Stephen Jones


From Stephen Jones: One of the reasons I put together anthologies is for people like you.  As an editor, I don't expect the reader to like every story in a book--after all, it reflects my taste--but I do hope that most readers enjoy the majority of them.  What I loved about your review of The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror #20 is that you "got" every single story in the book--you understood exactly why I chose a particular tale, and in an age where most online "reviews" are little more than personal blogs, it is refreshing to find a site that actually still makes an effort to review books intelligently and insightfully.


I am extremely honoured that you have chosen The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror #20 as one of your Top 15 Books of the Year--it was an obvious milestone in the series and my career--and I hope that you will continue to spread the word for all genre material in 2010.


My best wishes to you and all your readers for a happy and prosperous New Year!


Storm Approaching by Brian Libby


From Brian Libby: Gold and Glory, the second volume in the Mercenaries series, should be available by early summer.  Check http://www.blibby.com, or write me at brnlbb(at)gmail.com, for more information  on my books.  No glory without honor!


Courage and Honour by Graham McNeill

From Graham McNeill: This was a fun book to write, as it was a chance to get back o basics with the Ultramarines.  I'd taken them off to the Eye of Terror in Dead Sky, Black Sun and left them there for a while, as I went off and did other projects, but they were always itching to get back to Ultramar.  I knew right away that I couldn't just have them turn up at the gates of their Chapter Monastery and say, 'Hi, we're home...' so that entailed The Killing Ground, a novel about the steps on the way home.  Like DS, BS, it was a novel that took the Space Marines out of their comfort zone and had them doing very un-Space Marine-like things, so with Courage and Honour, it was time to rectify that.


I wanted this to be the book that reminds the reader why Space Marines are the premier fighting force in the galaxy.  The Imperial Guard may number in the millions, but it's the Space Marines that do the really hard work, the missions that absolutely cannot be allowed to fail.  This was going to be a war novel, a book that had the Space Marines doing what they did best, killing their foes with complete and utter dedication and professionalism.  I wanted Courage and Honour to be a simple story, and when I say that I don't mean without complexity, I mean that is showed the Ultramarines--and Uriel--in the most classic Space Marine light possible.


These weren't Space Marines operating outside the Codex Astartes, these were warriors who fought with their Primarch's holy tome as their guide, and were winning with it at their side.  Of course, I wanted elements that weren't exactly codex, which is what led to Learchus going behind enemy lines and learning what had driven Uriel to make the choices he made.  It's a book with plenty of action, from all levels of the conflict, and I hope shows the brutality of warfare in the 40K universe, while also highlighting the heroism and horror that can come out of such desperate conflicts.


It's an honour to write about such an illustrious Chapter, and to have Courage and Honour chosen as one of the fifteen top books of 2009 by Luke gives me the pleasant thought that I did something right.  Let's just hope that the follow up book, The Chapter's Due is similarly well received.


The Lord of the Sands of Time by Issui Ogawa


(With the language barrier--Luke doesn't speak Japanese and Issui Ogawa's entire site was in said language--Luke Reviews was unable to contact Issui Ogawa for comment)


Hunt at the Well of Eternity by James Reasoner


From James Reasoner: Thank you so much for including Hunt at the Well of Eternity on your list.  I had a great time writing the book, and the fact that so many people have enjoyed reading it is very gratifying.


Kell's Legend by Andy Remic


(Andy Remic was kind enough to explain his very busy situation right now, and our schedules just wouldn't line up, so Luke Reviews couldn't get a comment from him)


Harbinger by Jack Skillingstead

From Jack Skillingstead: Harbinger is based on a loosely connected series of stories I published in Asimov's.  In fact, the connection is so loose, I doubt most readers even noticed it--and it may be the connection exists mostly in my own head.  The idea of so-called consciousness evolution was the starting point, a sort of organic singularity.  But in writing the novel I became fascinated by how individuals interpret experience/phenomenon through their own filters, and that took the narrative in different directions.  I'm gratified the book has been so well received, generally, and am especially happy to see it make Luke's Top Fifteen.


Slights by Kaaron Warren


From Kaaron Warren: Writing Slights was difficult.  It took a lot out of me emotionally, because I devoted myself to understanding the character Stevie, who is harsh, murderous, funny, and at times repugnant.  It was worth the pain if she works on the page.


Emperor's Mercy by Henry Zou


(Luke couldn't find any way to contact Henry Zou and let him know of his selection, so no comment was collected)

The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade: Volume Two

Before diving into how wonderful this book is, I'll begin by listing the contents.  The book starts off with a foreword by Dan Abnett, then hits the core of the omnibus with the novels Warpsword and Lord of Ruin. This is followed up by an afterward by Mike Lee, and then a reprint of the graphic story DarkBlade, written by Dan Abnett and illustrated by Kev Hopgood, which was the basis for the entire series.  Each novel in the Chronicles of Malus Darkblade series is based off of one of the episodes from the story.

You can see my thoughts on each of the novels in their individual reviews:

Warpsword


Lord of Ruin

DarkBlade by Dan Abnett: The original story is rather spare.  Told in a series of very brief encounters, we get to see Malus Darkblade attacking each of the final "champions" on his path to getting each artifact.  While this leads to a very action-packed few pages, it is almost entirely devoid of characteriztion.  Abnett & Lee worked from a very bare frame to create such vastly scoped and well thought out novels.  The graphic story isn't great, but it is a nice historical piece of a sort, showing the beginnings of the saga.

All in all, The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade: Volume Two was a wonderful fantasy saga.  The omnibus, despite its great size, reads rather quickly, in part because it is so hard to put down the story.  I have rarely had as much fun reading a fantasy as I did with this one.  If you are a fan of fantasy, Warhammer, Dan Abnett, Mike Lee, Black Library in general, or anything similar, check this book out!

9/10

Lord of Ruin by Dan Abnett & Mike Lee

After tackling Warpsword, the first novel in The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade: Volume Two, I dove straight into the second novel in the omnibus, and the fifth in the series, Lord of Ruin.

Following Darkblade's adventures in the previous novel trying to capture the Warpsword of Khaine, this novel begins at the end of Darkblade's journey, and then through a series of flashbacks tells the story of how Malus Darkblade gathers the final artifact and confronts Tz'arkan, the demon who is holding his spirit prisoner.  Can Darkblade hold off an invading army of Chaos creatures led by his evil sister, survive an encounter with Malekith, the Witch King, and still manage to get the final item and make it back to the demon's cave in time?

The plot of the story begins a little slow, as the stage is set, but once the ball gets rolling, there is no stopping it.  Lord of Ruin packs as much story as possible into its pages, filling them with action, adventure, moments of horror, a touch of humor, and a lot of gusto.  Malus Darkblade becomes even more of a fully-developed, well-envisioned character that feels as human as a dark elf could.  The plot is sufficiently over-the-top and action-packed to make this a wonderful thrill ride, moving from the more individual warring of Warpsword to broad scale, all out war.

Abnett & Lee upped the ante with this novel.  It was a brilliant action saga, that managed to both wrap up the main storyline from this first story arc, as well as set up the next arc that I hope comes far sooner rather than later.

9/10

Warpsword by Dan Abnett & Mike Lee

I am a huge fan of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  I think it is brilliantly done, combining a deep philosophical/religious undertone with fast-paced action, a moody, gothic environment, and great storytelling.  As I have gradually shifted to adding a little more fantasy to my reading plate lately, I had been meaning to get into some of the fantasy side of Black Library's buffet, with Warhammer.  Particularly after reading Andy Remic's Kell's Legend, which is cut from a similar mold, I thought that the time was right.  And then it just never happened.  I have no idea why, but my tastes diverged from that region a bit.  Yet, when I picked up the December releases from Black Library, the time finally was right.  The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade: Volume Two, the second omnibus of the novels following the saga of the titular character, Malus Darkblade, seemed like a good place to start.

The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade: Volume One (which contains the novels The Daemon's Curse, Bloodstorm, and Reaper of Souls, as well as the short story "The Blood Price") set the stage, introducing Malus Darkblade, a dark elf who becomes possessed by the demon Tz'arkan, and must search out the five artifacts that were used to bound the demon in place.  If h fails, Tz'arkan will hold his soul for eternity.  While these stories look like a lot of fun, and I want to pick up a copy of the omnibus one day, they aren't necessary to enjoy The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade: Volume Two.

The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade: Volume Two begins with the novel Warpsword.  Having recovered three of the five artifacts, Darkblade sets out for Har Ganeth, home city o the god Khaine.  Here is the resting place of the Warpsword of Khaine, the fourth item needed.  However, Darkblade's half-brother, Urial, wants to lay claim to the sword himself, and he is in far better position to do so.  What begins as a quest of espionage becomes outright was as Darkblade's plans go awry, the artifact may be more (or less) that it appears, and old enemies return.

If Warpsword is any indication of what Warhammer has to offer, then I can't wait to dive into more.  The novel was fast-paced, extremely full of action, and a clever plot that even managed to pull off some dry humor.  The character Malus Darkblade is very well thought out.  He has far more dark in him than good, but he still manages to be a character you cheer for.  His story was full of plot twists, and you could almost feel his exhaustion as he waded through fight after fight and injury after injury.  Abnett & Lee make a solid team, mixing the moody atmosphere with an exciting tale.  The story occasionally felt like it lagged a bit, but that was a rare occurrence indeed, and was made up for every time with an over-the-top action epic the following chapter.

The chracters are great, the setting is excellent for the story, and the plot was wonderful.  The most fun I have had reading a fantasy novel in some time.

8/10

The Golem by Edward Lee

Stories of monsters pervade horror fiction, from giant beasts that ravage cities (think King Kong, Godzilla, or the anthology Monstrous reviewed here), or small, creeping horrors (H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Rats in the Walls”). There are the creatures that have become staples of the horror genre, from Frankenstein’s monster to the werewolf, zombies to Dracula and the host of other vampires that seem to be popping up in fiction everywhere nowadays. Religious backgrounds aren’t uncommon either, especially stories of possession and the Devil (The Excorcist, The Omen, Rosemary’s Baby). Yet, Jewish religious ideas, which are particularly rich for fiction like this, especially with groups such as the Kabbalah, and with folks tales of the inhuman golem, yet they are a rare occurrence indeed. All of this of course means that, as a fan of a good creature feature myself, and looking for something new from an author I only had a brief acquaintance with (“In the Year of Our Lord: 2202”—which many people seemed to like less than its companions, but which I thought was the best of the three—from the anthology Triage, featuring stories from Richard Laymon and Jack Ketchum as well), I jumped at Edward Lee’s The Golem.


Seth and Judy have lived through dark patches of their lives, and now have recovered from their addictions to achieve great success and fortune. The boyfriend-girlfriend duo buys a house in rural Maryland, once owned by a well-known Jewish leader. However, their house and the land surrounding it have a dark past filled with religious intolerance that lead to violence and death. Over one hundred years ago a mysterious force killed an entire town, and that creature has returned.

With a brutal prologue that sets the stage for the events to come, Lee weaves a wonderful novel filled with historical and religious details. While the horror elements take a while to surface, there is an underlying unease and tension that fills the very well written story. The plot is tightly wound, with realistic dialogue, convincing characters, and a swift pace. While this lacking of the elements I was suspecting at times made things seem to lag, leaving the reader with an urge for something to happen, it is undeniable that Lee’s writing ability managed to cover that flaw fairly well.

If you are looking for a fast-paced, suspense-filled horror novel, you might look elsewhere. However, if a well-written tale of historical horror and modern struggles appeals to you, The Golem is for you.

8/10