Novedad: La leyenda de Kell, de Andy Remic

La editorial Dilatando Mentes ha puesto a la venta esta semana La leyenda de Kell, la primera entrega de la Trilogía de los Mecavampiros de Andy Remic. El libro tiene 376 páginas y un precio de 18,95€. En la página de la editorial podéis leer un extracto con los primeros capítulos. 

Ésta es la sinopsis de la novela:

La tierra de Falanor ha sido invadida por el Ejército de Hierro, una terrible armada de soldados albinos que llega desde más allá de las fronteras del norte y que rinde pleitesía a los mecavampiros, una sociedad de vampiros modificados que han fusionado su organismo con un intrincado mecanismo de relojería.

Tan solo Kell, un despiadado guerrero ahora retirado, Nienna, su nieta, Katrina, una amiga de esta, y Saark, un pretencioso dandy con ínfulas, harán frente a esa amenaza emprendiendo un camino que les conducirá por mil y una aventuras, enfrentándose a las más terribles y feroces criaturas que jamás nadie pudo imaginar.  

 

Tres novelas cortas de Tor.com

Review Soundtrack: Sugiero leer esta reseña escuchando Cyborg, de M83 (Spotify, YouTube). 

Como sabréis si visitáis este blog, me encanta leer novelas cortas y sigo muy de cerca toads las publicadas por Tor.com, muchas de las cuales he reseñado en los últimos meses. Hoy quiero hablar brevemente de tres de las más recientes: A Whisper of Southern Lights, de Tim Lebbon, Return of Souls, de Andy Remic, y Runtime, de S.B. Divya.

A Whisper of Southern Lights es una nueva historia de la saga Assassin, tras Deadman's Hand y Pieces of Hate (recopiladas por Tor.com en un único volumen). En este caso, la acción se sitúa en la Segunda Guerra Mundial y de nuevo Gabriel se enfrenta a Temple en busca de venganza. Lebbon consigue construir una atmósfera más que adecuada, pero la trama no acabó de engancharme. De hecho, me esperaba que la lucha entre los dos protagonistas iba a avanzar de algún modo, incluso llegar a algún tipo de resolución, pero me he visto decepcionado. No sé si el autor planea escribir más entregas de la serie (originalmente, estas tres ya fueron publicadas hace unos cuantos años) pero si esto es todo lo que hay, pienso realmente que quedar muchas cosas que cerrar y redondear.

Return of Souls, de Andy Remic, es también una secuela, en este caso de A Song for No Man's Land (que me gustó mucho). Tenía curiosidad por saber hacia dónde se iba a mover la trama, ya que la historia anterior tenía un final bastante satisfactorio y no me esperaba que fuera a aparecer una segunda parte. El autor, sin embargo, tenía claramente en mente una dirección muy definida para la serie y, tras unos pocos capítulos similares a los visto en A Song for No Man's Land, hay un gran giro y un cambio muy claro en tono. Me gustó más la primera novela corta, pero al menos estoy intrigado por saber cómo va a terminar la saga y tengo ganas de leer The Iron Beast, la tercera y última entrega. 

Runtime, de S.B. Divya, es el libro que más me ha gustado de los que reseño hoy. Inicialmente, no me atraía mucho la sinopsis ya que no me interesan especialmente las carreras bosque a través. Sin embargo, este deporte extremo es sólo uno de los elementos de Runtime y me atrevería a decir que ni siquiera es el más importante. Me ha sorprendido gratamente ver que esta novela corta es, en realidad, una distopía en la que el uso de implantes cibernéticos es un asunto complejo que puede conducir a diferencias sociales y discriminación. Pero lo que más me ha gustado ha sido el modo en el que la autora coloca a su protagonista en algunos difíciles dilemas morales y se niega a darles respuestas claras y tajantes.

En resumen, de estas tres novelas cortas recomiendo Runtime y me reservo el juicio sobre Return of Souls hasta leer The Iron Beast. Pero Tor.com nunca se detiene y ya tengo en mi ereader varias libros suyos más para leer, así que espero reseñarlos muy pronto para vosotros.

(You can also read this review in English/También puedes leer esta reseña en inglés)

Three Tor.com novellas

(Disclaimer: English is my second language, so I want to apologize in advance for there may be mistakes in the text below. If you find any, please let me know so that I can correct it. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.)

Review Soundtrack: I suggest reading this review while listening to Cyborg, by M83 (Spotify, YouTube). 

As you may know if you are familiar with this blog, I love reading novellas and I closely follow all those published by Tor.com, many of which I have reviewed in the past months. Today, I will briefly talk about three of the most recent: A Whisper of Southern Lights, by Tim Lebbon, Return of Souls, by Andy Remic, and Runtime, by S.B. Divya.

A Whisper of Southern Lights is a new story in the Assassin saga, after Deadman's Hand and Pieces of Hate (collected by Tor.com in a single volume). In this case, the action is set in the Second World War and again Gabriel faces Temple seeking revenge. Lebbon manages to build a more than adequate atmosphere, but I found the plot not very engaging. In fact, I was expecting the fight between the main protagonists to move forward somehow, maybe even reach some kind of resolution, but I was disappointed. I don't know if the author is planning to write further installments of the series (originally, they were published several years ago) but if this is all there is, I really think there are still many things to wrap up. 

Return of Souls, by Andy Remic, is also a sequel, in this case to A Song for No Man's Land (which I really enjoyed). I was curious to know where the plot was going to move, since the previous story had a quite satisfying ending and I wasn't expecting a second part. The author, however, clearly had in mind a very definite direction for the series and, after a few chapters which are similar to what we saw in A Song for No Man's Land, there is a big twist and clear change in tone. I did like the first novella better, but at least I am intrigued and looking forward The Iron Beast, the third and final installment of the series. 

Runtime, by S.B. Divya, is the novella I enjoyed the most of the three I am reviewing today. Initially, I was not very attracted by the synopsis, since I am not especially interested in mountain races. However, this extreme sport is just one of the elements of Runtime and I dare to say it is not even the most important. I was gladly surprised to see that the novella is, in fact, a dystopia in which the use of use cybernetic augmentations is a complex issue and can lead to social differences and discrimination. But what I liked above everything else was the way the author puts her protagonist in some difficult moral dilemmas and refuses to give clear-cut, easy answers to them. 

All in all, of these three novellas I recommend Runtime and I reserve my verdict on Return of Souls until I read The Iron Beast. But tor.com never stops and I already have ARCs of more, really interesting novellas on my ereader, so I hope to review them for you soon.  

(You can also read this review in Spanish/También puedes leer esta reseña en español)

Novedad: Return of Souls, de Andy Remic

Tor.com ha publicado una nueva entrega de su colección de novelas cortas: Return of Souls, de Andy Remic, que sirve de continuación a A Song for No Man's Land. 

Ésta es su sinopsis:

If war is hell, there is no word to describe what Private Jones has been through. Forced into a conflict with an unknowable enemy, he awakes to find himself in a strange land, and is soon joined by young woman, Morana, who tends to his wounds and tells him of the battles played out in this impossible place. 

She tells him of an Iron Beast that will end the Great War, and even as he vows to help her find it, enemy combatants seek them, intent on their utter annihilation. 

Return of Souls is the second volume of the trilogy Andy Remic began with A Song for No Man's Land.

A Song for No Man's Land, by Andy Remic, and The Devil You Know, by K.J. Parker

(Disclaimer: English is my second language, so I want to apologize in advance for there may be mistakes in the text below. If you find any, please let me know so that I can correct it. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.)

Review Soundtrack: I suggest reading this review listening to The Green Fields of France (No Man's Land), by Dropkick Murphys (Spotify, YouTube).

As I promised last week, today I am reviewing another two novellas published by Tor.com: A Song for No Man's Land, by Andy Remic, and The Devil You Know, by K.J. Parker. What is more, I have the additional pleasure of collaborating with my very good friend Leticia Lara, from Fantástica Ficción, who is simultaneously publishing a review of Parker's novella.   

I didn't know what to expect exactly from A Song No Man's Land. I hadn't read anything by Andy Remic and I wasn't completely convinced by the synopsis. However, I must say that I was very, very pleasantly surprised. From the first page, the author does an excellent job of evoking the desperate atmosphere of a country at war: 

Distant machine guns roared, like some great alien creature in agony. Rain lashed from unhealthy iron skies, caressed the upturned faces of soldiers praying to a god they no longer believed in for a miracle that couldn't happen.   

Then, very subtly, Remic introduces the supernatural element and mixes it seamlessly with the rest of the story using flashbacks and dreamlike scenes. I usually don't care for that kind of story, but in this case I loved every sentence of it: believable characters, excellent prose, perfect world-building and an interesting plot with a good ending. Highly recommend it and I am already looking forward to the second installment, Return of Souls, that will come out in June. 

The Devil You Know, by K.J. Parker is even better, and that is a lot to say. This novella is a perfect complement (and sort of a counterpoint) to the also very good Downfall of the Gods, that Antonio Díaz reviewed for us last week. If in that other story the main protagonists were a goddess and a mortal, here the main focus is in the pact of the philosopher Saloninus, one of the most intelligent persons ever, with a demon. But when Saloninus is involved you can be sure that this will be not your run-of-the-mill pact with the devil. 

Parker delivers, once again, a witty, intelligent and cynical novella, with excellent dialog and an almost perfect pace. With an intriguing and always twisting plot, it is impossible not to love the cunning Saloninus and feel a bit sorry for the poor demon that is at his service. The best novella of the year so far and one that you should not miss. 

All in all, two very different but excellent additions to Tor.com's amazing novella imprint. I enjoyed both of them immensely and I highly recommend them to anyone interested in fantasy literature. And very soon I will be reviewing even more novellas so... stay tuned!

(You can also read this review in Spanish/También puedes leer esta reseña en español)

A Song for No Man's Land, de Andy Remic, y The Devil You Know, de K.J. Parker

Banda sonora de la reseña: Sugiero leer esta reseña escuchando The Green Fields of France (No Man's Land), de Dropkick Murphys (Spotify, YouTube).

Como prometí la semana pasada, hoy voy a reseñar otras dos novelas cortas publicadas por Tor.com: A Song for No Man's Land, de Andy Remic, y The Devil You Know, de K.J. Parker. Además, tengo el placer añadido de colaborar con mi muy buena amiga Leticia Lara, de Fantástica Ficción, que simultáneamente publica una reseña de la novela corta de Parker.   

No sabía muy bien qué esperarme de A Song No Man's Land. No había leído nada de Andy Remic anteriormente y la sinopsis no me convencía del todo. Sin embargo, debo decir que me he visto muy gratamente sorprendido. Desde la primera página, el autor hace un trabajo excelente recreando la atmósfera desesperada de un país en guerra:  

Distant machine guns roared, like some great alien creature in agony. Rain lashed from unhealthy iron skies, caressed the upturned faces of soldiers praying to a god they no longer believed in for a miracle that couldn't happen.   

A partir de ahí, muy sutilmente, Remic introduce el elemento sobrenatural y lo combina, sin fisura alguna, con el resto de la historia por medio de flashbacks y escenas oníricas. Normalmente no me suele gustar este tipo de historia, pero en este caso he disfrutado cada línea: personajes creíbles, excelente prosa, perfecto world-building y una trama interesante con un final más que redondo. Muy recomendado. Yo ya estoy esperando la siguiente entrega, Return of Souls, que saldrá en junio. 

The Devil You Know, de K.J. Parker es incluso mejor, que ya es decir. Esta novela corta es un complemente perfecto (y, además, una suerte de contrapunto) para la también muy buena Downfall of the Gods, que Antonio Díaz reseñó para nosotros la semana pasada. Si en esa otra historia los protagonistas eran una diosa y un mortal, aquí el foco se centra en el pacto entre el filósofo Saloninus, una de las personas más inteligentes que han existido, y un demonio. Pero si Saloninus está involucrado, podéis estar seguros de que éste no va a ser precisamente el típico pacto con el diablo. 

Parker nos ofrece, una vez más, una inteligente, brillante y cínica novela corta, con excelentes diálogos y un ritmo prácticamente perfecto. La trama es extremadamente interesante y está llena de giros y es imposible no admirar al astuto Saloninus y sentir un poco de pena por el pobre demonio que está a su servicio. La mejor novela corta del año hasta el momento. No os la perdáis. 

En resumen, dos muy diferentes pero excelentes nuevas entregas de la maravillosa colección de novelas cortas de Tor.com. He disfrutado un montón con ambas y las recomiendo sin reservas a cualquier aficionado a la literatura fantástica. Y muy pronto os hablaré de más novelas cortas, así que... ¡estad atentos!

(You can also read this review in English/También puedes leer esta reseña en inglés)

Novedad: A Song for No Man's Land, de Andy Remic

Tor.com ha publicado una nueva obra en su colección dedicada a las novelas cortas. Se trata de A Song for No Man's Land, de Andy Remic. 

Ésta es su sinopsis:

He signed up to fight with visions of honour and glory, of fighting for king and country, of making his family proud at long last. 

But on a battlefield during the Great War, Robert Jones is shot, and wonders how it all went so very wrong, and how things could possibly get any worse. 

He'll soon find out. When the attacking enemy starts to shapeshift into a nightmarish demonic force, Jones finds himself fighting an impossible war against an enemy that shouldn't exist. 

Andy Remic's A Song for No Man's Land is the first in an ongoing series.

Novedad: The Dragon Engine, de Andy Remic

Hoy se pone a la venta The Dragon Engine, primera novela de una nueva serie de fantasía de Andy Remic. 

Ésta es la sinopsis de la novela:

Five noble war heroes of Vagandrak get drunk one night and sign a contract - to journey to the Karamakkos in search of the Five Havens where, it is written, there lies untold, abandoned wealth and, more importantly, the three Dragon Heads, legendary jewels claimed to give unspeakable power and everlasting life to those who wield them. 

But the Dragon Heads aren't what the adventurers think they are, and the world has not encountered their like in generations! Think Smaug was fierce? You ain't seen nothing!

Ebooks de Andy Remic y Tim Waggoner en oferta

Angry Robot ha añadido dos nuevos ebooks a su oferta navideña (recordad: una libra esterlina cada uno usando el código mincepie). Son los siguientes:

Night Terrors, Tim Waggoner

It's Supernatural meets Men in Black in a darkly humorous urban fantasy from the author of Nekropolis. 

When you dream, you visit the Maelstrom. Dream long enough and hard enough, and your dreams can break through into the living world. So, alas, can your nightmares.

And who's there to catch the dreams and nightmares as they fall into reality? Meet the Shadow Watch. 

Pray you never need them...

The White Towers, Andy Remic

Vagandrak is broken, and a new threat has arisen that threatens to defeat even the mighty Iron Wolves. 

The twisted, deviant Elf Rats have gathered in the toxic realm beyond the White Lion Mountains... swiftly they invade the troubled land of Vagandrak, killing for profit and pleasure. 

The now-disgraced Iron Wolves are the realm's only hope, but there's a problem: they've been sentenced to death by the insane King Yoon for the dark sorcery in their blood. 

In the mountains of Zalazar lie the White Towers, pillars of legend said to contain the Heart of the Elves. The Iron Wolves must journey north to steal the Heart, and purify the evil in the land, but the land belongs to the Elves – and they won't give it up without a fight!

Ebooks en oferta de Andy Remic y Chuck Wendig

Angry Robot acaba de comenzar su tradicional campaña 12 Days of Christmas, en la que cada día ofrece ebooks de su catálogo a 1£ cada uno. Los libros que están rebajados hoy son:

• The Iron Wolves, de Andy Remic
• Blackbirds, de Chuck Wendig
• Mockingbird, de Chuck Wendig
• The Cormorant, de Chuck Wendig

Para hacer uso de la oferta es necesario añadir los ebooks a la cesta de la compra en la tienda online de Angry Robot y usar el cupón mincepie antes de hacer el pago. 

Cinco títulos de Anarchy Books gratis

Durante unos días se pueden descargar gratuitamente en Amazon cinco ebooks publicados por Anarchy Books. Los títulos y sus sinopsis son los siguientes:

Serial Killer Incorporated, de Andy Remic

Meet Callaghan, a hard-drinking, drug-fuelled, womanising no-good son-of-a-bitch. He's the amoral hardcore photographer for Black & White, the tabloid rag that tells it as it is. Or at least, how it should be. 

Callaghan's in way too deep with Mia, his Mexican stripper girlfriend... and even deeper with Sophie, estranged wife to Vladimir "Vodka" Katchevsy, infamous Romanian gun-runner and self-eulogising expert at human problem solving. People start to die. And Callaghan's caught in the middle. A situation even his Porsche GT3, Canary Wharf Penthouse suite and corrupt politician contacts can't solve. 

At the nadir of his downward spiral, Callaghan is approached by a man: a serial killer who brings him a very unique and dangerous proposition...

Silversands, de Gareth L. Powell

INCLUDES THE BONUS SHORT STORY "MEMORY DUST". 

In an age where interstellar travel is dangerous and unpredictable, and no-one knows exactly where they’ll end up, Avril Bradley is a Communications officer onboard a ship sent to re-contact as many of these lost souls as possible. But a mysterious explosion strands her in a world of political intrigue, espionage and subterfuge; a world of retired cops, digital ghosts and corporate assassins who fight for possession of computer data lain undisturbed for almost a century. . . 

The Four Realms, de Adrian Faulkner

Half-vampire Darwin stumbles across a corpse on the streets of London, and in a pocket discovers a notebook in a mysterious language. Divided between human ethics and vampire bloodlust, Darwin finds himself both condemner and saviour of a race who’ve never considered him one of their own. Now, he must try and lead the survivors to sanctuary in New Salisbury before Mr West completes his genocide of the vampires in his quest to obtain the book…  

Maureen Summerglass is eighty-two years old, and a prisoner in her ramshackle home. She is afraid to let people enter in case they discover the oak door in her cellar. Threatened with homelessness and retirement from her job as a gatekeeper between worlds, Maureen breaks protocol when the death of a close friend is covered up… and enters the city of New Salisbury to search for his missing notebook. There, she discovers a world unlike the one of myth and fairy tale she imagined, and instead one of black market economies, brand names and tuk tuks. As she investigates, not only is she in extreme danger, but discovers she may be the first human female able to use magic… 

The Warrior's Journey, de Edward Drake

The Warrior’s Journey is an epic fantasy set in a mystical dark age where monsters roam the plains, mages wield powerful sorcery and arguments are settled by the honour of the blade. 

In the land of Castille, Garrick Chilver is a soldier trained in combat by his honourable father, Sir Nickholi. The tale follows Garrick and his companions, an enslaved pair of outcasts, an old knight returning home to his family, an imprisoned murderer, a young innocent marked for great power, and a mysterious sorcerer – as their land is struck by a series of terrible and catastrophic disasters. As demons and dark sorcerers roam the lands wreaking terror, chaos and death, Garrick and his companions find a common goal in their struggles against the corrupt Brotherhood of Guardians and the evil Paladins of the Gods. 

When the person closest to Garrick is slaughtered by the leader of the Paladins, Garrick’s journey of vengeance brings him to the capital of Castille where, alongside its rulers, he will face the true evil that stalks the world...  

The Warrior’s Journey is an epic tale of champions and honour, showing what it truly means to be a hero - a shining example of a bright flame ranged against the darkness of chaos!

Monster Anonymous, de Theresa Derwin

Have you looked in the closet lately? Well beware, because some things are not meant to come out... 

Monsters Anonymous, a support group that lets the monsters out from behind the closet door. A place where creatures from nightmare meet up, share their experiences, and talk about their addictions... Because addiction is what monsters suffer; whether it’s the vampire addicted to blood, the cannibal or were addicted to meat, or the mummy addicted to life essence – these monsters are misunderstood, and want to share their stories. 

From the streets of Victorian London, the jungles of deepest Mexico, the ancient city of Thebes or the sex-shop backstreets of Birmingham, monsters get into all sorts of places... and all sorts of devices. Wild chases, raw meat, unorthodox sex toys and the Holy Grail, Monsters Anonymous will make you laugh, weep, and maybe even scream.

 

Free Ebooks: SIM by Andy Remic and The Woods by Stephen Leigh

SIM by Andy Remic and The Woods by Stephen Leigh are, as of now, free to download on Amazon.

SIM by Andy Remic (Amazon US, Amazon ES):

"JUSTICE D - psychopath, sociopath, assassin, cat-lover. But when they take his beloved Emmy, GOV will have to redefine the word HARDCORE..."

Meet Justice D, a Justice SIM umbilicated since birth who killed his own mother. Used by GOV as a hardcore merciless killer hunting down rebs in the dregs, Justice D has little emotion. His biggest hobby is upgrading his armour, weapons and augmentations, taking mandrake narco and listening to groovy groovy MM.

For decades now, humanity has been colour-blind, a disability inflicted - so GOV believes - by a disease named HRG/Canker and carried by all animals across the planet. As the scientist Cantrell discovers the causes for Canker, so GOV begin a global culling of all animals in order to save Humanity...

On a patrol in the dregs, Justice D is saved by a cat which he calls Emmy. He soon learns to love his cat, until GOV discover his secret... and send Battle SIMs to shut him down...

The Woods by Stephen Leigh (Amazon US, Amazon ES):

There is a certain magic growing up with life-long friends. The charmed existence became almost dream-like with two young boys growing up in a small neighborhood surrounded by an old, dense forest.

But what happens when fantasies start becoming all too real? Grotesque and bloody rites give rise to a fey and magical girl who threatens to destroy the last remnants of the boys’ idyllic childhood existence...whose mere presence may set the jealous boys at each other’s throats.

Hidden among the trees they know so well, Rob and Mark confront a grim, violent solution to their problems. This is a story of choices, a tale where the wild, romanticized dream-scape of youth intersects the gray world beyond, where fantasy collides and merges with reality.

Anarchy Books will be offering a free ebook every single day of September

To celebrate the release of Trajectory by John S. Barker and Moster Anonymous by Theresa Derwin, Anarchy Books, in colaboration with Geek Syndicate, will be offering a free ebook every single day of September and a competition to win their whole digital catalogue.

The first free ebook is Serial Killers Incorporated by Andy Remic (Amazon US, Amazon ES). This is the product description:

Meet Callaghan, a hard-drinking, drug-fuelled, womanising no-good son-of-a-bitch. He's the amoral hardcore photographer for Black & White, the tabloid rag that tells it as it is. Or at least, how it should be.

Callaghan's in way too deep with Mia, his Mexican stripper girlfriend... and even deeper with Sophie, estranged wife to Vladimir "Vodka" Katchevsy, infamous Romanian gun-runner and self-eulogising expert at human problem solving. People start to die. And Callaghan's caught in the middle. A situation even his Porsche GT3, Canary Wharf Penthouse suite and corrupt politician contacts can't solve.

At the nadir of his downward spiral, Callaghan is approached by a man: a serial killer who brings him a very unique and dangerous proposition...