“Breach Zone” by Myke Cole (Headline/Ace Books)

The explosive conclusion to Myke Cole’s first trilogy

The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began “coming up Latent,” developing terrifying powers — summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Those who Manifest must choose: become a sheepdog who protects the flock or a wolf who devours it…

In the wake of a bloody battle at Forward Operating Base Frontier and a scandalous presidential impeachment, Lieutenant Colonel Jan Thorsson, call sign “Harlequin,” becomes a national hero and a pariah to the military that is the only family he’s ever known.

In the fight for Latent equality, Oscar Britton is positioned to lead a rebellion in exile, but a powerful rival beats him to the punch: Scylla, a walking weapon who will stop at nothing to end the human-sanctioned apartheid against her kind.

When Scylla’s inhuman forces invade New York City, the Supernatural Operations Corps are the only soldiers equipped to prevent a massacre. In order to redeem himself with the military, Harlequin will be forced to face off with this havoc-wreaking woman from his past, warped by her power into something evil…

In this, the final part of Cole’s first trilogy, we have an excellent conclusion. Not only do we see the events of the last three books come together, but the story digs deeper and offers more than either of its predecessors. The author has really pulled out all the stops for this one, and written a really fantastic novel.

“The Violent Century” by Lavie Tidhar (Hodder)

A strange-yet-brilliant blend of Watchmen-style Super-Heroes and John le Carré Spy Fiction

They’d never meant to be heroes.

For seventy years they’d guarded the British Empire. Oblivion and Fogg, inseparable at first, bound together by a shared fate. Until a night in Berlin, in the aftermath of the Second World War, and a secret that tore them apart.

But there must always be an account... and the past has a habit of catching up to the present.

Recalled to the Retirement Bureau from which no one can retire, Fogg and Oblivion must face up to a past of terrible war and unacknowledged heroism, a life of dusty corridors and secret rooms; of furtive meetings and blood-stained fields, to answer one last, impossible question: What makes a hero?

The Violent Century is, much to my shame, the first novel of Tidhar’s that I’ve read. And it’s quite the impressive accomplishment. Tidhar is not a stranger to pushing the envelope – see, for example, his World Fantasy Award-winning Osama – and in The Violent Century, he has created an original, engrossing fusion of noir-ish super-heroes and gritty espionage thriller. The publicity material that came with the ARC managed to capture it very well – “Watchmen meets John le Carre”. This is a very good novel.

Interview with ZACHARY JERNIGAN

As is the case with so many debut authors these days, I tend to stumble across new names when a piece of artwork is released for their first novel. I have no idea why this is. Perhaps it’s a Universal Law or something? Anyway, I spotted the artwork for Zachary Jernigan’s debut, No Return, and did some more digging. Published by Night Shade (imminently), it sounds really intriguing. Zack was kind enough to say yes to an interview request, to talk about his writing, how he actually doesn’t enjoy it that much (but loves finishing) and his thoughts on the wider genre as a whole.

“Betrayer” by Aaron Dembski-Bowden (Black Library)

The Heresy continues, as another brother falls

The Shadow Crusade has begun. While the Ultramarines reel from Kor Phaeron’s surprise attack on Calth, Lorgar and the rest of the Word Bearers strike deep into the realm of Ultramar. Their unlikely allies, Angron and the World Eaters, continue to ravage each new system they come across – upon the garrison planet of Armatura, this relentless savagery may finally prove to be their undoing. Worlds will burn, Legions will clash and a primarch will fall.

Betrayer, the 24th novel in Black Library’s New York Times-bestselling Horus Heresy series, advances the cause of the traitor Legions. One more brother will fall utterly into the grip of Chaos, twisted and manipulated by another. Dembski-Bowden, probably my favourite author working on BL fiction, has written a nuanced novel – one that is thought-provoking, tragic and utterly compelling. Betrayer is another excellent addition to the series.

Audiobook: “Chosen of Khorne” by Anthony Reynolds (Black Library)

Performers: Seán Barrett, Rupert Degas and Saul Reichlin

Khârn the Betrayer takes to the field of battle as the champion of his old comrade Argus Brond, but his own motives go far beyond the petty squabbling of rival Chaos warlords... Deep within the Eye of Terror, the followers of the blood god Khorne war amongst themselves to win their patron’s favour, and for the right to lead a new crusade against the Imperium in his name. Argus Brond, berserker champion of the old World Eaters Legion, has called upon his old comrade Khârn for assistance – surely, this legendary warrior will break the deadlock and secure victory for him? But Khârn, known with good reason as ‘the Betrayer’, is far more than just a crazed killer, and his own agenda will always come first...

This was a much better audio-book than the last one I listened to, and mainly on the strength of the acting and narration. The story is very strong, as is the norm for Black Library audiobooks, and all the more so because it features one of my favorite Chaos characters, Kharn the Betrayer. However, unlike some other audio-dramas from this publisher, the delivery was, in my opinion, entirely suited to the story. This is an excellent audio-book.

Sharpe’s New Jackets (Harper)

I started reading Bernard Cornwell’s novels in the Summer of 2001 – it was the end of my first year at university, and I picked up Harlequin. Being the author-obsessive that I was at the time (I would find an established author, read everything he/she wrote), I picked up Sharpe’s Tiger. And was hooked. I proceeded to read every Sharpe book that was published at the time and, after moving there for a year, even ordered them to Japan. (Oh, the postage charge!)

Harper have just re-released the entire series with some very nice, vintage-look jackets. As I’m probably not going to be re-reading them and reviewing them any time soon, I thought I would nevertheless share some of the new covers.

“Bloodsworn” by Nathan Long (Black Library)

The final novel in the Ulrika the Vampire trilogy

Returning to Nuln after her adventures in Praag, Ulrika finds the Lahmian vampires preparing for war. Across the Old World, their rivals, the sinister von Carsteins, attack their strongholds and lead the witch hunters to their hidden lairs. Spurned by her sisters, Ulrika forms an uneasy alliance with the von Carsteins in a plot to destabilise the Empire by striking at its very heart – they plan nothing less than the assassination of Emperor Karl Franz. With enemies on all sides and the Empire in flames, Ulrika must decide whether her future will see her living among the humans, or as their enemy.

This is the final installment in Nathan Long’s Ulrika series, and it goes out with one hell of a bang. It runs the gamut of the fantasy genre – moving from urban-based mystery to epic battles and exaggerated magical conflict. It’s tightly plotted, populated by engaging and interesting characters, and is a great end to the series. Long is still one of my favourite fantasy authors, and I am a little sad to be saying goodbye to Ulrika.

DMZ: “Free States Rising” & “The Five Nations of New York” Vols. 11 & 12 (Vertigo)

Finally, the end of the series. Ever since I picked up the first book in Brian Wood’s DMZ, I’ve been hooked, eagerly trying to get hold of the next book, and the next. Wood and Burchielli bring the series to a superb, satisfying and emotional close, doing the long series justice. I was sad to have the series end, but I think the team chose to end it at the right point. Some parts of the story could, maybe, have been expanded on or fleshed out, but I think the fact that the story has ended properly, without spin-offs and extra issues, allows it to maintain a considerable impact. It’s a serious, thought-provoking piece of work. DMZ is a must-read for anyone with an interest in politics, media and modern warfare.

“Malediction” by C.Z. Dunn (Black Library)

Narrated by: Sean Barret | Performed by: Rupert Degas & Saul Reichlin

On the world of Amadis, veteran Imperial Guard officer Regan Antigone is being honoured for his role in the planet’s liberation from the forces of Chaos, some twenty-five years earlier. But when his old comrade, Master Tigrane of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter, arrives to join the festivities and asks to hear the glorious tale told once more, Antigone falters. With the details of his account cast under close scrutiny and with the judgement of the Imperium hanging over him, will his noble reputation remain intact?

In this story, we get a slightly different take on the Imperial never-ending war against the Archenemy. As the story begins, Antigone (performed with an Irish accent, which I rather liked), is suffering through a post-campaign ceremony – he is sickened by the propaganda spouted by the MCs, uncomfortable with the exaggeration of his feats of arms and heroism.

A Dark Angel Captain joins, and publicly toasts and salutes Antigone, and they fall into recollection and war stories. They’ve met before, the Dark Angel had saved Antigone’s life along with a couple of his other comrades. We’re transported back to the battlefront, as a squad of less-than-zealous Guardsmen try to survive in the mud and grinding horror of the battlefront.

But, is Antigone telling the truth? And who is the mysterious, hooded Astartes warrior (acted just a tad melodramatically), who initially comes to their aid? The Dark Angels officer at the dinner grills the hero, attempting to get to the truth. But what are the consequences for keeping or breaking a battlefield oath, and the secret he’s harboured since that fateful day?

Overall, this is a very good audio-drama. I loved the lack of melodrama, the calm and steady narrative and performances. Malediction also benefits from multiple actors working on it, bringing some nice variation of voices and accents. I particularly liked the original type of story that Dunn’s written (I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s not at all what I was expecting, while totally in keeping with the Warhammer 40,000 setting and Imperial mores, customs and penal code).  The story, especially the tragic end, the overall atmosphere and mood, are excellent.

Easily among the best of Black Library’s short audio-dramas.

Interview with JEFF SALYARDS

Scourge of the Betrayer is one of the best new fantasies I’ve read in the past two years. It takes a different approach to fantasy warfare, more in line with embedded journalists of the Iraq War than out-and-out mayhem and bloodshed. That’s not to say the story is action-less, for there is some pretty good combat, too. Nevertheless, I decided to get in touch with Jeff, to see if he could answer a few questions.

“King of Thorns” by Mark Lawrence (Ace Books / Voyager)

Jorg’s quest for power continues

The Broken Empire burns with the fires of a hundred battles as lords and petty kings battle for the all-throne. The long road to avenge the slaughter of his mother and brother has shown Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath the hidden hands behind this endless war. He saw the game and vowed to sweep the board. First though he must gather his own pieces, learn the rules of play, and discover how to break them.

A six nation army, twenty thousand strong, marches toward Jorg’s gates, led by a champion beloved of the people. Every decent man prays this shining hero will unite the empire and heal its wounds. Every omen says he will. Every good king knows to bend the knee in the face of overwhelming odds, if only to save their people and their lands. But King Jorg is not a good king.

Faced by an enemy many times his strength Jorg knows that he cannot win a fair fight. But playing fair was never part of Jorg’s game plan.

This is a tricky novel to review. I really want to steer clear of spoilers (some are unavoidable, though), so I’m going to keep this relatively short. I’ve been looking forward to King of Thorns ever since I finished Prince of Thorns. It’s an ambitious novel, one that works very well, despite a couple of concerns I had about the beginning. If you enjoyed Prince of Thorns, then you should enjoy this, but expect a story of considerably greater scope and complexity.

[Warning: there are some minor, unavoidable spoilers for Prince of Thorns in this review.]

“Helion Rain” by George Mann (Black Library)

Performed by: Peter Longworth

The world of Idos is on the verge of destruction, wracked by catastrophic storms and plagued by ravening tyranids. Into this maelstrom come the Raven Guard 4th Company, the warzone perfectly suited to their lightning-strike methods of combat.

Led by Veteran Sergeant Grayvus, their mission is simple – to rescue the planet’s last survivors. But in the midst of this nightmare, they receive new orders to locate and destroy a power station. The station is built upon a fault line, and the resulting quake would swallow thousands of tyranids and turn the war in the Imperium’s favour. Grayvus and his company must fight their way through genestealers, acid spore mines and a deadly biomorph if they are to succeed and reclaim Idos for the Imperium.

Just a really quick review. I thought this was a pretty good audio-book. I enjoyed it, certainly, but I don’t know why I don’t rate it as highly as some others do. It’s not that it’s bad, by any stretch of the imagination – the story itself is pretty good. It just didn’t stick with me as much as some of the others have.

The story is packed with intense, brutal, and detailed warfare between the Raven Guard and the ravening hordes of Tyranids. I liked that Grayvus strategizes about how best to take out a lictor (at the beginning), and plenty of other beasties, giving this story a little more than just hack-and-slash, bolter-filled battles.

I would have preferred a little more character-building and character-development. While there was plenty of detail on how the Raven Guard prosecute a war, and a couple of their idiosyncratic customs, there were moments when I felt I hadn’t really got to know the characters themselves particularly well, or as well as I have in other audio-dramas from Black Library. Perhaps some battles were a tad over-described, as well.

The story is well performed, though – far less melodramatic, and with calmer expressions than in some other performances. On that score, it’s much better than the earlier offerings from Black Library.

So, in sum, Helion Rain is sure to please fans of Space Marine stories, who are after a short, action-packed fix. But, it is not quite as good as some of the other audio-dramas the publisher has released.

“The Madness Within” by Steve Lyons (Black Library)

Performed by: John Banks

Desperate and isolated, Sergeant Estabann and Brother Cordoba of the Crimson Fists Space Marines are hunting the daemon that destroyed their battle-brothers. Their only hope remains with a Librarian on the edge of sanity, a potentially tainted Astartes who they are forced to trust. His psychic abilities can lead them to the daemon, where Estabann and Cordoba can avenge their brothers’ deaths. But is the greatest threat a foul denizen of the warp, or the power contained within a psyker’s mind?

The Madness Within is a pretty solid, straight-up Warhammer 40,000 tale in audio-drama medium. It’s not the best audio-drama I’ve listened to from the publisher, but it does tick off all the right boxes that make for an action-packed and entertaining future-war story. If you love the genre and the setting, then you should enjoy this, too. I did like the twist at the end, though, which I hadn’t predicted and certainly added an extra note of originality to proceedings, and making it stand out a bit more.

“DMZ: Public Works & Friendly Fire” - Vols. 3 & 4 (Vertigo)

Terrorists and shell-shocked soldiers in the DMZ – this series just keeps getting better

Writer: Brian Wood | Artist: Riccardo Burchielli, Nathan Fox, Viktor Kalvachev & Kristian Donaldson | Colours: Jeremy Cox | Intro: Cory Doctorow (#3) & John G. Ford (#4)

As I’m now starting to make some progress into the series, in an attempt to avoid unnecessary spoilers right off the bat, I thought I’d start grouping my DMZ reviews into two-book-per-review. One thing is clear, though: each of these books is fantastic, and the series continues to be engrossing, nuanced and thought-provoking by equal measures. Still a must-read.

“Kill Hill” by Dan Abnett (Black Library)

A Warhammer 40,000 Micro-story

A brand new Iron Snakes short story: Priad of Damocles, of the Iron Snakes of Ithaka, reaches the end of a long and gruelling campaign against orks. All he has to do is survive to reach Kill Hill…

To celebrate their 15th birthday, Black Library have lined up fifteen short story eBooks to go on sale from today until April 2nd. Priced at £0.79/€1/$1.25, they could be great introductions to Black Library authors’ work, both new and old. And I think Kill Hill will do a great job of introducing new readers to this character.

“Know No Fear” by Dan Abnett (Black Library)

The Heresy arrives on Calth

Unaware of the wider Heresy and following the Warmaster’s increasingly cryptic orders, Roboute Guilliman returns to Ultramar to muster his Legion for war against the orks massing in the Veridian system.

Without warning, their supposed allies in the Word Bearers Legion launch a devastating invasion of Calth, scattering the Ultramarines fleet and slaughtering all who stand in their way. This confirms the worst scenario Guilliman can imagine – Lorgar means to settle their bitter rivalry once and for all. As the traitors summon foul daemonic hosts and all the forces of Chaos, the Ultramarines are drawn into a grim and deadly struggle in which neither side can prevail.

The Battle for Calth is a huge event in the canon of the Horus Heresy – it’s when the Word Bearers’ corruption was laid bare on a Legion-wide scale, and it’s also when the Ultramarines entered the conflict. Know No Fear is a different kind of Heresy novel, but I think Abnett makes it work very well, and this is sure to please fans of the franchise. No matter how many novels Abnett writes, he always manages to surprise.

“Cobra: Season 2” (IDW)

Continuing my newfound addiction to G.I.Joe-related comics… The Story of Cobra

In the second season of Cobra, readers get a deeper look inside the Cobra organisation than ever before, as Tomax, Xamot, and Erika continue to feel the effects of the previous miniseries, and more  important and powerful players are introduced into the mix. Several Cobra operatives of old are also reintroduced to this new continuity.

So, in order to catch up with the new IDW-published G.I.Joe and Cobra timeline, I decided to buy the back issues. Thankfully, they were all going for quite cheap on comiXology (a site/service I am coming to feel extremely fond of), so I snapped up all of the issues. This series has three main acts, and the cover images have been split up accordingly.

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed these.

Reviewed herein: Cobra Special #1, Cobra II #1-13, Cobra Special #2

“Marksmen” #1-5 (Image)

Writer: David Baxter & Dave Elliott | Artist: Javier Aranda, Garry Leach & Jessica Kholine

Sixty years ago the oil ran out and debts were called in. Civil war followed that splintered America into warring fiefdoms. New San Diego is a technocratic utopia that offers the last bastion of peace and prosperity, provided you live within its walls. Drake McCoy is its best protector. McCoy, an expert marksman, defends the city from the numerous threats in the wasteland outside the walls. But when the oil rich Lone Star state sends a powerful army to steal New San Diego's energy technology, even Drake’s leadership and skill may not be enough to fend off the siege.

Marksmen is a post-economic-apocalypse mini-series. It takes the current dire economic state of America and extrapolates a worst-case scenario. Blending a number of post-apocalyptic tropes (feral gangs living in the wilds and cannibals, for example) with some original elements, this is a pretty good series. It has a few more flaws than I would ordinarily like, but it should still appeal to fans of the genre who want a short series to read.

G.I.Joe: Cobra Civil War (IDW)

IDW’s line of G.I.Joe comics went through quite an important ‘event’ last year – the Cobra Civil War – and after reading the Cobra Annual 2012, I had catch up with the story.

I seem to have a knack for joining the continuity when something big happens involving Cobra Commander (my first comic was G.I.Joe Real American Hero #100, when he comes back from the dead).

Reviewed Herein: Death of Cobra Commander, Cobra Civil War #0-8, Snake Eyes #1-9, G.I. Joe #9

[Huge thank you to Lorelei at IDW for providing me with the issues I was missing!]

“Deliverance Lost” by Gav Thorpe (Black Library)

The Horus Heresy continues…

As the Horus Heresy divides the Imperium, Corax and his few remaining Raven Guard escape the massacre at Isstvan V. Tending to their wounds, the bloodied Space Marines endeavour to replenish their numbers and return to the fray, taking the fight to the traitor Warmaster.

Distraught at the crippling blow dealt to his Legion, Corax returns to Terra to seek the aid of his father – the Emperor of Mankind. Granted access to ancient secrets, Corax begins to rebuild the Raven Guard, planning his revenge against his treacherous brother Primarchs. But not all his remaining warriors are who they appear to be… the mysterious Alpha Legion have infiltrated the survivors and plan to destroy the Raven Guard before they can rebuild and threaten Horus’s plans.

The Horus Heresy series is one of the best collaborative sci-fi series currently being published, in my opinion. All of the authors working on it bring their A-game, producing some of their best fiction. Deliverance Lost is Gav Thorpe’s first novel for the series, and it is excellent. Like some of the other, more-recent Heresy novels, it offers something new and takes a slightly different approach to the fictional time and setting. Deliverance Lost is great – nuanced, tense and action-packed. I thoroughly enjoyed it.