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Book Review: Relics by Tim Lebbon

Relics by Tim Lebbon
Titan Books,  March 2017
ISBN-13: 978-1785650307
Available: Pre-order, paperback and Kindle edition

Tim Lebbon is no stranger to penning genre-twisting tales. He has written the apocalyptic novels Silence, Coldbrook, and The Nature of Balance, and the more fantastic Fallen and Echo City. Now he has hit 2017 hard, with the first book of what promises to be a breathtaking trilogy. Equal parts thriller, horror, and fantasy, Relics showcases Lebbon’s skill at world building. A dark market exists in this world, a place where items that harken back to “The Time”, can be bought and sold.  The market is hidden from most of humanity, but those who do know of it seek to collect these artifacts, at all costs.

Angela Gough lives a quiet existence, a happy one, with her lover, Vince. When he disappears, she fears the mundane: a new lover, an accident, or even murder. What she discovers is almost beyond her comprehension; another world exists, and she needs to become a part of it to have any chance of retrieving him alive.  On her journey, she discovers unlikely allies: some are human, others are not. Figuring out who is deadly and who she can trust is a challenge, with everyone promising to be a savior to her lover, even while pursuing their own dark agendas. With her partners in adventuring, she begins a journey into the darkness. There, she discovers creatures hidden both in the shadows and right under our noses; some wish for peace, while others seek our destruction.  What Angela finds shatters her view of reality; in her quest to find her lover,  a new world that might spell disaster for humankind, is converging with ours.

In Relics, Tim Lebbon has created yet another wonderful world for readers to lose themselves in, one that will likely remind of both Gaiman and Barker, yet speeds along with the thriller pace of a James Rollins or John Connelly novel.  Lebbon’s writing, as always, seduces his readers, inviting them into his imagination, where they find themselves immersed in a fantastic, horrific roller coaster ride that ends too soon. Luckily, there will be two additional books to allow us back into this world, and complete the journey begun here.

Highly recommended. If you weren’t a fan of Tim Lebbon before, this will likely be the novel to change your mind.

Reviewed by David Simms


Posted on March 4, 2017 by , Reply

Book Review: Of Saints and Shadows by Christopher Golden

Of Saints and Shadows by Christopher Golden

JournalStone, 2016 (reprint edition)

ISBN-13: 978-1945373213

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition

 

JournalStone has been a treasure trove of new authors and stories, and rarely disappoints. For years now, each release has drawn strong attention from readers of horror, dark fantasy, and other speculative fiction. This time, they made a smart decision, in reprinting Christopher Golden’s Shadow Saga series.

This is not a typical or cliched vampire series: it’s a very different, strongly written and smartly plotted tale. From the amazing Strangewood to the forthcoming Ararat, Golden has never failed to entertain his readers. Writing across multiple genres, including thrillers, horror, and urban fantasy. he has created outstanding stories and characters that connect with his readers.

The first novel in the Shadow Saga series, Of Saints and Shadows, introduces readers to vampire sleuth Peter Octavian, a figure who lives in the shadows between his own kind and those who hunt him. Octavian makes his living as a private detective, and has refused to partake in the “blood song”, the drinking of humans’ lifeblood. Golden tackles several myths about vampires, and turns them upside down. It appears that most of the myths are only that, and find their power in the belief of the suggestions, such as not being able to walk in daylight. He discovers that a secret sect of the Catholic Church is hell bent on recovering the book, The Gospel of Shadows, which has the key to destroying all of the vampires. As different groups race to retrieve the tome, each with its own agenda, Peter races to Vatican City to help his brethren.

Golden has updated all of the books in the series with introductions and additional material, and hopefully Shadow Saga will find the audience it should have had the first time. Look for Angel Souls and Devil Hearts, Of Masques and Martyrs, The Gathering Dark, and Waking Nightmares. Recommended for fans of the vampire tale but more importantly, for anyone who loves a good, strong story.

Reviewed by David Simms


Posted on March 3, 2017 by , Reply

Book Review: Grave Predictions: Tales of Mankind’s Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian, and Disastrous Destiny edited by Drew Ford

Grave Predictions: Tales of Man’s Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian, and Disastrous Destiny edited by Drew Ford

Dover Publications, 2016

ISBN: 9780486802312

Available: paperback

 

In Grave Predictions, Drew Ford has selected some of the best representations of post-apocalyptic and dystopian short fiction available: stories both beautiful and terrifying. These include tales from some of the most outstanding authors of the genre, such as Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick, and Ursula K. Le Guin.  Each story is far ahead of its time, with its own distinct presentation of the future, and evokes a range of emotions from the reader. It’s amazing how science fiction writers have more of a pulse on the future than most people care to recognize.

Eugene Mouton’s “The End of the World,” first published in 1872, presents a tragic story about global warming before it even had a name, and culminates in the proclamation that “THE EARTH IS DEAD.” In W. E. B. Du Bois’ “The Comet” (1920), Jim Davis, an African-American man, is sent down to the vaults on a task by the bank president, only to emerge to cold, dead world. It’s reminiscent of the Twilight Zone’s “Time Enough at Last” in that respect. As he makes his way down the city streets he finds Julia, a wealthy white woman, who is seemingly the other survivor. The theme of racial tensions and the breaking down and reconstruction of barriers is central to this story. Bradbury’s “The Pedestrian” (1951) focuses on a writer who walks aimlessly through the city at night when he is stopped by robotic police for aberrant behavior. No one walks around the streets anymore when they have the warm glow of their televisions screens, after all. “Upon the Dull Earth” (1954), by Philip K. Dick is the tragic story of Silvia, Rick, and the fate of the world. Silvia summons angels, believing they are her ancestors who will someday usher her home. She intends to use lamb’s blood, but when she accidentally draws her own blood, they appear to take her home. Rick cannot accept her death, and tries to bring her back, even though it may mean the destruction of his world. In Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s “2 B R 0 2 B” (1962), the United States population has been  limited to forty million people: someone must die in order for someone else to be born. Edward Wehling, Jr.’s wife is about to have triplets, but there is only one volunteer for euthanasia. Desperate, he finds a last minute solution to ensure his children will live. There is a witness to Edward’s predicament, who makes a fateful decision as well.

Other titles in this anthology include Arthur C. Clarke’s “No Morning After” (1954); Harlan Ellison’s “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” (1967); Urusla K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (1973); Brian M. Stableford’s “The Engineer and the Executioner” (1976); Stephen King’s “The End of the Whole Mess” (1986); Joe R. Lansdale’s “Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man’s Back” (1992); Greg Bear’s “Judgment Engine”; Mark Samuels’ “The Black Mould” (2011); Ramsey Campbell’s “The Pretence” (2013); and Carmen Maria Machado’s “Inventory” (2013). Highly recommended.

Contains: racial epithets, abuse, body horror, disturbing imagery

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

 

 

Posted on February 24, 2017 by , Reply
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