Posts Tagged: Daniel Abraham

The Tyrant's Law by Daniel Abraham

It’s… alright, I guess. I haven’t been blown away by any of the covers for the series, and the shift in tone and subject, if not style, is a little jarring, but, hey, swords and axes had little to do with Abraham’s series, anyways. Torches are cool, I guess. I’m neither here nor there on the cover. It’s okay. I have no doubt that what’s underneath will be rockin’. Abraham suggests there might still be minor changes coming, but the design is almost final.

Speaking of, here’s the synopsis, beware, of course, of spoilers for the first two volumes, for there are several:

The great war cannot be stopped.

The tyrant Geder Palliako begins a conquest aimed at bringing peace to the world, though his resources are stretched too thin. When things go poorly, he finds a convenient target among the thirteen races and sparks a genocide.

Clara Kalliam, freed by having fallen from grace, remakes herself as a “loyal traitor” and starts building an underground resistance movement that seeks to undermine Geder through those closest to him.

Cithrin bel Sarcour is apprenticing in a city that’s taken over by Antea, and uses her status as Geder’s one-time lover to cover up an underground railroad smuggling refugees to safety.

And Marcus Wester and Master Kit race against time and Geder Palliako’s soldiers in an attempt to awaken a force that could change the fate of the world.

The Tyrant’s Law is set for a May, 2013 release, and I’m already salivating.

Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey

Another solid effort from Daniel Dociu, Kirk Benshoff and Orbit Books. I’m glad to see them keeping continuity between covers, ’cause man, this series will look mighty fine on my bookshelf. Too bad there wasn’t a hardcover release…

Abaddon’s Gate is set for a June 2013 release.

Unfettered, edited by Shawn Speakman
Grim Oak Press has announced the start of pre-orders for Unfettered, an impressive anthology that contains many of today’s most popular Fantasy writers.

  • The Shade of Allanon by Terry Brooks (a Shannara tale)
  • Imaginary Friends by Terry Brooks (a precursor to the Word/Void trilogy)
  • How Old Holly Came To Be by Patrick Rothfuss
  • River of Souls by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson (a Wheel of Time tale)
  • The Old Scale Game by Tad Williams
  • Martyr of the Roses by Jacqueline Carey (a precursor to the Kushiel series)
  • Dogs by Daniel Abraham
  • Mudboy by Peter V. Brett (a Demon Cycle tale)
  • Nocturne by Robert V. S. Redick
  • The Sound of Broken Absolutes by Peter Orullian (a Vault of Heaven tale)
  • Untitled by Geno & R.A. Salvatore
  • Keeper of Memory by Todd Lockwood (a Summer Dragon tale)
  • Game of Chance by Carrie Vaughn
  • The Lasting Doubts of Joaquin Lopez by Blake Charlton
  • The Chapel Perilous by Kevin Hearne (an Iron Druid tale)
  • Select Mode by Mark Lawrence (a Broken Empire tale)
  • All the Girls Love Michael Stein by David Anthony Durham
  • Strange Rain by Jennifer Bosworth (an Struck epilogue tale)
  • Unbowed by Eldon Thompson (a Legend of Asahiel tale)
  • Untitled by Naomi Novik (a Temeraire tale)
  • The Jester by Michael J. Sullivan (a Riyria Chronicles tale)
  • The Duel by Lev Grossman (a Magicians tale)
  • The Unfettered Knight by Shawn Speakman (an Annwn Cycle tale)

I’m disappointed to see that Sanderson’s contribution is potentially only an excerpt from his work on the Wheel of Time novels, especially after enjoying his recent novella, ‘Legion,’ so much, but I understand that having Sanderson’s name attached to the anthology (and Jordan, for that matter), is valuable, regardless of whether it’s new material or not. Speaking with both Speakman and Peter Ahlstrom, Sanderson’s assistant, it looks like there’s a possibility that ‘River of Souls’ isn’t just an excerpt, but either a new short story set after A Memory of Light or content cut from the final version of the novel, repurposed into a short story. Either way, because of ‘River of Souls’ Unfettered cannot be published until after the publication of A Memory of Light. Good news for Wheel of Time fans, I’d say. Similarily, both of Brooks stories are older shorts that I’ve previously read, but haven been difficult to find for years, so that’s good. Daniel Abraham has written quite extensively about his story, ‘Dogs,’ which is worth a read. Rothfuss’ contribution, from what I understand, isn’t a piece of fiction, but a poem. Other than that, it’s looking like a very lineup from some of today’s best writers. I’d list the stories I’m most interested in, but, really, I’d end up listing 75% of the anthology, and that’d just be goofy. It’s all good, people.

Speakman sheds some light on the anthology:

With the help of stalwart friends and these wonderful short stories, Shawn has taken the gravest of life hardships and created something magical. Unfettered is not only a fantastic anthology in its own right but it’s a testament to the generosity found in the science fiction and fantasy community—proof that humanity can give beyond itself when the need arises.

You can pre-order physical editions of Unfettered on the Grim Oak Press website. Be warned, though, they don’t come cheap! Unfettered is set to launch sometime in Spring, 2013.

Gods of Risk by James S.A. Corey

Publisher: Orbit - Pages: 69 - Buy: Book/eBook
"Gods of Risk" by James S.A. Corey

In support of the Expanse trilogy, James S.A. Corey, a pen-name for authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, has been publishing a series of novellas set in the same universe (or, perhaps a more apt term would be solar system… get it?) as their popular inter-solar series, which began with 2011’s Hugo-nominated Leviathan Wakes (REVIEW), and was joined by 2012’s Caliban’s War, to be concluded in 2013 with Abaddon’s Gate, ‘Gods of Risk’ is the second of these novellas.

Though ‘Gods of Risk’ is set during the same time period as the Expanse trilogy, and featuring cameos by both characters and conflicts from the mainline novels, knowledge of the series in unnecessary. ‘Gods of Risk’ is an intimate story about a young martian (meaning, ‘born on mars,’ not ‘alien from mars’) man, Daniel Draper, a brilliant, but somewhat troubled student and drug manufacturer. The obvious comparison here is to television’s Breaking Bad, though Daniel’s insertion into the drug dealing community isn’t the result of desperation or need, but through social pressures and because, well, as a top-level chemistry student, he’s good at it and has access to the materials, making him an easy and obvious target for Hutch, a volatile drug dealer and tentative friend. Read More »

Unfettered, edited by Shawn Speakman

That line-up still blows my mind.

Fun fact: Todd Lockwood, who created the art for the cover, incorporated Speakman’s likeness into the figure on the cover. It looks just like him, and I take some perverse joy in the fact that the latest in the endless line of hooded figures looks just like my friend.

As for the art, it’s a nice departure from Lockwood, who continues to be one of my favourite Fantasy artists. Love the brooding colour scheme and the liberal use of purple, which you don’t see very often.

You can learn more about Unfettered on the Grim Oak Press website.