Posts from 2013 :: Page 5

As the enforcer for the Roanoke werewolf packs, Andrew keeps the area safe from lone wolves invading their territory. But there’s something wrong with the strange lone he’s hunting at the opening of SILVER (Amazon). She only runs in human form, she runs seemingly directionless, and she smells sick with silver. When he catches up with her, Andrew doesn’t find what he’s expecting: instead of a lone who needs expulsion from pack lands, he finds a woman who needs protection.
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The title of the book says it all: HOME IMPROVEMENT: UNDEAD EDITION (Amazon) is an anthology of stories with home improvement themes and the undead. All of them are smart, well-written, and unique. Enjoy!
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I’ve been suffering a bit of a reading slump of late. I’ve got plenty of awesome material to pick from and a complete and utter lack of motivation to read. Maybe it’s the summer heat? Regardless, NEXUS by Ramez Naam (Amazon) has shattered that lethargy and cleansed it in napalm. Optioned for a film by Paramount and Darren Aronofsky, NEXUS is probably the best book of 2012 that I’ve read in 2013. It’s a perfect summer beach read, a stimulating near-future thriller loaded with equal amounts action and speculation. NEXUS offers human characters, real (scary) science, and deep ethical dilemmas. This fiction debut is the contemporary evolution of cyberpunk: the future isn’t about virtual reality but augmented reality. Pardon my drooling, I had a blast reading this.
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It’s always an interesting experience to sit down and try to write a review on a debut novel. There are numerous questions that always raise their heads, not the least of which pertain to the standards that I hold debuts to in relation to other books. Was the debut good as compared to other novels? Or, perhaps, was it just good for a debut novel? Or was it good at all, for that matter? At times I think I’m coming to a point of convergence on the issue, but at others I still wonder.
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In some ways I really wish we could do two reviews of THE HUMAN DIVISION by John Scalzi (Amazon). I recently got the book in the mail and read through it in a few days. It was fun and fast-paced, and like most of Scalzi’s writing it was filling with that humor, action and suspense that makes him so darn readable to many people out there. The thing is, the book was released in two separate ways and written as a kind of experiment in publishing.
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Here at EBR we love our RPGs, but we’ve yet to really review any of them. We’ve decided to rectify this with a review of the latest book from Legend of the Five Rings (L5R), Imperial Histories 2.

So, enjoy this review by Alan Bahr – screenplay writer, Warmachine aficionado, and L5R (both RPG and CCG) genius.
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After a daring escape from the mage house in COLD MAGIC (Amazon), Cat Barahal and her cousin Bee think they have found a sanctuary until a more permanent plan is made. Unfortunately for them, the general who has spent years in prison for trying to conqueror Europa is now free to try it again and plans to use Cat and Bee for his own purposes; Cat’s estranged husband’s mage house is hunting them down; and to top it all off Cat’s mysterious biological father shows up to throw a wrench into everything.
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I recently received the latest Vampire Earth novel in the mail and realized I hadn’t yet reviewed MARCH IN COUNTRY (Amazon). It’s been a while since the novel came out–honestly the wait from that book to the newest edition, APPALACHIAN OVERTHROW (Amazon), has been a tough one to endure–but I thought it was important to get this out there for you.
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While I will admit that I am not a huge fan of Tad Williams’ work, I have always respected his writing ability. It’s just that his stories never really pulled me in (with the exception of THE WAR OF THE FLOWERS Amazon, which I quite liked). That said, a few years ago I read an Urban Fantasy/Horror short story of his in the anthology THE NEW DEAD (EBR Review). I was completely blown away by the awesomeness of it and thought, “Geez… I really hope we get some Urban Fantasy novels from Tad Williams…”

My wish was granted.
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I love this series. I will not apologize for the gushing. You male types are probably rolling your eyes. Well your loss then.

In the seventh installment of the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, FROST BURNED (Amazon), we start out with Mercy and newly minted step-daughter Jesse out for some early morning Black Friday shopping. It should have been an ordinary day, the kind of normal day Mercy has been craving since she moved to the Tri-Cities and met the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, Adam Hauptman.
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