Shadow Ops: Control Point

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Has anyone else got an ARC and read it? Want to share your thoughts?

Military + urban fantasy is an unusual combination, but one I can get into. Cole is a debut author as well and those are always fun.

Oscar Britton, the hero, is a black man, which is nice in a genre that tends to skew toward white women dating sexy vampires/werewolves.

Whatever had a Big Idea with the author of this book.

Sffworld has an interview with the author, and Rob has done a review of the book.

It's very good. I read in back in like October and have been raving about it ever since. I can't believe they only released in MMPB. I think it's got big hit written all over it.

I caved to peer pressure and picked this up yesterday. Having only read the first few pages, it's clear that Cole has a pretty slick style. He draws the reader in quick. That's a good sign.

As soon as I finish the last little bit of Kadrey's, Aloha from Hell, I'll start Control Point in earnest.

reading it now. So far, it's excellent. This is getting a lot of buzz and it should. I agree with Justin that it'll probably be a big hit.

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Originally Posted by kcf

reading it now. So far, it's excellent. This is getting a lot of buzz and it should. I agree with Justin that it'll probably be a big hit.

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I feel more confident in saying that if it were in TPB or HC. The way brick and mortar stores display work really puts MMPBs at a disadvantage. But, maybe the on-line retailers make up that difference.

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Originally Posted by JustaStaffer

I feel more confident in saying that if it were in TPB or HC. The way brick and mortar stores display work really puts MMPBs at a disadvantage. But, maybe the on-line retailers make up that difference.

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I'm not sure that I agree with that reasoning. It's been pretty well shown that mmpb sell better than tpb and hc due to their lower price and the preference of many readers to have a small book. And I've seen plenty of displays in stores that are based on mmpb (I don't know if Ace is paying the stores to market this book in such a way or not). It's just harder for publishers for books to earn out with the low price tag. I think that a lot of mmpb only releases have shown that it's a perferctly easy way to get things moving - see Brent Weeks, Naomi Novik, etc.

edit: also, my understanding is that bookstores are also more likely to order more copies due to the lesser investment on their part - which means more total book sales, if less money earned.

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Originally Posted by kcf

I'm not sure that I agree with that reasoning. It's been pretty well shown that mmpb sell better than tpb and hc due to their lower price and the preference of many readers to have a small book. And I've seen plenty of displays in stores that are based on mmpb (I don't know if Ace is paying the stores to market this book in such a way or not). It's just harder for publishers for books to earn out with the low price tag. I think that a lot of mmpb only releases have shown that it's a perferctly easy way to get things moving - see Brent Weeks, Naomi Novik, etc.

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That makes sense. And again with on-line retailers and eBooks, maybe neither perspective means anything. At the end of the day many buyers will buy without ever seeing it beforehand.

Also, I think Weeks's release schedule had a ton do with the success of the Night Angel. MMPB, but with immediate massive shelf presence.

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Originally Posted by JustaStaffer

Also, I think Weeks's release schedule had a ton do with the success of the Night Angel. MMPB, but with immediate massive shelf presence.

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This.

The same can be said for Naomi Novik, and lots of other recent series. Pyr's been employing such a schedule with the US reissues of Mark Chadbourn's novels, Orbit does it very often with their trilogies.

As to Shadow OPS: Control Point, I've already tagged it in goodreads as a best of 2012 novel for me, I doubt that status will change in December. Here's an interesting post from Myke Cole's agent.

The hype got to me. I have it on order. Look forward to reading it.

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Originally Posted by Danogzilla

The hype got to me. I have it on order. Look forward to reading it.

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Same here. :D

Even though I probably won't get to it for awhile.

I thought it was well done, very entertaining. Should have broad appeal and do very well.

I read four debuts last year and they were all good. Some had really excellent writing and a powerful, engaging story, but for pure FUN without sacrificing depth to the point where I lose interest, this was the one. It's a good balancing trick. Won't work for everyone, but it'll work for plenty.

I really enjoyed Control Point. The magic is just really cool and well utilized and it's seriously impossible to stop reading. I'm sure it will stay in my top debuts list as well.

Anybody know if this is getting a UK/Commonweath release?

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Originally Posted by Luke_B

Anybody know if this is getting a UK/Commonweath release?

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It is, but may be a little while. He just sold the rights a few weeks ago.

Thanks, Justin. Out of interest, do you know who bought the rights?