2006 Releases Read

**Rob B** · January 1st, 2006, 11:11 AM

Well, it is now 2006 and books are being released, like every other year. And like every other year-themed thread, this specific thread is for Fantasy books released Between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006 nothing else. This is one of the few threads we like to keep close to the title.

With that said, yesterday I finished Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell, due to be publised by Tor books at the end of January. I've read a handful of his short stories, and have been looking forward to this one. I really liked it, here's a snippet from my review:

Originally Posted by Rob's *official* SFFWorld Review

For a first novel, any novel really, Buckell hits a lot of the right notes in this one. The protagonist, John deBrun, has lived for many years; however, he can only remember the last 27 years. He knows he appeared on the shores of Nanagada one day, but everything prior to that is a blur. In the intervening years between washing up without his memory and the start of Crystal Rain, he has married and brought up a child with his wife. We follow John as struggles with this mystery, while, at the same time, he attempts to make his way towards a mythical artifact his adoptive people think will help stave off the threat of the attacking Azteca. John is pretty complex, but he is only one of a number of memorable characters in the book.....

....There are elements of both Fantasy and Science Fiction in this one, with wormhole technology as the method of travel the people employed to reach (and become stranded) on Nanagada. One of the fantasy elements flavoring the whole novel is the idea of humans living alongside gods

**JohnH** · January 1st, 2006, 02:23 PM

The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker
The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
Dusk by Tim Lebbon
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
The Skewed Throne by Joshua Palmatier
Voidfarer by Sean McMullen
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Heir of Autumn by Giles Carwyn and Todd Fahnestock
A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham
Crystal Rain by Tobias S. Buckell
The Amber Wizard by David Forbes

Enjoyed them all to one degree or another.

**Mithfânion** · January 3rd, 2006, 12:58 PM

John you bastard.

**hedgeknight** · January 5th, 2006, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by JohnH

The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker
The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
Dusk by Tim Lebbon
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
The Skewed Throne by Joshua Palmatier
Voidfarer by Sean McMullen
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Heir of Autumn by Giles Carwyn and Todd Fahnestock
A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham
Crystal Rain by Tobias S. Buckell
The Amber Wizard by David Forbes

Enjoyed them all to one degree or another.

You mean you've already finished all of these??? In what, five days???
Holy Moley!
-g-

**Mithfânion** · January 10th, 2006, 03:02 PM

John:

I know you don't do book reviews but is there anything you could say about the various books?

How do you rate them compared to each other?

**JohnH** · January 11th, 2006, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by dvdrom

I'm looking forward to three books in particular in 2006 in the fantasy genre: Jeff VanderMeer's Shriek: An Afterword[/I], Genetopia by Keith Brooke, and Sean Wright's Jaarfindor Remade.

You might want to make sure you read the instructions before proceeding.

Originally Posted by hedgeknight

You mean you've already finished all of these??? In what, five days???
Holy Moley!
-g-

And you might want to read the subject title again. Though perhaps it is not common knowledge that a 2006 release can exist before 2006. Still the assumption that they were read in that timeframe suggests a career in thinking even slightly outside the box is not your ken. No offense meant. Just that sometimes the obvious shouldn't be ignored in such an obvious manner.

Originally Posted by Mithfânion

John:

I know you don't do book reviews but is there anything you could say about the various books?

How do you rate them compared to each other?

Some have more pages than others? The quality of the Novik arc was particularly nice. Not only a nice heavy cover, but the paperweight of the pages was impressive. [h]Heir of Autumn included a map which several of the other arcs did not. The Thousandfold Thought, oddly, was the worst edited or proofed. Granted it was an arc but the cut-off of some words was a bit disconcerting. The font was great though. And, of course, it had the best cover.

The fact you even persisted in asking did give me a laugh. Such an optimist. I do admire that in a person. But by now I would think you would realize that not only do I not do reviews, but that anything I like you pretty much aren't going to. Except Bakker. I know I started reading him before you did and I think I mentioned him when I did. But I think others had mentioned him as well. Erikson I read out the gate as well but wasn't really impressed that much until the third book. And then there is the whole Jordan thing. And the Martin thing. So really. You don't want to know what I think. Trust me.

**Rob B** · January 11th, 2006, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by JohnH

You don't want to know what I think. Trust me.

I do though

And yes everyone, try and keep the discussion to the books with 2006 release dates you have read, as opposed to what you want to read and silly banter.* Hopefully, your posts will include some of your thoughts on the book worthy/not worthy, etc.

*Of course I am somewhat contradicting myself in this post.

OK Back to regularly scheduled programming.

**Mithfânion** · January 11th, 2006, 01:33 PM

John,

I actually find your comments on books you read very interesting indeed. Whether I still agree with them when I've read the books myself doesn't matter. I do think you tend to be a fairly good indicator of a book's acclaim for me personally, which is why I asked.

Failing that, do it for Rob B.

**JohnH** · January 12th, 2006, 01:05 PM

You're both so full of it. But what the heck.

Here goes.

Better than a Wheel of Time book? None

As good as a Wheel of Time book? The Thousandfold Thought

Almost as good as a Wheel of Time book? The Bonehunters

Never going to replace a Wheel of Time book but still makes the wait for the next Wheel of Time book go faster? Voidfarer, A Shadow in Summer, His Majesty's Dragon

Very good but it's no Wheel of Time let alone the stunning new unique work that some will fall over themselves in loin tingling literary rapture for having read and recognized as the book to read. The Lies of Locke Lamora, Crystal Rain

No Wheel of Time but I wouldn't be embarassed to let them sit on the same shelf. At least for a little while until I re-organize for the umpteenth time. The Skewed Throne, The Amber Wizard

Not worth even comparing to a Wheel of Time book but still entertaining if flawed reading Heir of Autumn, Dusk

Also have read Jon Courtenay Grimwood's Felaheen which was slightly depressing knowing it will be years before another Arabesk book will be written .

**Holbrook** · January 12th, 2006, 01:11 PM

That's very interesting.

Thank you John.

**Mithfânion** · January 14th, 2006, 02:31 PM

Surprised to see that you rate the Bonehunters that highly John, that's a couple of steps up from your estimation of Erikson's previous novels.

Novik's book sounded quite interesting to me, will go for the US edition since the trilogy comes out in one year there.

The more I hear about Abraham's book the more disappointed I get, in terms of real content that is. I had hoped for a second Martin but he seems to have gone for a really different approach.

**Rob B** · January 14th, 2006, 09:07 PM

I finished up Already Dead earlier this week, the nvew vampire/mystery novel from Charlie Huston. Good start and the momentum picked up very quickly.

Originally Posted by My Review

Vampire sleuth battles zombies in Manhattan. That is the bare bones high concept of Charlie Huston’s infectious novel "Already Dead." When I say infectious, I don’t mean like the Vyrus running through the veins of Huston’s Vampyres protagonist Joe Pitt, or the bacteria that animates his Zombies. No, the infections I felt while tearing through "Already Dead" were more akin to laughter that starts slowly and erupts into one of those rare, uncontrollable belly laughs, or the infectious type of story you aren’t entirely sure about over the first few pages but grabs you by the arm and won’t let go until you finish.

**JohnH** · January 15th, 2006, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by Mithfânion

Surprised to see that you rate the Bonehunters that highly John, that's a couple of steps up from your estimation of Erikson's previous novels.

Not really. You just aren't aware of my estimation of the last two Erikson novels. Your perception would hold true to the first three of the Malazan works though.

**drosdelnoch** · January 17th, 2006, 12:43 PM

To be honest with you Im an Erikson fan and loved the latest instalment, the dark horse so to speak is the Novik novel, a damn fine read, I have a feeling that she'll be the McCaffrey of the noughties, the first part was a good beginning and I just hope that the rest of the series lives up to the beginning.

Incidently the Novik novel is called Temeraire in the UK.

**DragonReader** · January 25th, 2006, 12:09 PM

I read Matt Forbeck's "The Road to Death" which is an Eberron novel. I enjoyed this one and thought it was better than the first book in the series. I am working on a review to post on Amazon and when I finish I'll post a link in this message for anybody who may be interested.