Customer Review - Son of Heaven by David Wingrove

Another great review from Travis!

Son of Heaven

Post-apocalyptic novels have a habit of turning the belly of this reader.  Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” was a painful and harrowing walk through an American landscape. And yet, like a traffic accident, you cannot look away.  Why? Because there, laid flimsily exposed on a razor’s edge, is raw humanity – our minds, bodies and souls – the only surviving remnants from a lost world.  It isn’t hard to empathize with characters as we imagine our own selves dangling precariously between the known and unknown.  In our contemporary world, the real threats from environmental disaster, terrorism and war make this fiction a possible fact, more so than anything about zombies, aliens and vampires.  And so it is with David Wingrove’s work of science-fiction, “Son of Heaven” (Chung Kuo Book 1).

Wingrove’s book is divided into three parts.  The first introduces the reader to the world as it is in the future, 20 years after a disaster that destroyed modern society.  It is a world that is almost romantic: rural, simple and intimate.  Set in the west of England, there is more than a hint of Thomas Hardy’s fictional Wessex recreated here.  London is an unknown entity, a seething pit of anarchy.  Lurking beneath this rural idyll, however, is an isolationist culture that has fuelled a fear and deadly suspicion of foreigners and outsiders.  It is here that we meet Jake Reed –village “elder”, widower, father of one.

In the second part, Reed’s early history is explored – Londoner, elitist, young financial whiz.  A major player by default in the downfall of modern society, we see it collapse through his eyes.  One of Wingrove’s most exciting creations in this novel is the “datscape” – a digital and visual representation of the global economy that players can interact with.  Think “Second Life”, or a type of 3D infographic that is able to be shaped through buying and selling on the market.   This, and the world that Reed and his contemporaries know, is on the verge of disaster.  It is a cruel and painfully abrupt end, that for Reed, becomes intensely personal and violent.

The third part, returns us to the idyllic world of our west England villagers, who for 20 years have been living on borrowed time. China has come, the East has risen and is making a bid for the rest of the world as it sits begging on its weakened knees.  Those familiar with the history of Britain will see analogies with the invasion of the Romans and the attempted invasion by the Nazis.  Speaking of which, there is also to be found a likeness to the Jewish Holocaust in the takeover that ensues.

There is something immensely believable about this book, although it falls within the realm of science fiction.  There is much to love about “Son of Heaven” for both the hardcore sci-fi fan, as well as the reader more inclined towards less fantastical fiction.  Wingrove recreates a history of the world up to the point of the “apocalypse” that could easily be our own future…if you know what I mean.  His premise behind the collapse of modern society is rather unique in comparison to others: there is no war, no aliens, no zombies, no asteroids.  Wingrove’s focus on East and West is curious and possibly controversial.  Only one redeemable Chinese character is portrayed through the book, that of General Jiang…and only towards the end of the novel.  However, with political correctness aside, and all due consideration given to historical context, the battle between East and West is perhaps a fine conflict to identify with.

The story behind the publishing history of “Son of Heaven” is almost as epic as the series itself.  In George Lucas “Star Wars” style, Wingrove previously published a series of 8 books, of which “Son of Heaven” is meant to be a prequel…albeit written decades later.  All 8 books are to be re-written and re-released, along with a completely new ending.  In total, 20 books are planned for the next 5 years.  Yes, 20.

An ambitious project to say the least, but when you’re talking no less than the creation of a new world, you really do need some leg room.

~

Book 2, Daylight on Iron Mountain, is due November, 2011.

Help! in the naaaaaaame of books....

*ahem*

This month we have another 5 titles we’d love your help with. Less crime this month, more luuuuurve...

~

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. To be released September 2011

In The Language of Flowers, Vanessa Diffenbaugh's powerful first novel, a damaged young woman, Victoria Jones, who can only communicate through the Victorian language of flowers, goes from being homeless to a sought after wedding floral designer.

The Language of Flowers is a heartbreaking and redemptive novel about the meaning of flowers, the meaning of family, and the meaning of love. Beautifully original and utterly unforgettable, it is set to be the fiction sensation of 2011.

(From http://www.panmacmillan.com.au/display_title.asp?ISBN=9781742610153&Author=Diffenbaugh,%20Vanessa)

There’s a lot of hype about this one! Two of our staff, Mandy (store owner) and Judy (store manager), have read it and found it to be quite a depressing read. However, one of my regulars read it and LOVED it. Different strokes, huh?

~

Breakfast in Bed by Eleanor Moran. To be released late September 2011

Moran has served up another sizzling rom-com! Breakfast in Bed follows Amber as she tries to piece her life back together post-divorce. She decides to follow her dreams and become a top chef. Placed under the tutelage of celebrity chef Oscar Retford and his scorching temper (sound familiar?), Amber may have bitten off more than she can chew*. 

Morgan is best known for her work on BBCTV, producing Spooks, Dr Who, Hotel Babylon and Torchwood.

* Apologies for dishing up so many puns^

^ OR AM I?!

~

You – Joanna Briscoe. To be released September 2011.

Briscoe’s new novel is a “stunning story of sex, memory and family lies”, Lolita meets Wuthering Heights.

The story follows Cecilia and her mother Dora, both of whom are in love with, perhaps, someone they shouldn’t be. Now, 20 years later, Cecelia is home to confront her mother, and to face her past.

~
Cool Water- Dianne Warren. To be released August 2011.

 Cool Water was the winner of the Canadian Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction 2010, and with good reason. This powerful novel follows the people of Juliet, Saskatchewan, a “blink-of-an-eye” town, with a population of 1011 people.

Canadian author Fred Stenson said these lovely words;

“That two people can share a house and not know they love one another; that a note in a pocket with a woman’s name on it can crack decades of trust – this is a novel about the isolation that we hold secret within ourselves; that makes us envy the true hearts of horses and dogs. This novel shivers with nervous life. It tiptoes the find edge between joy and weeping”.

If you didn’t want to read Cool Water before, that should be enough. I know I sure as heck want to. So does Nikki.

~

Say Her Name – Francisco Goldman. Released June 2011.

This is the novelisation of Goldman and his wife, Aura Estrada, and their life together. Aura passed away 26 days before their 2 year wedding anniversary due to injuries she sustained in a swimming accident. If Goldman’s own guilt was not enough, Aura’s family also blamed him for Aura’s passing. Instead of wishing for his own death, Goldman wrote this book.

“Say Her Name is an exceptional work about love and loss, destiny and accountability. What begins as a desperate attempt to make sense of death, becomes an indelible testament of what is means to be transformed by love”.

~

If you would like to read and review one of these books, please email us at adelaide.customers (at) dymocks.com.au with your first choice. Reviews need to be at least 250 words, and delivered to us, along with the book, a fortnight after the date of collection.

Customer Review

Another great review from the lovely Travis! And remember, safety first, kids!

 

Fun & Games - Duane Swierczynski

A few years ago I was bowled over by a car whilst cycling down Henley Beach Road. The car took me out from the side, I did a pretty awesome combat roll in the midst of heavy weekend traffic, managed to drag my sorry ass to the footpath and ended up in emergency plugged with drugs and wrapped in bandages.  I'd cheese grated my body on asphalt, survived being pummeled by road traffic and ended up with injuries that still plague me today...

Now, just picture that for a moment, and I can tell you this is kind of how it felt after reading "Fun and Games"...but in a good way...Sitting battered and bruised on the side of the road trying to take stock of the situation is exactly how you will feel after Duane Swierczynski is finished with you…

Duane Swierczynski is something of a rising star in the realm of pulp fiction and if the bloggerverse is anything to go by, he has accumulated accolades branding him the best writer in his genre – the action thriller.  He has spent the past decade producing an enviable catalogue of work, within both realms of fiction and non-fiction.  And if this hasn’t been enough, Swierczynski has also found a creative niche within the world of comics.  The transition between such media is not automatic for all writers, but in the case of Swierczynski, the action and adrenalin fuelled environments of comic book heroes are a purpose built playground for his talent.

In what promises to be a much anticipated trilogy, Swierczynski, in his first instalment, “Fun and Games”, gives to us Charlie Hardie.  An ex-Philly “cop”, Hardie has flunked out of public service and makes a meager living working as a “house sitter”, a hired hand who watches the houses of the rich and famous as they jet set around the world.  It would be easy to say Hardie is your clichéd damaged good guy trying to make right - but what makes Hardie an endearing character is his past.  Swierczynski rolls out Hardie throughout the book, like film on a spool, slide by slide.  In the larger scheme of things, this may in fact be one of Swierczynski’s few faults, as this unraveling of Hardie seems to be duplicated or retold on more than one occasion.  At one point, this reviewer felt enough had been said.

Playing beside Hardie in the leading female role, is a film star, Lane Madden, young and beautiful, but equally haunted by her past.  The two of them, caught in the confines of a Hollywood Hills mansion, are trapped and hunted by a group of killers and strategists known as the “Accident People.  The main aim of the Accident People, is to “clean up” problems the rich and famous get themselves into…a corps made up of actors, producers and directors who deal with every mission like a film, complete with narrative.  Lane Madden was meant to die in a carefully planned and enacted car accident.  With the help of a near superhuman Hardie, who suffers the most horrible of assaults throughout the book yet remains standing, the narrative changes frequently as a cat and mouse game ensues across Hollywood.

“Fun and Games” is a hell of a ride, a hobnail boot to the head, right between the eyes, albeit laced with a generous hit of comic relief.  It was a surprise for this reviewer to encounter such comedy, as exemplified in Hardie’s first encounter with the Accident People’s project Director   This is pure, unadulterated action throttling at breakneck speed from beginning to end, bungee jumping dangerously around the classic film noir settings of Hollywood and Los Angeles.Make no attempt to digest this too much.  Trying to find depth in this book, may be as futile as trying to work out who really killed JFK.  Just enjoy the layers of popular culture that Swierczynski has integrated – crime, prohibition history, film noir, Hollywood film, thriller...Swierczynski’s take on the pulp genre is to gently massage in its influences.

Oh, and there is violence, death and carnage.  Whilst not the staple literary diet of this reviewer, more attuned to dining on stuffy non-fiction and civilised contemporary fiction, “Fun and Games” was a welcome and cleansing sorbet for the palate.  This should not at all be a deterrent for anyone who is looking for an entertaining read.

But if you want my advice? Wear a helmet.

- Travis Gottschutzke

Fun & Games is available in store now! Follow Duane on Twitter, @swierczy.

Customer Review

Swedish crime author Asa Larsson has produced another fantastic novel in the Rebecka Martinsson series. Tamara was lucky enough to have sneakypeaky at this new one! Might have to have a flip to find that cat fight :D

Until Thy Wrath Be Past

Until Thy Wrath Be Past is the latest in the Rebecka Martinsson series, though it reads well as a stand alone book.  I hadn’t read any of the previous books, and aside from a few infuriatingly curious parts hinting at past events, I found it rather easy to get into and very captivating. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was a crime novel with a paranormal touch with a hint of comedy and sex. Once you get past the complicated names its easy to forget it’s a translated book and hard to put down. A must read for people who like The Hypnotist & The Millennium Series.

Highlight – Elderly Granny cat fight with the ghost egging them on.

By Tamara.

Customer Review

Kathleen McGowan's Poet Prince, released June 2010, was put under the spotlight by Kylie Watson.

“The Son of Man shall choose

When the time returns for the Poet Prince.”

“An ancient prophecy is waiting to be fulfilled.”

McGowan’s lead protagonist, Maureen Paschal, has authored a controversial new book discussing the discovery of a gospel which was supposedly written by Jesus’ own hand and left to Mary Magdalene upon his death and resurrection. The supernatural fact that Maureen was the only person to be able to open and translate the gospel leads her down a path back through European history as she endeavours to decipher the heretical secrets of the Order of the Sepulcher and the bloodline of the Poet Prince. Her quest leads her to Italy and to her friend and teacher, Destino, who claims to be Longinus the Roman centurion whom, after piercing Jesus’ side with his spear, was condemned by God to walk in eternal earthly damnation and suffering.

With the help of an assortment of friends, including her lover, Bérenger Sinclair, himself an heir to the title of Poet Prince, Maureen hastens to uncover the truth behind the ancient prophecy of the Prince. Even with the passing of the centuries, just as there are still those who follow the Order, there are also those who would see it destroyed and its secrets kept secret. Maureen is determined to expose the truth but she is in mortal danger from those who are as equally determined to prevent the truth being discovered.

The Poet Prince appears as a pleasing blend of research and imagination. The story introduces a lot of historical figures and in doing so brings history and, in particular, the Renaissance, to life in a very exciting and vivid manner. It opens in modern New York but then we are taken alternately between present day and Renaissance Italy. McGowan moves adeptly back and forth through time as she weaves together her spiritual mystery.

It is a complex tale given it covers a multitude of lives and because of the narrative twists and turns but it is not so complex that this gets in the way of the reader’s entertainment. Given the broad spectrum of the novel it is of an advantage that it is a multi-viewpoint narrative told through varying third person perspectives both male and female and both modern and historic.

I think that what is so important, given these details, is that McGowan never falters in her ability to successfully capture the very different tones and styles of the eras in question and of the individual characters who inhabit the pages without jarring the reader out of the fictive dream at the change-over points. This holds true from the inviting beginning through to the climactic final chapters and the satisfying conclusion.

While I enjoy crime thrillers, spiritual detective stories have never been my genre of choice – until Kathleen McGowan. The Poet Prince is so beautifully crafted, texturally rich, highly imaginative and provocative that it quickly became an irresistible read.

Reviewed by Kylie Watson