Yeti Review: Red Harvest - Joe Schreiber

In A Few Words: Disappointing in almost every way, the only thing scary about Joe Schreiber's Red Harvest is the fact that a major house considered it publishable.

Pros:
-It's only 241 pages.

Cons:
-Arguably unedited
-Repetitive plot ignores all of the inherent potential in the setup
-Entire plot threads do nothing but detract from the story

The Review: Brainless. Stumbling. Grotesque. Unrelenting. It's doubtful that Joe Schreiber was trying to be "meta" in writing his latest novel. At the same time, it's hard to ignore the similarities between Red Harvest and the single-minded zombie hordes contained within. The recipe behind Red Harvest is a standard one: an unexpected outbreak of an unknown pathogen results in a zombie menace from which the uninfected must escape. Yet even with the variety of spices found in Lucas's far, far away galaxy, it's about as palatable as a plateful of raw gray matter.

And it's certainly not the extra flavor that ruins the dish. Star Wars tie-in fiction has never claimed to be high art. Intended to sell first and entertain second, critical acclaim might not even be on the list of priorities. But even with lowered expectations, Red Harvest marks a new nadir for a franchise that has been slowly declining for over a decade.

Essentially, Schreiber's latest boils down to a repetitive sequence linked together more tenuously than the entrails of one of his victims. Wasting no time on character development, Schreiber quickly assembles his cast of paper-thin characters - Hestizo Trace (Jedi Botanist), Rojo Trace (Jedi brother and Liam Neeson wannabe), the Black Orchid (talking plant) and Darth Scabrous (generic bad guy) - before throwing them into the plot. After a brief setup and a little Force magic to introduce the zombie threat, Schreiber's writing soon devolves into little more than copy-and-paste carnage. The zombies surprise, attack, get "killed", are presumed dead, surprise again, infect someone, and are finally dismembered or eluded. It's splatterpunk at it's most gratuitous and it fails even at that.

The highest compliment I can pay to Red Harvest is that the first fifty or so pages are merely forgettable. Until page 53, on which Schreiber blatantly "borrows" [read "plagiarizes"] a key quote from 2009's action/revenge film Taken. Everything is downhill from there.

"Listen to me, Trace told him. I don't know who you are, but I am in possession of a very special set of skills. If you bring my sister back right now, unharmed, then I'll let you go. But if you don't, I promise you, I will track you down. I will find you. And I will make you pay." [pg. 53]

After this, it only gets harder to keep reading, and judging from the gradual decline in quality, the assigned editor might agree. That is, if an editor actually touched the manuscript after the outline phase. Based on the sheer number of awkward metaphors and continuity screw-ups, I wouldn't be suprised if they hadn't. And these aren't minor fanboy nitpicks about the number of fingers a particular alien has or the way that a character's motivation contradicts a single line of movie dialogue. These are blatant errors, the "Wait...What?" lines that force you to reread prose that in no way deserves it. At one point, a character slits his wrists in one scene and is alive and well in the next. At another, Schreiber apparently forgets which character bit another, temporarily reversing the vector/victim relationship. Maybe the editor assumed that he understood resuming a plot thread where it left off isn't optional, but Schreiber apparently likes to push the boundaries of what is considered acceptable narrative.

Even as egregious as these "hard" errors are, they are almost welcome in comparison to the softer ones; those of story direction, pacing and thematic structure. It should be simple - a lone Jedi Knight has to stay alive in the midst of a bloody battle between cut-throat Sith and bite-throat Zombies, relying on her wits and the self-interested nature of evil to survive. By turning them against each other, she just may escape the planet alive, possibly in the company of a redeemed soul or two. Throw in a few meditations on the corrupting nature of evil and power and a handful of unique set pieces and you should have a winner. Instead, the Sith students are written like Slytherin drop-outs, turning a batch of potential adversaries into a cadre of whining red shirts. Instead of a dynamic conflict that changes with the ratio of Sith to Zombies, Schreiber gives us the same encounter again and again with no direction or distinction.

Schreiber also missteps with the inclusion of the entire Rojo Trace subplot. Even without the unforgivable Taken reference, his character contributes little to the book and if anything detracts from his sister's character by implying that she is incapable of saving herself. Gender politics aside, his role is completely superfluous as further evidenced by the illogically rapid pace with which he moves through his portion of the story. In not quite three pages, Rojo manages to connect the dots between footage of getaway vehicle and the identity of the bounty hunter, the Sith Lord who hired him and the location of the Sith Academy through a sequence of coincidences that would leave the cast of CSI rolling their eyes. It's like an outline with transitions and there is no reason why Rojo wasn't red penned out of narrative existence.

The only fathomable excuse is that at a mere 241 pages, the editor couldn't cut anything and still justify the $27.00 price tag on the jacket. Or even worse, the manuscript was turned in at 400 pages and what went to print was the "good" stuff. Either way, the end result is pure and utter drek and the reason why tie-in fiction has the reputation it does today.

The scariest thing about Red Harvest? The fact that it sold enough copies to get on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Covering Covers: The Dark Commands [US] - Richard K. Morgan

Cover Artist: Unknown.

Meh.

Covering Covers - Raising Stony Mayhall by Daryl Gregory

Browsing Amazon when I stumbled upon this, the cover for Daryl Gregory's next book.

What!? You don't know who Daryl Gregory is? Really?! I don't think I want you reading my blog...

Wait, wait, come back. And stop being so impressionistic. Will you stay if I tell you a story? Ahem...

Once upon a time, your very own YetiStomper wanted to learn to be an author. He would read books and think to himself - "surely I could write a better story than this." He even started a book blog to help him understand why some books worked and others didn't. One day, he read a novel by Daryl Gregory entitled Pandemonium. 

The YetiStomper closed the book and set it aside. He was quiet for a while. Then he furrowed his brow and set to work. He would create a mutant clone combining the DNA of Neil Gaiman, Ursula K. Le Guin, George R. R. Martin, and Stephen King. After five minutes of furious calculations, he deduced he didn't have any of the requisite genetic information, access to state of the art laboratory facilities, or the years of training in the biological or irate sciences. 

The next stop on his journey of despair was the side table next to his couch. There, he fondled the lamp long and hard enough to damage it irreversibly, both emotionally and physically. But no genie would appear. He had used his last wish to fix Twitter the one time it didn't work. Science had failed him. The magic was gone. He sighed. For he knew in his furry little albino heart that there was no f***ing way he could ever write a book that good. Ever.

And thus his soul was crushed.

And that my friends, is the story of how Daryl Gregory destroyed all my hope of ever becoming a writer.

Or I may be taking up space because I only know three things about Raising Stony Mayhall.

1. "It's definitely not a zombie novel. It may, however, be an anti-zombie-novel zombie novel." - Whatever that means...
2. I want to read it.
3. It's got a pretty cool cover.

Look for a real explanation when I have a synopsis or a better idea what is going on here. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and check out Pandemonium and The Devil's Alphabet, two of my favorite books of the past three years.

Raising Stony Mayhall will be published by Del Rey on June 28, 2011.

Hard Release Date set for Robert V.S. Redick's The River of Shadows

Publishing dates are subject to change. It's a fundamental tenet of the book industry and one painful obvious to any Rothfussian, GRRMiac, or Lynchette. While most delays are self-inflicted for one reason or the other, sometimes a finished book sometimes gets juggled. Such was the case for Robert V.S. Redick's The River of Shadows. A brief review of Redick's website and a few amazon sites suggest dates ranging from December 2010 to February 2011 and later. But Mr. Redick was nice enough to clear things up.

From Redick himself:

"I’ve just received a later-than-planned, but firm, publication date from both sides of the Atlantic. Del Rey will publish the book on April 19, and Gollancz will follow two days later."

So April 19th (US) / 21st (UK). While I'm not happy about the delay, I'm glad they closed the gap between the UK and US releases. Redick also provided a few more tidbits about the final two volumes of The Chathrand Voyages.

On The River of Shadows:

"Book III [The River of Shadows] is the wildest ride yet, and I can’t wait to get it out there."

On The Night of the Swarm [fourth and final book]:

"I can tell you that it will totally, calamitously finish the story. That is for the record and absolute. It will also bring the characters and the voyage full circle, in more ways than one."

Full circle, eh? What else could that mean? I'm glad to see that Redick is planning a hard stop to his series. While a delay in the series is not exactly awesomesauce, if it's not tied to an unfinished book it can often mean a smaller gap between books. I think the tentative release date for THotS is late 2011/early 2012.

The other benefit is that anyone not familiar with Redick's excellent nautical fantasy series has time to catch up. Book 1 is The Red Wolf Conspiracy is available in both HC and PB and Book 2 The Ruling Sea [titled The Rats and the Ruling Sea in the UK] is out now in HC with the PB due on Dec 28th. Both have gotten strong reviews from a number of sources so go check them out.

2010-2011 Star Wars Release Calendar (with comments)

A few days ago, Lucas Licensing executive editor, Sue Rostoni updated her blog with a calendar summarizing the next two years of Star Wars tie-in fiction. Here is the condensed version, with PB reprints and other superfluous details removed.

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May 25, 2010 - Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Allies by Christie Golden. Hardcover

July 6, 2010 - Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Siege by Karen Miller. Trade paperback. The second book in the Gambit duology, the first being Stealth.

July 20, 2010 - The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance by Sean Williams. Hardcover. This is a tie-in to LucasArts' The Old Republic multi-player on-line roleplaying game.

October 5, 2010 - The Force Unleashed II by Sean Williams. Hardcover. A tie-in to LucasArts' second The Force Unleashed game.

November 2010 - Star Wars Art: Visions. Hardcover. Inspired by the films, this art book features pieces by several renowned artists

December 7, 2010 - Fate of the Jedi #6: Vortex by Troy Denning. Hardcover.

December 28, 2010 - The Old Republic: Deceived by Paul S. Kemp. Hardcover. A second tie-in to LucasArts' The Old Republic multi-player on-line roleplaying game

January 25, 2011 - Red Harvest by Joe Schreiber. Hardcover. Sith Zombies run amok.

February 22, 2011 - Knight Errant by John Jackson Miller. Paperback. A companion novel to the Dark Horse comic series by John Jackson Miller.

April 19, 2011 - FOTJ#7: Conviction by Aaron Allston. Hardcover.

April 26, 2011 - Holostar (working title) by Michael Reaves and Maya Bohnhoff. Paperback.

May 24, 2011 - Standalone Hardcover (featuring Nomi Sunrider) by Alex Irvine. Hardcover.

June 2011 - Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare by Jason Fry. Trade paperback. This one's been in the works for a while - we recently changed the title from The Essential Guide to the Military - "Warfare" is more appropriate to the content.

June 28, 2011 - Crosscurrent sequel (no title yet) by Paul Kemp. Paperback.

July 26, 2011 - FotJ#8: Untitled by Christie Golden. Hardcover

August 30, 2011 - Choices (working title) by Tim Zahn. Hardcover.

August 30, 2011 - Star Wars: The Essential Reader's Companion by Pablo Hidalgo. Trade paperback. A super guide to the novels, short stories, e-books, etc. With new illustrations of characters you've only read about. This will be organized chronologically according to in-universe dates and written out-of-universe so that it won't be like the Essential Chronology but more like a non-fiction guide to fiction, with side-bars calling out related comics and events.

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This list says a few things about the direction of the Star Wars brand over the next few years. First, a welcome departure from The Clone Wars/Prequel era brand that flooded the market the past decade. Anakin and Obi-Wan have been tired, static characters for years and the debut of the kid-friendly cartoon two years ago only lowered the bar for quality content. After Karen Miller's Gambit: Siege, there isn't a single novel involving those characters.

The 2nd big push is the cross media novels surrounding the upcoming Star Wars MMORPG: The Old Republic. This is going to be the big Star Wars project over the next two years (until the debut of the live action TV show) and they are throwing a huge media net trying to capture and audience. Sean Williams kicks things off with Fatal Alliance and Paul S. Kemp (one of my favorite Star Wars authors) follows it up with Deceived. The Old Republic is set 3,600 years before the events of A New Hope. The Jedi and the Sith both number in the thousands and are poised to go to war. Very excited to see where this goes as Lucas & Co try to duplicate the success of World of Warcraft. If you aren't excited, watch this video.

3rd thing worth noting is a relative youth movement. Alex Irvine, Paul S. Kemp, Joe Schreiber, and  are all working on either their first or second Star Wars novel. These guys are all strong writers and their fresh take on things is going to be a welcome change in the galaxy far far away. A few of the current go-to authors have some critical flaws in their writing styles and the inclusion of these three writers raises the collective talent bar. John Jackson Miller is the wildcard in the bunch, having worked primarily in the comic medium. He is writing his first full novel, Knight Errant, as a tie-in for his new comic series of the same name after doing some shorter work published electronically online and in eBook formats. JJM was the principal writer responsible for Knights of the Old Republic, the best Star Wars comic of the last 5 years, if not since Mike Stackpole and Rogue Squadron wrapped up.

Other minor notes:

• The last 4 books in the Fate of the Jedi sequence (set 44 years after A New Hope) should be out by the end of 2011. Book 9 is the only one not on the calendar but I wouldn't be suprised to see a December release. Hopefully, the longer delay between releases will mean more cohesion and continuity between novels
• Tim Zahn is back! Mr. Zahn is one of my favorite authors and his original Thrawn Trilogy is still the benchmark that all other SW books are measured against. The last few SW novels have been a little weak so I hope we see the return of the author that wrote Heir to the Empire not the one that penned Allegiance.
• There are books across 7 different eras in the Star Wars canon spanning over 4,000 of fictional history. This doesn't mean a lot for non Star Wars junkies but each era is essentially a completely separate story within the same collective canon. You can read any of these eras independently of each other and understand 99% of the reference
• The Force Unleashed II is obviously a sequel to last year's The Force Unleashed. Anyone who read the book/played the game will be curious as to how that is suppossed to work considering the ending to the first entry.
• So many hardcovers! There is no denying that George Lucas likes his money. I have a hard time paying hardcover price for books that are barely 200 pages long. Quality beats quantity every time but no one dislikes quantity AND quality.

Anyway, it's clear that Star Wars isn't going anywhere in the next two years.

2 Extra Books for June

While I was making the rounds, I realized that two books slipped through the filters when I was selecting my YetiStomper Picks for June.

The first slipped by because I already picked up a limited edition from Subterranean Press. Next Tuesday, Metatropolis is being rereleased by Tor in a Hardcover format.

Five original tales set in a shared urban future—from some of the hottest young writers in modern SF

A strange man comes to an even stranger encampment...a bouncer becomes the linchpin of an unexpected urban movement...a courier on the run has to decide who to trust in a dangerous city...a slacker in a "zero-footprint" town gets a most unusual new job...and a weapons investigator uses his skills to discover a metropolis hidden right in front of his eyes.

Welcome to the future of cities. Welcome to Metatropolis.

More than an anthology, Metatropolis is the brainchild of five of science fiction's hottest writers—Elizabeth Bear, Tobias Buckell, Jay Lake, Karl Schroeder, and project editor John Scalzi—-who combined their talents to build a new urban future, and then wrote their own stories in this collectively-constructed world. The results are individual glimpses of a shared vision, and a reading experience unlike any you've had before.

You can find more of my own thoughts in this Covering Covers post I did a few weeks back.

AND if you are reading this post before June 7th or so, each of the 5 authors are hosting a different contest with the same prize: a free copy of Metatropolis. John Scalzi is looking for oil-free haikus. Elizabeth Bear is looking for photoshopped,captioned screenshots from the imaginary film version of Metatropolis. Jay Lake is holding a photography contest looking for images of what your personal Metatropolis looks like. In what may be a ploy for cheap/easy research, Tobias Buckell is looking for links to interesting articles on the topic of futuristic urban revitalization. Finally, Karl Schroeder is also looking for examples of crazy urban planning but is willing to accept anecdotal evidence on your honor.

The 2nd book that somehow missed my list is Mark Charan Newton's Nights of Villjamur. Sneaking into the very end of June from Del Rey, Nights of Villjamur is a very, very, very, very, very well reviewed fantasy novel. It's been out for a year or two over in the UK and the only thing that was keeping me from importing my reading experience was the announcement that the US release was only a matter of time. While I am guilty of obtaining more than a couple of books from across the pond, if the US release date is on the calendar I will generally hold off for the sake of the authors US sales figures. I'm sure those authors appreciate it. Nights of Villjamur is Fantasy with a touch of New Weird in an urban environment.

Following in the footsteps of writers like China Miéville and Richard K. Morgan, Mark Charan Newton balances style and storytelling in this bold and brilliant debut. Nights of the Villjamur marks the beginning of a sweeping new fantasy epic.



Beneath a dying red sun sits the proud and ancient city of Villjamur, capital of a mighty empire that now sits powerless against an encroaching ice age. As throngs of refugees gather outside the city gates, a fierce debate rages within the walls about the fate of these desperate souls. Then tragedy strikes—and the Emperor’s elder daughter, Jamur Rika, is summoned to serve as queen. Joined by her younger sister, Jamur Eir, the queen comes to sympathize with the hardships of the common people, thanks in part to her dashing teacher Randur Estevu, a man who is not what he seems.

Meanwhile, the grisly murder of a councillor draws the attention of Inspector Rumex Jeryd. Jeryd is a rumel, a species of nonhuman that can live for hundreds of years and shares the city with humans, birdlike garuda, and the eerie banshees whose forlorn cries herald death. Jeryd’s investigation will lead him into a web of corruption—and to an obscene conspiracy that threatens the lives of Rika and Eir, and the future of Villjamur itself.


But in the far north, where the drawn-out winter has already begun, an even greater threat appears, against which all the empire’s military and magical power may well prove useless—a threat from another world.

Additionally, if you aren't reading Mark's blog you are doing yourself a disservice. Mark has all kinds of interesting discussions and is very engaged with his readers and the blogosphere as a whole.

Anyway, my apologies for missing those two books. Be sure to check them out as well as all of the picks for June.

Paul S. Kemp Unveils New Star Wars Novel, Deceived

Over at his livejournal, SFF author Paul S. Kemp has posted the news (ok, it was like 3 weeks ago, be patient I'm catching up) that he is now able to share some detail on his 2nd Star Wars novel, DECEIVED, including the stunning cover.

Here is what Mr. Kemp had to say:

The man on the cover is Darth Malgus, who led the attack on the Jedi Temple, a precursor to the Imperial sneak attack that led to the sacking of Coruscant. He is also the man featured in the “Deceived” trailer, which you can see in the post below.


So, why did I choose to write about Malgus? Well, I saw that cinematic trailer and said to my editor, “I want to write about that guy.” And she said, “Funny thing, we want you to write about that guy, too.”

Here is the video that Kemp was talking about.



Funny thing, because I want to read about that guy. Star Wars tie-in work is one of my guilty pleasures. Sometimes it's not the best, but I can't help getting excited about it. Paul S. Kemp's Star Wars debut, Crosscurrent was not only the best Star Wars novel I've read in a long while, it was also a damn good SF novel in it's own right. You can read my full review here.

I knew that Kemp was working on a tie-in for the new MMORPG (entitled The Old Republic) but I was still slightly more excited for his third SW novel, a follow-up to the characters and events of Crosscurrent. But now that I've learned a bit more about Deceived and seen the cover, I'm equally excited to find out more about the newest Sith on the block.

The Old Republic MMORPG and all of the tie in novels, comics, and toys appears to be an absolutely huge event for Lucas & Co. so it's going to be very interesting to see how this relatively unexplored period of Star Wars history develops. I don't know if I will be playing the game or not (MMORPGs eat time like few other activities) but I will definitely be exploring the new story through the secondary sources. With Kemp on board, it's sure to be more fun than sniping wamp rats.

Now to test my Jedi powers. "Paul S. Kemp, you will send an ARC my way"



Please?

Congratulations to Ted Kosmatka!

Last week, word around the twitterverse was congratulations were in order as short fiction author Ted Kosmatka has sold his first novel!

Kosmatka is an author I've been watching since I interviewed him as part of my Keeping An Eye On series [and one well worth watching]. I reached out to Ted to offer my congratulations and find out a little bit more about the sale so I could share the good news with whoever reads this here.

The novel will be published by Del Rey and is tentatively titled The Helix Game.

Here is what Ted had to say:

The novel is a totally new, and not based on any of my previously published work, though it it does sit in the same general wheelhouse as my shorter fiction. It's a hard sci-fi set partially in laboratories, and it deals with genetics, virtual reality, and nature consciousness, among other things. Also, there's genetically engineered creatures. And the Olympics. And did I mention creatures?

Sound very interesting especially considering it's coming from Kosmatka. Unfortunately, there isn't an estimated release date at this point so there's no way of knowing how long until I can get my hands on it. Look for updated information as it comes available.

Congratulations again to Ted!

Covering Covers: The Evolutionary Void - Peter F. Hamilton

Late this summer, Peter F. Hamilton, "Britain's Number One Science Fiction Writer," completes his latest trilogy with the release of The Evolutionary Void, out August 31st in the US and September 10th in the UK.  Regardless of whether or not that moniker is true, there is no denying that Hamilton is one of the premiere SF authors writing today. I was browsing the Del Rey summer/fall catalog and I was impressed by the US cover so I thought I would share it here along with the UK cover art for reference. 

Cover Artist: John Harris                       Cover Artist: Steve Stone 

Atypically, I would have to say that the US cover is vastly superior. Mostly because of the sharpness of the image and the clean feel of the text. The UK cover's text looks like bad WordArt from an old edition of MS Word. The Peter F. Hamilton is a little large on the US cover but I love the vibrant yellow color and the tear away view of a space scene. It's fairly generic but still stunning. You aren't going to get a Hamilton novel without some sign that its Science Fiction. I think the US cover is superior compositionally as well. Regardless of which one I find more pleasing, I think both are successful in the respect that they communicate the core message: this is an SF novel by Peter F. Hamilton with SPACESHIPS!

And this trend of cover art isn't restricted to just the third volume, here are side by side comparisons of The Dreaming Void and The Temporal Void, Books 1 and 2 in the Void Trilogy. John Harris is the cover artist for all three US covers and Jim Burns is responsible for the first and second UK editions. There is something about the UK covers that just looks rough. It might be the font or the sharpness of the image, I'm not sure but I like the US covers much better. The US covers are also more cohesive looking.

I think the US wins hands down but I'm trying to build a poll for this to see what you readers think.

On a related note, I never realized that John Harris was responsible for so many of my favorite SF covers. Ender's Game, Old Man's War, a few Jack McDevitt and Allen Steele covers. Check out the full list here.

Unfortunately a detailed description of The Evolutionary Void was not available.

YetiReview: Backlash (Fate of the Jedi, Book 4) by Aaron Allston

20 words or less: Despite some illogical character decisions, Backlash appeals to fans of both the original and prequel trilogies while continuing to build on the groundwork of the series and fix the expanded universe.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Pros: Luke and Ben feature in a worthwhile plot with memorable scenes; Crazed Jedi plotline continues to build slowly but steadily toward an unpredictable conclusion; Fate of the Jedi continues to build a strong groundwork with consistant characterization and few continuity errors;

Cons: Humor doesn't work as well as in previous Allston novels; Although necessary, the youth movement creates frustratingly illogical scenarios;

The Review: The writers and editors of the Fate of the Jedi series might not be Jedi Masters yet but they are getting closer and closer to hitting that wamp rat sized target located in the middle of nostalgia and innovation. Fate of the Jedi is supposed to be a return to the lighter, more escapist fare of the early Star Wars adventures after years of doom and gloom that robbed the galaxy far far aware of its most promising protagonists. While early installments struggled to drive forward the series plotlines and maintain individual narratives, in Backlash, Allston appears to have placed the flailing series on solid ground with the help of the Sith threat introduced in Book 3.

As young Jedi continue to inflicted by an unexplained insanity that makes their fellow Knights appear to be evil doppelgangers in their maladied minds, the Jedi Order struggles to maintain credibility with a government that has been seen Jedi become Sith one time too many. The Order must defend itself from these mentally ill Jedi, the politicians of the Galactic Alliance, and the power hungry moffs of the resurgent Empire. At the same time, Luke, convicted of endangering the galactic population by training these fallen Jedi and failing to control them and subsequently exiled from the Jedi Order, continues to explore the galaxy with his son Ben, hoping to find what caused his nephew Jacen Solo to become the Sith that killed Luke's wife, Mara. After encountering and repelling a Sith ambush in the previous installment, Luke and Ben track the sole survivor to Dathomir, where she attempts to hide herself within the innately force-sensitive, rancor-riding, indigenous population. When they do ultimately catch up to her, all is not as it appears.

Like the previous novels, the main Jedi plotline and the Skywalker plotline are for the most part separate although Han and Leia do jump between threads, providing that nostalgic feeling of reunion previously missing. However, unlike the previous novels, the Skywalker plotline is more substantive, developing the Force witches of Dathomir into a deeper culture than the wasted opportunities represented by the Baran Do Sages of Outcast and the Aing-Tii monks of Omen. As Luke and Ben attempt to capture the rogue Sith warrior, they find themselves in the middle of a clan war between a progressive clan rejecting the matriarchal traditions of the past and the secretive, darkside-wielding NightSisters. Whether it's the inclusion of the Sith element or the depth of the Dathomiri culture, there is a relevance to their actions that surpasses the "after-school special" superficiality of earlier plots. The re-emergence of the Sith as a threat, although a somewhat tamer version than Palpatine's evil incarnate, also raise the stakes of the series overall. It took awhile but Luke and Ben's actions finally matter again.

The second string concerning the political struggles of the Jedi amidst a crisis of crazies is about as strong as it has been all series but rather than being forced to carry the weight of the book, the strength of the Dathomir plotline allows it to slowly ratchet up the tension. While it's strange that major players are still being introduced into the series in the fourth book, the multi-dimensional power struggle appears to reaching a tipping point and it's difficult to predict how it will all play out, something atypical for the average Star Wars novel. After the extended break between books 3 and 4 caused by Allston's unfortunate heart attack, I'm very excited to see the series continue despite some of its flaws which admittedly may be more a result of my departure from the ranks of the targeted demographic than any flaw on Allston's part.

Through the half dozen or so Allston SW novels I've read, the single most notable aspect of his writing is his gift for humor. Despite suffering the aforementioned heart attack, Allston returns to his trademark humor here, albeit with somewhat less impact. Some of the changes that the Del Rey/Lucas Books editors have been introducing into the Fate of the Jedi are storylines that are somewhat lighter in tone. After the genocidal plots of the New Jedi Order icosikaihenilogy (21 books) and the fratricidal plots of the Legacy of the Force enneilogy (9 books), the fans were clamoring for lighter fare. Del Rey delivers this in Fate of the Jedi but unfortunately at the expense of the effectiveness of Allston's humor. In his X-Wing books and his NJO work, the dark comedy stood out in contrast to the bleak situations our characters found themselves in. Like a coping mechanism, the characters seemed to laugh because it was the only way to distract themselves from the death surrounding them. Even the humor of The Empire Strikes Back broke the tension between Imperial assaults and torture sessions. With the lighter tone of FotJ, Allston's writing comes across as almost cutesy, especially in scenes involving the pre-teen Allana Solo and the young adult Ben Skywalker.

This cutesy factor has been one of the largest problems of the series so far and the lack of appropriately aged characters continues in Backlash. Luke, Leia, and Han are considered to be either "too skilled" or "too old" for major action sequences and as a result an unrealistic amount of weight is placed on the shoulders of young protagonists, namely Ben and Allana. In the past the mainstream SW novels have been separated from the YA stories but Fate of the Jedi appears to be catering to both the old guard of the original trilogy and the younger fans of the prequel era. While understandable, this fanboy doesn't like watching his heroes throw their children into danger with terrible parenting decision after decision for the sake of their screen time.

As an example, Han and Leia leave their daughter alone for weeks where she eventually encounters a murderous junker who runs the local chop shop. Ben is given command of a tribe of older, trained warriors whose culture he doesn't understand to defend their redoubt from a rancor siege. And it's not so much the fact that they are put into dangerous situations, it's that they are portrayed as more capable than any of the adults around. It's only a matter of time before Ben is teaching the tribes strategy so basic a Gungan should know them and using his "detective skills" to suss out decades old secrets in days. Under the flimsy pretense of training, the authors marginalize Luke Skywalker to create artificial tension in scenarios where he could easily resolve conflicts with minimum bloodshed. Why would a Jedi let hundreds of people die when he has the power to save them? This illogical youth movement is frustrating at times but unfortunately necessary as the editorial staff has killed off or marginalized the majority of strong appropriately aged characters over the past few years and continually overpowered Luke and Leia.

Regardless of my fanboy criticisms, Backlash is still a worthwhile entry into the Star Wars canon and my favorite of the Fate of the Jedi books thus far. It ends on an enigmatic note that begs for further exploration in Troy Denning's Allies (due out in late May). Despite the younger, lighter tone of the series, Fate of the Jedi continues to present enjoyable Star Wars adventures in an episodic format that allow you to jump back to the galaxy far, far away that you explored in the imagination of your youth for a few hours. It's clear that Star Wars is in a bit of a transition period as LucasBooks attempts to rebuild the universe from catastrophic events of the past few years but I'm hopeful that once the youth movement completes, the character development will be worth it. It should be expected but character continuity has been something that hasn't always made an appearance in Star Wars fiction, so the increased attention in Fate of the Jedi is appreciated even if it creates other smaller problems. If you were a Star Wars fan that has abandoned the series because it lost the escapist elements that made it Star Wars, it might be time to take a second look.

Covering Covers: Vortex - Troy Denning

Cover Artist: Ian Keltie

  

Vortex displays the trend of stylistic Star Wars that has continued to impress me the last few of years. With another washed out figure silhouetted against a bright two-tone Coruscant skyline, cover artist Ian Keltie succeeds again. This time, Han Solo is the recognizable face brought into the Star Wars "present" (he's in his 70s or 80s now). While I might have some reservations about the effectiveness of his character and his fade into the background of an increasingly Force-centric saga, there's no denying that the business end of his DL-44 suggests otherwise. Unlike other generic Star Wars art, I really love how they are making this series stand out with such simple but strong art and bold graphic choices. The force is strong with these indeed. Vortex is scheduled to come out the December from Del Rey but Book 4 in the series, Aaron Allston's Backlash, hits shelves this March.

Covering Covers: Tongue of Serpents (Temeraire Book 6)

Naomi Novik has posted the cover and synopsis of Temeraire Book 6, Tongue of Serpents, over on Temeraire.org

Synopsis: Exiled to Australia, Laurence and Temeraire must navigate treacherous political waters to protect three dragon eggs.

There is also an excerpt if you are interested enough. Which you should be. Cause Novik is a seriously talented writer and you know, cause, dragons are awesome, and stuff.

On the cover, I really like the stylized dragon covers clutching the orb. It sets the series apart from more cliche dragon covers. This cover is very simple but attractive. The one minor issue I have is tha I think it works better against a more colorful background. The white sand dunes in back ground wash the cover out a lot and I think I would have preferred a solid white background to the wavy dunes if the white color was a must. Books 1-4 had covers of blue, green, red, and black and they were very cohesive and unique. I am very glad they returned to the original cover style. Book 5 had a decent cover but if you have such a great look going through 4 books, why change it? And don't get me started on the paperback to hardcover nonsense...

As a final note, Novik appears to be done with Tongue of Serpents (it does come out July 13th), and that means she owes me my final Keeping An Eye On interview. Do you think you and your dragons are better than everyone else just because you write bestselling books full of fantastical adventures in exotic locations? What's so great about that?

Anyway, what do you think of this cover?

YetiReview: Crosscurrent

30 Words or Less: In one of the better Star Wars novels in recent memory, Kemp portrays a more intimate adventure focusing on two Jedi and their dance with the dark side.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Good: Feels like Star Wars (and Dark Forces Star Wars no less); Tight plot focusing on a small cast of characters allows for character development and intrigue; Action sequences that are well written and exciting; Jedi characters are represented as intelligent, fallible beings.

The Bad: Some plot elements might turn SW fans off; At points it feels like it might be channeling the OT just a little too much; I would have liked more integration with the Dark Forces backstory

Just before Christmas I was given an early present; the opportunity to review Paul Kemp’s debut Star Wars novel, Crosscurrent, almost a month before it hit shelves. Star Wars has always a guilty pleasure for me and Kemp’s teases of a Jaden Korr adventure had me eagerly anticipating the novel. However, just because Star Wars is a guilty pleasure doesn’t mean I go any easier on it. I might expect a different kind of experience then I do reading pure science fiction or epic fantasy (Star Wars is a little of both) but I still expect strong characters, interesting storylines, and professional quality writing. Any honest fan will tell you that recent Star Wars books haven’t always delivered. Lazy plotting, character arcs mutated by exposure to plot-onium, and other subpar writing techniques have diminished the luster of the galaxy I grew up reading. Much to my surprise, Crosscurrent exceeded my expectations and delivered a Star Wars novel that reminded me what I love about the galaxy far, far away.

The main strength of Crosscurrent is in its intimate scope and tight plotting. Rather than a galaxy spanning epic, Kemp focuses his storytelling on a cast of six and how their fates intertwine above an icy moon deep in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy. There are a few other surprise cameos here but the short dramatis personnae teased by Kemp is accurate. One half of the action follows Jaden Korr as he tries to re-evaluate his devotion to the Jedi order and interpret the will of the Force in light of recent events. The other portion takes place 5000 years in the past as a master and padawan attempt to stop a Sith ship whose cargo could have dire implications for the Jedi Order and the Old Republic. Anyone who has read the Amazon summary knows that the two plots do eventually “cross currents” but there is more going on than the blurb will lead you to believe. As a warning, the methods used to get everyone in the same place may turn off a few readers with conservative conceptions of what you can and can’t do in a Star Wars novel but Kemp provides enough detail to make it work.

Kemp weaves the storylines together wonderfully, hopping between PoVs to build suspense and balance the duality of predator and prey, two roles that are not always assigned as expected in the latest Star Wars paperback. There aren’t any scenes that jump out as superfluous, something that has been increasing problematic in SW novels as of late. Every PoV features a unique, enjoyable voice which their own concepts of fate and the Force and how the two should interact. Despite the scope of the novel being very tight and a page count of only 318, Crosscurrent still manages to do a lot between the covers. As Jaden begins to realize why the Force has called him to this backwater system in the Unknown Regions, the suspense ratchets up a notch, drawing you into the plot in a way few Star Wars novels manage to do. I honestly didn't know what to expect and can't wait for Kemp's follow up effort.

As I briefly mentioned, Kemp’s Force users aren’t your typical cookie cutter Jedi and Sith but fully realized three-dimensional characters who don’t see the universe purely in black and white. As the twin plotlines begin to intersect, they form a crossroads for the six main characters. The characters face decisions that could mean the difference between life and death, light and dark. They feel genuinely human (or alien, you know what I mean) but despite their flaws, you are genuinely interested in their fates. If anything, I’m reminded of the Jedi of the Dark Forces video game series (in which Jaden Korr makes his first appearance). You might aspire to be a bastion of light but sometimes you just want to fry a little Sithspawn with a healthy dose of Force Lightning. (If you’ve played those games, you know what I’m talking about. If you don’t, you should, those games are excellent)

While the Jedi are the focus of the novel, Kemp doesn't forget to channel his inner Han Solo, managing to weave some ancillary characters into the mix. Crosscurrent gives prominent roles to an assassin/bounty hunter used to operating in the shadows and a pair of down on their luck salvage traders who happen to be in the wrong cantina on the wrong day. The “Force muggle” role is one often forgotten amidst the lightsabers and the force lightning and it’s a pleasure to see that dynamic back in play. From page one on which we get a traditional SW opening, it's evident that Kemp really captured the feel of Star Wars; something which is surprisingly hard to do (I’m looking at you, Prequel Trilogy). Too often lately, Star Wars novels have been mostly mediocre, assuming that if you put Luke, Han, and Leia in a book and have them run around for 250 pages, the book will be worth reading. Crosscurrent on the other hand is a return to the high adventure of the Original Trilogy in the same vein as The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi (minus the Ewoks).

Not only is Crosscurrent an enjoyable Star Wars novel, it’s an enjoyable novel, period. The prose and the action are very well written and you can really get a visual sense of the action sequences with enough flavor to prevent it from reading like little more than a movie screenplay. There are going to be a lot of little things that the average sci-fi fan isn’t going to be clued into but Crosscurrent is one of the few Star Wars novels accessible enough to recommend to anyone looking for a good space adventure. If you are a Star Wars fan, Kemp's debut should be a must read for you. If you’ve just seen the movies, Crosscurrent is all of the fun Star Wars has to offer with none of the baggage typically attached to tie-in fiction.

Author Spotlight: Paul S. Kemp

One of my favorite video game franchises growing up was Star Wars: Dark Forces. From the early games pitting the mercenary Kyle Katarn against the Empire to the later games in which you play apprentice to Katarn (now a Jedi Master), the series has always been a underappreciated piece of the larger tapestry of the Galaxy Far Far Away. Not to mention the massacre of countless Storm Troopers. Bryar Pistol, Lightsaber, Force Lighting, Force Choke. Kill Counts in the quadruple digits. So when I heard that one of Katarn's apprentices, Jaden Korr was getting his own book my first thought was: It's about damn time. And the author giving us a prose window into this microcosm of the Skywalker-dominated shared universe? None other than Paul S. Kemp.

This is also Kemp's first foray into the GFFA, so I thought it would be beneficial to talk to Paul and shed a little light on the author behind the words. He was kind enough to participate, so read on to find out more about Crosscurrent, Kemp's other work, and his writing career in general.

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SoY: So Paul, your first Star Wars novel, Crosscurrent, comes out January 26th, 2010. Can you tell us a little about that?

PK: Sure. Crosscurrent is a standalone novel featuring Jaden Korr and set right about at the end of the LotF series. The story also has a connection to the Fate of the Jedi series (though one need not read the Fate of the Jedi series to follow Crosscurrent's story).

SoY: What else are working on right now? What will Paul Kemp publish in 2010? (Novels, short stories, or whatnot...)

PK: In Star Wars, I'm working on two things: First, a sequel to Crosscurrent, though I'm not sure when the publication date is. Second, something I…er…cannot yet announce. And, of course, Crosscurrent itself will be published in January.

In the Forgotten Realms (the sword and sorcery setting where a lot of my previous work was set), my Erevis Cale Trilogy will be combined into a single volume omnibus edition that will include not only the three novels of the Erevis Cale Trilogy (Twilight Falling, Dawn of Night, and Midnight's Mask), but also two short stories that feature into the Erevis Cale story arc. Oh, and for those not playing at home, Erevis Cale is my signature character in the Forgotten Realms, a priest and assassin in service to the God of Shadows.

In non-tie-in work, I'm shopping a supernatural thriller/horror novel. Hopefully I'll have some good news to report on it sometime in 2010.

SoY: Some more recent Star Wars novels have seen stylistic departures from the standard Star Wars format. We've seen Star Wars Horror (Death Troopers, Star Wars Noir (Coruscant Nights), Star Wars Military Sci-Fi (Republic Commandos). How did you approach writing a Star Wars novel? Did you want to bring in a certain style or accomplish something specific in Crosscurrent?

PK: That's a tough question. First and foremost, I wanted to be true to the feel of Star Wars. "Feel" is a difficult concept to articulate, but Star Wars novels have a unique vibe that mixes high adventure and cinematic action with a fair amount of philosophy. So, I wanted all of that to be there. At the same time, my strength as a writer (or so I tell myself) is in characterization. I wanted to really dig deep into Jaden's character (not to mention the other characters in the novel) and hopefully sear him into the minds of Star Wars fans. I like to think I've done that, but time will tell. And while I did all that, I wanted to stay true to my own writing style, which I'd characterize as fairly dark and gritty.

SoY: Many of today's genre writers were heavily influenced by Star Wars growing up? Would you include yourself in that category? If so, what's it like writing in the Galaxy Far Far Away from a fan perspective? If not, what would you say were your biggest influences in the genre?

PK: Oh, I was certainly influenced by Star Wars growing up. For years, I got Kenner action figures and ships every Christmas and birthday (the Snowspeeder being a favorite). I had the comic books, adored the movies (still do), collected the trading cards (your remember those? They featured stills from the movies with a little caption, and came in red, yellow, green, and blue sets). So, yeah, I guess you could say I was influenced.

As for what it's like: in a word, awesome. I had a blast writing Crosscurrent and contributing even a small part to the Star War phenomenon is more than a little cool.

SoY: It's recently come to light that you've been asked to do another Star Wars book building off of Crosscurrent. Are you still limited in what you can say about the follow-up? Can you provide any hints at all about the new story idea, even if it’s a teaser or two?

PK: Unfortunately, I can't. The NDA-Force is strong with Lucasfilm.

SoY: What's been the highlight of your career so far? In the statement "If I could write a book that ________________ , I would consider my career a success." what would you put in the blank?

PK: It'd be easy to say hitting the Times bestseller list or writing a Star Wars novel, but it's nothing like that.

Instead, it's this: I once received a fan mail from a reader who'd lost his father. He explained to me that my handling of a particular plot point in Midnight's Mask (the third novel in the Erevis Cale Trilogy) really helped him get through it.

SoY: The majority of your published work has been done with the Forgotten Realms shared universe. How has that experience helped you make the transition to Star Wars? In what ways are writing in the universes different?

PK: Well, both settings are highly detailed secondary worlds/universes, so they're similar in that you've got to dive into the lore with both hands and get to know the world/universe pretty well. As for how they're different: well, setting aside the subject matter differences, Star Wars fandom is vastly larger and vastly more…er…zealous than Realms fandom. Make no mistake, I and millions of others love the Realms, but as I said above, Star Wars is a global cultural touchstone.

SoY: Star Wars has some of the most complex continuities of any cross-media franchise out there, not to mention a fan base that can be... let's say "less than kind" to authors who don't give continuity the proper attention. Was the transition from writing Forgotten Realms to writing in the Star Wars universe difficult? What did you do to prepare yourself?

PK: Del Rey sent me thousands of pages of material and I read and read. I also browsed some of the more popular Star Wars message boards, watched and rewatched the movies, and so on.

SoY: Do you have any ambitions to develop your own fictional universe? In an ideal situation, what would you like to be writing?

PK: I do and am in the process of doing so. As I mentioned above, I've already got a supernatural thriller/horror novel making the rounds, and I'm working (as time allows) on an epic fantasy. I'm hopeful both of those will see print eventually.

SoY: On the subject of rabid fanbases, some of the discussion surrounding Crosscurrent is regarding one of the main characters, Jaden Korr. In the Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy game, Korr was a customizable character that could be a male or female from various species. In your book he is locked down as yet another male human Jedi. While I don't believe you made that decision, would you have made the same decision if it was up to you? Should authors writing in these universes keep their characters human and more relatable to the reader or fully embrace the diversity available to them?

PK: I actually did make that decision. In the end, I think authors should write the character through whose eyes and voice they can best tell the story they want to tell. For me, that meant a human male Jedi. That said, many of the supporting characters in Crosscurrent are alien (an Anzat, a Cerean, a Kaleesh).

SoY: Did you play any of the games to prepare? Will we see any of the other Jedi Knight characters in Crosscurrent either in flashbacks/back-story or in live action? Kyle Katarn or Rosh Penin perhaps?

PK: Never played any of the games, but Katarn's teachings to Jaden are the lynchpin around which Jaden's internal journey takes place.

SoY: What is a typical writing day like for you? Do you have any weird writing habits that somehow work for you?

PK: Nothing weird. When the outline is done and I’m into a novel, I try to write 1,500 to 2,000 words in a weekday, and at least touch the manuscript (writing, say, a few hundred words) over the weekend, just to stay in tune with it.

SoY: An Askajian Jedi apprentice, really? That doesn't seem like the most graceful of candidate species. Do the males have any unique features to match the females?

PK: Other than ample adipose tissue, I don't get too much into it. I do get in a Moon Lady reference, though.

SoY: This will be many Star Wars fans first time reading Paul Kemp. Suppose someone loves Crosscurrent and immediately churns through your catalog of books. If they enjoyed what they read, what other authors would you recommend? What's the best thing you've read recently?

PK: I sure hope those who enjoy Crosscurrent will go out and read my Erevis Cale novels. I think those who enjoy my storytelling style will enjoy it in both settings.

Authors that inspire me and inform my writing are folks like Michael Moorcock, Fritz Leiber, and GRR Martin. So if you enjoy my writing, you'll certainly enjoy theirs, being, as they are, masters of the craft.
As for what I've read and enjoyed recently, let's call it a tie between Haldeman's The Forever War and Chabon's Yiddish Policeman's Union.

SoY: Going forward into the future, where can we keep an eye on you and your work?

PK: Well, I'll be hanging around the Star Wars EU for a while, I think, and all of my Erevis Cale novels remain in print. Meanwhile, I've reached verbal agreement with another tie-in publisher of fantasy fiction. That announcement will come sometime in 2010. So, I think my work should be easy to find.

[You can keep an eye on Paul at his livejournal: http://paulskemp.livejournal.com/]

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Crosscurrent comes out January 26th, 2010. Storm Troopers watch out.

YetiReview: Death Troopers

21 Words or Less: A fast-paced and truly creepy novel, Death Troopers combines Star Wars and horror but fails to try for more.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Good: Fast-paced popcorn read; Visual, descriptive prose; delivers on promise of "Star Wars horror"

The Bad: Feels very safe; Zombies take a long time to actually appear; very short for a hardcover, Could have been excellent with a little more character back story or a more detailed plot

While not quite as overexposed as vampires, there is an undeniable zombie epidemic lurching its way through the genre. World War Z. Zombieland. The Walking Dead. Necropolis. Even Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. That being the case, it was no surprise when LucasBooks announced Death Troopers, a zombie/Star Wars mash-up written by up-and-coming horror writer, Joe Schreiber. Luckily for the galaxy far, far away being bitten the Zombie virus doesn't necessarily guarantee turning into a mindless, staggering, decomposing story. On the other hand, it doesn't preclude it either. Some works of zombie fiction are absolutely brilliant, others deserve to be shotgunned, burned, or otherwise lobotomized. It's all about the execution.

So does Joe Schreiber deliver? Yes and no. From the beginning, it's clear that Schreiber has a way with words. His prose style has a visual style that is pitch perfect for writing horror. Simply put, you see what he writes, even when you really, really don't want to. And when the zombie action ramps up aboard the derelict Star Destroyer, Schreiber writes some things you really, really don't want to see. So as our small cast of characters attempts to escape the rapidly deteriorating situation, you feel like you are next to them every step of the way. It is horror.

It's also Star Wars. Despite the lack of flesh eating undead in the original trilogy (or even the crappy prequels), Schreiber captures the feel of the universe, the dialogue, the descriptions very well, especially for a SW rookie. There are even a few cameo appearances along the way. I won't give them away but he writes them so well it’s as if they walked off the screen and into this book. Schreiber did his research and he integrated his story into the greater galaxy. So when Death Troopers is described as Star Wars Horror, it's a fair assessment. Unfortunately, it feels like it could have been more.

One of the largest problems with this book is its length. It's a hardcover novel for a hardcover price but only contains 232 pages of actual story; a length which simply doesn't allow for deep characters, a well-crafted plot, and the intricate prose needed in a quality horror novel. While Schreiber does a spectacular job turning a sterile Star Destroyer into a terrifying set of corridors and caverns, the plot and the characters disappoint. They aren't bad by any means, they just need more attention. There is no reason why the book needs to be that short. Schreiber could easily have maintained the visceral prose that is the book's main strength AND detailed a cast of three dimensional characters uncovering an insidious plot concocted by the Empire's most brilliant and nefarious minds. He could have done it and kept it under 300 pages. There are hints of a larger story and characterization but those hints were never fully realized.

As a result, Death Troopers commits one of the most basic (and admittedly hard to avoid) sins of the zombie subgenre: the cold open. Instead of hitting the ground running, we first bear witness to the death of the majority of the ship's passengers and then their disappearance. There is no mystery here. It's zombies. Like almost any other zombie book or movie, the audience is firmly aware of what they are getting into when they jump on board. So when Schreiber takes his time getting to the fun stuff the book suffers.

Without ample characterization or mysterious plot elements, there is no connection between the reader and the potential victims fleeing the zombie horde. Without that bond, even the most frenetically paced story will fail to excite. Schreiber allows us to gradually become invested in Kale and Trig Longo, political prisoners aboard the ill-fated Purge, and Zahara Cody, the ship's chief medical officer but they don't really develop like they could have, especially considering some of the surprising decisions they face. This is very apparent when considering how "right" the cameos feel when contrasted with the underdeveloped main cast.

All in all, Death Troopers is a decent Star Wars story and a decent Zombie novel. The prose is dripping with suspense and Schreiber masterfully paints an unsettling story with the blood of Stormtroopers and Wookies alike. The book is good but it could have been so much more, given more pages and more development, both of plot and of character. While the novel succeeds at being creepy (and at times profoundly disturbing), Schreiber appears to have said "good enough" rather than turning off his targeting computer and trusting the force. While he's survived the battle, if he had ramped up the action little faster, developed his original characters a little deeper, and detailed the underlying cause of the epidemic a little bit more, he might have been just blown the reactor core.