Doors Review

Doors

Daniel Brako

Publisher: Pan McMillian

E-Arc Courtesy of Netgalley and Pan McMillion

David Druas is a successful psychologist, with a thriving practice. When he encounters Hans Werner, a client who sees imaginary doors, life takes a dark and unexpected turn. After trying to unravel the delusion, David also notices mysterious doors. Scattered throughout the city, they lead to beautiful, terrifying and dangerous new worlds. But are they real? 
When Hans Werner is murdered, the evidence identifies David as the killer. Forced to become a fugitive, he struggles to escape the deepening nightmare that threatens to overwhelm him. As the police close in, it becomes apparent that the doors are concealing a dark and tangled truth. The question is: can David unlock their secrets before his time and sanity run out?

This is quite a short book and very fast paced. Psychologist David in an attempt to persuade a patient he is suffering from delusions, performs a ritual which much to his surprise allows him to see Doors everywhere that open to different worlds, worlds with strange creatures, demons and wonderfully beautiful sights. Unfortunately no-one is supposed to know about the Doors and someone is determined to make sure Daniel never tells anyone...

I loved the pacing which whizzes you through various Doors and awkward situations without stopping for breathe. The idea behind seeing these Doors everywhere is great and the possibilities are endless. I enjoyed seeing different worlds and would have liked to explore them in more depth.

The characters are a little lacking in depth – Daniel doesn’t really pop off the page in full colour and many others are little more than stereotypes – the female cop determined to prove herself by capturing Daniel, his PA in love in him...they never feel like real people so it’s difficult to feel for them. Still the speed at which I was reading never made this an issue over the few pages in the book. This is a fun thriller with a unique hook that I recommend for some light summer reading.

Recommended for fans of James Rollins and Steve Berry. 7 out of 10

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

L. Frank Baum

Kindle Book

In a terrifying instant of darkness, a tornado snatches up Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto, whirling them on the wild wind out of Kansas and straight to Oz. 
In this wondrous world of sorcery and danger, Munchkins, flying monkeys, talking mice and fighting trees, all Dorothy wants to do is go home...

Together with the Scarecrow who wants a brain, the Tin Man who wants a heart, and the Cowardly Lion who wants courage, Dorothy and Toto must follow the Yellow Brick Road to find the Wizard of the Emerald City. But before the wizard of Oz will grant their wishes, Dorothy and her friends must do the impossible--Destroy the all-powerful Wicked Witch of the West... 

Everyone knows the story of the wizard of Oz – Kanas and the tornado, Dorothy & Toto wanting to go home, Scarecrow looking for a brain, Tin Man wanting a heart and a cowardly lion needing courage plus a couple of wicked witches, flying monkeys and the wonderful wizard himself. It’s been made famous by several films – the most famous being the Judy Garland one, had a hit musical Wicked and a glorious 3D adventure earlier this year with Oz The Great and Powerful, but with all this going on I realised I hadn’t read the original story itself. Oh, I thought I knew it but in my ongoing attempt to squeeze some classics into my reading schedule , this seemed like a nice ‘light’ classic for kids that I could pick up on holiday. While it is certainly an easy read aimed at children I found myself completely enthralled in Dorothy and her companion’s adventures while delighting in this world that the films I’ve seen have barely touched upon.

 I really enjoyed Dorothy’s friends exploits on their adventures that aren’t frequently covered on screen or stage with the Scarecrow thinking their way out of various problems while still lamenting his lack of a brain, the Tin Man saving various creatures while wishing he could feel more while the lion protects the group from various dangers while still feeling scared. All are smarter, more caring and braver than the film has ever portrayed them and really made me warm to them. I loved some of their escapades that aren’t well known including being chased by Kalidah – huge monsters crossed between a tiger and a bear and the background to the flying monkeys. The world is much more complicated than it first appeared and I felt like it was a real metaphor for life. Dorothy didn’t develop too much character apart from being a ‘good girl’ – and at one point she wanted to steal a china princess to take home with home her! Still she is more like our guide than a real person and it never bothered me too much.

This is a fun read which doesn’t disappoint if you love the films and world from other media. It is still surprising and fun with lots of pleasant twists on characters you think you already know. L. Frank Baum wrote a wide selection of other stories about Oz and I certainly plan to pick up a couple more and explore this wonderful world in more detail. 

Recommended for fans of Rudyard Kipling and Gregory Maguire. 8 out of 10

The Long Earth Review

The Long Earth

Stephen Baxter & Terry Pratchett

Publisher: DoubleDay

1916: the Western Front, France. Private Percy Blakeney wakes up. He is lying on fresh spring grass. He can hear birdsong, and the wind in the leaves in the trees. Where has the mud, blood and blasted landscape of No man's Land gone? 
2015: Madison, Wisconsin. Cop Monica Jansson has returned to the burned-out home of one Willis Linsay, a reclusive and some said mad, others dangerous, scientist. It was arson but, as is often the way, the firemen seem to have caused more damage than the fire itself. Stepping through the wreck of a house, there's no sign of any human remains but on the mantelpiece Monica finds a curious gadget - a box, containing some wiring, a three-way switch and a...potato. It is the prototype of an invention that Linsay called a 'stepper'. An invention he put up on the web for all the world to see, and use, an invention that would to change the way mankind viewed his world Earth for ever. And that's an understatement if ever there was one... 

...because the stepper allowed the person using it to step sideways into another America, another Earth, and if you kept on stepping, you kept on entering even more Earths...this is the Long Earth. It's not our Earth but one of chain of parallel worlds, lying side by side each differing from its neighbour by really very little (or actually quite a lot). It's an infinite chain, offering 'steppers' an infinite landscape of infinite possibilities. And the further away you travel, the stranger - and sometimes more dangerous - the Earths get. The sun and moon always shine, the basic laws of physics are the same. However, the chance events which have shaped our particular Earth, such as the dinosaur-killer asteroid impact, might not have happened and things may well have turned out rather differently. But, until Willis Linsay invented his stepper, only our Earth hosted mankind...or so we thought. Because it turns out there are some people who are natural 'steppers', who don't need his invention and now the great migration has begun...

When a series of alternative Earths with all the same natural resources but no humans are discovered, it’s a new era for humanity as trailblazers and opportunists head out into the Long Earth, and discover what awaits out there. The Long Earth is packed full of huge ideas of parallel worlds and witty observations of humanity as you would expect from two giants of British literature like Stephen Baxter and Terry Pratchett and this pulls you in like an explorer yourself to see what universe they have created.  

Joshua is a natural stepper – meaning he can move between different Earths without the technology or sickness that most people suffer. As such he is recruited by the TransEarth corporation on an adventure to the end of the Long Earth, to see if there is an end and what is really awaiting humanity if they carry on stepping out from home. Joshua is a basically good man but with a need for peace and has spent much of the time since Step-Day, when the multiple world’s first opened up, on his own in worlds were humans have not made an impact and accepting the differences. His travel companion Lobsang is either a Tibetian reincarnated in AI form or very intelligent AI and seems to represent humanities need to catalogue and note the differences in each world. The developing friendship between this two characters is great fun and the different worlds are fascinating.

While Joshua is the central character, some chapters take little diversions from different points in time (and different worlds) to explore what is happening in the wider tide of humanity. Despite all this going on, the overall plot of the books is quite slow and unfolds like a flower, when you suddenly realise quite how many petals the bud has. Despite the exploration theme, there just isn’t much urgency to their trip and feels more like a pleasure cruise at times. In total this is a glorious exploration into ‘what-if’ territory with ideas and hidden humour pull you along rather than the characters actions.

Recommended for fans of Arthur C Clarke and Tom Holt. 8 out of 10

Early Review: Worldsoul

Worldsoul

- Liz Williams

Publisher: Prime Books

E-Arc Courtesy of netgalley and Prime Books

What if being a librarian was the most dangerous job in the world?
Worldsoul, a great city that forms a nexus point between Earth and the many dimensions known as the Liminality, is a place where old stories gather, where forgotten legends come to fade and die—or to flourish and rise again. Until recently, Worldsoul has been governed by the Skein, but they have gone missing and no one knows why. The city is also being attacked with lethal flower-bombs from unknown enemy. Mercy Fane and her fellow Librarians are doing their best to maintain the Library, but... things... keep breaking out of ancient texts and legends and escaping into the city. Mercy must pursue one such dangerous creature. She turns to Shadow, an alchemist, for aid, but Shadow—inadvertently possessed by an ifrit—has a perilous quest of her own to undertake...

I have to admit it has been a while since I read any traditional fantasy and fancied diving back into that type of world. However, this isn’t the traditional type of fantasy… Nothing is explicitly explained about the world and how it works – you have to figure it out as you go. And it is an extremely fascinating world. Set somewhere beyond time and imagination, the Liminality is a city where words have power – and stories and history even more so. Librarians have to enter certain areas of the library heavily armed in case anything crosses over from history, imagination or myth. Previously ruled over by the mysterious but benevolent Skein and now left alone, the people of Worldsoul have to struggle to keep their world together. And into this situation is thrown a young librarian with an unusual heritage as she struggles to keep the library together even while Dukes of Hell, Gods of Nightmares, Alchemists and the Magician Court all circle around her…

Mercy is a typical strong female heroine – good with sword and using her brains with a troubled and slightly mysterious past. I liked her but I never felt I got to know her well. I never felt an emotional connection to her – or any of the other characters for that matter. Shadow, the alchemist was the only character that really intrigued me and I wanted to know more about. Otherwise there are a lot of characters and it was difficult to remember who all the side characters were at times.

There is a lot happening in this story and the threads are at times slow to weave together – at times it feels like you are working as hard as the characters to know what is going on, but without the benefit of familiarity with the world. However, when you reach certain point there is a strong feeling of satisfaction – like climbing a mountain and being rewarded with the clear view for miles. The finale is exhausting and exhilarating with plenty of action and some truly compelling story telling.

Overall, the lack of emotional connection to the characters and the difficult to understanding this unique world, held me back from truly appreciating the story on more than a technical area. But I was never tempted to put the book down. Worth investing the time but not for those without concentration skills!

Recommended for fans of N.K. Jemisin and Tad Williams. 5 out of 10.

How To Live Safely In A Science-Fictional Universe Review

How To Live Safely In A Science-Fictional Universe

-          Charles Yu

Kindle Book

Minor Universe 31 is a vast story-space on the outskirts of fiction, where paradox fluctuates like the stock market, lonely sexbots beckon failed protagonists, and time travel is serious business. Every day, people get into time machines and try to do the one thing they should never do: change the past. That’s where Charles Yu, time travel technician—part counselor, part gadget repair man—steps in. He helps save people from themselves. Literally. When he’s not taking client calls or consoling his boss, Phil, who could really use an upgrade, Yu visits his mother (stuck in a one-hour cycle of time, she makes dinner over and over and over) and searches for his father, who invented time travel and then vanished. Accompanied by TAMMY, an operating system with low self-esteem, and Ed, a nonexistent but ontologically valid dog, Yu sets out, and back, and beyond, in order to find the one day where he and his father can meet in memory..

This is a hard book to describe. Set in a universe where there wasn’t quite enough reality to make it work properly, the universe seems to struggle by using science fiction tropes as filler, which basically means the line between real and not, is fine and difficult to spot. Charles Yu is our narrator, continually stuck between the present and the past and working as a time machine repair man with just his imaginary dog and a female simulated personality computer for company. Charles can’t seem to live in the present so he spends most of time in his time machine until he is called home to have his machine serviced...

This book is weird. It is part philosophical pondering and part a search for lost family, but most of it seems to rely on clever verb and idea conjugation. I have to admit I never found myself fully committed to the story as I couldn’t relax and let it flow around me. It feels like a very worthy book, however I read mostly to distract myself from my commute and as such this book didn’t really work for me. That’s not to say others won’t enjoy it – indeed some elements especially in the second half of the book were exciting and an interesting twist on the whole seeing your earlier self in time travel. There was also an amusing incident early on with a certain L. Skywalker, but overall I never felt like the thought provoking elements sat easily next to the basic search for his father.

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. I certainly feel it will work well for others but I’m a simple reader – I like action, I like plot and I like characters. Soul searching when done away from any excitement does not hold my interest. Somehow though I feel like this is more my own failing than the book itself.

Recommended for fans of Hannu Rajaniemi and Simon Morden. 5 out of 10  

Guest Review: The Cornerstone

So my Guest Reviewer Sarah is back again...

The Cornerstone

- Nick Spalding

Publisher: Racket Publishing

On a gloomy Thursday afternoon, Max Bloom enters his local library in a last ditch attempt to stave off an epic case of teenage boredom. Among the hushed stacks he discovers The Cornerstone - an ancient book tucked away on a dusty, forgotten shelf. Opening the cover, Max is torn from the library into an alternate dimension full of things intent on killing him - thus avoiding boredom with remarkable success. He meets a beautiful girl called Merelie (brilliant), who tells him he's the only one that can save both their worlds from the Dwellers - hideous mind sucking creatures from beyond the universe (not so brilliant). Merelie thinks Max could be a Wordsmith, a sorcerer able to craft magic from the written word itself - one powerful enough to stop the Dwellers and their treacherous human allies. This all sounds completely unbelievable, of course. The kind of thing you'd read in a fantasy novel... but The Cornerstone doesn't lie - and the danger is very real. In a world threatened by monsters, where books are worshipped and magic exists, Max Bloom must make a choice: close The Cornerstone and run home - or trust Merelie, become a Wordsmith, and save two worlds from certain destruction...

Hello all, me again!  This time reviewing another YA book – The Cornerstone.  The story is split between our earth, and a parallel earth where (and I know you’ll all love this sentiment) books are power.  In the latter version of earth – the Corner Lands – magicians practice their art through the medium of word shaping, a process that is created and fueled by the power of the written word.  Only those destined to become magicians are allowed to learn to read and write, and books are the most precious commodity imaginable (even Paris Hilton’s autobiography, hard though it is to believe!).  Our world therefore, with its millions of books yet no magicians, is a strange place indeed, but potentially ripe to exploit.

The star of the show is Max, a very typical teenage lad with some of the funniest back-chat I’ve ever read.  The rapidity, depth and imagination of his insults caused much shoulder-shaking on the train to work, much to the humour of other commuters!  Max is sucked from our world through to the Corner Lands by a sentient book called The Cornerstone (or Corny to Max!) to meet a teenage magician called Merelie, who believes Max to be the potential savior of her land.  Thereafter we have a very typical Good v Evil tale with evil chuckling, cliché ridden gloating, monsters and mayhem.

It’s a very easy to read, entertaining romp of a ride with a serious love of books at its very heart.  Max is the main recommendation for me – he’s how I’d imagine a young Harry Dresden (my favourite literary character ever) to be. 

One for those who like their teenage leads to be teenagers, and can appreciate the skill involved in cutting back-chat, 7.5 out of 10.

Tomorrow's Guardian Review

Tomorrow’s Guardian (Hourglass Institute 1)

-          Richard Denning

Kindle Book

Time Travel sounds like fun ... until you try it. In the case of Tom Oakley he discovers the perils and challenges that time travel brings. He must choose how to use his talents - for self gain, to dominate others or to protect his world.

When I first started reading this I thought it was going to be a simple school boy time travel adventure with a villainous bad guy and too good to be true good guys. Instead I found a layered mystery with a sophisticated use of the time travel and parallel world theory that draws you in. It was subtle at first as the story progresses from Tom noticing small things going wrong to controlling his powers and finally making tough choices.

I loved the time travel aspect – it’s always been a big favourite of mine and the clever it’s introduced and developed without getting too technical is great. I loved the additional characters Tom discovers and bonds with in his journey – despite differences in their ages and backgrounds. The plot moves at a cracking pace, and doesn’t hesitate to ask the big questions – what would you do to safe guard the future? How much would you sacrifice? At the same time there are huge battles, fires, terrorists, concentration camps and mysterious, shadowy figures who’s agenda in unknown. I had great fun as Denning constantly played with my expectations and created a thrilling adventure for everyone.

While the writing is aimed more at early teen age group, there is plenty for the young at heart of all ages to enjoy and I’m looking to catching up with Tom and his friends in the sequel, Yesterday’s Treasures.

Recommended for fans of Tomorrow, When the War Began and Tamora Pierce. 8 out of 10.

Killing Rocks Review

Killing Rocks (Bloodhound Files 3)  

-          D.D. Barant

Publisher: US – St Martins Press

FBI profiler Jace Valchek’s ticket home from the twisted parallel universe where she s been called to duty hinges on the capture of series killer Aristotle Stoker and an alliance with a sorcerer known as Asher. The problem: Asher has joined forces with some of the most dangerous creatures Jace has ever encountered. The solution: There is none, without Asher’s help. Jace’s goal seems simple enough to get her man, like always. But just hours after she arrives in Vegas, she’s abducted... and she isn’t even sure who the real enemy is. Now Jace has to wonder if she’s the predator or the prey in a very dangerous game that could change not only her fate, but the world’s... Meanwhile, a serial killer is still on the loose. And time has already run out...

I really enjoyed the first two books in the Bloodhound series – Dying Bites and Death Blows which follow Jace a profiler who was dragged out of our world and into an alternatative Earth where humans only make up 1% of the population with the rest a combination of Vampires, Werewolves and Golems.  Mental illness is unknown in this world so Jace was pulled across in order to profile and help capture a rogue human criminal. Three books on and Jace is still chasing Stoker, but this time the sorcerer who dragged her to this world has something sinister planned for Las Vegas...

There is so much action and adventure here as the world Jace has been dragged into, undergoes a massive change. Jace finds herself continually on the run and struggling to take charge without knowing what was going. While the action is non-stop and fantastic, I missed some of the take chargeness that Jace has shown in other books – she’s never been someone who lets rules or anyone stop her, but so much happens so fast that that initiative doesn’t come through as much. That said (or written!), there is still much to love here – the snarky humour of Jace, her relationship with her partner Charlie and her boss. Some pleasing cameos from previous characters and a great new character is introduced in the form of the Astonisher, Azura – a woman equal to Jace in many ways.

This is a great addition to the Urban Fantasy genre which barely pauses for breath and races across Las Vegas and between worlds with plenty of fun asides and some really emotional development. Jace is a great character to spend time with and I’d love to have a drink with her – I think we could really paint the town red! I hope I don’t have to wait too long for the next book in this series. J

Recommended for fans of Jennifer Estep and Jaye Wells. 8 out of 10

On My Wishlist #33

This is a meme from Book Chick City. There are so many books out there that I want to read that this is the only way I can keep track! This week I'm focusing on alternate versions of Earth...

The Gone-Away World - Nick Hathaway

Publisher: UK - Windmill Books

The Jorgmund Pipe is the backbone of the world, and it’s on fire. Gonzo Lubitsch, professional hero and troubleshooter, is hired to put it out – but there’s more to the fire, and the Pipe itself, than meets the eye. The job will take Gonzo and his best friend, our narrator, back to their own beginnings and into the dark heart of the Jorgmund Company itself. Equal parts raucous adventure, comic odyssey and geek nirvana, The Gone-Away World is a story of – among other things – love and loss; of ninjas, pirates, politics; of curious heroism in strange and dangerous places; and of a friendship stretched beyond its limits. But it also the story of a world, not unlike our own, in desperate need of heroes – however unlikely they may seem.

Ever since I read Sarah's review on Wednesday (read it here) I've got to get my hands on it! It sounds great and comes highly recommended.

The UnTied Kingdom - Kate Johnson

Publisher: UK - Choc Lit

The portal to an alternate world was the start of all her troubles - or was it? When Eve Carpenter lands with a splash in the Thames, it's not the London or England she's used to. No one has a telephone or knows what a computer is. England s a third world country and Princess Di is still alive. But worst of all, everyone thinks Eve's a spy. Including Major Harker who has his own problems. His sworn enemy is looking for a promotion. The general wants him to undertake some ridiculous mission to capture a computer, which Harker vaguely envisions running wild somewhere in Yorkshire. Turns out the best person to help him is Eve. She claims to be a popstar. Harker doesn't know what a popstar is, although he suspects it's a fancy foreign word for spy . Eve knows all about computers, and electricity. Eve is dangerous. There's every possibility she's mad. And Harker is falling in love with her.

I came across this at a Book Chick City on one of her wishlists one week and I love the sound. I have a secret soft for parallel universes...

How to Live Safely in a Science Fiction Universe - Charles Yu

Publisher: UK - Corvus

With only TAMMY - a slightly tearful computer with self-esteem issues - a software boss called Phil - Microsoft Middle Manager 3.0 - and an imaginary dog called Ed for company, fixing time machines is a lonely business and Charles Yu is stuck in a rut. He's spent the better part of a decade navel-gazing, spying on 39 different versions of himself in alternate universes (and discovered that 35 of them are total jerks). And he's kind of fallen in love with TAMMY, which is bad because she doesn't have a module for that. With all that's on his mind, perhaps it's no surprise that when he meets his future self, he shoots him in the stomach. And that's a beginner's mistake for a time machine repairman. Now he's stuck in a time loop, going in circles forever. All he has, wrapped in brown paper, is the book his future self was trying to press into his hands. It's called How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe. And he's the author. And somewhere inside it is the information that could save him.

This has been on my radar for a while and for all the reasons stated above, plus it looks good!

So what are you wishing for this week? :)

Guest Review: The Gone-Away World

My friend Sarah has once again voluntered to do a review, while I make my way through some of the weightier tomes on my TBR pile. So please welcome Sarah...

The Gone-Away World - Nick Harkaway

Publisher: UK - Windmill Books

The Jorgmund Pipe is the backbone of the world, and it’s on fire. Gonzo Lubitsch, professional hero and troubleshooter, is hired to put it out – but there’s more to the fire, and the Pipe itself, than meets the eye. The job will take Gonzo and his best friend, our narrator, back to their own beginnings and into the dark heart of the Jorgmund Company itself. Equal parts raucous adventure, comic odyssey and geek nirvana, The Gone-Away World is a story of – among other things – love and loss; of ninjas, pirates, politics; of curious heroism in strange and dangerous places; and of a friendship stretched beyond its limits. But it also the story of a world, not unlike our own, in desperate need of heroes – however unlikely they may seem.

Now, I don't know about you guys, but when I encounter a book that is covered in endorsements from basically every publication in existence, I get nervous. Normally these books are so up-themselves, so convinced of their own intelligence, that they leave me cold. The Gone-Away World has many, many such endorsements, and... I loved it.

The book is narrated by the best friend of a hero. That is not to say our protagonist is un-hero-like, but his rating on the hero-scale pales into insignificance next to his lifelong friend - the good-looking, intelligent, military-gifted, and also thoroughly likeable, Gonzo. The story takes us through many years of their lives and, ultimately, through an over the top look at war and its results, but with many a home truth. What if you could invent the perfect weapon? What if you could simply make your enemies Go Away?

The breadth and detail of Harkaway's imagination throughout this book is simply astonishing, and there are many laugh out loud moments too. It is about 2/3rds of the way through the book that he deals the sucker-punch though - a twist of such unexpected magnitude that it is truly gut-wrenching. Very few authors are willing (and capable) enough of hiding and deploying such a shock, and it guarantees that The Gone-Away World will live long in the memory.

Please read it, it's a classic, and hard to quantify - think epic Tom Holt, or James Barclay's The Raven books all mushed into one. 9.5 out of 10.