Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Monsoon Hell Hole (The Black Eagles #16)

Monsoon Hell Hole (The Black Eagles #16) by John Lansing. Originally published in 1988 by Kensington Publishing Corp. Approx. 243 pages.

Many times have I waxed nostalgic on those halcyon days of my youth; where drugstores boasted spinner racks brimming with pulpy horror, romance, and action books. The action media we consumed in the 80's; be it in film, TV, comic book, or novel form, was packed to bursting with men's men, blistering action, and, being the height of the Cold War, the Red Menace.

There are tons of these types of pulpy short novels out there. Continuations of the old dimestore novels, and hard case detective works. Series like the Mack Bolan/Executioner series (which I believe is still ongoing), Phoenix Force, and Mac Wingate, just to name a scant few. Long-running series in which various authors share a common pseudonym, and a common theme.

This is my first foray into The Black Eagles series (I know, it's #16, but you gotta work with what you can get), and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. I mean, first of all, look at that cover. All the covers in the series showcase that skull motif in varying poses. You could re-release the Twilight books with covers featuring a leering skull with crossed M-16s with underslung grenade launchers and there's a good chance I'd buy them.

So you've got the badass cover. Check. A leader with a G.I.Joe-worthy name (Robert Falconi). Check. A group of tough-as-nails, diverse group of hard-cases ready to pick up their government-issued M-16s and tear VC's to ribbons? Check. A buxom, beautiful Eurasian agent who drops bodies and doesn't take names? Triple check. This book has it all. Let's gander at the back cover for the blurb.


That sums it up pretty nicely. The stakes are raised by the fact that the garrison served as housing for the families of South Vietnamese soldiers recently brought into the fold. Meaning, their continued fealty to the cause is contingent on the return of their loved ones. But, most importantly, the three nurses who ran the children's hospital (monsoon season = a lot of sick kids) all have relationship ties to the Black Eagles. There is no question; they have to be rescued. They can not be allowed to languish in the hands of the Commies.

With a setup like this, you'd think what follows would be 200 pages of bullets flying. It's not. There's plenty of action, indeed, and it's done pretty well. It truly has the feel of the Delta Force and Missing In Action series rolled into one. There are plenty of questions regarding plausibility, but when the popcorn factor is satisfactory, the reader can make allowances.

Also, there's a lot of backstory. Early on, there's a roughly 20 page recap of the events of the past books (mind you, that's approximately 10% of the whole book). There's also a lot of character backstory, which was especially appreciated by someone like me who's coming into the series late in the game. 

The characters are tropey and enjoyable. Reading about the members of the Eagles, you feel like you're reading old G.I.Joe file cards. The Viet Cong and NVA leaders are interesting in their diverse methodologies, and we also have the introduction of a devious KGB agent. 

And there you have it. Real American Heroes. Deadly, conniving, Commie Scum. Patriotism. Jingoism. Robust action. Purple Prose. Machismo. Wait, was that an eagle I just heard?

If you want a real blast from the past; easy, brainless action that you could probably finish in an afternoon, track down one of these books.

Cover:

Do I really need to say any more about that cover?

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Mercy

Mercy by Danie Ware. A Warhammer 40K short story, originally published by The Black Library, March 2018. Approx. 15 pages.

HachiSnax Note: Mercy is a story that's been on my radar for quite a while. Anyone who's been here before knows how much I love Sisters stories, and a friend of mine recommended Ware very highly to me. Seems like a win-win. The only problem has been that I really can't go for the $4.99 price point on BL short stories anymore. It was a fair intersection of price and value at $2.99 all those years ago, but not so much now (5 smackers for ~20 pages?). And that's been one of the myriad reasons why my volume of BL reviews has fallen off. Well, that, I'm not a fan of AoS, Dark Imperium, or the direction HH has gone in, a lot of the newer crop of authors don't really do it for me, plus some other reasons, but I digress. Anyway, once I saw that Mercy was getting bundled into issue one of the new Inferno!, I had my chance. On to the review...

Author Danie Ware marks her freshman foray into the grim world of 40K with a blistering, action-heavy story showcasing one of my favorite factions - the Sisters of Battle. Let's take a look at the blurb and then get to the review:

"Sister Superior Augusta of the Order of the Bloody Rose has been called to a planet in the far reaches of the Imperium, a world where no Imperial foot has stepped in thousands of year, save a missionary sent to bring the Emperor's light to the natives. On the world is a cathedral, ancient and run down – but with an icon at its heart, a warrior-woman with a bloodied rose on her chest. Is this a symbol that Saint Mina, founder of the Order, once walked on this world? Augusta is determined to find out…"

In Mercy, Sister Superior Augusta and her contingent have been dispatched to the jungle world of Lautis to liaison with Tanichus, a missionary who has been working to bring the light of the Emperor to the indigenous population. However, according to data received, there is the possibility of a holy relic being present on Lautis -  an icon of Saint Mina, founder of the Order of the Bloody Rose. Of course, the Sisters are not the only ones interested in what lies within the ruins...

Mercy is a brief short story, and it is immensely action-heavy. And, the reason why it works so damn well is that Ware is doing the Sisters and their tactics right. Let's see how it all stacks up:

Characters: Yes, there are strong characters in this action piece. It's obvious that Ware has thoughfully (and lovingly) assembled this team, fleshing out the individuals fully. This team is built with legs for the long run, not just a one-off short story (as evidenced in Augusta returning in the new novella The Bloodied Rose. Since I haven't read it yet, I can't say for sure who else is returning).

These Sisters retain all the discipline and zeal instilled in the Schola, yet remain human. They experience tests of their morale in the face of insurmountable odds, they lapse into rage-fueled battle fury. I've always said, the test for good 40K authors is adhering to the certain draconian doctrines of the Imperium, but being skillful enough to show the humanity shining through. Because no matter how oppressive a regime is, it will not quell the basic human spirit. Sisters might be among the most disciplined humans, but they're still human. And that's what will always make stories centered around the Guard or the Sisters more inherently intimate than those following the emotionally-truncated, engineered Space Marines.

Story: The story is in the synopsis....the Sisters come looking for the icon, and get ambushed by orks. It's the most basic of premise, and that's why we focus on the quality of characters and action. There's a little twist thrown in, but it's telegraphed fairly early on. There's still elements to keep the proceedings interesting.

Action: A lot of it, and it's done well. Ware pays attention to the tactics of the Sisters, and the methodology of the weapons utilized. She also has a good handle on the orks; emphasizing the "size and strength rulez" aspect of their tactical acumen. There are good descriptions of their physicality and brute ferocity. I mean, it's orks. I kind of wish she would've played with descriptions regarding the orks fungal nature, and the dank jungle that they were emerging from. Other than that, good stuff.

Overall: Mercy is an auspicious start for Danie Ware's tenure at The Black Library. These are good times when we have both plastic Sisters and solid Sisters fiction to look forward to!

You can buy Mercy as a standalone short or bundled in with Inferno! Vol. 1.




Tuesday, December 4, 2018

JK Haru Is A Sex Worker In Another World

JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World by Ko Hiratori. Translation by Emily Balistrieri. Originally published by J-Novel Club, September 2018. Approx. 334 pages.

The Japanese light novel genre is booming Stateside now. This is a great boon for fans of certain titles. Often, we will see recent anime being developed from light novel sources, where in the past, manga was usually the primary source. Depending on the popularity of said title, a manga adaptation might follow. This gives fans 3 venues through which they can enjoy/revisit beloved titles (light novel/manga/anime). Good times indeed.

One of the most popular sub-genres in the industry, if not the most popular, is "isekai" (another world). These are your stories, which, if you think about it, are most in touch with the true escapist element that fantasy is honestly predicated upon. Put your mundane, oppressive, boring world behind, and step off somewhere amazing, where there are no limits to who you can be or what you can do. Along the anime/manga/novel landscape, we see various methods to 'port over' to the new worlds in question...sometimes, as in SAO, it is via becoming stranded through a VR game. Often, well, it requires reincarnation.

It seems within the sub-genre of isekai, there is yet another sub-genre, that of "being reincarnated in some ludicrous manner or another". Yes, you read that right. We have people being reincarnated as slimes, spiders, and, because why not, vending machines. I mean, they do sound ridiculous, but it isn't like the premise itself is a new one...

Image result for connecticut yankee in king arthur's court
On the downside, there's zero waifu material in this title....


Another interesting note about these titles is that a good number of them arise not from commissioned publications, but as serialized stories licensed from Japanese message boards. Such is the case with today's book, JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World. Yes, this is assuredly an isekai title. Yes, the title is pretty outrageous and most assuredly in your face. However, the book itself is not a fluff piece. It is a fairly well-balanced work, that, despite some rough edges, offsets its levity with some dark corners and strong characters.

The title, as you most likely could figure, is not just a thesis, but an entire synopsis. Our young protagonist, Haru Koyama, wakes up in a fantasy world, after expiring in our world via the tried and true method of getting hit by a truck. She is joined by classmate Chiba, an introverted otaku who died as well attempting to push her out of the way. Like all standard fantasy alternate worlds, this one is under constant, perennial danger from an evil Demon Lord. 

However, our young heroine has bigger fish to fry. Haru learns quickly that, in this world, the cards aren't exactly stacked in favor of the fairer sex. Her former loser classmate, Chiba, courtesy of some banter with the god who guided them over, finds himself blessed with a broken skill set - one that allows him to 'level up' at 16x the normal speed. Also, the society itself is completely male-dominated. The ubiquitous Adventurers' Guild only issues permits to men. In fact, the only open paths for women seem to be as housewife, priestess/healer (the only way women can be attached to an adventurer), or, sex work. With no skills from her old life to parlay here, Haru opts for the third choice; and then does her damnedest to be the best.

So, how does it all stack up?

Story/Writing: You can tell that this was a serialized piece, which was completed in installments. It all falls under a general thematic arc, but you can still feel that with each chapter, each vignette, the progress and character evolution was more specific to that portion than the overall book. This is not a bad thing, but as each vignette has a somewhat different mood, it plays merry hell on the overall feel of continuity.

The silver lining to this is that the book is, all in all, well-written. Hiratori has put a lot of love into her protagonist, and it allows the readers ease in sympathizing with her. Haru isn't perfect; in Japan, she was one of those materialistic, face in the crowd types (the equivalent of what we call "basic bitches" here). Also, escort and sex work was not entirely new to her when she touched down in the new world. The "JK" in the title stands for "Joshi Kousei", which literally means "High School Girl". However, in recent times, the term has evolved to refer to the compensated dating scene which is prevalent in Japan; and it is basically escort work with the option for sex, and a lot of teen girls engage in it. Haru had done that sort of work to make ends meet in middle school, and she needed to reinvent herself in the wake of it. As the story progresses, Hiratori gives us peeks into Haru's heart, bit by bit, so that you can see, under the veneer, there's a sweet, sensitive, hard-working soul there. And so, by the end of the book, you end up falling in love with Haru as well.

I must also note that, for this book to be so immensely readable to me, a Western reader, a good amount of credit must go to the translator. In this case, that honor goes to Emily Balistrieri. Good job!

World Building: Two ways to look at this one. The world building itself is a bit scanty. We have those aforementioned terms, the ones used in most isekai works, tossed around like window dressing. As for serious discourse regarding industry, economics, climate, etc., it's not there. So is that bad? Not really. Remember, Haru's view is limited to her dedication to working to survive. What we do get is detailed description of life at her workplace. Ergo, we learn about the world in the same manner she does; via her customers. To be honest, that is the best fit for this type of work.

Action: Well, there's action, and there's, ummm, "action". For the former, the clang-clang sword type, there's some, including one magnificent setpiece. As for the sex, well, to be honest, I don't read a lot of that type of fiction, so I can't really appraise it. It is, erm, interesting, to say the least. I did enjoy it, so I'll just say it's well-done.

Overall: Again, all in all it's a fun, heartfelt book. Don't be dissuaded by any perceived implications behind the title. I mean, yes, there is a lot of sex in this book, and there are some precarious situations. But life, as well as this book, is about overcoming those obstacles. While the serialized structure makes it a tad less powerful than a singular piece, and the fact that there are some superfluous elements (the entire Kickin' the Can segment), JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World is a solid book that begs for a sequel.

Get your copy of JK Haru here.

Cover:

The artwork is pretty, to be sure, and the color palette enhances the overall effect. However, in my opinion, something along the lines of a bifurcated image - one showing elements of Haru in both worlds, would have worked immensely better.

My other complaint - unlike most other light novels, there's no interior art. Remember, most light novels have a few color plates right after the front cover, as well as an average of 5 interior B&W pics. I'm not even asking for NSFW/hentai pics, just some pics of more of the dramatis personae would have been very welcome. 

On a bright note, though, it looks like a limited comic - JK Haru "Summer", or something to that effect, has been released. Very interested in that; look at that gorgeous cover!


More info here.

Here's hoping for more from Haru - more novels, more manga, and how about an anime?

Friday, November 2, 2018

Slum Online

Slum Online by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Originally released in America by Viz Media/Haika Soru, 2010. Approx. 203 pages.

After watching this book languish on my shelf for countless years; I finally decided to pick it up and give it a shot. An interesting bit of history behind it; as, in a way, it is something of an artifact by today's standards...somewhat obsolete.

These days, you can peruse large volumes of light novels on Amazon and at your local bookstore. There was a time this was not the case. Before the explosion of popularity in the novels predicated upon SAO's performance, the niche market for Japanese fiction was rather small. Agreed upon classics, or new releases from top bestsellers were present, but that was about it. Many of us jumped on the original release of Battle Royale in novel form, only to be stymied by horrendously stiff translation.

Later, Sakurazaka's 'All You Need Is Kill" started making some waves (before being adapted into the film Edge of Tomorrow). Picking that up, I found myself drawn in by the cover on this book. Can't exactly say what it is, but I love the aesthetic of it.

So, what exactly is "Slum Online"? I'll post the synopsis in a moment, but in a nutshell, it's about a disenfranchised young Tokyo man who spends the bulk of his time fighting to be the top dog in a popular MMO fighting game. However, the difference is that, unlike in modern light novels, it isn't an isekai work, in which the protagonist is transported or reincarnated into the game world. Also, the protagonist isn't a full-blown, anti-social NEET type. No, Slum Online has elements of a gaming novel, and a love story, all told with a nice cinematic flair by an accomplished author (bolstered by a strong translation by Joseph Reeder).

Here's the synopsis:

"Etsuro Sakagami is a college freshman who feels uncomfortable in reality, but when he logs onto the combat MMO Versus Town, he assumes the personality of "Tetsuo," a karate champ on his way towards becoming the most powerful martial artist around. While his relationship with new classmate Fumiko goes nowhere, he spends his days and nights online in search of the invincible fighter Ganker Jack. Floating in between real and virtual, at last, Etsuro finds himself face to face with his most powerful opponent..."

The writing style in Slum Online is strong and engaging. Sakurazaka draws the reader in with vivid depictions of areas dotting the Tokyo panorama; we feel transported into the quirky areas of Shinjuku, etc.. Our moods are swayed by weather patterns swaying from oppressive heat to melancholic rainfall. We feel ourselves languishing along with Etsuro in tedious university classes which he cannot bring himself to become personally invested in.

The characters here are strong as well. Etsuro is a hard sell, but Sakurazaka does it. The young man, as mentioned, is not anti-social, but he is also not proficient at social interactions. He possesses the acute logic to dissect and succeed at the games which are his passion, and he applies the same pragmatic skills of deduction to everyday life.

Etsuro finds himself a bit stymied by his developing relationship with responsible classmate Fumiko. Their budding love is the best part of this gaming novel. Where he might not have the capacity for the 'right' way to verbally communicate; we can see the endearing manner in which he regards her (case in point, the 'hamburger shop smile').

In fact, one might argue that the weakest aspects of the novel are those which revolve around Versus Town, the game with which Etsuro is obsessed. The online fighter is conceptually sound; and conceivably immersive.

However, the fight scenes (and there are quite a few), aren't always engaging. Kudos goes to Sakurazaka for doing blow by blow descriptions of the matches. The thing is; it boils down to a lot of "buffered this, dashed in, canceled out, did the lightest punch, etc.". Throughout the novel; Fumiko compares Etsuro to Newman's character in The Hustler. Imagine reading a book about a critical pool match; and it read in such a manner: "then he adjusted the stick 45 degrees, striking the cue ball on the upper left hemispherical region, etc." It just isn't that catchy. The thing is; it is understandable because that is how Etsuro's mind works (the story is told in a first-person manner). He isn't focused on the lithe animations of the snake boxers, or the stumbling-yet-lethal meanderings of the drunken boxers. His mind focusing on the mechanics of the game; and matching attacks and counters to the motions of his prey.

There is also some slight jarring in regards to the first-person narration. During the fight scenes, we are told what Tetsuo (Etsuro's character's name) is doing in the third-person. Yet, during these moments, it also switches out to first-person, if telling how Etsuro is manipulating the controls. It's not bad; just awkward at times.

Other than that; there is one minor, specific complaint that I have. This is in regards to one instance in the translation (again, the translation itself in general is extremely strong). When Etsuro meets Fumiko, he has trouble reading the kanji of her last name, Nagihara. This implies that the spelling of it (hence, the kanji used in constructing it) is uncommon. Which also implies that there might be a specific meaning behind the kanji which is used. The thing is, we are never shown her name the way her name is written. I had wanted to take it and ask my wife (who is also named Fumiko) to translate it for me. So, if anyone out there has the Japanese version of the novel, or can find a pic of it online, please throw it in the comments. Greatly appreciated.

And there you have it. A short review of an enjoyable, short read. Like previously mentioned, it is conceptually a dinosaur in the age of isekai and LITRPG works, but it is still endearing. Also, enjoy the 20 page short story, "BONUS ROUND", also included in the book (Slum Online was originally published in Japan in 2005, and BONUS ROUND 5 years later).

Check it out.

Cover:

As mentioned earlier, this cover snagged me from the get-go. Better yet, it beautifully captures one of the more endearing scenes from the novel. While not as intricate, or bright, as many other light novel/manga covers, this cover oozes emotion, and works as a great companion for the book itself. Makes you wish that the artist, toi8, had done some interior pieces as well.


Sunday, October 7, 2018

Port Of Shadows

Port of Shadows by Glen Cook. A Chronicle of The Black Company, originally published by Tor, September 2018. Approx. 385 pages.

At long last. What more can I say?

Nearly two decades after the series came to an amazing close; nearly one decade after the first 'new' short story surfaced, we finally have a new, physical Black Company book in our hands.

Rejoice.

Now, this review might be a little different than normal; for a few reasons. First, this is the first review I've done in, what, a year? I'm way out of practice. Second, this is a book about obfuscation and disinformation. It's hard to pin down a true synopsis. It's harder to review; especially the way Cook has written it, without spiraling into major spoilers (which I am loathe to do). So, please, forgive me if I meander a bit with personal opinion of Cook's choices rather than objective appraisal. I'll do my best.

First, the synopsis proper:

"The father of Grimdark returns…

The soldiers of the Black Company don’t ask questions, they get paid. But being “The Lady’s favored” is attracting the wrong kind of attention and has put a target on their backs, and the Company’s historian, Croaker, has the biggest target of all.

The one person who was taken into The Lady’s Tower and returned unchanged has earned the special interest of the court of sorcerers known as The Ten Who Were Taken. Now, he and the company are being asked to seek the aid of their newest member, Mischievous Rain, to break a rebel army. However, Croaker doesn’t trust any of the Taken, especially not ones that look so much like The Lady and her sister…"

Ok, that's not too far from what we have here in the book. The bulk of Port of Shadows takes place in the period between books 1 and 2; and these portions are narrator by our dear friend Croaker. There are also chapters dedicated to historical events circa the Domination. These stories are told in a more classic third person POV (Cook did something similar to this in Shadows Linger, although that was all present time).

Port of Shadows finds our favorite mercenary group on fairly quiet garrison duty (post-Charm battle) in a small city named Aloe. Daily duties include winning hearts and minds, civil engineering and agricultural duties; arguing, drinking, and cheating at tonk at the local bar, and keeping Rebel insurgents at bay (all this action is off-screen, much to the chagrin of many reviewers).

Things take a turn for the active when the Company is tasked with retrieving one Tides Elba, a young lady of the Senjak family tree; who also bears a link to the titular Port of Shadows, a purported gateway through which the Dominator might be able to return to the world.

Things teeter into the bizarre from that point. Elba later returns as Mischievous Rain; a newly appointed member of the Ten Who Were Taken, as well as the bearer of some deeply personal news for Croaker.

Also, further compounding matters, girls bearing striking similarities to Ms. Elba begin popping up with perturbing frequency, increasing the chances of a Port of Shadows opening to allow the old Evil in.

Perhaps that's the best place to stop the core overview. What follows is a lot, and I cannot stress a lot enough, of murky, convoluted happenings. Croaker begins to refer to himself as a 'mushroom man' (kept in the dark and fed a steady diet of shit), and rightfully so; he is left out of the logistical loop. And, since we count on his records to see what is transpiring, we too are left out of the loop.

Imagine this: reading a book that details the rise, fall, and growth of a Fortune 500 company. Except, you only see through the eyes of some shlump in the mailroom, never peeking into the executive offices. You just notice subtle policy changes here and there. That's basically how this story unfolds.

Understandably, this approach is flummoxing a lot of readers. Also, understandably, it makes sense for how the narrative needs to transpire. But I digress.

Along with this core narrative, there are the aforementioned historical interludes. These detail the story a necromancer and his adventures with a dead Senjak sister, as well another sister who sets out to find her.

Ok, let's break Port of Shadows down and evaluate its components:

Writing: Well, here we go again. You will likely either love or hate it. I have seen some nasty reviews out there; citing 'senility' and a host of other ills, all declaring that this is 'not the real Black Company'. Yes, there's some credence to that claim. More on that later, in the opinions section.

As for writing, I think Cook is still on point here. Take into consideration that the first 3 chapters here that feature the Company; Tides Elba, Smelling Danger, and Bone Candy, were previously released in short story anthologies (there's a disclaimer at the beginning that they've been edited slightly, but I'm not going to do word for word comparisons). In those stories, Cook is definitely in old form. Remember, he usually does not do linear or redundant well. He changed Annalists, aged them, and kept it consistent. But he always seemed loathe to keep doing the same thing. This Croaker does speak like the Croaker of old, for the most part. Later on, he chides himself for his obvious tonal shifts. But it is all part of the planned narrative. It isn't the compromised memory of the author; it's - well, it's something else.

So, yeah, the first person ain't what it used to be. Personally, I believe that, unlike in previous Croaker outings; some of it is what appears in the Annals, and some is his own mental meanderings. There's no way to know for sure. Cook is notoriously reticent and deliberately obtuse.

In short, I won't say it's bad, but this could've been shortened to 200 pages, like older volumes, and still packed the same punch.

As for the older interludes, the writing in those is sharp, poignant, and emotional.

Action: Cook was never one to detail protracted fight scenes, but there is almost no action in this book. Skirmishes, etc., all happen off-camera.

There are some nice displays of magic, well actually, not some. One.

Yes, this book is very light on action. If that's a deal-breaker, you've been warned.

Characters: As mentioned, I personally believe Cook is still on point with Croaker. Some have claimed he isn't the same as old; and for a large chunk of the book, he technically isn't; again, with reason.

The supporting characters appear in their former glory; although I would've loved to see more of them. Elmo, Otto, Hagop, etc., make little more than glorified cameo roles. We clap when we see them, then wish they'd stay longer. There are some rare slips like making the Captain too verbose.

As for the new characters, they're a bit hit or miss. Mischievous Rain is a stellar, well-fleshed out character; although some might see her as Cook trying to insert another Lady/Soulcatcher caliber character.

Newly introduced wizards Two Dead and Buzzard Neck work best in the opening chapters, then kind of fade. Two Dead is first posited as kind of a Limper Lite, then he becomes damn near friendly. Oddly.

However, Cook also does the near-impossible in introducing children into the story, and not making them 100% obnoxious. That is no mean feat.

Opinions: I guess, like this book, my review is to be filled with more personal meanderings than concrete evidence...

Mind you, some of these points are ones which I've raised in varying degrees in past reviews.

We've known for a good while that Cook was working on two new Black Company novels, Port of Shadows and A Pitiless Rain. After the release of Tides Elba back in 2010, we could guess that Port was going to be an older Company tale. Still no word on what the storyline of A Pitiless Rain will be; but we can speculate as to whether or not the titular Rain refers to Mischievous Rain. This would indicate another story set in the olden times. Also, bear in mind that since Soldiers Live, Cook has released 5 short stories set in the old days; only 3 of which were included in Port. Shaggy Dog Bridge and Bone Eaters remain unincorporated.

For me; while I'm always ecstatic at the prospect of new material, I was still holding out hope that Cook would be able to (would desire to) do an entire Black Company centered around the Company that left Khatovar. I know, I understand, it was devoid of the familiar faces, but I believe he could've made something spectacular out of it.

Back to Port. What about the obvious issues surrounding writing a book 1.5 after the series was completed? Two glaring problems come to mind:

1) You need to come up with a concept that is compelling enough to frame an entire novel around.

2) You have to justify how and why said events never appeared, or were never referenced, in the successive volumes. Remember, the entire series is predicated upon record-keeping.

Basically, how do you resolve these mutually exclusive issues, and still deliver what the fans want?

Honestly, there's only one way to swing it. And that's what Cook did. As to whether it was 100% successful or not, is up to us. As I said, solid as I found it, it still could've been cut at least 25% and made leaner and meaner. Cook always used to be about trimming the fat. Now it seems padding crept into the works a bit.

Well, response is fairly skewed. Some say it's pure genius, or a complete return to old form, a sentiment with which I cannot 100% agree (close, but not 100%). Some say "even bad Cook is better than most other stuff"; which is true in theory, but this book is not bad. Many lament that these characters are not the characters of old, they're different...well, to this I must say: (SPOILER IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY FIGURED OUT) the members of the Company are under some pretty heavy sorcery for the duration of the novel; muddling their minds and keeping them unfocused on what's going on. You can see this especially with One Eye and Goblin, who are their normal bickering selves at the onset, and then keep getting sent out for most of the remainder of the book.

Finally, I've seen quite a few lamentations on the representation of women in the book. Ummm; I'm not going to implode my entire blog by wading into gender politics. I will say that there have always been some constants in regards to Black Company books; first, Croaker has always been pretty pervy. He has his types and he has little time for those who aren't his type. Second, part of the realism that has driven the popularity of these books is the unflinching lens through which we view some of the nastier aspects of wartime and brutal regimes: rape (of women of all ages), incest/inbreeding, etc. Remember, when the Company members are ogling nubile, teen girls, that a) these are not nice people. Many of them are criminals escaping dark pasts, and b) in many countries, across many periods of history, and, we can assume in alternate worlds as well, the statute of limitations does not reflect our current state's. Just because I don't condone or engage in something doesn't mean I will pretend it doesn't exist.

But, as always, you take from it what you will. I can't tell people how to receive a book. Though I'd love to discuss this in the comments.

In the end, we finally got the new Black Company book, and it's pretty darn good. Here's hoping A Pitiless Rain sees the light of day in the future; although, if it takes place in the same timeline as Port of Shadows, I'm guessing a lot of the issues people are having now will manifest themselves again.

Cover:

Glad to say, Raymond Swanland has returned to grace yet another Black Company book with his talents. For me, this is his best Company work to date. Whereas facial structures/features were harsh and angular on previous covers; these are simply beautiful. And the attention to detail is commendable (well, except for making Croaker look like a grimdark badass).

An outstanding piece of artwork, indeed.




Wednesday, September 26, 2018

'The Heirs Of Babylon' Is Getting Re-Released!

Oh happy day! Not only do I have a new Black Company book to enjoy these days, it seems the wonderful folk over at Night Shade Books (you know, the ones that released a large swathe of Glen Cook's back catalog in recent years) have gotten a hold of Cook's first published novel (no, not the softcore porn 'The Swap Academy' written under the pseudonym Greg Stevens), The Heirs of Babylon.

You can read the press release here.

What's more; the uber-talented Raymond Swanland was contracted to design the new cover! Check this beauty out:

Glen Cook - Heirs of Babylon

Amazing, right? Compare that with the original cover:

(Note: that's my actual copy of the original book)

What's more, at the Night Shade website, you can see all of the conceptual pieces which Swanland proposed. They are definitely worth taking a look at. 

Also, if you're interested in reading more about The Heirs of Babylon, look no further than my own review of it here. In short, it was solid for a first book.

Trickster's Treats #2: More Tales From The Pumpkin Patch

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Hi everyone! Wow, it's sure been a while, hasn't it. The year's almost over, and this is only the third post of 2018. Well, sorry the posts have been so few and far between, and, thanks to everyone that still stops by once in a while.

Today's post is not a review; in fact, it is a bit of shameless self-promotion. Things in the Well, a wonderful Australian small press, has released their second Halloween short story anthology, Trickster's Treats #2: More Tales from the Pumpkin Patch. In it, you will find over 30 terrifying short stories divvied up among 6 Samhain seasonal topics.

The topics are:

Pumpkin Head
Halloween House
Trick or Treat
Haunted Forests and Trees
Bob Apple
Fancy Dress

All stories in Trickster's Treats #2 range between 666 and 1,000 words, and feature some top-notch horror authors.

Even better, the anthology is supporting a worthy cause, The Women's Shelters Ltd.!

So what's this about self-promotion? Glad you asked! Within this volume is an entry by yours truly! That's right, my story, "Hatred's Germination", appears in the Pumpkin Head category. It's a violent little tale of a perennially ridiculed superintendent in a NYC Housing Project who reaches a turning point on Halloween Night. 

I'm very proud of this story, and eternally grateful to Steve Dillon at Things in the Well for selecting it. I hope you enjoy it, as well as the rest of the entries.

You can grab Trickster's Treats #2 on Kindle here. Only $2!

Also available in print here. Only $6.66!

And, finally, check out the full ToC below:

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Monday, February 26, 2018

Port Of Shadows Cover Revealed!



From Tor:
https://www.tor.com/2018/02/26/cover-reveals-glen-cook-port-of-shadows-the-black-company/

Well, here it is! We finally have a cover for Port of Shadows, the new Black Company book from grandmaster Glen Cook, arriving in September of 2018!

Once again, Raymond Swanland has delivered a fantastic cover.

From Tor's page:

"We’re excited to share the cover for Glen Cook’s Port of Shadows, a new novel of the Black Company, coming this September!

The soldiers of the Black Company don’t ask questions, they get paid. But being “The Lady’s favored” is attracting the wrong kind of attention and has put a target on their backs, and the Company’s historian, Croaker, has the biggest target of all.

The one person who was taken into The Lady’s Tower and returned unchanged has earned the special interest of the court of sorcerers known as The Ten Who Were Taken. Now, he and the company are being asked to seek the aid of their newest member, Mischievous Rain, to break a rebel army. However, Croaker doesn’t trust any of the Taken, especially not ones that look so much like The Lady and her sister…

Port of Shadows publishes this September with Tor Books. Check out the full cover below, along with a brief excerpt from the novel that inspired its design!"

Also, a brief excerpt!....

"The chimes turned orchestral as she stepped down from the carpet. A gust tossed her hair in streamers as black as her clothing, but shining. Her hair included several intensely scarlet streaks. A silver and lapis lazuli butterfly clip sat at the root of the boldest red stripe. She was as slim as a maiden but her face suggested past strains beyond those of any maiden’s years.

So, truth absolute. She was Taken. She had gone to the Tower. She had come out of the Tower a bespoke servant of shadow.

Nobody moved to greet her. Nobody doubted what she was, either, though no Taken had visited us in months. The Limper had been the last.

She turned my way, frowned slightly, then smiled just as the sun sneaked out from behind a cloud. Its light kissed her. Her face suddenly seemed coated with white makeup on which thin blue lines had been sketched. The light faded before I got a good look. Then I got distracted by the cat that ambled out of her shadow.

It was a three-eyed cat. You do not see many of those. It was as black as her hair. The rationally placed eyes were yellow, except when they looked straight at you. Then they became a pale lilac rose, and glowed. The third eye, above and between, was a slit visible only from straight ahead. It shone crimson for a moment, then purple."

So, yeah, exciting news...Hopefully, they will package in the 4 short stories that have already been released as chapters...We shall see.

You can read my reviews of Cook's works (including the 4 stories that came after Soldiers Live) here:

http://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/search/label/Glen%20Cook

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Kaiju Rising: Age Of Monsters II Kickstarter

Today is a truly momentous day! Why, you may ask? Because today marks the launch of a brand new, exciting Kickstarter: “Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters II”!



Long-time followers of the blog will remember how thrilled I was when the Kickstarter for the first edition ran. And, as we can see by general consensus around the web, the end result was stellar. For all those who haven’t read my review yet, I have a page dedicated to my reviews of all the stories here.

As an added bonus, we are joined today by my good friend Nick Sharps, who not only serves as one of the editors for this edition, but was one of the editors of the first edition as well.

Nick, it’s really great to have you here. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about the Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters II Kickstarter?

N.S.: Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters II is (unsurprisingly) a sequel to Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters, a project that is very near and dear to my heart. This time around we’re offering stories from 15 stories from such names as Marie Brennan (A Natural History of Dragons), Jeremy Robinson (Project Nemesis), Dan Wells (I Am Not a Serial Killer), Lee Murray (Into the Mist), and more.

The first Kaiju Rising anthology was a work of genius. It was filled with top-notch entries; some which played by generally accepted “kaiju rules”, and some that were completely original concepts. Yet, they were all high quality. As someone who was directly involved in putting together this tome, what was the experience like for you (then and now), and what has been some of the feedback/response that you’ve seen first-hand?

N.S.: I’m extremely proud of the first anthology and humbled by the support it garnered from the fans. To say I was impressed by the quality and diversity of the stories on display would be a Godzilla-sized understatement. The authors delivered stories that explored the kaiju genre in a number of unexpected ways and I had as much fun reading the anthology as anyone who backed the Kickstarter or bought the book after commercial release. I’m a fanboy first and an editor second (thankfully we have true professionals such as Tim Marquitz on the first book and Alana Joli Abbott to cover for me). The feedback has been largely positive, enough so that it was a no brainer to assemble a sequel.

I’m sure, like with the first Kaiju Rising, there’ll be some kick-ass add-ons and unlockable goals associated with the second edition. Can you enlighten us as to some?

N.S.: This time around we’ve decided to keep things mean and streamlined. We’re aware that the previous publisher had issues fulfilling some of its promises. We plan on dodging that bullet by taking a simpler route and just offering the sequel (in multiple formats) as well as the original. There are also Tuckerization/Red Shirt options from almost all of the authors available for fans who want to be written into giant monster stories by their favorite word weavers. It’s all about the most important thing this time around – the book.

First impressions are really important, and this cover is killer. It combines shades of Toho goodness and Harryhausen’s Kraken and brings it to a nightmarish level. Who do we have to thank for this?

N.S.: Tan Ho Sim (AlienTan) really knocked it out of the park with the Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters II cover. I think the illustration conveys what we’re aiming for with the anthology – big, beautiful, badass monsters absolutely wrecking face. We recruited Tan for this project based on his work with the Tiny Frontiers: Mecha and Monsters RPG from Gallant Knight Games. If you’re into giant monsters and role playing games you should really check it out. Hell, even if you’re not into RPGs you should check it out for the awesome art alone (disclaimer: I have a micro setting in the game book).



How about your own kaiju passion? I’ve been a kaiju fan since seeing the original King Kong in a theater re-release when I was about 5; as well as WPIX Channel 11 Godzilla marathons. You were able to deliver an anthology that satisfied a devoted fandom. What are your own favorite kaiju movies/books/etc.

N.S.: This is going to be controversial but my absolute favorite is Cloverfield. I love Cloverfield. It blew me away in theaters and my admiration of it has only grown. I’ll say 10 Cloverfield Lane deflated that passion a little but I can’t really blame the original for that as it’s only a pseudo sequel. Godzilla and all the Japanese kaiju are classics but I’m an American and I appreciate the concept of having our own giant monsters. Another controversial film choice is the 2005 remake of King Kong. Apart from the over-long bit in New York at the end I really enjoy that flick. And as far as books go I cannot recommend Jeremy Robinson’s Project Nemesis series enough. Anyone who enjoys these anthologies and hasn’t already read Robinson needs to go add Project Nemesis to their Amazon cart right now.

If you could see one grand kaiju battle, who would you choose?

N.S.: I’d actually really love to see some of the kaiju from the first anthology square off. Kane Gilmour’s Kashikoi from the story “The Lighthouse Keeper of Kurohaka Island” is a fan favorite and has an entire island made of kaiju bones to add to its kill tally. Dzoavits from Edward M. Erdelac’s “Devil’s Cap Brawl” was an interesting specimen that could hold its own in a brawl. And then C.L. Werner’s Mishipeshu from “Animikii vs. Mishipeshu” and the MECH: Age of Steel anthology story “Theseus IV vs. Mecha-Mishipeshu” is another pit fighter. I say throw the three of them in an arena and LET THEM FIGHT!



Anything else you want to add today?

N.S.: I’d like to thank you for reviewing Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters before we were even friends and for giving me the blog space to promote the sequel now. I’d also like to thank everyone who has supported these anthologies. I mentioned earlier what a humbling experience it can be. It’s no less of a humbling experience the second or third time around as it was the first. If anything it’s even more so. The amount of money the fans were able to raise for these projects, these labors of love, is staggering. I am so thankful for your continued support and I genuinely hope that you will love Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters II as much as I do.

Alright, well there you have it! So now that you have the info, head on over to Kickstarter and back this amazing anthology! Starting today, the Kaiju rise again!