Reviewed by Kevin Stone
Kevin Stone is a very experienced and long serving bookseller currently working for a large bookshop chain. He writes reviews for several publications including Interzone.
The First Law: Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie 9780575077904
2008 has barely begun and yet there has been a prolific supply of quality science fiction already start to appear, either newly published or re-issued in the more accessible paperback form. The best of the fantasy releases is actually the conclusion of what has become one of the most outstanding fantasy series in the last few years. If you haven't read the first two volumes, then stop reading now and go start with The Blade Itself - self labelled as a cross between Lord of the Rings and LA Confidential, which is pretty much spot on.
With two impressive prequels behind the largest of the three volumes of the First Law, Abercrombie had an uphill task to ensure the final instalment of his debut fantasy series lived up to the hype. I have a lot of admiration for Joe's style and he has surpassed even his own standards, raising the bar once again for other writers to aim at. Fantasy books have this unfortunate tendency to set a negative precedent over the years with increasingly large volumes being published, which means that heavy padding substitutes the quality of writing. Joe doesn't fall into this trap and anyone who has visited his website will understand that this is due to his writing ethos about creating realistic and fast flowing situations. All his beloved characters have also returned and meet some surprising and often hilarious twists against the background of two colossal battles.
All through the series Joe has ensured that the conclusion of each character's own story remains uncertain, yet he wraps everything up tightly and by the end hindsight reveals that perhaps in the whole adventure, there was destined only to be the one to come out totally on top.
With two impressive prequels behind the largest of the three volumes of the First Law, Abercrombie had an uphill task to ensure the final instalment of his debut fantasy series lived up to the hype. I have a lot of admiration for Joe's style and he has surpassed even his own standards, raising the bar once again for other writers to aim at. Fantasy books have this unfortunate tendency to set a negative precedent over the years with increasingly large volumes being published, which means that heavy padding substitutes the quality of writing. Joe doesn't fall into this trap and anyone who has visited his website will understand that this is due to his writing ethos about creating realistic and fast flowing situations. All his beloved characters have also returned and meet some surprising and often hilarious twists against the background of two colossal battles.
All through the series Joe has ensured that the conclusion of each character's own story remains uncertain, yet he wraps everything up tightly and by the end hindsight reveals that perhaps in the whole adventure, there was destined only to be the one to come out totally on top.
The Ruins by Scott Smith 9780552152709
The
classic trend of horror writing being “chiller thrillers” is something
of a scarcity these days, so when news of Scott Smith's first novel
since his psychological masterpiece - A Simple Plan - reached me, I was
pretty excited. Simple Plan was made into a pretty decent movie and
hopes remain that The Ruins will live up to the quality of its literary
counterpart.
There was little to indicate the plot of this title, apart from a non-descript blurb and even the publishers weren't giving much away. To most, this would seem almost lazy, but the real reason came when I found myself totally lured in by the book - the fear factor which is derived from the slow unravelling of the tale. It centres around 6 young tourists -Amy, Mathias, Jeff, Pablo, Eric and Stacy - who venture into the Mexican jungle to investigate some ancient Mayan ruins and find one of the travellers' lost brother who has been missing there for some time. After a long hike and some wrong turns, they arrive at a secluded hill, covered in seductive flowering vines. However, as they begin to investigate further, a group of Mayans arrives with guns and bows to warn them away, until one of the 6 accidentally steps upon one of the vines. Consequently forced up onto the hill by the Mayans, the 6 find they have to survive not only the elements, but the horror of the hill itself.
This is psychological horror - a story which really got into my head and has stayed there ever since. Not knowing what is going to happen, the lengths they must go to survive and what the true terror that keeps them captive, is where the tension lies and the story focuses on the survivors individual fears and mindsets in turn, each giving a fresh perspective - the German efficiency of Mathias, the boy scout approach of Jeff, the pleading hopefulness of Amy. The slow build and the true unpleasantness which will come in the latter half of this book will not make this ideal for those with a weak disposition. For those looking for a tense and disturbing read, you won't find much better in the horror genre these days.
There was little to indicate the plot of this title, apart from a non-descript blurb and even the publishers weren't giving much away. To most, this would seem almost lazy, but the real reason came when I found myself totally lured in by the book - the fear factor which is derived from the slow unravelling of the tale. It centres around 6 young tourists -Amy, Mathias, Jeff, Pablo, Eric and Stacy - who venture into the Mexican jungle to investigate some ancient Mayan ruins and find one of the travellers' lost brother who has been missing there for some time. After a long hike and some wrong turns, they arrive at a secluded hill, covered in seductive flowering vines. However, as they begin to investigate further, a group of Mayans arrives with guns and bows to warn them away, until one of the 6 accidentally steps upon one of the vines. Consequently forced up onto the hill by the Mayans, the 6 find they have to survive not only the elements, but the horror of the hill itself.
This is psychological horror - a story which really got into my head and has stayed there ever since. Not knowing what is going to happen, the lengths they must go to survive and what the true terror that keeps them captive, is where the tension lies and the story focuses on the survivors individual fears and mindsets in turn, each giving a fresh perspective - the German efficiency of Mathias, the boy scout approach of Jeff, the pleading hopefulness of Amy. The slow build and the true unpleasantness which will come in the latter half of this book will not make this ideal for those with a weak disposition. For those looking for a tense and disturbing read, you won't find much better in the horror genre these days.
