I’m very excited!  Nights of Villjamur has generated a lot of buzz, and the forthcoming followup, City of Ruin (available June 4,  2010), is doing the same.

Watch this space in the next couple of weeks for my review!

For more information about the books, and the author himself, visit his blog.

Some authors, such as R. A. Salvatore, publish on a regular basis (1-2 books per year), while others, like George R. R. Martin, can take years between installments.  Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss was originally scheduled for hardcover release last April, now amazon.ca lists the release date as August 2011.

I think a lot of fans forget that authors are people, first and foremost.  Like the rest of us, they have spouses, children, hobbies, etc.  They have jobs, take vacations, and get sick.  When they write, its for their enjoyment, as well as ours.  So, when I see people complaining about how long its taking for the next novel in their favorite series to be released, I get a little frustrated.

Now, don’t get me wrong, if I could have the last 5 novels in the Gentleman Bastard Sequence right now, I’d take them!  However, they have to be good, or really, what’s the point?

So Mr. Martin, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Rothfuss – please, take your time.  Push those release dates back, scrap half of what you’ve written and start over, do whatever it takes to make it amazing.  I’ll be ready when you are.

I’ll take Quality over Quantity any day …

From their website:

“We are committed to attracting more readers to Science Fiction and Fantasy. Whether you’re an existing SFF reader, read it in the past and have given up, or never read it before, if you love imaginative fiction, you’re in the right place.”

With the use of high quality paper, eye-catching artwork and interest-piquing titles, I believe they are well on their way to meeting that goal.  And here’s what I really love – they publish quickly.  A prime example of this is the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks.  The first volume, The Way of Shadows, was published in October of 2008, quickly followed by Shadow’s Edge in November, and Beyond the Shadows in December.  This is a great marketing strategy, and one that was nearly unheard of in the industry prior to 3 years ago.  Not only does it mean keeping a new author prominent on the shelves and fresh in readers’ minds, but shorter wait times between installments.  Everyone wins!  (Note:  Not all Orbit titles are published this quickly, but you generally don’t have to wait long – a few months, as opposed to a year or longer).

While browsing through the Orbit US Publishing Schedule, I came across some exciting titles set for publication later this year (These dates may change).   Synopses for each of the novels listed below can be found here.

The Poison Throne & The Crowded Shadows – Celine Kiernan

April, 2010                                            July, 2010

Lord of the Changing Winds & Land of the Burning Sands – Rachel Neumeier

May, 2010                                         June, 2010

The Bone Palace – Amanda Downum (follow-up to The Drowning City, published September, 2009)

August, 2010

And finally, The Black Prism – Brent Weeks

August, 2010

To learn more about this publisher, view Publishing Schedules for the UK, US and Australia, and read extracts of upcoming titles, visit the Orbit Books website.

The second book, Dragon Haven, is tentatively set to be released later this spring.  (I’m sure this date will be revised, if only to torment me!)

Next up is Jade Man’s Skin by Daniel Fox, the second book in the Moshui, the Books of Stone and Water trilogy.  From his website:

“In this second volume of his soaring epic, Daniel Fox weaves the ancient myths and legends of feudal China into a fantasy world of brutal war and brittle passion, immortal gods and mystical creatures.”

The first in the series, Dragon in Chains, caught my interest long before its release.  However, my local bookstore couldn’t keep it in stock long enough for me to get my hands on a copy.  I’m uploading the ebook to my iPod now, watch for a review in the coming weeks!  Release Date:  February 16, 2010.

And finally, we have The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin.

From her website:

“Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with a pair of cousins she never knew she had.”

Political intrigue, fallen Gods, a young girl suddenly named heir to the throne, thrust into a life she never expected, with a family she didn’t know she had?  My interest is definitely piqued!  Release Date:  February 25, 2010.

You can read Chapters 1-3 at N. K. Jemisin’s website (follow the link above), and one of her previously published short stories, The Narcomancer, here.

(A big thanks to Aidan over at A Dribble of Ink for bringing this author to my attention!)

This, by far, is one of the best games I’ve played, and Nathan Drake has quickly become my favorite video game character – he’s smart, funny, tough-as-nails, and *ahem* hot.  That’s right, I said it …

Being an Xbox / Wii gamer, I found the controls to be a little awkward to begin with.  The tutorial chapters were very helpful, without being boring or dumbed-down, and I soon got the hang of Nate’s capabilities.  And while he’s no Altair, he’s still pretty impressive!

The story is very well written, and moves along at a nice pace.  It never feels rushed, nor does it lag.  There’s lots of action, puzzles, humor and great dialogue to keep you entertained and engaged, the graphics are absolutely amazing, and the voice casting couldn’t have been better.  I had a great time just exploring every nook and cranny, marveling at the detail that went into the creation of each environment.

The game is challenging, without being overly frustrating (I played on Normal).  I did walk away from it a couple of times, only to pass the chapter on the first try the next day.  The puzzles require some thinking, but you do have a Journal to give you clues, so you shouldn’t be stuck for long.  There are also a few Quick-Time events to keep you on your toes, and lots of treasures to look for along the way.

All in all, well-rounded gaming experience.  With 4 Difficulty settings and 60 treasures to find, there’s lots of replayability here.  The only downside is the lack of online play.  Do yourself a favor – beg, borrow or steal yourself a copy of this game!  9.5/10

P.S.  I thought I’d throw this in, as well.  If you haven’t seen the commercial for Uncharted 2:  Among Thieves, I’ve posted it below.  Its funny, because its true.  (I happily sat and watched my boyfriend play it for 3 days after getting it for Christmas – its just that good!)

Enjoy!!

1.  Read More – in December of 2008, I started a group on the Chapters Community website called “52 in 52″.  The intention was to read an average of 1 book per week, and while I had some success, I didn’t quite make it to 52 books.  I’ve decided to give it another try, though, and am about to finish book #2.  If you’re interested, you can find the group here.

2.  Catch Up – as a general rule, I don’t like to start reading a series until all of the books have been completed and published.  I’ve made a few exceptions when an author has really caught my attention (Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora and Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, for instance), but I hate waiting for the next book to come out.  There are a couple of series on my radar that I want to at least start on, and given that they have multiple books already published, I shouldn’t have to do much waiting.  George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, and Steven Erikson’s The Malazan Book of the Fallen series are high on this list.

3.  Review – I spent 4 years working in the only bookstore in the city.  In that time, I did a lot of hand-selling.  Some of the recommendations I made were based on previous sales history, reviews that I had read, or buzz generated by the publisher.  Most of the time, I made recommendations based on what I had previously read and enjoyed.  Customers trusted me, and valued my opinions.  I no longer work at the bookstore, but I still find myself hand-selling to fellow browsers (my apologies if I’ve freaked you out).  By reviewing more of what I read, I hope to help others find a truly rewarding reading experience.

4.  Diversify – I stick pretty exclusively to Fantasy, although I’ve been known to read Fiction, Horror, Mystery, and even the odd Romance novel.  One thing I don’t read is Science Fiction.  To me, it’s like reading the instruction manual for an alternate reality/other dimension/futuristic world/alien planet.  Perhaps I’ve been reading the wrong stuff??  I know that I probably haven’t read enough to make an informed decision about the genre as a whole.  So, that being said, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

What are your reading goals for 2010?

As the owner of over 1,000 books, and someone who is in the process of moving, I can’t deny the convenience of the ebook.  I would love nothing better than to jam them all onto my iPod, stuff it in my purse and be done with it.  However, curling up in my big armchair with my iPod just doesn’t “feel” the same.  And, let’s face it, you can’t beat that “new-book” smell, either.

Then there’s the issue of “browsing”.  Plainly stated, browsing for ebooks is a chore.  I find that you need to know what you’re looking for before you even start.  How will I discover hidden treasures when I already have preconceived notions of what I’m looking for?  There’s nothing I love more than poking around a bookstore for a couple of hours and walking out with, not only what I went in for, but a few new discoveries as well.

While I currently have 45 or so ebooks on my iPod, I still prefer the real thing.  The smell of the ink and paper, the feel of the embossed cover, and the sight of rows upon rows of books lining my living room make the work of moving them worth it.  I don’t think traditional bookstores have anything to worry about.  While the convenience of ebooks is a major selling feature, its not enough to put the print publishers out of business.  You just can’t beat the feel of the real thing.

So tell me, what’s your preference?

Legion comes out on January 22, 2010.  Here’s the official trailer:

February brings us Wolfman.  Forget your sappy, Valentine’s Day chick flicks, this is where I’ll be!  I love a good horror flick, and werewolves scare me more than any other supernatural nasty out there.  Starring Hugo Weaving, Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt, it looks like we’ll be in for one helluva ride.

Wolfman starts on February 12, 2010.  Check out the trailers!

Wolfman – Trailer #2

March sees the remake of Clash of the Titans.  I’m torn on this one.  I love the original version, in all its stop-motion, clay-mation glory.  My kids have watched it repeatedly.  I’m actually surprised that it hasn’t been remade before now.  My main concern is, what can they possibly add to the story?  Besides recruiting some of the top actors in the business and the use of over-the-top special effects, the story has already been told.  I suppose the same could be said about Wolfman, as well.  There’s just something about this remake that doesn’t sit quite right with me …

Starring Sam Worthington, Ralph Feinnes and Liam Neeson, Clash of the Titans releases on March 26, 2010.  Here’s the trailer:

I got this little guy today, and he reminded me of that song.  Here’s a clip of the Telus commercial, or you can listen to the full song here.

Hope everyone is have a wonderful Christmas Eve!  Enjoy!!

Video Games

Rabbids Go Home – this game is hours of pure insanity. You’re a “crazier than an outhouse rat” rabbit, pushing a shopping cart, collecting junk in order to pile it up to get back to the moon. Oh, and you’re running around wearing a red lace thong. What’s not to love?!

Resident Evil 5 – this was just plain hard!  We played through it twice, and I loved/hated every minute of it.  I’m generally not a fan of this type of game, but this one held my attention.  An engaging storyline, a huge arsenal and ALOT of zombies make this very fun to play over and over again.

• Assassin’s Creed 2
• Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Uncharted:  Drake’s Fortune
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Books

Gwenhwyfar by Mercedes Lackey – I didn’t even know this book was coming out until a week before the release date.  A pleasant surprise, indeed!  A new take on Arthurian Legend.

Hood by Stephen Lawhead – You guessed it!  A little different take on the Robin Hood story.  Very well written.

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks – Technically a 2008 “bit”, but I read it in 2009.  Assassin’s Creed, without the “animus”.  Fast paced, well developed characters and lots of action.  A must-read!

Movies

• Terminator Salvation
• District 9
• Star Trek
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine
• Zombieland
• Up

TV Shows

• Glee
• Modern Family
• V
• Vampire Diaries

Next up, my most anticipated “bits” of 2010.  There’s some exciting stuff coming up in the New Year!

Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone!!