The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma

Hi, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the Compulsive Readers tour for Aparna Verma's The Phoenix King. The first installment in the Ravence trilogy.

A king unwilling to give up his throne. A would-be queen certain she'll never be accepted. And an assassin who yearns for freedom. 

These three and their stories intertwine to make up Verma's debut, The Phoenix King. 

When we meet Yassen Knight, he's on his last assignment. The last one before he's out of the business. Unfortunately things go very wrong and Yassen ends up on the run. Which is how he ends up in service to the Ravences. 

For Elena, the throne is her birthright. And yet, it seems everything, including her own father, is working against her claiming her place as leader. 

To that end, Leo is not at all ready to give up his seat or his power. 

But war threatens their kingdom, and an ancient prophecy could upend all of their plans. 

The Phoenix King has an interesting history, all things considered. Verma self published the title as The Boy With Fire, gaining popularity and fanbase enough to catch the attention of trad publishers (a perfect storm, in other words). 

And rightfully so! Verma weaves political intrigue, romance, and Hindu mythology into a book and a world that are quite unlike anything else I've read of late!

The Phoenix King is a perfect example of the power of new voices in fiction! Voices that tell stories we haven't heard over and over again. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't one of my most anticipated fantasy debuts of the year—and the book delivers on every possible front!

This is the first in a trilogy and so far I've not seen a date for the release of book 2, but it's already on my mental must have list!  

Paradise-1 by David Wellington

Alexandra Petrova screwed up. As punishment she's been tasked with a deep-space mission to check on Paradise-1, a colony her own mother relocated to less than a year ago. Along with a brilliant by troubled doctor, a snarky AI, and their pilot, the small crew is to travel to the planet to find out why there's been no recent contact from the colony.

Unfortunately for the crew, they're awakened from cryosleep only to find that they're under attack and the ship has been severely compromised. 

This is a chonker that clocks in at almost 700 pages, which obviously requires a bit of a commitment. But only a bit because this book moves FAST!

I've been reading Wellington for some time now. I love his Monster Island series, the Cheyenne Clark series, and the Laura Caxton series. So yeah, he's a bit of an auto-buy for me. And he certainly did not let me down with this latest. 

I will warn you, though, this is the first book in a trilogy...

I love the characters and their backstories. Petrova is a member of Firewatch, essentially the police. Her mother was their former head and the new person in charge definitely seems to hold it against Sasha. But it's nothing compared to the training instilled in her by her mother. So though she's not exactly happy about her new assignment, she knows fighting against it is futile. 

Zhang Lei has his own problems to worry about, not the least of which is the fact that he has a government ordered "babysitter" that injects him with drugs any time he gets a little too excited. But he has seen things that no one else can even comprehend. And, as mentioned above, he's undoubtedly brilliant. 

Sam Parker, the pilot of Artemis is an interesting part of the mix because he and Sasha have a past. And neither of them is exactly thrilled to be thrown together now. But they can both be professionals. Mostly. 

There are other side characters that make an appearance, including the ship's avatar. But my favorite character of the bunch is Rapscallion. He's a sentient robot tasked with being part of the mission. He's snarky as all get out but exactly what the crew needs for this mission in particular. 

I don't want to ruin anything but I'll add that this is an absolutely perfect read for fans of sci fi horror (which I adore), anyone who enjoyed Martha Wells's murderbot books, and James S. A. Corey's Expanse series!

Order a copy from Bookshop.org!

The Stars Undying by Emery Robin

Happy hump day! Today I'm a stop on the Compulsive Readers tour for Emery Robin's debut, The Stars Undying. (The first in the Empire Without End series.)

Princess Altagracia was always meant to rule Szayet, but when her twin sister steals the throne and the Pearl that contains the wisdom of their dead god. 

Altagracia is set to flee but her sister has already hired someone to ensure that doesn't happen. Altagracia's only hope is to win that very same man over to her side. To have him as support is the only thing that might alter the course her sister has set in motion. 

The Stars Undying is an epic space opera BASED ON CLEOPATRA! 

Now let me be very clear, I know nothing about Cleopatra. And you don't have to know anything about her either to enjoy this book. Robin has put together a story inspired by historical figures, but set in a world so very different from our own. 

And the world building is truly spectacular! A monarchy set around gods and prophets alongside technology. War that stretches into space. 

I should warn you, don't plan to start this book at bedtime unless you can definitely afford lost hours of sleep! The Stars Undying is incredibly engaging but also pretty complex in terms of the politics (or maybe not complex in terms of politics but more accurately in terms of the players and their various plays!).

This is also a perfect cross over read for fantasy fans who don't usually dip their toes into science fiction and vice versa! 

The Stars Undying is out now from Orbit. Order a copy today from Bookshop.org!

Far From the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson

Happy Halloween eve! Today I'm part of the Compulsive Readers tour for Tade Thompson's latest, Far From the Light Of Heaven. 

Michelle "Shell" Campion is a third generation astronaut. But she gave up her NASA training to join up with a private company, shuttling settlers off world to their new home planets. 

It's her first assignment and though she's technically First Officer, it's in name only. The AI that captains the ship never fails. 

Except this time it has. Not only that, something has gone horribly wrong on the ship.

Rasheed Fin is a detective noted for his observation skills. He's also been on forced leave for almost a year when he's assigned the investigation upon the Ragtime. Oh, and he hates being in space. Together with Shell and his own AI partner, Salvo, they must quickly determine exactly what's happened on board the ship. 

But as they investigate, political personalities on Earth and on the Lagos station have their own agendas. And the ramifications of the investigation affects them all, one way or another. Which means they have a vested interest in how it plays out and, ultimately, what is revealed. 

This might be my favorite book by Thompson so far!

The author of the acclaimed Molly Southbourne series and the Wormwood trilogy has already proven he can do dark and he can do complex science fiction with fascinating characters. Here he blends both creating a science fiction mystery (LOVE IT!) set in a future that's incredibly believable.

In this world, humans have set sail for the stars, settling new planets in the name of Lagos, Waikiki, and others. 

But humans are humans and politics are always an issue. As is murder. 

Shell and Fin are both fantastic characters. 

Shell, whose own father went missing while on a mission, has trained to be in space. And she keeps her cool in spite of a discovery that would shake even the strongest of people. In part because the only way she can survive on Ragtime is doing exactly that—keeping her cool and doing exactly what she's been trained to do. 

Fin's transgression isn't revealed when we first meet him, but we soon learn why he specifically has been chosen for this case in spite of not being trained for space (he fails the quick training, horribly). And of course he's suspicious of Shell too. 

Fans of Thompson's work are going to love Far From the Light of Heaven. And readers who have yet to discover him are in for a real treat! (This one is absolutely perfect for fans of cross-genre sci-fi such as Six Wakes and The Expanse series.)

Far From the Light of Heaven is out now from Orbit. Order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop!

Feature: The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey

M.R. Carey, author of The Girl With All the Gifts and the excellent Felix Castor series (as Mike Carey) is back with a new trilogy! The first book, The Book of Koli, is out now from Orbit. Here's a bit about the book from Goodreads:

Beyond the walls of the small village of Mythen Rood lies an unrecognizable world. A world where overgrown forests are filled with choker trees and deadly vines and seeds that will kill you where you stand. And if they don't get you, one of the dangerous shunned men will.

Koli has lived in Mythen Rood his entire life. He knows the first rule of survival is that you don't venture beyond the walls.

What he doesn't know is - what happens when you aren't given a choice?

The first in a gripping new trilogy, The Book of Koli charts the journey of one unforgettable young boy struggling to find his place in a chilling post-apocalyptic world. Perfect for readers of Station Eleven and Annihilation.

This is one of those books that's either going to perfectly hit the spot for you right now or be completely inappropriate reading for the moment. For me it would be the former as I seem to be finding some solace and distraction in the whole "it could be worse" idea. 

Order it from BookBar!

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C. A. Fletcher

Griz's world isn't like our own. There are fewer people now, thanks to the Gelding, a sharp and sudden decline in the ability to have children. Griz lives on an island with family and dogs and they rarely venture beyond their own shores. But when a stranger arrives offering trade, Griz's guard is dropped. Which is why the visitor is able to steal one of Griz's dogs. 

Griz will do anything to get Jess back, including traveling beyond the furthest reaches and into a world that's completely foreign. 

Oh, how I loved this book! I'll admit, a story about a search for a missing dog was maybe not completely in my wheelhouse. But it is a post apocalyptic setting, which is. And after receiving both a physical copy and an audio copy for review, I figured the world was trying to tell me something.

And boy was it! This is hands down one of my favorite books this year!

So the Gelding is, as I mentioned, a sharp (dramatic, drastic, devastating) decline in babies being born. Obviously this isn't an issue for Griz's family as there are a total of four children, one lost in a tragic accident. And the family keeps to themselves. Beyond a trip to the mainland years ago, the family doesn't go far. They subsist off of the resources their island provides and that's about it.

Then Brand arrives. With red sails, which immediately sets everyone at ease. As Griz notes, no one sneaking around would sail with red sails! And yet, Brand makes off with one of Griz's dogs in the middle of the night.

What comes next is a journey of survival and an attempt to save Jess, one of Griz's dogs. Because, as Griz notes, "If we're not loyal to the things we love, what's the point?"

Griz is a fabulous narrator and the time that's passed between Griz's present and our own is quite significant. Griz is a reader so there's no bizarre imaginings of what any remains of our world were used for or mean, but Griz's exploration of that world is fascinating nonetheless. In part because of the lack of people. For much of the book, beyond Brand, the only people Griz comes into contact with are already dead. Which would make this a bit of a lonely book were it not for Jip, Griz's other dog, who is also part and party to the quest to save Jess.

Fletcher's debut is a story about friendship, loyalty, and adventure and it's enormously wonderful. If you're a fan of dog books, post apocalyptic books, adventure books, or any books at all, you should read this one!

And, if you are a fan of audio books, you should absolutely read this one in that format. It's narrated by the author himself who has such a fabulously theatrical voice! Here's a link to the book on Libro.fm.

Pre Pub Book Buzz: Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

I mentioned yesterday that Mira Grant's novella Rolling in the Deep now has a sequel hitting shelves. And, as promised, today I'm sharing that one with you - so you can all add it to your TBRs and/or preorder the ever living crap out of it!

Here's a bit about Into Drowning in the Deep from Goodreads:

Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.

Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves.

But the secrets of the deep come with a price.

I mean, who wouldn't be dying to read more, right!? It makes my list for any number of reasons, including how much I enjoyed Rolling in the Deep, how big of a McGuire/Grant fan girl I am, and again with those water phobias and draw to stories that play on that. I know, it's a thing.

If you haven't read Rolling in the Deep yet, there's plenty of time - Into the Drowning Deep is due out from Orbit in November.

Caliban's War by James S. A. Corey

So I promised a review of Caliban's War last week, and here it is!

Warning: if you haven't read Leviathan's Wake, there will be spoilers!

It's been months since the news about Venus, and while the UN, Mars, and the OPA keep a close eye, life goes on. Holden and the crew of the Rocinante have been working for Fred Johnson, keeping the peace throughout the system as enforcers for the OPA but when a fight goes down on Ganymede between Martian and UN forces, it looks like it's time for more than playing space cop. 

When they arrive, they find that things are definitely fishy. Ganymede is dying and the people are starving in spite of ships full of food destined for other planetary shores. Holden and his team are trying to find some evidence about the start of the skirmish, but instead find themselves roped into a search for a missing child. As Holden increasingly channels his own inner Miller, more and more about the search begins to resemble Miller's own investigation, including a sneaking suspicion that the protomolecule currently wreaking havoc on Venus could again be involved. 

I'd been in a bit of a reading slump for a while, in part because I was in the mood for more Expanse and had to keep setting the reads aside. (I'd promised I would start this one for the Thanksgiving holiday and obviously didn't get to it for a month!) As the craving for more Expanse increased and my excitement for season two continued to grow, though, I couldn't put it off any longer. Nothing was going to hit the spot until I did!

Surprisingly, though Caliban's War is a doorstopper like the rest of the series, it was a pretty quick read for me. And while I'd thought returning to Holden and his crew would be bittersweet considering my favoritism over Miller in Leviathan, it was a welcome return indeed!

Holden isn't faring well since his run in with Miller and the protomolecule. What he witnessed has been weighing on him heavily. So much so that his crew have noticed him taking on the worst traits he used to call Miller out for. Without noticing. And when a scientist on Ganymede approaches the crew, begging for help finding his missing child, Holden can't help but get involved.

As I said last week, I love this world! I love the characters! I love everything about it! And strange though it may seem, comparisons to George R. R. Martin's high fantasy epic are not unfounded. As is the case with the Song of Ice and Fire series, The Expanse is epic in scope and fabulous in its world building. There's a deep and rich history to the world of The Expanse, a history that weighs on the story taking place present day.

Mars and the UN have been at each others' throats for ages. Earth is suffering from a number of issues we all see coming and Mars wants none of it. And for the first time in the series, we're seeing that via characters directly associate with those groups. Sure Holden and Amos are both from Earth and Alex is from Mars, but they have no real vested interest in those entities. As such Leviathan's Wake is mostly a Belter story - partly an OPA story.

If you follow the show, you've already met one of the biggest players in Caliban's War - Avasarala. There she introduces Earth's and the UN's POV, but we don't actually meet her at all until this second installment of the books. She's fabulous! A grandmother and a loving wife at home, but a savagely-tongued and chillingly clever woman at work, Avasarala plays the political game better than most. She's none too pleased when she learns that UN forces are gearing up for something big in retaliation against Mars for an incident they still don't have a clear understanding of. That's in addition to the fact that after the discovery of the protomolecule, neither the UN or Mars is quite sure who is responsible and so blames the other.

The other big character we meet here is Bobbie Draper. Bobbie is a Martian soldier stationed on Ganymede when everything literally goes to hell. As the only survivor of the so-called battle between Mars and the UN, she's also the only witness who can provide a true and accurate account of the events.

If you stuck around this far in spite of my warning at the top and haven't actually read any of The Expanse series yet, I highly, highly recommend you fix that. The same applies if you've read the books but haven't watched the show. You're really missing out on some fabulous storytelling in both regards if you haven't tried them.

Oh yeah, and then there's that ending!?

It'll be interesting to see how the second season of the show comes together. When we left off we were basically at the midpoint of Leviathan's Wake. We already know based on the trailer that Bobbie is introduced in season two, but I'm wondering if we're meeting Bobbie prior to the events on Ganymede that kick off Calinan's War. Just a few more weeks to find out!

Rating: 5/5

Short Fiction Friday: A Trio of Expanse Shorts

Morning, all! I apologize for the light posting of late. It's been a crazy holiday season and I've been slow with new reading. Problems with attention, mostly, but also work stuff that does take precedence.

Anywho, with season 2 of The Expanse on the horizon (February 1!), I've been diving back into that world to get ready. I'll post a review of the second book, Caliban's War, soon. Today, however, I want to look at a few of the shorts and novellas that bring us up to that point.

First up, "Drive."

Mars has been colonized, but the Outer Belt has so far been out of reach. It takes the building of a very special drive to allow for that, a drive created by a man who gives his very life to bring it into the world. 

This prequel is about Solomon and his drive. It's a fun little short, about 30 pages, with a lot of character and world development. We meet Solomon and the people around him. Most importantly, we meet Solomon's wife and see how their relationship grew and was affected by his desire to build the drive. Though his accomplishment changes everything, making further exploration and settlement of the solar system possible, it comes at great cost.

If you haven't read any of the books but are curious, "Drive" is a good way to dip your toe into the series. (You can read it online here.)

Next up is "The Churn" - Amos's story.

Amos Burton is an Earther, like James Holden, but no one really knows much about his past. It's clear violence runs in his blood and his anger is something no one wants to become the focus of. But Amos is more than just muscle. 

I liked this story quite a bit. Up through book two we see very little of Earth and its current situation. We also get little more than hints about Amos's background (there is actually a very telling detail in Caliban's War).

Amos, we learn, isn't even Amos. He's got a pretty dark background, which we expect given the kind of character he is in the stories. But even I wasn't prepared for this! His earth is much different from what we see through Avasarala's eyes, that's for certain. "The Churn" also has a bit of a different feel to it than the others - or, maybe it's better to say that like the other tales, "The Churn" displays more of the author's proclivity to and talent in blending and mixing elements from various genres.

And finally, though I really should have read through one more by now, we have "The Butcher of Anderson Station."

Much has been made about Fred Johnson's past. The leader of the OPA, a group tentatively balanced between terrorist organization and political powerhouse, is known throughout the galaxy. And it's not for being a diplomat. Once a soldier for the UN, Johnson took part in a horrific act of political genocide. This is his side of the story. 

Fred Johnson looms large in the world of The Expanse. If you've watched the show, you've actually seen much of the content of this particular story, as it was worked into an episode of the first season. The books, however, save the story for this little novella.

I should note that none of the shorts or novellas so far are completely necessary to the series. You're not missing key information if you don't read them. But I think that's what makes them more enjoyable. These pieces each tell a part of the story that doesn't get much focus in the books as a whole. And yes, we can get around that. But if you're a fan, or if you're chomping at the bit for the next full installment, they do provide detail about the world and the characters that's useful and can tide you over a bit!

I definitely fall into that latter category. I love this series and I love the world! As I wait in great anticipation of the second season of the show, too, I find that I'm craving more and more of that world, so I do welcome these little extras.

If you haven't had the pleasure of exploring The Expanse yourself, here's the full list of current titles in order:

"Drive"
"The Churn"
"The Butcher of Anderson Station"
Leviathan Wakes
Caliban's War
"Gods of Risk"
Abbadon's Gate
"The Vital Abyss"
Cibola Burn
Nemesis Game
Babylon's Ashes

There are, according to the authors, nine planned books in the series. No word on the number of novellas/shorts but apparently they will be released in one full volume once the series has concluded. 

Short Fiction Friday: How Green This Land, How Blue This Sea and Please Do Not Taunt the Octopus by Mira Grant

This summer saw the release of Mira Grant's Rise, the collected shorts and novellas of the Newsflesh series. I had already bought most of the novellas individually, including today's, but didn't get around to diving into about half of them until the collected volume released. Since I'd already started covering the stories individually, though (here and here), I figured I'd continue in that vein.

First up, How Green This Land, How Blue This Sea finds intrepid reporter Mahir Gowda traveling Down Under to see how Australia handles their little zombie issue. And in true down under fashion, it's nowhere near as uptight as the way others do. Of course this means that Mahir is in more danger than unusual, but that's pretty much to be expected in his line of work.  

This one is a lot of fun because, while Mahir has featured in most - if not all - of the other shorts, this is really the first time he's been an active part of the story. And it's fun to see the world expanded to include Australia. Which is, according to the author's note in Rise, pretty much why and how this tale came about - to illustrate the global effects of the outbreak.

This one is a chunky novella - clocking in at 115 pages, making it the longest short in the series. Which is doubly great because it means spending that much more time with Mahir and the zombie wombats!

Next up, Please Do Not Taunt the Octopus is connected directly to book three and The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell. I did debate about revealing the latter, but considering it's part of Grant's own intro to the tale in Rise, I figured it was ok to mention the connection.

Dr. Shannon Abbey has made her lab a virtual fortress. It's location is all but secret and entry is heavily protected. But when a delirious and malnourished woman makes her way onto the grounds, Abbey takes her in and decides to nurse her back to health. The decision is one that she may come to regret, but Abbey and her people certainly aren't going down without a fight. 

So the woman in question is Foxy and this tale is a companion to The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell, which is Foxy's origin story. I loved Day, so it was especially glad to see a return to that character. Though I was sad to see how things had shaped up for her. Hers is a story of survival, but at a cost.

Shannon Abbey, on the other hand, is fabulously snarky and exceptionally wonderful to return to. She's such a fun character, and one I think has a wonderful ability to analyze situations, even possibly disastrous ones, and keep her cool while working out a solution. She's faced with exactly that scenario in Please Don't Taunt the Octopus, but this time without the benefit of the Masons.

I may have mentioned it before, but I'm pretty sure Mira Grant is one of the busiest people in publishing. I was talking her up just the other day and commented that if there's a genre anthology out, she's likely part of it. And that's above and beyond the multiple worlds she's writing in: Newsflesh and the finished Parasitology trilogy as Grant; October Daye, Incryptid, Wayward Children, and more as Seanan McGuire. And those are just the series. She's got a ton of stand alone tales, like the upcoming Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day. It seems I stumble upon something new from her every month: the upcoming Black Feathers anthology, the What the #@&% is That anthology that released this week, last month's The Starlit Wood anthology, Urban Allies from July... Which of course is perfect for a fan girl like me because it seems to mean an endless supply of her work to feed my book junkie needs!

Short Fiction Friday: Two From the Expanse Universe

I know, it's actually Saturday again. Oh, well :)

So if you're watching The Expanse over on Syfy, you may have caught a couple of references Amos made to The Churn in this week's episode. What's The Churn, though? Well, I'm glad you asked! Even if you didn't :)

Timmy is new on the job and has already managed to piss off his boss, Burton. But he's useful and skilled so he's given a second chance. He's tasked with protecting Erich, the man who actually brought him into Burton's fold. Erich, too, is useful and skilled. Erich creates fake DNA profiles. And sure, others can do the same, but for now Erich is the one Burton keeps on hand for all his own fake identity needs. 

But when Star Helix officers move in to Baltimore intent on wiping out the local crime network, Timmy gets caught in the crossfire. He and Erich are expendable but if they can survive through the end and stay out of Star Helix's hands, they may have a chance. For Timmy, it also means the ultimate test of his abilities and loyalties. 

"The Churn" offers up not only a glimpse into Amos's ever elusive backstory but also gives readers a not so pretty look at what's happening on Earth these days.

Organized crime is rampant and local law enforcement obviously can't handle it, which is why the big guns at Star Helix are called in. You may recall this is the contract law enforcement group that employed Miller on Ceres.

I loved this tale because until reading it I only had hints at Amos's story. There are some comments made between him and the other Rocinante crew. There are observations made by side characters (like the spy in this week's episode of the show). But aside from all of that Amos has been a mystery.

(What's up with all my mafia-related reading of late?!)

Oh, and the churn refers to, as one character puts it: the rhythms of nature, "its booms and busts."

Rating: 4/5

And while there's still tons of characters and story lines to flesh out, another character you may be rightfully (hopefully) curious about is Fred Johnson. Johnson is known as "The Butcher of Anderson Station" but when we meet him he's focused more on (or so he says) negotiations between the Belters and Earth/Mars. Why the change of heart?

Colonel Fred Johnson was just following orders when the attack on Anderson Station began. The Belters there were angered over a 3% raise on supply transfers - a 3% raise on the food, water, and even air consumed by a workforce barely eking out a living already. The man responsible for the raise was subsequently forced out of an airlock and the workers attempted to take control of the station. 

And that's where Fred Johnson and his men came in. 

In the end, Johnson knew well enough it should have been an avoidable loss of life. But attempts at negotiation, he had been told, had failed. And then he learned the truth. Since that time, Johnson, one of the most decorated soldiers in history, has been in search of something. Something the OPA might be willing to give him.  

So if you've read Leviathan Wakes and have been watching the show then you've got a bit of a piecemeal glimpse at this event already. The Rocinante crew have more of a conversation about Johnson's past in the book than they do when he hails them in the show, but in the episode "Back to the Butcher" we actually get a look at what was going on on Anderson Station itself.

"The Butcher of Anderson Station" not only gives us the full story but also gives us a chance to see Johnson interacting with none other than Anderson Dawes himself.

Rating: 5/5

Both of the stories are excellent additions to the Expanse universe, show and books, and I definitely recommend adding them to your TBR. They are currently available in ebook only, but each includes bonus content ("The Churn" has an excerpt of book four in the series, Cibola Burn, and "The Butcher of Anderson Station" includes a look at Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice.)

The Expanse

Are you watching The Expanse? I certainly hope so! This week brings us current with the show, which means my first new episode in a couple of weeks now. Syfy teased us with early OnDemand and online availability of the first four episodes, which meant binging and then waiting for the live airing to catch up.

The show is based on The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey, aka Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, which kicked off in 2011 with Leviathan Wakes and has since grown to include five more volumes and an additional five shorts.

"Drive"
"The Churn"
"The Butcher of Anderson Station"
Leviathan Wakes
Caliban's War
"Gods of Risk"
Abbadon's Gate
"The Vital Abyss"
Cibola Burn
Nemesis Game
Babylon's Ashes (due out in June)

I've listed them here in the order they appear on Goodreads, but Lady Business offered up a great alternate reading order you can check out here. Her argument is that Leviathan Wakes is so different in terms of storyline and such that it's not necessary to begin your reading there. If you're following the show, however, we are pretty tightly tied into that first book with a smattering of details from subsequent installments (Avasarala doesn't appear until Caliban's War, for example).

I'm quite loving the show adaptation. There are definitely some differences right off the bat but for the most part it's clear that these deviations from the book's storyline are meant to give us faster character development and increased tension right off the bat. Let's face it, no show has the time to do what a book can so things have to be condensed for maximum efficiency.

We begin the show with three story lines: Miller, a cop on Ceres, has been tasked with tracking down Julie Mao, the daughter of a well-to-do moon-based family. It's an off books job that involves finding Julie and shipping her back to her parents. But it turns out the case isn't quite that simple.

Meanwhile, an ice freighter responds to a distress beacon and is rewarded by being blown out of the sky. The only survivors, led by Jim Holden, find themselves on the run and faced with maintaining their freedom by outing the ones they think were responsible for destroying their ship.

Oh, and there's a ton of political tension brewing thanks to conflict between Earth, Mars, and the folks in between (the Belters). This is clear in the book but is made more so in the show through Shohreh Aghdashloo's Chrisjen Avasarala. (Earth is pretty hands off in Leviathan Wakes, so this additional plot line is probably the biggest change so far.)

In both the book and the show, Miller is my stand out favorite, no doubt this comes from my own personal penchant for mysteries. I'll admit that Thomas Jane's Miller is a little on the cheesy side. Frankly, though, I kind of like him more because of that. Miller is your typical noir detective: he has a mission (find the girl), he has baggage galore, and he's your pretty typical anti-hero (a little on the shady side and definitely willing to bend the rules when necessary). His on screen portrayal is exaggerated a bit, but is to my mind much in line with classic portrayals of the genre.

Holden is not so much a favorite of mine. In both mediums he comes across a little too self righteous for my taste and, in spite of what's to come in the show, never quite meshes with Miller. But that's for you to discover!

In both cases, I think the actors (and the rest of the cast - Tyreese!) are doing a fabulous job bringing these characters to life. I'm also really glad to see that Syfy is upping their game significantly with their current crop of shows. I was already won over by Helix (yeah, there's a little cheese there) and Twelve Monkeys and was blown away by Dark Matter and Killjoys. So far The Expanse has delivered as well, living up to my grand hopes and expectations. (I should note too that IMDB does have a second season of The Expanse listed already!)

Episode 5 of The Expanse airs tonight on Syfy. If you've yet to start the series, the good folks at Syfy have all four previously aired episodes available here for your viewing pleasure :)

Psst - hit the image at the top of this post for the official IMDB page and I've linked "Drive" above as well - Syfy has that prequel short available online as we speak.

Even More Pax Arcana Shorts

I know some people are not fans of the e short trend, but I am not one of them. (If I didn't have an e reader - thanks, hubs - I might not be, so I do understand.) Of course there are times when the tale is just a one off that doesn't add anything significant. There are other times, though, where the story adds a great little bit of insight into a series. Or it's just a chance to spend more time in a world that's already got you completely ensnared. This last one is the case with Elliott James's Pax Arcana shorts.

If you haven't read the series, it's a little bit like the show Grimm in that our hero - John Charming - is the last of the Charming line (yes, as in Prince Charming). He's also a former knight of the Knights Templar. Former because he's been kicked out for being a werewolf. Now he travels around encountering and fighting creatures and such from all kinds of mythologies and folklore. It's a super fun series and one that I highly, highly recommend.

In "Bulls Rush In" the murders of two boys in Verde Vista prompts John to investigate. He knows exactly who/what is behind the crime, he can smell it, but sometimes things aren't quite what they seem. When he's cornered by a cop after breaking and entering, John finds himself forced to explain everything. 

These two are linked and, unfortunately for me, I read them out of order. I didn't know how "Bulls Rush In" was going to play out, but I did have an idea about how it was going to end (or how it wasn't going to end). The short did still have a few surprises in store for me, thankfully!

Rating: 3.5/5

In "Talking Dirty" John has been attending a support group in the hopes of finding someone he can frame for murder. Yeah, he's knows it's not quite on the up and up. When he meets a woman whose husband had been forking over gifts and cash to a phone sex operator, he senses there might be something a bit supernatural about the whole thing and vows to investigate. 

This particular short was really fun. There have been some great ones in this shorts series (and I hope eventually they'll be released in one volume) but this is definitely one of the best - right up there with "Surreal Estate." I won't give away the particular being he's up against here, but it is revealed early on in the tale. I will say that by the time he meets up with his foe I'd laughed out loud more than a few times. If you couldn't tell based on his ultimate goal (you know, finding someone at a support group to pin a murder on), this is a particularly sarcastic entry.

Rating: 4.5/5

The series (so far) includes:

Charming
Daring
Fearless
In Shining Armor (due out in April)
"Charmed I'm Sure"
"Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls"
"Pushing Luck"
"Surreal Estate"
"Dog-Gone"
"Bulls Rush In"
"Talking Dirty"

Short Fiction Friday Newsflesh Edition: Countdown and San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats by Mira Grant

Did you know that Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire completely and totally rocks? She does. Completely and totally.

This has been a week of indecision and blah. Which means that I've waffled over I don't know how many books, starting and abandoning them simply because I'm not in the mood. Ugh. But I did keep myself occupied and productively reading with some shorts and novellas I've been piling up in the TBR! And since my goal this month (as it flies by) is to tackle some unfinished series lingering in my stacks, it made sense to read through a few of Mira Grant's novellas in particular.

See, I LOVE the Newsflesh world. LOVE IT! I mean, I kind of do gobble up zombie fiction in masses. I'm not tired of it. Nor am I tired of post-apocalyptic/post viral outbreak stories/settings. Newsflesh is unique, though, in that the world has moved on since the zombie apocalypse, attempting to reclaim some normalcy.

In addition to the base trilogy (Feed, Deadline, and Blackout), Grant has also penned a number of shorts and novellas set in the world (Countdown; San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats; "Apocalypse Scenario #683: The Box;" How Green This Land, How Blue This Sea; The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell; and Please Do Not Taunt the Octopus). Orbit is releasing what I believe will be a full collection of those shorts in June as Rise: The Newsflesh Collection (the description says "every piece of short fiction from New York Times Bestseller Mira Grant's acclaimed Newsflesh series, with two new never-before-published novellas..."). I've still got two of the novellas to go (How Green This Land, How Blue This Sea and Please Don't Taunt the Octopus) so between those two, the short, and the two new novellas to come I've got a bit to go. Plus, and this is awesome-sauce, Grant has a fourth Newsflesh novel, Rewind, due out in 2016, so I won't have to leave this world behind for quite some time!

Readers, even with the blah-est of blahs, Countdown and San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats were fan-freakin'-tastic! And they made me have zombie nightmares.

In Countdown, Grant goes back to the beginning, outlining the key occurrences leading up to the Rising.

The zombie apocalypse began in 2014 thanks to a series of tragic mistakes and circumstances. While a doctor in Denver was beating cancer with an experimental Marburg treatment, a doctor in Reston, Virginia made it his life's goal to wipe out the common cold. Initial testing of Dr. Alexander Kellis's virus was promising but before human trials could begin a group of protestors broke into Kellis's facility, releasing the virus. 

It wouldn't take long for the world to discover just how catastrophic the mix of Marburg Amberlee and Kellis's creation would be.

While we know some of the Kellis-Amberlee story thanks to the series main entries, this is the first look (that I recall) at the 2014 players. And of course those who have followed the series as a whole know that the shit is definitely hitting the fan. This is not some alternate Newsflesh reality where the 2014 world is able to combat and beat the coming zombie plague.

Rating: 5/5

San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats is set in 2044 but is an interview with the only remaining survivor of the nation's final Comic-Con.

On July 23, 2014, in the midst of the Rising, the nation, and indeed the world, are about to find out what Kellis-Amberlee has in store. But for those preparing for the annual San Diego Comic-Con, a zombie apocalypse is still the furthest thing from their minds - at least in real-world terms. 

In 2044, Mahir Gowda has arranged an interview with Lorelei Tutt, the only person to survive the event. To date, Tutt has remained silent about her parents' final days but Mahir's prompting and the news that San Diego is considering reviving the con finally prompts the woman to break her silence. 

The fallen and their stories will be remembered for their heroism and ultimate tragedy. 

San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats is set during the same timeframe as Countdown. The characters here have heard rumors of issues with the Kellis virus but thus far haven't actually seen what happens when the virus amplifies in a human. If they had, so many things might have been different.

I know I'm not the only person whose brain goes to zombie apocalypse in certain situations. I know because I've heard it. Hubs and I were at a concert at Red Rocks recently and the droves of people cramming through the exit after the show ended would be the absolute worst place for someone to spontaneously zombify. As I was thinking this, I actually overheard someone expressing virtually the same sentiment. I'm not the only weirdo!

Anyway, setting a story at Comic-Con is brilliant for so many reasons! I mean, it's Comic-Con! The people, the costumes, the swag that can be used as potential weapons, the weapons that can be used as potential weapons... (Second best for that would be a Ren Fest setting, right?!) Plus, it's exactly the sort of nightmare scenario some of us can very obviously see happening if we were to actually experience a zombiepocalypse.

You don't have to read either of these to enjoy the series but if you're like me and want to spend more time in the world, these are perfect additions! I highly, highly recommend them - and the series as a whole, if you're not reading yet!

Pre Pub Book Buzz: Fearless by Elliott James

Ooh, ooh, ooh! There's a new Pax Arcana book coming out in August! There are two new e shorts as well! ("Bulls Rush In" is out now and "Talking Dirty" is out 5/19.)

I adore this series. It's a little like Grimm if Grimm was a book series and if Nick was a former member of the Knights Templar and a werewolf. Ok, it's really nothing like Grimm except that it's urban fantasy and I imagine John Charming equally as hot as Nick. But you know, if you like Grimm you should probably give Elliott James's books a try...

Here's a bit about Fearless from Goodreads:

When your last name is Charming, rescuing virgins comes with the territory, even when the virgin in question is a nineteen-year-old college boy.

Someone, somewhere, has declared war on Terry Perez, and that someone has a long list of magical predators on their rolodex. The good news is that Terry lives in a town where Ted Cahill is the new sheriff and old ally of John Charming.

The attacks on Terry seem to be a pattern, and the more John and his new team follow that thread, the deeper they find themselves in a maze of supernatural threats, family secrets, and age-old betrayals. The more John learns, the more convinced he becomes that Terry Perez isn't just a victim, he's a sacrifice waiting to happen. And that thread John's following? It's really a fuse...

If you haven't started these, definitely do yourself a favor and get cracking! And if you're wary, give one of the shorts a try. They're super fun!

Fearless is out this August from Orbit.

Short Fiction Friday: The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell by Mira Grant

The Newsflesh world is one that I really just can't get enough of. I still haven't actually read the third book - and that's only because I can't bear for it to be the final one! But it's not anymore. Oh, happy day! Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire has signed on to do a fourth Newsflesh title!

In the meantime there are a handful of enovellas that tie into the series, like this one: The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell. And OMG it is awesome!

The tragedy at Evergreen Elementary in 2036 was a perfect storm of circumstances: a child with a secret, a moment of inattention, and a security protocol designed to keep everyone safe in the event of an outbreak that failed in every imaginable way.  

For Elaine Oldenburg the day began as any other. In fact, it may have gone a bit more smoothly and quickly than normal. It seemed as though it was shaping up to be a fine day. But by lunchtime the alarms would sound and Elaine would find herself fighting to protect her fifteen students as best as she can in a post Rising world. 

Apparently Elaine Oldenburg makes an appearance in Blackout as the character Foxy. And since I haven't read Blackout, this was my introduction to her. Shame on me, I know, reading out of order! But I think it's totally fine. This is Foxy's origin story if you will.

Hm, outbreak at an elementary school... yes, it is as great as you can imagine. And sick and twisted too. And a bit shocking and heartbreaking in a way. The actual narrative features pieces of a report on the incident that Alaric Kwong is writing for After the End Times in 2044. Of course he already knows the aftermath and most of the circumstances of the event, and alludes to those throughout the story. It's impossible to go into it expecting a good outcome anyway, it's a world filled with zombies! But that's the world I do love - the one where humanity has picked itself back up and attempted to go on as usual. It does make for lots of possibilities, many of which Grant has already explored in the series, and many more (like this one) that she'll hopefully pull out of her hat for us in the future.

For readers like me who are anxious to gobble up anything and everything they can get in this series (except that final one we're holding for the perfect rainy day), The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell technically comes after book three. There are three additional novellas out now - Countdown (set in 2014), The Last Stand of the California Browncoats (also set in 2014), and How Green This Land, How Blue This Sea (set in Australia).

More Pax Arcana shorts by Elliott James

Some of you might remember my review of Elliott James's super fantabulous Charming and you may have even checked out my post on the first round of James's series tie in shorts. Well there are more! (If you haven't read any of these, no worries - there are no spoilers and newbies can jump in with any one of them at any time!)

"Surreal Estate" finds our Charming caught in a strange web after a search for a new home leaves him on guard. The somewhat shocking number of available properties is a sure sign that something fishy is going on and before long John is trapped in a literal house of horrors.

It's been a while since I read the first three stories and I have loved them all but I do think that "Surreal Estate" might just be my favorite of these so far. A being with an unusual ability makes it hard for John to determine what's real and what isn't in this tale. It makes the whole thing that much more fun in my humble opinion!

In "Dog-Gone" a plea for help from the other side has John traveling back to Alaska where a local cop has become entangled in an investigation with suspiciously magical elements. 

This particular tale delves just a tiny bit more into John's own past, which is a welcome thing indeed. John Charming is an intriguing character and I'll take as many tid bits as I can get!

Again readers can jump in at any time. These great shorts offer a perfect taste of what's in store for you with the series - great world building, a truly excellent mythos, and a character I really do dare you not to fall in love with. Each story is super short and super affordable but also offer a sample of Charming as well. James's second full-length Pax Arcana release, Daring, is due out this Fall.

Charming by Elliott James

John Charming is a lot of things. First, he's a Charming. Ever wonder why there are so many stories featuring Prince Charming? Because there were many rather than just one. Second, John is a knight. Trained by the Knights Templar and set to uphold the Pax Arcana - an ancient law that keeps magic in check. And finally, John is a werewolf and as such considered by many to be an abomination. This is why he's been exiled from the knights and become one of their targets. So now John lives under the radar, traveling from place to place whenever he thinks he may have been recognized. When a vampire infestation threatens the town he most recently calls home, John gets dragged into the fight.

Charming is fun! I love the concept of the series and John Charming as a character - he's a bit of a smart ass with some interesting issues.

What I love the most, though, is the way James weaves in so many different mythologies. It's actually less apparent here in the series installment than in the previous shorts, but even though the main focus in Charming is on the vampires, James does include mention of a variety of beings other than the bloodsucking fiends. Leaving out Sig of course. The fact that she's a... I'll let you find out what she is when John does. She's super cool, though.

James even adds his own twists to vampire and werewolf lore as well, making what could otherwise be the more mainstream aspects of the book new and refreshing. It'll be interesting to see how this progresses further all things considered. The extras in the back of Charming do include a Q&A with James where he mentions a bit about the follow up to Charming. Sounds like this time around it'll be the werewolves that are the enemies and John may just have to pair up with some of the Templars this time around, too.

Rating: 5/5

Pax Arcana shorts by Elliott James

Hi, everyone! So sad the weekend is over. I spent most of it getting acquainted to Elliott James's Pax Arcana series, which kicked off in September with Charming. James also penned a number of e shorts to go along with the series, "Charmed I'm Sure," "Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls," and "Pushing Luck." (Looks like there's at least one more due out as well.)

In "Charmed I'm Sure" John Charming is just passing through when he stops to help a naked man on the side of the road. The last thing the man remembers is being back in Pennsylvania post Y2K. John instantly suspects there's something magical to blame and goes on the hunt for the thing that might be responsible.

As an intro to the world and the character, "Charmed" is a really fun tale. Whether you read this first or after reading Charming, it gives you a chance to see even more of the great detail James has put into the setting and the mythology that supports his world building.

"Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls" follows immediately after "Charmed" with John seeking help from one of the cunning folk. Her name is Sarah White and while she seems innocent enough, John's experience with her kind leaves him wary of trusting her. But all she wants in exchange for helping him is a little help herself after one of her employers goes missing.

I loved the way this one tied into the previous tale, though in reading them I actually read them in reverse. It's ok. It doesn't really matter all that much which order any of these are read in but it was fun that they were linked. Again the use of varied mythology and the Pax Arcana itself prove to be a really great premise for this world and make each of the stories that much more enjoyable.

Finally, in "Pushing Luck" John infiltrates a high end and highly exclusive poker game with an eye to bringing in a bit of income. Turns out this game has higher stakes than just cash when John realizes a Rakshasa is running the whole thing.

Did I mention how cool the mythology used in this series has been so far? I mean you've got fairy rings in the first story, a Norwegian water spirit (a fossegrim) in the second, and a being from Hindu/Buddhist lore in the third. I haven't even touched on John's story at all either, which you get in more detail in the actual book Charming, but he's a former member of the Knights Templar and a werewolf, and a descendant of the legendary Charming family.

In these shorts he travels around a bit Jack Reacher like, using his skills and strengths to bring down supernatural baddies. In Charming he's tapped to help bring down a vampire ring or risk his anonymity. These three stories each serve as great extras if you've already read Charming or as cheap intros to the series if you haven't. They all come with a teaser chapter from the book as well. Orbit also has another short up on their site right now. You can read "Dog Gone" here.

The Pax Arcana series is sure to hit the spot for fans of Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim and Jim Butcher Dreseden books. Definitely recommended for readers who enjoy mythology based urban fantasy and paranormal mystery.