THE BLACK PRISM by Brent Weeks. Orbit £7.99

Reviewed by Karen Stevens

In a land where magic is divided by colour, the Prism is the most powerful man in the world. But the magic has a price: Gavin Guile, the current Prism, has only five more years to live. With divisions rife after the war that brought him to power almost twenty years ago, Guile has five great deeds to do before he dies. But when he discovers he has a bastard son in the distant country that fought against him his plans, the ties that hold the kingdoms together start unravelling.

After thoroughly enjoying Brent Weeks Night Angel trilogy, I was concerned that his latest novel might not match up to it. I needn’t have worried as The Black Prism is a brilliant book. The world-building is excellent; there’s a real feeling of depth and history, and the tricky issue of making magic different and unusual was accomplished effortlessly.

The characters are entirely credible and well-rounded individuals, neither good nor evil, but various shades of grey. There’s plenty of action and layers and layers of intrigue that kept me turning pages, eager to find out what happened next – and I don’t think it’ll give too much away to reveal that as the first in a trilogy it ends on a series of cliff-hangers. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year and I’m eagerly looking forward to the sequel. Highly recommended.

THE BUSINESS OF DEATH by Trent Jamieson. Orbit Books £8.99

Reviewed by Matthew Johns

Jamieson’s Death Works trilogy centres on Mortmax, the Australian branch of a global company whose business is literally death. The employees of Mortmax work to make sure that when the dead die, their souls safely get to the afterlife – they call this ‘pomping’. They also ensure that creatures called Stirrers don’t pass through from the afterlife and take over dead bodies in their attempt to take over the living world.

The central character is Steven de Selby, a Pomp who has no ambition, an issue with authority figures and a fondness for Australian rum. His story begins as he meets a dead girl who seems surprisingly together, and then being shot at.

The three books comprising the trilogy all follow a similar theme – Steven battling his internal demons plus an actual nemesis, while trying to figure out his increasingly complicated love and business lives. Having fallen in love with her, he manages to bring the dead girl back to life using what is known as a Morpheus Manoeuvre.

De Selby’s flawed hero is believable, and it is easy to see some of the author’s own passions reflecting through his creation – indie music, Brisbane and Australian rum being the most obvious!

The Death Works trilogy is a definite page turner – it kept me entertained, and I was truly immersed into the story. The machinations of Mortmax and the afterlife, the complex characters and the imagery used throughout are excellently woven together into a gripping tale that I would heartily recommend.

THEBLACK PRISM by Brent Weeks. Orbit £7.99

Reviewed by Karen Stevens

In a land where magic is divided by colour, the Prism is the most powerful man in the world. But the magic has a price: Gavin Guile, the current Prism, has only five more years to live. With divisions rife after the war that brought him to power almost twenty years ago, Guile has five great deeds to do before he dies. But when he discovers he has a bastard son in the distant country that fought against him, his plans, and the ties that hold the kingdoms together, start unravelling.

After thoroughly enjoying Brent Weeks Night Angel trilogy, I was concerned that his latest novel might not match up to it. I needn’t have worried as The Black Prism is a brilliant book. The world-building is excellent; there’s a real feeling of depth and history, and the tricky issue of making magic different and unusual was accomplished effortlessly.

The characters are entirely credible and well-rounded individuals, neither good nor evil, but various shades of grey. There’s plenty of action and layers and layers of intrigue that kept me turning pages, eager to find out what happened next – and I don’t think it’ll give too much away to reveal that as the first in a trilogy it ends on a series of cliff-hangers. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year and I’m eagerly looking forward to the sequel. Highly recommended.

THE BUSINESS OF DEATH by Trent Jamieson. Orbit Books £8.99

Reviewed by Matthew Johns

Jamieson’s Death Works trilogy centres on Mortmax, the Australian branch of a global company whose business is literally death. The employees of Mortmax work to make sure that when the dead die, their souls safely get to the afterlife – they call this ‘pomping’. They also ensure that creatures called Stirrers don’t pass through from the afterlife and take over dead bodies in their attempt to take over the living world.

The central character is Steven de Selby, a Pomp who has no ambition, an issue with authority figures and a fondness for Australian rum. His story begins as he meets a dead girl who seems surprisingly together, and then being shot at.

The three books comprising the trilogy all follow a similar theme – Steven battling his internal demons plus an actual nemesis, while trying to figure out his increasingly complicated love and business lives. Having fallen in love with her, he manages to bring the dead girl back to life using what is known as a Morpheus Manoeuvre.

De Selby’s flawed hero is believable, and it is easy to see some of the author’s own passions reflecting through his creation – indie music, Brisbane and Australian rum being the most obvious!

The Death Works trilogy is a definite page turner – it kept me entertained, and I was truly immersed into the story. The machinations of Mortmax and the afterlife, the complex characters and the imagery used throughout are excellently woven together into a gripping tale that I would heartily recommend.

THE MEASURE OF THE MAGIC: LEGENDS OF SHANNARA BOOK 2 by Terry Brooks. Orbit £18.99

Reviewed by Elloise Hopkins

The second in the Legends of Shannara duology picks up where part one left off but with the addition of a new character: the ragpicker. Scruffy and harmless looking, he sings to himself as he searches for a legend, but the first person he meets get a sharp lesson in not judging by appearances, and his true intentions become clear.

Panterra finds himself the reluctant bearer of the black staff but he knows little of its secrets. Adrift from his tracking partner and best friend Prue, he sets out to find her, taking the burden of the unknown magic with him. The Elf Princess Phryne is trapped in her stepmother’s clutches and can only wait and hope for rescue. The Elfstones have vanished, the Troll armies are still amassing and Prue stumbles across the ragpicker’s path to detrimental consequence.

The Measure of the Magic did clear up many of the questions part one left me with and the title of the series became clearer. Brooks really does plunge us into the histories of Shannara and once again we find ourselves on a quest to find the Elfstones and save the valley dwellers. There isn’t much more to say, other than once again this book contains all the elements you would expect from such an established fantasy author. We have pairs of heroes questing, a blossoming love, magic, demons, danger, double crossing and a good dose of classic narrative giving a great opportunity for escapism.

The BookSeller.com reports that Orbit has appointed Jenni Hill, previously of Solaris Books, as its commissioning editor. She will take up her post on 31 October 2011.

See full article HERE

ECHO CITY by Tim Lebbon. Orbit £7.99

Reviewed by Pauline Morgan

A mark of a good writer is to drop the reader straight into an alien landscape and for them to instantly feel at home there. Tim Lebbon does this splendidly in Echo City.

The city of the title has gradually been built up over thousands of years with the old, phantom haunted parts in layers beneath the feet of the inhabitants. It is surrounded by a highly toxic desert. Peer has been banished to an area called Skulk, for sedition. When a man walks in from across the desert she realises he is important. With the help of her friend, Penler, she knows she has to take the stranger into Echo City to find the Baker. Nadielle is the last in the line of Bakers, women who create genetically modified monsters in womb vats. Nadielle is also aware that the mistake a Baker created hundreds of years ago will arise from the depths and destroy the city. The two events are not coincidence.

As Peer collects unexpected allies, the world solidifies around the reader. The plotting is complex, the action intense and the result is a very fine book.

THE BROKEN KINGDOMS by N K Jemisin. Orbit £7.99

Reviewed by Jenny Barber

Oree is a blind artist who sells her work in the streets of Shadow, where the newly freed godlings make their home … a home that’s become all the more interesting as someone is killing godlings. And Shiny, a strange man she gave shelter to, has caught the interest of dangerous people who won’t be turned from their hunt. But Shiny’s not the only one to have caught their interest and Oree’s going to have to dig deep to survive what they’ve got lined up for her.

Oree is a great character – resourceful and compassionate, and adapts quickly to each new surprise that gets thrown at her (and the surprises do keep on coming). And as for Shiny, well, readers of Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms won’t be surprised by the identity of Shiny, but what is a surprise is how sympathetic he becomes, to the point where some of the nicer characters from The Broken Kingdoms become unlikeable due to their treatment of him (which is totally understandable given previous events, but still…).  Very well played there.

On the whole, this is a lovely story, with prose that draws you in and keeps you hooked until the beautifully heartbreaking ending – except there’s that last final twist. It’s a personal thing, I think, and I do understand the need to add in some vague up-note after everything that went before, but that particular thing is the kind of end-twist I’ve read too many times before and it feels a bit cliché here. But don’t let that put you off, as otherwise The Broken Kingdoms is gorgeous.