Friday linkage 4tw

Some tasty Friday linkage for y'all.

What? You want a funny? Here you go then.

Now linkage.

The first review of Joe Abercrombie's The Heroes has already surfaced, despite the ARCs being sent out barely a week ago. Naturally, it's the Wertmeister that has devoured this blood-drenched epic and managed to gather his wits sufficiently afterwards in order to write a review. I've not read it, as I don't want it to colour my own thinking on the novel, but I'm sure it's good. The review I mean. The book...well, you'll have to wait until next week to see whether I agree with Wert. I didn't last time, but the early signs are that our opinions might align a little more this time around.

Monsieur Moher recently posted the cover and blurb for The Unremembered by Peter Orullian, due from Tor in 2011. The story itself sounds very traditional (nasty monsters breaking free of inter-dimensional prison and looking to kick some human ass), which of course is no bad thing, but unless a certain freshness is injected into old tropes it leaves you wondering what the point was. One to keep an eye on, certainly. And the cover is gorgeous.

At the Gollancz party last year, after learning of Graeme's impending fatherhood, I joked that he'd be reviewing far less books as a result. Graeme smiled wryly and said, "You want to bet?" Fortunately I didn't take him on his kind offer, and a good thing too since Graeme is somehow finding time in between changing nappies (that's diapers for you lot over the pond!) to keep posting his reviews. Which include, most recently, some of Michael Moorcock's Hawkmoon novels - good to see older books getting a look in. That reminds me; I must get around to that Elric book I've got on my shelf...

Elsewhere, young Sir Gavin of Nextread has reviewed Blake Charlton's Spellwright. Another book I need to get around to; I got 50 pages in and then a friend stole it from me and refused to give it back until she was finished with it borrowed it and asked whether I minded if she gave it back when she was done. To which I said "No, not at all" as I am - as anyone will tell you - a chivalrous gentleman. Unless you get water damage on any of my books, which will cause me to go from knight in shining armour to FURIOUS HULK in less time than it takes to microwave one of those godawful 'burgers' from Rustlers.

Mihai has blogged up a short interview with Mark Charan Newton - a virtual coffee break, if you will. Speaking of the bequiffed one, he's managed to get some serious debate going (as usual) by posting two potential covers for his upcoming novel The Book of Transformations and asking which one folk think is best. Quite a few of the responses match my own: I much prefer the first one, and while I love the cityscape background, I'm not so keen on the posture of the figure. Even if she's hot.

When he's not wrestling a T-Rex, Sam Sykes writes the odd article about fantasy books. Here's one, in which he explains the spark that was behind his debut novel, Tome of the Undergates.

Right...that's enough genre goodness for one Friday, I think.

Have a good one.