I’m referring, of course, to the David Gemmell Awards.
David Gemmell
What, you were expecting a different award? Everyone around here knows that the only awards worth paying attention to are the Gemmell, the Shamus, and in a good year, the World Fantasy Awards.
The shortlists are as follows (I’ll comment at the end): Continue reading
The Path of Anger
Antoine Rouaud
Tom Clegg, trans.
paperback L14.99 UK
$11.38 US (pre-order, pub. date Aug 14, 2014)
The Path of Anger is an impressive debut. Antoine Rouaud has created an enthralling novel in which the things you think you know aren’t necessarily so.
The Empire has fallen. In its place the Republic has risen. This doesn’t sit well with everyone. For instance, the Fangolin monks don’t like it since people are choosing not to follow their teachings anymore. One of those beliefs is that the destiny of mankind has been recorded in a book, a book that has been lost for centuries. The very concept of free will is frowned upon.
Dun-Cadal Daermon was a general in the Imperial army, some would say the greatest of his generation, who devoted his life to defending the Empire and his Fangolin faith.. Now he spends his time in taverns getting drunk in the southern city of Masalia where he mourns the fall of the Empire and the death of his apprentice, waiting to die. He was rumored to have stolen the Emperor’s sword when the Empire fell. From time to time he sends treasure hunters to the eastern parts of the kingdom, telling him that’s where he’s hidden it.
The book opens with an attractive young historian from the capital finding him. She’s also interested in the sword. But her interest goes far beyond treasure hunting. At first Dun-Cadal tries to brush her off.
There’s a major holiday coming up, though, and this year all the representatives are meeting in Masalia. Dun-Cadal realizes he knows many of them. They were once the generals and nobles who fought alongside him trying to preserve the Empire. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Mostly.
No sooner do the representatives begin arriving than they start dying. Someone dressed as the late Emperor’s personal assassin is targeting them. The post of assassin was one Dun-Cadal held before being promoted to general.
Now Dun-Cadal finds himself being drawn back into battle. He may get his death wish sooner than he thought. Continue reading
I’ve been reading for some reviews that won’t go up for a couple of weeks plus trying to finish George MacDonald’s Lilith, which is my next Ballantine Adult Fantasy post for Black Gate, I’ve not put much up.
Part of the problem is I’ve gotten into the habit of reading more than one book at a time, something I’ve only been doing over the last 6 months. I’m not sure how I got into the habit, but it’s got to stop. It feels like it takes forever to finish anything.
What’s this got to do with the Gemmell Awards? Well the nominated I title I requested for review arrived today. That would be The Path of Anger by Antoine Rouaud. I’m really looking forward to reading it.
I’ve just started Talus and the Frozen King by Graham Edwards. It’s a bronze age murder mystery. I may put it aside for a day or so to focus on the Gemmell Awards.
I’ve got several titles that are on this year’s ballot sitting on the shelf. These include The Grim Company (Luke Scull), Herald of the Storm (Richard Ford), Black Sun Light My Way (Jo Spurrier, whose debut novel Winter Be my Shield was one of my favorite reads last year), and The Republic of Thieves (Scott Lynch). Plus another of my favorites, Promise of Blood (Brian McClellan) was reviewed here recently.
The ballot closes on April 13, so I’m not sure how many of these I’ll be able to finish. I should be able to finish The Path of Anger at the very least and will try to finish Black Sun Light My Way. I’ll put a post a brief review at the Gemmell Awards and a more in depth review here. And while I won’t finish all of them in time to post a review on the Gemmell Awards site, I’ll review all the ones listed above sometime in the next few months.