REVIEW: BRASYL

Cover Illustration: Dominic Harman/Arena

Cover Design: Sue Michniewicz

BRASYL

BY

IAN McDONALD

ISBN: 978-0-575-08288-5

Pages: 411

Publisher: Gollancz

Publishing Date: 28 August 2008

On the cover:

Sao Paulo, 2032 

A city with a neon heart. A city of countless millions. A city of breathtaking wealth and life-stealing poverty. A city watched over by angels. Constant surveillance, the tracking of your every move, the ebb and flow of your money, of your life. A city where a thief could step out of the favelas and find himself trapped in the bewildering, lethal world of illegal quantum computing.

Rio de Janeiro, 2006

A city that lives on reality TV. A city of watchers and watched. A city where an ambitious TV produces could find her next big hit and lose her life. And her soul.

Brazil, 1732

A country of Eden-like beauty. A country of gold and death. A country of madness and religion. A country where a Jesuit Father sent to find a rogue priest will find faith and reality taken to breaking point.

   This is a novel that contains three seemingly unconnected storylines. That however is not in any way a disadvantage here. We get three great stories, all showcasing the exotic country of Brazil.

   Setting the stories in different timelines may seem strange, and it does seem that the 1732 storyline can have nothing to do with the two others. This is not something that bothered me.

   McDonald quickly introduces us to the settings his characters live in, and who they are. It doesn't take many pages before you get a good insight into what makes the main characters tick.
   That both the settings and the characters are so different, works as a strength. It does to a certain degree interrupt the flow of the story, it never becomes irritating or off-putting. Actually I felt that it made the book feel fresh and interesting throughout.

   The central theme here is quantum, or more specifically quantum computers. Fortunately McDonald doesn't go into so much detail about quantum that it gets confusing. He rather uses it to back up a very interesting arc-plot.
    When the three storylines finally merges, it is both a revelation, and very satisfying. And it is done in a way that feels seamless, without being too obvious before it happens.

    I really enjoyed both the philosophical and science fiction elements of this novel. McDonald handles all three time-periods with equal deftness. And nothing is neglected in favour of the others.
   This is near-future science fiction at its best, and I would urge any science fiction fan to search out this book. And it is highly recommended for those with an interest in non-Western cultures too.
   Ian McDonald has rapidly become my favourite author for earth bound science fiction.

Ian McDonald's previous book River of Gods is reviewed here.

LINKS: Ian McDonald  Gollancz

SUNDAY RANT: AMAZON PROPAGANDA AND BAD JOURNALISM

SUNDAY RANT

   Sunday Rant will be a new semi-regular feature on the blog. Where I give my opinions on some of the things that has either happened in the week that passed, or just generally is something I want to talk about.

AMAZON PROPAGANDA AND BAD JOURNALISM

   I'm going to start with a little bit about myself, that will give you some background for why I feel passionately about this subject. My father has been a journalist since before I was born, and he still is one. All my life I have been around journalists, and I have several journalist friends. 

   This means that I have some insight into how journalists work, both for good and bad. It's always more fascinating for me to look behind the headlines to see what they don't write.

    I will elaborate in the comments if anyone wishes me to, but now on with this article.

   This week have seen a press release from Amazon that has gotten quite a lot of attention. The main focus has of course been on the claim that Amazon now sells more Kindle books than paper books. I quote:

Amazon.com is now selling more Kindle books than paperback books. Since the beginning of the year, for every 100 paperback books Amazon has sold, the Company has sold 115 Kindle books. Additionally, during this same time period the Company has sold three times as many Kindle books as hardcover books. This is across Amazon.com's entire U.S. book business and includes sales of books where there is no Kindle edition. Free Kindle books are excluded and if included would make the numbers even higher.

   Looks rather good doesn't it? But let's take a closer look at this statement:

   Firstly Amazon does not in any way back up its claim. They show absolutely no sales figures, and without any way of independently verify what they say, this is just a PR statement. The figures may very well be accurate, but I'm not just going to take a commercial business' word for it.
  
   Did you also notice the emphasis on some facts, while some where left out entirely?
   Amazon goes out of its way to tell us that this;
"[...]includes sales of books where there is no Kindle edition. Free Kindle books are excluded and if included would make the numbers even higher" 
   What they, of course, make no mention of is that these figures certainly include books that are only available on Kindle.  Which if you ask me is a pretty significant point, and one I think any good journalist writing about this should have brought up.
   This leaves me with the question why Amazon don't publish a comparison of sales between books that are available both as paper books from a (non self-publishing) publisher and on the Kindle. 
   I don't think I'm stretching it when I say they would have IF those books sold better on Kindle than in paper. Let's face it,  why would they hide something like that?

NOTE: A quick check of the Science Fiction and Fantasy bestseller list on amazon.com shows that 13 of the top 20 books (at 12.55 CET.) are Kindle editions costing $5.00 and under. Of these five are kindle only, and four are available in print only as self-published books costing $11.16 to $19.99 in paperback. (Interestingly, Amazon charges $2 extra on Kindle books under $5 if I want them here in Norway.)

   I think all of the points I've made above are valid questions, and it pisses me off that the media has not made them, but instead just repeated Amazon's PR-statement/propaganda.
   Fortunately there are some media reports of Amazon that are a bit more critical:


   This article from the NYTimes reports that Amazon's profit margin fell from 5% in the fourth quarter of 2009, to 3.7% in the forth quarter of 2010. And that this has made their stock fall 9.2%.
   Something I was not able to see easily (, in fact at all,) in Amazon's statement. This has as far as I know not been widely reported, and certainly not by the Kindle fans. Some of whom I saw calling Wall Street insane, or words to that effect, because the stock fell when Amazon published such good news.
   I'm no financial expert, but a 26% drop (,if I understand this correctly,) in the profit margin, sounds bad to me. And a 3.7% profit margin seems slim, even when we are talking about huge sums of money.


   A good example of bad journalism when it comes to Amazon, and Kindle in particular, is the headline to this article from The Bookseller.com, published the day before Amazon's statement. 
   The headline says: "Kindle sales reaching 80% of physical sales, DBW told". However if you actually take time to read the article, this is the original statement: "Grandinetti said it was “not uncommon” for Kindle sales “to be 20-30-40-50-80% of a BookScan number” in 2010."
   Not exactly the same, but I bet it is the headline that people remember.
 
   The same article also mentions a interesting fact, that in my opinion would make a better headline: "[...]James Patterson's Jack and Jill pre-and-post agency pricing. He said: "There was a 48% drop in units with the $2 increase in price."
   This  was interesting to me. Is this a sign that e-books can not sustain sales levels if they have to be priced in a way that includes pre-"printing" production costs? As it is now, e-books are a bi-product of paper books, and are getting a piggyback ride on the editorial costs of the hardcover release, as I see it. Mind you, this is something I believe, not something I know. I would very much like to see a working journalist take up this point, research it, and publish an article about it.

   I have seen several cases over the past year where journalists seemingly print Amazon's press statements and unverified numbers as fact. That is not journalism, that is PR, and usually you have to pay someone to do it for you. I'd like to see much more critical journalism when it comes to Amazon specifically , and e-books in general. I will certainly keep trying to look behind every headline I see on the subject until journalists start doing journalism.

   So what do you think about what I've said? The comments are open.

REVIEW: THE SOLARIS BOOK OF NEW FANTASY

Cover Art: Jon Sullivan

THE SOLARIS BOOK OF NEW FANTASY
EDITED BY
GEORGE MANN

ISBN: 978-1-84416-523-0
Published by: Solaris
Publishing date: 3 December 2007 

  This is the first time I have reviewed a short story anthology, and I have decided to write a little bit about each story, and finish off with my overall impression. I would very much like your opinion on reviewing it this way. Should I continue doing it this way in the future? Or should I do it as it is usually done, with a review of the book as a whole and only mentioning the weakest and strongest stories?

    I would appreciate you giving your opinion in the comments.

 

WHO SLAYS THE GIANT, WOUNDS THE BEAST by Mark Chadbourn

   A story of Christmas eve in an England at war with the Faerie.

   Chadbourn manages to convey quite a lot about the larger world in this short story. You get a feel that there is much more that could be told here, without that distracting or detracting from what is being told. The story itself is a well executed tale of suspense, and love.

REINS OF DESTINY - A WARS OF LIGHT & SHADOWS STORY by Janny Wurts

   Wurts' story doesn't stand to well alone. I've never read anything of hers before, and I felt this was more of an excerpt than a stand alone. But as an excerpt it functions well. It gives a glimpse into a much larger story that seems interesting. There's a real possibility that I will pick up Wurts' Wars of Light and Shadow books in the future after reading this short story.

TORNADO OF SPARKS by James Maxey

   A very nice little story of dragons. At first glance it may seem like many other fantasy stories, and the themes of it are not new, but Maxey manages to give it some good twists that sets it above its common Fantasy tropes. Well worth a read.

GRANDER THAN THE SEA by T. A. Pratt

   A good little contemporary fantasy about a town. Pratt manages to give us a good deal of information in a limited space, and the setting seems fully realized. The story in itself is also a fun take on the stories about weird religious groups and their gods. Pratt also manages to put in a sweet little love story.

THE PRINCE OF END TIMES by Hal Duncan

    A very complex story, at least when it comes to language and structure. Duncan does it very well, but having only read it once, I feel a bit too distanced from the story by the complex prose. This definitely needs a re-read to really get a grip on it.

KING TALES by Jeff VanderMeer

    The title is certainly accurate. VanderMeer has managed to tell three complete tales in a few pages. All of them are in the traditional fairy tale style, and they are all very good. These absolutely needs to be read.

IN BETWEEN DREAMS by Christopher Barzac 

    An interesting story about a woman in Tokyo. It's done well, and I didn't see where it was going before it had taken me there. That being said, it is barely fantasy. And what little there is of fantasy elements here is in my opinion not really necessary for the story to work. But I still really enjoyed it, and it is well worth the read.

AND SUCH SMALL DEER by Chris Roberson

    This is a strange story. Not so much for what it is about, but it is a prequel story to two well known characters in fantastic literature. I found this to be a very interesting tale, and Roberson has presented it in a way that suits the story and the literary legacy of the characters perfectly.

THE WIZARD'S COMING by Juliet E. McKenna

    I thought a story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. It's debatable if this is a beginning or a middle, it certainly does not have an end. To me this felt like either a prologue or the first chapter of book two of a trilogy/series. This is a shame since McKenna's writing is very good, and despite its shortcomings this made me want to read more of her work. I just did not get why this was chosen to represent her in a short story anthology.

SHELL GAME - A JOHN JUSTIN MALLORY STORY by Mike Resnick

    This is a pretty standard detective story, except for a few minor details. It's humorous and it's Urban Fantasy. Resnick has written a funny little story, and I liked it very much. I'll also be on the lookout for stories with the same main character, because this is a sort of story I would like to read more of.

THE SONG HER HEART SANG - A STORY OF THERA by Steven Savile

     A combination of romance and quest fantasy. Maybe not the most original combination in the world, but Savile has managed to draw in some very thoughtful observations on the fact that you should be careful what you wish for, into the mix. A very nice story, with just enough sugary sweetness.

A MAN FALLS  by Jay Lake

     A story with a very good, and interesting, central concept. There is much to love here, in fact too much. This deserves much more than the short story it is crammed into. It doesn't help that the ending is both a bit weak, and very unfulfilling.

O CARITAS by Conrad Williams

     Set in a post-apocalyptic London devastated by an earthquake. This is a strange story, that seemingly shifts focus at one point. Williams pulls together an ending that is both chilling and surprising.

LT. PRIVET'S LOVE SONG by Scott Thomas

     Thomas has written what at first seems like a traditional love story. But it has a twist that turns it in another direction, and makes it much more than that. A very satisfying tale that manages to encompass both personal events and some greater events.

SHINANDAGA by Lucius Shepard

     This story is very much of the lit fic type. And the fantastical elements, that make it fit into this anthology, are more ones of surrealism than fantasy in my opinion. But that does not mean I didn't like it. Shepard has written a great weird story.

QUASHIE TRAP BLACKLIGHT by Steven Erikson

     A humorous story that is a bit hard to follow. Not only because there are multiple points of view, but because it is decidedly insane. It is a bit difficult to know if this tale should be credited to a great imagination or a good "medicine cabinet".

SUMMARY

    Usually with anthologies like this I find about half the stories to be good, a quarter very good/great, and the final quarter meh/bad. This is not the case here. I've read quite a few anthologies over the years, and I would say that this is without a doubt one of the top fantasy ones, maybe even the best. I think every fan of  fantasy should have this book in their collection. And it can also serve as a great introduction to anyone who has not read fantasy before. Get one for yourself, and one for a friend who doesn't "get" fantasy.

LINK: George Mann  Solaris

Note: I was going to label all the authors, but Blogger only allows 200 characters in the labels. So for the sake of fairness I chose to label none of them.

REVIEW: 2001: A SPACE ODDYSEY

[No cover information available.]

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY

BY

ARTHUR C. CLARKE

ISBN: 978-0-451-45799-4

Pages: 296

Publisher: Roc

Publishing date: 1 July 1968

On the cover:

[No flap copy on this edition.]

   Many would argue that this is a tie-in novel for the film by Stanley Kubrick. And you could be excused for classifying it as that, but it is not that easy. According to Clarke's foreword, it is more of a parallel work, that mostly was the basis for the script to the movie. But he also admits that there was some inspiration flowing from the script to the book.

   It is also said that the movie, and that would mean this novel to, is based on Clarke's short story The Sentinel, Clarke explains in the foreword that this is not true. This novel is in fact an expansion of that story, that also includes material from another of Clarke's short stories, but is mostly made up of original material.

 

   As you can see from the above, if you have seen the movie this won't be a new story. But there are several subtle differences between Kubrick's movie and Clarke's book. In fact part of the plot are planets apart.
  
   Clarke reveals much that is not in the movie too. He uses the medium of the novel to give us thoughts and ideas that would not have worked on the screen. And the book is much better for doing that, instead of being a rehashing of the movie.
   This is a much more metaphysical tale than the hippy-trip that the movie is. And that is a part of the novel where Clarke excels in my opinion.

   Clarke has been credited with inventing the idea of satellites, but his predictive powers are much greater here. At one point a main character is reading papers on a "newspad", pretty stunning for something written in the sixties.
   It must be said that some of the astronomy of the book has dated rather badly. Modern probes has given us much that Clarke could not predict, but I didn't feel as if this was a problem, but rather an interesting insight into astronomy over 40 years ago. It was also very interesting to see Clarke's thoughts on future space exploration.

    I think reading this book is a must if you liked the movie. And if you are not familiar with the movie, this is still a very good near future Science Fiction novel that I don't hesitate to recommend.

    I will leave you with a quote from page 64 of the book:

   "There was another thought which a scanning of those electronic headlines often invoked. The more wonderful the means of communication, the more trivial, tawdry, or depressing its contents seemed to be."

LINKS: Ace/Roc (Penguin)

MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN VS THE WHEEL OF TIME

 

MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN VERSUS THE WHEEL OF TIME

   I'll start by confessing I've not read either of these books before. I've read the New Spring novella in Legends (Edited by Robert Silverberg) but that is it as far as these two series go.

   

   I now plan to do something about that. The two books whose covers you see above are now next to me, and in the next two weeks (I'm giving myself plenty of time to read a book or two in between them.) I will read them both. 

   I usually prefer to read series, or trilogies, when they are finished. And since both of these will be finished this year, it's time for me to start on them. 

   

   The problem I have is that for budgetary reasons, I will not be able to buy both these series at once. And I don't want to commit to reading two such long series in one year, even though I am aware of that there is plenty of time to read the Malazan Book of the Fallen series before the final volume in The Wheel of Time is out. I also have plenty of other books I want to buy, so for this year I'll buy and read one series. And that is where you as a reader of this blog comes in: 

   Both of these series has a huge number of fans, and I want you to share your opinions on the two series with me. I especially want to know if the first book is representative for the series as a whole, or if there are things happening later in the series that makes it better.

    

    I am after what you think is positive about these series, not why you think one is "crap" compared to the other. Please be civil if you choose to comment. I'll leave the comments unmoderated for now, but I may change that later.

    Two weeks from now, Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th of February, I will review these books, and on Wednesday the 9th of February I will do a follow up post on what series I have decided to purchase first. Based on what I think of the two books and your comments.

    So please leave a comment on which series you think is the best, and what makes it so. I will appreciate your input.

REVIEW: WOLFSANGEL

Cover Illustration: Paul Young

Cover Design: Patrick Knowles

WOLFSANGEL

BY
M. D. LACHLAN

ISBN: 978-0-575-08957-0
Pages: 438
Publisher: Gollancz
Publishing Date: 20 May 2010

On the cover: 

The creature looked at his body and it seemed to him a very fine thing. His hands were strong and large and his muscles were wound to his bones like tree roots around rock. His teeth felt like shining knives in his head.

A story of Vikings and mad gods, a story about hunger - for love, for life and for death.

The Viking King Authun leads his men on a raid against an Anglo-Saxon village. A prophecy has told him that the Saxons have stolen a child from the Gods. If Authun, in turn, takes the child and raises him as an heir, the child will lead his people to glory.
But Authun discovers not one child, but twin baby boys.

 Authun takes the children and their mother home, back to the witches who live on the troll wall. And seals all their fates.

One child will hunt a wolf, the other will become a wolf.

Both will become rivals in love. And both are tied into the schemes of a witch queen and a dead god; Odin, lord of the hanged.

    Let us start with getting one thing out of the way, I am Norwegian. And you get kind of wary of people stepping in and using your cultural heritage when you come from a small region like the Nordic, or Norse, one. To give you an example, there was some jealousy in Norway when the Disney film Hercules was announced, we have just as rich a pantheon of gods. But once the film was released, and the Greeks started complaining, people sighed in relief that we hadn't been Disneyfied. -This is what a foreigner who wants to use  Norse legends and sagas as inspiration has to tackle. (To be fair, there is still lots of Viking blood in the British Isles.)

    There's no slow start to this book. Chapter one has plenty of action, and throws you straight into the story. But although this book has plenty of action, that is not what is its real strength. What Lachlan does best is take you under the skin of the characters.
   With few central characters he has time to let us really get to know them, and as the story progresses you get pretty intimate with the lead players. There were times where I really empathized with the characters in a way that few books make me do.

    There's quite a bit of magic in the book. Thankfully Lachlan has stayed close to the shamanistic nature of Norse magic instead of using a AD&D based system. The magic here is very much a part of the story, and it is well integrated, and a Viking of the period would have no problem recognizing it.
    Lachlan also integrates the other paranormal elements seamlessly into his story. And when gods are involved you get a bit of the paranormal.

    The lack of the huge overt treat, that is the mainstay of much fantasy, does make the pace seem deceptively slow. But there is a lot going on, and there is no down-time to get you bored. The story has an inner drive that captures you, and keeps you reading.
    While Lachlan gives us much information in the first sixty or so pages, he holds back a lot for the reader to discover later. The story has many twists and turns, and at times it will have you fooled as to what is going on. It draws to a satisfying conclusion, but promises there is more to come. And if you are like me, you will want to read more of this saga

   Lets go back a bit, to where I started this review. Did Lachlan manage to stay true to the original Norse Sagas? -I think he did, in more ways than one. Not only has he gotten the feel of the sagas almost perfect, but he has stayed true to the Norse myths.
    There is no doubt that Lachlan has done his research for this novel. -To be honest, I got to say that I know he's been to Norway before writing it. He has also obviously done extensive research on the historical period, what is known as the Viking Age [Vikingtiden] here in Norway.
    Lachlan has  managed to combine the sagas with fantasy and horror, and pulled off a magnificent novel. I am eagerly awaiting the follow up Fenrir, that is released later this year.

A COUPLE OF NOTES:
-If a publisher from Norway, or any of the other Nordic countries reads this: Check out the book, I think it is well worth translating and publishing.
-M.D. Lachlan is the not so secret pseudonym of journalist and author Mark Barrowcliffe.

-This book was sent to me by the author.

LINKS: M.D. Lachlan  Gollancz

REVIEW: BLAMELESS

Cover design: Lauren Panepinto

Cover photograph: Tiny Dragon Productions

Cover model: Donna Ricci

BLAMELESS

THE PARASOL PROTECTORATE:

BOOK THE THIRD

BY

GAIL CARRIGER

ISBN: 978-0-316-07415-5
Pages: 355
Publisher: Orbit
Publishing Date: 1 September 2010


On the cover:

   The publisher's blurb/flap copy on this book is a bit like Britney Spears or Lindsey Lohan exiting a car, it reveals more than you need to see. So I'll just quote from Gail Carriger's blog :

"Even bigger SPOILER ALERT! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON  if you haven't read the other books first."

   There was some major events at the end of the second book in this series, Changeless, so this was an eagerly awaited book for me. And I was not disappointed.

   The opening chapter gives us a quick reminder of past events, and also gets us up to date with the story of Alexia. 

   This is a action-filled book, and Miss Carriger doesn't waste anytime in throwing us right into the middle of it. An early mystery is thrown into the mix, and we are off on a fun journey into Alexia Tarabotti's Europe.

   It is the traveling that helps make this book so good. By having Alexia travel out of the United Kingdom, in this case to France and Italy, Miss Carriger gets the opportunity to show off more of the world we are in. And she does this magnificently. There is a sense here that this is a fully fleshed out alternate history Europe. Among other things, we get to know much more about the paranormal's special place in UK society, and how some of the other countries in Europe sees them.
   This adds another layer to the background, or should I say Worldbuilding?, that Miss Carriger has put into the world of the Parasol Protectorate. As a fan of history, both real and alternate, I really appreciate that.


   Right from the start of the book we have events that helps us understand better who Alexia is, and how she has become that way. We get to see even more of how her family is, and this especially feels true to having formed the personality Alexia has become. We also get some surprising and intriguing information about Alexia's family background. 


   There is a parallel plot going on here, that I will not call a B-plot as it is just as fascinating as the story of what happens on Alexia's travels. And it also adds a lot to both characters and the world the story is set in.
   There's also quite a bit of historical fact, to this alternate world, sprinkled about in the book, something I found very rewarding. (Also keep an eye open for the hilarious names of some of the incidental characters.)


   Miss Carriger has continued the story of Alexia Taraotti in excellent fashion. This book gripped me from the first page to the last, and I am already looking forward to the next installment, Heartless, that is coming in June this year.
   Whether your interest lies in Victoriana, alternate history, Steampunk, Urban Fantasy, or just an action-packed adventure, you almost certainly will find something to love in this book.


My earlier reviews for: Soulless and Changeless


LINKS: Gail Carriger  Orbit

I'M BACK! / READING HIGHLIGHTS OF 2010

I'M BACK!

   After over a month with a computer that seizes up after 5-15 minutes, I have finally gotten a computer that works as it should again. This is quite a relief, it's been a pain being cut off from interacting with all the nice people I've gotten to know in the last year. Most of these I've met through Twitter. I could mention names, but I'll go with the Norwegian saying:  No-one mentioned, no-one forgotten.

    I also missed being able to blog a lot. I have of course been reading quite a bit, and have some reviews lined up for the blog. 2010 has been a sort of test year for me when it comes to blogging, and it is something I want to continue doing. I'm planing to post 2-3 reviews a week on the blog from now on. The first one will be up later today (European time).

    I hope you will follow the blog in the future, whether you're here for the first time, or if you are a regular visitor.

READING HIGHLIGHTS OF 2010

   These are some of the books that I have appreciated reading the most in 2010. Not all of them were published in 2010, and I have not reviewed all of them. Some of them I read before I started reviewing, and some of them will be reviewed on the blog later.

-I'll start at the beginning, with the first book I read last year, one I got for Christmas in 2009:

PANSERHJERTE by Jo Nesbø

This is of course the original Norwegian edition, published by Aschehoug in 2009. It's a great book, Nesbø just keeps getting better.

The English edition is called The Leopard, and is published by Random House this Thursday (20 January).

Note: The Norwegian title translates as Iron Heart/ Heart of Iron. Or more directly Armor Heart/Heart of Armor. (Panser=armor, hjerte=heart.)

  THE PARASOL PROTECTORATE BOOKS by Gail Carriger

  Soulless (review) came out in 2009, and has since been followed by Changeless

  (review) and Blameless in 2010.

  The humor and action in these books have made them favorites of mine. They are not

  the type of books I would typically look for, so I am grateful that I discovered these

  through Twitter.

  Note: I have already read Blameless, and will review it soon.

LEGENDS OF THE RED SUN by Mark Charan Newton

Nights of Villjamur (review) was published in 2009 and was followed in 2010 by

City of Ruin (review).

 A more or less city-bound fantasy series. Interesting and different from the myriad Tolkienesque fantasy books out there. Book three is on the way, and Mark said on Twitter that he is already 10.000 words into book four. (Hope that wasn't supposed to be a secret, Mark.)

TOME OF THE UNDERGATES by Sam Sykes


Tome of the Undergates (review) is a 2010 debut novel.


This is action-packed Sword and Sorcery that manages to both be classic in style, and a fresh breath in today's fantasy landscape. 
Book two, Black Halo, is coming later this year. And I'm eagerly awaiting it.

THE WAY OF KINGS by Brandon Sanderson


The Way of Kings (review), published in 2010, this is the first of what is said to be ten books in The Stormlight Archive.


I really liked this book, and although I look forward to reading the rest of the series, I don't particularly look forward to the long wait until the last book is published.
If I remember correctly six years was mentioned.

INVISIBLE FIENDS: MR MUMBLES by Barry Hutchison


Invisible Fiends: Mr Mumbles (review) is another 2010 debut.


This is marketed as a children's book (9+), but I found it worked as a Horror novel for all ages. 
It is another book/author I've discovered through Twitter.
Book two, Invisible Fiends: Raggy Maggie, is already out.

WOLFSANGEL by M.D. Lachlan


Wolfsangel is a 2010 debut for M.D.Lachlan, but the author behind the pseudonym has published several books before.


Fantasy set in the lands of the old Norse Sagas.
I'll review this later in the week.

THE SOLARIS BOOK OF NEW FANTASY edited by George Mann


This collection of short stories was published in 2007. 


I won't say much about it here. But I have included it in my highlights of 2010 for a reason. A review will be coming shortly.


   This post is starting to approach the point where it's getting very long, so I'll round off with mentioning a couple of authors that I've read for the first time in 2010.

-IAIN M. BANKS: I've heard of him for years, and started on his Culture novels in 2010. I read Consider Phlebas (review) and The Player of Games -review coming up soon.


-IAN McDONALD: Also an author I've heard lots about, but never gotten around too before 2010. River of Gods (review) and Brasyl (review coming up), are the two I've gotten through.