COVER REVEAL ROUND UP (VIII)

   It's been a while since I last did one of these (as usual), so some of these covers will have been revealed quite some time ago. I will however start with some covers that have just made it into the public eye.

   This is an absolutely lovely cover by Paul Young for Student Bodies, Sean Cumming's sequel to Poltergeeks. As with the cover for the first book, I really love this one. The novel will be out 3 September from Strange Chemistry.

   A totally different type of cover for another 3 September release from Strange Chemistry. This one is by Argh! Oxford for When the World Was Flat (and we were in love) by Ingrid Jonach. I like that it is "clean", basically it stands out by not being anything special when every other cover seemingly tries to be.

   Next is the UK cover to Jo Nesbø's Police. What I like most about this is that the picture is actually of the correct prison in Oslo (Botsfengselet). That matters to most Norwegians, who are very familiar with the image because of a long running film series. Lots of credit to the UK publisher for commissioning an Oslo photographer to take the photo. -And let's face it, it is a pretty good cover for a crime novel of that type even if you are not already familiar with the image.

   The last of the recent images (, all four were revealed yesterday as far as I know) is this cover by John Coulthart for Fiendish Schemes by K.W. Jeter. If it looks familiar it's because it is the same artist, and same style, used for the covers for Jeter's two books from Angry Robot Books, this book will however be released by Tor Books on 15 October.

   Creepy clown time! Not really any need for me to say anything else about the cover, except that it is by SL Johnson. -This is a collection edited by K.A. Laity coming from Fox Spirit Books this Saturday (13 July).

   This is the kind of cover that will always get me interested in looking closer at a book. Art by Steven Wood. The Woken Gods is written by Gwenda Bond, I loved her debut Blackwood so I am definitely looking forward to this one. Out 3 September by Strange Chemistry.

   I've previously had the UK cover for Stephen King's Doctor Sleep in one of these posts, and here is the US one. As a King fan I would have read it if it was just the name of the novel in crayons, but this is a good one in my opinion.

   The third Owner novel by Neal Asher has, according to what I think we can call tradition at this point, gotten a Jon Sullivan cover. I really like Sullivan's covers, and you can read more about the creation of this one in this post on the Tor UK blog.

   This cover is for a Historical Fantasy by Mark Barrowcliffe M.D. Lachlan Mark Alder. The cover isn't too much to write home about (or in a blogpost about for that matter), but it fits very well with the book description I've read, and I like this simple style for an Historical Fantasy novel.

   A really nice cover for the follow up to Katya's World. Love this cover, and I'm really excited to read the novel. It's coming 5 November from Strange Chemistry. (November?!? I don't want to wait that long!)

   Larry Rostant has made the cover for the third Night's Masque novel, like he did for the first two. I think all three covers are great, but this one is my favourite.

   Finally, there's two covers for novels released by Strange Chemistry on 1 August.

   This is the sequel to Shift, the art is by Larry Rostant. Another great cover by him.

   I like the magic associations in this cover by Steven Wood, makes me want to read the book.

REVIEW: THE SKINNER

Cover illustration: Jon Sullivan

THE SKINNER

SPATTERJAY BOOK ONE

BY

NEAL ASHER

ISBN: 978-0-330-51252-7

Pages: 582

Publisher: Tor UK

First published: 22 March 2002

This edition published: 2 October 2009

On the cover:

WELCOME TO SPATTERJAY...WHERE SUDDEN DEATH IS THE NORMAL WAY OF LIFE

Three travellers arrive on the remote planet Spatterjay - Janer, bringing the eyes of the hornet Hive mind; Erlin, searching for the ancient sea captain who can teach her to live; and Sable Keech, on a vendetta he cannot abandon, though he himself has been dead for seven hundred years.

On its vast waterscapes only the native hoppers dare risk the voracious appetites of the planet's wildlife. Somewhere out there is Spatterjay Hoop himself - and other notorious villains who need bringing to justice for the hideous crimes committed centuries ago during the Prador Wars.

But time is running out. For one of the most brutal Prador is about to arrive, intent on exterminating all remaining witnesses to his wartime atrocities...

Major hell is about to erupt in a chaotic world - where minor hell is already a remorseless fact of everyday life...and death.

   This is one of those SFF novels that can be hard to define into a sub-genre. There's no doubt that it is Science Fiction, but much of the story is set in an environment that is much more typical of Fantasy. Ships sailing on an ocean is usually something that you find in Fantasy, or perhaps more often in Historical Fiction. Added to that there is also an element of Horror here. Not only in the titular character, but in many of the indigenous creatures of Spatterjay.

   So the question then is if this somewhat strange mix comes together and works as more than a collage? -I have to say it does, more than that - it is one of the greatest strengths of the novel.  Asher manages to use the elements from the different sub-genres to create a world that is in many ways more alien than it could have been by not being constricted by only Science Fiction "rules".

   Despite being as unfriendly as it is, Spatterjay is a very interesting world. It is well realised and by the end of the novel you'll have had a good introduction to its history and how it works in the narrative's present.

   The story is a really compelling one. It takes a while before it gets going, and there are layers added to it throughout. The pace starts out as rather slow, but like a steam-train once it gets going it builds up speed rather quickly and at times reaches a breakneck pace. 

   There are several threads that drive the story, each of them related to a different character, and each of them interesting in themselves. Asher manages to weave these threads in and out of each other with a deft hand, creating a story that comes together very satisfyingly.

   Asher has populated his world with a pretty large cast of characters. They are a varied cast, and they all feel real. Of course not all of them get the same amount of pages to give them depth, but they are still given enough time to show us who they are. 

   The main characters are an interesting group of different beings. And following their journey is an enjoyable experience. There's room for different races, species, and even artificial intelligence in the cast. They are diverse enough to not get close to boring, and they have different motivations and agendas that creates tension and excitement.

   The only problem I had with the novel was the different POVs. They change frequently, and I at times felt this made it difficult to get a feel for what was happening. It did in no way ruin the story, but it did make it a bit harder to stay immersed in it. 

   Towards the end I felt this worked much better, and I am not completely sure if it was because this mode of storytelling works better when the pace of events is greater, or if I was just getting used to it. Either way, I don't think this should discourage anyone from picking up the book unless they hate frequent POV changes.

   This was the first time I read a book by Neal Asher, and although he comes highly recommended by bloggers I trust, I didn't really know what to expect. (I tend to avoid reading too much about books I know I'm going to read.) I was not disappointed by those who recommended the book. This is a type of adventurous story that I enjoy very much. 

   I would say that this is one of the Science Fiction books I have read that would be easiest for Fantasy fans to pick up. And I would urge anyone who enjoys Fantasy, and is curious about Science Fiction to pick it up.

   All in all this is a great story set in a well realised world, with lots of action, and enough mystery and depth to make it really interesting. I'm certainly going to pick up more of Asher's books in the future.

Links: Neal Asher  Tor UK  Tor UK Blog