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Author:
Peter F. Hamilton
By
Macmillan
 Much better than the first book., 2008-10-16
The first volume in The Void Trilogy, The Dreaming Void, was an enjoyable novel but not up there with Peter F. Hamilton's best. The story took a little long to get going and the links between Edeard's story in the Void and of events in the Commonwealth felt somewhat disconnected. This second book in the trilogy is a much stronger book which sets things up nicely for the finale and ties the two narratives together much more strongly.
Picking up after the events of the first novel, the Greater Commonwealth is in turmoil. The Living Dream movement is assembling its Pilgrimage fleet, which it plans to take into the Void to begin a life of paradise and unity. Unfortunately, it seems likely that this will trigger a major expansion event within the Void, threatening the Galaxy with destruction. In order to undertake the Pilgrimage, the Living Dreamers must find the Second Dreamer, the human who is in contact with the Skylords who control the Void. Unfortunately, the Second Dreamer is a scared young woman who has no interest in becoming the new messiah to a fanatical movement whose followers number in the billions, and she goes on the run.
Elsewhere, the alien Ocisens are hurtling towards Commonwealth space, determined to destroy the Pilgrimage fleet before it can reach the Void. The Commonwealth's attempts to deter them reveal that the threat they are facing are of a far greater magnitude than previously thought, resulting in the calling in of some very big guns indeed. Characters from the Commonwealth Saga - such as Paula Myo and Oscar Monroe - are involved in investigating the apparent conspiracy by elements within the Commonwealth who want the Pilgrimage to succeed, despite the trillions of lives it could cost. Another returning character, Justine Burnelli, opts for a more direct approach when she decides to try to slip into the Void and negotiate directly with the Skylords.
However, the bulk of the novel takes place within the Void itself. Edeard, a young constable in Makkathran's police force, has been revealed as possessing extraordinary psi-powers beyond those of many of the inhabitants. As his abilities grow, so does his determination to bring down and destroy the corrupt gangs who hold the lower echelons of the city in their grasp. But, as he discovers, there are connections between the gangs and the city's rulers which makes his task thankless, uncomfortable and exceedingly dangerous.
The Temporal Void picks up from the ending of The Dreaming Void without a beat and ramps up the pace of events. This may be a novel that is over 700 pages long in hardcover, but the pages absolutely fly past. There may be SF writers who have more attitude (Morgan) or better and darker prose (Reynolds), but for the simple ability to tell a rattling damn good story and combine it with complex scientific ideas and make it all compelling, Hamilton can't really be beaten. Just to add insult to the wound, Hamilton also proves himself to have similarly good skills with writing fantasy in the Makkathran chapters, and once again the reader ponders what Hamilton would do with a pure fantasy story.
Complaints? Edeard's powers mean that the situations when he finds himself in jeopardy are not as dangerous as they should be, and a shocking series of events near the end (which are beyond GRRM's Red Wedding in making the reader's jaw drop and go, "What the hell?") are disposed of rather easily. There's also a rather awkward plot revelation near the end of the book that essentially relies on lots of characters not talking about something they all know about merely to keep the reader in suspense, which feels slightly artificial.
The complaints are pretty minor though. The Temporal Void (****½) is the most readable, compelling slice of SF published this year, and leaves the reader sitting on edge for The Evolutionary Void, which will conclude the story (due in early 2010). The novel is out now in the UK from Pan Macmillan in hardcover, and will be published by Del Rey in the USA in February.
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List Price: £18.99
Our Price: £10.10
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Author:
Terry Pratchett
By
Doubleday
His best book so far, 2008-11-05
Terry is one of those who understands the meaning of life - which can't be put into words, it can only be hinted at through story - it can't be grasped by the conscious mind, it can only be felt through the spirit. This book contains more of his wisdom than any previous book, while still being a thoroughly entertaining read. It makes you feel really alive. The prologue alone filled me with joy - it is the best creation story I have read for a long time - full of truth.
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List Price: £16.99
Our Price: £7.99
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Author:
Stephenie Meyer
By
ATOM
Meyer ends the Twilight Saga with an epic and absoluitely unmissable finale, 2008-11-09
I cannot speak highly enough of this book, Breaking Dawn is without a doubt the best book in a fantastic series. Its written so well, the plot flows excellently and there are thrilling twists and turns that I haven't experienced with any other book I've read. In my opinion Stephenie Meyer is one of the best authors of all time, she never fails to deliver and I cannot wait for her next work.
This book is a MUST BUY
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List Price: £12.99
Our Price: £6.49
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Author:
Russell T. Davies,
Benjamin Cook
By
BBC Books
Fantastic!, 2008-09-28
An astonishingly enjoyable read. If you've ever even toyed with the idea of writing, this gives you huge insights into the sheer grind and self doubt that goes into trying to get a script out, and it's a fascinating read. The email exchange structure gives a frankness that any other style would probably skirt around and you get a feeling of a genuine professional friendship between the authors. Some of the content might be a little too frank if you were thinking of buying a "Doctor Who" book for the kiddies, because it's not really a "Doctor Who" book - it's a book about writing, and the writing happens to be "Doctor Who". You do end up worrying if Russell EVER sleeps and whether this writing lark is good for his health, you do wonder how anyone finds the time to do that job, and you do get to see another side to the cheery upbeat soul who appears on TV, but that just makes it all the more intriguing. And on top of all his other work, Russell's found time to provide a large number of very inventive cartoons to illustrate the text - you'd have to hate the guy if he wasn't so good at it. The book looks fantastic, too, beautifully laid out. All in all, a big fat Hooray!!
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List Price: £30.00
Our Price: £14.95
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Author:
J. K. Rowling
By
Children's High Level Group
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Collector's Edition
Offered Exclusively by Amazon (Available in Limited Quantities)
In December 2007, J.K. Rowling unveiled The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a very special book of five fairy tales illustrated by the bard herself, embellished with silver ornaments and mounted moonstones. Amazon was fortunate to come into possession of one of the original copies, and it was our privilege to share images and reviews of this incredible artifact. Now J.K. Rowling is giving millions of Harry Pott...
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List Price: £50.00
Our Price: £50.00
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Author:
Christopher Paolini
By
Doubleday
The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini -- of which Brisingr is the latest -- shows every sign of becoming one of the most exuberant and entertaining fiction sequences in modern writing, with a scope and ambition that genuinely takes the breath away. This is a fantasy world which is cleverly designed to appeal to the widest possible range of readership; the inevitable echoes of JRR Tolkien are transformed into something rich and strange here, and the events of the earlier books are being drawn together in the later developments with masterly assurance.After the massive, punishing battle against the Warriors of the Empire, Eragon and Saphira are licking their wounds, having barely survived. The Rider and his dragon have an oath to fulfil; they must aid Katrina in escaping the most terrible danger. What follows is an epic journey, quite as action-packed and vividly described as anything in fantasy fiction. As in all the best such literature, the odds are overwhelming, nothing can be taken at face value, and the evil forces ranged against the protagonists are as vile as one could wish. Christopher Paolini clearly now feels that he has readers securely in his pocket, and is prepared to take his time to achieve some of his best effects -- a tactic that pays dividends. So often with fantasy fiction, outlandish situations are relied upon to carry the action, and there is no shortage of them here. But Paolini is canny enough to realise that the characterisation of an endangered protagonist is crucial to maintain our involvement, and (as in previous books), he always takes care of business in this regard. Don't be put off by the daunting length of this book -- Paolini justifies every word in Brisingr. You'll find yourself reading it as quickly as many a shorter book. --Barry Forshaw
Brisingr, 2008-11-17
My 9 year old son and I have LOVED this series and can't wait for the fourth and final book. We both wish we could be dragon riders and are totally captivated by the relationship between Eragon and Saphira. The story can be a bit gruesome at times, but it is also touching and funny as well as exciting and totally un-put-downable! We recommend it!
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List Price: £16.99
Our Price: £8.48
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Author:
J. K. Rowling
By
Children's High Level Group
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition
In December 2007, J.K. Rowling unveiled The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a very special book of five fairy tales illustrated by the bard herself, embellished with silver ornaments and mounted moonstones. Amazon was fortunate to come into possession of one of the original copies, and it was our privilege to share images and reviews of this incredible artifact. Now J.K. Rowling is giving millions of Harry Potter fans worldwide cause for celebration with a new edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, av...
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List Price: £6.99
Our Price: £3.49
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Author:
BBC
By
BBC Children's Books
A great gift for any Dr Who fan!, 2008-10-02
My son aged 10 is heavily into Dr Who and was dying to get this annual. He was impressed by this new one and found it both interesting and entertaining. Although a cheap gift he rated it above some of the PS2 games he was given!!! Would recommend this annual for any Dr Who fan.
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List Price: £6.99
Our Price: £3.10
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Author:
Eoin Colfer
By
Puffin
Pure Genius!!!, 2008-09-15
I can't even explain the fantastic plot twists that riddle this book.
The tension of one Criminal Genius against another, with an old, surprise character from earlier in the series it's completely enthralling.
both Artemis's have trouble hanging on to life especially when K....... comes into the fray!
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List Price: £12.99
Our Price: £6.49
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Author:
Philip Pullman
By
Scholastic
His Dark Materials Boxed Set, 2008-03-13
What excellent books! i could not put them down. Phillip Pullman has a wonderful imagination and i would recommend this book to adults and older children as i feel children under ten year's maybe a little scared! Can't wait to read his next book.
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List Price: £22.00
Our Price: £9.77
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