Well, there's no question what the lead feature for october is going to be – Canticle by Ken Scholes. This is a singularly brilliant saga and Canticle is going to absolutely blow away all of those who have read Lamentation. Publishers Weekly RAVED about it: The sequel to Scholes's stellar debut, 2008's Lamentation, ingeniously fuses epic fantasy and postapocalyptic science fiction. Magicked assassins kill numerous leaders from across the Named Lands and send the region into economic and political turmoil. Amid the chaos, Jin Li Tam gives birth to General Rudolfo's son, sickly Jakob. As Rudolfo sets out in search of a cure, young Marsh Queen Winters ascends the throne of her people only to realize her past has been an elaborate lie; former Androfrancine Pope Petronus risks his life to bring some semblance of peace to the realm; and Nebios ben Hebda uncovers bombshell revelations regarding the Order's “metal men” and the history of the Old World. Abounding in prophecy, myth and mystery, this grand-scale saga is a towering storytelling tour de force. (Oct.)
My next choice is a creepy debut novel, A Twisted Ladder by Rhodi Hawk. It's a Southern gothic thriller about a psychologist exploring her family's dark past... The synopsis sounds like it would be a perfect October read: "Psychologist Madeleine LeBlanc has spent her whole career trying to determine the cause of her father's schizophrenia. She always felt that she could unravel its origins and cure the man who left her and her brother, Marc, to practically raise themselves on the Louisiana Bayou. But when Marc takes his own life on a fishing boat in the middle of Bayou Black, Madeleine embarks on a journey into her family history---to a time when the antebellum era was crumbling, and the line between servant and master was starting to fade. And the more she pries the more she reveals her family’s dark past, rife with conjured demons and river magic gone awry. Madeleine’s only hope to save herself is to face the ghosts of the past, the dangers of the present, and the twisted ladder that links them all together."
But what do you guys want to do this the third feature? Should we continue with Abercrombie's First Law trilogy? It doesn't seem like the september thread The Blade Itself is very busy right now. any thoughts?
Paul
paulgoatallen wrote:Melissa:
Yes, Canticle doesn't officially drop until 10/13 but sometimes Tor books are released early so I'm hoping it's not embargoed until the 13th...
And, YES, I have Hunger Games and Catching Fire on the list of potential features....(Carmen told me about these titles months ago!) Do you want to do a Suzanne Collins feature in October?
Paul
Okay, Paul, I have been kind of not really visiting much lately do to all this work they're doing with the boards and I know it's only temporary but it's really hard to read anything, and is quite daunting when replying(I don't believe I'm the only one who feels this way). I even tried reading one of your New Blog Posts and it looked crazy, so I couldn't even read it. Man, I love discussing the books I read here, but I wish there was a way to put things on hold until they have everything fixed and running properly~. I'm still here, just waiting in the side lines I guess you could say, and I understand they're working on it the best they can....
Mel and I are kind of behind a little with The Name of the Wind because of this, and we have been a little busy lately with work, kids, and reading other books LOL! We are book addicts! 
Anyway, we are soon going to be starting The Blade Itself and then we were hoping to do The Hunger Games.
The First Law Trilogy we weren't planning to do back to back, do to other books being released like Canticle and Catching Fire.
I would love to do Canticle but maybe we can do it in November since it doesn't come out until October 13th? I believe Ken did say November would be better for him to stop by and comment more, right? I think he said "It'd be after his book release stuff....." I don't know, just a thought, and maybe by then the boards will be looking and working a little better. This is our most anticipated read of the year! It would be a better discussion with the boards working properly, right? This is just my humble opinion, anyway.
When Mel and I talked we talked about doing The Blade Itself now and then The Hunger Games and Catching Fire(I just received my copy in the mail today, Woot! Woot!) in October.
What do you think?
carmen22 wrote:
paulgoatallen wrote:
melissas wrote:I haven't participated in any of the Fantasy & Science Fiction monthly features, as I only discovered the joy of the bn.com boards about a month ago. However, I definitely plan on taking part in the Twilight Zone discussion. So, I thought I'd throw my two cents in and say that I would undoubtedly participate in a Hunger Games/Catching Fire discussion.
Glad to have you, Melissa! And it looks like I have to get copies of those Suzanne Collins' books – everyone is raving about them and I don't want to be the only one who hasn't read them!
Paul
Paul,
You really won't be disappointed! They're awesome and I mean Awesome!!!!!
Yeah, I second that. If you're disappointed, I'll buy your copies! (and you can still keep them)
And thanks for the warm welcome, everyone.
Ryan_G wrote:
Paul,
When does the new David Gregory book come out?
Ryan:
David Gregory? I think you mean Daryl Gregory, right? Author of Pandemonium? It's called The Devil's Alphabet – a story about quantum evolution, murder, and what it means to be human, all set in a tiny Tennessee mountain town – and it's supposed to be released November 24th! Daryl has the first chapter online so feel free to get "tantalized!"
Paul
carmen22 wrote:
Guess What?I have just won a book giveaway contest through my blog of any pre-order book I would like! Woot! Woot! So, of course, I picked Canticle! This means I will definitely be in the game for this discussion! I can't wait! I also really LOVE Canticle's cover! Even more than the first one, however, it was wonderful, too!Wow! Just look at them, I would love to have an art piece like this hanging on my wall!
Krista:
You are going to L-O-V-E this novel! Seriously, as great as Lamentation was, Canticle takes all of the storylines and just twists them in directions that will just blow your mind!
I'm not overstating this – Ken's Psalms of isaak saga will go down as the series that redefined epic fantasy.
These books are instant classics.
Paul
