Now I don't make a habit of posting blurbs and cover art and excerpts. These things, they have their place on the blogosphere - I wouldn't question it - but by and large, those places aren't here. If you want all that jazz to factor into your daily reading, the aforementioned Aidan's got you covered, with class, concise commentary et al.
Which isn't to say I don't ever repost publicity materials: only that it takes a special case for me to make an exception. For the record, China Mieville and Brandon Sanderson (more on whom soon) are the only authors whose excerpts I've pimped out via intravenous TSS. Two excerpts in six-and-some months... not bad going.
Well, make that three. Yesterday, in their newsletter, Gollancz released an exclusive excerpt from The Heroes - Joe Abercrombie's still-a-ways-out next novel, due in the new year - to subscribers. And with everyone's favourite Uncle nodding permission from the comfy chair I set up for him in the corner, I'm reproducing it here for those of you who don't subscribe to the monthly email loveliness. Which you almost certainly should. In fact, let me introduce you to a link to ease the very thing.
Anyway. The excerpt:
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| Splattering Brain Matter Starting January 2011 |
I haven't been able to read it myself yet - my pesky computer keeps choking on the URL - but, and this should come as no surprise to (love you) longtime readers, I'm something of an Abercrombie devotee. Though I was a touch disappointed by the unrelenting and often rather rote violence of Best Served Cold - the full review is here - The First Law trilogy represented a refreshingly frank and realistic new direction for fantasy at the time of its publication. I did it, too, something of a disservice, stopping and starting throughout despite having the whole saga to hand; by the time I came to read it in full, the style of storytelling Abercrombie pioneered had already been imitated ad infinitum. Despite that, I have a great deal of respect for the author, and high hopes for The Heroes, which is set to go back to the well in terms of setting and a couple of returning characters.
Here's the blurb, in case you haven't perused it yet:
"War: where the blood and dirt of the battlefield hide the dark deeds committed in the name of glory. The Heroes is about violence and ambition, gruesome deaths and betrayals; and the brutal truth that no plan survives contact with enemy. The characters are the stars, as ever, and the message is dark: when it comes to war, there are no heroes...
Meet the heroes.
Curnden Craw: a ruthless fighter who wants nothing more than to see his crew survive.
Prince Calder: a liar and a coward, he will regain his crown by any means necessary.
Bremer dan Gorst: a master swordsman, a failed bodyguard, his honor will be restored - in the blood of his enemies.
Over three days, their fates will be sealed."
Roll on January, right?
Meantime, I'm going to see if I can't get that excerpt working for myself...
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