Reviewed by Joelene Pynnonen

Ross Baker is having a bad day. Having found out from office gossip that his beloved girlfriend has fallen pregnant but does not trust him enough to tell him, he volunteers for a scan using the new technology his company, Neurosphere, is developing. The scan is meant to take his mind off the complications in his life, and it does, just not in the way that Ross had expected.

Now he is trapped inside Starfire, the computer game he had played incessantly as a child. No matter what he does, he cannot escape. Dying is painful, but only leads to respawning. There are bridges that can take him out of the game, only to lead him to other games. What’s worse, a group of people called the Integrity have set up within the game world and are trying to close off all the bridges, using brute force if necessary. Ross must find out what they are doing before time runs out for him and everyone else.

From the blurb one would expect Bedlam to be a fast-paced action with a lot of thrills and kills, but not much heart. That would be wrong. It does have action, but there are a lot of other things going on in this novel. It’s philosophical and strangely domestic. Stuck in a game – or set of games – where pretty much anything goes, Ross’s character is defined more by what he has left behind than by his actions. He considers the ramifications of killing before he makes any kills and his mind is consistently on Carol, his pregnant girlfriend. Ultimately Ross is a pillar of morality, and he has the intellect to be able to consider ethics on a scholarly level.

The writing is third person, but from Ross’s perspective and it is as clever as it ought to be in showing Ross’s thought processes. Brookmyre’s writing is at turns witty, thoughtful or self-deprecating, but it is always in character.

The pace is the only thing that lets this novel down. There were a few reveals that I figured out before Ross did because of pacing issues. Usually that wouldn’t bother me, but Brookmyre sold me on Ross being smarter than me (and most of the general population) and he should have been able to figure out anything that I could.

There were quite a few reveals that I didn’t figure out, though. And, although I beat Ross to some of them, his reaction to the news was starkly different to what I would expect and quite refreshing.

 Bedlam isn’t what one would expect from the cover and blurb. It is, however, a wonderful read that takes into account the moral dilemmas we will increasingly face as our technology advances. It’s an inventive and thought-provoking read that I would recommend to gamers and non-gamers alike.

 Bedlam – Christopher Brookmyre

 Orbit Books (February 7, 2013)

 ISBN: 9781408704073

reviewed by Jamie Marriage

Set upon islands floating above a forsaken world, The Brightest Light, by Scott J. Robinson, is a classic action adventure story with plenty of surprises. Within a fast paced world of organized crime and seemingly endless chaos; Robinson has set the stage for a twisted tale of violence and redemption.

The Brightest Light is the first novel I’ve been able to comfortably categorize as ‘CrystalPunk’. Many fascinating universes exist within speculative fiction; some are cybernetic, some are steam or clockwork powered, and some breath diesel fumes, but the Brightest Light is the one of the few that stand tall and proudly proclaim “Because… crystals”. This is a great thing. By establishing a technological basis for his work, Robinson has been able to fully explore culture and intrigue without delving into the heady waters of scientific detail that often detracts from the action. And action, there is a plenty. Barely a chapter passes between gun-fights, back-alley chases or poisonous political corruption. This makes for a novel difficult to put down.

Story and character design is solid and consistent. Kade, an criminal turned honest citizen after his last job turned bad, is called back after a decade of exile, for one more big theft. Unbeknownst to him his criminal revival is less to bring him back to the fold of the Skyway men, and more to frame him for an even more important crime. Every island he travels to with his police officer companion, Lana, brings forth new challenges and dangers, but also new opportunities. Morals and money are loose in the Skylands. Kade is reminded of this when he encounters crooked police, corrupt politicians and plenty of everyday people happy to take him for all he’s got, while he’s attempting to clear his name and take back something that could put all the skylands at risk.

The Brightest Light is a heady and enjoyable read from cover-to-cover, at worst suffering for its frenetic pace, but made up for with lashings of strong characters, imaginative scenes, and well choreographed action.

Kindle link for US http://www.amazon.com/Brightest-Light-Scott-J-Robinson-ebook/dp/B007XCWAEW/
Kindle link for Aus http://www.amazon.com.au/The-Brightest-Light-Scott-Robinson-ebook/dp/B007XCWAEW/ Paperback Link for amazon http://www.amazon.com/The-Brightest-Light-Scott-Robinson/dp/1479393185/

Paper back link for Book Depository http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Brightest-Light-Scott-J-Robinson/9781479393183

Reviewed by Jamie Marriage

Life between the ice ages is a desperate battle for survival. While a tribe may feast in summer, it may also starve through the vicious winter months. For shaman in training, Loon, starvation is only one of the hardships.

Taken on as an apprentice shaman when his father (originally chosen to be the next in line) dies, Loon is brought up by Thorn, the clan’s resident shaman and storyteller, and the crone-like medicine woman, Heather. And while both care for the boy they each have very different expectations as to whose footsteps he should follow.

Beginning during his First Shaman’s Wander (a coming of age for a young shaman), Loon is forced into the cold winter naked and alone, fighting harder to survive the freezing snow, aggressive animals and worse, than ever before. Much to Thorn’s aggravation and Heather’s amusement, Loon’s near-death experiences leave him with a fire in his heart to fight against the Shaman way of life.

It’s not until, however, the yearly festival of the Eight-Eight that Loon truly defies his upbringing by taking a wife from another tribe. Life is far from easy after their blissful union though. Loon is in a constant state of struggle between the wishes of his tribe, his own desires, and the brutal outsiders who believe Loon’s wife to be their property.

Shaman is told from the curious perspective of the Third Wind; a spiritual force that comes only to those in great need, to push them through the pain. Its tone is direct and emotionless, but far from detracting from the story this deadpan voice emphasises the brutality of the world and in turn makes the happy moments that much more prominent. In suffering there is always hope.

The  writing style is direct and harsh. There are no spare words; the settings are described just enough to fill your mind with images but not enough to overcomplicate, and language is short and tribal. This is a very utilitarian novel; like the animals hunted by the tribe, nothing goes to waste.

Shaman is a story about the passing down of knowledge, the wisdom of the tribe, and how culture changes from one generation to the next. As the experiences of each character shapes them, so in turn do the stories of the tribe change and flow. There are lessons to be learned from this novel. Seasons change, people change, stories change. And stories are often the most important thing of all.