Release Date: 28/10/15
Publisher: Abaddon
SYNOPSIS:
Three celebrated Judge Dredd writers take you back to Dredd's first year on the streets of Mega-City One as a full-eagle Judge, in three novellas. Bred to dispense Justice, the young Dredd is not the wizened veteran we know, but a Judge with built-in determination and little experience. In City Fathers, the brutal murder of a Justice Department-sanctioned spy uncovers something new and dangerous in the sector's murky black market. Unless Dredd can stop it, chaos will be unleashed. In Cold Light of Day, a savage killing spree results in the deaths of two highlyregarded Judges, and many consider Dredd to be responsible: a decision he made five years earlier - while he was still a cadet has come back to haunt him. The third story in the collection will debut in this collection and is guaranteed to thrill.
REVIEW:
Ah the chance to go back to a young not quite so grizzled young Joe Dredd with a series of short stories that bring Mega City One to life for the reader. Whilst you know that Dredd is never in any danger (as otherwise he wouldn’t become the single-minded natural force that we all come to love.)
The tales are sharp, really get to the seedy underside of the big meg and when added to some cracking sleight of hand, some wonderful weaving all round give you a book that I had a lot of fun with.
Release Date: 09/10/14
Publisher: Abaddon
SYNOPSIS:
The world's most famous detective, as you've never seen him before! A dozen established and up-and-coming authors invite you to view Doyle's greatest creation through a decidedly cracked lens. Read about Holmes and Watson through time and space, as they tackle a witch-trial in seventeenth century Scotland, bandy words with Andy Warhol in 1970s New York, travel the Wild Frontier in the Old West, solve future crimes in a world of robots and even cross paths with a young Elvis Presley...Set to include stories by Kasey Lansdale, Guy Adams, Jamie Wyman, J E Cohen, Gini Koch, Glen Mehn, Kelly Hale, Kaaron Warren, Emma Newman and more.
REVIEW:
Ah a wonderful set of short stories based around Holmes and Watson in a multitude of worlds and identities. Its well written, there’s a whole host of cracking tales and when added to the fact that you can dive in for short journey’s or a lunchbreak.
For me, I loved the sheer variety of the tales within, I enjoyed the prose, the dialogue alongside the pace which when added to cracking editing alongside the pleasure of being able to try authors that I hadn’t read before all round gave me a great experience. A pure joy.
Release Date: 29/09/13
Publisher: Abaddon
SYNOPSIS:
Guy of Gisburne has a story, one the liar Robin Hood has obscured for centuries. In legend he was the Sheriff of Nottingham's henchman, the man who could not defeat Hood. But this errant knight, spy for the crown and hunter of Sherwood was never anyone's accomplice, or petty hoodlum. This thrilling reinvention of the Robin Hood legend is the beginning of a major new series. As George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman reinvented a character from Tom Brown's Schooldays, so Toby Venables finds Guy of Gisburne a character in the most thrilling episodes of his age.
REVIEW:
I’ve always loved the tales of Sherwood, the outlaw hero standing up for the people against a corrupt king, but there have been times when I’ve yearned for a richer, darker story, something that allows the reader to get to the heart of the tale afore propaganda took over, so it was quite a breath of fresh air to get a book told from Guy of Gisbournes point of view.
Its got some great action, wonderful turns of phrase and takes the reader not only on an adventure but gives them something pretty damn special all in. Add to this sharp prose, great dialogue and of course a lead character that you can really get behind all round gives you something pretty damn special. Thank you Toby for a great read.
Release Date: 09/05/13
Publisher: Abaddon
SYNOPSIS:
Five years ago, it all went wrong for Cason Cole. He lost his wife and son, lost everything, and was bound into service to a man who chews up human lives and spits them out, a predator who holds nothing dear and respects no law. Now, as the man he both loves and hates lies dying at his feet, the sounds of the explosion still ringing in his ears, Cason is finally free.
The gods and goddesses are real. A many-headed pantheon—a tangle of divine hierarchies—once kept the world at arm's length, warring with one another for mankind's belief and devotion. It was a grim and bloody balance, but a balance just the same. When one god triumphed, driving all other gods out of Heaven, it was back to the bad old days: cults and sycophants, and the terrible retribution the gods visit on those who spite them.
None of which is going to stop Cason from getting back what's his...
REVIEW:
I love an Urban Fantasy Story that’s a little different to the norm, some are cutting edge, some take the reader into a world that they never expected and some lead the way in a new direction. What this title by Chuck does is delivers a murder mystery to the reader by bringing in a whole set of characters that leaves the reader feeling uncomfortable, not purely because of the otherness about them but because of their abilities to mess with the minds of mankind.
It’s hard hitting, it’s straight to the point and thrusts the reader into a tangled web right from the get go. It’s definitely hardcore and whilst this book wasn’t for me, I think that there will be a fair few out there that will love this style (perhaps the best way to describe it is a Marmite book, you’ll love or hate it.) The lead character within has flaws, he’s made hard choices, sacrifices and above all else indentured himself into this dark world for pure motives.
Throw him into the darkening despair that the opening sequence gives to him alongside the wonder of whether he’s mad or not all round gives the book a flair for the dramatic.
Release Date: 30/07/13
Publisher: Abaddon
SYNOPSIS:
Telepath Den Harper did the dirty work for the authoritarian Expansion, reading the minds of criminals, spies and undesirables, for years. Unable to take the strain, he stole a starship and headed into the unknown, a sector of lawless space known as Satan's Reach. For five years, he worked as a trader among the stars then discovered that the Expansion had set a bounty hunter on his trail. But what does the Expansion want with a lowly telepath like Harper? Is there something in the rumours that human space is being invaded by aliens from another realm? Harper finds out the answer to both these questions when he rescues an orphan girl from certain death and comes face to face with the terrible aliens known as the Weird. Satan s Reach is the second volume in the Weird Space series, a fast-paced action-adventure that pits humanity against the unimaginable terror from Beyond.
REVIEW:
To be honest this was a bit of a weird book for me (which is quite ironic considering that its book 2 of the Weird Space series) as to be honest it felt to a certain degree like a roleplay game playing by the numbers with our principle hero feeling like the archetypal Space Smuggler.
The story is fascinating and whilst fun does feel a little simplified over what it could have been (whether this is because it’s a general setting for other authors to write in this world I’m not sure.) Don’t get me wrong it is a solid enough book and there is a lot of scope for other things to happen but overall when you look at the plot line for what it is, it’s a fairly straight line with no real twists. All round a bit of fun to sit down with but overall, not the authors best to date.
Release Date: 08/11/12
SYNOPSIS:
Paris. City of lights. City of lovers. City of dreams. Yet if one man gets his way its inhabitants will soon be forced to endure a nightmare such as they have never known. But dandy detective and Hero of the British Empire Ulysses Quicksilver is determined to get in his way; although he has problems of his own to deal with first before he can try to rescue the French capital from its earth-shattering fate. Arriving at a murder scene - with the dead man's blood on his hands - Ulysses is forced to go on the run, so that he might track down the real killer. His intention: to clear his good name, and get back to England in one piece and as quickly as possible; for the love of his life is about to take a most ill-advised trip to the Moon. But that might be easier said than done, for the terrorist known only as 'Le Papillon' is preparing to bring chaos to the capital. When a butterfly flaps its wings, a wise man prepares for stormy weather. And with Ulysses Quicksilver involved, it's bound to be the worst storm on record.
REVIEW:
I’m a huge fan of the Ulysses Quicksilver titles from Abaddon yet whist continuing in the same vein, this book is something that is totally unique, it was crafted by the author following the readers wishes as to what would happen in various parts. Its cleverly done, works wonders for the advancement of the world and with so many different options, it really does go to show the authors skills in allowing the reader to direct is whilst allowing it to appear organic alongside planned.
Add to this some wonderful twists, cracking prose and of course a storyline that just keeps you gripped. All in a cracking novel with a concept that could well catch on. Great stuff.
Release Date: 11/10/12
SYNOPSIS:
It’s been four months since the Pennine Fusiliers vanished from the Somme and found themselves stranded on an alien world.
The Tommies have been surviving on this bizarre planet populated by lethal foliage and hostile human-like insects while desperately trying to find a way back to Blighty.
In The Alleyman, while Lieutenant Everson tries to discover the true intentions of their alien prisoner, Lance Corporal Atkins and his Black Hand Gang are on the trail of Jeffries, the diabolist responsible for their predicament. And above it all, Lieutenant Tulliver of the Royal Flying Corps soars free of the confines of alien gravity, where the true scale of the planet’s mystery is revealed. To uncover the truth, however, he must join forces with an unexpected ally.
A blazing mixture of genre-shattering SF, meticulously researched history, and powerful storytelling, The Alleyman is the third in this enthralling and exhilarating series.
REVIEW:
All series have something to offer the reader and for me, this one has taken all the elements that I loved as a child in 2000AD and brought them under one compilation with a story that not only keeps me guessing to the final page but one that brings all the old Action comics back to life as the Penine Fusiliers seek to find a way to return to our own world.
Its definitely something unusual and for me there’s nothing else out there that comes close to the imagination or the scope that Pat Kelleher brings to the reader. It’s sort of Edgar Rice Burrough’s John Carter meets Flash Gordon with a solid helping of Charlie’s War thrown in. Add to this a cracking pace that won’t give you time to breath, a few novel sleight of hand twists within backed up with a variety of characters that you just can’t help but want to spend time with and all in a little piece of heaven was in my hands. Magical.
Release Date: 31/07/12
SYNOPSIS:
DREDD 3D is the R-rated adaptation of the comic book from DNA Films, the British production company behind 28 Days Later and Sunshine.
Starring Karl Urban (RED, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek) as Judge Joe Dredd and Olivia Thirlby (Juno) as Judge Cassandra Anderson, the movie is gritty and violent, and promises to finally and truly bring the insane world of Mega-City One from the comic book page to the silver screen.
To mark this, 2000 AD and Abaddon Books have collected three novels starring the ultimate lawman of the future in one omnibus edition.
In Dredd Vs Death, Judge Dredd teams up with his movie co-star Judge Anderson to investigate a trail of carnage left by a cult obsessed with with Judge Death, who believes all life is a crime.
In Kingdom of the Blind, Judge Dredd hits the streets as senior Judges gather for a treaty signing, just as a notorious crime boss prepares to step out of the shadows and seize control of the city.
And in The Final Cut, Dredd uncovers a grisly series of murders that point the finger at the an underground movie scene with unlikely allies in the corridors of power.
Written by Gordon Rennie, David Bishop, and Matthew Smith, this omnibus of Dredd stories is the perfect introduction to movie-goers keen to read more of the eponymous lawman’s violent exploits in a world gone to hell.
REVIEW:
Any book that gives me a solid dose of Mega City One’s top judge, jury and executioner is a book that quickly finds itself at the top of my reading pile and whilst most of us are used to reading about Dredd in the graphic novels, this outing is purely written word where so much has to be conveyed within the pages to make it work, not an enviable task for any author let alone the ones brave enough to attempt it, so what did they do to help bring him to life in the readers imagination?
To be honest the first thing I’ve got to say is you really have to leave the graphic novel Dredd at the door as with a different medium comes a whole host of different angles, for example the writer has to convey so much action into the sequence that some parts are going to be left out which will disappoint some Dredd-Heads but thrill others. The three stories work well to the best of their abilities within although for me the first was the weakest as it was based on the PS2 game which was more just an FPS rather than a tale with a solid story.
All in the authors have done a reasonable job of bringing the judge to the reader and with the new film out now, a great many others will be introduced to the character possibly for the first time without having had the years of GN fun that a number of us have gone through and whilst this title will work well for them, for others it won’t. In my opinion, I did enjoy it although I do think that a fair few people will possibly call this the Marmite of Dredd books. All in its reasonable, you get three stories but if you’re a dyed in the wool GN Dredder then perhaps you might want to miss this.
Release Date: 12/04/12
SYNOPSIS:
Twenty years ago three young boys staggered out of an old building, tired and dirty yet otherwise unharmed. Missing for a weekend, the boys had no idea of where they'd been. But they all shared the same vague memory of a shadowed woodland grove…and they swore they'd been gone for only an hour. When Simon returns to the Concrete Grove to see his old friends and unearth painful memories from his childhood, things once buried begin to claw their way back to the surface. The hummingbirds are flying again, bringing a warning of something terrible. Bad dreams take on physical form and walk the streets of the estate. A dark, hideously patient entity is calling once again from the shadows, reaching out towards three terrified boys who have now grown into emotionally damaged men. And the past is about to catch up with them all, staining their lives with a darkness they could never truly escape. Welcome back to the Concrete Grove. The place you can never really leave...
REVIEW:
Following on from Gary’s previous title Concrete Grove, this tale brings together three characters that readers will love as this horror story wends its way into the darkest recesses of your mind. Its quirky, it brings together a bleakness that few have explored and really sets itself up well as a second book in a trilogy.
Add to this Gary’s unnerving ability to work on the readers own fears as well as giving them an adrenaline packed adventure and all in this is a book that really should be read in sunlit hours rather than in the depth of the night. Cracking fun and with Gary’s usual ability to add a spartanesque descriptive prose that speak volumes alongside a tightly woven story leave the reader in no doubt that this could be a new British Classic horror series that is just demanding either a TV series or film.
Release Date: 15/05/12
SYNOPSIS:
Forced onto the streets of Turnitia after the army destroys his home and murders his parents, Lucius Kane becomes an excellent thief, gaining notoriety in his new profession. Soon drawn into a war between rival thieves guilds, Kane fights for friends and profit but finds himself pulled into the darker and more mysterious world of the Shadowmage. Mercenary practitioners who combine stealth with magic, Shadowmages make the best scouts, infiltrators, spies ... and assassins!
This stunning fantasy features a never before seen final part of the Shadowmage Trilogy, completing the saga of Lucius Kane.
A perfect place for new readers to begin!
REVIEW:
Available for the first time as a compendium, Matthew’s Shadowmage trilogy is a set of tales that’s sheer value for money. It has great prose, wonderful characters and when backed with an imaginative world as well as solid script it makes for a series that really will hit that fantasy spot.
Finally add to this great understanding of pace and character interaction and the reader really is in for a treat. Great stuff all in and a magical offering. Top stuff.
Release Date: 17/04/12
SYNOPSIS:
Doc thunder – the gold-bearded, bronze-muscled Hero of New York – in his last stand against a deadly foe whose true identity will shock you to your core!
El Sombra – the masked avenger, the laughing killer they call the Saint of ghosts – in his final battle against the forces of the ultimate Reich!
The Scion of tomorrow, the steel-clad locomotive Man, in a showdown with cosmic science on the prairies of the Old West!
Jacob Steele, the time-lost gunfighter, defends the 25th Century against the massed armies of the Space Satan!
And a deadly duel of minds and might between the Red King and Red Queen in the mystery palaces of One Million AD!
REVIEW:
This one is a little strange for the Pax Britannia series as it feels more like a multiple series of short stories that interweave around one main thread. Whilst not a bad thing, I did feel that some were more afterthoughts than planned properly which when added to some characters that I wasn’t really sold upon did make it a struggle to finish in certain areas.
That said, old favourites like El Sombra alongside Doc Thunder return and give the reader the flavour of the old penny dreadfuls as they peruse the book. Which when added with solid prose and a heroic pose or two with villains of equal intelligence generates a few stories that will appeal to quite a few readers.
All in, a little disjointed but I can see what Al tried to do and applaud his effort although for me personally I think that my favourites are Jonathan Green’s Quicksilver and Al’s original El Sombra story.
Release Date: 13/03/12
SYNOPSIS:
When King Arthur faces a challenge for his crown from the restored Roman Empire, he must call his supporters from every corner of the British Isles. One knight, Sir Lucan – the Black Wolf of the North – has more reason than most to join the coming campaign: his beautiful wife, Trelawna, hoping to lead a new, better life in Italy, has absconded with a young Roman officer.
Lucan’s squire, Alaric, fears for his overlord’s soul after a battle with the Penahrrow worm taints his blood; but is more afraid still for the safety of Lady Trelawna, whom he always loved from a distance. Meanwhile, the Roman family she has fallen in with are the corrupt and influential Malconi clan, and their matriarchal head is the sorceress Zalmyra. She sees it as her motherly duty to stop Lucan, with every demonic force she can summon…
REVIEW:
I’ve loved the Malory Knights of Albion series since its first title was released. It harks back to fantasy as well as giving the reader a whole set of stories that feel that they have a background within our own world almost as if they have been inspired by the story tellers of yesteryear. It’s catchy, the characters really come to life and when you add authors to the mix that know how to wind the reader round their little fingers to wring the most from their reactions, it’s a series that has won a place in my heart with each passing title.
Add to this great pace, some wonderful descriptive prose and of course a story with lead character I could really get behind and all in it’s another satisfactory read for me. Great stuff all in.
Release Date: 16/02/12
SYNOPSIS:
Kavika Kamalani is one of the Pali Boys, post-Cull heirs to an ancient Hawai’ian warrior tradition who believe in overcoming death by embracing their fears and “living large.” His life on the Nomi No Toshi, the “city on the waves,” is turned upside down when one of his friends dies, harvested for his blood, and he sets out to find the killer. Kidnapped himself and subjected to a horrible transformation, Kavika must embrace the ultimate fear – death itself – if he, his loved ones, and the Pali Boys themselves are to survive.
REVIEW:
One of the things about the wonderfully inventive Afterblight series is that you can never be sure of what you’re going to get, this release being a prime example of that. Here, within this title by Weston Ochse is a story of betrayal, a tale of redemption all blended with a coming of age element set in an apocalyptic future.
It’s well written, the characters are crisp and whilst I didn’t always get on with the authors prose it was a story that will stay with you after the final page is turned. Add to this some decent dialogue a reasonable pace all brought together with an author’s writing style that guides rather than forces the view points and it’s a tale that I was pleased I took my time to read.
Release Date: 10/11/11
SYNOPSIS:
Coburn's been dead now for close to a century, but seeing as how he's a vampire and all, it doesn t much bother him. Or at least it didn't, not until he awoke from a forced five-year slumber to discover that most of human civilization was now dead but not dead like him, oh no. See, Coburn likes blood. The rest of the walking dead, they like brains. He's smart. Them, not so much. But they outnumber him by about a million to one. And the clotted blood of the walking dead cannot sustain him. Now he's starving. And nocturnal. And more hacked-off than a bee-stung rattlesnake. The vampire not only has to find human survivors (with their sweet, sweet blood), but now he has to transition from predator to protector after all, a man has to look after his food supply.
REVIEW:
I love a good horror story that takes an established convention and then turns it on its head so when I heard about this story from Abaddon where you had a Vampire fighting Zombies to protect his food supply (the humans) I was really looking forward to it landing. Firstly because I thought it was a clever idea and secondly because it was appearing in an established series so I thought that most of the world building was done so that the tale could get down to the real nitty-gritty of the story.
Sadly however the story that I read fell far short of my expectations. Why?
Well, the principle character of Coburn was detestable as well as arrogant with no redeeming traits for me. I really didn’t care about him and when you added what felt like smart alec dialogue as well as prose this rather than encouraging me in, left me feeling cheated and annoyed. A great shame to be honest as I loved the concept but one bad book does not sower a series so here’s hoping that the next one picks up.
Release Date: 15/09/11
SYNOPSIS:
The Untold Adventures of the Round Table.... Sir Dodinal the Savage is more at home in the wild forest than in the tilting yard or the banquet hall. Keenly attuned to the natural world, but burdened with a terrible rage, he turns his back on Camelot to find peace, or a just death. In a quiet village on the Welsh border, Dodinal believes he may have finally found a home, but the village is struck by childstealing raiders from the hills, and he must take up arms once again in his new friends' aid. His quest will take him into the belly of darkness, as the terrible secret hidden in the hills comes to light...
REVIEW:
If you love a story of daring do, of knights, damsel’s and of peril, then this is the book for you as Paul Lewis brings the second book in the Malory series to the readers. As with the original, by Steven Saville, it brings the Arthurian titles bang up to date and gives the reader what they want with bloody combat, solid plot line and of course peril as well as honour.
Add to this some clever twists that bring the original stories back to the reader as well as references to help embed this firmly and it was a wonderful read. Finally add a solid storytelling voice to the tale alongside great prose and it was a cracking title that was hard to put down. Magic.
Hey All,
Our friends at Abbadon have let us know about a new venture for the next Pax Britannia title. Here's the details:
"Abaddon Books is delighted to announce a bold new venue in genre publishing – one where the readers are in charge!
Time’s Arrow will be the latest book from the world’s longest continuously running Steampunk novel series, Pax Britannia. Set in a world where the Victorian age never ended, Pax Britannia is an insane world of high technology and rip-roaring adventure.
The big difference with Time’s Arrow? Each instalment will be published as an ebook and, at the end of each of the first two, readers will be able to vote on where THEY want the story to go. Once all three instalments have been published, they will be bound together into a print edition.
The first part of the book will go live online on October 11th, with the vote for what happens next closing on December 11th.
Merging the best of print and online, Abaddon is proud to engage in such an exciting experiment – one where readers actively have a say in how the book is written.
Jon Green has written titles in the legendary Fighting Fantasy series and created seven of the critically-acclaimed Pax Britannia books for Abaddon.
“Pax Britannia is one of Abaddon’s most established series,” said Jonathan Oliver, editor-in-chief of Abaddon Books, “so it seemed like the natural choice for such a unique venture in publishing. This adventure is sure to reach out to new readers while giving established fans a say in the rich universe they have come to love.”
“I am passionate about the whole Steampunk milieu, and the world of Pax Britannia in particular, while my first forays into writing professionally were adventure gamebooks,” says Jonathan Green. “To marry elements of both is a fantastic opportunity for me as a writer and I, for one, can't wait to see how the story pans out!”"
Release Date: 12/07/11
SYNOPSIS:
It has been three months since the 13th Battalion of the Pennine Fusiliers vanished from the Somme and found
themselves stranded on an alien world, and their trenches have become the target for vengeful Khungarrii attacks. Corporal ‘Only’ Atkins and his Black Hang Gang, along with a captured Khungarrii, are sent out in the tank, Ivanhoe, on the trail of Jeffries, the impostor many hold responsible for their plight. While the encampment faces an alien threat, the search party discover an ancient edifice, hiding a secret that will tear the Battalion apart... As the Pennines fight for their lives against the mounting horrors of No Man’s World, their only hope for survival – and a way home – lie in the psychotropic fuel-addicted crew of the Ivanhoe... and its increasingly insane commander!
REVIEW:
When I read the original novel by Pat, I fell in love with the concept, after all English Tommy’s from the First World War, transported to an alien planet where they fight Giant Bugs as well as the indigenous flora is a great combo. Add to this a writing style that would at home in the old Battle Comics, great dialogue and a world of imagination ripe for the picking (or to be picked as the case may be.)
Yet what really makes this title is the characters, yes with the WW1 troops there’s a limited amount but that’s what makes this so gripping as each trooper lost is one that strikes the reader deeply, the author has plenty of time to concentrate on making them your friends and when its blended with high cost stakes makes this very hard to put down.
Finally add to the mix a twisted overall arc that centres around a Crowleyesque type figure who is out for revenge against everyone with his own deep dark twisted agenda and it’s a title that is a top notch addition to an already inventive world. I do suspect that with Abaddon someone else will end up playing there in the future but where these troops will arrive from is anyone’s guess. Marauding Vikings who sailed into a mist? The Legendary Ninth Legion who disappeared? The possibilities are endless. Great stuff.
Release Date: 23/06/11
SYNOPSIS:
The Blight arose from nowhere. It swept across the bickering nations like The End of Times and spared only those with a single fortuitous blood type. Hot headed religion and territorial savagery rule the cities now. Somewhere amidst the chaos, however, there are groups of people fighting to survive. Heroes determined to create a better world. But can these warriors of the apocalypse hope to rediscover the humanity lost long ago in the blood and filth and horror of the Cull? The Afterblight Chronicles Omnibus features three action-packed novels set in a dangerous, broken America ruled by crazed gangs and strange cults.
REVIEW:
A compendium of some of the earlier titles released in this apocalyptic Abaddon series which if you don’t already own will add something a little different for you to try. Whilst I usually prefer a number of these type titles to stick this side of the Atlantic, this book more than gives the reader a treat.
Add to this the chance to try three authors for one price, alongside value for money and the bliss of not having to wait for the next instalment and it’s a title that will generate a lot of interest. Finally, whilst a number of readers would clamour for the inclusion of zombies (which you’ll get if you select the companies Tomes of the Dead Series), it is a great to read the human struggle within. Top notch writing, top notch authors and to be honest a series that really has to be read to be believed.
Release Date: 12/05/11
SYNOPSIS:
In 1998 Magna Britannia remains the undisputed superpower of the world whereas, since the Second Great European War, Hitler's Nazi party has been reduced to the status of an underground terrorist movement. But fifty-five years ago... The Nazis are at the height of their power. Much of Europe has fallen beneath their inexorable march, but with the automaton armies of Magna Britannia poised to invade and bring about a swift end to the war, Germany finds its resources stretched to the limit. What Hitler's legions need now is a miracle. And a miracle may be what they are about to receive; a gift from the future, something that should not exist in the year 1943, for one man has stolen fire from heaven. But another has followed him back from the future to ensure that history follows its pre-determined course. Ulysses Quicksilver finds himself in Anno Frankenstein where the bodies of the fallen are reconstructed and resurrected that they might fight again. Behind enemy lines, Ulysses Quicksilver must infiltrate the most heavily-defended fortress on the planet, and there face an age-old enemy one last time. Should he fail, history will be re-written and Ulysses Quicksilver will cease to exist, having never even been born at all.
REVIEW:
One of Abaddon’s most inventive series out there is the Pax Britannia and no one does it so well as main author Jonathan Green. You get Steampunk, you get a dandy Flashman like hero and above all else you get a series with a story arc that is not only exciting but one that you just can’t put down.
This, the seventh outing for series hero Ulysses Quicksilver picks up where the last one left off with him flung through the time portal chasing Dashwood into the Second World War where the villain gives futuristic aid to the Nazi’s. Whilst Ulysses is usually the main character in this title he’s more secondary to his father (and also Agent of Magna Britannia, Hercules Quicksilver) takes the lead role and proceeds to keep the stiff upper lip and heroics on auto.
Add to this Dr Jekyll (who ala League of Extraordinary Gentlemen turns into the Hulk like Mr Hyde), the original creation of Baron Viktor Frankenstein as well as modern German interpretations named after the original Creator (the Frankenstein Corps) and it’s a title that really doesn’t let up. Finally add the twist of an ending that’s reminiscent of a certain popular in the late 80’s to early 90’s and it pretty much ticks all the boxes. As usual with the author the prose is neat and snappy, the characters a lot of fun to hang around and above all else the dialogue and tips of the hat to modern interpretations alongside other Steampunk outings make this series what it is. Definitely one to get in on the ground floor and work your way up although if you wish to start her you can do although you’ll miss a lot of the defining moments of our agents career to date.
Release Date: 12/04/11
SYNOPSIS:
976 AD – Northern Europe. BjÓlf and the viking crew of the ship Hrafn flee up an unknown river after a bitter battle, only to find themselves in a bleak land of pestilence. The dead don’t lie down, but become what the villagers call draugr – the undead – returning to feed on the flesh of their kin. Terrible stories are told of a dark castle in a hidden fjord, and of black ships that come raiding with invincible draugr berserkers. And no sooner has BjÓlf resolved to leave, than the black ships appear... Now stranded, his men cursed by the contagion of walking death, BjÓlf has one choice: fight his way through a forest teeming with zombies, invade the castle and find the secret of the horrific condition – or submit to an eternity of shambling, soulless undeath!
REVIEW:
Fans of the undead and the gory hack and slash combat are going to love this new addition from Abaddon as the undead rise to shamble along against the sea wolves in this outing from the imagination from Toby Venables. It’s well written, the characters are battle hardened but perhaps not quite expecting exactly what happens within. Add to this a well thought out story arc, great prose and more than a few twists for the reader to get their teeth into and you know that it is going to be something different to a lot of the titles out there.
All in, this book was a lot of fun to read and whilst some of the more modern set titles within the Tomes of the Dead series go for thought provoking, this one is unashamedly a battle to the death against the undead hordes as the Raiders may well find that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. Great fun.
