The Fantasy book of the month for September 2009 is “The Year of Our War” by Steph Swainston (first published in 2004).
Content
Jant is the Messenger, one of the Circle, a cadre of fifty immortals who serve the Emperor. He is the only immortal, indeed the only man alive, who can fly. The Emperor must protect mankind from the hordes of giant insects who have plagued the Fourlands for centuries, eating everything and everyone in their path. But he must also contend with the rivalries and petty squabblings of his chosen immortals. These will soon spill over into open civil war.
About the book
Wikipedia has some information about the author and the book. “The Year of Our War” ist Steph Swainston’s first book. Two sequels set in the same world have been published so far: “No Present Like Time” (2005) and “The Modern World” (2007). The author has announced that a fourth book, “Above the Snowline”, will be published in 2010 and that she is writing a fifth book of the series.
Steph Swainston has also her own website, with background information on the books, cut scenes and a blog.
Where to get the book
You can get it at every book shop and of course at Amazon (look out for deals on the marketplace) in a hardcover and a paperback edition (two paperback editions, actually). There is also an omnibus edition of the first three novels scheduled to be published in December. If you buy the book at Waterstone’s in Cardiff (2a The Hayes), they’ll give a 10% discount if you mention the reading group and have a Waterstone’s loyalty card.
Other suggested books
The short list for this month was:
- “Magic Kingdom for Sale / Sold” by Terry Brooks
- “Scar Night” by Alan Campbell
- “The Year of Our War” by Steph Swainston
By the way, what I found rather confusing at the beginning was that all the immortals have three names: Their real name (e.g. Jant Shira), their ‘battle name’ (e.g. Comet) and their function within the immortal circle (e.g. the Messenger). It can be difficult to keep track of who is whom at first, but don’t give up. I liked the book a lot and it will definitely give us much to discuss.