City of Ruin

May 9, 2011
The ambitious second installment in Newton's Legends of the Red Sun dark epic fantasy series (after 2010's Nights in Villjamur) contains some deeply weird moments. The corrupt city of Villiren is now home to a number of refugees from the capital, including Investigator Rumex Jeryd and Cmdr. Brynd Lathraea of the elite Night Guard. The residents are more focused on internal affairs, like the rash of mysterious disappearances, than on the encroaching alien army allied with the exiled former empress. Labor issues, mad scientists and their creations, racial and religious intolerance, and extradimensional travelers all contribute to the elaborate canvas of the story. Great balanced battle scenes, offering both individual perspectives and sweeping overviews, leave a sense of lingering horror. While the novel's reach may exceed its grasp, the expanded world and its inhabitants are consistently compelling.

May 15, 2011

Second book of a series (following Nights of Villjamur, 2010), reaching U.S. shores after publication last year in the UK, where the author resides.

In the subgenre referred to by its practitioners as New Weird—bizarrely outlandish fantasy or far-future rational science fiction, take your choice—we're offered a world lit by a red sun, littered with remnants of advanced technology, populated by humans, humanoids, human-alien hybrids and still weirder creatures. Driven forth by a usurper, Rika, heir to the Jamur Empire's throne, her sister Eir, and formidable swordsman and con-man Randur, flee towards Villiren, a northern city already feeling the frigid early effects of a new ice age. Worse, the city faces invasion by the insensate lobster-like alien Okun, whose hordes pour through a portal from—somewhere. Homosexual albino Commander Brynd Lathraea of the Night Guard commands Jamur's troops against the Okun while desperately trying to persuade the gangs who really run Villiren to help defend it. Unfortunately the most powerful gangster, the half-vampire Malum, loathes homosexuals. Meanwhile, bafflingly, hundreds of prosperous citizens and loyal soldiers have inexplicably vanished from the streets; Inspector Rumex Jeryd, a furry, tailed, humanoid rumel, searches for the culprit, unaware as yet that the responsible party is a huge spider ordered forth by the mysterious Doctor Voland. Knowledge of the previous book is neither assumed nor required, although many characters are common to both. Newton's battle sequences often startle and impress, and he's not afraid to kill off major characters. Thankfully, he resists the temptation to overinflate the scope of the proceedings.

Less weird than some, with fairly orthodox plotting, characters and narrative that build to a satisfying conclusion while promising still more.

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April 15, 2011

A member of the city of Villiren's Night Guard goes missing under mysterious circumstances, the last in a series of disappearances, and Commander Brynd Lathraea seeks the help of newly arrived Investigator Rumex Jeryd to track down what appears to be a serial killer. Villiren's streets are rife with gang warfare as human and hybrid creatures fight a never-ending turf war and unknown dangers lurk in the shadows. Following in the dark urban style of China Mieville, Neil Gaiman, and Richard K. Morgan, this sequel to Nights of Villjamur again focuses on a city in trouble and the individuals who fight an uphill battle against chaos and darkness. VERDICT Strong storytelling, vivid cityscapes, and admirably flawed characters make this a solid addition to noir fantasy.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2011
The second volume in Newtons Legends of the Red Sun series starts with another murder. This time its a young up-and-coming officer in the Night Guard, the elite force led by the singular Brynd, of Newtons first novel. Newly stationed in the far northern city of Villiren, Brynd seeks the aid of the nonhuman Rumel investigator, Jeryd, now a refugee fleeing the capital city after uncovering corruption in the highest levels of government. The two are trying to do their best in an unfamiliar city that is in the grip of a new ice age. For Jeryd, thats trying to discover whos behind the recent rash of ominous disappearances, while Brynd is shoring up the citys defenses for an impending siege by a strange alien race. Theres a lot to digest here as Newton tackles big themes like racism, institutional homophobia, and criminal morality. But these questions season the storys broth, rather than overwhelm it, and Newtons fantasy-with-a-touch-of-mystery could win him fans outside of the sf/fantasy faithful.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)