Codex
I really, really loved The Magicians by Grossman when I read it last year and so when I discovered that my local library had a copy of an earlier book by the author I just had to give it a go.
Codex tells the story of a talented high finance guy who, in the break between jobs, gets involved with the search for a possibly apocryphal text credited to a medieval monk.
The main story/puzzle is well set up and the subplots are intriguing but somehow the book kind of peters out and ends without ever really being satisfying for the reader.
It's obvious from the book that Grossman is a really talented writer, but that he wasn't fully formed yet. The Magicians saw him fulfil a large part of that promise.
It's a pretty capable thriller and depending on your viewpoint you may find the ending less disappointing that I did.
The Execution Channel
MacLeod tries something new with this near-future thriller. Set in a world with rampant terrorism (including nuclear attacks) and American offensives throughout Central Asia.
Principally told through the eyes of James Travis, a middle aged IT professional with incriminating links to a foreign power, and his daughter Roisin who's a peace protester camped outside RAF Leuchars (now a USAF base in all but name).
Things kick off when Roisin photographs something unusual on the base just before an explosion wipes the base out. At the same time James' cover is blown.
Everything gets murky and mucky from there on in as politics and power come to bear.
It's a world where disinformation on the net is co-ordinated by governments, manipulating soldier's blogs and feeding stories to bloggers with strong enough a reputation in order to manipulate public perception.
It is, to tell the truth, full of interesting ideas but ultimately falls of being an exceptional piece of work as the story never feels like it pulls together to give a really powerful payoff. Also the only character I thought was anywhere near nuanced enough to be interesting was the daughter and even she seemed a touch on the underwritten side at times.
I suppose I sound a bit disappointed with this, but please don't get me wrong it's a pretty strong read - it just could have been extraordinary.
Halting State
By far his best novel so far, Halting State is a near-future thriller set in Edinburgh.
The Jennifer Morgue
The second Bob Howard book is a genuine delight.
Where the first played with the tropes of a Len Deighton style spy, this one subverts the James Bond archetype.
Full of clever twists and humour, Stross subverts your expectations at every step.
Of all his varied output I think that the Laundry books come out best - he tries a bit too hard with his full-on SF and seems a bit bored of his fantasy series. With the Laundry he\'s just having fun and it shows.
I wholeheartedly recommend that you read both The Atrocity Archives and this one - you will not regret it.
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