The Noise Revealed (The Noise Within 2) by Ian Whites (Solaris 2011)

Jul 072011

A Game of Aliens and Virtuality

Ian Whates‘ debuted with two novels last year, one fantasy and one science fiction. I only read The Noise Within not knowing it was the first in a series with the same name. The Noise Revealed continues the story of black ops specialist Jim Leyton as he clashes with alien and human conspiracies. And there are love interests in this one too.

Second books are tricky, since they seldom measure up to the thrill of discovery in the first book.

The setting is the United League of Allied Worlds (ULAW) which recently made first contact with the seemingly peaceful Byrzaen. Philip Kaufman, son of Malcom Kaufman (inventor of the FTL drive) was killed in the end of The Noise Within but he lives on in Virtuality as a personality construct along with his father. Virtuality is much more than the internet, it might even have something to do with the aliens. He and his father struggle to uncover what is going on. There are also some great scenes where he clashes with prevailing culture in Virtuality.

Jim Leyton, black ops operative and former ULAW agent is the second protagonist. He sets out to liberate Mya, fellow agent and the love of his life from a government facility. To his help he has the mysterious and formidable Kethi. She is one of the Habitats agents. But liberating Mya is only the first obstacle. We get more background and history of the Habitat here too.

Jim Leyton has to come to grips with life and combat without his intelligent gun’s assistance. This made for good character development but deduct from the scifi shininess. I am a gadget geek and like my toys. Bickering with machines is too good to miss.

Kyle the bored starship pilot gone pirate is also back as an alien engine mechanic with an entertaining side plot.

I like the world and the more extensive characterization. This is fast paced action novel where the characters now and then stops, stand around and explain. I have been told Ian Whates’ writing style is binary, either you love it or hate it. I love it.

One disappointment was that it was not so much about the AI ship as I expected. I love intelligent ships from Weber, McCaffrey, Asher and the like.

The Noice Revealed has plots well worth A Game of Thrones. It has conspiracies within conspiracies, love and betrayals, virtual worlds that connect to other universes, alien technology, mysterious organizations and interesting characters. The ending was surprising, explosive and somewhat conclusive.

But I am not sure this is the final Noise book, the aliens and many other plots have not been finished to satisfaction yet. Solaris reply to my question about a 3^rd book was “You know, there’s been some debate about that in the office. It’s kind of a maybe”. So there is hope.

Both The Noise Within and The Noise Revealed makes for great uncomplicated Summer reading.

Book Information

The Noise Revealed (The Noise Within 2) by Ian Whites (Solaris 2011) – Amazon US | UK

Can someone tell me why the kindle book more expensive than the paperback?

A time of flux, a time of change… While mankind is adjusting to its first ever encounter with an alien civilisation – the Byrzaens – black ops specialist Jim Leyton reluctantly allies himself with the mysterious habitat in order to rescue the woman he loves.

This brings him into direct conflict with his former employers: the United League of Allied Worlds government. Scientist and businessman Philip Kaufman is fast discovering there is more to the virtual world than he ever realised. Yet it soon becomes clear that all is not well within the realm of Virtuality. Truth is hidden beneath lies and there are games being played, deadly games with far reaching consequences.

Both men begin to suspect that the much heralded ‘First Contact’ is anything but first contact, and that a sinister con is being perpetrated with the whole of humankind as the victim. Now all they have to do is prove it.

Share|

Best SF&F Books of 2010 [My Pick]

Books 18 Responses »

Dec 312010

It is really hard to make a best books of the year list, there are so many good books and any rating system is subjective so I don’t even try to be objective, this is best books of 2010 from my own readings and I already know there are a number of real good books that I have not yet read this year and I will tell which I suspect they are towards the end of this post.

My main interest lies in science fiction and especially towards space opera and military scifi so take this list for what it is, the books I enjoyed most this year.

Best First Releases

These are the best of the 61 first releases I read this year (for details see the 2010 book index)

10. The Quantum Thief (The Quantum Thief book 1) [Debut]
by Hannu Rajaniemi
Published by Gollancz

The Quantum Thief is like a Finnish Tango, it got a strange rhythm to it and it takes you places you never imagined before. It is a great debut novel by Hannu Rajaniemi and probably a future classic.

9. Servants of the Underworld (Obsidian & Blood book 1) [Debut]
by Aliette de Bodard
Published by Angry Robot

Aliette have found her culture and settings in central American pre-colonization Aztec country. This is about a murder mystery investigated by Acatl, High Priest for the Dead. In many respect it reminds of traditional mystery novels but the setting is the sacred city with its priests, worshipers, warriors, pyramids, temples, cults and living gods. This is a great book if you want to try a different kind of fantasy, set as it is outside the traditional western or Japanese settings. It is a standalone novel in a series. The next book Harbinger of the Storm is already on its way in the mail.

8. Darkship Thieves (Darkship Thieves book 1)
by Sarah A. Hoyt
Published by Baen

There are many authors that try to channel Heinlein but it is Sarah A. Hoyt that comes closest this year. This is a really mesmerizing book, I started reading and after a few pages I was in the world Sarah A. Hoyt created experiencing it from the slightly disturbed mind of a captivating young woman. Athena Hera Sinistra is as much a handful as her name, but it is a handful easy to love as a reader. Book two Darkship Rebels will be out late 2011.

7. The Noise Within (The Noise Within book 1) [2nd Novel]
by Ian Whates
Published by Solaris

The Noise Within is a well cooked space opera with black ops, intelligent ships, ai-interfaces, alien mysteries and intelligent guns. Great military action just the way I like it, there is a few mysteries that awaits answers in the next book The Noise Revealed that is due in March 2011.

6. Dreadnought (Clockwork Century book 3)
by Cherrie Priest
Published by Tor

I have really discovered steampunk this year and it all started with Boneshaker. Dreadnought has it all a feisty female protagonist, airships, war machines, secret conspiracies and zombies. I had great fun reading this one.

5. Veteran (Veteran book 1) [Debut of the Year]
by Gavin Smith
Published by Gollancz

This is the debut of the year for me. Gavin G. Smith is new but he writes like a pro. Veteran is an excellent read. It got mysterious aliens, conspiracies, realistic battle scenes, fast pace, lots of wow moments and wonderful characters. I would say this is a mixture of heavy metal, cyberpunk and classic sf. It is definitely military science fiction at its best and I would recommend it to a wider audience. I can’t wait for his next book War in Heaven (coming in June 2011).

4. Oath of Fealthy (Paladin’s Legacy book 1)
by Elizabeth Moon
Published by Orbit

Elizabeth Moon is a fantastic story teller with vivid hearty characters you can’t help falling in love with, which she proves again with this one. Oath of Fealty is a mature, competent and fulfilling read. It is also a great start of a series that also works as a standalone book. Elizabeth is another author that writes characters the way I like them.

3. Mission of Honor (Honor Harrington book 12)
by David Weber
Published by Baen

This is a monumental book in the Honorverse, this ends the original storyline with Haven and starts a new darker one with the Alignment as the antagonist. I like David Weber he writes entertaining military science fiction about formidable easy to love characters.

2. Blood and Iron (Penrose book 2)
by Tony Ballantyne
Published by Tor UK

It is such a fantastic different world of robots and the story deals with a pivotal moment in its history, when the first humans return. Book one, Twisted Metal left many mysteries unanswered that are revealed in this novel.

1. The Technician (A Polity Universe book)
by Neal Asher
Published by Tor UK

I love Neal Asher’s agent Cormac novels set in the same universe as this sequel that deals with one of the great mysteries in the original series. What happened to the races that dominated the galaxy before humanity? Good fast paced fun in this thrilling adventure. Maybe I should also tell you Asher is very vivid in all the gory details of this alien ecology.

Best New-to-me Book

Raft (Xeelee Sequence book 1) by Stephen Baxter (Gollancz 1991)
Julian Comstock by Robert Charles Wilson (Tor 2009)
Shadow of the Scorpion (Agent Cormac prequel) by Neal Asher (Tor UK 2008)
The Shockwave Rider by John Brunner (Methuen 1975)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic 2008)

Keeping it Real (Quantum Gravity book 1) by Justina Robson (Gpllancz 2006)
Harmony (Harmony book 1) by C. F. Bentley (Daw 2008)
Sun of Suns (Virga book 1) by Karl Schroeder (Tor 2006)

Honorary Mentions

There were many good books this year. In no particular order…

WE by John Dickinson (David Fickling Books)
Absorption (Ragnarok Trilogy book 1) by John Meaney (Gollancz)
The Black Lung Captain (Tales of the Kitty Jay book 2) by Chris Wooding (Gollancz)
Guardians of Paradise (The Hidden Empire book 3) by Jaine Fenn (Gollancz)
CryoBurn (The Vorkosigan Saga book 12) by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)
The Orphaned Worlds (Humanity’s Fire book 2) by Michael Cobley (Orbit)
The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive book 1) by Brandon Sanderson (Tor)
The Machinery of Light (Autumn Rain book 3) by David J Williams (Spectra)
A Mighty Fortress (Safehold 4) by David Weber (Tor)
Pleasure Model (Netherworld Trilogy 1) by Christopher Rowley (Tor)
Watch (Www book 2) by Robert J. Sawyer (Ace)
Up Jim River (The January Dancer book 2) by Michael Flynn (Tor/Tantor Media)
The Crucible of Empire (Jao Empire book 2) by Eric Flint & K. D. Wentworth (Baen)
Victorious (Lost Fleet book 6) by Jack Campbell (Ace)

The Ones That Got Away

There are some books I didn’t come around to this year for different reasons but I suspect are really great. Maybe next year. I know I am probably forgetting a few.

Surface Detail by Ian M. Banks
The Evolutionary Void by Peter F. Hamilton

I will not talk about the ones that disappointed me this year, they got all the publicity they deserve in my reviews.

This was a great year. Can I have another? please.

13 SF Books for the Rest of 2010 July 5, 2010
New Science Fiction to Read 2010 January 9, 2010
Best Science Fiction Books of 2009 December 31, 2009

Share|

The Noise Revealed by Ian Whates (Cover & Synopsis)

Books No Responses »

Jul 232010

I liked Ian Whate’s The Noise Within (link to my review below) and Solaris has announced the sequel The Noise Revealed for release April 26 2011 and released cover and synopsis. This could be one for the list next year.

Wonderful cover art by Dominic Harman

I wonder if there is a name for this series. For now it is The Noise Withing book 2.

Preorder

Amazon US | (UK) | B&N

Synopsis

A time of flux, a time of change. While mankind is adjusting to its first ever encounter with an alien civilisation – the Byrzaens – black ops specialist Jim Leyton reluctantly allies himself with the mysterious habitat in order to rescue the woman he loves. This brings him into direct conflict with his former employers: the United League of Allied Worlds government.

Scientist and businessman Philip Kaufman is fast discovering there is more to the virtual world than he ever realised. Yet it soon becomes clear that all is not well within the realm of Virtuality. Truth is hidden beneath lies and there are games being played, deadly games with far reaching consequences.

Both men begin to suspect that the much heralded ‘First Contact’ is anything but first contact, and that a sinister con is being perpetrated with the whole of humankind as the victim. Now all they have to do is prove it.

The Author

The Noise Within was my the first book by Ian Whates. He is a British author and editor of speculative fiction with many short stories and anthologies under his belt. The Noise Within is his second published novel. Ian lives in an idyllic Cambridgeshire village with his partner Helen and their pets.

Homepage: www.ianwhates.com

The Noise Within by Ian Whates (Book 1)

Share|

The Noise Within by Ian Whates (Book 1)

Books 9 Responses »

Jun 072010

A mystic pirate ship that calls itself The Noise Within is the central mystery in this fast paced space opera. It is always interesting to read a new author. Here is my view.

Titel: The Noise Within
Series: Book 1 in an unnamed series
Author: Ian Whates
Cover art: Dominic Harman
Genre: Space Opera
Paperback: 334 pages
Publisher: Solaris 2010
Order by: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

On the brink of perfecting the long sought-after human/AI interface, Philip Kaufman finds his world thrown into turmoil as a scandal from the past returns to haunt him and dangerous information falls into his hands. Pursued by assassins and attacked in his own home, he flees. Leyton, a government black-ops specialist, is diverted from his usual duties to hunt down the elusive pirate vessel The Noise Within, wondering all the while why this particular freebooter is considered so important. Two lives collide in this stunning space-opera.

Information

The book is dedicated to Bill Whates, Ian’s father.

One thing irritating with this otherwise excellent book is that there is no indication the book is the first book in a series. Not on the cover, not in any of the online stores (edit: amazon.co.uk has added he is writing the sequel to about the author since I wrote this) and not on the publishers site. The only hint is if you visit the author’s homepage and read the last sentences at the bottom of his about page where it says he is working on the sequels, honestly. Anyway it is all made clear to you in the last chapter of the book that there is a sequel.

This was a fast read and I didn’t want to put the book down. In general I am not so fond of multiple protagonists but it works well here. There is Leyton a special secret agent with his own intelligent gun as sidekick, Philip Kaufman is CEO of the company that built the ship and ai-interface researcher, Kyle is a bored starship engineer who is the first to defect to The Noise Within and Kethi is a member of a mystic group that has prepared for an undefined threat they now believe is upon us.

The Author

This is the first book by Ian Whates I have ever read. He is a British author and editor of speculative fiction with many short stories and anthologies under his belt. The Noise Within is his second published novel according to isfdb and his first according to some. Ian lives in an idyllic Cambridgeshire village with his partner Helen and their pets.

World building

The world building is okay, there is some spiffy technology like the intelligent gun and the ai-interface. It worked with the story anyway; I got what I needed but not much more. The various setting was well realized and developed. I especially liked the tourist world with its slum.

One thing was never quite clear to me about the world, it was the noise within the mind that somehow defined or enhanced intelligence?

Plot

The Pirate Ship The Noise Within has become a menace to commerce and something has to be done. Philip discover the true identity of the ship and then has to go on an extended vacation due to his attempts at hacking, after getting bored with playing tourist he heads for the sector he believe the Noise Within to work in.

Leyton starts out infiltrating a drug lords well protected estate in an explosion of high tech and violence before being pulled away to raid a rebel base for information on the Noise Within before he heads for one of the tourist worlds closest to the ships operational area to set a trap for its crew.

Kyle is bored with his shipboard life aboard a fully automated luxury liner where he is a redundant backup system so when the Noise Within attacks he defects.

Kethi is a member of a mystic group that made themselves scarce after the war, their leader was convinced humanity should not fight that war, instead we should prepare for the threat to come. What this threat is unclear in the novel. This is a bit unfair of the author since Kethi must know. It could be aliens or it could be artificial intelligences.

Characterization

The characters are well defined and easy to relate to. I am not totally convinced with Kyle’s reasons to defect but it is not a game breaker. Leyton’s love interest Mya, a fellow operative is the reason for the cliffhanger at the end of the book.

My view

The Noise Within is a well cooked space opera with black ops, intelligent ships, ai-interfaces, alien mysteries and intelligent guns. It could have a bit more general world building and the assassination attempts on Philip’s is never fully explained and the mystery with The Noise Within and Mya left us hanging in the end but I guess that leaves something for book two. It works as a standalone novel up until the last pages.

Share|

New Science Fiction Books in May 2010

Books No Responses »

Apr 142010

Lets have a look at May for books. I usually check my pre-orders mid April and then revisit the list around the start of May. These are the books I am interested in. I try to put new never before published books here, for me there is no difference if the book is first published in the US, UK or in Australia. The delivery time to the far north is about the same. So mates we are going for world’s first here. At least we give it a try.

On order

Title: The Machinery of Light
Author: David J. Williams
Series: Autumn Rain 3
Genre: Science Fiction
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Spectra books
Order: Amazon US | UK | B&N

I liked the first books in the series, they are gritty and action packed. You can check out my review of book 1: Mirrored Meaven.

September 26, 2110. 10:22 GMT. Following the assassination of the American president, the generals who have seized power initiate World War Three, launching a surprise attack against the Eurasian Coalition’s forces throughout the Earth-Moon system. Across the orbits, tens of thousands of particle beams and lasers blast away at one another. The goal: crush the other side’s weaponry, paving the way for nuclear bombardment of the cities.

As inferno becomes Armageddon, the rogue commando unit Autumn Rain embarks on one last run. Matthew Sinclair, an imprisoned spymaster, plots his escape. And his former protégé Claire Haskell, capable of hacking into both nets and minds, is realizing that all her powers may merely be playing into Sinclair’s plans. For even as Claire evades the soldiers of East and West amid carnage in the lunar tunnels, the surviving members of the Rain converge upon the Moon, one step ahead of the Eurasian fleets but one step behind the mastermind who created Autumn Rain—and his terrible final secret.

Title: The Noise Within
Author: Ian Whates
Genre: Science Fiction
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Solaris
Order: Amazon US | UK | B&N

This looked so interesting. I like singularity related stories.

On the brink of perfecting the long sought-after human/AI interface, Philip Kaufman finds his world thrown into turmoil as a scandal from the past returns to haunt him and dangerous information falls into his hands. Pursued by assassins and attacked in his own home, he flees. Leyton, a government black-ops specialist, is diverted from his usual duties to hunt down the elusive pirate vessel The Noise Within, wondering all the while why this particular freebooter is considered so important. Two lives collide in this stunning space-opera from debut novelist Ian Whates!

Title: Overthrowing Heaven
Author: Mark L. van Name
Series: Jon & Lobo 3
Cover Art: Stephen Hickman
Genre: Science Fiction
Mass Market Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: Baen (excerpt & blurb)
Order: Amazon US | UK | B&N

Jon & Lobo is light entertainment that keeps me reading.

It began as a favor to a woman trying to get away from an abusive husband.

Jon Moore grew up in a prison laboratory. When he escaped with nothing but his body’s nanotech enhancements and more anger than even a long lifetime could wash away, an entire planet died behind him. Memories of the things he’d done still haunted him; because of them, he often ended up helping those in need.

His kindnesses frequently didn’t work out well. This one really didn’t work out well. It hurled Jon and Lobo, the intelligent assault vehicle and Jon’s only friend, down an accelerating, ever more dangerous spiral involving:

Private armies and government covert ops teams

A courtesan who always seems a step ahead of him

Rival superpowers that define Good in terms of their own advantage and Ethics as whatever doesn’t get in the way of their Good

And a brilliant, amoral scientist to whom human beings are just more experimental animals–and who might be Lobo’s creator.

Jon and Lobo take the reader on a headlong rush through armed enemies and untrustworthy allies and encounter what just might be the worst danger their partnership will face: the truth.

Title: Dead in the Family
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Southern Vampire/True Blood 10
Genre: Horror/Supernatural
Hardcover: 320 pages | Paperback: 304
Publisher: Ace Hardcover, May 4, 2010 (US) | Wheeler Publishing Large edition 5 May 2010 (UK) | Gollancz 12 May 2011 (UK)
Order: Ace | Amazon US | UK | B&N

I love the True Blood tv show and it lead me to the books.

After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Faery War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she’s angry. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he’s under scrutiny by the new Vampire King because of their relationship. And as the political implications of the Shifters coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie’s connection to the Shreveport pack draws her into the debate. Worst of all, though the door to Faery has been closed, there are still some Fae on the human side-and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry…

Title: The Ambassador’s Mission
Author: Trudi Canavan
Series: The Traitor Spy Trilogy 1
Genre: Fantasy
Hardcover: 528 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Order: Amazon US | UK | B&N

The Black Magician and The Age of Five trilogies were good reads.

Sonea, once the despised commoner in the Magicians’ Guild, is now a Black Magician of Kyralia. Though she is now part of the establishment, she comes to find that the past is not so easily left behind…

Lorkin, Sonea’s rebellious son, has volunteered to join the formidable Lord Dannyl in his new post as Guild Ambassador to Sachaka – a land ruled by cruel, slave-owning black magicians. There is suspicion that some of the Sachakans still harbor dreams of conquest, so when word comes that Lorkin has gone missing, Sonea is desperate to find him. However, Guild law states that if a Black Magician leaves the city he or she will be exiled forever.

As she fears for her missing son, Sonea dedicates herself to helping her old friend Cery. For some time, there has been fear and paranoia on the streets of Imardin. Leading thieves have been dying under irregular circumstances. The need to discover who has been picking off the leading thieves of the city is now a very personal crusade – one that Sonea must aid, for the killer appears to be using magic.

Either a member of the Guild is leading a double life as a hired killer, or there is – once again – a rogue magician on the streets of Imardin . . .

I also ordered some books published before out in new form:

Conspirator by C. J. Cherryh (Foreigner 10) from Amazon US

Other Books of Interest

Title: Climate of Change
Author: Piers Anthony
Series: Geodyssey
Genre: Science Fiction
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
Order: Tor | Amazon US | UK | B&N

This sounds epic. I am tempted.

A remarkable epic of passion and courage, savagery and survival, Piers Anthony’s “Geodyssey” is a saga unlike any ever written. It is nothing less than the story of humanity itself, told through the lives of a handful of extraordinary men and women reborn throughout history.

Now, with Climate of Change, Anthony introduces us to a new cast of characters, including Keeper, who knows the ways of nature, Rebel, a headstrong girl as brave as any man, Craft, a cunning inventor, and Crenelle, who uses her seductive charms to defend her people.

Through their eyes, we see how some of the most crucial moments in human history have been driven by natural forces, from the great ice ages of prehistory to the droughts and plagues that have destroyed history’s proudest civilizations. And we witness a harsh but hopeful future in which humanity at last transcends the devastating effects of climate change.

Title: Deceiver
Author: C. J. Cherryh
Series: Foreigner 11
Genre: Science Fiction
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: DAW
Order: DAW | Amazon US | UK | B&N

I am following this series but I buy the paperbacks, because I started with paperbacks back when it started. Must keep the shelves neat :)

The civil war among the alien Atevi has ended. Tabini-aiji, powerful ruler of the Western Association, along with Cajeiri, his son and heir, has returned to the Bujavid, his seat of power. But factions that remain loyal to the opposition are still present, and the danger these rebels pose is far from over.

Share|