The Qwillery

Please welcome Chris F. Holm to The Qwillery. Chris is the author of the fabulous The Collector series. The final book in the series, The Big Reap, was published on July 20, 2013 (US/Canada) by Angry Robot.  The superb covers are by Amazing15. I highly recommend this series.













The Collector

The Big Reap
The Collector 3
Angry Robot, July 30, 2013 US/Canada
     August 1, 2013 UK
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

Sam Thornton has had many run-ins with his celestial masters, but he’s always been sure of his own actions.

However, when he’s tasked with dispatching the mythical Brethren – a group of former Collectors who have cast off their ties to Hell – is he still working on the side of right?

File Under: Urban Fantasy [ Soul Solution | Secret Origins | Flaming Torches | Double Dealing ]

The Wrong Goodbye
The Collector 2
Angry Robot, September 25, 2012 US/Canada
     October 4, 2012 UK
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

Meet Sam Thornton, Collector of Souls.

Because of his efforts to avert the Apocalypse, Sam Thornton has been given a second chance – provided he can stick to the straight-and-narrow.

Which sounds all well and good, but when the soul Sam’s sent to collect goes missing, Sam finds himself off the straight-and-narrow pretty quick.

File Under: Urban Fantasy [ Missing | Soul Provider | Call Collect | Demon Child ]

Dead Harvest
The Collector 1
Angry Robot,  February 28, 2012 US/Canada;
     March 1, 2012 UK
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages

Meet Sam Thornton. He collects souls.

Sam’s job is to collect the souls of the damned, and ensure they are dispatched to the appropriate destination. But when he’s sent to collect the soul of a young woman he believes to be innocent of the horrific crime that’s doomed her to Hell, he says something no Collector has ever said before.

“No.”

File Under: Urban Fantasy [ Souled Out | Damned If You Don't | Collector Mania | On The Run ]

About Chris

Chris F. Holm’s work has appeared in such publications as Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Needle: A Magazine of Noir, and THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES 2011. His Collector novels recast the battle between heaven and hell as Golden Era crime pulp. You can visit him on the web at www.chrisfholm.com.





Website  ~  Blog  ~  Twitter @chrisfholm

Hello everyone! I had a slightly more productive week this week than last.  I actually beat my all time reading low from last week.  Hurrah!

I finished The Big Reap by Chris F. Holm. The lovely Qwill will be reviewing this one on The Qwillery so I don't want to give too much away. I will say this  - I didn't think it was possible for The Collector series to get better but Mr. Holm has outdone himself with The Big Reap. I am just glad that I don't have to rate this one...there aren't enough qwills, stars or 10's to describe it. This is a must read series so get to it if you haven't already.

I found an excerpt in one of the books I had for Caged Warrior by Lindsey Piper and thought it didn't sound half bad so I ordered it. It wasn't until I was writing this review that it dawned on me that the author had been interviewed on The Qwillery back in April. In case you didn't have a chance to read that interview the book was about a woman who had been captured with her young son, tortured, raped and all sorts of nasty things for being a 'dragon kin'. I wasn't really sure what a dragon kin was when I started the book and still wasn't even by the end.  From what I could gather they were a race where each dragon kin family had a super power, kind of like the X-Men. The heroine, Nan (also named Audrey...confused?) was freed from the labs where she had been experimented on and left to fight for her freedom in cage fights....which sounded a bit like gladiator fights. Her trainer, Leto had spent his whole life, underground, enduring similar abuses for his family. What I didn't realise until partway through the book (because I wasn't paying attention when I ordered it) was that it was really PNR and large part of the novel was about Nan and Leto's growing sexual attraction. I have a slight problem with the fact that Nan was so horrifically treated by almost every male, including Leto but was still lusting over his perfectly formed abs. There was also quite a bit of missing background about the dragon kin and their mythology. I felt like I had skipped a few books of the series but this was the first one, unless more background is covered in the prequel.  I am usually very particular about what PNR I will read and couldn't really rationalise Nan's treatment to her behaviour towards Leto later on in the novel. Stockholm syndrome perhaps but overall  I am not sure this series is my cup of tea.

Just today I started The Devils Looking Glass by Mark Chadbourn. I started this book about a month ago and for some reason put it down. I thought I better finish reading it as I am due to review it.  Better get it finished.

All sorts of excitement next week 1) I start my new job.....TENSE!!!  2) Its Paranormal Cozy Mystery Month (ParaCozyMysMo) here at The Qwillery.  I have to admit I had no idea what a cozy was until I came across ParaCozyMysMo and as it turns out I have read quite a few of them over the years.  I am looking forward to all the great things coming up during ParaCozyMysMo. 3) Its Canada Day on Monday. Yeah! .....or should I say 'eh'.  Until next week Happy Reading. 

I will not be winning any big awards for reading loads of books this week. In fact, it was a very slow week for me on book reading front. I only managed to finish one book which was The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley. I don't know what I was doing but it took me much longer to read it than books normally would. I am going to blame it on having the 'lurgy'.  It was a real cross between being ill and feeling sorry for myself for being ill so I guess that influenced my reading rate.

I did start The Big Reap by Chris F. Holm but making sure that I take my time to read this because I love this series so much.

Something else I did this week was watch almost the whole season 3 of Game of Thrones. I have the last two episodes to watch.  This season is seriously tense and very, very dark.  I read the first book after I watched the first series and was amazed how close the series matched the book. I had planned to read the other books but I am not sure I want to now as the series, although excellent is depressing. I am having a hard time finding a hero and when is Joffrey going to get his comeuppance? So should I go back and read them?

This is a short one for me this week but I am planning to be more productive next week with my last two days of work in my current job. Wish me luck everyone!  Until next week Happy Reading.

What are the 2012 Debut Author Challenge Authors up to 2013?  This is the eighth in a series of posts.




Chris F. Holm

The Big Reap
The Collector 3
Angry Robot (July 30, 2012 US/Canada; August 1, 2013 UK)
Mass Market Paperback and eBook

Sam Thornton has had many run-ins with his celestial masters, but he’s always been sure of his own actions.

However, when he’s tasked with dispatching the mythical Brethren – a group of former Collectors who have cast off their ties to Hell – is he still working on the side of right?

File Under: Urban Fantasy [ Soul Solution | Secret Origins | Flaming Torches | Double Dealing ]

Benedict Jacka

Chosen
Alex Verus 4
Ace, August 27, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

THE NEW ALEX VERUS NOVEL

I don’t publicly advertise that I’m a mage, but I don’t exactly hide it either, and one of the odd things I’ve learnt over the years is just how much you can get away with if you’re blatant enough. Hide something behind smoke and mirrors and make people work to find it, and they’ll tear the place down looking for what’s there.

Alex Verus is a diviner who can see probable futures—a talent that’s gotten him out of many a tough scrape. But this time, he may be in over his head. Alex was once apprenticed to a Dark mage, and in his service he did a lot of things he isn’t proud of.

As rumors swirl that his old master is coming back, Alex comes face to face with his misdeeds in the form of a young adept whose only goal is to get revenge. Alex has changed his life for the better, but he’s afraid of what his friends—including his apprentice, Luna—will think of his past. But if they’re going to put themselves at risk, they need to know exactly what kind of man they’re fighting for…

Anne E. Johnson

Blue Diamond Delivery
Candlemark and Gleam, June 25, 2013

All Webrid has to do is make one simple delivery to prevent the planets of the Raralt Circle from cracking to pieces. How hard could that be? Join Webrid, Stravin, and Zatell as they stagger into another nail-biting, spit-taking adventure to save the world, whether they feel like it or not.

Suzanne Johnson

Elysian Fields
Sentinels of New Orleans 3
Tor Books, August 13, 2013
Hardcover and eBook, 352 pages

The mer feud has been settled, but life in South Louisiana still has more twists and turns than the muddy Mississippi.

New Orleanians are under attack from a copycat killer mimicking the crimes of a 1918 serial murderer known as the Axeman of New Orleans. Thanks to a tip from the undead pirate Jean Lafitte, DJ Jaco knows the attacks aren’t random—an unknown necromancer has resurrected the original Axeman of New Orleans, and his ultimate target is a certain blonde wizard. Namely, DJ.

Combating an undead serial killer as troubles pile up around her isn’t easy. Jake Warin’s loup-garou nature is spiraling downward, enigmatic neighbor Quince Randolph is acting weirder than ever, the Elders are insisting on lessons in elven magic from the world’s most annoying wizard, and former partner Alex Warin just turned up on DJ’s to-do list. Not to mention big maneuvers are afoot in the halls of preternatural power.

Suddenly, moving to the Beyond as Jean Lafitte’s pirate wench could be DJ’s best option.

Bec McMaster

My Lady Quicksilver
London Steampunk 3
Sourcebooks Casablanca, October 1, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 448 pages

Determined to destroy the Echelon she despises, Rosalind Fairchild is on seemingly easy mission. Get in. Uncover the secrets of her brother's disappearance. And get out.

In order to infiltrate the Nighthawks and find their leader, Sir Jasper Lynch, Rosalind will pose as their secretary. But she doesn't count on Lynch being such a dangerously charismatic man, challenging her at every turn, forcing her to re-evaluate everything she knows about the enemy.

He could be her most dangerous nemesis – or the ally she never dreamed existed.

The cover for The Big Reap, the 3rd novel in the outstanding The Collector series by Chris F. Holm, has been revealed!  How awesome is this cover?? I'll tell you. It's utterly awesome!  The folks at Amazing15 have done it again.  The first 2 books in the series (see below) would make an excellent holiday present for the Urban Fantasy reader on your shopping list.


The Big Reap
The Collector 3
Angry Robot (July 30, 2012 US/Canada; August 1, 2013 UK)
Mass Market Paperback and eBook

Sam Thornton has had many run-ins with his celestial masters, but he’s always been sure of his own actions.

However, when he’s tasked with dispatching the mythical Brethren – a group of former Collectors who have cast off their ties to Hell – is he still working on the side of right?

File Under: Urban Fantasy [ Soul Solution | Secret Origins | Flaming Torches | Double Dealing ]

Prior Books in The Collector Series:

The Wrong Goodbye
The Collector 2
Angry Robot (September 25, 2012 US/Canada; October 4, 2012 UK/RoW)
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages
(Review copy provide by the publisher)

Meet Sam Thornton, Collector of Souls.

Because of his efforts to avert the Apocalypse, Sam Thornton has been given a second chance – provided he can stick to the straight-and-narrow.

Which sounds all well and good, but when the soul Sam’s sent to collect goes missing, Sam finds himself off the straight-and-narrow pretty quick.

File Under: Urban Fantasy [ Missing | Soul Provider | Call Collect | Demon Child ]

My thoughts:

The second novel in The Collector series has everything I loved about Dead Harvest (The Collector 1) plus some. There's exciting action, a twisty plot, superb world-building, and a terrific cast of characters (returning and new).

Sam gets in trouble (I see a theme) when he's supposed to pick up a soul and it disappears. The powers that be in Sam's world are none too happy when a soul goes missing. Sam has to figure out who took the soul and why. Plus he must get the soul back or he's not going to like what happens to him. He has encounters that emphasize this point for him and were quite wonderfully creepy.

In The Wrong Goodbye, Mr. Holm further fleshes out Sam's  past and the world of Collectors. I love finding out more and more about Sam's world and its mythology. The pacing of the novel could not be better and again the mystery kept me guessing. The ending was exciting, unexpected and just right. 

The Wrong Goodbye is the ultimate road trip buddy story if one buddy happens to collect souls, the other buddy is dead, all sorts of odd supernatural stuff is going on, and there's a mystery to solve. A liberal dash of noir, a pinch or two of horror, and some remarkable characters round out this incredibly fun and engaging read.

(It's not necessary to read Dead Harvest to understand The Wrong Goodbye, but you should. It's also a terrific read.)



Dead Harvest
The Collector 1
Angry Robot (February 28, 2012 US/Canada; March 1, 2012 UK/RoW)
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

Meet Sam Thornton. He collects souls.

Sam’s job is to collect the souls of the damned, and ensure they are dispatched to the appropriate destination. But when he’s sent to collect the soul of a young woman he believes to be innocent of the horrific crime that’s doomed her to Hell, he says something no Collector has ever said before.

“No.”

File Under: Urban Fantasy [ Souled Out | Damned If You Don't | Collector Mania | On The Run ]

My Thoughts (previously published here):

Dead Harvest is a noirish urban fantasy with a surprisingly different and likable main character - Sam Thornton. Sam is a Collector. He's part of the careful balance between Heaven and Hell. He gets his orders and off he goes to collect a damned soul and send it off to Hell. You might say he works for the bad guys, but it's not quite that simple. In Dead Harvest, Sam is assigned the job of collecting the soul of a young woman (Kate) who has brutally murdered her family. It should be an easy job. Find her, collect her soul, go on to next job. Unfortunately for Sam, things are not as they seem. He decides something is not right about this collection and decides to figure out what is going on.

Sam is an amazingly likable character despite what he does. Through a series of well placed flashbacks we learn how Sam became a Collector. He did not have an easy life. 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions' could probably be Sam's motto. Which is not to say that he did everything on the up and up when he was alive. Nonetheless, I was on his side. I wanted him to be right and to figure out what was really going on. I did not want him to have to collect Kate's soul.

In addition to Sam there is a well fleshed out supporting cast. Kate is terrific even though she's not sure what she did or didn't do. She may actually be guilty. In addition we meet some angels, demons, seemingly crazy people, and Sam's remarkably chilling co-worker, The Bishop, who is out to collect Kate's soul because Sam has not.

Dead Harvest does not feel like a debut. Chris F. Holm's writing is assured and the world building is outstanding. The story is fast-paced with several well-done action scenes. The mystery kept me guessing - did she or didn't she and if she didn't what is really going on? I completely enjoyed reading Dead Harvest with its unlikely anti-hero and world painted in shades of gray. The Collector series is on my must buy list.

File Under: Great writing | Excellent World Building | Intriguing Mystery | Terrific Characters

I give Dead Harvest 5 Qwills.




Read The Qwillery's interviews with Chris F. Holm here (March 1, 2012) and here (September 26, 2012).




THE GIVEAWAY

What:  One commenter will win Mass Market Paperback copies of Dead Harvest (The Collector 1) and The Wrong Goodbye (The Collector 2) from Angry Robot!

How:   Answer The Qwillery's Question:  


Please remember - if you don't answer the questions your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1)   Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2)   Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

There are a total of 3 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry) and Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry).  This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook or Twitter mentions. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Wednesday, December 26, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.