The Leaning Pile of Books

Just finished a rough draft of a review of Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs - getting closer to caught up on reviews all the time. Or maybe it would feel that way if I hadn't finished The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms over the weekend and read most of Sea Dragon Heir yesterday, but at least it is a lot easier to review books that have been read more recently. (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was excellent - my favorite book I've read this year to date and I'm really excited about the next one in the series.) Next up is a book I am looking forward to, A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire, and the next book I read after that probably depends on how close to caught up I am.

Yesterday I got one review copy in the mail.

Procession of the Dead by Darren Shan

Darren Shan is better known as a writer of YA fiction, particularly the Cirque Du Freak series (the first three books were recently made into the movie Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant). This one is an adult novel coming out on June 4, 2010 although it looks like it has been published before but was not easy to get a hold of in the United States. It is the first book in a series called The City. Since I hadn't heard of this one before, here's the blurb on it (I'll probably start including these anyway for all books including the ones I purchase myself):

What had I done before coming to the city? I couldn't remember. It sounded crazy but my past was a blank. I could recall every step since alighting from the train, but not a single one before.

Young, quick-witted and cocksure, Capac Raimi arrives in the City determined to make his mark in a world of sweet, sinister sin. He finds the City is a place of exotic dangers: a legendary assassin with snakes tattooed on his face who moves like smoke, blind Incan priests that no one seems to see, a kingpin who plays with puppets, and friends who mysteriously disappear as though they never existed. Then Capac crosses paths with The Cardinal, and his life changes forever.

The Cardinal is the City, and The City is The Cardinal. They are joined at the soul. Nothing moves on the streets, or below them, without the Cardinal's knowledge. His rule is absolute.

When Capac discovers the extent of The Cardinal's influence on his own life, he is faced with hard choices and his own soaring ambition. To find his way, Capac must know himself and what he is capable of. But how can you trust yourself when you can't remember your past?