Tales of the Hidden World by Simon R. Green

Description from Goodreads

Seventeen delightfully unexpected stories from Simon R. Green-including a brand-new adventure of the Droods-take us deep into the Darkside, embroil us in the Secret Histories, and lead us into the shadowy places where monsters and demons roam Welcome to the worlds of Simon R. Green. In this wide-ranging collection, the New York Times-bestselling urban fantasist opens doors into hidden places: strange realms bordering our own mundane existence and prowled by creatures of fancy and nightmare. Here are the strange, frequently deadly-and sometimes even dead-things that lurk in garbage-strewn city alleyways and grimy subway stations after midnight, visible only to the most perceptive human or inhuman eye.

In these tales, Green revisits the ingenious worlds within worlds that he created for his wildly popular novels. Take a stroll on the Darkside with a jaded street wizard, an underpaid government functionary responsible for keeping demons, vamps, and aliens in line. Enter the hidden recesses of Drood Hall, where the aging family member who creates powerful weapons that protect humankind recalls his long and bloody career. Join a squad of no-longer-human soldiers dispatched to combat the all-consuming jungle on a distant planet. Visit a house at the intesection of two realities that serves as a sanctuary from the evil of all worlds. Confront the unstoppable zombie army of General Kurtz in a brilliant homage to Apocalypse Now. And whatever you do, never forget that there are monsters out there. Really. Each story includes a new afterword by the author.

“[In] a Simon R. Green book, everything is larger than life-the heroes extremely heroic, the villains astonishingly villainous, the choices between good and evil very clear-cut. Still, if the ultimate outcome is never really in doubt, there’s plenty of entertainment in the journey, and the engagingly-drawn characters.” -SFF.net

“If they’re making fantasy adventure much better than this, I don’t know about it.” -Science Fiction Chronicle on Beyond the Blue Moon.
Simon R. Green is the New York Times-bestselling author of Blue Moon Rising, Beyond the Blue Moon, the Adventures of Hawk & Fisher, the Novels of the Nightside, the Secret Histories Novels, and the Ghost Finders Novels. He is a resident of Bradford-on-Avon in England.

I gave this book four stars out of five

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. I found it a great introduction to the work of this author and it left me wanting to explore his works further. I enjoyed the short story format and knowing that they related to existing series’ of books gave them further meaning and depth.

I found the variety of styles and the sheer creativity present in these stories incredible. It was fascinating to see and be able to compare and contrast recent work, particularly that associated with successful series’, with that of much earlier works, that had originally appeared in, for example, ezines.

The volume contains seventeen stories, of varying lengths, all extremely well written and imaginative.

I found it fascinating how the author created stories that could appear on the surface to be about one thing, but dig a little deeper, or wait until the big reveal, and you would find a whole different layer to it.

The inclusion of explanatory details following each story was very useful, especially to someone unfamiliar with the author’s canon of work. They provided that extra personal touch and a greater insight into the motivations, influences, and goals of the author.

I would certainly recommend this book to fans of Simon R. Green, and also to fans of sci-fi in general. As a relative newbie to the works of this author, I can certainly say that this volume has whet my appetite for a much greater exploration of his books.

This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by Netgalley and the publisher.

Mistworld by Simon R. Green

Description from Goodreads

Before Owen Deathstalker, there was the Twilight of the Empire…

Mistworld. The day would come when it would be a key world in Owen Deathstalker’s Rebellion. Now, it’s as it’s always been, a world on the edge of the Empire, a lawless one, shielded from the outside by powerful ESPers. A world where Leon Vertue can run his body bank, where a burglar like Cat has more to fear from other thieves than the Empress’ justice, a world where Investigator Topaz is determined to make her mark.

Mistworld. “Green moves his plot at top speed, and his characters are alive and his background solid.” Baird Searles in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine

Mistworld has previously been published singly, as well as in the omnibus editions Twilight of the Empire (US) and Deathstalker Prelude (UK). Be sure to enjoy the other Prelude/Twilight of the Empire novels Ghostworld and Hellworld, and the entire Deathstalker series, all from New York Times bestselling author Simon R. Green.

I gave this book four stars out of five

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. This was an author that I had not come across before. I know. Shame on me. I do not generally read a great deal of sci-fi, but I found it to be an interesting, relatively easy book that was a pleasure to read.

The story was exciting and imaginative. I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the world that the author had created. Mistworld was picturesque and fascinating in its own prosaic fashion. It was a hard brutal place to live though.

The story was well paced, with plenty of action. There were many intriguing and engrossing characters. In particular I liked Investigator Topaz, and would have been very interested in hearing more of her back story, of which we only caught glimpses. I also liked many of the other characters, all of which I found to be well formed and believable.

This was a tale of intrigue, murder, mystery and technology. There was corruption and betrayal galore.

I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys books that inhabit different worlds, with a sci-fi slant, and that are easy to read and downright enjoyable.

This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by Netgalley and the publisher.