2008 was an interesting year for books. We had new entries from John Ringo, David Weber, S.M. Stirling, and John Scalzi. While all of them were solid reads (and my issues with the Weber entry into the Safehold series are detailed in another post), I can’t really elevate any of the four to the epic Peter Hodges “Book of the Year” category.

To be considered, the first edition publication date of the novel must be from December 2007 – December 2008. I look for compelling, original stories (that may or may not be part of a serial) that “grab” me in such a way that I’ll neglect other things in order to complete them. I realize that this isn’t terribly objective, nor should this be misconstrued as a rigorous consideration of technical merit. These books are the ones that, like that dark haired girl with the funny nose and amber eyes in Starbucks, I’m strangely attracted to for no particular reason.

With no further ado, here are the nominees:

1.  Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

Scott Lynch continues the crime caper series began in the Lies of Locke Lamora. While the first book was dark fantasy combined with Ocean’s Eleven on crack, the second book takes the elements of the first, adds some Priates of the Carribbean, and then shakes it until foam comes out of the seams. Lynch writes his main character, Locke Lamora, with a self-effacing humor that is both charming and compelling. This is a book that isn’t as technically proficient as Martin or Jordan in their prime, but the reader won’t care because it’s just so damned fun.

2. Destroyermen: Into the Storm and Crusade by Taylor Anderson

Taylor is a newcomer to the science fiction/fantasy scene, but he writes like a pro of alternate history. He channels such disparate element as Patrick O’Brien, Jules Verne, Robert A. Heinlein, and S.M. Stirling into a coherent whole. I’ve put both of his books here because both books were published last year (July and October, respectively), and to consider one without the other would be a crime.  Taylor explores themes of duty, honor, and respect in these books while showing his characters coming to grips with their “castaways in time” situation. Sometimes grim, faithfully realisitic, and terribly gripping, this series is one of the most promising launches of talent in recent memory.

3. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

This is the third book in the Mistborn series. I’ve talked about them briefly here in previous posts, but let me reiterate that I think Brandon Sanderson is a worthy heir to the keys of Robert Jordan’s kingdom. He writes with a sensibility of someone twenty years his senior, he’s not afraid to take chances with plotlines and characters, and his depiction of a fantasy world is superceded only by Jordan himself. He scores huge points with me for his comletely original (and not to mention cool) magic system, which mixes alchemy, metallurgy, and physiology. Sanderson also explores some really tough questions surrounding religion, approaching them with a rare honesty that I found refreshing.

4. Princep’s Fury by Jim Butcher

I discovered Jim Butcher late in 2007, devouring the Dresden Files books before starting on his Codex Alera series. Loosely based on a future Roman Empire that has discovered magic, this latest entry in the Codex Alera series follows Tavi, a young man or humble beginnings who finds himself at the fulcrum of the empire. Tavi holds the keys to the Empire’s survival, and he is surrounded by a cast of character that range from quirky to capable. Despite the tendency of the plotline to delve deeply into intrigue, Butcher keeps the tone light with plenty of wry humor. Butcher, perhaps better than any other author currently publishing in the fantasy genre, understands the proper mix of humor, action, intrigue, and romance to make the penultimate escape read.

I’ll entertain comments about the nominees or about your own favorite novels of the year below. I’ll announce a winner by the end of next week.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 10th, 2009 at 11:51 pm and is filed under Book Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.