Well, March certainly was in and out of here quicker than it should have been. And, given the crap weather it brought with it, I say Good Riddance! Weather aside, it was also a busy month, and I only managed to get through two books (seriously – how sad is that? TWO!) Thankfully, though, both were outstanding and well worth the limited time I did manage to find.

Necroscope II: Wamphyri
By Brian Lumley
(Mass Market Paperbound)

Harry Keogh died at the end of Necroscope, Brian Lumley’s first novel in this series of 16. Or did he? See there’s this metaphysical plane of existence called the Mobius Continuum & he may actually still exist there; or in the subconscious of his unborn child. Confused yet? That’s a perfectly natural response. But if you were to pick up this book, you’d be able to set yourself straight (I would recommend reading the first one, though, before diving in here.)  With more vampires, more dead folk, more resurrections & more mayhem, Necroscope II: Whampyri picks up right where the action of Necroscope left you dangling. And the action doesn’t let up – ever.  Much like the first in this series, this novel is just pure unadulterated horror & gore. In other words: this book is FUN!

 
Oryx & Crake
By Margaret Atwood
(Knopf Canada)

I want to be Margaret Atwood when I grow up. It’s true. And I can live with the fact that said aspirations are unattainable – as long as she never stops writing. Happily, the only thing I knew about Oryx & Crake (which was a Kobo giveaway that I’d gotten hold of over the Christmas holidays) was that it was the first in a series. Sometimes diving in with no preconceptions leads to the most delightful of discoveries. This was certainly one of those instances. Oryx & Crake takes place in an undefined future with flashbacks to a past that is also not clearly defined; we’re introduced to Snowman – who leads us through his version of a dystopian society that has gone through some sort of apocalyptic happenstance. We know that science, technology & extreme commercialization has definitely played a big part in the destruction of this society, but the exact events aren’t revealed right away. And when they are… wow! Atwood’s gift for speculative fiction is unparalleled, in my opinion; it forever balances on the precipice of becoming science fiction… without ever toppling over. Needless to say, I’ve already added The Year of the Flood (her 2009 sequel) to my Kobo library and will be eagerly anticipating publication of the next in the MaddAddam Trilogy.