This month we will be trying a book that I’ve already read and confirm is just fantastic. It is a book that takes the genres of fantasy and science fiction, merges them together and completely turns them on their head. The result is something that feels very, very fresh, is exciting and is unlike just about anything I’ve ever read before. In my personal opinion it is one of the best books that Solaris has published over the last few years and I implore you guys to check this one out.
Which book is it you ask? It’s Babylon Steel by Gaie Sebold!
Babylon Steel, ex-sword-for-hire, ex…other things, runs the best brothel in Scalentine; city of many portals, two moons, and a wide variety of races, were-creatures, and religions, not to mention the occasional insane warlock.
She’s not having a good week. The Vessels of Purity are protesting against brothels, women in the trade are being attacked, it’s tax time, and there’s not enough money to pay the bill. So when the mysterious Darask Fain offers her a job finding a missing girl, Babylon decides to take it. But the missing girl is not what she seems, and neither is Darask Fain. In the meantime twomoon is approaching, and more than just a few nights’ takings are at risk when Babylon’s hidden past reaches out to grab her by the throat.
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Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon US
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Reading will commence on April 1, 2012
Book Club Rules
Rule 1: We don’t talk about Fantasy Book Club. Oh, sorry that’s a different club. You are actually welcome to invite friends and tweet this link about everywhere. We want as many readers as possible!
So…How does it really work?
Choosing a Book
What we do is take suggestions from our forum members throughout the month and then open a poll about 2 weeks before the month’s end. Then our members vote on which book they would like to read. A week before the end of the month we close the poll and users have a week to obtain the book – either borrow it, buy it, find it and pull it out from your collection, etc.
Spoiler Free Discussion
Next, we want discuss our books in a way that will not spoil the story, so we limit how much you can discuss and when.
Week 1 – You may only discuss the first 1/4 of the book
Week 2 – You may only discuss the first 1/2 of the book
Week 3 – You may only discuss the first 3/4 of the book
Week 4 – Anything goes
We are going to go based on page count. So for example, if a book has 500 pages then week one you can discuss up to page 125 and then week two 250 and so on. Each week will have a separate thread, so as not to spoil the story for people who fall behind or come in late.
What if you want to read faster than that?
Not a problem at all. You are more than welcome to read ahead, but when discussing things just remember to post in the appropriate thread. And if you’re not sure when something happened, you can always use the spoiler tag to hide your post.
Should you not want any spoilers or discussion during the reading process, then just come after the end of week three and start discussing the book once you have finished. (This is how most book clubs operate anyway.)
It is something we are very excited about and we really hope you join in. It will certainly be a good way to read some books on your reading list, find some new ones, and talk with a like minded community of fantasy fans! If you would like to join in this month, you can visit our forums and add your name to the list here.
Jennie Ivins
JC Kang
All right, I am game. Let’s see if I can turn off my analytical side and just enjoy a book this time around, eh?
Looking forward to this, I read the book earlier this year and loved it, will be interested to see what others think.