Welcome to my own personal award ceremony where I list and honour the books I read and reviewed in 2007. Here you’ll find my list of top releases along and the awards for Best New Author, Most Disappointing Novel, Best Book Review Blog, Best Book Forum and lastly, the books I think are most likely to end up in my ‘08 edition of the SABA’s. Enjoy!
I’m publishing this on the third of January for one very special reason: Today is the day that the worlds greatest fantasy author ever to live, JRR Tolkien, was born. Way back in 1895 he came into this world and I for one would not the person I was today without him. That’s why I want to pay tribute to him and his work with looking back at what I enjoyed and disliked the most about 2007. So enough chit chat; let’s have that list.
Please note that only books that got an 8.0/10 or higher are included, even though I read quite a few good books that got less than that. And yes, they are ranked after awesomeness per page.
Best Read New Releases
9. Peadar Ó Guilín’s “The Inferior” 
This is Peadar Ó Guilín first effort, and what a fine effort it was! It grabbed me from the get-go and wouldn’t let me put it back down until I had turned the last page. This is a compelling tale about duty, survival and honour, and it’s got cannibals. Lot’s of em, in fact. That’s quite an intriguing combination for a Young Adult SF book.
8. J. R. R. Tolkien’s “The Children of Húrin”
The birthday boy shows with this haunting tragedy that he can swipe the floor with most authors even though he’s been out of action for decades. One of the most nostalgic books I read in 2007, and a must-read for any Tolkien fan.
7. Andrzej Sapkowski’s “The Last Wish”
Poland’s master of fantasy brought us one of the most exciting novels of the year. This mosaic novel is endlessly funny, beautifully written and sets the table nicely for one of my most awaited novels of 2008, “The Blood of the Elves”… Any book that contains a promiscuous Snow White with an entourage of bloodthirsty warriors will get the nod from me.
6. Steven Erikson’s “The Lees of Laughter’s End”
This book is both funny, scary and grotesquely written. I’ve read and loved all three of the Bauchelain & Korbal Broach novellas and this one is nearly just as brilliant as “the Healthy Dead”; one of the funniest little things I’ve ever read. Highly recommended to any Malazan fan.
5. Warren Ellis’ “Crooked Little Vein”
Without doubt the most appallingly insane, unendingly entertaining book I’ve read in my life. It’s got tantric ostrich date rape sex, people getting their rocks off to Godzilla and a heroine adicted Chief of Staff that has to inject monkey shit into his brain just so he won’t go crazy… And all that, dear readers, is to be found in the first chapter alone!
4. Patrick Rothfuss’ “The Name of the Wind”
Spellbinding, mesmerizing and exciting to the degree that I’m willing to overlook nearly any flaw it might or might not have. “The Name of the Wind” is all these things, and I loved every page of it. Rothfuss is making a big name for himself in the genre with this debut and have as of yet sold more hardcover copies of it than Goodkind’s “Wizard’s First Rule” or George RR Martin’s “a Game of Thrones”. I can’t recommend it hard enough to anyone looking for a new, well-written epic.
3. Joe Hill’s “20th Century Ghosts” *
This book is simply superb in all too many ways for a regular or irregular human to understand. Joe Hill’s prose flows effortlessly throughout the collection and his characters are often too lively for comfort. If you’re only going to read one short-story collection in your life, make it this one. I love it with all my heart.
2. Scott Lynch’s “Red Seas Under Red Skies”
Being the sequel to last year’s mind-blowing debut, “the Lies of Locke Lamora”, “Red Seas Under Red Skies” was always in danger of underwhelming its audience. I, however, thought it to be nearly as good as the first novel from Scott Lynch, which I hold among my all-time favorites, and “The Gentleman Bastard Sequence” is quickly becoming my most beloved fantasy series. With this book Scott Lynch shows us that he in fact is awesomeness incarnate.
1. Steven Erikson’s “Reaper’s Gale”
Steven Erikson is in my opinion currently the best fantasy author to roam the earth today, and in “Reaper’s Gale” he brings out the big guns. The seventh installment in the “Malazan Book of the Fallen” nearly ranks up there with Erikson’s finest books like “Deadhouse Gates” and “Memories of Ice”, and can’t wait to get my hands on next book. So awesome it made me laugh, weep and cheer, “Reaper’s Gale” is the my obvious pick as the best new release in 2007.
*Joe Hill’s “20th Century Ghosts” wasn’t originally published in 2007, but Gollancz did a reprint of the hardcover that included a new story that wasn’t in the original book. That’s why I’m letting pass as a “New Release”, even though it’s technically not.
Best Books Read in 2007
These are the books I read and reviewed that weren’t published in 2007. Seems a bit silly to exclude mention of them just because of when they first saw light, so here’s a short, unranked list with included ratings:
Most Disappointing Novel 
You don’t ever get disappointed if you don’t have any expectations to begin with, but only a select few have the guts to do no research whatsoever on whether or not the book they’re buying is any good. One book that was hyped into oblivion by fellow bloggers and such like, is Richard Morgan’s newest SF thriller, “Black Man” (”Thirteen” in the USA). It’s topping a lot of “Best of 2007″ lists this year, yet I couldn’t bring myself to like it. Hopefully I’ll love Morgan’s debut “Altered Carbon”, which I’m hoping to read this year.
A runner-up in this category was J.K. Rowling’s “The Deathly Hallows”. I loved the Harry Potter books when I read them a couple of years back ago, and was expecting to be equally enthralled by the last installment of the series. But sadly, I couldn’t bring myself to like it as much as I’d hoped. It wasn’t poor or anything, but when I turned the last page I felt quite underwhelmed and terribly disappointed.
Best New Author
A lot nominees in this category this year, what with so many good debuts having been published, but the guy that took it away for me was none other than Stephen King’s own son, Joe Hill. I’ve read two books by him this year: “Heart-shaped Box” and the aforementioned short-story collection, “20th Century Ghosts”. While his debut novel really wasn’t anything very special, “20th Century Ghosts” blew my fucking mind. Mark my words: If Joe Hill continues down this path, he’ll soon be one of the best authors in the world.
Best Book Review Blog:
Adam Whitehead, also known as “Werthead”, began reviewing on his Wertzone back in late 2006 and I’ve faithfully read every entry on his blog since then. This year he’s managed to score a lot of great Advance Reader Copies (how do they do that? I must get me some of those…) of a some of my most anticipated new books, and he’s steadily become the one I trust the most when I pick up new releases.
Werthead has brought me such great finds as “The Last Wish” by Andrzej Sapkowski, “The Inferior” by Peadar Ó Guilín and he was even the one who convinced me to get “The Name of the Wind” by Patrick Rothfuss. His reviews are just about perfect in terms of what information I crave about a novel and in the end quality always matters the most.
Ironically enough, he’s also the one who got me to read “Black Man” by Richard Morgan, but I think I can find it in my heart to forgive him. Especially since I’m nearly the only one who didn’t like it…
Runner-up to this award was the monster of a blog called “Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist”; a must read to keep up with your current SFF events. His interviews are always interesting, almost regardless of subject, and it doesn’t hurt to have connections enough to always be giving away books I want…
Best Book Forum
Ran’s Westeros
Hands down, no competition whatsoever for Westeros. The literature forum is where I hang and that’s because everyone who is someone tends to pop by there. The discussions are always interesting and civil, yet they don’t ever become boring and there’s always room for a quip. There isn’t even any runners-up to this award; that’s how good Westeros is.
Potential Best Books of 2008
Now that all the awards have been announced, it’s time to look ahead for what may potentially be found in ’08’s “SABA” awards. These are, in no particular order, my most anticipated coming releases:
The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch (June)
The Bastard and the Knives by Scott Lynch (May)
Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson (August).
Blood of the Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski (September)
Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi (August)
The Return of the Crimson Guard by Ian Cameron Esslemont (August)
Neuropath by R. Scott Bakker (May)
Half the Blood of Brooklyn by Charlie Huston (February)
Posts
I’ll add your top 10 books to my list of books to read
3. January 2008 @ 03:54 ( Permalink )
Let me know how they work out for you, Brian! If you’re including “Reaper’s Gale” in that list, you’ll have a lot of good books to look forward to.
3. January 2008 @ 11:19 ( Permalink )
I’m still in awe at your ability to keep track of “contemporary” spec.fic. releases and news; I myself have fallen into the habit I also have when it comes to music, namely that of being a couple of years behind everyone else, excepting a novels of a few authors, and occasionally also concentrating wholly on the history of the genre. This way, I can see what people continue to talk about, and what is no more than a ephemereal thing. (And when I say people here, I pretty much mean you these days, at least when it comes to fantasy.)
So as you probably understand, I don’t have much to contribute in terms of constructive comments about your list (I probably wouldn’t anyway, as both The Inferior and 20th Century Ghosts sounds like the kind of stuff I wouldn’t touch even with a ten-foot pole).
But what’s that The Bastard and the Knives thing? Some kind of prequel?
4. January 2008 @ 17:28 ( Permalink )
“The Bastard and Knives” is an omnibus of two novellas that are set before tLoLL. I don’t remember exactly what they’re about, but if I were to have a guess, it’d be that they tell the story of how they got hold of the things they made use of in that first novel (like the Austershalin brandy…).
It’s not confirmed for a release in May as far as I know, and even if it does, you’ll probably not be able to get it before 2009, when Gollancz release their own edition. The first one is going out via Sub Press (meaning that it’ll be a signed limited, illustrated ed. that’ll cost my left hand and kidney. Still worth it, though).
(As for “the Inferior”… I seriously think you should reconsider that statement, seeing that the book I’d compare it with would be “Old Man’s War”. “20th Century Ghosts” is a mind-blowing collection, but you don’t read collections, do you?)
5. January 2008 @ 03:21 ( Permalink )
“but you don’t read collections, do you?”
I try, from time to time, but no. Short fiction just isn’t my kind of thing… :\
5. January 2008 @ 16:50 ( Permalink )