GARRISON by EDWARD NIGEL

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Bookwraiths

GARRISON

Garrison by Nigel Edwards

Genre: Military Fantasy

Series: World of Prism

Publisher: Self-published (July 14, 2011)

My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.

Garrison by Nigel Edwards is a military fantasy novella of a company of fresh recruits traveling across an arid landscape toward their first post: a fort along a wild, untamed border. Among this band is one youth called Ataqa: a farmer’s son, who doesn’t attempt to hide his fear of what lies ahead. Another is the brash and confident Hoop, who yearns for battle and glory. And marching beside them is a rugged, enigmatic veteran known only as Von, who tries to impart some veteran wisdom to their inexperienced minds.

What will these three soldiers face? Do they have what it takes to survive this harsh new reality? What enemies await them? And does Von mean to help them or throw them to the wolves?

Now, this story reads very much like Starship Troopers in sandals, so for those who hate that sort of thing, don’t say I didn’t warn you before you kept reading, but for those who think that sounds cool, please continue.

Here Mr. Edwards does a great job translating the daily routine of soldiers into a fantasy setting – for this is definitely a fantasy land, filled with strange beasts and talk of magic – and weaving an interesting narrative around that framework. Quickly, a reader learns enough about each of the three main characters to have an emotional attachment to them; the ominous enemies are described to instill fear; there are rousing speeches exhorting martial prowess; and then the garrison and these enemies face off in a battle royal that introduces both the recruits and the readers to the harshness and brutality of hand-to-hand combat in fantasy land – including some rather cool moments like when the soldiers dig pit trenches to attack the enemy cavalry as they pass over their heads!

The most interesting person in this tale by far was Von. With his shadowy past and mysterious role within the company, he was immediately intriguing. When these things were added to his constant poise, understanding and toughness throughout the narrative, it seemed inevitable that readers would gravitate toward him. So while Ataqa and Hoop are definitely the stars of the show, Von stole it – at least, in my opinion.

The only negative I had with this novella was that there really wasn’t much of a plot. It stayed true to the very linear story of recruit-experiencing-his-first-battle and never strayed far from it. Even when a side story involving Von’s mysterious past came up, it really seemed to be introduced to allow the veteran to impart more wisdom to his youthful proteges rather than form a new plot thread.

According to Edward Nigel, Garrison is an extension of the novel, Prism, with the physical world of that world as the backdrop to this novella, and while it is narrow in scope, it is still an entertaining story.

Purchase at Amazon.

Posted in 2 Stars, Fantasy, Low, Short Stories | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

FLASHBACK FRIDAY — THE FIONAVAR TAPESTY by GUY GAVRIEL KAY

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Bookwraiths

flashbackfriday

Flashback Friday is something I’ve been doing here at Bookwraiths for a while now; a time when I can post my thoughts about books and graphic novels that I’ve read in the past and never gotten around to reviewing. With the hectic schedule of day to day life and trying to review new books, I never seem to find the time to give these old favorites the spotlight that they deserve. But with a day all to themselves, there is no reason I can’t revisit them, so let’s take a look at The Fionavar Tapestry!

This is a fantasy trilogy where Guy Gavriel Kay made a knowing and deliberate decision to emulate J.R.R. Tolkien. Perhaps this was to be expected after Kay spent a considerable time helping Christopher Tolkien (J.R.R.’s son) edit The Silmarillion, but he himself has explained (in numerous interviews) that this series was undertaken to prove that “High Fantasy” was complex enough to spawn many original stories, and that inferior Tolkien imitators need not become the norm for the genre. Whether Kay completely succeeded in this endeavor can be debated, but The Fionavar Tapestry is definitely a trilogy well worthy of its Lord of the Rings comparisons.

In The Summer Tree, the story begins with five college students from Toronto being THE SUMMER TREE transported to Fionavar (the first world that all others emulate) by Loren Silvercloak. This other worldly mage is a kindly man, who assures the frantic five that he is merely “borrowing” them for a short while so they can be guests of the royal court for a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the king’s ascension to the throne, but that he has ever intention of immediately returning them to their homes. Soon after their arrival in the Kingdom of Brennin, however, things begin to turn sour when the evil god Rakoth Maugrim, the Unraveller, escapes from his imprisonment under the great mountain of Rangat. Our unwary travelers then find themselves trapped in the struggle to overcome Rakoth, slowly realizing that each of them will have some special role to play in saving Fionavar.

THE WANDERING FIREThe second book, The Wandering Fire, is a standard middle of a trilogy tale, in that it focuses on aligning all the good and evil characters up for an epic confrontation in the final volume of the series. But Kay also finds time to do something else here: integrate real world myths into the fantasy narrative. These run the gamut from the very prominent Arthurian legend of Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere to the less well-known tidbits of Celtic and Northern mythos.

THE DARKEST ROADIn The Darkest Road, Kay brings the “High Fantasy” tale to a close with the inevitable final battle between the forces of Good and Evil, the end of the quest for the mountain, and the decision of the hero who holds the fate of all in his hands. As familiar and simplistic as that might seem, Kay fills the narrative to the brim with dark broodiness, fertile hope, and an “eucatastrophe” that is deeply moving to read and wraps up all the characters’ storylines.

Now, as I alluded to earlier, The Fionavar Tapestry is very similar to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. There are dwarves, elves, a nation of horsemen, an ancient god-like villain once cast down but now returned, traitorous mages, the heir to a powerful kingdom in exile who has now returned, and the quest of someone to the evil mountain itself. (I’ve only named the most prominent examples; there are actually many more.) And, at its core, the series is very much a Tolkien-like chronicle of the battle between Good and Evil with little suspense as to which side each character will ultimately align with. So if you are one of those readers who views Tolkien-like fantasy as “brain candy” with no redeeming value, then I doubt you will like this trilogy very much . . . but there is still a chance you might.

The reason why is that, in The Fionavar Tapestry, Kay has delivered a deeply moving, richly imaginary world, crafted with some of the most lyrical prose ever to grace a fantasy page. The work is grand in scope, deep in emotions, brimming with detailed characters, and crystallizes quickly into something hauntingly beautiful.

None of which means you are guaranteed to love it. Everyone’s tastes are quite different. However, I would encourage naysayers to take a leap of faith, pick this series up at the used books store or on Amazon or wherever, and sit down with an open mind about what emotions “High Fantasy” can still invoke. I realize that the Tolkien clones have ruined this sub-genre to a certain extent, but it is still a powerful medium that a master storyteller can mine for powerful themes and emotional reactions – and Guy Gavriel Kay is definitely a master.

Purchase your copy at Amazon.

Posted in 3 Stars, Epic, Fantasy, Flashback Friday, High | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

TOUGH TRAVELING — UNIQUE FLORA

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Bookwraiths

tough-traveling

Every Thursday, Nathan over at Fantasy Review Barn hosts a weekly party where blogs set out with Diana Wynne Jones’ hilarious book The Tough Guide to Fantasyland: The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel in hand to explore all the tropes from their favorite stories. So sit back and enjoy the fun.

9d April, 2015 – UNIQUE FLORA

Self-explanatory. If you know of a plant that is either not on earth, or doesn’t act the same way in fantasyland as it does on earth, then you can consider it unique.

Wow, this should open up lots of really cool and unique answers, don’t you think? Let’s see if that is true.

VUL NUT VINE — DISCWORLD

nuts

“The vul nut vine was particularly exceptional in that it could flourish as many as eight years prior to its seed actually being sown. Vul nut wine was reputed to give certain drinkers an insight into the future which was, from the nut’s point of view, the past. Strange but true.” Terry Pratchett Source

Yeah, this is one really weird plant, but Pratchett came up with it, so what else would you expect.

Buy The Color of Magic (Discworld Book 1) at Amazon.

ALIANTHA — THE FIRST CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT

Aliantha
>”Aliantha, also called Treasure-Berries, are a type of gnarled waist-high bush with leaves spread and pointed like a holly’s. Small viridian blooms cover the plant with blue-green fruit the size of blueberries.

The berries are highly nutritious and a blessing of the Land, being the last to die and the first to grow anywhere in the land, except the Spoiled Plains. A person could survive on only a few of these berries a day. They have a tangy-peach flavor.

Aliantha can cause a sickness of the mind if taken in quantities too large, such as causing Thomas to rape Lena.

The people of the Land have a saying which goes: Eat and spread the seeds over the Earth so that the aliantha may spread.

When people eat the berries they ensure they spread the seeds so later generations can enjoy the berries.” Source

Buy Lord Foul’s Bane (THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER Book 1) at amazon.

ENTS — LORD OF THE RINGS

ENT

What can one say about Ents?

They are a race of sentient tree-like beings who live for thousands of years, speak to trees as well as other creatures, and can get pretty scary when they get angry.

I’m not sure if they are technically “flora” per se, but they are close enough for me to put them on this list.

Buy The Lord of the Rings: One Volume at Amazon.

MANDRAKE — HARRY POTTER

mandrakes
“A Mandrake, also known as Mandragora, is a plant which has a root that looks like a human (like a baby when the plant is young, but maturing as the plant grows). When mature, its cry can be fatal to any person who hears it.” Source

I’m not much of a Harry Potter aficionado, but I’ve watched the movies with my kids. And I have to admit that these things really freaked me out. Not because they were scary but because a plant that looks like a human baby was a bit disconcerting to me for whatever reason. I don’t know, guess I’m just strange like that.

Buy Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter, Book 1) at Amazon.

SARLACC — STAR WARS

Sarlacc_full_shot
The sarlacc was a semi-sentient, plant-like, omnivorous creature found on several planets across the galaxy. Not much was known about this creature, but it was unique in terms of galactic species. It lived to be tens of thousands of years old, and reproduced by spores. One particular specimen of sarlacc was located in the Great Pit of Carkoon on Tatooine. They are most famous for the fact that (according to Jabba the Hut) “In [its] belly, you will find a new definition of pain and suffering as you are slowly digested over a…thousand years.”

Sounds like a plant I definitely want to stay away from.

Buy Star Wars: Trilogy (25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) at Amazon.

PLANTMEN — THE BARSOOM, OR JOHN CARTER OF MARS SERIES

plantmen of barsoom

These really strange creatures are also sentient plant life. Now, John Carter encounters lots of wild creatures during his adventures on Barsoom, but the plantmen were among the scariest: Ravenous, omnivorous, with mouths in their palms; these guys never gave up in a fight until every last one of them was dead.

I mean, some people could label these guys a “race” of beings instead of flora, but I seem to recall that Edgar Rice Burroughs took great pains to make his readers understand that these were indeed plants, not animals. Perhaps, my memory is tricking me here, but I’m going to put them on the list.

Buy The John Carter of Mars Collection (7 Novels + Bonus Audiobook Links) at Amazon.

OLD FATHER TREE — THE BLACK COMPANY

thewhiterose

In book three of the series, the remaining members of The Black Company and their “White Rose” have hidden themselves in The Plains of Fear, because it has such weird flora and fauna that no one (not even Lady’s people) want to come anywhere near it. And at the center of the whole chaotic mess is a large tree. A tree that is called Old Father and can shoot lightning as well as other really exotic stuff. Eventually, it is learned that the tree is a god from another dimension who is upon the world to guard against the resurrection of some evil entity, but to me, he is just some really unique flora.

I have to tell you this part of the series had some weird stuff. But it just made everything even better.

Buy Chronicles of the Black Company (Chronicles of the Black Company Series Book 1) at Amazon.

THE TREES OF HYPERION — HYPERION CANTOS

Hyperion_tesla_Tree_

Tesla trees. Treeships. Dyson Trees. The menacing, half-mechanical, half-organic four armed Shrike. Plus all the other very unique flora that I’m completely overlooking. Why should I pick only one?

Buy Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, Book 1) at Amazon.

THE EARTH — HOTHOUSE: THE LONG AFTERNOON OF EARTH

hothouse

This sci-fi classic is set in a far future where the earth has locked rotation with a swollen Sun. All the increased light and heat has caused the Earth to be covered by tropical forests that have bred a vegetable kingdom, where the plants are in a constant frenzy of growth and decay. These plants (lots of omnivores among them) have evolved into more sentient beings with primitive nervous systems and eyes. The few remaining humans live on the edge of extinction, clinging to life within the canopy layer of a giant banyan tree that covers a whole continent!

There were so many unique flora in this old gem that I can’t remember them all, but I do remember that “unique” was one way to describe them.

Buy Hothouse at Amazon.

Honestly, this weeks Tough Traveling list was pretty hard for me. Guess I don’t pay enough attention to the flora in my stories. So please enlighten me on what fantastical plants I totally forgot?

CHECK OUT MY BEST OF FANTASY LISTS

Posted in Fantasy, Lists, Tough Traveling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

INDIE WEDNESDAY — LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE by CHARLES YALLOWITZ

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Bookwraiths

Indie-Wednesday

Along my reading journey, I’ve made a conscious decision to not only read the fantasy novels on the shelves at my local Barnes and Nobles bookstore but to also try self-published, or indie, fantasy as often as I can.

Now, I know several of you are snickering in the background or rolling your eyes at my idiot crusade to bring a few good indie fantasy works to light. And believe me, I understand why you’d do that. Several years into this, I have to admit that I’ve probably stopped reading more indie faire than I’ve finished. But those that did keep my attention were novels which I feel were — or had the potential to be — above average fantasy novels, and I’d like to occasionally share those few with you in the hope that other people might also discover them.

So without any further talking, I’d like to introduce you to the Legends of Windemere series by Charles Yallowitz, which I was happy to discover in 2015. Beginning of a Hero was a good start to the tale, and Mr. Yallowitz has only expanded it since, recently publishing the seventh installment in the ongoing series. So take a look.

LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE: SLEEPER OF THE WILDWOOD FUGUE
LIVE on Amazon Kindle!

The final champion stirs and reaches out to any who can hear her voice. Yet all who heed her call will disappear into the misty fugue

Awakening their new ally is only the beginning as Luke, Nyx, and their friends head south to the desert city of Bor’daruk. Hunting for another temple once used to seal Baron Kernaghan, they are unaware that the game of destiny has changed. Out for blood and pain, Stephen is determined to make Luke wish he’d never set out to become a hero.

By the time the sun sets on Bor’daruk, minds will be shattered and the champions’ lives will be changed forever.

Don’t forget to mark it as ‘To Read’ on Goodreads too!

Charles E. Yallowitz

Charles E. Yallowitz

About the Author:

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After his wife decided that she was tired of hearing the same stories repeatedly, she convinced him that it would make more sense to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house under orders to shut up and get to work, Charles brings you Legends of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you and his wife is happy he finally has someone else to play with.

Blog: Legends of Windemere
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com

Read the Previous Volumes of Legends of Windemere!!!

BEGINNING OF A HERO

PRODIGY OF RAINBOW TOWER

ALLURE OF THE GYPSIES

FAMILY OF THE TRI-RUNE

THE COMPASS KEY

CURSE OF THE DARK WIND

Posted in Cover Reveal, Fantasy, High, Indie Wednesday, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

JOE STEELE by HARRY TURTLEDOVE

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Bookwraiths

joe steele

Joe Steele by Harry Turtledove

Genre: Alternate History

Series: Joe Steele

Publisher: Roc (April 7, 2015)

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

One of the grand masters of alternate history is back with a tale centering around a pivotal moment in modern United States history: the 1932 presidential election!

In 1932, the Great Depression has engulfed the world and has its deathly grip firmly around the throats of the United States of America. Whether it was his fault or not, President Herbert Hoover is pointed at as the person who let it happen. For was it not under his weak leadership that the 1929 stock market crashed, costing the country hundred of billions of dollars, if not trillions? Wasn’t it Hoover who did nothing worthwhile as bank closing after bank closing robbed the average American of his life savings? And wasn’t it the President who buried his head in the sand since, telling everyone they just have to wait til the worst is over?

Yes, it was: the Great Depression all Hoover and the Republican Party’s fault, and, soon, Americans will boot him and his party out of office for good. At least, the Democrats meeting at the Democratic National Convention believe that is what is about to happen. All they have to do is find the right presidential candidate for a desperate, American electorate to get behind, and the reigns of power will be theirs for the first time in decades. The two contenders for the job: New York governor Franklin D. Roosevelt and California congressman Joe Steele.

But then fate intervenes! A fire claiming the life of one of the candidates. A terrible accident that leaves everyone with only one choice.

But what if the fire wasn’t really an accident? And what if, the future President of the USA was not only behind it, but actively engaged in this sort of violence as part of his governing?

Could America somehow endure that type of strong-arm leadership and remain free, or would the winds of authoritarian rule sweep over the Atlantic Ocean?

And if an American dictator did arise, how would the history of the modern world change?

Those “what-if” questions and more are posed by Harry Turtledove in this novel, and the story that develops does its best to answer each and every one of them. It takes the reader from the sweaty, smoke-filled halls of the Democratic Convention to the oval office. It begins in the world of The Great Depression and ends with the Cold War era of the late fifties. It looks not only at how history would have changed if another man had led the United States during World War II but how the imprisonment of scientists and thinkers might have hampered the evolution of the modern world. In point of fact, Joe Steele takes upon itself the task of rewriting nearly three decades of modern world history in a single volume.

As long-time readers of the author already knows, when tasked with covering such a huge span of history, Mr. Turtledove generally focuses the narrative on small periods of time, using a simple, straight forward style with multiple view points and numerous characters to create not only an alternate world but a compelling, character-driven story. In this way, a reader can admire the changes in this world’s history from our own, but also get to tag along behind the leaders and the average Joes whose society he is merely visiting. It is a writing strategy Mr. Turtledove has used to great success with many of his other alternate history novels, but while he attempts to utilize it again in Joe Steele, it fails for the most part, because the time period he is covering is just too vast.

What I mean by that last statement is that when a pivotal event occurs to Character A in Chapter 1 by Chapter 6 it is so far removed in time from what is now happening to him that it really has no bearing on the ongoing plot any more. Times have changed. The old ways are no more. He isn’t 20 years old anymore but now 27 years old, married with a kid. The jumps in time from one event in his life to the next dilutes the suspense, the drama, and the horror of certain things that happen. Honestly, when something horrendous was done by the powers-that-be I would find myself startled, until after a chapter or two it didn’t seem to matter anymore, because now World War II had started or the atom bomb had been invented or another war had begun. In the face of those types of historical events, how could anyone’s personal story really matter to a reader? Here it didn’t, because time (and the character himself) had already moved on.

Now, do not mistake me: Joe Steele is still an interesting novel – if for no other reason than it posed a really intriguing alternate history question, which Mr. Turtledove did an excellent job answering and illustrating through an alternative timeline of events. My main problem with it is that the characters and their stories took a backseat to this history, which wasn’t such a good thing in my opinion.

Roc Publishing and Netgalley provided this book to me for free in return for an honest review. The review above was not paid for or influenced in any way by any person, entity or organization, but is my own personal opinions.

Buy Joe Steele at Amazon.

Posted in 3 Stars, Alternative History | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

THE CORPSE KING (AN EISENGOTH TALE) by CHRISTOPHER KELLEN

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Bookwraiths

THE CORPSE KING

The Corpse King by Christopher Kellen

Genre: Fantasy, Horror

Series: Tales of Eisengoth #1; Arbiter Codex #0.5

Publisher: Self-published (September 9, 2011)

Author Information:Website | Twitter

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

The Corpse King is another of my fantasy short story discoveries from Amazon, so sit back and let me tell you all about it.

The main characters here are Apprentice D’Arden Tal and Master Havox Khaine of the Tower of the Arbiters. These manna blade wielding knights . . . err, I mean, Arbiters travel the lands, dealing with the users and abusers of “corrupted” mana wherever they arises. And in this tale of their exploits, a reader finds them far to the southwest of the Old Kingdoms, patiently heading toward a fiefdom where people whisper a demented king rules a land of the undead!

Naturally, the narrative that flows from this set up is moody, creepy, and filled with dark, horror-type images, and Mr. Kellen does such an excellent job infusing those elements into the narrative that it helps The Corpse King stand out from typical fantasy fare. But, never fear, this is still, without a doubt, a fantasy tale. For while the creep is front and center, the tidbits of lore, flashes of magic, sword clashes, and history lessons make it clear that this genre blender is a fantasy at its core.

For me, the strength of the story (other than the horror elements) is the relationship between D’Arden and Havox. Yes, it is typical master-apprentice interaction, but the bond between the two is easily appreciated: A clear sense of their camaraderie shown by Havox’s reaction to D’Arden’s missteps (both the humorous and the dangerous ones) and D’Arden’s obvious love and respect for his master. And it is that character interaction which drove the tale forward.

But not everyone agrees with my assessment of our two heroes. Other reviewers have had a completely different take on Havox, seeing his attitude toward D’Arden as a real negative in the narrative. These people view Havox’s training method as lackadaisical at best and intentionally dangerous at worst, as he seems to withhold information from his apprentice, allowing D’Arden to blunder into danger and appear naive and stupid many times. And I definitely can understand why they could be put off by Havox, viewing his permanent grin and jokes at D’Arden’s expense as a bit too arrogant. However, having had mentors before who used this same method, I saw it more as a the master allowing his student to learn by his own missteps: only intervening when necessary to keep both of them safe. I felt I should mention this difference of opinion, however, so you would be prepared to decide for yourself.

The only other weakness of the tale (for those that perceive it as such) could be the similarity of Kellen’s mana knights and those energy blade wielding knights from a sci-fi franchise named Star Wars. And I’ll be the first one to admit that the Arbiters are eerily familiar to the Jedi Order: their powers and mana blades reminding one of the Force and lightsabers as well as D’Arden and Havox’s relationship mirroring that of a Jedi and his padawan. But that doesn’t mean the Arbiters here are merely fantasy duplicates of George Lucas’ pop culture icons. Nope, Mr. Kellen has tweaked them into their own fantasy mold, much as Stephen King took the spaghetti western cowboy and made him his own in the form of Roland Deschain from Dark Tower fame.

But should you give it a try, you want to know?

Well, if you like to try something a bit different from time to time then you definitely should pick this short story up. The Corpse King might not revolutionize fantasy, but Mr. Kellen has mixed in enough horror with his fantasy to concoct a fine genre blender sure to entertain. At least, that is my opinion.

Buy The Corpse King (Tales of Eisengoth Book 1) at Amazon.

Posted in 3 Stars, Fantasy, High, Short Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

FUN DAY MONDAY, OR THE BOOKS THAT WILL HELP ME SURVIVE THE WEEK AHEAD (APRIL 6, 2015)

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Bookwraiths

funday-Monday

The work week begins. I quickly slip into my business suit and head back into the office to save a few innocent people from wrongful incarceration. But while I try to fool myself into being excited about the grind, deep down I’m not, so I’m going to escape dreary reality by reading some great books. Without any further ado, here is the novel I will be giving a try this week.

THE GRIM COMPANY by LUKE SCULL

THE GRIM COMPANY
“The Gods are dead. The Magelord Salazar and his magically enhanced troops, the Augmentors, crush any dissent they find in the minds of the populace. On the other side of the Broken Sea, the White Lady plots the liberation of Dorminia, with her spymistresses, the Pale Women. Demons and abominations plague the Highlands.

The world is desperately in need of heroes. But what they get instead are a ragtag band of old warriors, a crippled Halfmage, two orphans and an oddly capable manservant: the Grim Company.” — GOODREADS DESCRIPTION.

Buy The Grim Company at Amazon.

That is my one and only new book for the week. (I still am struggling to finish a couple of others.) So what novels will you be devouring in the coming days?

Posted in Fantasy, Funday Monday | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Guest Blog: 3 Ways Authors can Get Exposure for Their Recently-published Books

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Bookwraiths

Unknown's avatarArcher's Aim

Today’s post comes from fellow epic fantasy writer, Daniel Adorno. He is the author of The Blade Heir which was released just a few months ago. Take it away, Daniel!

Stack of Library BooksSo you’ve spent months, maybe years, writing and editing your book so you can self-publish. The moment finally arrives when you decide to hit that Publish button and send your masterpiece off into the world, but once you’ve done that, you first thought might be similar to mine: “Now what?”

You’ve done an amazing thing by completing a novel and the accomplishment should never be understated, but as you’ll hear many veteran authors tell you, completing the book is only the first step in a really long journey. After the book is published, you’ve got to market and promote it otherwise nobody except your family and friends will ever know it’s out there swimming in the overcrowded sea of self-published…

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FLASHBACK FRIDAY — DARKWAR by GLEN COOK

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Bookwraiths

flashbackfriday

As most of my friends know, I am a Glen Cook fan, have been since I was a teenager in the 1980s and read The Black Company. That quintessential grimdark fantasy (before there was even the term) blew my mind, turning me into a fan for life. Since then I’ve tried to read everything the man has written. Most of his novels I’ve enjoyed (though I obviously have favorites and some not so favorites), but one of his “underappreciated” series is Darkwar, which was first published back in the mid-80s as a trilogy.DARKWAR

This is a story about Marika: a Meth pup of the Degnan Packstead, living in the longhouse of her dam. (The Meth are a dog-like species whose dominate sex is the females of the race.) In their simple society, Marika and her litter mates live a routine life, concerned with hunting and gathering food as well as staying out of the way of their elders. But while this childhood together does encourage strong bonds between litter mates, the sibling love between Marika and her weaker and cowardly brother Kiblin is an unnaturally strong and committed one, sealed by their sharing of a gift that is as much a curse as a blessing. A gift of magic that each keeps secret from their dam, so as not to attract the attention of the unnatural Silth witches, who kill with their thoughts.

But the two pups need not worry about being discovered, because soon the world starts to change around them. Winters growing colder and longer. The land of snow moving further south from the pole. And Marika and Kiblin overhear the adult meth of the Packstead whispering of invasion by armed and desperate nomads, and worse yet – the return of the Grauken: that most horrible of times when meth feed on meth!

From this familiar set up of medieval civilization and gifted farm child, Glen Cook crafts a powerful tale of a society undergoing massive changes while dealing with the prospect of worldwide cataclysm. But instead of being limited by the standard fantasy tropes, Cook deftly remolds them into new, different patterns, continually surprising you as he evolves Darkwar from a traditional medieval fantasy to fantasy steampunk and then finally a fantasy/sci-fi hybrid.

Something especially refreshing about this novel was that Marika was a powerful, female protagonist. (Not nearly as common back when this was published.) And while she was introduced in the classic “Chosen-One-comes-to-save-the-world” character style, she soon morphs into something else: a “hero” who doesn’t behave as one but isn’t really an anti-hero either. A more appropriate label for Marika would be that she is the physical representation of societal change; a force of nature itself that destroys and creates in equal turns as it sees fit. There is no animosity in Marika’s acts, merely decisions that are caused by the operation of cause and effect as one decision begins a chain reaction which results in more changes occurring in a rapid progression until everything is now different. Thankfully, however, Cook mixes in enough tender and touching moments to keep Marika from losing all semblance of her humanity — though she is a difficult character to really love.

If all that doesn’t sell you on giving this one a try, then let me attempt to do so in another way.

I re-read Darkwar a couple years ago (It having been more than a decade since I read it last), and, after all those years, the book touched me more deeply now than it did when I was younger: Certain societal changes and obstacles of Marika and her world eerily mimicking our own ongoing problems. Since then I’ve found myself wondering many times “How would Marika deal with this or that?” And when a fantasy story touches me that deeply, it had to have done something right.

If you’d like to give this little known fantasy and sci-fi genre bender a try, you can buy Darkwar at Amazon.

Posted in 4 Stars, Cross-Genre, Fantasy, Flashback Friday, High, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

TOUGH TRAVELING — ENFORCERS

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Bookwraiths

tough-traveling

Every Thursday, Nathan over at Fantasy Review Barn hosts a weekly party where blogs set out with Diana Wynne Jones’ hilarious book The Tough Guide to Fantasyland: The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel in hand to explore all the tropes from their favorite stories. So sit back and enjoy the fun.

2nd April, 2015 – ENFORCERS

Some people are made to give orders; others are made to make sure they are carried out. Be it through muscle or guile there are just some people you don’t want to hear are looking for you.

And to start this off, I’m going to begin with probably the most recognizable enforcer in popular culture!

DARTH VADER (STAR WARS)

darth-vader Is there really any reason for me to add to the picture?

Honestly, would you want this guy looking for you?

Hell, no! Because when Vader shows up, it means that someone (or lots of people) are going to die — and probably very quickly.

And if the sith enforcer doesn’t terrify you enough, just the thought of his boss the Emperor sending for your presence at the palace surely will.

If you’d like to see Vader in all his dark glory, there are a couple novels, in particular, that I’d recommend: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison or Lords of the Sith: Star Wars that I’m reading now.

THE WITCH-KING OF ANGMAR (LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. TOLKIEN)

the witch king This vile shade is known by many names including the Lord of the Nazgûl and the Black Captain, but no matter what you call him, he is without question the chief servant of the Dark Lord Sauron and his enforcer of choice.

Now, Lord Vader might be more recognizable to the average person, but for my money, I think I’d take The Witch-King in a straight up fight with the Sith Lord, because he can’t be killed by “the hand of man.”

What? Vader is more machine than man now. Yeah, that is right. Guess, we will have a really close fight then, won’t we. Wanna put some money on it?

Buy The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings at Amazon.

THE TEN WHO WERE TAKE (THE BLACK COMPANY by GLEN COOK)

theblackcompany This group of villainous, powerful sorcerers were given this title by their number (10) and the fact that they were enslaved to the will of “The Dominator” and his “Lady” by an enchantment known as “Taking.” They also have memorable nicknames like: The Limper, The Hanged Man, The Howler, Soulcatcher, Stormbringer, Moonbiter, Bonegnasher, Shapeshifter, Nightcrawler, and The Faceless Man. Each name relating to their personality or a physical trait. For example, The Hanged Man walks around with his broken neck; The Howler actually screetches instead of talks; Stormbringers has the power to summon storms. But no matter their names, these ten are enforcers supreme who have helped Lady conquer a continent and rule it with an iron fist, because if anyone doesn’t bow low enough one of Lady’s “Taken” will make a visit to take you down!

Buy Chronicles of the Black Company (Chronicles of the Black Company Series Book 1) at Amazon.

DURZA (INHERITANCE CYCLE by CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI)

Durza This one came to mind because I finished an audiobook of Eragon (Book #1 of the series) last week. While the Inheritance Cycle isn’t my cup of tea, I can definitely see where others would enjoy its classic fantasy story and general YA feel.

One thing Paolini definitely gets right in book one, however, is Durza, who fulfills the necessary role of henchman to the main villain. With his red hair and maroon eyes, pale and death-like face, and a sadistic air about him, Durza is shaping up to be quite the challenge for farm-boy-turned-hero Eragon.

Buy Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle Book 1) at Amazon.

LUKE CASTELLAN (PERCY JACKSON and THE OLYMPIANS by RICK RIORDAN)

luke castellan My middle son and I have read through this whole series and begun the second series (though that one is going a bit slower for some reason), and we both absolutely despise yet feel sorry for dear old Luke.

For those that have read the books or seen the movies, Luke starts out as a friendly mentor to Percy Jackson when he first enters Camp Half Blood before turning into an evil henchman for the bad guy of the series.

Now, I wouldn’t put Luke in the same enforcer category as Vader or The Witch-King, but he definitely does all in his power to make sure his gods orders are carried out.

Buy The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book 1) at Amazon.

Which enforcers did I miss?

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY BEST OF FANTASY LISTS.

Posted in Lists, Tough Traveling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments