Fantasy Link 2/17/20

Today's link is to an article about seven fantasy books told in multiple viewpoints: https://www.tor.com/2020/02/17/7-fantasies-told-across-multiple-points-of-view/

Fantasy Link 2/2/20

Today's link is to a podcast about swamps, bogs, marshes and fens as setting in writing: https://mythcreants.com/blog/260-swamps-bogs-and-fens-oh-my/

Fantasy Links 1/13/17

I'm busy working on a story, so this week's post are some links of interest for you.

An article on writing advice at:  http://www.tor.com/2017/01/13/jumbled-writing-isnt-necessarily-bad-writing/

World of publishing for today at:  http://www.tor.com/2017/01/13/this-morning-in-publishing-january-13-2017/#more-254213

An article of grimdark fantasy books to read at:  http://www.unboundworlds.com/2017/01/want-read-grimdark-heres-start/

A writing article on crafting a character driven story at:  http://mythcreants.com/blog/how-to-craft-a-character-driven-story/#more-16855

A helpful writing article from Mythic Scribes at:  https://mythicscribes.com/writing-techniques/novels-sucked/

Why I Read Fantasy

“I am a reader not because I don’t have a life but because I chose to have many.” (unknown) People love to read what speaks to them. This can be nonfiction, fiction or any other of a variety of media. They can be interested in a specific genre. I have been a reader all my life. I read plenty of different things, but the genre that resonates with me the strongest is fantasy.

My reading journey began as a child. My mother would read stories to me and I wanted to learn to read badly. Unlike other children who slept with stuffed animals I slept with books under my pillow. (LOL) Reading was important for me because I wanted to learn about animals, which I loved with obsession. I went through my horse phase reading any book about horses and stories about them. Later on I discovered science fiction while growing up with TV shows like “Star Trek” and “Lost in Space”. I devoured sf books for many years. Then in college, I discovered Lord of the Rings, fell in love and have read in the genre ever since.

I love the many subgenres available in in fantasy. Epic fantasy impresses me with  grand stories of battles to save a world. Arthurian fantasy has many different versions of telling a story that continues to resonate in today’s world. Mythic fantasy provides epiphanies and experience of the numinous aspects of life. Urban fantasy brings magic into the real world for some great, memorable stories of how life would be different for us.

It is hard to put into words why I enjoy fantasy so much. I’ve always had a vivid imagination and a strong sense of wonder. Suspending my disbelief for a book or story comes easy for me. As long as there are memorable characters, a gripping plot and wonder, I’m in tor the length of the story. Fantasy fills my emotional understanding of what it means to be human and the concept of the human heart. Other worlds with different cultures are fascinating. Some people say that fantasy is read to escape from reality, but I think that is a good thing because fantasy helps us see the world from different perspectives. To me, the real world could use a little more wonder. Bottom line for me is to experience awe.

Reading is important in my life. I’ve learned a lot from fantasy like tolerance and empathy for those who are different. It is hard to try to experience everything the world has to offer, but reading provides this:    “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies,” said Jojen. “The man who never reads lives only one.” (A Dance with Dragons pg. 452 )That is why I read fantasy.

Robin McKinley

Fairy tales are an important part of the Fantasy genre. They play a part in many Fantasy books and are part of its history. Many authors use fairy tales as a springboard for their stories, either as retellings or using their elements to write new books to capture the interests of readers. Robin McKinley is one of these authors. She is an imaginative author of revised fairy tales and two Epic Fantasy books. Her characters are realistic, the stories memorable and descriptions vivid, providing readers with deeply unforgettable books.

Ms. McKinley’s first book was Beauty. It is a strong retelling of the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast.” The book follows the original story closely, but the author deepens the characters with r ealistic motivations and flaws. Beauty is a strong, practical young woman that develops a friendship with the Beast that grows deeper as time passes. She explores the magic of the castle to learn how to help the sad creature. A dramatic story is created by the author’s descriptive talent for bringing fairy tale worlds to life.

Her next book is a collection of short stories. The Door in the Hedge contains four fairy tale stories. Two retell the fairy tales of “The Princess and the Frog” and “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.” The other two are the author’s works told in fairy tale style: “The Stolen Princess” and “The Hunting of the Hind.” They are all told in Ms. McKinley’s unique style, breathing new life into some original fairy tales.

The author ventured into Epic Fantasy with the next book The Blue Sword. Her Fantasy world is called Damar. Harry, the main character, is a young woman who comes from a sedate culture. She is kidnapped by the king of Damar and taken to a harsh desert kingdom where she discovers her magic, finds the legendary Blue Sword and becomes a warrior. This is a story of a mystical land full of magic and destinies. Ms. McKinley fills the book with memorable images with her writing.

Her next book was the second Epic Fantasy novel The Hero and the Crown. It is a prequel to the previous book, taking place hundreds of years earlier in the land of Damar. Aerin is the daughter of the king. She has a painful childhood, facing the death of her mother and treated as an outcast by the people. With the Blue Sword and a special ointment, Aerin becomes a renowned dragon slayer. This is a powerful book with strong themes. The author won a Newberry Medal for this book.

The Outlaws of Sherwood was a bit of a departure from Ms. McKinley’s usual stories. She adds a vivid texture and realistic struggles to the characters of the Robin Hood legend. Though not a Fantasy, the story is given interesting new twists with feminist themes included. The book has romance and a lot of adventure. It is very entertaining.

Next, Robin McKinley turned to an adult fairy tale with a dark edge with Deerskin. Princess Lissar grows up with the same beauty as her dead mother. Her father abuses her throughout her childhood which ends in a sexual assault. Lissar flees her home into the woods. She spends a long time to find a new life, but without the traditional fairy tale ending. This book is not for children. It is a disturbing read that deals with the hard issues of child abuse. Ms. McKinley does an excellent job of telling a difficult story.

The author has branched out in recent years with other books. She has a book with vampires called Sunshine. The world has been taken over by vampires. Sunshine, who works in a bakery, is kidnapped by vampires and held captive with a vampire named Constantine. She uses her magical powers to free herself and Constantine then they flee. Together they strive to save the world from the control of the vampires. This is an interesting, entertaining different book by the author.

Her latest book uses Pegasus from Greek mythology set in another world. Pegasus is the story of a princess bonded to her Pegasus. The two species live in uneasy coexistence on their world. Special speaker magicians are the only ones who can communicate between the two species until the princess and her friend come along. Their ability to talk to each other threatens the status quo of the world. This is a beautifully written new book to the author’s body of work.

Fairy tales are an important part of the Fantasy genre. Readers of all ages have been exposed to fairy tales and enjoy them. Robin McKinley is a Fantasy author that retells fairy tales, creates new ones and writes Epic Fantasy using her imaginative talent. Her books add depths to the characters that live in vivid settings. She incorporates modern day issues and important themes in her books. More information can be found at her site: http://www.robinmckinley.com

Other books:

A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories

Rose Daughter

Spindle’s End

Chalice

Dragonhaven

A Knot in the Grain

Dragons in Fantasy

Dragons are one of the most popular mythical creatures of the Fantasy genre. They grace the covers of many books and play important roles in them. Fantasy authors use dragons in their works in various ways as villains, heroes or in other roles. They are one of the most important aspects of the Fantasy genre, adding a formidable symbol to the books.

Author Gordon R. Dickson created an interesting, sometimes humorous series of books with dragons. In A Dragon and His George, a man from our world travels to a fantasy world where he ends up in the body of a dragon. In this world, dragons call humans Georges. Jim Eckert becomes Gorbash and must learn ho to use his dragon body. He gets help from other characters as he tries to save his love interest. The story continues next in The Dragon Knight and through several other books.

Tea With the Black Dragon by R.A. MacAvoy is a combination Mystery and Fantasy. The main character is an imperial Chines e dragon living as a human in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a private detective. A woman hires him to solve a mystery and becomes a love interest for him. This book was followed by a sequel, Twisting the Rope.

Author Joel Rosenburg created an interesting dragon character for his “Guardians of the Flame” books. Fantasy role players from our world end up in a Fantasy world of many dangers. During part of their adventure, they free the dragon from being used an incinerator in the city garbage dump. The dragon helps his liberators during the rest of the books.

Some authors create their worlds to revolve around dragons. This creates clashes between the dragons and humans. Richard Knaak does this in his “Dragonrealm” books. Dragons of different colors rule different parts of the realm. Humans have increased their population and want to be free of the more evil dragons. The many books of this series are full of adventure. Fire Drake is the first book in the series, which is very long.

Barbara Hambly invokes the powerful nature of the creature in her books. Dragonsbane introduces a complex story of humans and dragons. Morkeleb has all the characteristics of a dragon from mythology. He is powerful, enigmatic, intelligent and dangerous. She has continued the sometimes tragic stories with other books.

Recently, newer authors have done different things with dragons, adding new dimensions to the creature. Song in the Silence by Elizabeth Kerner tells of a romantic relationship between a human girl and a dragon. Joanne Bertin created a rich world of humans that are dragon shape shifters dealing with unique problems. Dragonlord and Dragon and the Phoenix are the first two books of this series with more to follow.

Many other books have dragons in them as some part of the story, whether as a main character, villain or victim. Dragons are a vital aspect of the Fantasy genre. These powerful mythic symbols will continue to fascinate readers for generations to come.

Review: _The Tainted_ by Glenda Larke

Blaze Halfbreed returns in the final book of the “Isles of Glory” to save a friend from a terrible fate. She is helped by other characters is this rousing book of adventure. The Tainted by Glenda Larke is an action packed conclusion to an immensely entertaining trilogy. The author brings the trilogy to a satisfying climax through the setting, characters and plot.

First, the setting helps the book be entertaining with its realistic portrayal. Ms. Larke creates strong images with the different island kingdoms and cultures that sound like they could exist. One island has its main city built into a cliff along a bay where the palace is at the highest level and the poor live at the lowest. Even more interesting is the island with Tenkor and the Hub. Messages, passengers and cargo are transported up an inlet on the tidal bores. The author's thoughtful creation of the setting energizes the sense of wonder.

Next, the characters bring the book to a satisfying climax b being memorable. Blaze has a part, but it is other characters that are on the main stage in this book. Ruarth Windrider begins his new life following Flame the woman he loves. She is subverted by dunmagic and treats him horribly. He must overcome Flame’s bad treatment and coming to terms with dramatic changes to his life. Elarn Jaydon lives in Tenkor. He is a tide rider, a person who rides the tidal bore to deliver messages up and down the inlet. His father disapproves of him because of his sylv magic talent. These characters interact with Blaze and others that help them grow. Ms. Larke creates memorable characters with interesting lives through strong descriptions and dialogue.

Lastly, the author brings the story to a satisfying conclusion with the plot. The book starts with Ruarth on a shop with Flame, dealing with his new circumstances. He does not understand Flame’s behavior. She heads to an island kingdom to marry a man she hated in previous books. Elarn meets the daughter of the head Keeper. She convinces him to learn to use his sylv power and to help her with her ideas. Events in the lives of these characters pile up to a rousing end involving all the haracters from the other books. Ms. Larke weaves the plot together deftly to provide an interesting, exciting climax to the book.

The Tainted by Glenda Larke is the final book of the “Isles of Glory” trilogy. The trilogy is brought to a satisfying conclusion in this book through its setting, characters and plot. Ms. Larke is a creative writer using her experiences from living in Malaysia and Australia to create imaginative books that stay with readers for a long time. This book was no exception.